by Downey Insurance Group | Mar 26, 2013 | Blog
It seems strange that it is almost April and we are still hearing forecasts for snow on the radio. Sure, we live in the northeast where it always feels just a little bit cooler, but this weather is just getting ridiculous! March 20th was supposed to be the first day of spring, not just another winter day … Time to start thinking about a spring break vacation.
When you are making your plans to travel to a warmer climate for spring break, make sure you add “call insurance agent” to your to-do list. You might want to know what type of coverage you currently have for all the things you want to bring with you. You might like to know if you would be covered if something were to go wrong at your hotel room. Say you mistakenly start a fire with the coffee maker or you somehow injure another guest when your shoes fall off your balcony and land on the guest’s head. Do you know if you are covered for those types of things? Your agent knows.
You might want to brush up on your car insurance knowledge as well. Do you know if you need to get the extra insurance that the rental car company offers? In some instances it might be a good idea. In other cases, it might not be necessary at all. Your insurance agent can explain it in full detail.
Do when you decide on a destination, give us a call. We can help with your decisions about flight insurance, rental car insurance and any other insurance concerns you may have. The main objective of getting away fro a bit is to have fun and relax. Calling your insurance agent before you go can help you achieve those goals very easily by giving you peace of mind.
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by Downey Insurance Group | Mar 20, 2013 | Blog
We love taking the kids out to eat. When we are Keene, NH we are always looking for a kid friendly restaurant where we can have fun and (gasp) be a little rowdy, especially after a long car ride. The only thing better than a kid friendly atmosphere would be a “Kids Eat Free” deal that will save us some cash.
I have found 2 restaurants that have a Kids Eat Free deal in Keene, NH:
Waxy O’Conner’s of Keene
401 Winchester Street Keene, NH 03431
Kids Eat Free Sunday – Thursday 4-8, 1 Free kids meal with a purchase of an adult Entree from the Land or Sea Menu.
Chili’s of Keene
4 Ashbrook Road Keene, NH 03431
Tuesday Night is Kids Night – Kids Eat free, they offer Face Painting from 5:30 – 7:30, and Trivia starting at 7!
Some of our other favorite restaurants for kids in Keene, NH:
Fritz – The Place to Eat
45 Main Street Keene, NH 03431
Fritz has some of the best fries around, and they make a point to source as many ingredients as they can from local farms. They also have Gluten Free options available.
Pappagallo’s Restaurant
9 Monadnock Highway Keene, NH 03431
Great Italian food, right on Rt. 9 when my kids recognize their cute bird sign we often don’t make it anywhere else!
Ramunto’s Brick Oven Pizza
176 Main Street Keene, NH 03431
Not the cheapest pizza place in Keene, but definitely the best. Their Garlic knots are out of this world.
Thanks everyone from your Keene Insurance Specialists at Downey Insurance Group, 45 Summer Street Keene, NH!
by Downey Insurance Group | Mar 15, 2013 | Blog
Have you ever failed to renew your registration or license only to find out at a very inconvenient time? This has happened to the best of us. Or, are you concerned that you will miss your renewal date and have to pay fines to reinstate? No need to worry anymore!
Downey Insurance has a few useful new features on our virtual Insurance Office: a Registration Renewal Reminder, a License Renewal Reminder, and an Inspection Sticker Expiration Reminder. All you have to do is enter the expiration date and this cool new tool will send you an email reminder 30 days prior to your renewal date.
We value our clients at Downey Insurance, which is why we are offering up this extremely useful tool. But we don’t want anyone to miss out on this important opportunity.
This new Renewal Reminder is available for clients and non-clients as well. Please share with anyone you feel would find this renewal reminder useful, you just might save them the aggravation of dealing with an expired license or registration!
by Downey Insurance Group | Mar 12, 2013 | Blog
The American Red Cross does more good work than nearly any other organization in the country. They help millions of Americans every day, and no one knows when they might be the one who receives that aid. In honor of American Red Cross Month, here is a quick guide to the organization and how to get involved.
