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Whether you’re taking a road trip or taking the family camping, driving with a trailer can be a challenge. According to eTrailer.com, when you add a trailer to your vehicle, the overall handling, and rules of driving dramatically change. Using your hitch to tow your favorite travel trailer means you should give yourself more time to slow down and turn corners. It’s important that drivers of all experience use trailer brakes to decrease speed evenly with the added weight that’s being towed. And, because trailers don’t follow the exact path as the vehicle on turns, always remember to safely swing out wider when traveling around bends and corners.
Here are some do’s and don’ts of towing to keep you safe on the road.
Do’s
Gradually reduce speed
Travel at an even, moderate speed
Steady the steering wheel — sudden turns can cause more sway
Be cautious of potholes and large bumps
Use a lower gear over large hills or down gravel roads
Avoid slamming on the brakes — jackknifing could occur
Don’ts
Consistently stay in overdrive and/or in a high gear
Attempt to steer out of trailer sway
Forget to add sway control or a weight distribution system
Be afraid to safely stop and reload trailer in case of engine problems, sway, flat tires, etc.
Before assuming the role of full-time family caregiver for an aging parent, pose these key questions
by Bruce Horovitz, AARP, October 19, 2021 | Aging Parent
Are you thinking about caring for an aging parent in your home? The best way to consider all that is involved in this major decision is to pose the right questions to the right people.
We reached out to top home caregiving experts nationwide and asked them to help frame the key questions that need to be asked before the boxes are packed. “Asking these questions ahead of time can help prevent confusion, misunderstandings, miscommunications and make the entire process go more smoothly,” says Amy Goyer, author of Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving, and AARP’s family and caregiving expert.
(LANSING, MICH) Gov. Whitmer today announced Michiganders have more plans to choose from, more low- or no-cost coverage options, and more time to enroll during the Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment period, which runs today, November 1 through January 15, 2022.
“Michigan has called for expanded health coverage opportunities throughout the pandemic, and I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for its continued work in lowering costs to high-quality, comprehensive health insurance for Michigan’s working families,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Through increased subsidies, an extended enrollment period, and more investment in local assistance, Michiganders have the support they need to get covered for 2022.”
“Many people worry it is either too expensive or too complicated to sign up for a health plan. Fortunately, Michigan remains one of the least expensive states in the country to purchase health insurance and there is free, local enrollment help available by visiting LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov or calling 800-318-2596,” said Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Director Anita Fox. “Comprehensive health insurance leads to better health outcomes, so Open Enrollment is an important opportunity for Michiganders to protect their health and financial wellness.”
More Health Plans
During Open Enrollment, Michigan consumers are able to choose from 174 approved health plans from 10 insurers on the Health Insurance Marketplace, which is available at HealthCare.gov or by calling 800-318-2596. In addition, an increased number of off-Marketplace plans are also available, bringing the total number of individual plans available to Michiganders to 256.
Overall, DIFS has approved average rate changes for individual plans that range from a decrease of 1.8% to an increase of 8.8%. Overall, the average rate increase on the individual market is 4.7%, well below the 6% average annual increase in health care costs seen during the last two years. Michigan continues to have a robust marketplace and comparatively lower average premium rates than most other states, tying for the 3rd lowest benchmark premiums in a 2021 Kaiser Family Foundation study.
More Low-or No-Cost Coverage Options
Increased subsidies established by the American Rescue Plan to give more Michiganders the opportunity to qualify for low- or no-cost coverage will continue in 2022. In 2021, Michigan consumers saw an average premium reduction of 45% through these subsidies or more than $71 per month in savings. Statewide, Michiganders saw nearly $12 million in savings per month, and nationally, more than half of consumers found coverage for $10 or less per month.
Premium tax credits depend on estimated household income, and consumers will see the monthly savings they qualify for when they apply for Marketplace coverage. Before applying, Michiganders can visit HealthCare.gov/Lower-Costs to estimate whether they may qualify for subsidies and other savings.
