For anyone concerned with home safety, a monitoring system that alerts authorities during an emergency is a clear need to maintain security and peace of mind. How do you decide what kind of solution is right for you?

Professional monitoring services are one way to maintain the continuous safety of your home and the most common route for homeowners. These services offer 24/7 alarm monitoring of your home by trained call center representatives for a monthly fee.

However, as the do-it-yourself (DIY) home security market sees continual growth, some people may prefer on-demand home monitoring instead. This option allows you to turn professional monitoring services on and off as needed.

On-Demand Home Monitoring Benefits

On-demand monitoring offers a number of benefits to the DIY home security market:

1. Affordability. One of the most intriguing aspects of DIY is the cost-savings. With on-demand monitoring, you only pay for the monitoring you want, when you need it. Never waste money on unnecessary services.
2. Flexibility. On-demand monitoring can be turned on and off based on your specific needs. This customization is useful for anyone who only wants monitoring capabilities while they’re traveling or leaving for an extended period.
3. Ease of use. On-demand home monitoring is incredibly simple to adjust to your lifestyle, allowing you to determine whether you’d like home monitoring in that moment. However, proper education of your security products and monitoring needs are essential to avoid malfunctioning equipment.
4. Mobile capability. Easily activate on-demand monitoring from your mobile device. It’s simple to turn monitoring on and off from anywhere, as long as you have access to a smart phone or tablet.
5. Peace of mind. Though you may not desire full-time monitoring, it’s comforting to know you can simply activate professional monitoring in specific situations. The flexibility of on-demand monitoring gives you ease when needed.

The proper DIY home security equipment ensures your home and valuables are safe with unmatched convenience and customization options.

With smartphone and tablet use on the rise, many of us have grown accustomed to anytime, anywhere access to information.

Thanks to advances in technology, the same real-time availability is now available as part of many home security solutions. Through a mobile app or your desktop browser, interactive services, let you easily:

• Log in to view your system’s status.
• Monitor activity at your home.
• Watch live and recorded video.
• Arm and disarm your system.
• Set up user codes.
• Manage many other features.

For you, mobile access means ultimate freedom, control, and convenience, whether you’re on the couch or across the globe.

Mobile Security Solutions in Action

Below are some sample scenarios to give you a glimpse of how mobile security solutions are simplifying lives.

• If you have kids, elderly parents or even pets at home, mobile security solutions give you the ability to check in 24/7 via real-time video to ensure everything is okay in your absence.
• Remotely unlock or lock your doors - a convenient capability to let cleaning services, unexpected visitors or caretakers in without having to give them a key.
• View activity reports that let you know if doors, windows, safes, etc., have been accessed to guard against intrusion or unauthorized entrance. Set up real-time notifications to send you alerts when questionable events occur.
• Program your lights from afar. Put them on a timer when you’re away so that your home looks occupied, making it less susceptible to burglary.
• Forget to turn your lights off or to adjust your thermostat? No worries; with mobile security, you can control connected appliances from anywhere, effectively lowering your energy bill.
• Manage and monitor second, rental or vacation homes without having to step on site.
• Remotely set up interactions between sensors and lights. For example, if you're coming home alone, maybe you want the hall light to turn on when the front door opens, so you don't have to stumble through a dark house.

When it comes to mobile, the possibilities and applications are limitless, and all available at the swipe of your thumb. Based on your unique needs, your home security specialist can recommend the best setup and interactive services.

Purchasing Tips for Interactive Services

When evaluating systems and vendors, a few key features to look for include:

• Secure, password-protected applications, protecting you even if your device is lost or stolen.
• An easy-to-use mobile app interface that is intuitive and simple to navigate. Ask your sales rep to give you a demo of the solution to see it up close, or if custom onboarding or training is available for purchase.
• Clear contract and service-level agreements with no hidden charges or fees. Don't get fooled with gimmicks that promise discounts up front, but tack on added costs later.
• Quality service and support. A lot can be said about a company by the way their employees treat you during the sales process. Place your bets with a vendor that has your best interests at heart, not a quick sale.
• An assessment of your needs and property so that solutions match well with your lifestyle and security goals.

