How vulnerable is your college student when it comes to identity theft? Hadn’t considered it? You might want to take a close look.

We checked out Eriesense.com and found that it takes very little of a college student’s personal information to allow an identity thief to open new credit lines, empty bank accounts, submit fraudulent tax returns, receive medical services and even provide your college student’s ID as an alias to police upon an arrest.

It’s far too easy for personal information to be quickly lifted by a motivated ID thief from a smart phone or other device or even from wallet credentials.

Read “Who’s at risk for ID theft? More and more, it’s college students” and be sure to watch the video for additional details to keep your student safe on campus.

Insurance Tip

If someone in your family were to become a victim of identity theft, would you know what to do? Ask your agent about Identity Recovery coverage designed to quickly restore the credit and reputation of identity theft victims.

Here at the Daniel Howley Insurance Agency, we would be glad to discuss identity recovery coverage, fraud reimbursement coverage or, in fact, any insurance coverage that you might require. We can help you explore the options and arrive at an insurance plan that makes sense for you. Why not contact our office at your convenience?

Two new state laws became effective on October 1, 2013, that will change how people drive in Maryland.

Seat Belt and Child Safety Seat Use

An expanded seat belt law dictates that everyone in the vehicle must wear a seatbelt including all back seat passengers.

Also included is the provision that all children under eight years old and under 57 inches tall must be secured into a child safety seat, regardless of their weight. These are both secondary offenses. So a police officer must have some other primary reason for stopping you. But, citations can be costly – up to $50 for each unrestrained person inside the vehicle at the time.

Hand Held Mobile Phones

Starting on October 1st, holding a cell phone in hand to talk while driving is no longer a secondary offense and the police may perform a traffic stop for no other reason than seeing you holding a phone while driving. Although Maryland became a hands-free state in 2010, it was then a secondary offense to drive with a cell phone in hand, meaning that a driver could not be pulled over exclusively for talking on a hand held phone. To be able to ticket for a secondary offense, a police officer would have had to have some other primary reason to pull you over.

Now, drivers who are ticketed for using a handheld phone will face a fine of $75 for a first offense, with second and third offenses coming with fines of $125 and $175, respectively.

Auto Insurance Tip

If you have not done so recently, this might be a perfect time to contact your insurance agent to review your auto insurance policy. This assures that you will have the best coverage at the best rate available as you take to the road.

Here at the Daniel Howley Insurance Agency, we are always available to help you explore your auto insurance options.  Why not contact us at your convenience?

If you are planning a move to a new home, your moving To-Do List probably seems endless. If you are selling your current home and buying a new one, that alone will keep you busy. But, whether selling/buying or renting, you have to attend to the many logistics – from address changes and perhaps job/school changes to stopping and starting services like phone, newspaper, cable and much more. And don’t forget updating your Insurance Agent to be sure your Homeowners Insurance shows the appropriate changes.

Moving can be a challenge for even the most organized person, and it is full of hidden tasks and costs. Take packing your current home’s contents, for example. Having enough boxes of the right sizes is essential. Of course, you can purchase boxes from a moving company; but with a little effort, you might not have to add that expense to an already-growing list of moving expenses.

Sources for free moving boxes:

McDonald's: Visit your local McDonald’s and ask for the fry boxes. They are a smaller box, but sturdy and good for heavier items. In fact, there is even a Facebook page devoted to uses for these boxes.

Walmart: One of the best resource for free boxes, if you are able to make a late-night trip. Each night, just before midnight, throughout the store, Walmart employees unload all sizes of boxes of merchandise and stock the shelves. You’ll need to plan in advance to know what size boxes you want. There could be the occasional type of box that the store does not dispose of – usually those new-looking, sturdy, medium-sized boxes with blue print (“WALMART”) – but if you ask around, you’ll find out which are for the taking and which are not.

Starbucks: It is a good idea to call ahead and ask the staff to hold boxes for you since they are only available sporadically and are not usually plentiful. They will come in a variety of sizes – some of them larger (good for bulkier, lighter-weight items like linens and clothing).

Bookstores: Obviously, the boxes you’ll find in a bookstore are smallish and designed to handle the weight of books. If you have a lot of books or other small, heavy items to move, these are perfect.

Liquor Stores: There is usually a good supply of smaller, sturdy boxes; but most do not have lids (unless you call ahead and ask) and many have dividers in them that make them perfect for small items such as knick knacks.

U-Haul: Although the U-Haul website offers boxes and packing supplies for sale, it also offers a customer box exchange  (message board) for users who are either looking to obtain boxes or to offer boxes they have used.

Craigslist: By doing a search in the “Free” section for “boxes” you will find a list. The downside, is that there is no way to know the sizes and condition of the boxes offered or who is offering them. Nevertheless, if you find local posts, you might wish to pursue it.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Property Damage During Move?

As you plan your packing, you might wish to check with your insurance agent to find out whether your homeowners insurance covers damages to your property during the move as well as whether your coverage is changed during a move. You will not want to wait until damage occurs to find out it is not covered.

Here at the Daniel Howley Insurance Agency, we are always happy to answer your questions and help with any of your insurance needs. We look forward to having you contact us, any time.