FIVE NEW YEAR’S (LEGAL) RESOLUTIONS

Here are five (5) LEGAL resolutions can help yourself and your family.

1.    Shoot a video. Make a videotape of all of your household goods, just by walking through the house and opening closets and attics. If you suffer loss due to tornado, fire, theft or earthquake (optional coverage) you can easily fill out claim forms. You will be housed in an apartment or hotel your insurance company places you in, and you can just play and pause the video. See Proverbs 27:23. Be sure to store the video with family or friends and not in your home!

2.    Buy more UM coverage. UM stands for Uninsured/Under-insured Motorists coverage. On your car, you should carry at least $100,000.00 of this coverage. It is very cheap, compared to what you may receive. It only pays you, your family or those in your car if they are injured or killed by an unknown, under-insured or uninsured motorist. See 1 Timothy 5:8. It is vital. If you do nothing else, do this.

3.    Check your credit. You can do this for free, courtesy of our government, once per year per agency at www.annualcreditreport.com.  And never co-sign!  See Proverbs 17:18. This credit check will help you spot identity theft and open cards you may have forgotten about.

4.    Check your house and land for hazards. Are there rotten trees overhanging your driveway? Do you have a good fence around your pool? Is your dog properly secured?  Are your steps solid, and your stair railings tight? Are there holes in your yard? Is there plenty of lighting available at night? If you have cattle, are your fences in good shape without overhanging limbs or unlocked gates? See Exodus 21:33. Even though you are not automatically liable for injuries on your property, an ounce of prevention stops most injuries.

5.     Do you have life insurance? Many do not. It is common for grief-stricken widows to have to work two jobs to pay the funeral off. Is that your plan for your loved ones? See Proverbs 13:22. Buy insurance, and term is usually cheapest.

These few pointers may make a real difference for you this year. And, they are not nearly as hard as a resolution to lose some weight!

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

New Year’s Resolutions

This is the time of year when many will make those promises to themselves, we call “New Year’s Resolutions.”

Here are a few suggested ones, on both the legal and personal fronts that may prove helpful:

1. Spend more time with a child. Children spell “LOVE” as T-I-M-E.

2. Spend less than you make, or you will always be behind. If you are in debt, rather than pay a little extra on everything, try targeting one at a time with all you can raise.

3. Have your Will, Living Will, and Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare drawn up by an attorney of your choice.

4. Forgive those who have wronged you. It may not be healthy or safe to actually restore them back into your life, but forgiving them is a gift you give yourself.

5. Get a physical and listen to what your doctor recommends. If you smoke, please quit. Start walking regularly, preferably with your spouse.

6. Just in case there is a fire, earthquake or flood, take a video tape of the inside of your house, garage and attic, and send the tape off to a friend or relative far away. If you have an insurance claim, the proof of claim forms will be a breeze compared to doing it by memory alone.

7. Give to the church or charity of your choice. “Takers eat well, givers sleep well.”

8. Call up a friend, coach, pastor or teacher you have not seen a in while.

9. Check with your car insurance agent and make absolutely sure that you have plenty of Uninsured Motorist (UM) insurance on every car. Don’t assume that “full coverage”includes that if you are with a discounted insurance company. Also, a car lot that carries insurance on your vehicle does not generally pay for that. Please check it. It pays you if you are hit by a hit and run driver, or an under insured driver.

10. Attend the church of your choice this year. Examine the evidence for God and His Son, for one day, maybe this very year, you will meet Him.

11. Install at least two smoke detectors, and put new batteries in any you have.

12. If you are married, tell your spouse how you feel about them every day.

13. If you are in a parental role, tell the children you are proud of them. All kids need Attention, Affection and Affirmation every day.

14. If you have choice this year between upgrading to a nicer car or getting a nicer house, choose the house.

15. Work hard, but take time off when you can. After all, no one on his death bed, ever rose up to say that he wished he had spent just a little more time at work!

Happy New Year!

UNINSURED MOTORISTS IN TENN

Longtime readers will know that I always recommend carrying lots of Uninsured Motorists/Underinsured Motorists (UM) Auto insurance coverage. It is a combination coverage, and both are included under the term “UM.”

Why Uninsured?

Because this is the policy that you will turn to in a hit and run, or if you are hit by a fleeing criminal.

Why Underinsured?

Because you have more money available to you in the event of a tragic accident.

Example: Woman Driving drunk plows into you from behind. You have a broken shoulder blade and a punctured lung.

• Your medical bills: $41,00.00
• Your lost wages at work: $8,900.00
• She has $25,000.00 of insurance (normal in Tennessee). If that is all you have, then the most you can receive in this example is $25,000.00

But what if you have $100,000.00 of UM?

• You would recover all of the$100,00.00 (25K form her, and 75K from your carrier.) That is why UM is so important.

It is not usually too expensive either, especially with older cars. Call your agent and make sure you and your family have plenty of this coverage. Some agents will say it is not important. They do not see what I see everyday. — David Peel