With a trusted partner, mobile home security solutions can give you the comfort and convenience you expect, and deserve.

Deciding which life insurance types to look at depends on each individual's specific need.

All life insurance does not fit everyone's situation.

Let us examine why a single person would buy life insurance.

What about a single parent, what kind of policy would fit this person?

Sometimes we tend to think only married people buy life coverage.

Why would we think this way? How about business people?

Why should these people consider life insurance policies?

You Choose Life Insurance Types

• Married People
  
  Let us look at the needs of married people as this seems to be the main reason people buy life policies. Let us also examine the life insurance types they tend to be interested in.
  
  You meet your soul mate and you decide to get married. You also have plans to have one or two children. Your partner and yourself work at jobs that yield a good income.
  
  You both decide it would be wise to buy a home before you have children. As you proceed with that you become very aware that you need some life insurance in case one of you should die.
  
  You want the home to be left free and clear.
  
  The life insurance types that you look at are level term policies and decreasing term insurance. With the level term policy, the death benefit remains the same throughout the life of the policy.
  
  With decreasing term, the face amount of the policy decreases as the balance of the mortgage decreases. You settle on the decreasing term policy as the premiums are cheaper.
  
  You also become aware that as you plan on having children you will have a need for more coverage. You can buy it now as it costs less or you can buy more and more as the years go by, if you can qualify for it.
  
  

  You decide to buy a term insurance policy sufficient to maintain the family at least until the youngest child graduates college. You feel a 20-year term policy would solve that problem.

  You are also aware that your spouse may need to guarantee your income up until age 65, retirement age. One of the life insurance types you look at is probably a 30-year term policy or possibly term to age 65. In some cases, a universal life policy or a whole life policy would fit the bill.

• Single Parent
  
  The needs of a single parent are similar in many ways to those of married people. These people have an even more urgent need as if this parent should die there will be no other parent to care for the children.
  
  After taking the time to make the necessary arrangements for their care a single parent now has to look at life insurance types that would best fit their particular situation.
  
  As this person has a need to be careful with money level term policies would more likely fit like a glove.
  
  If the children are young the 20 years, 25 years or 30-year policies, in the right amount, should be sufficient to carry them through from infancy to the end of their college years. If they are older you may want to use a 10 year or 15-year term policy.
• Single Person
  
  

  Does a single person need life insurance? Why? The only real life coverage needs a single person has is one that will provide sufficient cash to pay off outstanding debt, if any, and to pay funeral costs. It would probably be a good idea to use a 10-year term to do these things.

  These people should keep in mind though that coverage is much cheaper to purchase at a young age.

  It would be wise to buy a fairly larger amount of the type of policy that would be useful when they get older, that is if this person plans on marrying and having children sometime in the not too distant future. The types of life coverage types to consider here would be 20 year term or 30 year term policies.

• Business People
  
  

  Life insurance is an important consideration for any type of business. A corporation or partnership would need life insurance on the lives of each shareholder or partner which the survivors would use to buy out the shares of a deceased shareholder.

  Which life insurance types do these executives consider? Level term policies are usually used to fund this initially but they are usually converted to permanent policies later on that is if they intend to keep the business going for a long time.

  
  
  

  Key man or key employee life insurance is very popular with most any business. You buy a policy on that employee whose absence may hurt the company.

  You make certain that if this employee dies suddenly you have sufficient funds to tide you over until a suitable replacement is found. Long term level term insurance policies can be used for this.

  Permanent insurance is sometimes used. This could provide a lump sum or additional income for this employee at the time of his or her retirement.

35 years is a long time.

Think about some of the things that happened or were popular in 1981.

• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• MTV began
• Prince Charles and Lady Diana married
• Hall & Oates
• The Rubik’s Cube
• Donkey Kong

A lot can happen in that time of time. The fall of The Soviet Union. The Internet. Mobile phones. Emoji. 35-yr term life insurance.

