Crenshaw Insurance and Bail Bonds

12/12/2025

Help Keep Your Car Looking Its Best3

Avoid using standard household soap when washing your car’s exterior. Degreasers in dish soap can strip the layer of wax that protects your paint job.
Try minimizing the amount of food eaten in your car to avoid attracting rodents.
Use a windshield sunshade to protect your dashboard and keep your interior cool.

Find more helpful trade secrets from car detailers in the full article, You May Be Cleaning Your Car All Wrong, According to These Pro Detailers

Consider this.
In one recent year, one roadside assistance company alone reported rescuing 4 million stranded drivers because their car key fob remote battery died1. Before you hit the road, get an extra battery – and build an on-the-road safety kit.

On-the-Road Safety Kit

Fully charged cell phone and car charger
Navigation app, either built in or on cell phone
Reflective warning triangles
Flashlight and extra batteries
Booster/jumper cables
Fully inflated spare tire, jack and wheel wrench
First-aid kit
Blankets
Drinking water and non-perishable, high-energy foods (nuts, bars, dried fruit)
Family and emergency phone numbers, including your auto insurance provider and a towing company

In any emergency, the most important thing to do is to get off the road, according to a highway patrol veteran2.

Read more of his advice in Roadside Emergency Tips From a Highway Patrol Commander.

Be prepared for your next road trip.
Preparing your car before you hit the open road can make for a hassle-free vacation.
Ways to Prepare for a Road Trip3

Start out with a clean car that's ready to go.
Before you leave, have your mechanic check the battery, brakes, hoses and hose connections, belts and fluid levels. For a long trip, take along a checklist of when to check tires, battery, oil and wiper and coolant levels along the way.

Plan ahead for your entertainment.
Cell signals can be spotty on the road, so download movies, shows, podcasts and audiobooks onto your audio and video devices before you take off. Update video games and bring enough chargers for everyone, as well as a backup battery pack. And when you’re ready for a screen break, try having a scavenger hunt for roadside items like a yellow house or a red caboose.

Map out your trip - but do it loosely.
Pick major destinations, and even places where you'll sleep. But be ready to jump off your route if a winding road is causing car sickness or you learn of a can't-miss attraction.

Bring a real map - and a marker to track your path
GPS is great for getting around, but your map will be the best memento of your trip.

Share the driving.
Let the natural map-readers do the navigating and put the best drivers behind the wheel.

Go beyond fast food.
Seek out regional specialties and local cafes and restaurants by looking for farmers markets or using food apps that share reviews from locals.

03/12/2024

The high premiums for auto insurance in Indiana may be attributed to the fact that it has the fifth highest number of unlicensed drivers in the United States, which increases the risk for accidents and claims.

06/21/2017

What Science Can Tell Us About Teen Drivers

Inexperience behind the wheel is one thing, but short attention spans, distracting emotions and undeveloped frontal lobes may also impact young drivers

When government researchers asked a sample of teens to use a smartphone while driving on a test course, the group proved remarkably well—on the smartphone tasks. They dialed numbers correctly, sent texts, looked up information online and did everything else the researchers asked. Adults in the same study didn’t fare so well with the smartphone, but they did obey every stop sign on the course. The phone-savvy teens, on the other hand, blew through 30 percent of the stop signs.

“Inexperienced drivers are much more comfortable with taking their eyes off the road,” notes Bruce Simmons-Morton, the study’s coauthor and a senior investigator specializing in teen driving at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). “When teens are faced with a secondary task, like using the phone or reaching for something in the car, they’re not very good at splitting their attention. Secondary tasks are dangerous for all drivers, but adults are less likely to look away from the road while attempting them.”

That’s just one of Simmons-Morton’s findings that might explain why vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and disability among adolescents aged 16 to 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control. (See The New England Journal of Medicine for the full text of the study and a teen-friendly video on the dangers of distracted driving.)

