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Monthly Archives: June 2007

Security System Installs Are Loss Leaders

Much like cell phones, the security system itself is generally a loss leader that the company uses to get you to sign up for active monitoring. For example, ADT usually charges $400 to install their
EZ Essentials package (control unit, 1 motion detector, 2 deadbolt detectors, 2 reset keys, and a battery backup) but if you [...]

The Importance of Comparison Shopping

The State of Florida recently put out a website called Shop And Compare Rates where they give the general rates of several different insurance companies for a pretty standard house in Florida. They took a five year old, concrete block home with a replacement value of $150k, a $500 non-hurricane deductible, a 2% hurricane deductible, [...]

Cheap Security System: Buy An ADT Sign

You can get an ADT security system installed for a mere $99 as long as you sign up for a minimum of three years of service, but the units itself are worth only $399. If $399 is a little out of your budget or you don’t like the idea of signing on to 3 years [...]

Primer on Home Security Systems

So you read my series on how to save money with your homeowners insurance and the tip about how an installed home security system can knock a few dollars off your premium, and now you want to know what you should look for in a home security system, right? Excellent! You need to know two [...]

Safes: Reading Fire Resistance Ratings

In my last article about fire resistant safes, I neglected to explain how to read the safe ratings. The first number of the rating, which will be 350 or 125, will be the maximum internal temperature of the safe for the time period listed in the second number. So a 350-2 rating for a safe [...]

Types of Safes: Burglar Resistant Safes

So we’ve covered safe basics and fire resistant safes, the next type of safe is a burglar resistant safe designed to prevent unauthorized access. Most people think of these types of safes whenever they talk about safes.
The ratings range in ratings from Class 1 to Class 5 (again, developed and rated by the Underwriters Laboratory) [...]

Types of Safes: Fire Resistant Safes

In the last post, I talked about the two different types of safes: fire resistant and burglar resistant (plus the combo fire/burglar resistant safe, which is really just an amalgamation of the two). This time I’ll focus in on the first of the two types, the fire resistant safe. A fire resistant safe is not [...]

Types of Safes: Basics

When it comes to safes, as in secure and protective storage devices, you really have a choice between three basic types: fire-resistant, burglar-resistant, and both (combination fire and burglar resistant). Each one of those types are rated on a scale based on how long the safe can withstand the attack its suffering from. With fire-resistant [...]

JISO 78/79 Jewelry Insurance Appraisal Form

So you walk up to your local jeweler or some jewelry store in your local mall and you ask for an appraisal of your jewelry, how can you be sure what you get back is a legitimate jewelry appraisal and what is just some fluff? It’s very difficult because those stores want you to go [...]

Flood Insurance 30 Day Waiting Period

Were you thinking about picking up some flood insurance after hearing the latest hurricane warning? Unfortunately, you will not be covered in time if the hurricane hits within the next thirty days. To prevent this sort of run on homeowner insurance providers, there is typically a thirty day waiting period before a flood insurance rider [...]