Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, this is Rob Kane, and I just want to
remind you it's all there in Leclair. You guessed it.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Cody Road and the Cody Road Historic District honors the
namesake of the iconic William Buffalo Bill Cody, an American soldier,
bison hunter, and showmen with national notoriety today. Over sixty
structures create the Historic District in Leclaire, Iowa, a nine
block stretch of US sixty seven reaching all throughout our
rivertown both picturesque views of the mighty Mississippi River. This
(00:28):
district contains both residential and commercial structures filled with some
of the best eateries, boutiques, gift shops, museums, and historical
sites found in Leclaire, Iowa. On your visit, you'll find
a healthy mix of old timey appeal in the rustic
downtown buildings and modern dwellings with glass fronts and large
parking lots for visitors. So yes, there's a little something
(00:49):
for everyone.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
That's right, it's all there in Leclair. We can't wait
to see you.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Signing up for Medicare doesn't have to be complicated with
well marked blue cross and blue shield and get all
of your health insurance needs in one place. Wellmark offers
hassle free Medicare supplement plans, optional dental coverage and more.
Call Rob Kine with Cities Insurance Group and Leclair at
five six three three five nine zero eight five four
to choose coverage that nine in ten stay with year
(01:16):
after year. Rob Kane, your local healthcare insurance expert, is
available to answer all of your questions. Call today. Rob
Kine is a local authorized independent agent for well Marked,
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. To be eligible,
you must reside in the service area of the plan.
Wellmarked Medicare Supplement insurance plans are not affiliated with any
government agency.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Next up, this Saturday Morning, Knowledge is Power, hosted by
Rob Kane of Cities Insurance Group. If you have a
question for Rob and would like it answered on an
upcoming show, email him at r Kane at CITIESIG dot com.
And now, Rob.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Kin, Good morning.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
This is Lindsay Washington, happy to be here with you today.
Unfortunately Rob is not able to be here with us.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
If you listen to the show for any extent of time,
you may be aware that he loves muskie fishing or
fishing in general, and this is his annual trip to Hayward.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So they'll be up there for a week fishing.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
We're gonna send them you know, lots of good weather
and big fish on so good luck to them up there.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
He did, though, leaving with lots of information to go over.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
With you guys, to touch base on, to make sure
that you're not missing any good info out here.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So I'm sure you're aware or have heard.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
You know, we have hosted our last Keysife meeting for
the year, So our September meeting was our last key
Sie meeting. So our next meeting will be you know,
it's available in January.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
If we have enough people, we all have one. If not,
February is usually the first month we host that. Again.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
Again, those case I meetings are educational only meetings. So
what he does in that meeting is simply go over
medicare how it works in general. It's a little different
than maybe some of the plans set ups that you're
used to, So he goes over all the different parts
of medicare and how you can put the parts together
to make a complete plan.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Again, no.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Company specific information. He's not going to go over any
plans in particular. He will review just simply you know
Medicare and how it works, so that you are empowered
with all the knowledge to be able to make the
best choice going into your Medicare selection.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So during this.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Time, you know, when we don't host the meetings, it's
typically the end of the year. It's during what we
refer to as Medicare season or the annual enrollment period.
But during this time we do understand people are you know,
new to Medicare and turning sixty five. So if you
find yourself in that position where you still don't even
quite get how it works, but you were unable to
(03:50):
attend any of the meetings.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Rob would be happy to meet with you.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
You can come in one on one, or you know,
bring a spouse or a friend, buddies to ask questions
and he will again give you the same information that
he would add a case SI meeting, just so that
you have all the information on how Medicare can work
for you. If you're interested in getting one of those
set up, just give us a call five six three
three five nine oh eight five four, Or if you
(04:14):
want to get on the list for any of our
meetings that we host next year, also give us a
call that same number five six, three three.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Five nine O five four.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
So again we're not hosting these case SIE meetings through
the end of the year because it is Medicare season
is quickly upon us. So Medicare season is what we
refer to it as is. It is the annual enrollment
period that is October fifteenth through December seventh. So beginning
October fifteenth through December seventh, you can make changes for
(04:45):
a couple of things. So if you have a Part
D plan or a prescription drug plan or a PDP,
you can make a selection to change that that would
be effective January first, or if you are on a
Medicare Vantage plan, can make a change during this period
and the change would also be effective January first.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
For a new plan. Why is it important to do it?