More Time, Assistance for Open Enrollment
The Biden-Harris Administration extended the 2022 Open Enrollment period so that consumers have until January 15, 2022, to enroll. However, consumers generally need to choose a plan by December 15 for their coverage to start January 1, 2022.
In addition, $3.3 million in grants have been awarded to three Michigan organizations to expand access to qualified Navigators who provide free assistance to consumers who need help signing up for health coverage. For assistance, visit LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov or call 800-318-2596.
To review available plans and rates, visit HealthCare.gov today. For questions about health coverage, visit the Michigan.gov/HealthInsurance or call DIFS 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 877-999-6442.
The mission of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services is to ensure access to safe and secure insurance and financial services fundamental for the opportunity, security, and success of Michigan residents while fostering economic growth and sustainability in both industries. In addition, the Department provides consumer protection, outreach, and financial literacy and education services to Michigan residents. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/DIFS or follow the Department on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Contact Carlos Garcia, or 616.896.4600, Shield Insurance Health Care Advisor. You can even click here to fill out a quick form and we will get back to you soon.
Carlos is the Shield Agency specialist in health insurance and represents several companies.
Carlos can work with you to choose the best company and the best policy to meet your specific needs.
He can take care of your family and employees as well. can help answer your questions and get you insured.
While shortages, price spikes, and delays can be frustrating, there are easy ways to find what you need for the right price
By Beth Braverman | September 09, 2021 | Consumer Reports | Smarter Shopper
If you’re in the mood to spend, you’re not alone.
“In the first half of 2021, we saw a return of optimism and spending,” says Tamara Charm, who works for the global management consulting firm McKinsey as an agile consumer insights leader.
And yet the way we’re buying reflects the many long-term changes brought on by the pandemic. E-commerce sales (long on the upswing) jumped 32 percent in 2020, more than double the growth rate in 2019, according to the market research firm Mintel. Even as shoppers venture back into walk-in stores now that vaccines have eased restrictions, online sales remain strong. The experience of having almost everything delivered to one’s door has probably changed some shopping habits for good.
Fall will be here before you know it, and with the incoming chilly air and changing, leaves can come the urge to change up your home decor. With a few simple swaps, your home can feel festive and ready to take on any get-togethers or impromptu parties the next few months have in store.
Whether you’re planning on hosting for the holidays or just want to cozy up your space, it doesn’t have to break the bank or feel like another chore on your to-do list. Start by picking a few of your favorite fall trends and use them in small doses around your house. Need some inspiration to get you going? We’ve got you covered. Keep scrolling for 10 simple ways to add the year’s most popular trends to your fall decor.
Buy these plants and do your fall leaf gazing at home this year.
Fall Foliage
If your fall fantasies involve sitting in your own yard, sipping a homemade pumpkin spice latte, and watching as the plants in your yard go from summer greens to autumnal shades of red and orange, then it’s time to start gardening. Here, we’re sharing a number of trees and shrubs that will give your yard a good dose of fall color come autumn.
Fall Foliage Reds and Purples
Maples, particularly Japanese maples, are the first plants many gardeners think of when it comes to spectacular fall color. The hue depends on variety; Velvet Viking™, for example, goes from being purple in summer to vibrant red in autumn. Other maples may turn shades of yellow, orange, and purple. Blueberries are often overlooked for their ornamental appeal, but many turn stunning shades of red and purple come fall. This makes them great plants for double-duty use. Meanwhile viburnums offer amazing fall color in addition to berries that attract birds. Sparkler® is an easy-care version of the North American native that turns a rich purple-red at the season’s end. Oakleaf hydrangeas, like Snow Queen, are another amazing North American native shrub that works well in partially shaded spots and are known for delivering purple-bronze foliage in fall. It is one of the relatively few shade plants for reliable fall color.