Yes, you read that right. You can now buy term life insurance with a term period of 35 years from American General Life Insurance Company.

Until now, the longest term period available was 30 years. But with the new term length, you can lock in a low rate up to age 45 and keep it until you are 80 years old.

Will you need term life insurance for 35 years?

Maybe and maybe not. It all depends on your unique circumstances. Things to consider include:

• How many years until your youngest child leaves home?
• How many years until all your children (and perhaps grandchildren) graduate college?
• How many years until you pay off your mortgage?
• How many years until you retire?

This is a start, but there’s more to it. Thankfully, we’ve written a thorough guide to help you find out how long you will need term life insurance.

It’s important to note that you are never ‘stuck’ in a policy for the entire term length. Meaning, you can always cancel the policy before the term expires without incurring any penalties or fees. Most life insurance companies will refund any unused premiums as well. Just in time for last-minute holiday shopping!

You’ve probably seen tips on other insurance blogs or heard advice through auto insurers directly about how important it is to shop around for quotes. While this is a strong practice to allow yourself access to the best rates for your car make, age, and driving history, it isn’t always the best idea. For some people, staying with the same auto insurer for an extended period of time has been the most cost-effective, practical solution for their circumstances.

What many people don’t think about when deciding to switch auto insurance companies is the quality of the services, not just the quantity of cash they’ll save. Just because a car insurance company is offering cheaper rates than your current insurance policy doesn’t mean it’s a better policy. Before you switch to a different insurance company that offers you a lower quote than the insurer you’re currently dealing with, make sure you weigh the options. Staying with your current car insurance company can be a positive decision.

Renewal Discounts

Many insurance companies offer discounts to customers that have been loyal to them for several years. Arbella offers an additional 1% loyalty credit for every year you renew with them. Ameriprise offers discounts to customers that have been loyal to them for three years. While some insurance companies offer discounts when you renew with them, most companies offer more substantial discounts on other fronts.

Bundling Discounts

A lot of insurance companies will give you a discount if you bundle your car insurance with your home or life insurance policies. Nationwide, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, State Farm, and other insurance companies offer discounts to people who purchase multiple insurance policies with them. If you have bundled policies and have earned a discount as a result, you may have to prepare yourself for higher rates if you decide to switch insurance companies or forego a policy.

Accident Forgiveness

Nationwide, Allstate, Travelers, and dozens of other insurance companies offer accident forgiveness to their clients. Accident forgiveness refers to a park in which customers do not have to pay extra rates after their first at-fault accidents. Most accident forgiveness discounts can only be redeemed after 5 or 6 years of loyalty to the insurer. If you’ve been with the same company for long enough to qualify for this perk (or are close to this threshold), staying with your auto insurance company could be beneficial.

Overall Loyalty

As a general benefit from staying with your auto insurance company, you’ll have a better relationship with your insurer. Building trust with an agent creates a positive working relationship. This trust may help you in the long run; if you ever need to file a claim after an accident, this process should be simpler and more successful if you are speaking with an agent you’re very familiar with. If your agent knows your driving habits and history well, he or she will be able to recommend the best coverage for you. Getting acquainted with your insurance company is a huge perk to staying loyal to your insurance company.

If you believe none of these benefits affect you directly right now, you might want to shop around for auto insurance quotes. If one of these perks applies to your current policy, sticking with your current company could be the best option, especially if the quotes you’re seeing aren’t significantly lower than your current rate.

Whether you're shopping for a new or used car, most people have a general idea that a warranty is a good idea. Warranties are often considered to be a form of "insurance" - you pay out a fee and in exchange, your car will be fixed if anything on it breaks, but unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. There are different types of warranties and a warranty might not necessarily cover everything that you think it will. Here is everything you need to know:

What Exactly is an Auto Warranty?

A warranty is a contract between either you and your dealership or you and your manufacturer. At its simplest, a warranty sets out a specific amount of time and mileage; any defects and repairs that are necessary under that time and mileage amount are automatically covered under warranty. Warranties usually last around three years or 36,000 miles. They can also be extended upon vehicle purchase. This is very common when used vehicles are purchased. 

