Increasing Your Longevity with Exercise

Most people want to live longer lives. Although this desire is naturally one of self-interest, others benefit as well. Your family depends on your support, both emotional and financial. Therefore their security depends on how well you take care of yourself. While you can and should provide financial security with the right life insurance plan, it's in their best interest that you are always there to see them through the challenges they will face.

The Minimal Exercise Requirement

There are many scientific studies that support the claim that exercise prolongs life. So the question is not whether you should exercise, it's how much and what kind you should do. The good news is that the minimum amount for increasing longevity isn't much at all. As long as it's done on a regular basis and elevates your heart rate, you will benefit. A brisk 11 minute daily walk is all you need to benefit. By increasing the length of these walks, you will get increased longevity gains. However, additional gains level off at about 43 minutes of daily brisk walking.

Why Exercise Prolongs Life

Like unused plumbing that corrodes and fills with deposits, the cardiovascular system needs to be put to use for optimal performance. Otherwise the heart muscle weakens, plaque builds up on the walls of blood vessels and blood vessel inflammation occurs, which restricts blood flow. Heart disease is a major killer of sedentary people. With the cardiovascular system, you must literally use it or lose it and of course, you need it to stay alive.

Exercise reduces the risk of chronic illness. It also causes secondary effects that prolong life. These effects include an improved sense of well-being, stress reduction, improved sleep, reduced muscle loss and stronger bones. Unhappiness, chronic stress and insufficient sleep have been shown to shorten life. Retaining as much muscle mass as possible is important because muscle tissue elevates the metabolism, which means fewer calories are stored as fat. Muscle mass prevents falling, which can cause serious injuries in the elderly population. A life habit of brisk walking keeps the leg muscles active and reduces their atrophy. Including strength exercises in your routine will also increase these benefits.

Those who make exercise a part of their lives also tend to be more health conscious in general. These additional health habits, such as a good diet, can add extra years to your life beyond what you achieve with exercise alone.

Another benefit of exercise is that it makes you a good candidate for life insurance. The younger and healthier you are, the lower your premiums. Life insurance providers generally use a health classification system. The highest ratings correspond to the healthiest candidates, while the lowest ratings correspond to health levels that are close to being uninsurable. There may be as many as 15 classifications. Each successive level down from the top might be charged as much as 25 percent more than the level just above it. As you can see, the premiums you pay quickly add up as you go down the health classification levels.

Being in good health literally pays. If you aren't insured, consider its advantages and talk to your independent insurance agent.

Get a quote today. Call Bryan Insurance Agency at 845-565-2200 for more information on Long Island life insurance.

Tips to Save on Renters Insurance

All renters should consider purchasing renters insurance. Yes, the building itself is covered by your landlord. But, your personal belongs are up to you to protect. However, we understand that people are on budgets, so we've put together some information to help you save on renters insurance.

First, if you can afford it, try to pay a year's worth of insurance in a lump sum. Insurance providers often give discounts to those who pay in a lump sum. If you can't do that, then pay biannually or quarterly to knock off a few processing fees per year.

Second, know what you have. Take an inventory and see how much it would cost you to replace furniture, clothes and the rest of your belongings. Determining an accurate value of your possessions will help you if you have to file a claim. On the other hand, if you can't afford to insure everything at replacement cost, you can at least get renters insurance for part of the value and save money that way. Just know that if you chose this route, you probably won't have enough insurance money to replace everything if there is a problem.

Third, discuss your insurance options with your independent insurance agent to see what you can do without. If you don't need coverage for displacement (in other words, if you know you could live with family or friends for a while), then ask your agent if there is a discount for not having that coverage.

Fourth, bundle your coverage together. If your car and renters insurance are from the same company, you can save on both policies.

These four ways require some tough decisions on your part. So, while we advocate that you are fully insured, we also understand that you might have a tight budget. For that reason, we work hard to help you save money.

Learn how much you could save today. Call Bryan Insurance Agency at (845) 565-2200 for more information on Long Island renters insurance.

Give the Perfect Gift of Life Insurance

Have you started your holiday shopping this year?  Before long, people will be lining up in stores and placing their orders online.  It’s an annual shopping frenzy.

