It’s that time of year again where the television is filled with commercials on what you can spend your tax refund on. Granted, with many folks still in rebuild after the weather events of 2020/2021, new furniture or a vacation sounds lovely. But is that really the wisest use of your hard-earned dollars? Let’s look at a few ideas….  The National Hurricane Center is considering changing Hurricane Season from June 1 to May 15th. You’ve got to be kidding me – Right!?! Let’s face it, many of us haven’t fully recovered from 2020 hurricanes and now, as if we don’t have enough to fret about, the powers that be in the Weather Center want to add 2 more weeks of hurricane worry upon us. RELAX.
Regardless of when the National Hurricane Center states hurricane season starts or ends, there is no need to panic or fear. Being prepared and having a plan, however, is imperative. We may not be able to control Mother Nature, but here are some things you can do… Have an Evacuation Plan. No matter if the storm hits east or west of us, having an evacuation plan in place helps alleviates the stress of leaving. Review Your Home or Renters and Flood Insurance Policy ahead of time. Understanding your policy coverage, deductibles and limitations makes you a responsible homeowner/renter. Take pictures or a video of your home, contents, sheds or outbuildings, and yard helps you be more organized if you have to file a claim. Include pictures of closets and drawers, dishes, pots, silverware – everything! Many folks lose out on valuable reimbursement without proper documentation of what you own – especially those who have total or near-total losses. Have items in storage? Have pictures and an inventory list of those too as a percentage of your contents coverage extends to these things. It is especially important to record any existing damage on your home! If you happen to get caught with a new claim, this will help you and your insurance company from butting heads over details between claims. Keep a travel kit ready. A single suitcase or tote or briefcase with policies (including life, health and auto), Vet Records, Kid’s immunization records, Medications and/or a list of medications (include dosage!), Allergies, legal documents that may be important if you or a family member becomes ill or dies during evacuation, etc. saves you from having to think about these things when preparing to evacuate. Find more ideas on what to bring with you or have on hand if you decide not to evacuate in this post. Other important things we learned during 2020 hurricanes can be found HERE and more tips for travelling smart are listed in THIS blog post. Hopefully we’ve provided you enough information in this and other posts to help ease the stress of travelling or evacuating. Until next time, take care and remember…. Preparation is the key to success. Tommy Curtis and Staff  Image by Plume Ploume from Pixabay We’ve made it through January and February is nearly
half over, but did you know in old Roman times, when the calendar only had 10 months, February was actually the end of the year and March the beginning? It is still unclear when that changed to twelve months with January and February beginning the calendar year, but I thought it was an interesting fact to share. Which leads up to the actual topic of this post…. Changes Curtis Insurance is making in 2021. Although we will continue to service our existing clients, Curtis Insurance will no longer sell Home or Flood insurance policies. There are many reasons for this decision, the main one being changes to our staff, two of which are in the early stages of retirement and we wish them the BEST in their endeavors. With this in mind, we no longer offer Permit or Notary Bonds either. However, we’d be honored to be your #1 choice for Auto, Recreational Vehicle and Renters Insurance and are continuing to focus on meeting the needs of our community by offering Medicare and Life Insurance through our sister company, Curtis & Associates. If we may be of service to you in any, or all of these areas, please give us a call or come by our office at 509 7th St. in Lake Charles and let us help you! Until next time take care and remember…. Change is inevitable, how you handle it is up to you. Tommy Curtis and Staff Disclaimers: Medicare has neither endorsed nor reviewed this information. Not connected or affiliated with any United States Government or State agency Life and Medicare Products marketed through Curtis & Associates Financial Services, Inc. {A Life and Health Agency}  As we move into the second month of 2020, there are so many things to consider when thinking about your insurance. We're going to take a moment and direct you back to some of our most important and most informative posts throughout the past couple of years.  Image by Frauke Riether from Pixabay Medicare AEP is over and 2020 is right around the corner. Business has slowed to a more normal pace around the office. We here at Curtis Insurance / Curtis & Associates would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Blessed & Prosperous New Year. Our office will close at 12:00 NOON on Christmas Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 24th) and be closed on Christmas Day (Wednesday, Dec. 25th). We will resume normal business hours (9-5) on Thursday, Dec. 26th. We will also close at 12:00 NOON on New Year’s Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 31st) and be closed all day Wednesday, New Year’s Day (Jan 1st 2020). We will resume normal business hours (9-5) on Thursday, Jan 2nd. If you are looking for something different, something special to give a close friend, family member or loved one, consider a Life Insurance policy. We have special single, premium annuities that protect your money and your beneficiary from taxation that might otherwise be imposed on a cash gift or inheritance. If you’d like more information on this type of plan, please give our Licensed Life Insurance Specialist a call and set an appointment to discuss your options. Until next time take care and remember in a world where you can be anything….be kind. Tommy Curtis and Staff Disclaimer: This material has been provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction. Life and Medicare Products marketed through Curtis & Associates Financial Services, Inc. {A Life and Health Agency}  Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay In February we did a post explaining what 'Insure Your Love' was all about and in it, we mentioned that September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. These have been instituted by the non-profit organization, Life Happens. So I thought I'd share some more interesting information I found on life insurance....
Did you know that unclaimed life insurance benefits are paid to your state? I recently discovered that fact and that there are over $1 Billion dollars in unclaimed benefits out there!  Image by Open Clipart-Vectors from Pixabay It’s that time of year again…time when the kids are going back to school. And time when many young drivers will be out on the road, driving to class or extra-curricular activities. Perhaps even an after-school job. As adults, we’re used to road rules and know where everything is in our vehicles should we need to access them quickly. But our teenage and young-adult children aren’t. So, we’ve compiled a short list of things to do and check to provide a safe and confident environment for inexperienced drivers.  Wreath by Elena Chukovskaya from Pixabay Our office will be closed Monday, Dec 24th & Tuesday, Dec. 25th as well as Monday, Dec. 31st and Tuesday, Jan. 1st in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays.
We will resume normal business hours (9am - 5 pm) on Wednesday, Dec. 26th and Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. As we move through the holidays and into a new year, we hope you'll take some time to browse the many blog posts we've shared over the past year or so and that you'll find a wealth of information beneficial to your life, home, auto and/or Medicare insurance concerns. When faced with life, home or work changes, we certainly hope you'll give us a call and let us service your insurance needs. It's especially important to insure those new toys you got for Christmas! (ie; boats, jet skis, ATV's, jewelry, artwork, etc.) Meanwhile - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We look forward to serving you in 2019 and beyond.... Tommy Curtis and Staff |
Tommy Curtis
Is an insurance agent with integrity and your best interest in mind. Call to speak directly to him. Contact us Phone: 337-433-1683 Address: 509 7th Street Lake Charles, LA 70601 Office Hours: M-F 9a - 5p (CST) Follow Us
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