Planning and Paying for a Funeral

The number one thing that an insurance agent will bring up as a reason to purchase Life Insurance is the cost of your funeral.Both because I am only 25, and because thankfully I have not had any of my immediate family members pass away, I have never had to plan and execute a funeral. I have realized that many people have never had to be involved in planning a funeral, and therefore would not know how much it costs and what kinds of decisions have to be made at that difficult time. I did a little research and I wanted to share what I learned: Planning a funeral sounds awful, and I plan to write into my will that I want to be immediately cremated with no frills or viewing. I'm sorry for those who want to pay their respects to my embalmed corpse, but I would rather spare my family the effort in planning a "traditional" funeral. With that said, let's go over the List of Funeral Fees and Options.

First, there are the basic services fees, fees that can't really be avoided. These fees include paying a funeral home to plan the funeral, permits to hold a funeral at a cemetery, copies of death certificates, preparing notices for the funeral, sheltering the remains(its kind of like renting a bed at the morgue), and coordinating the funeral with the cemetery or crematory. Theses fees are generally lumped together on your invoice as one fee.

Second, there are fees related more specifically to the funeral. These other services include transporting the body from where they passed away to the funeral home and then to the grave site. Embalming is done to preserve the body, but it is not a requirement unless you plan on doing a viewing or visitation. If you do an immediate burial then sometimes you can avoid the embalming if you wish. If you are having a viewing or memorial service at the funeral home, then there will be fees to rent the facility. Any staff or equipment(like a tent and chairs) used for the funeral or graveside service will appear on your invoice also. You will also pay for a hearse to carry the body and for the family ride a limousine. One of the more obvious charges related to a funeral is the casket. The average cost of a casket is a little over $2000 depending on the materials. The cheaper caskets are made of pine, and they are soft and will break down more quickly. More expensive casts are designed to preserve the body longer and are more ornate. Caskets can cost upwards of $10,000 depending on what the family chooses. Something I learned while doing this research was about the outer burial container, or grave liner. While the law may not require you to bury the casket in a cement grave liner, most cemeteries will require a grave liner so that the ground will not cave in and sink around the body as the casket breaks down. Another, more expensive option is a grave vault in which the casket is entirely encased in cement or another material. While we are at it, if you don't already own a plot of land for the body to be buried in, then you will have to pay for that, and a headstone to cap it off. If you choose to have to have the body cremated rather than buried intact, you will be billed for the cremation. Again, a funeral home usually packages these sorts of services together, but you can obtain some of these things, like a casket, from a third party seller. It is possible to find a cheaper casket or grave liner elsewhere, and the funeral home will be required to use those things without any additional fee.

Other things that the funeral home can handle for you are things like flowers, obituary notices, hiring pallbearers, a clergyman to officiate the service, and organists and/or soloists to perform at the service. These services are labeled as "cash advances" because they are purchased from outside vendors for you. Some funeral homes charge you exactly what they pay for theses services, but some may charge service fees for arranging the services.

If you were ignorant of all that goes into a funeral, like me, then you are probably as shocked as I was at all that goes into planning and executing a funeral. Fortunately, funeral homes are used to these things and they do package everything together so that you don't have to make every little decision while you are coping with the loss of your loved one. At the same time, though, it seems like you probably could get a lot of unnecessary services in those packages. Funeral homes, after all, are businesses. It's easier for me to understand now why funerals can cost well over $10,000. Based on this (for me) new information, life insurance is an absolute necessity. No one wants their family to go into debt just to pay for a funeral, on top of any other debts and bills you may leave behind at your departure. I strongly encourage everyone to evaluate whether you can afford NOT to have a life insurance policy in force. The younger you are when you purchase, the lower you can lock in your rate, and you will gain comfort of knowing that, should something happen, your loved ones will not have to wonder how they are going to pay for the funeral. They can skip the terrible task of itemizing every little detail involved in a burial. Let them take advantage of the services that funeral homes offer without digging through the invoice to save every penny, by leaving them the money to fall back on. If you would like to talk to Dan Zeller about your options for life insurance, give us a call at 336-342-4438.