But have you stopped to think about what your family really needs this season? 

For many of my clients, it’s Life Insurance. 

Life Insurance is what protects your family if something were to happen to you or your spouse.  Think about what you would want for your family in that situation.  Would you want your wife to be a stay at home mom?  Would you want your kid’s college education to be paid for?  Would you want your family to pay off the mortgage and be debt free? 

Life Insurance is about preparing for the unexpected and making sure your family is taken care of.  It’s not a fun thing to think about for a lot of people, but it’s very important.

Many people avoid buying life insurance because they think it’s expensive.  But that couldn’t be farther from the truth!  In fact, life insurance is extremely affordable, especially for a young healthy family.

So before you stand in line buying coffee pots and crock pots this Christmas, stop and think about what is truly important?  Purchase life insurance and insure that your children will be taken care of for years to come.

Call me at 888-565-2212 or visit me online today for a no-obligation Long Island life insurance quote from the Bryan Agency. Visit us online for a life insurance calculator & other tools.

Let us help you do your holiday shopping. At the Bryan Insurance Agency we are the leading agents in life insurance for the Hudson Valley, Long Island, and New York.

How to Fix a Frozen Pipe

As I watch the weather on the news I am constantly seeing words like "Arctic Blast" and "Polar Vortex"  scrolling across the screen all with subzero temperatures in the flashing up in the negatives and the they flash the wind chill which is even colder. The weather guy looks about as excited as a kid on Christmas. While I think that playing the name game with every new storm,  closing major roadways in Long Island and the 24/7 coverage of the upcoming inch of snow and negative temps  is a little overkill, there is still a concern for the safety of people and pets. And yet, out of all of the news reports, what was disheartening was that I only saw one report talking about preventing frozen pipes.

What Can I Do To Prevent My Pipes From Freezing?

It is important to take the necessary precautions to prevent your property from becoming the next coolest ice sculpture, especially if you  have a home or business space which is not occupied during these frigid temps.

Why do pipes burst? When frozen water expands and pipes will cracks and can eventually burst. Whether you have copper or even the new plastic piping it doesn't matter, this can still happen. In these temperatures, you run the risk of your pipes cracking and having water leaking all over your property if you are not taking precautions and leave your heat at 65 degrees.  If you have sprinklers throughout the buildings of a business or an apartment complex it is even more imperative that you take precautions to keep the heat running during this time.  If you rent and know the apartment above you is empty, give your landlord a call to make sure the heat is on upstairs. Trust me, I have seen firsthand a huge mess when an upstairs apartment has a pipe bust. Your entire home or business will be ruined from water damage.  Another tip to prevent freezing is to keep the water running, even at just a trickle.


"I didn't listen to you & now my pipes are frozen - now what?"

When you have frozen pipes follow the first rule - DO NOT USE A BLOW TORCH OR OTHER OPEN FLAME! If you don't listen and thaw your pipes with a blow torch, you run the risk of the exterior or interior walls catching fire. Then you have a much bigger problem on your hands!

While monitoring it, you can use a small space heater  or a hair dryer - not unsupervised. You can also use warm water and run this around the pipes, or down the pipes. You can also use a device made for thawing pipes specifically.

If you want more information on how to protect you and your family this winter season, call us at 888-565-2212. We specialize in Long Island home insurance and New York Business insurance. Stay warm out there and try to stop watching all of the crazy weather updates.

The Basics of Long Island Homeowners Insurance

Accidents and natural disasters can take you by surprise at any time, and having a comprehensive homeowners insurance policy will keep you and your family protected. These policies are designed to cover the cost of repairs or replacements of your house and your possessions that result from an assortment of covered events, including fire, severe weather, theft and vandalism. Flood and earthquake insurance will likely need to be purchased separately, if desired.

Homeowners insurance covers these incidents up to policy limits, which can vary depending on the coverage you select and the premium you opt to pay. This means that your property or liability claims won’t be covered past the limit you select on your policy. This is plenty of coverage for many people, but other people who own expensive items may need more coverage. This could apply to you if you have expensive jewelry, electronic equipment, fine artwork, rare collections or any other items of high value. In such cases, you can purchase coverage with higher property limits or you can add riders to your policy to cover specific high-value items such as a collection of custom-built furniture.

