As you get older, you begin to assess a number of things, none more important than your financial standing. You start by looking at your retirement funds – everything from your 401(k) to your nest egg – and consider how you will pay for any needed long term care. Unfortunately, if you have to move into a nursing home or assisted living community, the costs can be astronomical, especially if you live in Connecticut. A recent 2011 survey placed CT’s nursing home costs 81% higher than the median cost across the country. Can you afford $140,000 a year based on your retirement funds alone?

You may think that your Medicare or CT medical insurance will cover these costs, but in most cases, these policies only cover a small percentage of the overall bill. In case you need long term care, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice a big chunk of your savings or force your family to find a way to make up the difference. That’s why long term care insurance is so important, especially if you are thinking about retirement.

Put simply, long term care insurance offers coverage that aims to protect your assets in case extended care is needed beyond what you can afford. This type of policy generally covers the costs of nursing homes, home care, assisted living and some other types of extended care.

At Petruzelo Insurance, an agent will be able to answer any questions or concerns that you may have when it comes to long term care insurance. Petruzelo Agency has been authorized to offer the Connecticut Partnership for Long-Term Care policies. By working with a CT insurance agent, you will find the right long term care policy for your needs and get peace of mind as you head towards retirement.

Call Petruzelo Insurance today for a free, no obligation quote for long term care insurance at 1-866-479-3327.

In a lot of companies, major decisions get made around this time of the year. Budgets start getting set for the next fiscal year and changes start to take place around the office. The primary movement of the company during this time falls to the owner or supervisor. As a business owner, you need to get your house in order, especially when it comes to CT business insurance. Getting all of the policies necessary to protect your business can be a tough process, but with the right approach, you’ll get it done.

Here are some tips to help you get the right coverage for your business:

What You Have – Speak to an insurance agent about your policies and see what isn’t working for you. Your agent may be able to find gaps in your coverage that could cause problems for your business. By taking a look at your whole insurance picture, an insurance professional might be able to put a few of the policies together to strengthen and simplify your coverage without losing what you need.

Renew at your Speed – When it comes to business insurance, your policies are most likely set to auto-renew on an annual basis. However, this may not be the most convenient way to handle your yearly policies. With one agent handling all of your insurance needs, you may be able to set renewals at times more in tune with your operational status.

In One Place – Having all of your insurance policies managed and controlled by one CT insurance agent is a key part of protecting every part of your operation. With several policies controlled by several different agents, you put your business insurance at risk and inevitably end up spending more money. Also, consider the potential problems with disseminating private company data to several different insurance representatives. Wouldn’t you rather be able to control all of your coverage with one phone call?

Let’s face it – this winter has been a bit of a bust, at least up here in the Northeast. Sure, we had a freak storm around Halloween and a recent snowfall, but all in all, Mother Nature hasn’t unleashed any real blizzards on us. The sun has been shining and even though it’s a bit cold, I’m sure a lot of you are thinking about getting your hot rods, muscle cars and other antique vehicles back on the road.

Look It Over – Perform a full visual sweep before you start up the engine. Any belts look offset or cracked? Do your spark plugs look like they need to be replaced? Does your battery need to recharged or replaced? Anything that seems wrong with you car should be more thoroughly inspected and fixed if necessary.

Check for Spots – Before you get your hot rod off of the blocks, look beneath the car to see if there are any oil or liquid spots on the floor. There can be leaks or other problems with your engine, lines or other parts of your vehicle. Any problems need to be fixed before you even think about starting it up.

Liquidation – Check all of your vehicle fluid levels and perform a full oil change when prepping your antique car. These liquids are crucial to proper lubrication and engine performance. If one isn’t correct, you could risk serious damage.

Be Cautious – It may be very tempting to start driving your antique car around immediately, but make sure you are careful about taking it out too soon. It’s still cold enough for ice to form after rainfall and older vehicles are not usually equipped to handle adverse weather conditions. Also, make sure your antique car insurance is up-to-date and has the appropriate amount of coverage needed for your vehicle. You don’t want all of your hard restoration work going unprotected.

Now that the holiday gift-giving season is a memory, it is definitely a good time to assess all of the new items in your home. The number of items may be exponential to what you already have, especially if you have children who received a lot of presents. Considering these additions to your home, it is a good time to take a look at your home inventory, especially if you don’t already have one.

Even if you have homeowners or renters insurance coverage in your home, you should always keep a detailed list of the most valuable items in your house. Trying to remember all of your valuables in case of a disaster can be an arduous and painful process; having a home inventory dossier makes any insurance claims significantly easier. Follow these tips for guidance regarding your home inventory:

Break Up Your Home – You could simply make a long list of items, but you should break your home up into rooms and/or areas. By listing items under these sections, the process will be less daunting for you, particularly if you have a large home or apartment.