10,000+ Hours of Driving Experience Counts

Simmons-Morton says novice drivers of any age are at higher risk for crashes. “Driving is a complex motor activity, just like tennis or golf,” he explains. “It’s easy enough to learn on a functional level, but difficult to master. You can expect to be at your peak after about 10,000 hours of practice. That’s true whether you’re talking about driving or basketball.”

He describes the first six months of licensure—or roughly 1,000 hours of driving—as “hugely dangerous.” According to his research, crash rates start to decline after that point, but don’t drop to adult levels until drivers have on average five to six years of experience under their belt. “It usually takes that long to get over the 10,0000-hour hump,” Simmons-Morton explains.

This Is the Teen Brain on the Road

NICHD researchers have studied the difference between novice teen drivers and novice drivers in their early 20s. Both groups have very high crash rates that decline over time, but the decline is slower among teens. “All novices are at risk, but especially adolescents. They are inexperienced at things besides driving, like managing passengers and dealing with emotions. They simply have less experience at life and fewer resources to draw upon.”

He also points to a key neurological difference between teens and adults. “We know from brain imaging studies that the frontal lobe isn’t fully developed until your early twenties. That means teens might be less likely to make rational decisions in emotional situations. That’s an issue for all of us, but more so for adolescents.”

Teens who drive with multiple teen passengers face higher risks. With three teens in the car, the crash rate is three to four times higher than that of a teen driving alone.


"...The frontal lobe isn’t fully developed until your early twenties. That means teens might be less likely to make rational decisions in emotional situations."
— Bruce Simmons-Morton, senior investigator, NICHD

Why Some Teens Learn Safe Driving Faster Than Others

Despite having high crash rates as a group, some teens drive just as safely as adults, according to Simmons-Morton’s research. “The majority of adolescents manage themselves quite well from the start,” he says. “Then there’s another group that takes a while to get it. They make a lot of mistakes in the first six months, but are good after that. The third group starts out bad and stays there for at least 18 months, which is as long as we’ve been able to study them.

”He notes that most teens tend to drive alone or with one passenger, but those in the high-risk group are more likely to drive with multiple teen passengers. “Once you have three teens in the car, the crash rate is three to four times higher than with a teen driving alone.” His research also shows that drivers in this group engage in secondary tasks more frequently, which compounds the risk.

What Parents Can Do Right Now

“Parents can become better coaches,” says Tim O’Neil, a professional driver and instructor for 37 years who runs the Team O’Neil driving school in Dalton, NH. “Coaching can start as soon as a child is legally old enough to sit in the front seat. Parents should explain their actions, like why they’re slowing down or checking the rearview mirror. It’s amazing how much a kid can pick up before he or she steps a foot in driver’s ed class.”

Likewise, parents with unsafe or risky driving habits can rub off, says O’Neil. “Those bad habits can show up in your teen’s driving,” says O’Neil.

“We know that teens with involved parents drive more safely and have fewer crashes,” says Simmons-Morton. “Restrictions like curfews and passenger limits are effective, but it’s up to the parent to enforce them.” To formally establish the rules and expectations, he references parent-teen driving agreements like this downloadable template from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

09/30/2016

Annual Enrollment is a great time to review coverages

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month – and it’s a great time to think ahead to your company’s annual benefit enrollment and take stock of your family’s financial stability in the event you (and your income) are no longer there to provide for them.

Fall means football season, cooler temperatures — and open enrollment season for many employee benefit plans. If your employer offers group coverage for benefits such as life and disability insurance, and retirement plans such as a 401(k), adding them to your benefit package might make sense for your long-term financial health.

But many people stop there, and check the boxes on the enrollment form without understanding what their overall needs may be. Before choosing your coverage or automatically reselecting your existing choices this year, take a closer look at your options to see if you have the coverage you really need. Neglecting this step could leave you or your loved ones out in the cold.

