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Canby, OR 97013

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Oliver Insurance Blog

Looking For A Family Car? Tips To Find A Great Used One

Picking a safe family car can be very expensive if you purchase it new. However, if you purchase it used, you run the risk of not getting a great car. When it is time to get a new family car, there are a few tips to finding the gem that you are looking for. Use these tips to find your next safe, affordable, and loveable family car.

  1. Consider Age and Price. When looking for a used family car, there is a balance to be found when it comes to age and price. The older the car, the less expensive it will be but just because the price tag is great does not mean the car is. Take a look at these things before making the purchase. 
  2. Have an Independent Mechanic Look At The Car. Before you make a purchase on a vehicle, make sure you take it to a local mechanic that you trust. Taking it to an independent mechanic is even better because they are more likely to give you the truth about the car instead of listing a lot of issues (that may not even exist) just to get your business if you buy it. 
  3. Don’t Get Emotional. This is a major purchase and it is best to not let your emotions get in the way of your decision. This can result in you getting the wrong car because you fell in love with the color. Keep your mind clear before the decision and get emotional after you make an educated decision.

When you do get a great new family car, contact us at Oliver Insurance serving Canby, OR, to find you a great insurance policy to protect the family vehicle and your family. 

Keep Your Motorcycle Safe

How to keep your motorcycle safe from theft is a constant consideration. There are several situations to be aware of, and more than one type of thief to be aware of at all times. There is the theft of opportunity where a motorcycle wasn’t locked up well and begged to be stolen by an impulsive joyrider, and, of course, a real thief. Professional thieves will find your motorcycle at events, a retail outlet for motorcycle gear and parts, as well as simply by chance.

There things you can do to keep your ride safe, and even protect you from attacked and the cycle hijacked. You can also check in with your insurance agent at Oliver Insurance for other ideas on how to keep yourself protected.

#1. Are you aware of your surroundings?
Be aware if someone appears to be following you. If you think someone is stalking you, attempt to lose them, pull over, let them pass, all the while leaving yourself an exit in case they are out to steal your bike. Go around the block, or make a safe U-turn. If you are still being followed, know that trouble is coming, so don’t go home or to your worksite until you have lost the tail.  

#2. Lock it up
No matter if the bike is parked in a garage, there are ways to ensure the motorcycle isn’t taken. Besides the lock that comes with the bike, if you want to keep it, pay for the top-of-the-line in U-locks of hardened steel, alarmed disc locks, and asymmetrical chains. Lock the forks or disk brakes. When locking up the bike, never have the lock close to the ground where the thief has the leverage to cut or bash the lock off. 

#3. Take no chances
Consider getting a kill switch, or remove the main fuse after you have parked your bike. Consider getting a tracking system in case of theft, like LoJack.

#4.  Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Park your bike between two vehicles, even inside your private garage. Cover it with something less appealing than what treasure lies underneath such as a Honda cover over an Indian. A nondescript cover works to some degree especially at night where it is easier to conceal it in the shadows.

#5 Keep the Bike Attached
No matter where you park the motorcycle, if parking outside, take your chain and U-lock, and attach it to something sturdy and stationary like a light pole, or to another vehicle, but only if you know the owner of the object. Also, look around to park under lights, and operational cameras.

A motorcycle can be driven off, or loaded into a trailer and gone in minutes. Take precautions, and always be vigilant. 

Do you know your local boating regulations?

Boats are vehicles, so they must adhere to specific regulations just like any other vehicle. Boating regulations vary by state, and there are also local regulations put in place to help protect people on the water as well as the water itself. Before you go out boating, make sure you know your local boating regulations. Here are a few tips to make your boating experience safe, legal, and fun.

What kind of boat can you own?

While you can own most boats, there are regulations about what kinds of boats you can own or store in certain areas. After all, it is not safe or practical for a family to own a military-grade submarine in the suburbs. Be sure to check these regulations before you purchase your boat.

Where can you go boating?

There are also regulations for where you can boat based on the size of the body of water as well as the size and power of your boat. Knowing these regulations will ensure that your boating is safe for others in the water. Be sure you know where you can go before you take your boat out on the water.

What boating insurance do you need?

Since a boat is a vehicle, it requires insurance to protect the boat as well as you and your passengers. Like where you can go boating, the level of insurance you need is dependent on the type of boat you have and where you take it boating. An insurance agent can help make sure you have the insurance you need.

For more information about boating insurance in Oregon, contact your local Oliver Insurance agent today.

