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Personal Perspectives
from Mason & Mason |
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| Greetings! |
Last weekend my husband and I took a drive through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We took the top off the Jeep and set out with no particular destination in mind, just a desire to feel the wind in our hair and the sunshine on our faces. We drove through Crawford Notch, the steep and narrow (and beautiful) gorge of the Saco River. We admired the Cascade waterfalls, and continued around the pass into Franconia Notch.
Eventually, needing to stretch our legs for a bit, we stopped at Cannon Mountain. Cannon Mountain holds all kinds of history, and as we rode the Tramway to the top of the peak, we got to hear all about it. I must confess, I was so not in this ride for the little known facts and legends. I was all about the view. Truth be told, part of me wished he would just be quiet as we ascended above the rugged terrain.
We unloaded at the top and saw this sign:
500 ft? Hmm. I'm no athlete, but I can handle that! We took the path and were glad to find it doable, although we were both pretty winded at the end. Then we reached the clearing at the summit. And saw the tower. And the steps.
"Ugh. That's a lot of steps!" I complained said to Joel.
My ambitious husband (recent cancer survivor and positive thinker) replied in his matter of fact way, "That's where the best view is." He assured me that it would be worth the effort.
And he was right. Check it out...
As we trekked back down the trail, I thought of how many steps the account representatives here at M&M take to make sure you have the best coverage in place to guard the things that are important to you. They might rate you with several different companies. They keep in touch to make sure changes are noted in your account properly. They work tirelessly on your behalf, going through all kinds of steps upon the renewal of your policy. Why do they do that? Because when they take all of those pieces and put them together, that's what gives them the best view. It shows them exactly what you need, and how to craft a program that works specifically for you. At M&M, we believe you're worth the effort. 
Mason & Mason Insurance
M&M Assurance Group
P.S. Don't forget to check out our website at www.mmins.com. Click the "Clients" tab at the top of the page and gain entry to the site with username: "Client" and password: "INFO4U". You'll find a Home & Auto section designed with you in mind! Let us know what you think. :) |
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DON'T BE AN EASY TARGET: STEER CLEAR OF CAR BREAK-INS |
One Saturday, Jenny stopped by the mall for some afternoon shopping. The parking lot was packed, but she found a space at the very back of the lot. After she ate some lunch and shopped for a few hours, Jenny strolled back to her car-only to find that her passenger window was broken, and her laptop and iPod were missing. Her heart plummeted into her stomach, and she wasn't sure what to do. If you've ever walked into a parking lot or your own driveway to discover a thief has broken into your car, you're probably all too familiar with that terrible sinking feeling. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to stop car robbers in their tracks. These criminals go for the simple jobs, so they usually choose vehicles that are parked in remote areas and have valuables in plain view.
Don't make yourself an easy target. Follow these five easy tips to steer clear of car break-ins...
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| Our Family is Growing... |
We're shifting some things around at M&M, and we'd like to share some important news with you.
After many years of professional service to our Personal Insurance customers, Julie Turner has decided to leave the agency to be able to spend more time with her family. We are certainly grateful for all the contributions she has made in various roles, and wish her the best as she moves on.
While losing Julie is sad for us, we are excited to announce that another long-time employee, Christine Zuendt, will be stepping into Julie's shoes and taking over the Personal Lines department in Whitman. Christine has been a licensed MA agent for years, providing the highest level of consultative, knowledgeable support to our business clients, and we are sure she will bring that commitment to our Personal Insurance clients as well.
We'd also like to welcome two new team members to our Commercial
Lines department. Linda Hollstein will be taking over for Christine, and Gretchen Houghton will be joining our team as well, writing new business in Commercial Lines. Linda has several years of experience in the insurance industry, and will do a fine job of picking up where Christine left off, and we're excited at the opportunity to expand our business division by hiring Gretchen also.
We're pleased to have such a diverse and talented group of individuals to meet the needs of our clients. We're sure that you'll be pleased as well. :) | |
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| AVOID AGGRESSIVE DRIVING AND ROAD RAGE: SAVE LIVES |
 Basic decency during driving can seem hard to come by these days. "Road rage" refers to the ability of perfectly sane people to become angry maniacs when behind the wheel of a car. On average, at least fifteen hundred people including men, women and children are killed or injured each year in America due to aggressive driving. Aggressive driving such as tailgating, cutting off other vehicles, and giving the one-finger salute are unfortunately quite common in the United States.
In fact, the problem of discourtesy when driving is responsible for as much as thirty percent of all traffic collisions. Drivers routinely ignore the basic rules of driving, engaging in overtly aggressive behaviors even to the point of murder. One of the most important situations where discourtesy results in injuries or death to other drivers is in right-of-way situations. Whenever two vehicles are driving along a path that puts them at odds with one another, the problem of right-of-way becomes boiled down to who goes first.
Right-of-way is always granted by the other driver, but the problem becomes exacerbated when drivers do not follow the rules concerning right-of-way. Unfortunately, being legally right does not mean being safe. Drivers who cede their right-of-way to the other driver might actually put themselves at risk.
Consider a common situation where, in congested traffic, a driver wants to be let in to the neighboring lane and the driver gives it to them. Before doing so...
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EVALUATE YOUR PROPERTY AND CONSIDER FLOOD INSURANCE |
Don't wait until the weather forecast calls for prolonged heavy rains before buying flood insurance. While this practical insurance can be purchased anytime, the policy does not take effect for 30 days. As the most common natural disaster in the country, flooding ruins millions of dollars of homes and property every year. Even so, flooding is not commonly covered in your typical homeowner's insurance policy, making it necessary to purchase additional coverage for this costly, devastating disaster.
If you are in a high-risk flood zone, a federally regulated lender will require a would-be borrower to buy flood insurance in order to qualify for a mortgage loan. To satisfy the lender, flood insurance must be purchased in an amount that sufficiently covers the loan.
A homeowner should also buy flood insurance if he or she resides in a flood plain with no failsafe controls, such as a dam. Flood policies even pay off if the President does not declare the area a federal disaster area, which can prove to be invaluable. Because the nation's Chief Executive Officer rarely issues such a declaration, protecting yourself is extremely important. Besides, you have to repay the federal aid you receive for home repairs related to a natural disaster so providing your own protection is the only way to ensure financial recovery suffered from flooding.
Not all homes qualify for flood coverage. For instance...
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Thank you for taking the time to read this month's newsletter! Did something in this month's issue address a question you may have had? Was there one article in particular that you found useful? Let us know! We value your opinion, and your feedback helps us to ensure that we keep bringing you content you find helpful and relevant. Share your thoughts!
Thanks again,
Heather Clement
Mason & Mason Insurance
M&M Assurance Group
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Mason & Mason Insurance Agency M&M Assurance Group
458 South Avenue 3304 White Mountain Highway
Whitman, MA 02382 North Conway, NH 03860
T (800) 759-1452 T (800) 298-0802
F (781) 447-2832 F (603) 356-9290
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