As such, the chances are likely that you have or will be on the receiving end of a phone scam. Technology has made this even easier as scammers leverage robocalls or spoofing tools to change phone numbers. This article highlights the warning signs of scams and tips on protecting yourself from phone scams.

Warning Signs

Recognizing the common signs of a scam could help you avoid falling for one. Here are some general indications that a call or text is a scam:

• Scammers pretend to be from a familiar organization. Scammers may pose as someone from a charity, utility company, law enforcement or federal agencies. They may use a real organization name or make up something that sounds official.
• Scammers say there’s a problem or a prize. Remember, if you have to pay to get the prize, it’s not really a prize.
• Scammers pressure you to act immediately. Legitimate businesses will give you time to think about their offer. Real businesses won’t make you stay on the phone (so you can’t check out the story) nor threaten to arrest you, sue you or take away your driver’s license.
• Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way. There’s never a good reason to send cash, pay with a gift card, wire money or pay using a transfer app. These methods make it difficult for you to get your money back, which is ideal for scammers.

Phone scams come in many forms, but they often make similar promises or threats. Trust your gut if something seems off or too good to be true.

Consumer Tips

To prevent unwanted robocalls and phony texts and potentially avoid phone scams, the FTC recommends the following tips:

• • Block unwanted calls and text messages. Talk to your phone company about call blocking tools they may have and check into apps that you can download to your mobile device to block unwanted calls and text messages.
  • Register your number on the Do Not Call Registry. Legitimate telemarketers consult this list to avoid calling both landline and wireless phone numbers on the list.
  • Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you answer a robocall, hang up immediately. Remember that even though caller ID may show a “local” number, the call isn’t necessarily from a local caller, as it could be spoofed.
  • Don’t provide your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email or text to ask for your personal information, such as your Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers.
  • Understand how scammers tell you to pay. Never pay someone who insists you pay with a gift card or a money transfer service. Additionally, you should never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
  • Resist the pressure to act immediately. Legitimate businesses will provide you time to make a decision or provide payment. If it seems rushed or threatening, it’s likely a scammer.
  • Don’t click on any links even if you get a text from a company you usually do business with and think it’s real. Instead, contact the company using a trustworthy website or look up their phone number. Don’t call the number they provided or the number from your caller ID.
  • Talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything, tell a friend, family member, neighbor or other trusted person what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.

If you spot a scam or have given money to a scammer, you can report it to the FTC by filing a consumer complaint online or calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). You can also visit the agency’s website to learn more about other consumer topics and more ways to protect yourself from scammers.

The post Identifying and Avoiding Phone Scams first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.

Auto Insurance

If you and your spouse have separate auto insurance policies, it may be wise to combine them. Get quotes from each of your carriers, and shop around to see if any others offer multivehicle discounts.

Keep in mind that it may not always make sense to bundle your car insurance policies. If your spouse has a poor driving record, you may end up paying more by bundling. Nonetheless, you may still qualify for a discount just for being married. Insurers typically offer discounted rates to people just for being married, because of the assumption that married people drive safer.

Renters Insurance

If you rent your living space, you should consider renters insurance to cover the value of your possessions. If you already have renters insurance, don’t forget that you have more to lose now that you have combined belongings, such as furniture, electronics and jewelry. Consider increasing your limits on personal property coverage, which pays to replace or repair items that are stolen or damaged.

Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners insurance is similar to renters insurance, but it covers more than just your possessions. It also covers your home in case of fire, theft or other perils. Both renters insurance and homeowners insurance also provide liability coverage.

Life Insurance

Newlyweds who both have jobs and are not yet dependent on their spouse’s income may not see the need for life insurance. However, as they build their lives together, that dependency grows. If you’re young and healthy, you can benefit from getting life insurance early in your marriage, since you can typically lock in better rates than if you were older. Remember that the older you get, the higher the rates, so don’t put it off for too long.

While life insurance is less urgent for young couples who are both working and don’t have children, it is important for newlyweds with only one working spouse or those who have children from a previous marriage to purchase life insurance early in their marriage.

