Pamela Shipp: Allstate Insurance

Don’t Make These 5 Disastrous Hurricane Mistakes

“The storm we can’t avoid. But the journey that we go on… is something we go on together.” Jerry Samson, Allstate National Catastrophe Team, Senior Manager of Response. Jerry’s expert advice on how to avoid common hurricane mistakes:

Move outside furniture ✅
Keep an inventory ✅
Carefully select contractors ✅

For more info, check out Allstate’s Hurricane Prep list: https://al.st/3pPUyRQ

Don’t Make These 5 Disastrous Hurricane Mistakes This year’s Atlantic hurricane season has blown in. The first named storm of 2021, Ana, formed near Bermuda on May 22. Last year’s hurricane season was a record-breaking season with 30 named storms, six of which became major hurricanes. The past five years have all been “above-normal” season...

Would you rent a stranger’s car? With rental prices sky-high, car-sharing companies — like Airbnb, but for cars — get a boost.

Are the high demands for rental cars interfering with your travel plans? Private car sharing is becoming increasingly popular against traditional car rental services. Read more about how Avail can help with your next trip! https://al.st/3vUNxB5

Would you rent a stranger’s car? With rental prices sky-high, car-sharing companies — like Airbnb, but for cars — get a boost. Some travelers are trying car rental services like Turo and Avail after traditional rental car companies sold hundreds of thousands of vehicles amid the pandemic, resulting in a shortage of vehicles and higher rental prices.

Allstate updated their information in their About section.

Allstate updated their information in their About section.

Winter Storm Relief Tips

As relief efforts continue to rebuild from the damage of the , here are some ways to get ahead of additional damage that may come as snow melts. Learn more: http://al.st/RecoveryGuideFB.

Winter Storm Relief Tips

Positive updates are coming from . Check out the FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency for additional disaster relief info.

Texas update: $2.8 million has been awarded to survivors to start their recovery efforts with more funds being added every day. An additional 31 counties were also approved for individual assistance.

More: fema.gov/disaster/4586

Here’s another resource to help you or somebody you know restore damages from the winter storm in . Follow the FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency for additional disaster relief info.

Texas: If you were affected by the winter storm, apply for assistance. If uninsured, apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov. If you have insurance, file a claim with them first & then apply to FEMA. We can't duplicate benefits if you received insurance from your provider first.

Allstate

Mobile Claims Centers are on the ground in . Our centers are following social distancing guidelines and equipped with protective gear to assist those affected by the winter storm. Here are some exact locations we are stationed at: https://al.st/37N2r2v. For immediate claims needs, here is how to file a claim quickly: https://al.st/2ZS7MRM

Allstate

, we’re here to help. Our Mobile Claims Centers are deployed and equipped with social distancing guidelines and protective gear. Find locations here and stay safe: http://al.st/TXFBMcc

Teton Saltes is the Captain of the 2020 Allstate AFCA ! His hard work inspires us all 💪

And a huge shout out to the entire Allstate AFCA Good Works Team who, day after day, demonstrate leadership through giving back.

Check out all of their stories at espn.com/allstate

A holiday grief-saving tip...

If you have a live tree, make sure the water reservoir inside of the tree stand is not accessible to dogs and cats.

After all, it can get crazy out there!

✨As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, we would like to take the opportunity to THANK YOU for your business.

We would also like to remind you that our office will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, November 26th.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! 💛

As we head into the holiday season, here's a reminder of what foods dogs can and can't eat...

✅ Apples, bananas, blueberries, carrots, cheese, chicken, eggs, green beans, honey, kiwi, mango, oatmeal, peaches, peanut butter, pears, pineapple, cooked potatoes, pumpkin, rice, sweet potato, and yogurt

🚫 Alcohol, avocado, caffeine, chocolate, coffee, fat trimmings, garlic, gum, grapes, macadamia, milk, mushrooms, onions, pits and seeds, potato skins, raw potato, raisins, rhubarb, salty foods, tea, walnuts, and yeast dough

Taking the time to study this info can certainly save you some grief!

During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and fell. She assured everyone that she was okay.

While she appeared to be a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening, but she had actually suffered a stroke.

Had bystanders known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be alive today.

Neurologists say that if they can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours, they can reverse the effects of a stroke. The trick is getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and treated within 3 hours.

If even one of these tasks is a challenge, seek emergency medical attention. Here are the things to look for...

22 amazing student-athletes. Which 1 will be captain of the 2020 Allstate American Football Coaches Association ?

Vote: espn.com/allstate

To get boat insurance, you need to own a boat...

or car insurance, you need to own a car...

or exotic snake insurance, you need to own an exotic snake.

But, when you own a rental home...you can’t get homeowners insurance. What’s up with that?

If you plan to rent out your entire home to tenants, you'll need landlord insurance to insure the property...

And your tenants will be responsible for insuring their own belongings.

If you’re so inclined, you could post a sign in your home that says “Not Responsible for Lost or Stolen Items.” Your friends and family will think you’re crazy, but you could do that.

Either way, you should have the right policy in place.

SOME home security systems will actually help you qualify for additional discounts on your homeowners policy. 🏠

To get the specifics, let's chat.

Today, we honor all current and former members of the Armed Services.

If you are a veteran, thank you for your service and your sacrifice! 🇺🇸

Can you believe it?

Thanksgiving is about two weeks away, and then the hustle and bustle of the holiday season will be upon us.

If we haven't done so recently, let's set up a time to review your existing policies.

