Progressive App for IPhone

Great news! Progressive Insurance, has released an app for your IPhone! This new app offers policyholders 24/7 policy access, claims reporting, and bill pay all from the convience of your Iphone! The app is free and can be a great tool! The app also provides policyholders information to help them make smarter car buying decisions with a cost to insure tool and crash test ratings. Soon, Progressive will be promoting this app via email and TV ads! If you would like a free quote with progressive or any other of our other great companies, please call 314-368-9125 or go to www.insuredbysteve.com !

Posting your birthday on Facebook could result in Identity Theft

Think twice before posting your birth date on Facebook or other social networking sites. According to Information Week, doing so could help identity thieves predict your Social Security number.

Online information about your date of birth and place of birth could allow identity thieves to guess your Social Security number, according to a Carnegie Mellon report. Its findings suggest that Social Security numbers can be predicted using basic demographic data gleaned from government data sources, commercial databases, voter registration lists, or online social networks.

Knowing a person’s Social Security number (SSN), name, and date of birth is typically enough to allow an identity thief to impersonate that person for the purpose of various kinds of fraud.

Researchers estimate that 10 million American residents publish their birthdays in online profiles, or provide enough information for their birthdays to be guessed.

Were you aware that Travelers Insurance has an Identity Theft Policy? By combining your Home or auto with the Identity theft protection sheild, you are elligible to receive a multi-line discount, which basically saves you enough to pay for the extra coverage. Get your Free Insurance/Identity theft quotes for FREE at www.insuredbysteve.com or by calling me at 314-368-9125. P

Renter's Insurance In a Nutshell: What You Need to Know

The last thing on your mind when renting a home or apartment is probably renter's insurance right? Renter's insurance can bring you a peace of mind that you are protected from life's unpredictable events. You may assume that you are covered under your landlord's insurance, but that is not always the case. Your landlord's insurance policy probably only covers damages to the actual building structure or anything attached to the structure (ex:gutters, awnings, roof, etc); not your actual possessions. Renter's insurance actually ensures that you can protect your own possession from a disastrous scenario.

Here is what you need to know about renter's insurance in a nutshell:
What is Renter's Insurance?

Renter's insurance typically covers the losses of your possessions. It is similar to homeowner's insurance except it does not include coverage of damage to the actual building you live (your landlord's worry).

It covers the costs of replacing personal items that are stolen, damaged, or destroyed. According to MSN Money, some of the types of disasters that are typically covered by renter's insurance are:

•Fire or lightning
•Windstorm or hail
•Explosion
•Riot or civil commotion
•Aircraft
•Vehicles
•Smoke
•Vandalism or malicious mischief
•Theft
•Damage by glass or safety-glazing material that is part of a building
•Volcanic eruption
•Falling objects
•Weight of ice, snow, or sleet
•Water-related damage from home utilities
•Electrical surge damage

Do take note that renter's insurance does not typically cover flood damage or earthquake damage.

What Does It Cover?

What renter's insurance covers varies. Your insurance will typically cover the following:

•Electronics
•Clothes
•Furniture
•Sports Equipment
•Appliances
•Jewelry
•Collectibles

Keep in mind that actual value coverage is vastly different than replacement value coverage. If you have an old sound system that you bought for a pretty penny back in 2000, it may not be worth much in actual value. If you have to replace that sound system, it will probably cost more. Make sure you know if you are covered for actual value versus replacement cost.

The one nice perk about renter's insurance is that it covers your possessions even if the damage occurs outside of home. Let's say you are outside and someone steals your wedding band. You are typically covered by renter's insurance.

It Protects You From Liability

Renter's insurance also often covers you from many types of liability -- such as someone getting injured in your home, damage you cause to another person't property (you mess up the neighbor's house), and housing costs if your own home becomes uninhabitable.

In the end, paying for renter's insurance is worth the hassle because it protects you from a host of bad things that no one can predict. It is one of those things that no one really thinks about, but when you are in a pinch, you are glad it is there.