Fall home maintenance checklist

Prep your yard. Tidy up and put away or cover outdoor furniture (make sure it’s secure!) and look around for overgrown trees and branches that could potentially clog your gutters.

Clear your gutters. Blocked gutters can lead to roof leaks and indoor water damage.

Check your roof. Give it a once-over for cracked or missing shingles, water stains, or other issues.

Plug drafts. Check windows and doors for gaps and purchase strips or insulating foam to eliminate them. Install foam gaskets around electrical outlets on outside walls.

Check batteries. Be sure you have fresh batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Insulate pipes. Foam insulation around your hot water pipes can keep your water hotter for longer. During cold weather, turn off the water to your outdoor faucets or purchase an insulated faucet cover.

Make outdoor repairs. Have a broken fence or gate, or uneven paving stones? Now is a good time to correct those issues.

Protect yourself financially. Make sure you are properly covered in case of a claim. Member Benefits can help you determine the most appropriate coverage for your needs. Schedule a personal consultation today or call 1-800-279-4030.

Sources: Forbes, Mr. Handyman.

Five critical times to review your insurance

Here are a few critical events that should trigger a review of your policies.

At renewal

Consider raising your deductible and make sure you are getting discounts you qualify for. Evaluate the need for flood or umbrella insurance.

Major purchases

An expensive piece of jewelry artwork or electronic device may need extra coverage.

Home improvements

If you added a room, upgraded your countertops, installed a hot tub, etc. make sure you’re adequately covered. Keep receipts in case your insurance company needs copies.

When you make your home safer

You may qualify for a discount when you install an alarm system or upgrade your electrical heating or plumbing.

Major life changes

Marriage, divorce, or adult children who move back home (or who leave) can affect your home insurance and the amount of coverage you need.

 

Source: Insurance Information Institute

When is the best time to buy long-term care insurance?

You’ll never be younger or healthier and two things—age and health—determine your long-term care insurance (LTCi) premium costs.

Neither health insurance nor Medicare pay for long-term care services. Medicaid is only available to those who meet certain financial and health requirements. Rules and services for Medicaid also vary from state to state. Unless you have LTCi coverage, you will need to pay for extended care with your personal savings and assets.

Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey’s 2024 estimate for a semi-private room in a nursing home facility is $9,859 per month ($118,298 annually). The cost for a home health aide is estimated to be $6,250 per month ($72,505 annually).

Many people seriously underestimate the costs of long-term care. Understanding the true costs can help families plan ahead for how they will pay for these services before they need them.

Fortunately, LTCi policies can be tailored to cover varying circumstances and budgets. When deciding which coverage you’ll need, consider:

Associates of Clifton Park is our long-term care partner. They can help you make informed decisions about your long-term care insurance options.

1-800-893-1621
weabenefits@longtcare.com

10 things to watch for when buying a house

10 things to watch for when buying a house infographic continued from “Tips for first-time home buyers” article.

10 things to watch for when buying a home infographic

Tips for first-time home buyers

In 2021, renters spent a greater share of their household income on housing costs than homeowners did. Even before the pandemic, renters were spending substantial shares of their income on housing. But, according to the Pew Research Center, 70% of Americans said young adults today have a harder time buying a home than their parents’ generation did. Those who do want to purchase a home face record high housing prices, historically high mortgage rates, and lingering shortages in the supply of housing (UW-Extension Community Economic Development).

These circumstances underline the fact that homeownership is not something to go into without some serious thought and preparation. It’s prudent to weigh the pros and cons of home ownership vs renting before you take the home buying plunge. Consider:

The length of time you plan to stay in the house. Buying a home can be a good investment, but there is still some risk in taking on a mortgage. There is a general rule that those in the real estate industry use as a guideline—if you don’t plan to stay in the home for at least five years, it may not be a wise financial decision. The five-year rule makes sense because:

  1. When you take out a 15- or 30-year mortgage, the vast majority of your monthly mortgage payment for the first few years of the loan goes toward interest charges. That means you won’t make much progress in building equity during those early years. And building equity is the primary reason for buying a house in the first place.
  2. The closing costs associated with a home purchase include fees for mortgage origination, title insurance, inspections, appraisals, legal costs, etc. They usually run about 3% to 6% of the price of the home. So it’s costly to frequently trade up to a new home.

Mortgage debt is considered “good” debt, but there is still a certain amount of risk (and commitment) involved. A lease gives you more freedom to move and more flexibility to adjust your housing expenses based on your financial situation.