Speaker 5 (05:10):
So you're probably getting lots of information or will be
here shortly on your current plan, so it's going to
tell you any changes to your current plan, any benefit changes,
any formulary changes. And those formularies are the fun things
that the insurance companies use to classify your medication which
tier you know, it might be a Tier one, two
(05:31):
or three drug, those types of things, and then that
depends on your copay and those kinds of things. So
you're getting information and updates on your current plan. However,
all plans can make changes, you know, for the upcoming year,
so there may be changes to plans in your area
that may make them more enticing. Also, if you have
(05:56):
your current medication lists, the changes to your drug formulae plan,
if there's a drastic change if you know it drug
goes from a tier two to a tier three, that
can be quite a cost significance out of pocket for you,
so you will maybe want to shop that around. There
is plenty of opportunity to find prescription drug plan savings,
(06:19):
so it is important to do that. On the other side,
if you're in a Medicare advantage plan, you're reating updates
about again your plan, drug changes or formulay changes on that,
but you're also getting any plan changes, so any additional
benefits that may be available for your current plan. Again,
those all of those companies have the opportunity to adjust plans,
(06:40):
maybe create a new plan, or offer a plan in
an area that it wasn't before, so you may have
an opportunity to, you know, at no cost to you,
make a different plan, plan change and maybe get some
extra goodies or bonus package. Again, a lot of those
Medicare advantage plans put together some pretty nice opportunities to
(07:01):
find additional savings, you know, whether it be for over
the counter things, you know, gym memberships, there's all kinds
of stuff. I know, Rob has talked about all kinds
of unique benefits or some of them have where you
can get reimbursed for camping equipment and things like that
or a camping spot. So again, Rob is completing all
of the trainings with all of these carriers to get
(07:22):
updates on all of the Medicare advantage plans available in
our area, all the cool benefits available with those, as
well as all the prescription drug plans. So he's going
through all the trainings to get licensed with all those carriers.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
He's busy doing the work for you.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
But during this time, if you come and meet with him,
you know, bring your current drug list or medication lists.
He'll run that through, see, you know, for the premium
and any cost for drugs overall, what the best plan
would be for you. And then again if it's a
few dollars or doesn't make sense and there's a package
that has a few more benefits, on the Medicare advantage
(07:59):
side that you like, you can choose to make that
change again.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Those are effective January first.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
If you would like to get an appointment to either
just again get the general case I meaning information turning
sixty five and underseding your options, or you would like
to schedule you to know your appointment with him to
get set up for your January first Medicare set up.
Give us a call five six three three five nine
oh eight five four. We are happy to get an
(08:26):
appointment scheduled. We've been taken a few of those, but
its calendar is very available currently, so we have plenty
of time to get your scheduled again. Annual enrollment period
or Medicare season October fifteenth through December seventh. Five six
three three five nine oh eight five four. So there's
also tons of stuff going on in.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Home and auto right now.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Mainly home, I would guess, I would say property coverages
or whether it's your home product, a secondary home on condo,
maybe even a landlord policy. You may be getting your
renewals and you may be quite shocked at the premium.
You may also then be quite shocked after shopping around
that prices in general are going up. On the home side,
(09:14):
we have carriers pulling out of states. We have carriers
not necessarily pulling out. So if you have a policy there,
you can keep it, but they're not taking new business
at all. Any new business being written with any carrier
at the sign currently is very restrictive.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
So there's going to be lots of.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Requirements that used to be a little more lax in
regards to roofing age. In particular, if your roof isn't
ten years or newer, a lot of carriers are not
writing you or are forcing actual cash value on the
roof versus replacement cost. So if you are currently shopping around,
be sure you pay attention to nuances on your quotes
(09:52):
that you're getting back. If you have an agent, have
your agent look at it. I've done it with a
few of my insurance. Sometime the other quote has better coverage,
sometimes it's lacking. So it's just important to have somebody
that kind of knows what they're looking at take a look,
or you know, make sure you're paying attention again. Wind
(10:12):
in hail deductibles. Most carriers I have a few that don't,
but most carriers right now, whether in Iowan or Illinois
are having much higher wind hail deductible requirements, whether it's
twenty five hundred when it used to be a thousand
or five thousand, or a one percent deductible, So pay
attention on your renewals. A if any of those deductibles
(10:32):
changed on your renewal should be notated, pretty easy to spot,
so just take a look at that peak at those deductibles.
But also if you are getting quotes, especially not from
you know, an independent agent like myself, make sure you're
paying attention to what those deductibles are notated at. Also,
understand what the deductible means. So if it's a one
(10:54):
percent deductible, it's not one percent of the loss, so
it is one percent of your dwelling coverage. So if
you're well in coverage is five hundred thousand, one percent
is five thousand, so you would have a five thousand
dollars wind tail deductible before coverage would kick in and apply.
So pay attention again, if you're getting quotes, you may
see something that looks like it's savings. Again, if you
(11:17):
have a loss, it's going to cost you quite a
bit more potentially, so just pay attention to that understand
if you have actual cash value versus replacement costs coverage
on your roof, and then understanding what that costs difference means.
So I worked on a fire dwelling quote for an
injured The renewal came in right at about two thousand,
previously about twelve hundred, so about an eight hundred dollars increase,
(11:40):
which is pretty significant. It not unusual, but pretty significant increase.
So we get a little shopping. The original quote that
I sent him was going to offer him some savings,
but did require him to have a twenty five hundred
dollars win tail deductible. The company has again made additional
(12:03):
underwriting updates and it is now there now requiring five thousand.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Dollars wind tail deductible.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
However, he had already been carrying a twenty five hundred
dollars win tail deductible, so the original quote is matching.