Fall Foliage in Blues, Orange, Greens, and Yellows
Fothergilla, or witch hazel, is a native shrub with blue-green leaves in summer and pumpkin orange leaves in fall. If you’re looking for another bright-hued plant, linderas, or spicebush, grows mainly as a shrub or small tree. A common or native species, Lindera benzoin, has brilliant yellow to orange fall color. The Asian spicebush, Lindera salicifolia, has bright orange fall color and the foliage stays on it longer throughout the winter. For year-long color, plant arborvitae—it offers a show in all seasons! Its new growth emerges a pleasing yellow shade before fading to green. Then, when temperatures drop in autumn, the foliage goes a glowing shade of golden orange that’s unlike anything else in the landscape.
When to Plant Them
Happily, you can plant your trees and shrubs almost anytime from spring to fall in most areas and still enjoy the changeover of color in the fall, according to Justin Hancock, Monrovia horticultural craftsman. “Spring planting gives you the advantage of bigger variety at the store; autumn lets you see the fall color for yourself before you bring your plant home.” Just beware, if your plants are stressed, struggling, or unhappy with where they’re growing, they are unlikely to produce as lively of a color palette come autumn.
Troubleshooting Issues
If your foliage isn’t turning the colors you had hoped, your soil may be to blame, says Adrienne R. Roethling, director of curation and mission delivery at Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden. She says that the ideal soil PH should be 6.2-6.5. If your PH is fine but you’re still having an issue, drought may be the problem. “If soils are dry, especially in summer and fall, some plants will just drop their leaves prematurely,” she explains.
The surety is the guarantee of the debts of one party by another. A surety is an organization or person that assumes the responsibility of paying the debt in case the debtor policy defaults or is unable to make the payments. The party that guarantees the debt is referred to as the surety, or as the guarantor.
How do you get a surety guarantee?
When companies need a guarantee, they often turn to their bank. And whilst this may seem to be the simplest approach, decision-makers should understand the other options available to them—mainly purchasing surety from an insurance company. One key reason? To free up liquidity.
When companies obtain a guarantee from an insurance company, they don’t use up any of the limits under their bank lines, giving them additional credit to use in other ways to support their business. Often, insurance companies have better credit ratings than banks, a key factor when getting clients to accept guarantees. Two examples of guarantees that can free up cash include pension bonds and payment services regulation bonds.
UTV safety: Off-road vehicles are a thrill, but they can be dangerous if you don’t know how to properly ride them. Did you know, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were almost 94,000 off-road vehicle injuries treated in the emergency room in 2017? That’s why it’s important to understand the dangers and take safety precautions before riding.
Off-road vehicles refer to many different machines, including ATVs, dirt bikes, 4-wheel drive trucks, SUVs, and UTVs. In this article, we’ll focus on UTV safety. They’re utility-terrain vehicles, utility task vehicles, or side-by-sides. They look like a cross between an ATV and a Jeep but trust me, they don’t drive like either one. Before you take one for a ride, remember these safety tips:
Do you remember when you were young and had to check under your bed for monsters before you could go to sleep? I sure do! Because of my hyperactive imagination and the poor decision to watch one too many cheesy 80s horror movies, I was absolutely terrified of monsters when I was a kid. Every night I would thoroughly inspect all of the best hiding places in my room before I reluctantly switched off the light and frantically dashed for my bed, fully expecting to be ambushed by a mob of gremlins as soon as everything was dark. I certainly didn’t want any mischievous little critters to snack on one of my exposed limbs as I slept, so I wrapped myself in a cocoon of blankets as an extra precaution.
Now that I am an adult who is fairly confident that there are no monsters under my bed, I have a more important question to ask: What’s lurking below your mobile home? The answer probably isn’t monsters, but here are three things that you may find:
Animals under the Mobile Home
Mice, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, insects and other critters may invade the space below your mobile home and cause messes, loud noises, bothersome odors and other damages. Keeping your trash and recycle bins tightly closed and making a point to keep the underside of your home clean of trash and debris are good strategies for keeping otherwise curious animals away. It also helps to keep bird feeders a good distance from your home, as they attract pesky squirrels and raccoons. According to SFGate, sprinkling chili or habanero flakes in the dirt around your home is an effective way to repel many animals. But if you do end up finding an animal under your home, don’t try to remove it yourself. Instead, call your local animal control service−they can help you find a safe solution.
by The Foremost Creative Team