But an auto warranty is not a type of insurance even though it is often presented as one. Auto warranties are only designed to fix parts that are considered to be defective or faulty. They are not designed to fix parts that have broken down from wear-and-tear, collisions or other issues. There are also different types of auto warranties that you need to understand.

What Types of Warranty Coverage Exist?

• Drivetrain and powertrain warranties - These warranties are designed to ensure that the very essential components of the vehicle last: the engine, transmission and the associated parts. Drivetrain and powertrain warranties protect against manufacturer defects of these components but will be voided if they haven't been properly serviced (such as with regular oil changes).
• Bumper-to-bumper warranties - The standard bumper-to-bumper warranty is a three-year warranty (or 36,000 miles) that governs the parts of the vehicle from bumper-to-bumper. If these parts are considered to be defective, they will be repaired as needed.
• Rust or corrosion warranties - This type of warranty is rarer but may be tacked on to the other warranty. This covers rust and corrosion if it occurs due to a defect.
• Federal emissions warranties - This warranty is more popular now and will cover any repairs necessary to ensure that the vehicle meets its emissions standards.
• Roadside assistance - This is another specialty warranty that offers roadside assistance if a vehicle breaks down. Most people already have this through their insurance.

How Does a Warranty Work?

To go through a warranty, you must first contact the vehicle entity you have a relationship with: either your dealer or your manufacturer. They will then direct you to the repair shop that will work with you. 

Warranties can be voided if an individual does not maintain their vehicle properly. Auto Tek provides complete auto services that will ensure that all the parts of your vehicle are well-maintained so that you can stay within your warranties. Contact our team of professionals today!

Water damage is one of the leading causes for personal property insurance claims in Ontario. Learning how to deal with preventable water damage is essential for everyone who lives in Ontario.

Water damage has surpassed fire as the leading cause of personal property claims in Ontario.

The challenge with water is that even the smallest amount of water can be a major headache, resulting in the homeowner having to claim under their personal property insurance. Intact Insurance classifies water damage as the following; flooding, broken pipes, sewer backup, and leaky plumbing.

Protecting your home from water damage

Since water damage is so widespread throughout Ontario, it’s important that you inform yourself and ensure you have the coverage you require to protect your home. Speak to your insurance broker to confirm what your insurance coverage protects and adjust if necessary. Furthermore, we suggest contacting your local municipality to find out if there are any special programs that may be in place to protect your home against water damage. 

Reducing your risk with preventative tips

We cannot control Mother Nature; however, we can implement preventative tips to help reduce our risk of having unwanted water in our home. The following checklist has been adapted by Intact Insurance.

Tips for Preventing Water Damage outside your Home

• Clean eaves troughs and downspouts to ensure proper drainage
• If you have any damage on the outside of your home (including cracks, etc.) repair them
• Ensure you caulk window trim and door frames
• Check your roof and flashing for repairs
• Install weather stripping on exterior doors and windows
• Winterize your pool or hot tub
• Turn off the water supply to outdoor taps after the taps have been left open to drain completely. Leave the taps in the open position until the spring
• Always clear snow away from the foundation of your house

Tips for Preventing Water Damage inside your Home

• Check heat-duct and water pipe insulation
• Inspect any washing machine and dishwasher hoses for cracks or leaks, and clean the filters
• Water shut-off valve - learn the location of it and learn how to use it
• Have the furnace and air conditioner professionally serviced annually
• Have any chimneys cleaned annually and repaired as needed

We’d love to help you navigate water damage prevention - Contact Us if you have any questions or would like a no obligation AMEZones home insurance quote. 

Health insurance, as the word suggests, insures the risk of a person’s medical expenses. It is a type of insurance coverage that pays for all health related expenses from surgeries to small injuries or regular medical check-ups. Health insurance either reimburses the insurer or pays the medical authorities directly. It is often offered by companies to their employees to ensure quality workforce.

