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Learning how to pressure wash your home will keep your exterior looking great. If you choose to DYI this project we’ve got some helpful info to get you started.

Power Washer vs Pressure Washer

The main difference here is that a power washer has higher PSI’s (pounds of force per square inch) than a pressure washer. Power washers often times use hot water as well. A cold water pressure washer with around 3,000 to 4,200 PSI should fit the bill for most. We’re going to be focusing on residential use in this article. Prices should range between $350 – $750 for most models.

Electric vs Gas

Electric offers less expensive models ( $150 – $350) and is more convenient however they’re a little short on power. For home exteriors I would pass on electric as it is more suited for decks, cars and other small projects. Gas is going to be a little more expensive but provides the power necessary to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time.

Our Picks:

Simpson MegaShot Powered by Honda $379 (Gas)

Dewalt 3600 PSI $629 (Gas)

Simpson Powershot 4400 $799 (Gas)

Sun Joe SPX3000 $159 (Electric)

Choosing the right solution

It’s important to choose a solution that is going to work for the exterior materials of your home. You’ll want to read the bottle to ensure the solution is safe for your type of material such as vinyl, aluminum, wood, brick, stucco ect.

Always test your solution by spraying a small area first in case it does discolor. Also, be very careful spraying any areas that are painted. It’s very easy to chip the paint off. Either change to a lower pressure nozzle or stand back an extra 10 feet.

Our Picks:

Krud Kutter House and Siding

Simple Green House and Siding

How often

One or two times per year should be adequate for vinyl, metal, composite and brick. For most, once per year is optimal. It is recommended to only wash wood siding when there is visible dirt or mildew buildup. The climate where you live will have an impact on how quick mold and mildew will develop.

Safety

Pressure washers can cause serious injury. Make sure you read the instructions on your model to ensure your safety as well as preventing damage to your home. Hopefully, this info has helped you to be more confident in learning how to pressure wash your home.

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Did you know your credit score is one of the biggest factors in determining how much you pay for home and auto insurance? Having a good credit score saves you a ton of money on your home mortgage, auto loans, insurance and more. It’s quite the compounding affect. Let’s take a look at 5 ways to improve your credit score.

5 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

 

1. Use a credit monitoring app

Our picks:

• Credit Karma (Free)
• CreditWise (Free)
• Mint (Free)
• Experian (Free)

Keeping track of your credit health real-time can help you improve your credit score. Using a credit monitoring app is an easy way to stay on top of things. By turning on notifications you can create a “set it and forget it” system. You’ll receive periodic notifications about your updated score, recent changes and tips on how to improve your score.

A word of caution here: these apps make money by receiving a commission when you buy services from their vendors such as banks and credit card companies. While that’s not inherently bad, don’t be tempted to take on debt because they show you a low APR credit card. They actually do a really good job showing you reputable creditors and suggesting what fits best for you, but if you struggle with debt discipline, this may be too tempting for you.

Many of these credit monitoring apps have relationships with insurance companies as well. They will be showing you teaser rates on your auto insurance. This is a cookie cutter approach and many times they’re just getting a quote from Progressive. Do yourself a favor and work with a real insurance broker who represents many carriers and can assist you in choosing the insurance that’s right for you, like Partners Insurance……haha see what I did there? But truly, we got this whole insurance thing figured out.

2. Use a budgeting app to control spending

Our Picks:

• EveryDollar (Free and Premium Paid Versions)
• Mint (Free)
• PocketGuard (Free)
• Honeydue (Free)

Sticking to a budget should be your foundation for improving your credit score. One of the biggest factors to your credit score is your credit card utilization. If you stick to your budget you won’t be tempted to use those credit cards. Using an app is a great way to have your spending staring you right in the face. It’s like your own personal accountability partner, who doesn’t sleep or sugar coat the truth about how you spent $80 at Starbucks last month! You are infinitely more likely to adhere to your budget when it’s readily available and easily accessible.

3. Lower your credit card utilization

This will quickly improve your credit score. We’re talking 30 days or less. Start by reviewing your budget using one of the apps we just suggested. Are there any areas where you can cut spending? More than likely the answer is yes. Apply the savings towards your credit card balances. To maximize your score you need to get your credit utilization below 10%. So, if your credit limit is $1,000, your balance should be less than $100.

If you have good payment history you can apply for a credit limit increase. If approved, you’ll instantly lowered your utilization. Be careful though because you have now increased the amount you can charge which can potentially get you into more trouble if you struggle with discipline.

4. Work out a payment plan with accounts in default

If you have any accounts that are in default they have undoubtedly already done damage to your credit score. Your goal now is to stop the bleeding. Call them and work out a payment plan to get it resolved. Sometimes the creditor will offer to settle for a lower amount if you pay in full. Be careful here, this negotiated amount could be negatively reported to the credit bureaus so you’re better off paying the full amount back in a payment plan in many cases.

