In Texas, we love our cars and trucks, and we rely on them for everything from work commutes, taking kids to school, running errands, and road trips. It's our attachment to them that makes it so shocking and frustrating when thieves break into our vehicles. However, a large percentage of car break-ins are largely preventable, meaning many vehicle owners don't realize how they've made their cars and trucks easy targets for criminals.

We can make improvements or repairs to a variety of things: our physical health, our homes, our jobs, our skill set, or our business. However, some things simply break down over time and can't be improved or repaired without significant cost or effort. Our cars and trucks are prime examples of this. As much as we might love our family van, company car, work truck, muscle car, service vehicle, or RV, over time they can reach a point where they can't easily be repaired, and need to be replaced instead.

Hurricane Harvey caused billions of dollars in damages to homes, apartments, and businesses across Texas and Louisiana. In addition, thousands of cars, trucks, vans, and commercial service vehicles were flooded or completely submerged by the deep floodwaters. Many impacted drivers are now in the market for replacement vehicles, but some may end up unknowingly buying used vehicles that also flooded and were quickly cleaned up for resale.

College is an important rite of passage for young adults, and many new college students will move out of town or even out of state to attend their school. Before saying goodbye to your college-bound student, it's important to have a discussion with them about money, financial responsibility, and insurance coverage. A majority of college students will have health insurance provided by their parent's existing policy, but health coverage is just one type of insurance coverage that they might need while starting this new chapter of life.

Major life changes will often lead individuals or families to update or increase personal insurance coverage. For example, when a couple gets married or welcomes a new child to their family, it can trigger a change in life insurance coverage, estate planning, and beneficiary information. However, there are some life changes that can still impact personal insurance coverage that people forget about.

The state of Texas requires minimum amounts of auto insurance coverage in order to operate a vehicle in our state, which is liability coverage for property damage or bodily injury you may cause with your vehicle.  However, there is no one type of car accident. Some may be single-car accidents caused by a drowsy driver, while others may be multi-car pile-ups with many injured drivers and passengers.

Houstonians rely greatly on their cars and trucks, largely because of our city's vast size and minimal public transportation options. However, over 19,000 of area vehicles experienced some form of vehicle flood damage during the historic Tax Day floods of 2016. While some of these flooded vehicles were completely submerged and sent to salvage yards, many were cleaned up and resold to unsuspecting buyers or used car lots.

The holidays are a festive time of celebration, often involving traveling, gathering with family and friends, and sharing delicious meals together. Sadly, they can also be a dangerous time for families and friends if proper precautions are not taken. In today's blog post, we discuss three common dangers that occur most during the holidays, and what people can do to mitigate their risks.

Our parents spend years caring for us, teaching us, and guiding us from infancy to adulthood. Once adults, we can make our own decisions, plan for our future, and care for our self and our loved ones. Sadly, over time our parents may reach a stage where their own health, mobility, finances, and living situation may require them to make major life changes. While it may be difficult for adult children to discuss these sensitive topics with their aging parents, it is absolutely critical to make sure our loved ones have the safety, care, and support they need to thrive in their senior years.

Homeowners, renters, and business owners are often reminded of the importance of having personal and commercial insurance coverage. However, college students are some of the most vulnerable victims when disaster strikes, and are rarely protected with quality insurance coverage. Sadly, college students have little financial recourse when their possessions are lost or damaged by severe weather, or when they are victims of accidents or injuries on campus.