Stephen Podmaska's (podmaska) Blog

While spring as arrived and summer is approaching, you may notice the increase of motorcycles on the road.  May is a month "Motorcycle Awareness", not only to protect your life, but also the lives of others surrounding you on side roads and highways.  Unfortunately, over two-thirds of accidents t...

An annuity allows you to earn tax-free interest that grows without penalty, so that you can plan and save for your retirement. The different types of annuities allow you a mixed bag of options so you can achieve your financial goals in the way you're most comfortable. Each different type of annui...

Did you know that you should update your homeowners insurance policy every time your building code changes? Building codes tend to change often, and if your house (or investment property, commercial office property, etc.) is ten years old, chances are it doesn't meet the current codes. And with t...

Do you live in an older home or apartment with an older-fashioned type of heating system, such as a gas heater, water heater, oil heater, or even space heaters or kerosene heaters? If so, it's important to maintain safety for these older types of heating. We all know the dangers of space heaters ...

A few nights ago, my cousin called with an insurance question. Their neighbors are threatening to sue he and his wife because a tree on their property fell over during a big storm and damaged the neighbors' roof and upstairs window. My cousin called his insurance agent and asked if they were prot...

Usually, after someone purchases a home, their next step is to also purchase homeowners insurance to protect their new investment. Homeowners want to make sure their new house and everything under its roof are secure. So why don’t apartment and condo renters feel the same? Statistics show that le...

Have you ever thought about what would happen if you could no longer pay your life insurance premiums? With the economy the way it is at the moment, more and more people are now considering that possibility. Of course, the best thing to do is to ask your insurance carrier to explain exactly what ...

Water and Sewer Backup can be such a frustrating disaster.  In some cases, the aftermath can be easily cleaned up, but in other cases you may need to hire a restoration team to return your home to it's original state.  Water and sewer backup is both hazardous to your health and dangerous for your...

One of the best and easiest ways to keep your home insurance policy cost down is to take safety precautions in your home. Here are 8 ways to protect your home against electrical fires: • Use a power strip instead of an extension cord in an electric socket when you need to plug in a lot of things....

It’s unfortunate how many car owners find auto insurance premiums so complicated. They sit with an insurance agent, lost as the agent builds their policy. What is the agent doing? Are they trying to rope me into getting coverage I don’t need? I don’t understand what everything means… But in actua...