Going to a five thousand dollars deductible, he was still
saving a significant amount, so if he goes a year
without a loss, he's still winning. So he did decide
to make the change, but we were viewed in detail.
You know the cost difference, how many years he would
(12:30):
have to go without a loss to make that five
thousand dollars make sense.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
We did the math, it made sense for him. He
was comfortable with that.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
Again, if you're comfortable with higher deductible, call and ask
for a quote on what your current carrier increase in
that deductible. What that maybe would adjust your renewal to
as well, because you're gonna potentially find yourself if you
are shopping around being forced to potentially take on a
little bit of a higher deductible.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
If it's not significant savings.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
Again, that was almost eight hundred dollars savings per year,
So he just needs to go, you know, a year
or two without a loss and he's winning, then it
may not make sense. So just make sure you understand
where your money would go, whether it's taking on higher
premium but you're taking on a little more premium but
you save at the time of a loss, or if
(13:17):
you're able to, you know, taken a little bit higher
deductible so if you have a loss, you have more
on a pocket cost, but you're saving on premium every
year or for x money years. Just make sure you're
paying attention to things like that. Also, again, this is
loss history is very important. A lot of carriers right
now again getting more restrictive with new business. Any two
(13:38):
losses in a five to seven year period are making
you very hard to place new business with most of
these carriers. So if you are finding yourself you know
you have potentially a loss, make sure you know you
understand what that loss is going to pay out. Because
any loss activity, even if the loss only pays out
one thousand dollars, counts as a loss.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
So for new business, it doesn't say.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
You know it has to be a loss over five
thousand dollars, It just says do they have one or
more losses or two or more losses? Does not matter
dollar amount, So just make sure again, especially for the
next couple of years, I would recommend just making sure
any claims are definitely going to be worth the initial
the extra premium you're going to see at your renewal.
(14:21):
Has any claim activity on your current policy is going
to cause any increase at renewal. But also again even
without claim activity, carriers are taking on such significant rate
this year that you're going to see a chunky probably
increase on that home. Very few carriers are not seeing
you know, three four, five, six, seven hundred dollars increases
(14:44):
on these home renewals.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
So if you're.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
Getting your renewal and it's not that big of an increase,
you have that lower deductible. Again, it doesn't hurt to
shop it around. Just keep in mind what's important and
where having your money go. Is it, you know, spending
it a little bit on pre each month or is
it you know, at the time of the loss, being
able to have less out of pocket. So again, do
(15:07):
the math. If it makes sense, definitely make those changes.
Some other things you can do to again prevent lots
so preventative maintenance it is. I know it's was still
quite a warm week out here this week, but fall
is approaching. It it is upon us. So first say
a fall we'll be here sooner than we know. So
(15:28):
some things just keep in mind and remember as we're
you know, doing our fall clean up outside. Detach all
those garden hoses from your exterior water spickets. Uh, you know,
you just edit to your let's get it done now.
You don't want to remember it when it's you know,
below freezing and we're hearing the cracking on the pipes
(15:48):
as it's thawing out and breaking. Inspect your washing machine
hoses for any cracking, bulging, arresting, change out hoses if
major deterioration is found. They have some really not super
expensive hoses for those washing machines that actually have you know,
prevented and saved homeowner's loss from the worn and crack hoses.
(16:12):
So getting those hoses change is important and it is
just such less of a headache to get it change.
Maintain it now versus having a loss. Maintain a minimum
temperature of fifty five degrees or warmer during normal winter
conditions to prevent frozen pipes, so you may have your
(16:33):
thermoset set a little lower. It's important to also think of,
you know, under your sink, under the sink isn't getting
it's in a cabinet maybe not getting that same air
circulation or heat coming into it. So you know, open
those cabinets if it's really cold nights just to make
sure some of the.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Warmer air is getting in there and keeping.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
The temperature in there above fifty five degrees. Always remember
to turn off the water main in your home if
it will be unoccupied for a long period time. So
if you are you know, going to Grandma Grandpa's for
an extended vaca over the holidays, things like that, are
going to see the grandkids, vice versa. Again, make sure
(17:13):
that you disconnect that water main or turn off the
water main. Clean out those gutters, you know, before fall,
after the fall leaves hit, get those gutters cleaned out
so that when the ice and snow come it does
not collect and does not cause any ice damming. Also,
if you have chimneys or wood burning fireplaces, get those
(17:33):
cleaned and inspected once per year and only burn dry
seasoned wood. Do not neglect old shingles with cold weather approaching,
have them inspected by a licensed contractor. Again, just old
shingles can cause significant damage. So if they're old and
it's just wear and tear, you may need to get
that replaced so that you don't have any issues any
(17:58):
water getting in from there causing any mold those the
issues can just be ongoing and ongoing. And again be
sure you have contact information for you know, a trusted
restoration or contractor handy.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
We have that information.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
Available and can always get you a few different places
to get in contact with if you do find yourself
needing UH to get in contact with restoration company or
something like that. So we talked about chimneys. So flu
flu fires are you know, scary, dangerous things and can
(18:39):
happen quite often. So a flu fire is known as
a chimney fire, and it is a fire that ignites
within the piping of a chimney, usually due to unburned
fuels built up as a result of inadequate cleaning, maintenance
and burning of unseasoned wood. So unburned fuels that built
up on the inside of the chimneys or anything like that,
(19:02):
they get heated and they condense into tar like deposits.
