Insurance | Blog

Coronavirus and investments: Don’t worry, be happy

Posted on April 3, 2020March 10, 2020 by Victor Varma

So the stock market tanked in historic drops in February on news of the coronavirus Covid-19. It also recovered in an historic one-day recovery.
Dizzy yet?
Investment experts at Market Watch say ignore the headlines.
The market will go up and down during the virus crisis, but no experts think it will stay down.

Long-term investors need not worry
Those with a 401(K) or IRA are probably still doing well compared to the same time last year or even the year before. If you have some time before retirement, take a deep breath. You made a lot of money in the last three years, and you are probably still ahead.

Don’t let bad news make you sell good stocks
Headline risk. That’s what stock advisers call short-term bad news that panics some investors into selling.
Don’t panic.
Apple, for example, was selling for around $146 in 2018 but soared to more than $330 before the virus crisis. During the crisis, it dipped to around $220. But, even though in the short run, sales will be slower and the supply chains crazy, it’s still Apple. Still a great company to own.

Opportunities arise
Plus, in the meantime, as stock prices sink, buying opportunities rise. Buy the bargain. A short-term crisis offers lots of buying opportunities.
One caution from Market Watch: Don’t try to guess when the market will be lowest. No one can. Buy when the bargain seems good.
It might be time to look at your portfolio and consider rebalancing your ratio of stocks to bonds, according to Market Watch.

Getting Ready For Spring? Your Motorcycle Checklist

Posted on March 31, 2020March 30, 2020 by agentinsure

Getting Ready For Spring? Your Motorcycle Checklist

Rev your engine and get ready to feel the cool breeze in your hair as you fly down the freeway – spring is almost here! It’s time to make sure you have your motorcycle ready to take you on adventures throughout the warmer months. Use this checklist to ensure that you and your bike are ready to roll. At InsureUS, serving Cypress, TX, we’re here to help you make sure you stay safe on your bike this summer.

Stop in to see a motorcycle mechanic. While you know your bike inside and out, it’s a good idea to have a mechanic do a quick tune-up to make sure everything is in proper working order.
Get planning. One of the best things about having a motorcycle is the ability to fly wherever the wind takes you, but it’s also fun to have a few scheduled summer trips to look forward to.
Check your emergency kit. Do you have working flares, a poncho, an emergency blanket, and water stowed away, just in case you break down? This is the time to make sure your emergency kit is up to date and ready for summer.

Call InsureUS, Serving Cypress, TX

If you’re ready to make sure your motorcycle insurance policy is up to par to keep you protected this summer, we’re here to help. Reach out to us at InsureUS, serving Cypress, TX, today to learn more about how we can keep you and your motorcycle safe, so you can rest assured that you’re covered as you embrace the open road this summer.

Flood insurance basics that you need to know about

Posted on February 27, 2020February 27, 2020 by agentinsure

Texas is known for getting some stormy weather, and because of this, it’s important to make sure that your Cypress, TX area property has the protection it needs. The team at InsureUS is here to help you and your family determine the right coverage to ensure that you have the protection you need.

Flood damage can be awful to deal with, and finding out that your primary homeowner’s policy does not provide adequate protection can make an already stressful situation even worse. The location of your property can also have a significant effect on your flood insurance needs.

Flood Insurance Basics

Flood and water damage can take a toll on your home, and this damage may not be covered by your primary homeowner’s policy. Oftentimes, the coverage availability is determined by the cause of the damage. There can be damage from storms, water main breaks, interior plumbing issues, rainwater, to name a few. It is important that your coverage includes protection for all flood damage, no matter the cause.

The parameters for these policies can be confusing, and it is advisable to sit down with your knowledgeable local agent to review your needs. Everyone’s coverage needs can differ, depending on the location of the property, any requirements set in place by their lender, or their personal comfort level when it comes to insurance protection. Don’t be left with gaps in your insurance coverage! These oversights can result in your own financial liability in the event of flood damage to your home or property.

Is it time to review your home policy for completeness? If you are in the greater Cypress, TX area and want to learn more about the available flood insurance policies for our area, call or stop by InsureUS today!

Start the New Year with a survey of your fitness levels

Posted on January 31, 2020December 19, 2019 by Victor Varma

With so much health advice in the news today, just thinking about what you should or should not be doing can be a dizzying prospect. Harvard doctors agree that health can be an overwhelming topic. But they say that if you have a handle on these four numbers, you can have a pretty good idea of where you stand and what to do about it.