Help protect the income that makes it all possible

More than 40 percent of households would be financially impacted within six months if they lost their primary wage earner, and 60 percent said losing their employer-based life insurance would have a negative impact on them and their families.1

While job-based benefits are great perks, it’s your responsibility, not your employer’s, to plan for your family’s financial future if something were to happen to you. If you have only group life coverage, ask yourself these questions:

•Is your group life coverage enough to meet your family’s future needs? Most employers offer life insurance that is a fixed multiple of the employee’s salary— the most common multiple is only one or two times your salary.2 But is it enough? Consider your income and debt, plans for your children’s education and other future expenses, and how your family would continue to pay the mortgage or rent if you were no longer there to contribute financially. Instead of opting only for your employer’s one-size-fits-all plan, try this Life Insurance Needs Calculator for a more comprehensive look at your financial obligations, and consider supplementing your group life insurance benefits with individual, customized life coverage.
•What if you lose your group life coverage? If you change jobs or you’re laid off, or your company discontinues offering a life insurance benefit, you could lose the coverage that would help your family financially. Perhaps you plan to switch to part-time employment or work reduced hours; you might not have the option to convert from group to individual coverage. Are you nearing retirement but still have dependents? Group life coverage may no longer be available or could be significantly reduced when you retire.
•What about retirement benefits? If your employer offers a retirement plan, such as a 401(k), that provides tax-deferred benefits, remember— like other employer-provided benefits— this may no longer be available if you change jobs or move to part-time employment. Setting up your own personal annuity3 or traditional or Roth IRA gives you personal control over important retirement planning vehicles — regardless of your employment.

03/23/2016

Ways to help prepare you and your family

At one time or another, we all must cope with a loss and its accompanying grief. As a child, it could be a friend moving away, the loss of a pet or your first heartbreak. As an adult, there are many more obstacles you may face that can result in grieving, especially the loss of a loved one. Understanding how to cope with grief is important to prevent the situation leading to further emotional distress or depression.

It’s not easy to cope after a loved one dies. Mourning is a natural process people experience as we try to deal with a loss. The outward expression of our loss is often grieving, which can be expressed physically, emotionally and psychologically.

“Time heals all wounds … “

While the passing of time can be a great healer, it can’t fix everything. Though a sense of grief is a typical response to a loss, there is no single way to deal with it, and people grieve in many different ways. While each person’s reaction to grief may differ, there are some things anyone can do to help in the grieving process:

1.Allow yourself time to grieve, and understand it’s different for everyone

2.Reach out to someone who understands your situation and is willing to listen

3.Contact a certified counselor/therapist or support group to assist you in getting over your grief

It can help to acknowledge grief and take steps to heal, and there are many resources available to help people cope with a loss or deal with grief.

Finding help

You can find many grief support resources in your community. There are bereavement centers (sometimes referred to as “grief centers” or “grief programs”) throughout the country. Start by asking someone at your local hospital, church/temple, funeral home, or community center. School counselors may also know of local resources.

The internet offers a wide range of resources on topics related to death, coping with change, and expressing feelings. Do a search using key words such as “kids and grief” or “families and mourning” for more information. Add the name of your city to your search to find local grief counseling services and support groups in your area.

Social media can be a powerful tool to help you feel connected to your loved one and your network of support. You can also find many print and online books to help adults and children who are facing the grieving process. Ask a professional for the best current titles for your needs.


How Life Insurance can help you cope with grief

Often, the level of a person’s grief correlates to their attachment to what is lost. If the loss involves a person who was also the source of income for the family, the loss may overwhelm a family’s finances, complicating an already stressful situation. To help prepare you and your family during what can often be a turbulent time financially for a family, life insurance is available.

People are sometimes hesitant to purchase — or even discuss — life insurance, as it most often deals with the end of a person’s life. In fact, life insurance proceeds can help provide comfort by allowing your family to grieve without worrying about the financial impact that your passing may bring. Life insurance proceeds may provide a sense of financial security when dealing with the loss of a loved one by helping to cover final expenses and outstanding debts, helping to replace lost income, and helping your family hold on to their dreams.

As your survivors deal with your loss, they will be thankful that you had life insurance in place to help provide them with financial support after you are gone.