5. Limit applying for new credit accounts

Each time you have a “hard inquiry” your credit score will go down a few points. These fade over time but will affect you in the short-term. So, if you have a big purchase coming up like a home mortgage or a car, it would be wise to not apply for other credit accounts for awhile.

Have you significantly improved your credit score lately?

If you have recently increased your credit score you’ll likely save a lot of money on home and auto insurance. With your credit score being a huge factor in determining your insurance rates it could be a good time to explore. Remember, to get the very best coverage and rates you need to work with a reputable broker who can navigate dozens of options for you.

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70% of people age 65 and older will need some type of long-term care. Having Long-Term Care Insurance can help provide peace of mind for your family. Professional care can take the burden off the shoulders of family members. 3 of the most common arrangements are:

In home care

If possible, many people prefer to have health aids care for them in their own home. Services may include administering medicine, bathing, dressing and other tasks around the house.

Assisted living facility

These are more flexible than nursing homes and provide a setting more familiar to being at home. They can provide a more independent lifestyle.

Nursing homes

More suited for people who are unable to be cared for in their own home. The average cost for a private room is $102,000 per year. Expensive indeed.

How to Purchase

Similar to life insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance is cheaper the younger you are. Consult your agent about the best options for you. You can purchase a standalone Long-Term Care policy or you can buy it as an add-on to some life insurance policies.

 

You may also like:

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If you have a child attending school far from home, you may be eligible for an auto insurance discount known as the Student Away at School Discount. Typically, the school must be 100 miles away and the student must be under the age of 25. Of course, this only works if the student does not have a vehicle with them at school. The student may occasionally drive the insured vehicle on school breaks or holidays when home. Just remember, every insurance carrier has their own guidelines so check with your agent for details.

 

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July 2021 Newsletter

Check out our July 2021 Newsletter here: July Newsletter

Each month we release a newsletter to keep our customers up to date on the agency. We have a monthly giveaway as well as other relevant insurance information we think could be valuable.

Recent posts

Life Insurance Calculator

Getting The Right Motorcycle Insurance

In this article we’re focusing on home & auto insurance. Some place more weight on your score than others. For most insurance companies, your credit score is a significant factor and will have a huge impact on your rates. Read on to find out how credit score affects insurance rates.

Why do insurance companies use your credit score to determine your rates?

For quite a while now insurance companies have been using credit scores as a factor in determining rates. One reason is that data shows people with higher credit are more often in a financial position to cover small repairs themselves rather than filing an insurance claim. Another reason is that higher credit scores show the likelihood of someone to pay their insurance premiums on time.

There are some states that ban the use of credit-based insurance premiums such as California and Washington.

Why didn’t you see an inquiry on your credit report?

Insurance companies use what is called a “soft pull”. This differs from a “hard inquiry” in that it will not register with the credit bureaus. Typically, you’ll see your credit score drop a few points as the result of a hard inquiry.

Luckily, for insurance purposes, this is not the case so you are free to compare insurance rates without worrying that it will affect your credit.

How to use credit-based insurance rates to your advantage.

Most insurance companies will base your rates on your credit. Many times, they do not re-run your credit as long as you are a customer. If your credit score has increased since you purchased your policy, you could be paying more than you have to.

Let’s say you purchased your home and auto insurance policies 3 years ago and you had a 690 credit score at the time. You’ve worked hard on your finances and you now have a 750. More than likely you’re still going to be paying insurance rates based on a 690 credit score. It costs a lot of money and time for insurance companies to re-run credit and re-rate your policies so they typically will not do that as long as you’re a client.

You have two options to take advantage of your increased credit score.

1. You can ask the company to re-rate your policy based on your new credit score at policy renewal.
2. Move to a different insurance company.

Keep in mind most insurance companies do not have the option to re-rate in the middle of the policy term. You’ll probably have to wait until renewal.

Moving to a new insurance company is always an option, however consider the discounts you may lose such as diminishing deductible, or a discount received for allowing them to track your driving. If you have insured your valuable items such as jewelry, art or firearms, you may have to get appraisals on all those items again which costs time and money. Typically, appraisals must be less than 3 years old.

If you liked this info on how credit score affects insurance rates, check out some of our other content you may find useful.

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For financial education videos, The Minority Mindset YouTube channel offers great content.

 

Here’s the deal, like a savings account, life insurance is part of your basic financial foundation. We don’t like to think about it, and it typically gets pushed back on the to-do list, but it’s something we all need. A Life Insurance Calculator will help you determine your need.

