Boat Loaded on a Trailer by dimitrisvetsikas1969 Owning a boat can make weekends and vacations fun and memorable. Follow these tips to help ensure that when you’re towing your boat you’re being as safe as possible to lower the risk of accidents and unwanted insurance claims. Make Sure Your Vehicle Is Powerful Enough for Towing Many people underestimate the amount of power they need to tow a boat. It’s actually better to overestimate the power necessary than to fall short. The general rule of thumb is you need at least 15 percent more capacity than the weight of the boat fully loaded plus your ..read more

Modern Kitchen by Mark When you tackle home improvement projects, it’s wise to prioritize those that add the most to your property’s value, especially if you might put your home on the market in the next few years. Here are the renovations that give you the biggest return on your investment. Kitchen Remodels If you’re like most folks, you probably spend a fair amount of time in your kitchen, even when you have guests. For this reason, making over your kitchen will usually let you recoup your investment in equity or a higher sale price. Common remodeling elements include: Replacing appliances ..read more

Garden hose spraying water by Karolina Grabowska Water has been in short supply in many areas of the United States lately. And even if it’s bountiful where you live, you may be paying more for water than you’d like. Here are some tips for using less water and saving money in your garden. Use Soaker Hoses Instead of Sprinklers Sprinklers tend to use tons of water, often more than you need to water your garden. It’s the equivalent of taking a bath versus a shower when you just want to get clean quickly. Try using soaker hoses, which have tiny perforations in them, to water your flower or vegetab ..read more

Couple in a convertible by monkeybusinessimages Your auto insurance is one of the most important elements of your personal insurance portfolio. But some people purchase only the minimum required liability coverage, not realizing they may be leaving themselves open to huge bills for damage to their own vehicles after an accident. Here’s how you can better protect yourself with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. How Claims Usually Work After an Accident Most states in the U.S. require some type of auto liability insurance to register a vehicle and drive legally. This type of auto insu ..read more

Security Camera by ipeema A security camera can help protect your property against intruders or provide evidence in the event of a break-in. But with all the technology available today, it can be tough to figure out which smart security camera is right for you. Here are four points to consider when you shop for a camera for your home. 24-Hour vs. Motion-Activated Recording Some cameras run continuously, while others are only triggered to turn on when they detect motion nearby. There are pros and cons to each. A 24/7 camera won't miss anything, since it's always on, but you’ll have to go throug ..read more

It doesn’t take a massive remodel, or a big budget, to make your house feel a little more like home to you. Inside or out, small improvements can make a significant difference — and whether you’re handy or not, you can handle most of them yourself. Don’t believe it? Just check out our list of ideas below, from various home-improvement sites and authorities such as “This Old House.” And some of them won’t even cost you a thing, aside from time and effort. Inside Improvements Paint something, anything: Whether you want a new color, or just a fresh coat, new paint can work wonders inside your h ..read more

What would you do without power tools? Well, you’d probably take on fewer home-improvement projects — and probably have a lot more calluses on your hands. Thankfully, you don’t have to do without. But you do have to use tools safely, if you want to do good work and keep all of your fingers and appendages intact, anyway. How do you do that? These recommendations from the University of California Cooperative Extension and the Power Tool Institute will help. Start with some heavy … reading. We know, you just want to start using that new circular saw/nail gun/belt sander — but take the time to rea ..read more

Let’s spare a moment for something most of us use every day yet probably take for granted: our service lines. We rely on them for access to water, electricity, gas, Internet connection, and more, but only think about them when service is interrupted. And when that happens, you may be surprised by what your basic homeowners policy covers, and what it doesn’t. Did you know that, as a homeowner, you are responsible for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of service lines connecting to your house? Energy companies and other service providers are only responsible for the infrastructure up to w ..read more