If you already had life insurance prior to tying the knot, don’t forget to add your new spouse as a beneficiary.

Disability Insurance

Young people are more likely to become disabled than die prematurely. In fact, more than half of Americans identified as disabled are in their working years—between ages 18 and 64— according to the Council for Disability Awareness.

Disability insurance is historically inexpensive, and can pay you between 50-70 percent of your regular monthly income if an accident, illness or injury prevents you from being able to work. If your employer doesn’t offer disability insurance, you can purchase it on your own. This coverage can be critical for you and your loved ones.

We’re Here To Help

Addressing your insurance needs early provides a solid foundation for your marriage. Review your financial situation and objectives with your spouse, and contact us to help you find sufficient coverage within your budget.

The post Insurance For Newlyweds - Things To Think About first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.

Here are some considerations for protecting guests and your home during a party:

• Slips and falls are the most common dangers in residential properties. To protect your guests, clear your driveway and make sure that rugs or cords don’t create tripping hazards.
• If you serve alcohol during a party, you can be held liable for a guest who becomes intoxicated and then drives home. Make sure that none of your guests overindulge, and always have a backup plan so no one drinks and drives.
• Unattended children at a party can get injured or cause damage to your property, so it’s a good idea to provide them with a supervisor.
• Excessive noise could become a nuisance to your guests and neighbors. Don’t be afraid of turning down the volume of any music or other entertainment at your party, or of asking guests to quiet down.
• If you have pets, they could become agitated or even aggressive toward your guests due to the noise from the party. Consider putting your pets in a closed bedroom to keep them calm and your guests safe. Dog bites account for approximately one-third of all homeowner’s insurance liability claim dollars paid out each year.
• Valuable and fragile items aren’t always covered under a typical homeowners policy. Take a moment to think about where your guests will gather during the party, and move any valuable or fragile items from that area.

Need more information on what your homeowner’s policy may or may not cover when it comes to having guests over? We’re here to help.

The post Throwing A Party At Home? Have Fun. Be Smart. first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.

To truly protect themselves, extended replacement coverage is essential. This form of coverage provides a benefit over and above the policy limits for replacing a damaged house. That means, should a covered loss occur, extended replacement coverage will kick in and pay up to a specified percentage over an insured’s policy limit—sometimes as much as 125 percent.

As an example, let’s say your $270,000 home is destroyed by a storm. Because this disaster affected an entire neighborhood, the costs of building materials and labor significantly increased due to high demand. As a result, the replacement value is estimated at $300,000—significantly over the normal replacement cost covered by standard homeowner’s policies. Without extended replacement coverage, you would likely have to pay the extra $30,000 out of pocket.

When considering homeowners insurance, extended replacement coverage is critical. While skimping on this protection may lower your coverage costs slightly, those savings will mean nothing should disaster strike and lead to tens of thousands of dollars in losses.

Get Started

Homeowners insurance can be complicated, and it’s importantto discuss your unique needs with an expert. To secure a policy that’s right for you, contact us today.

The post Basics of Extended Homeowners Replacement Coverage first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.

An automobile insurance policy is designed to provide you with a level of protection against property, liability and medical costs if you are involved in an accident.

• Property coverage pays for damage to or theft of your car.
• Liability coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage.
• Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.
• Underinsured motorists coverage pays for property damage and bodily injury caused by another driver whose coverage is insufficient to cover damages suffered.

Selecting the correct liability limits is fundamental. 100/300/50 means you are covered for up to $100,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $300,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident and $50,000 in property damage per accident.

Many states have minimum liability limits of 25/50/10, although some states are higher or lower than this. While it may lower your premium, reducing your liability limits to minimum legal levels and dropping underinsured motorists coverage could open you up to substantial risk.

Collison Insurance – Know the Value of Your Car

Your policy will not pay for repairs that exceed the value of your vehicle. For this reason, if you are driving a vehicle that isn’t worth more than a few thousand dollars, it may not make sense to purchase collision coverage. BHC Insurance can help you determine whether or not collision insurance makes sense for you.