Beyond the mortgage

Go into homeownership with your eyes wide open. Owning your own place has costs beyond the mortgage. Make sure to budget for these additional expenses.

Learn more and download our free eBook, Buying a Home.

Continue with infographic, “10 things to watch for when buying a house.”

Teacher features

Your home (and everything in it) is likely your largest investment, and we help you protect it. Not all policies are the same. While many companies offer home insurance, ours is the only one created exclusively for Wisconsin public school employees like you. Here are your home insurance advantages.

Especially for teachers

Educator benefits

Increased coverage for personal property losses on school premises—regardless of the cause of loss—to $2,000. No deductible.

Loss of preparation materials

We’ll cover up to $500 ($100 per hour) as reimbursement for preparing new teaching materials that were either stolen or damaged by a covered loss. No deductible.

Protecting your home and possessions

Guaranteed Replacement Cost

If your home was built in 1950 or later, we will pay the full cost to repair and replace your home even if the cost of the repairs exceeds your policy limits.

Extended Replacement Cost

For homes built prior to 1950, we provide up to 125% of the dwelling limit on your policy.

Personal Legal Protection™

An additional benefit to our home policyholders at no extra cost. Create wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and more.

Equipment breakdown coverage

Covers the cost of repairing or replacing mechanical and electrical equipment in your home when it breaks down.

NEW! Flexible jewelry coverage

We offer a straightforward coverage for your jewelry instead of requiring itemization for each piece.

And more…

And if you have an auto policy with us, don’t forget your personal liability/umbrella coverage—keep everything under one roof to protect your family and everything you own.

Get an insurance quote

…and have your family members* and colleagues contact us to get a quote, too.

weabenefits.com/quote
1-800-279-4030

Or sign up for a personal consult. Evening consultations available by appointment.

 

*Family members who may be eligible include your spouse or domestic partner, children and their spouses, parents, and parents-in-law.

Who needs life insurance?

When considering your decision, start out by asking yourself a simple question: “Would someone suffer financially if I were to pass away?”

Explore our life insurance section and learn more about:

Then compare quotes from numerous life insurance companies without sharing any of your personal information.

Evaluating insurance in retirement

Before canceling or making changes to a policy, consider this information when evaluating your different policies.

Medicare supplement insurance

Health care costs tend to increase with age, so having a policy that keeps you covered is critical.

Once you qualify for Medicare, you may want to consider looking into a supplemental insurance policy to help fill the “gaps” in health care costs. This extra coverage can help with out-of-pocket expenses original Medicare doesn’t cover, such as coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.

Long-term care insurance

Long-term care (LTC) helps people live as independently as possible when they can no longer perform everyday activities on their own. Our life expectancies are longer than ever, and someone turning 65+ has nearly a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care support during their lives.1

Problem: Most costs for long-term care aren’t fully covered by health insurance or Medicare.

Solution: Long-term care insurance (LTCi) can help with costs that aren’t covered.

LTCi policies can be built to fit your needs and budget. When deciding what coverage you’ll need, here are a couple of things to consider:

If you require long-term care, it can be a big relief to have a plan now that will help you and your loved ones cope in the future.

Life Insurance

Protect the ones you love! Life insurance can be an important part of your family’s financial stability. It’s an answer to the difficult question: How will my loved ones manage financially if something were to happen to me?

Did you know retirement account beneficiaries may need to fully withdraw from the account within ten years? Life insurance can help offset that and be used to cover daily living expenses, funeral costs, medical bills, loans, and many other essential expenses.

Wherever you are in life, you can apply for a life insurance policy to help ensure your family’s financial security.

Home, auto, renters, and liability (umbrella) insurance

If you’re a retiree, you’ll likely find yourself with new hobbies, new places to live, and traveling more (or less). In this case, the insurance policies you had when you were working in your district may need to be adjusted. In some situations you could be under-insured, and you could be over-insured in other situations.

Insurance evaluations are a great tool to use as you encounter life changes. Life may be different, but it’s still important to protect yourself and your family with insurance designed to fit your needs.

Find someone you trust to help advocate for you and listen to your insurance needs when reviewing your policies and liability coverage.

Member Benefits believes public school retirees deserve an insurance company that offers high-quality products and exceptional customer service.

And for those insurance products we didn’t initially offer, we’ve partnered with industry expert Associates of Clifton Park to better meet the needs of our members.

You do NOT need to leave our insurance programs when you retire. Member Benefits is here for you to and through retirement—and that includes insurance, too.

1 Source: acl.gov/ltc/basic-needs/how-much-care-will-you-need

Home and auto rates: Is cheaper better?