02/26/2016

Auto Insurance Rate Changes

You purchase insurance to protect yourself and your family in the event of an unexpected loss, and to provide financial protection if you are found responsible for an accident or injury. But you haven’t had an accident, or even a ticket. And yet your rate increased. Why?

There are a number of reasons why your rate may have changed. While a good driving record is always a great thing to have, other factors in addition to a clean driving record are factored into how your rate is determined, and some of these factors may not be directly related to your driving.

Inflation
Inflation can lead to higher insurance costs. As vehicles become more technologically advanced and expensive to manufacture and repair, as medical costs increase, it can cost more to pay for a loss this year than it would the previous year. Insurance premiums reflect those additional costs, as the insurance industry is directly linked to other industries.

Medical Costs
Part of the cost of your auto insurance covers medical care for you and/or those you may injure in an accident. As the cost of health care continues to increase, the cost of auto insurance also goes up in order to be able to continue to pay for medical care, and to provide the insurer with sufficient premiums to pay claims.

Fraud
Despite the best efforts of insurance companies to identify and prevent insurance fraud, insurance fraud is another factor that can affect insurance rates. These false claims cost insurers billions of dollars each year and can contribute to increased rates for everyone.

Changes in state laws
Occasionally a state’s legislature will modify their minimum coverage requirements, which means you may have to purchase more coverage and can result in a higher premium.

It’s not always about low cost insurance
As you can see, the amount you will pay for coverage is dependent on a number of variables. Everyone wants to save on insurance, but the cheapest option isn’t always the best choice. You need to consider your level of risk as well as the assets you need to protect. Saving on auto insurance is great, but you also want to select the right coverage, so a situation does not arise where your coverage does not provide the necessary protection.

12/16/2015

Estate and Legacy Planning
Life Events

We all leave a legacy when we die, no matter the amount of our assets. Estate planning — taking a systematic approach to preparing for the distribution of assets after a person’s life ends — is an important part of financial planning. It can be easy to delay estate planning, since it requires facing up to the inevitability of death. This delay may be very costly if it leads to incomplete plans, however. When considering how your estate will be distributed, a well-organized financial plan can make a big difference in how your assets are allocated to your loved ones.

Estate planning basics
In order to maximize the value of your estate, you need to analyze how each asset will pass to your beneficiaries. It’s important for you to plan. You’ll want to be thoroughly informed on what actions you can take or situations you can plan for now to make sure you maximize the amounts your beneficiaries will receive.

What is a trust?
A trust is a legal entity that owns and manages property for the benefit of another, a contract you establish with someone who will own and manage certain assets for you and the good of the beneficiaries you choose. The person creating the trust, called the grantor, establishes the trust by transferring assets to the trust and nominating a person, the trustee, to manage.

The trustee agrees to manage the trust according to the rules the grantor sets out in the document when the trust is created. The trust document also defines the beneficiaries of the trust — the individuals or organizations to whom the trust will provide benefits.

In order for assets to be managed by a trust, they must be titled in the name of the trust, rather than in the name of the grantor. This can involve establishing separate bank accounts, re-titling real property, or re-registering securities*. This is an important step in protecting the assets.

Why create a trust?
A trust allows its grantor to set up separate legal management of the assets in the trust. This can have many benefits in estate planning, including helping to:
•Avoid probate
•Remove assets from the taxable estate2
•Protect assets from creditors and liability
• Provide ongoing support to beneficiaries
• Promote personal values or create a charitable legacy

Legacy planning and charitable giving
Do you want to leave something to those who have helped you along the way? Legacy planning — a more comprehensive form of estate planning — can help distribute your assets to the people and organizations you choose, and can perpetuate generational wealth.

An important part of legacy planning involves permanent life insurance1. Permanent Life insurance can help in two ways: It may build cash value you can use3 generally income-tax free4 for a family’s loss of income, mortgage costs or educational needs, or it can be used to provide a financial legacy for beneficiaries. Life insurance can also help cover probate and estate tax costs, leaving your property or business intact.