Listing It Right – You want to be as thorough as possible when making your home inventory list. Be as complete as possible and always include photos if possible.

Values – Make sure you are up-to-date with the monetary value of each item. This will decrease the amount of time your claim will take to process. If you have a home inventory and haven’t updated the price of your items, do so as soon as possible.

Safe and Sound – Don’t keep your home inventory list in a file cabinet or other unsecure location. Obtain a fireproof safe or put your list in a safe deposit box at your bank.

If you aren’t sure if your items are covered, discuss your current policy with a CT insurance agency. Get your CT home insurance policy evaluated for your budgetary and coverage needs.

With winter rolling into Connecticut after stalling for some weeks, you’re probably not thinking about the boating you’ll be doing this spring. Even though it may be pretty cold in CT, it’s time to start gearing up your boat and/or personal watercrafts for the better weather. Here’s how to prep your boat for the water.

It’s All Fluid – Depending on the way you winterized your boat for storage, it’s very important that you perform an oil change on your boat at least once before or after the winter season. You should also change the oil filter at this time.

Fill It Up – The cold weather can do a number on cooling systems, so hopefully you drained yours before the frost came in. Remember to fill up your cooling system before the new season. Check for cracked hoses while you’re at it.

Power On – Before you reattach your battery, do a quick inspection. Test your battery to make sure it is still holding charges and ensure that the connections are not corroded in any way. You don’t want to take chances when it comes to your power source.

Cover It – Your boat needs insurance coverage much like any other vehicles you own, so call your CT insurance agent and make sure your current CT boat insurance policy is right for you. You may need to add or subtract depending on how you utilize your watercraft. Discuss any issues with your CT insurance agency.

No matter how cold it is, you can never start thinking about getting your boat or personal watercraft back onto the Long Island Sound. You’ll have a chance to check out the newest boats and accessories at the Hartford Boat Show this weekend. Take part in the free seminars about various boating topics and look at the vast selection of new boats hitting the water this spring and summer. For more information, click the link below:

http://www.hartfordboatshow.com/

There are many big moments in life – marriage, buying a home, etc. – but one of the biggest has to be starting a family. When you find out that you are having a child, it can be incredibly exciting and joyful. However, you might start to worry about how this big event is going to change your life, especially when it comes to your finances and time. One thing that you shouldn’t forget is how a baby might change your insurance policies. Here is some information about insurance when you are expecting:

Maternity Coverage – Find out from your CT insurance agency if your health insurance plan includes coverage for maternity needs. This includes prenatal care and other health costs.

Choosing Doctors – When you choose the medical team that will be performing the delivery of your child, make sure they are included in the health insurance network you are under. If they are not, the costs can be extraordinary, so you should try to choose within your network.

Insure Your Life – Having a baby is a good time to consider getting a life insurance policy, especially if you don’t already have one. You may want to list your spouse as a beneficiary or, if you are a single parent, you can list your child. Also think about getting disability insurancefor the time you are home with your new bundle of joy.

Home Changes – You may want to speak to your insurance agent about finding out what extra coverage might be needed in your home, especially when you consider all of the new items you will have. In many cases, you won’t need to change your coverage, but it is always good to ask.

Add the Baby – Finally, remember to add your baby to your insurance policy once he or she is born. You don’t want to forget that!

Winter is a very fickle time of year, especially in the Northeast. You can always be sure to see some amount of snow, ice and other nasty winter weather, but you can never be sure exactly how much of a hassle it will be. One thing is for sure though – if there is a few feet of snow on the ground when it starts to warm up, water is going to be everywhere. As you consider how the meltdown is going to affect you and your business, you need to remember how to deal with ice dams – which are sure to start forming during this time.

These dams start to develop when snow melts (usually on a roof) and refreezes on the roof’s edges, forming an ice dam. As this process continues to repeat, the damage can be a huge concern for the safety of not only people walking near your home, but also to the structural integrity of your roof. While you may have appropriate homeowners insurance for damage that might occur from these dams, there are steps you can take to prevent them:

Insulate – Your roof is always going to be susceptible to ice dams, but you can add a level of protection by sealing air leaks between the shingles and the home. By also adding insulation and extra ventilation to your attic, you’ll be better prepared.

Be Prepared – If you are replacing your home or building a new home, think about installing a water barrier underneath your shingles. This is a proven method of keeping water from seeping into your home’s framework.

Buy a Rake – Raking isn’t only for the autumn leaves – specially-made snow rakes are perfect for knocking snow off your roof. Some are made especially with wheels for higher roofs that are hard to reach. Professionals can also be hired to deal with multi-story homes.

There are more approaches to stopping ice dams from doing damage – some of which we will cover as winter 2012 rolls in. To ask for more information about ice dams and if your CT homeowners insurance policy covers any water damage from winter weather, call your CT insurance agency today.