10 Dogs that Can Affect your Homeowner's Insurance

Bentley, American Bulldog I took care of for several months.

I am a dog lover, though I do not own any pets, and I know a little more about dogs than your average person. I know a little more because I spent much of my childhood reading books about dogs and attending American Kennel Club events. At one point, I was sure I would be a show dog breeder as an adult. I want to preface this article by letting the world know that I love dogs, and that I know individual dogs in many of these "dangerous breed" categories that are sweet, loving dogs. However, I do want people that own any of these breeds, or that are considering getting a new puppy that may fall into these categories, to weigh their choice in dogs carefully because it can and will affect your ability to get or keep homeowners insurance.

Here is a short list of dogs that can cause an insurance company to deny you homeowner's coverage:

1. Pitt Bulls- Every company that I checked into exclude pitt bull owner's from coverage, or have much higher rates. This includes American Pitt Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers.
2. Rottweilers

Cane Corso

3.Dobermans
4.Chow Chows
5. Wolf Hybrids
6. German Shepherds
7. Akitas
8. American Bull Dogs
9. Cane Corsos

10. Presa Canarios

Furthermore, some companies will deny coverage if your dog is a mix that includes any of these breeds, especially if it strongly favors one of these in appearance.

The reason that insurance companies are so cautious about dogs in homeowner's insurance is because of liability. If your dog bites someone, it can be claimed on your homeowner's insurance. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the nationwide average payout on a dog bite claim was $32,072 per claim in 2014. Also, dog bites account for one third of all homeowner's liability claims.(see their article on dog bite liability) The risk to insurance companies for dog breeds that have histories of aggression is too high for them to take on.

Presa Canarios

Now I know it sounds like all these dogs are getting a bad rap, but here is some good news: Some Insurance companies will consider a dog associated with these breeds if they have achieved a certification that shows they are non-aggressive and well-trained. One such award is the AKC's Canine Good Citizen Award, which encourages responsible dog ownership and well-behaved pooches. Both purebred and mix breed dogs can receive this award, and it may be the difference in affordable homeowner's insurance and through the roof rates. You can find more information about the AKC's Good Citizen Award here.

The list I have provided today is not a complete list of all dog breeds that can cause an insurance company to refuse to write homeowner's insurance, but these are the most prevalent in the lists that I have looked through. I do want to encourage all dog owners to take responsibility for your dog and be sure they are well socialized, well behaved doggies. I would love to meet your dogs, and my one-year-old would love to stand about a foot away from them and squeal with excitement. Let us quote your homeowner's insurance! We have very competitive rates and lots of experience. Call us at 336-342-4438, or email me for more information!

Why Stay-At-Home Parents need Life Insurance

Too often in our society we harbor in our minds the mistaken idea that a stay at home parent has no economic value to a family and are often overlooked for life insurance.  Life insurance is purchased to protect an individual or family from the economic losses incurred from the death of a family member. Loss of a stay at home parent changes an entire family's life in a multitude of aspects. Aside from the change in family dynamic, there are a number of costs that may be involved in the death of a stay at home parent. 

1. Funeral costs alone are a good reason to have a life insurance policy. Generally ranging from 5,000 to 15,0000 dollars depending on the desires of the family, a funeral is enough to put an already emotionally suffering family in financial crisis.  

2. Along with funeral costs, medical expenses incurred from a fatal accident or illness can cripple family finances. Deductibles and copayments are a known factor, but if there was a long-term hospital stay, then lodging and travel costs can pile up while helping to tend to a dying loved one. 

3. Stay-at-home parents contribute to family finances by being the primary caretaker for their children every day. Upon his or her death, child care will be a new expense to the family. Daycare's or Nanny's can charge well over $600 a month per child. A life insurance pay-out can help manage this cost at least temporarily until the family's budget/situation has been reassessed. 

4. Stay-at-home moms or dads usually take care of all the household cleaning and meal preparation. If they die, it is difficult for the spouse left behind to be able to work full time and maintain the household as well. They may need to hire someone to help them maintain cleanliness in the home. 