Why is Health Insurance valuable?

Health insurance is valuable owing to many reasons. People with no health insurance are likely to get poor medical services, no timely checkups, and quality health becomes a financial burden for such people. Health in Pakistan is a privilege, and health insurance makes certain that you are provided with that privilege in the best way possible.

Reasons Why Health Insurance is Expensive

Health insurance tends to get really expensive because of multiple reasons.

1: Administrative Costs

The top most reason of health insurance being so expensive is the administrative cost. The administrative cost of our health care is huge. Running the health care sector costs a huge amount of money in terms of management staff and administrative staff. More than anything else in the medical department, costs are associated with administrative costs, which is higher than any other department.

2: Drug Costs

Another major factor that makes health care an expense that is out of reach of most people is the cost of drugs. Even the government tends to understand that drugs are really expensive and people under a certain wage cannot afford basic healthcare and lose lives to easily curable diseases like pneumonia. The government tries to negotiate with the drug makers to lower the prices, but because of the fact that most drug making companies are private, they are unable to do much in this regard. Medicines that are provided by the government hospitals are free of costs for a certain class, but it is not enough. The quality of such medicines and the limited amount of the dosage provided is not enough to cure the diseases.

3: Defensive Medicine:

One reason for health care being expensive is defensive medicine. Doctors sometimes, because of their own benefit or sometimes because they are genuinely scared of being sued, do not conduct a proper diagnosis until they have run all sorts of medical tests. Multiple tests can cost a lot, and some tests are too expensive to be affordable for poor people. And the government only provides certain tests free of costs to people under a certain wage and to government employees.

4: Expensive Ways Of Treatment

Because of no or very less concern from the government on health issues, government and private practitioners offer expensive ways of treatments to patients. For example, they may prescribe a medicine from a company they have contracts with, even though a similar medicine of another brand is available at a cheaper price. Personal interests come into play and people are robbed of the opportunities to get right medical treatments. This also happens because of lack of knowledge of the patient or the family.

5: Branding

As mentioned above, the brands play a vital role in over pricing the healthcare. A certain medicine with the same salts can be available in the variety of prices. Practitioners tend to have a certain understanding with these drug making companies and they prescribe their medicine to their patients not considering if they can afford it or not. They tend to forget that not just their health but their lives are at stake.

How To Save Up on Health Insurance Plan

There are multiple health insurance companies, but how to decide which one meets all your expectation of ensuring a healthy life for you and your family? 

Here are few of the factors that you must keep in mind while choosing which plan to go for.

1) Lower Premiums are Not Always The Most Affordable Option

While lower premiums will sound great initially, it might also mean that you will have to pay more for deductibles. These things have to be kept in mind of course. For example, if you go for a high deductible policy, there are chances that you might pay less premium. But then you will have to pay more for the deductible.

2) Compare

Always calculate how much health insurance subsidy can you get and comparing different policies from different companies can help you get a much better deal.

3) Know If A Certain Health Insurance Plan Covers Insurance for All Members

If you are married and have kids, be very careful while choosing a plan. Your health insurance must cover a quality healthy life for all your family members, not just for yourself. By looking for a plan that is perfect for you and your family, you can end up saving a lot of money.

4) Compare the Coverage Of Existing Plans

Some people tend to overlook the benefits that two different insurance plans can give you. This can just help give you an advantage in a maximized way.

5) Health Insurance Waivers

Health Insurance waivers allow a person to get the space to decide with one group of insurer and then after discussing things and thinking them over, they can go for the one that benefits them the most, without any pressure on themselves for selecting a certain plan over another.

6) Health Insurance Agents

One of the wisest things to do would be to get a health insurance broker. It is their field and they can guide you the best as to which plan is perfect for you. These professionals know this field inside out and can help you find whatever you are looking for. Trust us: it is not an unnecessary step.

Health insurance is a basic necessity these days. With the increasing amount of health issues, one must ensure that they can cover their health expenses without a worry. Health insurance also provides a healthy life for your spouse and your kids and is an essential part of modern life.