The Importance of Having a Home Disaster Plan in Place

Preparing a home disaster plan is a vital step in ensuring your family’s safety and well-being during an unplanned or unexpected event or disaster. Disasters can wreak havoc on a family who is unprepared, but having a plan in place can 1) ensure your family is able to reconnect after becoming separated, 2) create plans for your family to meet if you are in different places when disaster occurs, 3) ensure your family has enough food and water to sustain themselves until services are restored, 4) establish alternative sources of heat, light, and other essentials, 5) improve the chances of survival for your pets, and 6) create a plan for administering first aide.

Disasters may included but are not limited to fire, flood, tornado, hurricane, blizzard, mass casualty event, or toxic spill. Important questions to address in your plan include:

  • Where will we meet if able to meet near our home? Where will we meet if community evacuation is necessary?
  • Who can we designate as a contact person outside of our local area?
  • What will we take with us during an evacuation and who is responsible for grabbing the kit?
  • Where can we take our pets if we are unable to care for them?
  • How will we get cash, food, and other necessities if ATMs are down?
  • What are the contact numbers of important parties (household members, emergency services)?

Ensuring your home is adequately ensured is vital in minimizing the impact of a natural disaster and ensuring your family will be cared for during the months and years following. To find out whether you have adequate coverage for natural disaster that pose a risk to you and your family, contact the qualified professionals at Oliver Insurance in Canby, OR.

 

Renter’s Guide to Kitchen Improvement

Rental properties aren’t always top notch when it comes to kitchen space and decor, but you don’t have to accept it as-is! Here are three simple tips to improve your kitchen. 

Add a Backsplash (Or Replace the Old One)

Add a colorful tile or modern stainless steel backsplash to create visual interest and protect your walls. Even if you’re not allowed to attach anything to the wall in any serious way (say, a tile backsplash with grout or caulk), you can still create a dynamite look with self-adhesive backsplash tiles. These just stick on to the wall and can be peeled right off come moving time. 

Set up a Pot Rack

Organize your kitchen and free up cabinet space by getting your pots and pans up on the wall or ceiling with a pot rack. You can use a metal hanging rack, build a peg board, or even add shelves to move them into the vertical space of your kitchen. Just make sure it’s high enough that no one runs into them!

Invest in Quality Cooking Essentials

Pitch in some cash for a good knife set, decent cutting boards, a nice cast iron skillet, quality cookware, etc. This is the heart of renewing your kitchen, and it doesn’t require any management approval or elbow grease.

It’s always a good idea to consult your property manager about what you want to do. Many rentals do not allow any painting or wallpapering, even if you agree to repaint or remove wallpaper when you leave. You’ll also want to ask whether you can replace any flooring, paint cabinet doors, or anything else that requires significant alteration. If you’re not sure, ask. 

If you’re renting, make sure you’re insured! Contact Oliver Insurance to get covered. 
 

Independent Insurance Agents Can Give You Options

One of the ways to get insurance for your car, home, life, and more is to work with an independent agent. Instead of needing to go from company to company, getting information from each one of them about the policies they can offer you, you can get everything you need to know in one place. Your independent insurance agent can check the companies for you, and give you information on their policies and prices all in one place. By doing that, you get a much faster result, and an easier comparison between companies.

Another reason to work with an independent agent is that you will have one person you can go to when you need to make a change to a policy, get more coverage, or add or subtract a policy from your coverage options. If you buy a house, for example, you may want to remove your renters insurance and add a homeowner’s policy. When you can make one phone call or send one email to do that, and you don’t need to shop around with multiple companies, it’s easier and faster for you to make any changes and ensure that your coverage and policies are up to date.

You can get your Canby, OR insurance needs met when you work with Oliver Insurance. As an independent insurance company, they can help you find the best rates and policies for your needs. That way you can have peace of mind, in knowing that you got the insurance coverage that will be right for you. With good insurance, you have less to worry about and you can focus on other parts of your life that might be more fun and enjoyable. Shopping all over the place for insurance is no longer necessary, when you can go to one place, see one agent, and get everything you need.
 

Buy Insurance In Canby, Or That Makes Sense For Your Business

When you live Canby, Oregon, you may have a business that is based inside your home. Homeowners insurance is not necessarily going to extend coverage to your business, even though they share the same roof. This means you need to choose coverage that makes sense for your business.

It is important understand that every small business is a little different. You may have things that are completely unique in comparison to the small business operating out of their home down the street. Things you want to consider include:

  • Whether you have a car for your business
  • If you have clients visit your home
  • If you have a lot of inventory in your home
  • If you have employees

Each of these can play a role in terms of what kind of coverage you need. Business property coverage can protect against loss for computers, merchandise, and various other types of business related property.

If you have computers, you may want to compromise coverage, which can protect you against the data breach and any other damage that a hacker can do. You may also want to consider business interruption coverage, which could provide you with business income in the event that your home-based business operations cease for a certain amount of time as a result of Carlisle, such as a tornado or fire.