Finding The Right Solution

Whether you have a complex need or just want a simple $100k term life insurance policy, we can walk you through the options that fit your needs. No infomercial hard sales tactics here, just a consultative approach that our clients have come to love.

Many financial gurus like Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman gloss over life insurance b/c it’s not their big money maker. However, they both agree that Term Life Insurance should be part of your financial foundation. We couldn’t agree more.

The 2 Main Types of Life Insurance

Term: A policy with a determined time frame that pays a death benefit should you die during the policy term. For example, a 30 year term life insurance policy will pay out if you die during those 30 years.

Whole Life: Provides a death benefit for the rest of your life. Also, includes a cash value component that builds value over time. Sometimes referred to as Permanent Life Insurance.

I learned a valuable lesson a long time ago. Don’t wait until your thirsty to start digging the well. The longer you wait to get life insurance, the higher the cost because age is a factor. This also protects your insurability should you unfortunately encounter health problems.

Life Insurance Calculator

Here’s a quick way to help you determine how much life insurance you need. You don’t want to just pick a number. Like the rest of your finances you need to be strategic and do your homework. Use this to get things started. Determine your need

Life Insurance Quote

Complete this quick form and we’ll compare the best life insurance companies for you. Life Insurance Quote Request

 

Partners Insurance specializes in Home, Auto and Life Insurance. Easily compare the best rates and get a home and auto quote too.

We have excellent Google Reviews to back up our talk!

 

Aftermarket Parts

Upgrades to your motorcycle aren’t always covered. If you’ve added those badass pipes, some new handlebars or sweet wheels, make sure you let us know so we can work with you to get your bike properly covered.

Most policies will have an optional coverage called “Customized Equipment”. This is where you’ll want to add coverage to make sure your policy doesn’t fall short.

If you’ve put aftermarket parts on your bike, and have not added this coverage, chances are you’re going to be out of pocket at claim time. This is when you won’t care that you saved $3/ month to get the cheapest policy. Cheap insurance is expensive.

Cost

How much does it cost to add Customized Equipment Coverage? It depends on the value of the aftermarket parts, but in general, it’s very cheap. It may end up only adding a few dollars per month. Get a list together and add up what it would cost to replace your aftermarket parts. Let us know the total amount and we’ll show you the price difference.

Top Motorcycle Insurance Companies

According to reviews.com, Progressive, Nationwide and Safeco are 3 of the best motorcycle insurance companies. Partners Insurance represents all 3 of these companies and can help you choose which one is best for you.

No one insurance company is best for everyone and rates vary by location, age, driving history and a whole host of other factors. For example, one insurance company may have better rates for sport bikes than cruisers and another company could be vice versa.

 

 

Combine your motorcycle insurance with home and auto to get additional discounts.

Congrats to this month’s winner!

We’re going to be giving away something every month as a thank you to our amazing clients! Keep an eye out each month for our e-newsletter and Facebook post.

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Painting kitchen cabinets has become very popular lately. Turning those old school wood grain cabinets into a modern solid color can add quite a bit of pop to the look of your kitchen. However, you need to know what you’re getting into before starting this project.

Cost

The cost is relatively cheap. You’re probably looking in the neighborhood of $250-$500 depending on the number of cabinets you have. You’ll need to price out cleaners, paint, paint brushes or sprayer and new hardware if you so choose. There’s also the cost of the adult beverages which is highly dependent on your palette. We’ll let you do that math on that one. A professional will likely charge around $2,000 – $3,500.

Cleaning

Krud Kutter works great and is only about $7 bucks per bottle.

Paint

You’ll want to use cabinet and furniture enamel. Some are easier to apply than others. For example, DecoArt’s Satin Enamels adheres nicely whereas Valspar, Behr and Sherwin-Williams has a tendency to drip.

If you want to really up your game you can fully sand, prime and finish with Alkyd paint. This is an extremely labor intensive job but should provide great results. The other paints mentioned above have gotten so good that this method is not a fit for most.

Brush or Spray

Spraying offers a nice smooth finish but you’ll need a higher degree of skill and practice. You also have the extra cost of purchasing or renting the sprayer if you don’t already have one. For most, good high quality brushes are the way to go.

Durability

Unfortunately, your cabinets will likely chip over time. There’s just no way around this no matter what method or paint you choose. Make sure you keep some extra paint around for touchups along the way.

Return on Investment

Painting your kitchen cabinets is a lot of work. If you’re paying a professional, it’s a lot of money. If you paint them yourself you’re looking at a $250-$500 investment to possibly add a few thousand dollars of value to your home. Not bad. It’s also one of the best ways to completely transform a kitchen. If you’re thinking about doing this to a home you rent to others, see durability above. Just know that once you paint them, you’re going to have to re-paint them over time. Something to consider for landlords trying to minimize maintenance.