Things to Remember when Renewing your Home Contents and Home Buildings Insurance

At National Access Long Distance we go above and beyond to make sure you are getting a great rate on your long distance.  Make sure you are also being smart with your money on your home contents and buildings insurance with these facts.

Each year when our renewal notices come through the post for our home contents insurance and/or home buildings insurance, most of us automatically sign the form and send it back to the insurance company – after all, we already know how much the premiums are going to be.  Big financial mistake, and here are 4 reasons why:

Did You Buy Anything New In The Last Year?

If you bought anything new in the last year, say a new television or video recorder, then the value of this new purchase will not be included in the renewal notice you just sent off to the insurance company.  Likewise, if you sold anything of value over the last year, and have not informed the insurance company, then you are paying home contents insurance for something you no longer own.  Either way, your not paying the right amount of insurance premiums.

Did The Costs Stay Static?

If you have home contents insurance then you are insuring your personal property for the replacement cost of buying the same thing new.  On the other hand, part of your home buildings insurance should cover the cost of labor and materials.  Now ask yourself, would the cost of replacing the picture hanging in your living room be the same today as it was last year?  If the answer is that it would cost you more, tough luck, you’ll only get paid out what you said the cost of replacing it would be!  The same can be said of your friendly builder, would he charge you the same for an hour of his time and for his materials today as he would have done last year?  If the answer here is no, then you should be expecting to pay him the difference.

Did The Value Of Your Home Stay The Same?

Similar to the above, with your home buildings insurance you need to be asking yourself whether or not the value of your home stayed the same this year as it was last year?  You need to be asking yourself this question even if you didn’t do any work to the house – such as building an extension – that would naturally automatically add value to your home.

Is Your House Any Safer Today?

Here the question is, have you done anything to your house over the last year that would mean your home would be considered safer today than last year?  For example, did you add any deadlocks to your doors or windows?  If so, then there’s a very good chance your home contents insurance premium would be reduced, as the security in your house is a major consideration in assessing your premium (along with the crime rate in your neighborhood, so you may also want to check and see if this has gone up or down also).

Keep in mind that time stands still for no man.  As such, you need to read your home contents insurance and/or home buildings insurance renewal notices very carefully to make sure that they reflect, as accurately as possible, your life today and not your life of yester-year.

To save money on your long distance bill contact us today!  Visit us at www.na-ld.com.

Peace of Mind for the Parent

            Parents always worry more than their children in college about safety and security. One way a caring parent can provide an added layer of protection while their child is way at school is by providing a landline for emergencies.

            The world we live in is fraught with dangers. Though we cannot shield our children from all hazards, the availability of a landline safeguards a student. They are anchors to the real world, sure connections to loved ones, and, perhaps most significantly, assist first responders in emergency situations.

            As young adults leave home and transform into the adult they choose to become, a landline can be a “home base” to which the student can return and reenergize. A landline gives a sense of being connected even when the student needs to unplug from the whirlwind of modern social media.

            Landlines provide a stable and secure access point to friends and loved ones, providing a connection that is not susceptible to dead batteries or “out of service” messages. Parents can encourage their children to pass along important messages in person or on a recording without the fear that their child will simply press “ignore” and the opportunity will be lost.

            One of the surest protections is that a landline will more effectively interact with local officials and emergency responders in case of emergency. Wireless phones are, by their nature, mobile. Operators for 911 rarely receive accurate location information from cellphones; this is especially true in metropolitan areas where jurisdictions overlap. Precious time could be lost explaining your loved ones whereabouts. And what might be the result if your child is badly hurt and unable to speak? Landline addresses pop up immediately on a 911 operator’s screen, providing an added layer of protection for your child. To ensure your college age student’s safety and security and to save money on your long distance service, contact National Access Long Distance. 

Who Is Listening in on your Cell Phone?

Most people seem to believe that the public broadcasting of an illegally intercepted cell phone conversation would be illegal.  However, the US Supreme Court has found that the First Amendment allows an illegally intercepted cell phone conversation to be shared with others when the conversation involves matters of significant public interest.  While your conversation may not be of significant public interest, it reminds us that people may be listening and taking our private information at any time. 

The Wall Street Journal has recently published allegations of the FBI being capable of remotely activating Android microphones.  While this can only be done under court orders, the capability is there and we should be aware.

