Snow Build Up & CO Poisoning in Your Home or Car

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Posted on 28th February 2011 by admin in Connecticut Car Insurance |Connecticut Homeowner's Insurance

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CT Insurance CT Home Insurance CT Car InsuranceSnow. Snow. Snow. Yes, we live in New England, but I would like to see green in my yard, or even brown. I could live with staring at a muddy yard for a month or so. I just want the snow to disappear. Unfortunately, it is here to stay for a little while longer and creates problems every day. Shoveling, icing over, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Wait…Carbon monoxide poisoning?! That’s right, snow can cause carbon monoxide poisoning inside your house, despite it being on the other side of the wall. If you have snow piling up against your outside wall, you may be at risk.

If your furnace vent is covered by snow, the dangerous gas could be seeping back into your home instead of going outside. The odorless gas is a threat to you and your family, so every home should have a carbon monoxide detector. Symptoms are easy to overlook as well, a headache and fatigue can be attributed to other things, so who would expect carbon monoxide?

So if your house has a furnace vent that is covered by snow, make sure to shovel that snow at least 3 feet from your home. Moreover, you may want to review your CT home insurance policy to check your coverage for every threat to your home.

Lastly, if you enjoy warming up your car in the morning, make sure your tailpipe isn’t covered by snow. This is just as risky as having a furnace vent blocked. Again, reviewing your CT auto insurance policy can help protect against unexpected accidents.

Call your Encharter Insurance agent today at (888) 865-1244 for your CT insurance needs.

Home Maintenance Should Include Good CT Home Insurance

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Posted on 24th February 2011 by admin in Connecticut Homeowner's Insurance

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CT Home InsuranceHome maintenance is one of those necessary evils to keep your home functioning. Cleaning gutters, shoveling off of the roof, and spring cleaning are annual events to make sure our homes don’t fall apart. People take pride in a healthy yard and freshly painted home.

Unfortunately, not everyone enjoys a state-of-the-art home. From chipped paint to an overgrown front yard, ugly homes can be an eyesore to neighbors. To rid neighborhoods and tenants of ugly homes, HomeVestors buys unpleasant-looking homes and refurbishes them for new buyers. These shanty houses get a new look and owners that will hopefully take better care of their new abode.

To entertain us, HomeVestors released a list of the ugliest homes that they have encountered. These unsightly dwellings are from all over the country, from Pennsylvania to Texas. Hopefully you won’t recognize one of the homes, but with buildings that look like they were going to collapse, we wonder how their home insurance was.

Speaking of which, proper home care and CT home insurance can go a long way to keeping your home for years to come. Reviewing your Connecticut home insurance policy with your Encharter Insurance agent can help you see what you need covered and what you can improve on.

So continue to take good care of your home by keeping up with the maintenance and by speaking with your local Encharter Insurance agent about CT Homeowners Insurance. Protect the investment you’ve placed into your home!

Paperless Billing for CT Insurance Helps Memory…We Hope

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Posted on 23rd February 2011 by admin in Connecticut Car Insurance |Connecticut Homeowner's Insurance

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CT Home Insurance CT Car InsuranceThis morning I was basically tearing apart my room to find my keys before finding them in the spot they are supposed to be, already in my pocket. Misplacing everyday items is common for almost all of us. Our memory tends to have lapses for a number of things such as PINs and names as well.

Luckily, Bora Chang of Real Simple offers us a number of tricks to help us be able to recall information easier. Saying things aloud, making associations, and writing things done are all tricks to improve your recall.

It is no secret that short term memory can fade with age, but employing tricks and working on memory enhancement while young can delay the onset of “senior moments”. Lapses in memory can often get us to worry too. Wondering if you turned the oven off or paid the CT insurance bill can have you concerned all day.

At Encharter Insurance, we can help with one aspect of your memory. Instead of losing an envelope from us, we are offering the ability for you to receive paperless statements and requests. Receive your CT car insurance and CT home insurance bills online for ease of access.

So leave the “insurance billing” memory to us! That way, you can use your memory for more important things, such as your wife’s birthday or your wedding anniversary…hint, hint… :)

Take a “Breather” and Talk to Encharter About Your CT Car Insurance

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Posted on 22nd February 2011 by admin in Connecticut Car Insurance

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What would you do if you had a $150,000 camera and some time to kill? Tom Guilmette used the Phantom High Speed Digital Cinema camera to film the most basic tasks but made them look remarkable. Familiarizing himself with the camera before needing to film a ping pong tournament, Guilmette filmed the faucet, coins, his phone, and even himself leaping on to the bed. Although these tasks can happen in the blink of an eye, they look impressive when slowed down.