What happens is they are just extremely extremely flammable and
it is quite a volatile material that becomes present and
it tends to burn extremely hot. So also you know,
if it's not build up, it could be an obstruction,
(19:24):
so something like an old bird's nest that could have
been fallen in or you know, they got in there
a little bit lodged in there, the emberg nits the nest,
and it can just be serious as you know, a fire. Also,
you know, in these very older houses or large houses,
the chimneys may be able to withstand it, but in
(19:49):
these newer houses definitely not and definitely not neither for
prolonged periods of times. So here's just a couple of
tips to kind of go over these, cause these are
becoming more and more relevant. Would only burn seasoned dry wood.
Green damp wood contributes to cooler fire temperatures, and that
increases the deposits of that dangerous build up.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Air supply.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
The air supply on the fireplace may be restricted by
closed glass doors or failure to open the damper window
to get the smoke out.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Of the flu.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Wood stoves, air supply can be limited closing down to
restrict the air movement. Cold flue temperatures in case of
wood stoves, fully packed loads of wood that give large
cool fires or eight to ten burn hours time contribute
to again that build up and the condensation of the
unburn product becomes very flammable. So again you need to
(20:43):
have those chimneys uninspected and maintenance, you know, annually, and
you know as these cooler nights approach, definitely want to
get that done before you set off for that first fire.
So again, detach those hoses outside, get those gutters cleaned
up and ready for the fall leaves, and then get
ready to clean those up again once the leaves fold
(21:03):
and be sure to check those water hoses also, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
The lint traps, the dryer lent. Get that cleaned out.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
That's a huge fire hazard as well. On the auto side,
we are actually finding quite a bit of savings for
individuals on a lot of these auto renewals. So there
is some potential for some savings. Even if you can't
find it on the home and neither you know, leave
(21:32):
the home renwal where it is. There is some potential
savings for you know, even unbundling and finding significant auto savings.
We are happy to get you quotes five six three
three five nine to eight five four again happy to
look at home quotes. Uh, just be aware and you
know we'll do our best to make sure we point
out any deductible differences things like that.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
But definitely shop it around. It doesn't hurt to shop.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Just be prepared for potentially a different deductible or a
different coverage limit depending on what restrictions are in place
for new carriers with new business that you're looking at. Again,
happy to take a look five six three three five
nine oh eight five four Again no case I meanings,
(22:20):
but if you are interested or we'll be turning sixty
five and want to get information on Medicare, how it
works and understanding your options.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Give us a call.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
We can schedule an appointment or a time for you
to come in and meet with Rob. Five six three
three five nine oh eight five four Again, no case
I meetings because the annual enrollment period is upon us
beginning October fifteenth through December seventh. The Medicare season or
annual rollment period is here. You can make changes to
your Medicare advantage plans or you're part to your prescription
(22:48):
drug plans for the upcoming twenty twenty five year. If
you would like to make an appointment, give us a call.
Rob is happy to meet with you again. Bring your
current medication list, drug named dosage and we will you.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Know, get the information.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
Make sure you are set up with all the information
and empowered to make the best decision going into the
twenty twenty five new year.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
All right, well, this is lots of information.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
I hope that you guys have a wonderful Saturday and
we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Turning sixty five soon. It doesn't cost anything extra to
work with a well marked agent. Let's work together to
find the right Medicare supplement plan for you. Call Rob
Kine with Cities Insurance Group in Leclair at five sixty
three three five nine zero eight five four to talk
about your Medicare supplement options. Rob Kaine is a local
authorized independent agent for well Marked Blue Cross and Blue
(23:44):
Shield of Iowa. To be eligible, you must reside in
the service area of the plan. Well Marked Medicare Supplement
insurance plans are not affiliated with any government agency.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Hi, this is Rob Kain, and I just want to
remind you it's all there in the Clare.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
It's been over a decade strong for one of television's
most popular history loving partnerships. American Pickers may be the
hit show on the History Channel, but antique archaeology holds
a special place in the hearts of Leclair locals, including
show host Mike Wolfe. For him, the most beautiful aspects
of picking are usually the least attractive. We're talking dirty fingernails,
(24:22):
rustcovered metal, and even those tough negotiations with strong willed
owners and collectors. All these bits and pieces work together
to create this everlasting story of how closely tied are
present is to history's past.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
That's right, It's all there in Leclair. We can't wait
to see you.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Thank you for listening to this week's edition of Knowledge
Is Power with your host Rob Kane. If you have
a question for Rob and would like it answered on
an upcoming show, email him at r Kane at citiesig
dot com. Please tune in again next Saturday morning.
