Residents of Pembroke Pines, Florida enjoy beautiful weather and plenty of fun activities year-round. Like most, they enjoy their vehicles. Florida law requires auto insurance coverage for all automobiles, and depending on your vehicle and whether it’s paid off or not, you may be required to carry full-coverage auto insurance.

Aside from your monthly payments, how often do you think of your auto insurance policy? Are you familiar with your level of coverage, and have you checked to ensure you are getting the best deal? It’s a good idea to periodically review your policy to make sure your coverage is still appropriate for your situation. You can sit down with an agent at McCormick Insurance Inc. to determine whether you need to make any changes or not.

How Do You Know It’s Time To Re-evaluate Your Policy?

If you’ve purchased a new vehicle, it’s a great time to completely look into your policy to ensure you are getting the right amount of coverage and to make sure you are getting the best deal. Other situations that warrant another look include:

• Age. Have you celebrated a birthday? Young people tend to pay higher insurance rates, so if you are getting older you should check your policy, same goes if you have your adult child on your policy.
• Driving record changes. Have you had tickets or accidents in the past? If they’ve dropped off your record, you may now qualify for lower rates or a good driver discount.
• If you have moved to a new neighborhood, rates may change as well.

It’s also a good idea to check if your coverage is enough for your needs. You may wish to increase your coverage, or add things like roadside assistance or rental car coverage to help you in case of an emergency. Take time periodically to review your current policy, it can save you money.

Paying for auto insurance seems like such a pain. There’s so much that you could use that money for instead of paying for an accident that may never happen. However, there are numerous reasons to have insurance, even if you never get into an accident. 

1. It’s the Law

In every state in the United States, it’s required that you have automobile insurance, whether you have a car, truck, van or SUV. The level of insurance you need depends on the laws in your state, which a McCormick Insurance Inc insurance agent will be able to explain to you, so you develop a policy that’s beneficial to you and follows the laws in your state. If you get caught without insurance, which states are getting stricter about, you can lose the plates on your vehicle. Even if you don’t get caught by the police, you can still find yourself in trouble legally because checks are being conducted, and as soon as a policy is canceled or lapses, you only have a short window of opportunity to get new insurance after the insurance company is required to notify the state. 

2. It Protects Your Assets

Let’s say you cause an accident and don’t have insurance. The other party can file a civil suit suing you for compensation for their medical bills, pain and suffering and vehicle damage. You’ll be financially responsible for all of these bills out of pocket. If you don’t have money, you can lose your home or whatever else you own. You may be required to have monthly payments taken directly out of your pay. While if you had insurance, it would have covered almost all of the expenses minus the deductible. 

3. Covers Your Car

If your car isn’t paid off, you’ll need to pay the remaining balance, plus try to figure out how to pay to replace it. This can get costly and possibly impossible for you to handle. Your loan company may require you to have a full tort.

Contact McCormick Insurance Inc. today at 954-602-5741 to get a quote and open a policy. We serve the Pembroke Pines, FL area.

Before the summer begins, you’ll want to make sure your boat is in good condition and prepared for the high seas. For new and experienced boaters, you will need to do annual checks to make sure your boat is ready for your summer excursions.

Clean the Interior and Exterior

Do a thorough examination of the ships’ hull and interior deck. Make sure there is no damage due to inclement weather that may have occurred during the winter months. Then comprehensively clean the inside and outside of your boat. If there is any surface damage or obvious wear, have it repaired before you set sail.

Do a Complete System’s Check

It is important to inspect the pumps, hoses, cable lines, and fuel system. Any components that are cracked, chipped, or broken will need to be repaired or replaced. Propellers must also be examined. Damaged propellers can cause the drive train to become distressed.

Overhaul the Electrical System

Scrutinize the electrical system and test it for connection issues and corrosion. The GPS, radio, and other electronic devices must be in perfectly working condition to be able to navigate your way on the water and contact help if there is an emergency.

Emergency and Safety Equipment

Unfortunately emergencies happen when you least expect it. You should be prepared and make sure all of your equipment is functioning properly.

• Have enough life jackets or vests for every passenger.
• Replace expired flares.
• Inspect your floatable devices, such as a dinghy or inflatable boat.
• Fire extinguishers must be on board and in good condition.
• Store a first-aid kit on board

With the independent insurance agents that serve the Pembroke Pines, FL area, McCormick Insurance Inc. can help you with your current policy or search for a new one that fits your needs.

When you have a teen driver in Pembroke Pines, FL, you want to make sure you are doing all that you can in order to keep them safe. They may have their driver’s license now, but that doesn’t mean that they are above the law. You may want to set some boundaries for them as a way of keeping them safe.

Identify the Rules

Just because they passed their driver’s license test does not mean that they know all of the rules – particularly your rules. Take the time to go over each and every one of them. Sit down and have a serious conversation so that it doesn’t fall on deaf ears. You may want to set some very specific boundaries, such as:

• Amount of time they can be on the road
• How far they can drive
• How many friends they can have in the car
• How late they can drive

Limit the Number of Passengers

The number of passengers in the car can be dangerous. The more teens there are, the more risks there are. This is because rowdy teens can often distract the driver. Some may also go your teen driver into being riskier behind the wheel, such as speeding, changing lanes inappropriately, and much more. You may already know which friends these are, and this means you may want to forbid your teen from having them in the car at all.