This expensive camera, which costs more than a vandalized Audi R8, can shoot up to 2,500 Frames Per Second. My camera can only do 50 FPS!

The video on Vimeo allows us to take a step back and observe the simpler things in life. What was shot during the making of the video might not be the most entertaining of events, but they sure look nice. Taking a breath and looking around is extremely helpful, especially when on the road.

We often like to multitask and be efficient, but taking a breath and slowing down while driving can save lives. Too often do I hear, “speeding was a factor,” when hearing about car accidents on the road. Obeying the speed limit and being cautious are great ways to prevent and accident and not having to call your insurance agent about your CT auto insurance.

However, sometimes accidents are unavoidable. But before that happens, call your local Encharter agent today at (888) 865-1244 or stop by one of our offices. We can help you review your Connecticut auto insurance and Connecticut home insurance to make sure you are getting the best coverage possible at the best price.

Your Fine Art Collection Still Needs Fine Arts Insurance (Even If It Is No Picasso…)

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Posted on 18th February 2011 by admin in Uncategorized

CT Fine Arts Insurance, CT Jewelry Insurance, CT Home Insurance“La Lecture”, Pablo Picasso’s first work of art from 1932, just sold for the miniscule amount of $40.7 million. “La Lecture” is a portrait (by Picasso’s standards) of a teenager he had a relationship with, Marie-Therese Walter. This was the only portrait in which she was fully depicted.

The painting was sold at Sotheby’s auction house in London, England. After seven bidders were vying for the artwork, someone called in the winning bet to the dismay of those at the auction house. Other works were also sold, Magritte’s “Le Maitre d’ Ecole” sold for just over $4 million.

Although you might not have a $4 million or even a $40 million Picasso painting in your house, valuable artwork and jewelry are common household objects. At Encharter Insurance, we provide jewelry floater and fine arts insurance to protect your valuable items from damage or theft. Whether it is a unique piece of art or a family heirloom, it is a good idea to insure these pieces of art.

Moreover, if these pieces are stolen, they probably won’t be the only items missing from your home. Review your Connecticut home insurance policy to verify that all of your needs are met. Call your local Encharter agent today at (888) 865-1244 for your CT insurance needs or visiting our homeowners CT insurance website.

No Need to Take a Train (For Now); You’ve Got CT Car Insurance w/ Encharter!

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Posted on 17th February 2011 by admin in Connecticut Car Insurance

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One thing that many people talk about when discussing European travel is how cheap and easy it is. With trains, buses, and cheap plane tickets, tourists and locals alike are easily able to bounce from city to city. A large aspect of this travel is their high speed trains. Recently, Barack Obama decided to implement a plan to construct similar high speed trains in the U.S. after a visit to Spain.

Envisioning a 220 mile per hour train, with 17,000 miles of new rails by 2020, this project will not be a cheap undertaking. However, as someone who has taken a high speed rail before, it was comfortable and cut the travel time from 9 hours to 2.5 hours. Moreover, buses can be cramped and uncomfortable.

If this deal goes through, we will be able to see traveling from city to city become even easier. No longer will you have to wait hours in airports for security or layovers. Obviously, high speed tickets will be at a premium price, but it may be worth it to save some time and add some comfort.

Additionally, we may see fewer cars going long distance. Until then, we must suffer through traffic jams and poor road conditions. Looking through your Connecticut car insurance can alleviate your stress of long trips. We here at Encharter Insurance are available to go over your policy with you and discuss what is best for you. You could potentially save money on your policy and still receive equal or even additional coverage.

Call your Encharter agent today at (888) 865-1244 or stop by one of our offices to make sure you are fully covered.

CT Flood Insurance and The Melting Snow

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Posted on 16th February 2011 by admin in Connecticut Flood Insurance |Connecticut Homeowner's Insurance

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When the temperature creeped up to almost 50 degrees on Monday, I excitedly raced back home in the early afternoon to turn off the heat and open every single window I could. Although it wasn’t quite 50 degrees, and the house became a bit chilly, it was nice to save a bit of money on heat and air out the house. After being shut in for the winter, the air inside was getting a bit stuffy.

After soaking in the fresh air inside, I noticed constant dripping near my windows. Finally! The snow is melting! In that euphoric state I was excited to see the snow banks dwindle so I will soon to be able to see oncoming traffic when I leave my driveway.