The premiums you pay for this valuable coverage can vary widely between insurance companies, which makes it important to compare quotes. Your independent insurance agent can shop around for policies that meet your unique needs and discuss coverage options with you so you can make an informed decision on which policy is best for you and your family. Don’t forget to ask if you qualify for discounts such as a safe home discount.

Protect your house and everything inside that makes it a home. Call Bryan Insurance Agency at (888) 565-2212 for more information on Long Island home insurance.

Commercial Property Insurance Coverages

Commercial property coverage is one of the most basic forms of business insurance and comes standard in most business policies. If you’re a business owner, you probably have this coverage. But what exactly does it cover? Each policy from various insurance carriers will differ in terms and conditions, exclusions and limitations. Below is a list of general items that are likely to be covered, however, you should check with your agent or insurer for the specifics of your unique policy.

1. Computers and media: Similar to personal property coverage, this policy covers computers, hardware, software etc. It can also cover replacement or repair of lost or damaged data resulting from covered damage to computer equipment.
2. Equipment breakdown: Covers the expenses associated with repairing or replacing equipment following mechanical breakdown, including air conditioners, boilers, phone systems, break room appliances etc.
3. Personal property: This includes contents owned by the business, which may include furniture, merchandise, fixtures/artwork, raw materials etc.
4. Laptops: This coverage is unique from general computer coverage because it protects laptops and other portable/mobile devices at any location worldwide, and even while in transit.
5. Lock and key replacement: Covers the cost of rekeying your business’ locks following the theft of the keys to the premises.
6. Property of others: Protects you against damages or loss to the property of customers that is in your business’ possession, such as computer equipment undergoing repairs by your business.
7. Business income: Offers reimbursement for a loss of earnings resulting from a covered loss or damage to your property. It can also cover higher costs of continued operations after a covered claim.
8. Money and securities: Covers money and securities used in your business if they are lost, stolen or damaged.

Your agent can help you select a policy that has the coverages your business needs for optimal protection of its assets. Don’t miss the chance to work with a professional agent in finding the right policy at the right price.

Ask us about how to properly insure your business. Call us at 888-565-2212 for more information on Long Island business insurance.

Commercial Auto Insurance Pollution Coverages and Exclusions

It makes sense for insurance companies to control their liability as much as possible. This is why certain pollution exclusions exist in commercial car insurance policies. Insurance carriers can also offer coverage that protects you from specific risks of your business. As such special pollution coverages can be added to a commercial car policy. Here are the differences between the exclusions and coverages.

Pollution Exclusions
Your commercial auto insurance will cover any bodily injuries that staff members suffer in an accident. Those will injuries will not be covered if they are a result of the release, seepage, dispersal or escape of pollutants from that vehicle. Most of the time, employees should not be dealing with pollutants. The only case they would be is if they have the appropriate coverage for it. Obtaining coverage is relatively easy when your workers are handling pollutants in the correct manner. Most businesses don’t have anything to do with waste or pollutants, only some businesses will need to deal with that. Before you decide whether the exclusion with affect your business, you should ascertain what exactly a pollutant is. Even simple items like paint and industrial solvents may be considered pollutants which will make events like an office renovation a risk when transporting pollutants.

Pollution Optional Coverage
There are certain times when your business needs to be involved in transporting and dispersal of contaminants. If you have coverage and are compliant with waste handling regulations, and an accident occurs, then your insurance carrier will not exclude the claim. If you are handling waste and pollutants on a regular basis, then you should definitely include that coverage. This will help when it comes time to handle claims for injured workers, and it will also help with paying fines to the government for accidents or spills.

Assess your daily activities and decide whether or not to add pollution coverage or to exclude it. Is it practical for your business? Is it worth the risk to forgo it?

If you'd like to sign up for Long Island commercial auto insurance, please don't hesitate to give us a call at 888-565-2212.