5. Tutoring or emotional counseling may be desired for children of a deceased stay at home parent. Often the parent at home will help their children with homework and studying. Aside from not having that person there to help them with school work, children can, understandably, have a very hard time adjusting to the loss of a parent. Progress in school and many other aspects of their life can suffer due to grief and depression. It may be necessary to seek professional help for surviving children either emotionally, or academically.  

Aside from the death of a stay-at-home parent, with role changes occurring at various times, the stay-at-home parent may become the outside the home earner at any time. By purchasing the life insurance at the earliest possible age, a better rate can be locked in for either term or permanent coverage. The loss of a stay-at-home parent presents its own unique challenges, and with that there are unique reasons for that individual to have a life insurance policy. The death of any loved-one is tragic, but none have more impact financially or emotionally than the stay-at-home mom or dad.

Is Vision Insurance Worth Paying For?

Today we are continuing to answer the question Is Vision Insurance Worth Paying For? We started addressing this topic with our past article, What Does Vision Insurance Pay For?

So, Is Vision Insurance worth paying for? The answer is: it depends! Whether a vision plan is worth it or not depends on what types of services and products you need. There are so many variations of eye care and eye wear that a person can use, and the cost is different for each of them. Let's go through a few examples to further explore the value of vision insurance.

First, the typical glasses patient. This patient has a mild prescription and no other eye health issues. They may need glasses either for reading or just for the distance, so they would need a single vision lens. They need three items at the optometry office: an exam, a frame, and a pair of lenses. An eye exam costs about $110, depending on where you have your exam performed. A median frame cost at a privately owned optical is around $180, and single vision lenses with a standard anti-glare coating(don't ever get glasses without an anti-glare coating!) costs about $160. The total cost for their visit would be $450.

With the VSP Base Plan that is available in North Carolina to individuals and families, the exam copay is $15. For that same pair of glasses as priced above, a VSP patient would pay $90. For the same bill, a VSP patient would pay $105. The annual premium for this plan totals to $234, so the VSP patient's total cost is $339. They saved $111 for the year. $111 is not a huge amount, but every penny counts, so I would say that the plan is worth it. Add to that the convenience of making monthly premium payments instead of having to come up with $450 all at once, and I would say a vision plan is definitely worth it to this patient. 

Second, we will review the established contact lens wearing patient. A patient that wears single vision, spherical(doesn't need toric contact lenses) contact lenses needs three items at the optometry office: an exam, a contact lens evaluation(evaluation, not fit, because this patient has worn contacts before, has been seen by the same optometrist in the past and was fitted for contact lenses), and an annual supply of contact lenses. Again, the exam will cost about $110, a contact lens evaluation for spherical lenses costs around $80, and an annual supply of monthly disposable contact lenses costs about $200 depending on the brand. The total bill is $390. 

Again, with the VSP Base Plan in NC, the exam copay is $15. The contact lens evaluation can be handled in one of two ways: one, the patient receives a 15% discount on the evaluation and pays $68 out of pocket, or, the patient receives a 15% discount on the evaluation and they use part of their contact lens allowance to pay for the evaluation. The outcome is the same, the patient will pay out $118 on their evaluation and annual supply of monthly disposable contact lenses. So their total for their trip to the eye doctor comes to $133. Their annual premium is $234, and their total out of pocket for the year is $367. They only saved $23. Almost a negligible savings amount, but again, there is the convenience of not having to come up with $390 all at once. Also, contact lens wearers should ALWAYS have a back up pair of glasses, so it stands to reason they will use their VSP policy to help with the cost of glasses at some point, and they will save more that benefit period. Was the vision plan worth it? Well you can look at it this way, $23 buys almost a tank of gas in my Ford Focus right now, so its nothing to sneeze at. 

Lastly, we will look at a patient that needs progressive lenses for their glasses. Patients that are struggling both in the distance and up close need progressive lenses because they are customized to multiple distances. There are many reasons progressives are superior to bifocals, but I won't get into that right now. Once again, the progressive wearer needs three things:an exam, a frame, and progressive lenses with an anti-glare coating. The exam is $110, the frame is $180, and the progressive lenses(using Essilor's Physio Enhanced design, with a standard anti-glare coating) will be around $420. Their total costs will be about $710. For those of you that haven't ever seen the price on progressive lenses- yeah, I know! 