Unfortunately, I realized that snow banks are surrounding the front and back of my house from shoveling off the driveway and roof. Since I have a basement that is prone to flooding, I might have a problem on my hands that requires a call to my Connecticut homeowners insurance provider. With the temperature getting higher (slowly, but surely), the risk of water damage to your home is greatly increasing. Not only was the snow a pain when it was falling from the sky, but it is also a pain when melting off of your roof.

Not only can your basement be at risk, but so can your entire home. With record levels of snowfall, we will most likely see floods all over New England. Reviewing your CT homeowners insurance policy is a wise decision, but so is checking into CT flood insurance.

Call your Encharter Insurance agent today at or visit our new site at http://ct.encharter.com/ for more details.

Need to “Insure” That Your Kids Have Fun In The Snow?

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Posted on 14th February 2011 by admin in Connecticut Homeowner's Insurance |Connecticut Umbrella Insurance

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CT Home Insurance, CT Umbrella Insurance

Kemi Snow Castle in Finland, 2010 By: Leo-setä

Most of us are sick to our stomach about the amount of snow we have received this year. Every week it seems like we have the chore of shoveling ourselves out and dread the process. Some New England elementary school students have had up to 10 snow days and are feeling the repercussions by having to attend school during February vacation.

However, one Wisconsin family is making the most of it by constructing a 14-foot snow castle in their front yard. This castle and igloo hybrid has been a winter long project and according to six year old Sephorah, “the castle has a great view.” Standing almost as tall as the house itself, the castle has attracted children from all over the neighborhood and has now garnered the interest of the nation.

Not to be completely outdone, another Wisconsin man has been working on a castle of his own. However, his castle turned out to be in honor of the Green Bay Packers, completed just before the Super Bowl on February 6.

If your children decide to make their own igloo, they will surely be running inside for a cup of hot chocolate after a couple of hours. Maybe they’ll even have a few friends over to help them during the process. Having guests over at the house is a good reason to look into CT personal umbrella insurance, umbrella insurance can increase your liability coverage for up to $1 million. Moreover, reviewing your CT home insurance policy is good practice to ensure your needs are met in the case of an accident or loss.

 Call your local Encharter Insurance agent today at (888) 865-1244 or visit our virtual website at www.encharter.com.

Video Games and Your CT Home Insurance

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Posted on 11th February 2011 by admin in Connecticut Homeowner's Insurance

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Good news parents, more studies are showing that video games may not be bad for your children after all. Scott Steinberg, video game consultant and head of technology, provides four reasons why video games are beneficial to users:

  • Hands-on experience.
  • Employers use it for training.
  • Interactive learning.
  • Builds teamwork and requires collaboration.

Video games improve hand-eye coordination, and are much better than passively staring at the television screen for hours on end. They also require analytical thinking and reasoning to achieve success.

Obviously, some games can go beyond what is necessary, and receive a lot of criticism for being too violent. Moreover, nothing beats face-to-face interaction or going outside. But during some free time, video games can be a better choice than a movie or TV show. Having a few friends over and playing with the Nintendo Wii is now commonplace. Consoles are getting more and more interactive, requiring physical movement with products like the Kinect or PlayStation Move.

When friends do come over, encourage some brain stimulating games instead of a time sucking TV show or B-list movie. However, more people in the house equates to a larger risk. With all of that moving around in the living room, something can topple over or someone can fall. Review your CT home owner’s insurance policy and CT personal umbrella insurance. Umbrella insurance can add an extra $1 million to your liability coverage in the event of an accident.

Find your local office or call your local Encharter Insurance agent at (888) 865-1244.

Train Derails in Ohio; Homes at Risk Evacuated

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Posted on 10th February 2011 by admin in Connecticut Homeowner's Insurance

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As a kid I had three train sets and whenever I visited my grandparents in New Hampshire, we would always make a trip to the train station. I had Thomas the Tank Engine bed sheets and loved it when Mr. Rogers visited The Neighborhood Trolley in Neighborhood of Make-Believe. For some reason the repetitive noise of the wheels churning and sound of the engine whistle was all I needed to hear.

 Unfortunately, not all trains are as kind as Thomas or as peaceful as the Neighborhood Trolley. Earlier this week, a train derailed in Ohio. Normally, this situation is bad enough, but the train was transporting thousands of gallons of ethanol.

 The cause of the accident is not clear yet, but homes have been evacuated for fear of the fire spreading or an explosion. Although you may not live in a place where you are at risk for ethanol pouring into your backyard, it is good practice to review your home owner’s insurance policy with your Encharter Insurance agent to check that all of your needs are met.

 Call your agent today at (888) 865-1244 or stop by one of our offices.

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