Why?

Because ensuring that your insurance program is optimized to fit your current needs is important.

✳️ Have you had a change in marital status, employment, or with children entering or leaving home?
✳️Would you like a second opinion on policies you may have with other insurance carriers?
✳️ Are you receiving all of the discounts you are entitled to?

These are just a few reasons for us to chat.

Let's set up a time to talk about what matters to YOU. 😊

Are you going to rent a moving truck? 🚛

Typically, credit cards and most personal insurance policies do not cover damage to rental moving trucks, even if they cover damage to rental cars.

That's why it's a good idea to purchase a damage waiver from the company who rents you the moving truck.

If you damage it, you'll be charged not only for the repair costs but also for the loss of income while the truck is out of service. 😟

Keep in mind that insurance companies do NOT insure land.

Yet, some lenders require it. 😳

Ask a lender if they will require you to insure the land that your home sits on before you start your loan approval process.

Communicate safety to your teen driver.

Make sure they know that it takes thousands of bolts to build a car...but only one nut to destroy it. 💥

There is a reason why in driver’s training they don’t teach you how to text while driving or how to steer with your knee.

Make sure they know that.

Safety is a cheap and effective insurance policy, but, it can’t be the only one.

While it may be tempting to reduce coverage limits when adding a teen driver to your auto policy to offset the costs, it's not a good idea.

If you’ve been affected by , our mobile catastrophe units are deployed and ready to help. Find location info: https://al.st/2JnaSII

Except for Arizona and Hawaii, the end of daylight-saving time for 2020 will be this Sunday at 2 a.m.

Americans will push their clocks back and rejoice that they gain an hour of sleep. 💤

Well, maybe not this year.

No matter where you live, use this as one point in the year to make sure your smoke detector's batteries are working properly.

While Halloween might seem a little different this year, it will feature a spooky spectacle of skywatching with a rare second-in-the-month full moon, known as a blue moon. 🌕

This 2020 Halloween full moon will also be visible to the entire world for the first time since 1944. 👀

Even cooler, right?

But, if you miss it, you'll have to wait until 2039 to see another global full moon. 🌐

Here's wishing you and yours a safe Halloween! 🎃

A skimmer is a card reader that is disguised to look like part of an ATM.

When you unknowingly slide your card into an ATM with a skimmer attached, it scans and stores all your information from the magnetic strip and captures your PIN from the keypad. 💳

The collected card data can be used to create a duplicate card which can then be used to make ATM cash withdrawals.

This is how a thief's ATM scanner can look.

💡Experts advise pulling on every ATM and gas station scanner you use. If the device comes off in your hands, you'll be glad you tested it!

🍫Why is chocolate toxic to dogs?

It contains theobromine and caffeine.

Both of which can speed up the heart rate of a dog's nervous system.

🎃 As we are heading towards Halloween, here's a reminder to keep it out of reach of your four-legged friends.

Over the years, you may have heard the term “10 and 2 driving”. 🚙

This is regarding the position in which you should hold your hands on the steering wheel.

This is typically described in terms of how your hands' placement relates to the numbers on a clock. ⏰

But, the technique for proper hand placement on the steering wheel has changed over the years.

NHTSA now recommends the placement known as “9 and 3”.

The 10 and 2 o’clock position is no longer recommended because it can be dangerous in vehicles with smaller steering wheels equipped with airbags.

Here's a common question.❓

"If someone hits my vehicle while it is parked, what can I do to protect myself?" 🚗

Hopefully, the person responsible left a note. Or there are security cameras 🎥 or witnesses 👀 of the incident.

But if you can't locate the person who caused the damage, it's your auto policy's collision coverage, which will likely cover the loss.

A deductible would apply here.

And, collision coverage is optional, so if you chose not to buy it, you would have to pay for repairs out of pocket.

Uninsured motorist property damage coverage could also pay for damage caused by hit-and-run drivers in states where this type of coverage is available.

If your insurer locates the responsible party for the damage and recovers some or all of the repair costs, you may get a refund of your collision deductible.

Side note: Only 12 percent of all reported hit-and-runs (2016 statistics) were solved, so ensuring you have the coverage to protect yourself makes sense.

🐶 Sure, dogs are considered by many as man's best friend, but that doesn't necessarily include the mailman.📫

In one incident, when a dog bit the mailman, causing an injury...👮

It was a renters insurance policy that paid out for his medical bills.

It's sometimes easy for people to think that they don't have enough "stuff" to justify carrying a renters policy.

Yet, it can protect you from more than you might realize.

Arguments don’t have to drive us apart. Having better arguments can actually bring us together. At the heart of the Better Arguments Project are 5 principles to follow to turn arguments into tools for solving problems. To learn more visit https://al.st/3lOTPNt

Knowing the right questions to ask will help you make informed decisions to serve your best interest in the long-term.

As urban habitats continue to merge upon rural areas, there has been an increase in deer-car collisions.

There are over half a million incidents a year, with a significant number of fatalities.

Experts say it's usually best to brake firm and stay in your lane if you encounter a deer while driving down the road.

Here are some interesting facts that you may not know:

Supermarket apples can be a year old. 🍎

Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins can. 🐬

It’s impossible to hum while holding your nose. 👃

And property insurance policies don't automatically include flood insurance. 💦

Since floods ARE the most common and costly natural disaster AND 20% of the time, they occur in low-risk areas; we thought you would like to know!

The good news is that there's a separate flood policy available, and we can help you put it in place!

Are you ready to talk about it?