Your body mass index (BMI). Many people are overweight and don’t think they are. The health risks climb when you reach the overweight level. Here’s what they mean:
Underweight is a BMI of less than 18.5, and normal weight is a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.
Overweight is a BMI of 25 to 29.9, and obesity is a BMI of 30 or over. If your calculation shows more than 24.9, it’s time to lose weight. To get a fast BMI rating, see nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm. Just enter your height and weight.
Your blood pressure. Ideally, it should be 120/80 or below. Starting at 115/75, the risk for heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular disease doubles with each increment of 20/10.
People with systolic blood pressure (the first number) of 120 to 139 or a diastolic of 80 to 90 are “prehypertensive.” Changes in diet and activity patterns can help prevent cardiovascular disease at this level.
Your fasting glucose. If you have two fasting plasma glucose measurements of 126 mg/dL or greater, you have diabetes.
Your LDL cholesterol level. Your bad cholesterol reading should be below 100, but 70 is better. Diet, exercise, and medications like statins, or all three, can lower your LDL, reducing your heart disease risk by about a third

How to Get RV Insurance in Cypress, Texas

Posted on January 31, 2020January 31, 2020 by agentinsure

Owning an RV is a great choice for many Texas residents, since it has some great RV parks, such as Grand Texas RV Resort and Fredericksburg RV Park, both in the Houston area. However, owning an RV comes with some obligations. When driving or staying in an RV, especially in the Cypress, TX area, you will need to get RV insurance.

While we have touched on when RV insurance is required, you may be wondering how to get RV insurance. Luckily, it is easy to get RV insurance for your recreational vehicle in Cypress, TX. Below are some simple ways to get started and get your insurance quote as soon as possible.

Call an Insurance Agent

By calling an agency such as InsureUS, which serves Cypress, TX, you will be able to connect to a real person right away to speak about your specific needs. When you speak to an agency that has local agents that work and live in your area, it can make the insurance process much smoother for all involved so that you don’t have to worry.

All of InsureUS agents are only a phone call away and are locally owned and operated.

Request a Quote Online

One of the simplest ways to start getting RV insurance for your vehicle is to fill out a form and request an RV quote online.

With an online form, you simply leave your name, contact information, the coverage needed, and whatever comments or questions that you’d like answered. This option is best for people on-the-go who may not have time to make a phone call or want to see their quote in writing.

Get a Quote Now

InsureUS is here for all of your RV insurance needs in Cypress, TX. Call, email, or fill out our form to learn more.

Cost of retirement: More expensive than you might think

Posted on January 24, 2020December 19, 2019 by Victor Varma

The cost of retirement can vary dramatically depending on where you live and what choices you make before you retire.
Ideally, you want to have enough social security and investments to maintain your current lifestyle.
While investment advisers routinely say $1 million in investments will ensure a happy retirement, this is not necessarily true. In high-tax states with high cost of living, a big retirement pot is probably essential. But, in lower tax states with lower cost of living, retirees might need about a fourth of that amount.
The key question is how you prepare before retirement.

Run the numbers. Check with Social Security for an estimate of retirement income. But, remember your Medicare and taxes will be deducted from social security, so that number will be lower. For other income, you will be paying cash for taxes. Look at all your expenses. Medicare plus supplements and prescriptions could run more than you think. For example, some prescriptions could cost $100-$300 per month, even with a prescription plan.
Get out of debt. The best strategy is to be out of debt before retirement. Aim for zero credit balances.
Pay off the mortgage. In some cases, holding a mortgage might be financially wise, depending on how much your investments are making as opposed to the interest rate on your mortgage. But good general advice is to pay off the mortgage before retirement.
Transportation. Plan to have a late model car that is paid off before retirement. A car payment soaks up retirement funds.
Emergency fund. Build one with at least 3 to 6 months of expenses. Emergencies won’t stop just because you are retired, and you won’t have money coming in. You must avoid credit card debt.
Long-term care insurance. Plan early to buy long-term care insurance when prices will be lower.

The Golden Years in business

Posted on January 17, 2020December 17, 2019 by Victor Varma

“What am I going to do with all this time?”

That’s a question retirees often ask themselves these days. The trend of retired Americans or those close to it is to keep working. Some need income; others use it for travel and leisure activities, hobbies, or purely for the personal fulfillment of work and staying involved with others.

In March of this year, the second annual Small Business Survey revealed 65% of more than 5,000 Americans polled said they envision opening a business when they retire.

These results are not surprising, according to Dr. Luke Pittaway, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Ohio University. People are living longer, he says, and more than ever before are choosing to start a business to stay active.

According to The Balance Small Business, any service that consumers and companies will pay for can be turned into a business. Among them are accounting, bookkeeping, handyman, landscaping, pet care, and more.

Freelance writing is more popular than ever with blogging, writing for businesses large and small, e-books, and memoirs, among others. Self-publishing is fast and affordable these days.