No matter your income level, you can use life insurance to meet both personal and charitable objectives. Legacy planning offers numerous techniques that make significant charitable contributions possible even for families of modest means, while preserving income or assets for you and your family.

There are a variety of ways to set up a charitable gift using life insurance:

Donate an existing policy — Consider donating a policy you no longer need. You continue paying the premiums with the amount equal to each premium payment being a gift to the charity or the charity may make premium payments in expectation of the eventual death benefit. The charity becomes both owner and beneficiary of your policy.

Purchase a new policy — You may purchase a permanent life insurance policy and donate it to a charity. The charity may use the policy’s cash value while you’re alive and receive the policy’s death benefit when you die.

Leave a bequest at death — If your estate is the beneficiary of your policy, your will can direct use of some or all of the proceeds of your life insurance to make a gift to charity, free of any federal estate tax. This will be true whether you or the charity owns the policy.

Note that you can also designate your favorite organizations as beneficiaries on an existing policy.

What will you leave behind?
You’ve worked hard, and now you are focused on leaving the most you can to the people you care about. Whether you want to leave money for a grandchild to put toward a college education or give a gift to a charity, you want to do the most you can with the money you plan to pass along.

10/27/2015

MEET MA*****NA

Who: In 2013, 7.5% of Americans were using ma*****na.
Translation: Currently, 24 U.S. states and Washington D.C. have passed medical ma*****na legislation, while four states and Washington D.C. passed legislation defining permissible use, cultivation and sale of ma*****na.

What: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive chemical found in ma*****na.
Translation: In the short term, THC affects areas of the brain responsible for processing pleasure, memory, thinking and coordinated movement, among others. Long term effects include damage to neurological functions, increased mental health risks, increased heart rate and breathing problems.

Where: THC can be found in saliva, plasma, urine and hair follicles, but the gold standard for insurance screening is urine.
Translation: There are numerous ways it can be detected.

When: Ma*****na is not water-soluble; THC is absorbed in fat cells, which takes longer to metabolize out of the system. The exact time varies by individual, but THC may be detected in the urine up to three days post single-use and up to 40 days or more for chronic/regular users.
Translation: THC can be detected in urine for 3-40 days.

10/21/2015

Why Did My Car Insurance Rates Change?
Auto Smarts

It’s probably the biggest complaint in the industry. You get your quote, you’ve got your rate, and then after 6 months, a year, maybe a few years, you see your rate go up.

What’s with that? You haven’t filed a claim, and you’re a great driver (that’s why we insured you in the first place!).

Well, most people may not realize this, but all kinds of factors can affect your insurance rate over time.

What Causes Car Insurance Rate Increases?

Long story short, insurance rates are tied to costs and risks.

Generally speaking, auto insurance rate adjustments are caused by changes in:

1. Personal Risk

When you get a quote, you answer questions about your driving history, experience, age, vehicle, and location, among others. All this information gives the insurance company an idea of your personal risk.

The thing is though, once you get your initial rate, your risk levels don’t suddenly lock into place forever. They can change as life changes, and not just because you got a speeding ticket or bumped a parked car.

Depending on where you live, the following changes in life and in your policy may alter your risks to your insurer and affect rates:
•Adding a new or inexperienced driver to your policy.
•Getting a new vehicle
•Moving to a new location
•Changes in your commute
•Changes in your credit score


2. Inflation and Higher Costs

If there’s one thing you can count on over time, it’s that prices will rise. Chocolate bars don’t go for a nickel anymore and your average car costs nearly 9x’s more than it did 40 years ago! So it’s no surprise that insurance costs more over time, too.

But why exactly?

Well, Auto insurance covers injuries to others, vehicle and property damage, medical and other expenses, and at times, legal fees. So, since insurance can pay for services from these industries, it’s inherently connected to them too. And as their costs fluctuate over time (due to inflation and other factors), Auto insurance rates are adjusted to reflect those costs.

