It's common to collect things over time, whether they're sentimental, part of a hobby, or have a high resale value. If your collection is valuable because of its size, uniqueness, or resale value on the open market, it's important to have your collectibles properly insured in the event of a disaster such as theft or damages. In today's Aegis blog post, we'll look at some of the collections people might have, common assumptions people make about insuring their collectibles, and what kinds of insurance can best protect them.

It's common for individuals and families in the market for a new home to start their research in the spring. Many will closely examine floor plans and home amenities, subdivisions and deed restrictions, nearby school districts, shopping and entertainment centers, and traffic conditions. However, there are three other important factors to consider that can impact your future home's property value, as well as insurance coverage needs. In today's Aegis blog post, we'll examine these three additional factors to research before buying a new home.

We're a social society, and we love to celebrate life's biggest events surrounded by our closest friends and family, whether it's a birthday, graduation, baby shower, family reunion, or a fun crawfish boil with friends. However, hosting a party can come with certain risks, and these risks, if left unchecked, can lead to accidents and potential liability claims. Rather than risk loved ones or close friends getting hurt, homeowners can mitigate these risks through a few proactive steps.

When you buy a home, one of the first things you need to purchase is Homeowners Insurance to protect against losses or damages that could hurt your new property. However, the amount of coverage you initially buy when you first move in might not be the amount you need later. In today's Aegis blog post, we discuss three reasons why you might need to update your Homeowners Insurance coverage.

With the holiday season in full swing, you'll likely see many homes and entire neighborhoods lit up and full of seasonal décor. Unfortunately, while some people see holiday home décor as a sign of fun and festive memories to come, others see it as an invitation or opportunity to steal valuables that could be inside. Home burglaries are always on the rise during the holidays, but homeowners can take proactive steps to reduce their chance of becoming burglary victims, protecting their property and themselves.

Although Texas isn't known for its record levels of snow and ice, we do enjoy colder temperatures during the winter months. It's not uncommon for homeowners to use their fireplace, candles, or space heater more often as the temperatures drop, but they can also lead to a rise in home fires. In fact, winter months have the highest rates of fire fatalities because of accidental fires in homes and apartment complexes.

In the past, it was common for people to know all their next-door neighbors and even many of the families on their street. Likewise, business owners often knew all the other shop owners up and down their block. Now, in the hustle and bustle of today's society, people go days or even weeks without ever seeing their neighbors, much less interacting with them. When individuals, families, and business owners make an effort to get to know their neighbors, the community is a safer place.

Online shopping has become the preferred method for buying gifts during the holiday season, with over $90 billion dollars spent online during the 2016 holiday season alone. Purchasing online means shoppers can avoid the crowds, busy parking lots, and mad dashes to find deals before they're gone. Unfortunately, all the time and money you save by buying online is pointless if package thieves steal your packages from your front door. In today's Aegis blog post, we look at four simple ways to protect package deliveries from thieves and ensure you receive your shipments.

Hurricane Harvey has been a major wake-up call to individuals and families across the country about their own level of preparedness in the face of a natural disaster. Improved technology has made it slightly easier to predict certain types of natural disasters and their expected pathways, but it's still next to impossible to predict their full impact or level of destruction. For example, Texas residents knew several days in advance that Hurricane Harvey was approaching our coast, but no one knew that we would receive multiple tornadoes and catastrophic, record-shattering flooding.

We often believe that home is the safest place we can be, especially when it comes to protecting our children. However, studies have shown that accidents and injuries involving adults or children are far more likely to occur at home than anywhere else. While part of this may be because we spend more time at home, the truth is that our homes aren't always as safe as they could be. Many of the accidents, injuries, and deaths that occur at home are largely preventable, but homeowners just aren't aware of the risks or dangers that exist, or know how to lower those risks.