Back to Basics

It never hurts to go over some of the rules again and again. This means no drinking, no texting, and always wearing a seatbelt. Even if you get the “I know, I know” speech from your teen, it’s better to say it again as opposed to finding out that they were in an accident because of not following one of these rules.

For information on auto insurance in Florida, contact McCormick Insurance Inc. today.

 

 

Cars are not built to last forever and when it is time to find a new family car, you are likely already planning on taking the time to find a quality vehicle to keep your family safe and serve your purposes. However, there are some tips you need to keep in mind, especially if you are trying to save money by purchasing a used family car. Use these tips to help guide you through the process. 

• Weigh the age and price together. An older car will likely cost less than a newer car but sometimes, the car will be too old to meet your needs. Take this into consideration while you are looking for a used family car and remember that just because you find a cheap family car does not mean that it is what you are needing. 
• Use another, independent mechanic to examine the car before purchase. Once you have found a car that you are interested in purchasing, take it to a mechanic to examine. You will want to use your own mechanic because they will be more honest with you about any issues. This can cost up to $100 but it will be well worth it. If the mechanic tells you the car is not a good idea, you may want to listen.
• Keep your emotions out of the decision. An emotional decision is not usually a good one when it comes to big purchases like a new or used family car. Leave your emotions out of it until you have made a purchase so that they do not cloud your decision. 

After you find your next used family vehicle, make sure you get an auto insurance policy that will protect you and your family as well. Contact us at McCormick Insurance Inc. today to get started.

 

Deer season is a dangerous time for anyone to be out on the roads. Unfortunately for motorcycle drivers, it is even more dangerous. If you love your motorcycle, though, nothing will keep you from enjoying the great weather than comes with the season. If you plan on taking full advantage of this weather, then you need to be careful for deer no matter where you go. Make sure you are as prepared as possible with these top considerations.

1. Deer travel in groups and not usually alone. That means that if you happen to see a deer while driving, you are likely to see one or more in the same area. When you see one deer, start looking for more so that you are not surprised when one comes out in front of you.
2. Deer tend to move more at dusk and dawn. This means that if you are driving during these times, you need to make sure you really keep an eye out for them. You should also have a great light installed on your bike so you can see better and further. 
3. Always wear your protective gear. This is something you should do at all times on your motorcycle but especially if you are driving during deer season. You want to be as protected as possible and that includes wearing a helmet. 
4. When riding in a group, make sure you spread out some. In the case of a collision, you want to be spread out so one driver does not take out everyone else. 

Make sure you have insurance that is up to date. If you do not have an adequate policy, be sure to contact McCormick Insurance Inc. serving Pembroke Pines, FL to get a policy quote.

 

With winter already showing its true colors all across the nation, there’s no better time to start improving your driving skills. In fact, you should always do your best to be prepared for the worst. Whether it be snow, ice or freezing rain, these weather elements can greatly hinder your ability to keep your vehicle on the road. With the right skills, though, you can be confident when driving during the winter. Here’s a close look at a few tips you need to keep in mind. 

If you plan on driving a lot in winter weather, you definitely need to consider putting winter tires on your vehicle. These tires are designed to keep you on the road, regardless of the weather elements you’re driving in. Not only will the tires give you more control over the vehicle, but your the car will also be able to stop faster, which is paramount when driving on ice and snow. 

You’ll also need to  make sure that you are looking as far ahead as possible down the road. The more aware you are of your surroundings, including those in your peripheral and ahead of you, the better prepared you will be in the event that you need to avoid an accident. Keep in mind that it’s not only other vehicles you’re trying to avoid having an accident with. There are animals, pedestrians, and buildings that you need to be looking for, as well. With your eyes peeled, though, you’ll be more likely to keep yourself safe when driving in winter weather. 

To learn more about driving safely in winter weather, contact the McCormick Insurance Inc. Agency today. 

Many people make the assumption that they don’t need to do anything differently during the fall months than they do any other time of the year, especially in Florida. It’s not going to get very cold, and you’ll probably never experience ice or snow. However, there are a few things that you can do in order to prep appropriately.

An important thing is to check on your tires. As the temperatures outside fluctuate, the tire pressure can change. If the tires are too soft or too hard, it is going to result in problems with the way your car handles and potentially lead to a blown tire as well.

This is also a good time to have your brakes checked. You want to make sure that the rotors, drums, and brake linings are all checked. Especially if you are going to be driving outside of the state, you want to make sure that your brakes are capable of handling all of the different road conditions.

Comfort is an important thing to focus on as well. Defrost and heating unit within your car is going to be used during the fall and winter months. Bringing your car into a local mechanic to have the HVAC system inspected can be worthwhile. This way, if there are problems, they can be fixed right away.

It doesn’t matter whether you live in Florida or not. You want to make sure you are taking care of your car, and prepping for the fall is an important part of car ownership.

Call us at McCormick Insurance Inc. today. We can help you find a great auto insurance policy in Pembroke Pines, Florida for the fall as well as all year long. We can answer questions you may have about auto insurance and get quotes from multiple insurance companies, as well.