3. Insurance Fraud

Claims are probably the biggest cost to insurance companies, but fraud is the biggest threat to the entire industry. Insurance fraud, like over-inflating damages and filing false claims, costs the industry billions each year. Unfortunately, that can drive rates up.

Insurance companies don’t just sit idly by though. They spend a lot of time and effort identifying and trying to prevent insurance fraud. But when fraud scams do slip through the cracks, or areas of the country become havens to fraudsters, companies have to react. Typically that means raising rates for customers in certain areas.

The Reality of Rate Increases

At the end of the day, whatever the factor, costs are going to fluctuate. And so they don’t have to sacrifice service, most companies are going to raise rates to compensate. But companies have all kinds of options to keep things from getting out of control. They’re:
•Using the large size of their companies to negotiate better costs and keep rates lower.
•Utilizing new systems and analytics to watch costs and risks.
•Getting better data on customers and claims, to more accurately identify risks and adjust rates accordingly.
•Using new technologies to offer customer-specific insurance rates, based on your exact and actual driving abilities and habits.
•Working internally to run more efficiently, and keep internal costs lower, to pass on those savings to customers.

10/02/2015

09/22/2015

The Benefits of Renters Insurance

Even if you don’t own a home, you probably own a great deal more than you think. Consider all of your furniture, electronics, clothing and appliances. Also include any jewelry, collectibles, books or musical instruments you own. Now consider how much it would cost to replace all of these items if you had to do so. Doesn’t seem like such a small number, does it? Imagine you are having a cookout, and a guest trips on the stairs while attending. Could you cover their medical bills if need be? What happens if something leaks in your apartment, and ends up damaging you’re a neighbor’s unit? How would you pay for those damages? The answer is renters insurance.

Renters insurance is very similar to homeowners insurance, in that it helps cover you and your property. The landlord’s insurance policy on the rental unit typically covers the building structure itself, while protecting your property is your responsibility. Renters insurance and what it covers can vary, but in general it covers personal property, personal liability, property damage to others, additional living expenses and medical payments to others. What your policy covers depends on the coverage limits you select.

Here are some of the benefits renters can gain from purchasing renters insurance:

Fire and theft protection

If your apartment or rental home becomes damaged in a fire or other peril named in your policy, your renters policy can help to repair or replace your possessions. Likewise, if your residence is broken into, your renters insurance policy can pay to repair or replace listed items that are damaged or taken. Additionally, renters insurance policies typically provide loss of use coverage, which can help pay your expenses if you have to relocate for repairs. Here’s a tip: Create an inventory of your belongings. Include furniture, clothing, books, electronics, appliances, etc. along with its estimated value. Take photos of your belongings, and keep track of credit card statements — keeping a current list will make it easier should you have to file an insurance claim.


Protection from damage you may cause

Renters insurance covers more than just your property. For example, if you accidentally ride your bike into a parked car, your policy can cover that, and pay for the losses of people who are injured or suffer property damage because of your actions.


Protection from liability claims

Like to entertain? Ever get a package delivered? Renters insurance can provide liability protection, which covers injury to another person while on your property. So, if you’re sued because someone is injured while at your residence or because you or someone covered under your policy accidentally injure someone, renters insurance can provide liability coverage for legal costs and the settlement of the injury claim up to your limits.


Affordable protection

Many renters assume their belongings will be covered by their landlord’s policy if something should happen. Your landlord’s insurance policy will not cover your losses due to theft or damage. Renters insurance covers your personal property, and even covers you from liability claims while you’re renting. Also, if your rented home ever needs serious repairs, and you’re unable to live there, it also covers the reasonable and necessary increase in living expenses (housing, food, etc.) you may incur from a covered loss. While there’s no law requiring you to purchase a policy when renting, to help protect you now and your future it is important to purchase renters insurance.

Make the call and purchase renters insurance. It is an inexpensive way to protect your property from damage or loss, and can help you rebuild your life should you experience a loss. Call me today to get the coverage you want to protect both yourself and your belongings.