The American Red Cross has been around since 1881. The focus of the organization is on humanitarian relief efforts. Whenever tragedy strikes anywhere in the country, the American Red Cross is there to help people pick up the pieces and move on with their lives.
Most people know about the Red Cross through their work collecting blood donations. It is amazing to realize that the American Red Cross collects half of the blood that is donated every year in the United States. That is around 7 million pints every year.
Another way that lots of people know the American Red Cross is through their efforts in disaster relief. Whether it is a fire, flood, earthquake, tornado or hurricane, the organization is one of the first on the scene to help out the victims. Their first priority is to provide shelter, food and water to the victims.
Once the victims’ basic needs are met, then the Red Cross works with the victims to help them move on from the tragedy. They will help them to find a new place to live and to find funding sources to help them recover from their tragedies.
In honor of American Red Cross Month, many people like to get involved in any way they can. The organization is always accepting financial donations, but they also love to receive people looking to become volunteers. The American Red Cross would cease to function without volunteers. More than 95 percent of their workers are volunteers. Donating blood is another great way to get involved with the American Red Cross. Organizing a blood drive at your school or office is even better.
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by Downey Insurance Group | Feb 28, 2013 | Blog
When a close family member passes away, you may be left with a lot of questions regarding all the things he left behind. Not only will you need to go through his belongings and figure out what to do with everything he owned, but you will have to get his affairs in order as well. Understandably it can be a daunting and cumbersome task – especially if you are not really sure what comes first and when everything needs to be done.
You will need to contact close family and friends and make arrangements for someone to take care of any kids or pets. You will also want to contact the person’s boss to find out about benefits and any pay that was due. You will want to find out if there was any type of life insurance policy as well.
Within a few days of your loved one’s death, you will need to make funeral arrangements. Your loved one may have already paid for a burial, so be sure to look through any paperwork you can and ask other family members for help. It can sometimes feel emotionally overwhelming. You do not need to do it all alone. Having someone with you as a second set of ears can really relieve some of the burden.
Once the funeral proceedings have finished, you will need to get a copy of your loved one’s death certificate. It will be requested by a lot of different agencies, so you will do best to get several copies right now. If you locate a will, contact your town or county to see how to expedite the process. Contact your insurance agent with any questions you have about benefits or policy cancellations. And throughout the process, take time to grieve and remember the good times with your loved one. Remember that while the task you are completing may be hard, your loved one is worth it.
by Downey Insurance Group | Feb 14, 2013 | Blog
Making the decision to develop a time management system be a great first step toward improving at work and elsewhere. However, some people struggling in the early phases of developing a time management system, and these struggles can lead to anxiety. Unfortunately, this anxiety can be debilitating, and many who experience it eventually give up. Here are a few tips for people who are facing time management obstacles.
– Start slow
One mistake some people make is to commit themselves to a rigorous time management schedule from the beginning. Especially rigorous systems are hard to manage for those who have not practiced time management skills, and early failures can cascade into severe frustration. Whether you are starting a time management system for the first time or have attempted systems in the past, give yourself some latitude.
– Keep notes
Another technique that can help is to keep a small diary of your progress. After your work for the day is finished, write down anything you noticed and make a special note of any obstacles you faced. By learning precisely what your obstacles are, you may be able to find ways to work around them. Obstacles are not always avoidable, but you may be able to develop means of mitigating them.
– Do not forget about rewards
While time management is about discipline, you should not be afraid to give yourself rewards on occasion. If you have completed a particular system successfully, go ahead and give yourself a well-earned treat. Motivation is often the primary obstacle people face, so do not be afraid to use techniques to give yourself a bit of extra motivation along the way.
– Make a commitment
Even if you have given up on developing a time management system in the past, do not be afraid to make a major commitment again. It is possible to develop a time management system regardless of past failures, so remain optimistic even if you feel that obstacles are insurmountable; they are not.
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