Hi, this is Rob Kane, and I just want to
remind you it's all there in Leclair. You guessed it.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Cody Road and the Cody Road Historic District honors the
namesake of the iconic William Buffalo Bill Cody, an American soldier,
bison hunter, and showmen with national notoriety today. Over sixty
structures create the Historic District in Leclaire, Iowa, a nine
block stretch of US sixty seven reaching all throughout our
rivertown both picturesque views of the mighty Mississippi River. This
(00:28):
district contains both residential and commercial structures filled with some
of the best eateries, boutiques, gift shops, museums, and historical
sites found in Leclaire, Iowa. On your visit, you'll find
a healthy mix of old timey appeal in the rustic
downtown buildings and modern dwellings with glass fronts and large
parking lots for visitors. So yes, there's a little something
(00:49):
for everyone.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
That's right, it's all there in Leclair. We can't wait
to see you.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Signing up for Medicare doesn't have to be complicated with
well marked blue cross and blue shield and get all
of your health insurance needs in one place. Wellmark offers
hassle free Medicare supplement plans, optional dental coverage and more.
Call Rob Kine with Cities Insurance Group and Leclair at
five six three three five nine zero eight five four
to choose coverage that nine in ten stay with year
(01:16):
after year. Rob Kane, your local healthcare insurance expert, is
available to answer all of your questions. Call today. Rob
Kine is a local authorized independent agent for well Marked,
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. To be eligible,
you must reside in the service area of the plan.
Wellmarked Medicare Supplement insurance plans are not affiliated with any
government agency.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Next up, this Saturday Morning, Knowledge is Power, hosted by
Rob Kane of Cities Insurance Group. If you have a
question for Rob and would like it answered on an
upcoming show, email him at r Kane at CITIESIG dot com.
And now, Rob.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Kin, Good morning.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
This is Lindsay Washington, happy to be here with you today.
Unfortunately Rob is not able to be here with us.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
If you listen to the show for any extent of time,
you may be aware that he loves muskie fishing or
fishing in general, and this is his annual trip to Hayward.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So they'll be up there for a week fishing.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
We're gonna send them you know, lots of good weather
and big fish on so good luck to them up there.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
He did, though, leaving with lots of information to go over.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
With you guys, to touch base on, to make sure
that you're not missing any good info out here.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So I'm sure you're aware or have heard.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
You know, we have hosted our last Keysife meeting for
the year, So our September meeting was our last key
Sie meeting. So our next meeting will be you know,
it's available in January.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
If we have enough people, we all have one. If not,
February is usually the first month we host that. Again.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
Again, those case I meetings are educational only meetings. So
what he does in that meeting is simply go over
medicare how it works in general. It's a little different
than maybe some of the plans set ups that you're
used to, So he goes over all the different parts
of medicare and how you can put the parts together
to make a complete plan.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Again, no.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Company specific information. He's not going to go over any
plans in particular. He will review just simply you know
Medicare and how it works, so that you are empowered
with all the knowledge to be able to make the
best choice going into your Medicare selection.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So during this.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Time, you know, when we don't host the meetings, it's
typically the end of the year. It's during what we
refer to as Medicare season or the annual enrollment period.
But during this time we do understand people are you know,
new to Medicare and turning sixty five. So if you
find yourself in that position where you still don't even
quite get how it works, but you were unable to
(03:50):
attend any of the meetings.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Rob would be happy to meet with you.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
You can come in one on one, or you know,
bring a spouse or a friend, buddies to ask questions
and he will again give you the same information that
he would add a case SI meeting, just so that
you have all the information on how Medicare can work
for you. If you're interested in getting one of those
set up, just give us a call five six three
three five nine oh eight five four, Or if you
(04:14):
want to get on the list for any of our
meetings that we host next year, also give us a
call that same number five six, three three.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Five nine O five four.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
So again we're not hosting these case SIE meetings through
the end of the year because it is Medicare season
is quickly upon us. So Medicare season is what we
refer to it as is. It is the annual enrollment
period that is October fifteenth through December seventh. So beginning
October fifteenth through December seventh, you can make changes for
(04:45):
a couple of things. So if you have a Part
D plan or a prescription drug plan or a PDP,
you can make a selection to change that that would
be effective January first, or if you are on a
Medicare Vantage plan, can make a change during this period
and the change would also be effective January first.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
For a new plan. Why is it important to do it?