The idea of saving some money by choosing the cheapest auto and home insurance is a tempting idea. But does that mean the insurance meets your needs? Maybe. But cheaper may mean you’re not getting the coverage or service you need when it comes time to make a claim.

Many people treat insurance as a one-size-fits-all commodity. However, that is far from the case. Your needs are unique to you, so it’s critical that you understand what you are comparing when contacting insurance companies.

Why is cheaper not necessarily better?

Almost no two insurers sell the exact same coverage. If you’re getting online quotes, make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Some may quote you on a different levels of coverage than another company, such as bodily injury or liability protection on your auto and home policy.

Some companies bundle certain coverages together, so you may be paying for coverages you don’t need. It’s important to know exactly what you’re being quoted on.

Cheaper may mean less coverage, and that may inadvertently expose you to more loss than you expected.

You may get what you pay for when it comes to service. Is it worth a long wait time, convoluted claims process, or poor communication when you’re most in need?

A cheap insurance policy may make promises on what you can save, but when it comes time for a claim, it can really cost you.

A testament to our service

Educator Sam Bina, School District of La Crosse, had a hailstorm pass through his area on March 31, 2023, and cause damage to homes in his neighborhood. When he called us, Halona Lippert, Senior Claims Specialist, promptly assigned an adjuster to inspect his home.

The adjuster found minor damage and the amount was below Sam’s deductible, so a claim payment was not issued in this case.

However, Sam couldn’t say enough about our service.

“Halona! You get a double A++ for such incredible work, and your impeccable service to the (Member Benefits) universe.

I also did see some dings on the wind turbines but not enough to replace them. If it’s still functioning then why replace it, right?!?

Thanks for getting back to me. If a tornado, hurricane, tsunami, monsoon, Santa Claus, or hail larger than 0.76th of an inch lands on my house in the near future, YOU are the one I will contact!

Thanks for all your work helping the teachers of Wisconsin (like me).”

Be a value hunter, not a bargain hunter

We’ve said many times that insurance is an important part of your financial security. If you’re like most people who treat auto and home insurance like a commodity—or one-size-fits-all—you risk leaving yourself (and your family) exposed to financial loss or purchasing coverages you don’t need.

By going deeper and considering these three principles, you may be able to increase the likelihood that you are appropriately covered.

→ Buy value, not price
For example, is exposing yourself to loss by lowering your liability limits worth saving a few dollars every month? Make sure you understand the implications of the coverage decisions you make.

→ Maximize your insurance dollar
The risk of a catastrophic event may be low but it does happen…and it can be financially devastating. If you’re looking to save money, explore reducing your deductible before you consider reducing coverage.

→ Insure for the catastrophic
It’s the real reason we have insurance. Liability (umbrella) insurance is often overlooked, but most financial planners consider it a must-have. It’s also very affordable.

Claims service you can trust

Because we are member-focused, you can expect a great service experience.

When your life is significantly disrupted by accident or home loss, you depend on your insurance to be there for you. Member Benefits was created by educators for educators. It’s not always the least expensive, but it will be there for you when you need it most.

Help prevent a fire in your home

Keep yourself safe with some common sense precautions and make sure you’re properly insured.

Cooking and heating are the leading causes of home fires and fire injuries, and winter months are the peak time for fire-related deaths. To play it safe, stay in the kitchen while cooking and make sure you never leave space heaters or fireplaces unattended.

Frayed wires can also cause fires. Replace all worn, old, or damaged appliance cords immediately and do not run cords under rugs or furniture.

Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly and change batteries once a year. Be sure a smoke alarm is installed on every floor of your home and in each bedroom, and that a carbon monoxide detector is near all bedrooms.

Have a fire safety plan and adjust it to help children and older adults escape a potential fire, as they are more likely to sleep through or not react to the sound of a fire alarm.

Schedule a professional inspection each year of all fuel-burning home heating systems including furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, wood stoves, water heaters, chimneys, flues, and vents.

To avoid financial hardship if you do have a major fire, be sure you have enough insurance coverage to rebuild the home and replace personal possessions. A 2022 American Property Casualty Insurance Association survey found that a majority of insured homeowners have not taken steps to ensure their insurance coverage is keeping pace with rising inflation and increased building costs, which could leave you underinsured if catastrophe strikes.

If you’re unsure about your coverage, give us a call at 1-800-279-4030 or set up a personal phone consultation. We can help you evaluate your policy to make sure you have the right coverage for your situation.

Sources: National Safety Council, Ready.gov