Nearly any hobby can be turned into a business too. How about gardening? Baking? Photography? A musical instrument?

Contact your former employers to offer your services. Access your network to find potential clients.

Starting a home-based business enables the retiree to profit from decades of experience in his or her profession. Selling one’s skills through a service-based home business is one of the fastest and least expensive ways to start making money at home. At or near the top of the possibilities are consulting and coaching. Both can be performed at home and enhanced by online tools.

Should you sell or buy a home in 2020?

Posted on January 10, 2020December 17, 2019 by Victor Varma

According to Forbes, today’s mortgage rates — at about 3.75 percent — will stay low in 2020. At the same time, market watchers expect home prices to continue to escalate due to low inventory and high demand.
Without more listings on the market, competition will increase early in the year. Entry-level home prices will rise higher than incomes. Low-interest rates and the lack of starter homes will continue to raise prices.
Housing inventory will remain soft through most of the year. As one real estate agent remarked, “You can’t buy what’s not for sale.”
According to the National Association of Home Builders, new construction in late 2019 reached a 20-month high. Even so, months may be needed before building can sustain demand.
Realtor.com reveals Millennials constituted almost half — 46 percent — of mortgage originations in September 2019, up from 43 percent in 2018. At the same time, Baby Boomer and Gen X mortgage activity faded.
If today’s older adults (born between 1931 and 1959) behaved like previous generations, more than 1.6 million homes would have been on the market in 2019.
But Boomers are staying in their homes, not downsizing as did previous generations. One factor: Older people are working longer. Another factor is that young people are staying at home longer. In 2016, 16.1 percent of senior households had younger generations living with them, up from 14.4 percent in 2005, according to Trulia and Census figures.
As for homeowners, should they sell in 2020? According to the Federal Reserve, household equity in real estate has more than doubled since its shortage in 2012. Mortgage equity is at an all-time high
Homeowners with the flexibility to move in the next few years may be assuming that when they’re ready, the market will be as inviting as it is today. This is not necessarily true, and some vital housing-market drivers suggest 2020 could be a sweet spot for selling a home.
Mortgage interest rates are low. Potential buyers track them carefully. That’s a pleasant tailwind for buyers interested in a homeowners’ property,
Has the time come to book their profits and move on?
Only the homeowner knows.

Prevent hacks into home security system

Posted on January 3, 2020December 17, 2019 by Victor Varma

The latest home security gadgets are a far cry from the early days of simple motion detectors. Whether it’s the Ring video doorbell, which alerts you to someone at your front door (and allows you to talk to them), or other systems that use facial or voice recognition, we’ve got cameras and eyes everywhere.
The downside, of course, is the potential for hackers to access those cameras and find their way into our homes.
Consumer Reports offers tips to keep our home security cameras from being hacked:

Keep your camera’s firmware up to date. Some cameras automatically download and install these updates, which fix software bugs and patch software vulnerabilities, while others require you to check for updates on your own.
Change your camera’s password. You should approach your security camera’s password the same as your other devices and use long and complex passwords without personally identifying information.
Set up two-factor authentication if possible. This means the camera company sends you a onetime-use passcode via text, phone, email, or authentication app that you input in addition to your username and password when you log in to the account. As CR points out, even if a hacker cracks your password, they won’t be able to access your camera unless they also gain access to your onetime code.
Set up a password manager. A password manager generates strong, random passwords and stores and remembers them for you. Many are free.

Time to get happy!

Posted on December 27, 2019November 8, 2019 by Victor Varma

Get up, get out, and get happy. Experts say that even if you have to fake it, you’ll soon be merry — or at least a little happier.
People can have a good reason to be wistful or even blue at the holidays. Family members are not always near, or physical conditions can limit activities.
Strange that just when we can’t remember where we put the car keys, memories from 30 years ago are accessible in every detail. It’s great to remember the good times, but to be happy today we need to stay in the present.
According to happiness guru Gretchen Rubin, the key is to actively plan for holidays and make new memories. Here are some ideas:

Consider some things you have loved: Songs, gift-giving, family. Start asking around early for churches that have carols and holiday activities. If you need a ride, ask at the church office.
Find out who needs a gift and give it!
Gather your own ‘family’ of neighbors and friends for a pitch-in dinner. It doesn’t have to be on Dec. 25.
The bottom line: Make a plan and get out of the house.
Do ask others about their plans; people often love to share holidays.
Be grateful for the holiday you make for yourself. Don’t compare this holiday to happier times in the past and try not to compare this holiday to the one you imagined it would be. Create something for yourself and enjoy it, whether it is a modest decoration and dinner with a friend, or an all-out bash.