Speaker 5 (05:10):
So you're probably getting lots of information or will be
here shortly on your current plan, so it's going to
tell you any changes to your current plan, any benefit changes,
any formulary changes. And those formularies are the fun things
that the insurance companies use to classify your medication which
tier you know, it might be a Tier one, two
(05:31):
or three drug, those types of things, and then that
depends on your copay and those kinds of things. So
you're getting information and updates on your current plan. However,
all plans can make changes, you know, for the upcoming year,
so there may be changes to plans in your area
that may make them more enticing. Also, if you have
(05:56):
your current medication lists, the changes to your drug formulae plan,
if there's a drastic change if you know it drug
goes from a tier two to a tier three, that
can be quite a cost significance out of pocket for you,
so you will maybe want to shop that around. There
is plenty of opportunity to find prescription drug plan savings,
(06:19):
so it is important to do that. On the other side,
if you're in a Medicare advantage plan, you're reating updates
about again your plan, drug changes or formulay changes on that,
but you're also getting any plan changes, so any additional
benefits that may be available for your current plan. Again,
those all of those companies have the opportunity to adjust plans,
(06:40):
maybe create a new plan, or offer a plan in
an area that it wasn't before, so you may have
an opportunity to, you know, at no cost to you,
make a different plan, plan change and maybe get some
extra goodies or bonus package. Again, a lot of those
Medicare advantage plans put together some pretty nice opportunities to
(07:01):
find additional savings, you know, whether it be for over
the counter things, you know, gym memberships, there's all kinds
of stuff. I know, Rob has talked about all kinds
of unique benefits or some of them have where you
can get reimbursed for camping equipment and things like that
or a camping spot. So again, Rob is completing all
of the trainings with all of these carriers to get
(07:22):
updates on all of the Medicare advantage plans available in
our area, all the cool benefits available with those, as
well as all the prescription drug plans. So he's going
through all the trainings to get licensed with all those carriers.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
He's busy doing the work for you.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
But during this time, if you come and meet with him,
you know, bring your current drug list or medication lists.
He'll run that through, see, you know, for the premium
and any cost for drugs overall, what the best plan
would be for you. And then again if it's a
few dollars or doesn't make sense and there's a package
that has a few more benefits, on the Medicare advantage
(07:59):
side that you like, you can choose to make that
change again.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Those are effective January first.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
If you would like to get an appointment to either
just again get the general case I meaning information turning
sixty five and underseding your options, or you would like
to schedule you to know your appointment with him to
get set up for your January first Medicare set up.
Give us a call five six three three five nine
oh eight five four. We are happy to get an
(08:26):
appointment scheduled. We've been taken a few of those, but
its calendar is very available currently, so we have plenty
of time to get your scheduled again. Annual enrollment period
or Medicare season October fifteenth through December seventh. Five six
three three five nine oh eight five four. So there's
also tons of stuff going on in.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Home and auto right now.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Mainly home, I would guess, I would say property coverages
or whether it's your home product, a secondary home on condo,
maybe even a landlord policy. You may be getting your
renewals and you may be quite shocked at the premium.
You may also then be quite shocked after shopping around
that prices in general are going up. On the home side,
(09:14):
we have carriers pulling out of states. We have carriers
not necessarily pulling out. So if you have a policy there,
you can keep it, but they're not taking new business
at all. Any new business being written with any carrier
at the sign currently is very restrictive.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
So there's going to be lots of.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Requirements that used to be a little more lax in
regards to roofing age. In particular, if your roof isn't
ten years or newer, a lot of carriers are not
writing you or are forcing actual cash value on the
roof versus replacement cost. So if you are currently shopping around,
be sure you pay attention to nuances on your quotes
(09:52):
that you're getting back. If you have an agent, have
your agent look at it. I've done it with a
few of my insurance. Sometime the other quote has better coverage,
sometimes it's lacking. So it's just important to have somebody
that kind of knows what they're looking at take a look,
or you know, make sure you're paying attention again. Wind
(10:12):
in hail deductibles. Most carriers I have a few that don't,
but most carriers right now, whether in Iowan or Illinois
are having much higher wind hail deductible requirements, whether it's
twenty five hundred when it used to be a thousand
or five thousand, or a one percent deductible, So pay
attention on your renewals. A if any of those deductibles
(10:32):
changed on your renewal should be notated, pretty easy to spot,
so just take a look at that peak at those deductibles.
But also if you are getting quotes, especially not from
you know, an independent agent like myself, make sure you're
paying attention to what those deductibles are notated at. Also,
understand what the deductible means. So if it's a one
(10:54):
percent deductible, it's not one percent of the loss, so
it is one percent of your dwelling coverage. So if
you're well in coverage is five hundred thousand, one percent
is five thousand, so you would have a five thousand
dollars wind tail deductible before coverage would kick in and apply.
So pay attention again, if you're getting quotes, you may
see something that looks like it's savings. Again, if you
(11:17):
have a loss, it's going to cost you quite a
bit more potentially, so just pay attention to that understand
if you have actual cash value versus replacement costs coverage
on your roof, and then understanding what that costs difference means.
So I worked on a fire dwelling quote for an
injured The renewal came in right at about two thousand,
previously about twelve hundred, so about an eight hundred dollars increase,
(11:40):
which is pretty significant. It not unusual, but pretty significant increase.
So we get a little shopping. The original quote that
I sent him was going to offer him some savings,
but did require him to have a twenty five hundred
dollars win tail deductible. The company has again made additional
(12:03):
underwriting updates and it is now there now requiring five thousand.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Dollars wind tail deductible.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
However, he had already been carrying a twenty five hundred
dollars win tail deductible, so the original quote is matching.