With the VSP Base Plan in NC, the exam is $15 and the cost on the glasses will be approximately $231. This VSP patient's total cost for their trip to the eye doctor is $246. Their annual premium and  visit total to $480, which is a difference of $230 over the course of the year. VSP was definitely worth it to this patient!


There are many, many more variances on patient needs and how a vision plan will work for them. If you would like a specific example, please contact me, and I will be happy to evaluate your specific circumstance. Over all, for most people a vision plan is worth it simply because its stretches out the cost of eye care over the course of twelve months. Whether it will save you hundreds of dollars or not is dependent on your needs and wants. Is Vision Insurance worth it for you? Call me, and I will help you figure it out, or go to www.keepyoureyescovered.com .

Top 5 Most Common Homeowners Claims and Tips to Avoid Them

Owning a home is a big commitment, and maintenance can be expensive. Homeowner's insurance is a must, but even when damage to your home is covered under your policy, the deductibles can be a hardship. Today we want to review the Top 5 most Common Homeowner's Claims; we are going to provide tips on how to avoid these costly claims, and how to save some money for yourself.

1. Probably the most common homeowner's claim  is roof damage from wind or storms. Most claims are for a few roof tiles that have blown off in a storm. The cost of repairing these are usually much lower than your deductible.Rather than report this to your insurance company, it is better to call a roofing contractor to get an estimate of what it will cost to repair the roof. If it is less than your deductible, it will be better for you not to notify insurance company of the damage by filing a claim. Just pay to have it repaired immediately to avoid further damage.  

Often, older roofs become brittle and the adhesives weakens so that losing tiles happens regularly. Losing tiles frequently is a warning sign that the roof is wearing out and should be replaced. Also if you notice that shingles are curling or looking bald, these are indications your roof is aging. The most common roofs use asphalt shingles, and can last anywhere between 10-50 years... in short, there is no set rule for how often you should replace your roof. Just be aware of the warning signs that your roof needs some work. 

2. Another common claim situation we see often is hot water heater damage. The hot water heater can wear out and burst.Your homeowners insurance will pay the damage caused by  a bursting water heater but will not pay to replace the water heater itself. 

 Checking the age of the hot water heater and having a plumber check it can save an expensive problem. Any loss of hot water temperature, or if your hot water seems to be running out quickly, should be a warning sign that the hot water heater needs repairing or replacement. If you catch problems before the water heater bursts, you can sometimes replace the hot water heater for less than your deductible and save yourself a big problem with a covered claim.  

3. Both of the aforementioned claims usually result in water damage of some kind. Water damage gets worse if left unattended, so it important to know indicators that damage is occurring. Some common signs are water stains on walls and ceilings, warping floors, damp carpeting, or smells of mold or moisture.  

4. Kitchen fires are another common loss that we see.  Leaving anything cooking without direct view supervision, especially flammable oils from frying, is very dangerous. If you do have a grease fire, remember not to use water to try to put it out because it will only cause the flaming oil to splash and spread. Call the fire department immediately, do not wait for the fire to get worse. If it is safe to do so, turn off the burner and smother the flame with a lid if applicable. Baking soda can be used to put out a grease fire, but it takes quite a bit of baking soda to do this. A fire extinguisher can also be used to put out a grease fire, if you have one. 

Trouble Light

5.Burst water pipes during a freeze are also covered and happen fairly often. By leaving the water dripping(having water actively flowing can help to keep it from freezing) and maintaining heat at a comfortable level you can avoid most problems. In extreme cold, a trouble light placed under house near exposed pipes can prevent pipes from bursting and causing water damage problems. A trouble light can raise the temperature under the house by a few degrees, enough to keep pipes from freezing; however, keeping a trouble light on 24/7 is not recommended, as it can pose as a fire hazard.  

Homeowner's Insurance is great when you really need it, but sometimes it is better to pay for damages yourself rather than filing a claim, depending on the situation. Taking small steps to prevent damage to your home can save you the hassle and the cost of expensive home repairs. We are here to help you, and if you ever have a question about whether to file a claim or not, give us a call!