You can choose general liability coverage to protect you against lawsuits, employment practices liability coverage to protect against wrongful termination, and various other types of insurance as well.

At Oliver Insurance, we are committed to helping you find the insurance that makes the most sense for your business, even if it is based in your home. Call today and asked questions and begin working with one of our independent insurance agents.

 

 

There’s No Power: How To Be Prepared

A power outage can last for hours, days, or even longer. When you live in Canby, you want to be as prepared as possible. There are some things that you can do ahead of time and other things that you can do once the power does go out.

Plan for a Power Loss

There are a lot of things at you can do to plan for a power loss. This includes:

  • Stocking up on batteries
  • Purchasing food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated or cooked
  • Fill bottles of water
  • Purchase a battery-operated emergency radio

Offer Sustenance

Offer sustenance to your family that can be cooked on an alternative cooking surface or that doesn’t require any refrigeration or cooking at all, such as peanut butter, jerky, granola bars, and other items.

Boil Water

You should be able to boil water in at least two different ways without electric power. This can include an outdoor rocket stove, a grill, or a solar oven. By being able to boil water, you have the ability to purify water as well as sanitize utensils, do laundry, and more.

Go into Survival Mode

Since you have no idea how long it is going to be until the power is restored, you want to make sure that you go into survival mode. This includes making sure everybody is able to stay warm in the winter or cool in the summer. You also want to make sure to have flashlights and lanterns available so that everyone can see where they are going.

Keep Everyone Entertained

People can grow restless when there is no power because we have grown dependent upon tablets, TVs, and various other electronics. You should always have puzzles, board games, and other items available so that everyone can stay entertained until the power goes back on.

Don’t spend another minute in your home in Oregon without sufficient home coverage. Call and speak to one of our friendly agents at Oliver Insurance about an affordable insurance policy.

 

Fun Indoor Activities For The Children This Winter

Whether it’s snowing out or just chilly, the kids may not want to play outside. It’s not like the summertime when kids are able to run around and have fun. You have to plan indoor activities, especially when they’re home from school on break or because of a snow day. Here are some activities your kids are sure to love!

Dance Party

Have a dance party with your kids’ favorite music. Invite some of their friends over and let them dance out some of their energy. Make it even more fun by serving a meal. If you have a karaoke machine, bring that out, too.

Play Dough

Make salt dough for the kids. This can be colored, formed, and then baked so all the kids get to keep their creations instead of stuffing them back in a can. It’s a creative way for the kids to play and it’s a low mess option.

Music Band

Let the kids form a band. Bring over some friends and let them make their own music. Instruments can be made from various items around the house. Think about what you may have:

  • Drums can be made with pots and pans
  • Lids from pots can become cymbals
  • Toilet paper rolls filled with beans or rice can be maracas

Story Time

Read a story to the kids or let them write their own while curling up next to a crackling fire day or night. Let them illustrate it, too!

At Oliver Insurance, we look forward to helping you find homeowners insurance in Canby. Call us today and one of our independent insurance agents can answer questions you have about coverage options and get quotes from some of the best insurance companies in the state of Oregon to ensure you get an affordable policy.

 

 

 

How to Stay Safe On Your Motocycle During Deer Season

Deer season is likely one of the most dangerous times of the year to ride your motorcycle. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most enjoyable times. The weather is great and there are so many beautiful things to be seen. The worst way to spend your afternoon, though, is hitting a deer on your motorcycle. Luckily, there are some things you can do before riding and during the ride to stay safe on your motorcycle. Follow these tips to be the most prepared for the possibility of a collision.

Before Riding Your Motorcycle

Before you go out and enjoy the open road, you should practice braking techniques on roads you are familiar with. If you so encounter a deer and the collision is inevitable, the best way to approach the situation is by braking as hard as you can and not swerving. You may also want to consider getting powerful driving lights on the front of your motorcycle. Upgrading to more powerful beams will allow you to see better and is well worth the money it costs. You will also want to make sure you have the right protective gear and wear it at all times. Lastly, you want to make sure you have a good insurance policy in the case of a collision. If you are unsure, contact Oliver Insurance serving Canby, Oregon, for some insurance options.

During Your Ride

While you are riding, reduce your speed to at least 50 MPH or lower. This will allow you to have more control and a better reaction if you see a deer. If you happen to see a deer, look for more since they travel in groups. Always keep your eye on the road for deer, especially at dusk. Lastly, if you travel in groups, be sure to stagger your motorcycles. This prevents everyone from being wiped out if someone hits a deer. 

Call one of our independent insurance agents at Oliver Insurance today to discuss the proper motorcycle coverage you’ll need when out on the roads. 

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