Going to a five thousand dollars deductible, he was still
saving a significant amount, so if he goes a year
without a loss, he's still winning. So he did decide
to make the change, but we were viewed in detail.
You know the cost difference, how many years he would
(12:30):
have to go without a loss to make that five
thousand dollars make sense.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
We did the math, it made sense for him. He
was comfortable with that.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
Again, if you're comfortable with higher deductible, call and ask
for a quote on what your current carrier increase in
that deductible. What that maybe would adjust your renewal to
as well, because you're gonna potentially find yourself if you
are shopping around being forced to potentially take on a
little bit of a higher deductible.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
If it's not significant savings.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
Again, that was almost eight hundred dollars savings per year,
So he just needs to go, you know, a year
or two without a loss and he's winning, then it
may not make sense. So just make sure you understand
where your money would go, whether it's taking on higher
premium but you're taking on a little more premium but
you save at the time of a loss, or if
(13:17):
you're able to, you know, taken a little bit higher
deductible so if you have a loss, you have more
on a pocket cost, but you're saving on premium every
year or for x money years. Just make sure you're
paying attention to things like that. Also, again, this is
loss history is very important. A lot of carriers right
now again getting more restrictive with new business. Any two
(13:38):
losses in a five to seven year period are making
you very hard to place new business with most of
these carriers. So if you are finding yourself you know
you have potentially a loss, make sure you know you
understand what that loss is going to pay out. Because
any loss activity, even if the loss only pays out
one thousand dollars, counts as a loss.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
So for new business, it doesn't say.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
You know it has to be a loss over five
thousand dollars, It just says do they have one or
more losses or two or more losses? Does not matter
dollar amount, So just make sure again, especially for the
next couple of years, I would recommend just making sure
any claims are definitely going to be worth the initial
the extra premium you're going to see at your renewal.
(14:21):
Has any claim activity on your current policy is going
to cause any increase at renewal. But also again even
without claim activity, carriers are taking on such significant rate
this year that you're going to see a chunky probably
increase on that home. Very few carriers are not seeing
you know, three four, five, six, seven hundred dollars increases
(14:44):
on these home renewals.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
So if you're.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
Getting your renewal and it's not that big of an increase,
you have that lower deductible. Again, it doesn't hurt to
shop it around. Just keep in mind what's important and
where having your money go. Is it, you know, spending
it a little bit on pre each month or is
it you know, at the time of the loss, being
able to have less out of pocket. So again, do
(15:07):
the math. If it makes sense, definitely make those changes.
Some other things you can do to again prevent lots
so preventative maintenance it is. I know it's was still
quite a warm week out here this week, but fall
is approaching. It it is upon us. So first say
a fall we'll be here sooner than we know. So
(15:28):
some things just keep in mind and remember as we're
you know, doing our fall clean up outside. Detach all
those garden hoses from your exterior water spickets. Uh, you know,
you just edit to your let's get it done now.
You don't want to remember it when it's you know,
below freezing and we're hearing the cracking on the pipes
(15:48):
as it's thawing out and breaking. Inspect your washing machine
hoses for any cracking, bulging, arresting, change out hoses if
major deterioration is found. They have some really not super
expensive hoses for those washing machines that actually have you know,
prevented and saved homeowner's loss from the worn and crack hoses.
(16:12):
So getting those hoses change is important and it is
just such less of a headache to get it change.
Maintain it now versus having a loss. Maintain a minimum
temperature of fifty five degrees or warmer during normal winter
conditions to prevent frozen pipes, so you may have your
(16:33):
thermoset set a little lower. It's important to also think of,
you know, under your sink, under the sink isn't getting
it's in a cabinet maybe not getting that same air
circulation or heat coming into it. So you know, open
those cabinets if it's really cold nights just to make
sure some of the.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Warmer air is getting in there and keeping.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
The temperature in there above fifty five degrees. Always remember
to turn off the water main in your home if
it will be unoccupied for a long period time. So
if you are you know, going to Grandma Grandpa's for
an extended vaca over the holidays, things like that, are
going to see the grandkids, vice versa. Again, make sure
(17:13):
that you disconnect that water main or turn off the
water main. Clean out those gutters, you know, before fall,
after the fall leaves hit, get those gutters cleaned out
so that when the ice and snow come it does
not collect and does not cause any ice damming. Also,
if you have chimneys or wood burning fireplaces, get those
(17:33):
cleaned and inspected once per year and only burn dry
seasoned wood. Do not neglect old shingles with cold weather approaching,
have them inspected by a licensed contractor. Again, just old
shingles can cause significant damage. So if they're old and
it's just wear and tear, you may need to get
that replaced so that you don't have any issues any
(17:58):
water getting in from there causing any mold those the
issues can just be ongoing and ongoing. And again be
sure you have contact information for you know, a trusted
restoration or contractor handy.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
We have that information.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
Available and can always get you a few different places
to get in contact with if you do find yourself
needing UH to get in contact with restoration company or
something like that. So we talked about chimneys. So flu
flu fires are you know, scary, dangerous things and can
(18:39):
happen quite often. So a flu fire is known as
a chimney fire, and it is a fire that ignites
within the piping of a chimney, usually due to unburned
fuels built up as a result of inadequate cleaning, maintenance
and burning of unseasoned wood. So unburned fuels that built
up on the inside of the chimneys or anything like that,
(19:02):
they get heated and they condense into tar like deposits.