Let’s face it, home security services aren’t cheap. On top of costing a pretty penny, installing them can be cumbersome, especially if you are thinking of wired home security systems. Wireless home security systems are also available, however, it all depends on your security needs and the layout of your house. Here your old iPhone/iPad can be turned into a wireless home security system, with the help of some apps.

Manything                                                                               

Did you know that you could turn your old iPhone/iPad into a motion-sensing security camera? It’s true! Manything is an app which can do that for you. All you need to do is install this app on your new and old iOS device, place your old iPhone/iPad in the area which needs monitoring (front door or living room) and that’s it. You can monitor on your new iOS device in real time. The app also enables live video streaming.

Some of the distinctive features of the Manything app are:

·         It automatically begins recording as soon as it senses motion

·         You can set it to notify you when it begins to record

Presence

Presence performs the same functions as Manything with a little extra topping. When you download Presence on your iOS devices, your new phone becomes the monitor and the old phone turns into a camera. Just do what you would in the case of Manything – place the old phone in an area which needs monitoring (kitchen, backyard, basement, etc) and watch real time video on your new phone.

Some of its features include:

·         You don’t have to look at the monitor all the time. Saves time

·         Your old phone, which is now functioning as the motion detector, will notify you when it senses something moving

·         And if movement is detected, it will send you an email with a 5-second video clip of the incident

An Important Tip – For these apps to work, you will need a reliable Wi-Fi connection. And it goes without saying that your old iPhone needs to have a working camera.

Are you thinking…

But what good is the old iPhone/iPad for when it’s visible and can be stolen by the burglar? It’s true that the device can be taken by the burglar but do not forget that by the time they steal the phone, you will have a nice selfie of the burglar on your new iPhone.

Canary – Smart Home Security

Canary is another home security app for iOS devices, which not only provides you with video but audio feeds. Like other apps, Canary also notifies you when there is movement.

Some of its distinctive features of are:

·         This smart monitoring system does not require tools to install or set up

·         Alerts you when anything out of the ordinary happens, so that you don’t have to watch the monitor all the time

·         Canary can differentiate between a pet and an intruder so that there are no false alarms

Vivint Classic

If you want to get the most out your iOS app, this is it. In addition to what has already been said above, this app provides you with the ability to remotely control lighting. This is a great feature to beef up your home security. Let’s say you are coming home late or stuck in traffic. It’s getting dark and your drive way or backyard’s lights are not turned on. You can light up these areas with this app, even when you’re miles away from home.

Some of the features include:

·         Remote access to your home

·         You can save up on your energy bill

·         User-friendly app

Vivint Sky

Another home security app by Vivint, Inc, Vivint Sky requires you to have Vivint SkyControl Hub. This app secures a home like a fortress, since it helps you remotely lock the doors. It can also allow your neighbors to check up on your house by allowing them into your garage. You can also remotely adjust the thermostat.

Some of its features include:

·         Remotely lock doors

·         Save money on energy bill by remotely adjusting the thermostat

·         See and talk to visitors

Cloud Baby Monitor

There are apps specifically designed for kids as well. Cloud Baby Monitor is an ideal app to keep an eye on your baby. It provides you with both audio and video feeds. You will need two devices, one in the baby’s room and the other will be with you. Due to encryption, only you will have access to your baby’s video and audio feeds. The two devices can connect via 3G/4G, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It also enables you to select songs and lullabies for your child from the iTunes library. You can also talk to your baby. This app is also compatible with the Apple Watch.

This app comes with the following features:

·         Live video and audio streaming

·         Easy to use

·         Comes with a night light

·         Multiple children can be monitored from the same device

With technology aiming for new horizons, your security and that of your loved ones is in your hands. Apps have, to some extent, replaced traditional home security systems that require extensive wiring. With iOS apps installed on your iPhone/iPad, you can turn even your old iOS device into an instrument of security. These apps have breathed a new life into an otherwise worthless commodity, which was destined for an online sale or a donation.