“I realize a lot of people don’t want to sit down and talk about insurance for an hour—except probably me,” chuckled self-proclaimed “insurance nerd” and insurance agent Kelly Reno-Culley with Reno Insurance in Dayton.
She says, though, that it’s something that you should do, to find new ways to save.
If you have a new roof, HVAC system, plumbing, or alarm system you need to alert your agent because you could be missing out on deep discounts, said Reno-Culley.
Her other recommendations include raising your deductible, keeping all of your policies with the same insurance provider, and even adding a secondary policy.
“Some of my carriers offer some really great discounts if you combine with even just a small life insurance policy,”Reno-Culley said, “sometimes the life insurance policy comes out to be free by the time you factor in all the discounts.”
Better than saving your refund?
Although more people are planning to save their tax refunds this year, there's an even better plan for that influx of cash, according to a local accountant.
Wes Campbell, owner of P&A taxes in Centerville says your best bet is to pay down high interest credit cards and loans.
He adds that splurging a little is okay, too.
“There’s no problem with having a little fun with your money,” said Campbell, “just make sure you can afford it. You earned it, it’s your money. Enjoy it.”
Lead-tainted water concerns
After hearing the disturbing stories of lead-tainted water Flint, Michigan and Sebring, Ohio, you may be thinking about testing your own water for lead.
I stopped by North Dixie Hardware and the owner and I tried out one of the do-it-yourself testing kits.
You can watch our demo here.
Unless you are into chemistry, have plenty of patience, and a few hours to devote to it, I wouldn’t recommend these at-home kits.
Neither does Phil Van Atta with the Dayton Water Department.
He recommends calling your water provider and having them come to your home to test your water — many will do it at no cost to you.
Rachel Murray is a WHIO-TV consumer reporter. You can watch her reports on News Center 7, follow her on Twitter @RMurrayWHIO, and like her fan page on Facebook.
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