What happens is they are just extremely extremely flammable and
it is quite a volatile material that becomes present and
it tends to burn extremely hot. So also you know,
if it's not build up, it could be an obstruction,
(19:24):
so something like an old bird's nest that could have
been fallen in or you know, they got in there
a little bit lodged in there, the emberg nits the nest,
and it can just be serious as you know, a fire. Also,
you know, in these very older houses or large houses,
the chimneys may be able to withstand it, but in
(19:49):
these newer houses definitely not and definitely not neither for
prolonged periods of times. So here's just a couple of
tips to kind of go over these, cause these are
becoming more and more relevant. Would only burn seasoned dry wood.
Green damp wood contributes to cooler fire temperatures, and that
increases the deposits of that dangerous build up.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Air supply.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
The air supply on the fireplace may be restricted by
closed glass doors or failure to open the damper window
to get the smoke out.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Of the flu.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Wood stoves, air supply can be limited closing down to
restrict the air movement. Cold flue temperatures in case of
wood stoves, fully packed loads of wood that give large
cool fires or eight to ten burn hours time contribute
to again that build up and the condensation of the
unburn product becomes very flammable. So again you need to
(20:43):
have those chimneys uninspected and maintenance, you know, annually, and
you know as these cooler nights approach, definitely want to
get that done before you set off for that first fire.
So again, detach those hoses outside, get those gutters cleaned
up and ready for the fall leaves, and then get
ready to clean those up again once the leaves fold
(21:03):
and be sure to check those water hoses also, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
The lint traps, the dryer lent. Get that cleaned out.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
That's a huge fire hazard as well. On the auto side,
we are actually finding quite a bit of savings for
individuals on a lot of these auto renewals. So there
is some potential for some savings. Even if you can't
find it on the home and neither you know, leave
(21:32):
the home renwal where it is. There is some potential
savings for you know, even unbundling and finding significant auto savings.
We are happy to get you quotes five six three
three five nine to eight five four again happy to
look at home quotes. Uh, just be aware and you
know we'll do our best to make sure we point
out any deductible differences things like that.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
But definitely shop it around. It doesn't hurt to shop.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Just be prepared for potentially a different deductible or a
different coverage limit depending on what restrictions are in place
for new carriers with new business that you're looking at. Again,
happy to take a look five six three three five
nine oh eight five four Again no case I meanings,
(22:20):
but if you are interested or we'll be turning sixty
five and want to get information on Medicare, how it
works and understanding your options.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Give us a call.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
We can schedule an appointment or a time for you
to come in and meet with Rob. Five six three
three five nine oh eight five four Again, no case
I meetings because the annual enrollment period is upon us
beginning October fifteenth through December seventh. The Medicare season or
annual rollment period is here. You can make changes to
your Medicare advantage plans or you're part to your prescription
(22:48):
drug plans for the upcoming twenty twenty five year. If
you would like to make an appointment, give us a call.
Rob is happy to meet with you again. Bring your
current medication list, drug named dosage and we will you.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Know, get the information.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
Make sure you are set up with all the information
and empowered to make the best decision going into the
twenty twenty five new year.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
All right, well, this is lots of information.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
I hope that you guys have a wonderful Saturday and
we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Turning sixty five soon. It doesn't cost anything extra to
work with a well marked agent. Let's work together to
find the right Medicare supplement plan for you. Call Rob
Kine with Cities Insurance Group in Leclair at five sixty
three three five nine zero eight five four to talk
about your Medicare supplement options. Rob Kaine is a local
authorized independent agent for well Marked Blue Cross and Blue
(23:44):
Shield of Iowa. To be eligible, you must reside in
the service area of the plan. Well Marked Medicare Supplement
insurance plans are not affiliated with any government agency.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Hi, this is Rob Kain, and I just want to
remind you it's all there in the Clare.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
It's been over a decade strong for one of television's
most popular history loving partnerships. American Pickers may be the
hit show on the History Channel, but antique archaeology holds
a special place in the hearts of Leclair locals, including
show host Mike Wolfe. For him, the most beautiful aspects
of picking are usually the least attractive. We're talking dirty fingernails,
(24:22):
rustcovered metal, and even those tough negotiations with strong willed
owners and collectors. All these bits and pieces work together
to create this everlasting story of how closely tied are
present is to history's past.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
That's right, It's all there in Leclair. We can't wait
to see you.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Thank you for listening to this week's edition of Knowledge
Is Power with your host Rob Kane. If you have
a question for Rob and would like it answered on
an upcoming show, email him at r Kane at citiesig
dot com. Please tune in again next Saturday morning.
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