Top Ways to Save on Your Auto Premium:

• Consider raising your deductible.
• Keep up your good driving record.
• Drive less to qualify for a low-mileage discount.
• Drive a car with safety features such as anti-lock brakes and airbags.
• Install an anti-theft device.
• Ask about our multi-policy discounts.

We’re Here to Help

Accidents happen to cautious drivers, too, and having adequate insurance can save you from serious financial burden should one happen to you.

We can help you determine which automobile insurance coverage is needed and what limits you should consider for your policy.

The post Making Sure You Have the Right Auto Coverage first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.

In order to protect your home and family from an intruder, consider doing the following:

• Put an emergency plan in place and discuss it with everyone in your household.
• Take any measure possible to let the intruder know someone is home and aware of his or her presence.
• Do not assume the intruder is unarmed. He or she may be concealing a knife or gun and could produce it at a moment’s notice.
• If you have something immediately available you can use for defense, grab it, even if it is just a scare tactic.
• Remain vigilant. Take note of the intruder’s physical characteristics and provide the most accurate description possible to the police if he or she gets away.

In addition to the above, consider arming your home with a security system. A security system may seem expensive, but knowing your family and possessions are safe at all times may make it worth the cost.

The post Are You Prepared for a Home Break-in? first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.

Start by calculating your net worth—this isn’t as difficult as it might sound. Your net worth is simply the total value of what you own: your assets, minus what you owe (your liabilities). It’s a snapshot of your financial health.

First, add up the approximate value of all of your assets. This includes personal possessions, vehicles, homes, checking and savings accounts, and the cash value (not the death benefits) of any life insurance policies you may have. Include the current value of investments, such as stocks, real estate, certificates of deposit, retirement accounts, IRAs and the current value of any pensions you have.

Now add up your liabilities: the remaining mortgage on your home, credit card debt, student and personal loans taxes due on the profits of your investments if you cashed them in and any other outstanding bills. Subtract your liabilities from your assets. Do you have more assets than liabilities? Or the other way around? If so, don’t beat yourself up. According to Forbes Magazine, a person with no debt and $10 in his or her pocket has more wealth than 25 percent of Americans.

Your aim is to create a positive net worth, and you want it to grow each year. Your net worth is part of what you will draw on to pay for financial goals and your retirement. A strong net worth also will help you through financial crises. Review your net worth annually as a good way to monitor your financial health. Websites like Mint.com help you keep track of your income, expenses and net worth on a daily basis.

Identify other financial resources. You may have other financial resources that aren’t included in your net worth but that can help you through tough times. These include the death benefits of your life insurance policies, Social Security survivor’s benefits, health care coverage, disability insurance, liability insurance, and auto and home insurance. Although you may have to pay for some of these resources, they offer financial protection in case of illness, accidents or other catastrophes.

The post Remember Risk! Planning for Financial Stability first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.

For many of us, the holiday season is a time of joy, celebration and tradition. We look forward to hosting or attending festive gatherings or concerts. We travel near and far to share in the spirit of the season with family, friends and co-workers. We cook more, shop more and decorate more.

However, all that extra cooking, traveling, shopping, celebrating and decorating we do can post potentially serious hazards at home, in the office and on the road. Reports from leading safety organizations indicate that the time from Thanksgiving through the New Year is also one of the most dangerous for homeowners.

Whether you are planning or participating in the festivities, knowing the risks and how to help avoid injury, theft and damage to property through the holiday season are important however you choose to celebrate.

Fire Hazards
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), home fires and home fire deaths peak between December and February.* Cooking is the leading cause of home fires year round, and the increased use of stovetops and ovens for preparing holiday meals can increase the risk. Holiday decorations and the open flames of fireplaces and candles used during the holidays can also pose a threat.

To help reduce the risk of fire, consider using non-flammable or flame-retardant decorations. If you decorate a Christmas tree this time of year, select a quality artificial tree and decorate with only UL-listed lights. If you choose to have a fresh tree, be sure to keep water in the stand at all times. According to the NFPA, even a well-watered fresh tree should be taken down after four weeks. If you celebrate using a menorah, consider lighting using dripless candles. Remember to keep decorations and trees away from candles, fireplaces and heaters. Never leave an open flame or stove unattended.