All U.S. cell phone carriers are required, under Federal Communications Commission orders, to make it possible for police to locate cell phones calling 911.  This is because people with cell phones generally always carry their phone with them.  Something we forget is that the FCC regulations give the thriving market for selling personal information the exact locations at all times of more than 140 million people.  Knowing someone's location at all times adds a significant new twist to tracking information about people. 

"There are some things you don't mind other people knowing, but your location isn't one of them," said Gary Laden, a privacy program director for BBB Online, a Better Business Bureau subsidiary.

Services providers (like AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile) collect data, but are not forthcoming in detailing exactly what they collect, the reasons they collect it, and their data retention policies.

Did you know that cellular phones use radio frequencies, which can be easily intercepted?  Eavesdroppers use simple devices to intercept the analog radio waves that carry wireless calls.  They can then listen to your private conversations, steal your credit card information and can even find out when you'll be on vacation to plan their evil deeds.

What is one of the greatest advantages of retaining a landline phone number?  The answer is: the security of your personal conversations. So, if you want to keep your cell phone private, choose to keep your landline.  Also, if you want to keep the cost of your landline down contact National Access Long Distance and save money on your long distance services.

Family Communication Needs

An important feature offered by landlines is the security of communication available to your family 24/7.  The power can be out or the cell phone misplaced, and you can still rely on the permanent landline. 

Every family can benefit from the availability, convenience and functions a landline phone offers the household.  It’s a fact that elderly residents mostly prefer owning a landline phone over a cell phone for the convenience.  Have you ever considered that they might be on to something? 

With the added threats in society, the landline provides an added safety factor to your household.  With a landline you can keep track of your children’s phone usage, who they are calling and how long they are talking.  You can make sure you also have a phone in case your cell phone is lost or stolen throughout the day.  A weight is lifted off your shoulders when you call your house phone and hear your child’s voice on the other line confirming that they are at home. 

Our family’s communications needs are important and their security is even more crucial to your peace of mind.  Maintaining a landline phone for your home will give you a great communication experience.  Don’t worry about a dropped call, poor signal strength or concern yourself with the battery life.  The landline phone is a time-tested piece of equipment that has proven itself over and over again.  Make sure your family recognizes its need for a safer house with the landline. 

Contact National Access Long Distance to save money on your long distance services.  

Top Ten Reasons for Having a Land Line Phone

You know every time the topic landline comes up it is usually met with thoughts of but it’s not as convenient as my cell phone.  Contrary to popular belief, there are benefits to having one. So here are 10 solid reasons to maintain a landline phone:

1. Works Better for 911 services: When you call from a landline, it will automatically go to an enhanced center. This proves to be important when you or the person cannot speak. The landline also will allow the dispatcher to have an accurate address whereas the cell phone only gives a general area.

2. Its Stationary: It's based in your home so you’re not going to misplace it. It is not going to be stolen nor will you leave it at the restaurant or office. It's usually centrally located and multiple lines can be throughout the house for easy access.

3. Better Connection: You get the clearest and most stable calls on a landline with better volume, especially if you use a corded phone. 

4. Security: Landlines ensure more security when doing phone business like banking or social security issues?

5. Easier to use: Since a landline phone only makes calls, it makes it a lot easier to operate. This proves to be handy for emergencies with children making the call. It also makes it easier for elderly people to see and operate.

6. Natural Disasters:  Cell towers are subject to the weather more than anything. Even an ice storm can affect its ability to function.  It is true that landlines are subject to weather, especially tornados; service crews for landlines have a much quicker response time.

7. Reliability: Even though many will use cordless phones as their landlines. You still can always have one outlet with a corded phone in case the battery dies, you can go to the speaker phone on the base of most cordless phones.

8. Value: There is no need for insurance, no data plans or over use charges. No extra accessories like covers, extra chargers, screen covers, etc. is required to extend the phones life either.

9. Power: There are no worries when the power is out because the landline phone will still be working in most instances. The local landline carrier provides local emergency backup systems. No need to worry about batteries and chargers.

10. Lower Cost: Landline phones are amazingly more affordable than most cell phones. There’s never a roaming charge. This comes in pretty handy when you have a whole family using the same phone making hours of calls a day.

So regardless if you talk a little or if you are a blabber mouth, the landline can provide an all-around cost effective option and security for all of your talking needs. Please think about this list before you consider discarding your landline. And if you want keep you landline cost low by saving more money on your long distance service, contact National Access Long Distance.