Decorative Displays
Decorating the home, office or yard is a popular way to get into the spirit of the season. Planning your displays carefully is important to help reduce the risk of fire, electrical shock, trips and falls, and property damage. If a ladder is to be used always use a fiberglass or wooden ladder as they do not conduct electricity should the ladder come in contact with an open power source. Be diligent about everything you do while decorating to help keep your family and friends safe when putting up, playing around or packing away your festive displays.

Winter Driving Safety
Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house, shopping malls and holiday parties we go — all increasing our risk of having to drive in sometimes hazardous winter conditions.

Always check the weather before going out, and avoid driving in snowy, icy or other severe conditions if possible. Take a vehicle survival kit stocked with cold weather essentials on every trip, and try to keep your gas tank from getting far below the half empty level. Following your common sense and basic winter driving tips can help ensure you and your passengers reach your holiday destinations safely.

Consumer Protection Safety Commission, http://www.cpsc.gov/; Electrical Safety Foundation International, http://esfi.org/.

The post Christmas Safety Reminder for Home or Office first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.

Protecting Your Student’s Belongings

Many homeowners policies consider a dorm room as an extension of your home, so items your child keeps there may be covered to some extent. However, if your child has expensive electronic equipment or furniture, you may want to consider purchasing additional coverage.

If your child lives off campus, his or her possessions may not be covered by your homeowners policy. In that case, you may want to consider renter’s insurance, which typically costs as little as a few dollars per month. Renter’s insurance will cover possessions in your child’s off-campus apartment or house as well as provide liability coverage if anyone is injured in the residence.

Changing Auto Coverage

If your son or daughter moves more than 100 miles away from home to attend school and does not keep a vehicle there, your car insurance premiums could decrease by as much as 30 percent.

Keeping Your Child Healthy While on Campus

Since 2014, children up to age 26 can stay on their parent’s employer plan even if they have another offer of coverage through an employer. This rule applies to all plans in the individual market and to new employer plans. It also applies to existing employer plans unless the adult child has another offer of employer-based coverage.

If you find your child does not have adequate coverage under your plan, you have a few options. Most universities have their own health plans, but some policies have low deductibles and low coverage maximums. It may be better to consider an individual policy for your student depending on his or her needs.

Count on Us

If you are sending a child off to college and haven’t looked at adjusting your coverage, contact us today to learn more. You could save money on your policies and protect your child from expensive incidents while away from home.

The post Insuring Your College Student first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.

Many owners of small watercraft such as canoes, rafts and kayaks assume they will be covered under a homeowners or renters policy. This may be the case, up to a specified limit in your home policy. However, when it’s time to make a claim, you don’t want to be surprised to find out that this limit is not adequate to cover the value of your investment.

Be sure to consider the amount of coverage you would need to repair or replace each of your boats and recreational vehicles if damaged or stolen and ask your agent to help you get the right coverage for those items.

What Does Boat Insurance Cover?

The exact boat coverage you need depends on multiple factors. Small boat insurance is very different from yacht insurance, for example. However, for most types of boats, the three kinds of coverage in a basic boat insurance policy include:

• Bodily injury liability for expenses related to the injury of another person
• Property damage liability for expenses related to harming another person’s property
• Physical damage for damage to your own property, including your boat and trailer.

You also may want to add additional types of coverage to your boat insurance policy in order to fully protect yourself and your property. Here are some examples of additional coverage:

• Property coverage for equipment such as tools, life preservers, anchors and oars
• Insurance for fishing equipment like your rods, lures, nets and tackle
• Towing coverage when your boat becomes disabled and needs servicing
• Medical payments coverage for hospital and funeral expenses for you or your passengers
• Uninsured/underinsured boaters coverage if you have an accident with another boater whose insurance is not sufficient to cover damages

As with all insurance, the amount of benefit or reimbursement you have in the event of an incident is set at the time you buy your policy.

The post Boat Insurance for Smooth Sailing first appeared on Insurance Solutions of Mississippi | Insurance Meridian MS | Auto Home Commercial Insurance.