Skip to content

Gellenbeck Financial Services Agency Blog

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Insurance

Articles Related To…

Tips for Towing a Boat Trailer to Reduce Accidents and Insurance Claims

Owning a boat can make weekends and vacations fun and memorable. Follow these tips to help ensure that when you’re towing your boat you’re being as safe as possible to lower the risk of accidents and unwanted insurance...

Read More


Preparing Your Teen Driver for Different Road Conditions and Situations

If you have a young driver in your home, you may be fearful about them driving on their own, especially in bad weather or road construction. Here are some tips to share with them to improve safety by adapting their...

Read More


Save Money With These Smart Home Devices That Make Your Home Safer

Homeowners today have never had more ways to save money through technology. Here are five smart home devices that will help you cut down on your bills and improve your home’s safety. Better safety can mean fewer...

Read More


Keep Your Home Safe While on Vacation

Whether you’re just getting away for a long weekend or spending a few weeks out of the house, it’s important to ensure your home is safe while you’re gone. Follow these tips to help prevent break-ins, fires, and water...

Read More


Family Emergency Preparedness Checklist

It seems like every day on the news that we hear stories about a hurricane, flood, or wildfire creating massive damage in the U.S. and putting people out of their homes. Have you thought about how your family would...

Read More


Should I Notify My Insurance Company About a New Puppy?

Having a new puppy join your household can change your life. The snuggles and kisses make getting up in the middle of the night for potty breaks worth it, but in the whirlwind of change, it’s easy to forget some...

Read More


How to Choose the Right Smart Security Camera

A security camera can help protect your property against intruders or provide evidence in the event of a break-in. But with all the technology available today, it can be tough to figure out which smart security camera...

Read More


Grill Safely With These Outdoor Cooking Tips

Grilling food is a fun pastime, and it’s ideal on those summer days when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen. But every year, there are accidents and home fires because people don’t grill safely. Follow these tips to...

Read More


Avoiding Water Issues in Your Home

Water damage is one of the worst problems that homeowners can run into. Not only can it be incredibly expensive to repair, depending on the extent of the damage, but it can also create the potential for mold and mildew...

Read More


Upgrading Your Windows - How to Choose What's Best for Your House

You may not give the windows on your home much thought, but they can actually make a big difference not just in your comfort level, but also in the value of your home. You'll have a wide range of options to choose from,...

Read More


How to Choose Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are essential for any home, so you should ensure that your house is equipped with them. You should have detectors in the main living areas on each floor, including in every bedroom...

Read More


How to Make a Fire Safety Plan

No one likes to think about the possibility of a fire in their home, but this is one situation where it definitely pays to be prepared. This is especially true if you have children or pets in your home. Read on to learn...

Read More


Benefits of Using a Dash Cam

More and more people these days are choosing to add dash cams to their vehicles, and for good reason. These small cameras can be highly useful to you, especially in the event that you get a traffic ticket or are...

Read More


Swimming Safety: 10 Tips for Summer

Summer is here and people are flocking to the water — whether it’s the beach, a lake, a river or a backyard pool. But, wherever there’s water, there’s also danger. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...

Read More


Porch Safety: Should You Leave the Lights On?

It seems like a no-brainer to leave the lights on outside your home to deter burglars while you’re away (or even while you’re asleep). But does that really work? Or is it just a waste of electricity — particularly this...

Read More


What Car Drivers Need to Know about Motorcycles

Fall is here, and there are still plenty of motorcycles on the road. And the key word here is “see.” People driving cars and trucks often fail to notice the motorcyclists around them, partly because they’re not...

Read More


How to Ride Your Motorcycle Safely in a Group

Group riding is a favorite activity among many motorcycle riders. Whether you’re part of a riding club, a social event, a charity ride, or out for a leisurely cruise with friends, group riding can be a rewarding way to...

Read More


Keep Pets Happy and Safe on Vacation

You’re not just imagining it—a lot of people are traveling with their pets these days. According to a TripAdvisor survey of more than 1,000 travelers, 53% of those responding said they take their pets on vacation, and...

Read More


Five Common (and Potentially Costly) Homeowner Mistakes

Owning a home is usually a great experience. But it can also be a hassle, especially when unexpected issues pop up-whether you have a minor breakdown or a major catastrophe, it’s almost certainly going to require time...

Read More


Five Ways to Protect Your Personal Electronic Data

Online data breaches are just an unfortunate fact of life now-as the New York Times put it, you might as well assume that your personal information has been taken, because cyberattacks happen all the time. That’s why we...

Read More


Let's Keep Our Lawns and Ourselves Safe

For many of our neighbors, summer means more than sunshine and vacations. It also means working in the yard – often with tools that can be dangerous if not used properly. Each year about 400,000 people are treated for...

Read More


6 Tips for Getting to Work on Two Wheels

Did you know that hundreds of thousands of people in the United States commute to work by bicycle, according to the U.S. Census Bureau? That’s a lot of cars off the road each day, a lot of gasoline saved and a ton of...

Read More


Essential Safety Tips for Nighttime Boating

If you own a boat (or better yet, as the joke goes, you know someone with a boat), you’ve probably thought about spending some evenings on the water - especially in the summertime. It’s a great thought, of course. But,...

Read More


Summer Driving Tips

Summer’s almost here. The sun will come out of hiding, and people will, too. As crowds swell at the beach, in parks, and even on roadways, it all makes for some challenging driving conditions. More people are out and...

Read More


Why Today’s Homes Burn Faster

From building materials to furnishings, many of the things in your home likely aren’t as flame-resistant as those from yesteryear. A fire in a modern home is a “perfect storm,” according to safety consulting and...

Read More


Three Ways a Pool May Affect Your Homeowners Insurance

That oh-so-covetable experience of taking a dip in your very own pool? Millions of American households enjoy it, at least when the weather’s nice. With the summer heat ratcheting up, you may be coming down with a...

Read More


Easy to Forget Cleaning Projects

As a busy homeowner, it's easy to fall into the trap of pushing off tasks that maintain the long-term value of your home in favor of more pressing problems. That’s OK, to a point, as certain house-cleaning projects...

Read More


Heavy Rain? Be on the Lookout for Heavy Damage

Your home protects you from the elements, but heavy rains can weaken that protection. With a little maintenance and a lot of vigilance, it’s not hard to stay safe and dry. Spring rainstorms are a fact of life in many...

Read More


Love Bites – Get Umbrella Coverage

In today’s economy, everyone is pinching pennies. So why worry about umbrella coverage? Shouldn’t a home and auto policy leave you adequately covered? Unfortunately, we live in a world of lawsuits. Large damages can be...

Read More


Teen Driving Safety

Talking to Your Teen About Safe Driving When teens begin to drive, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Safety Council, the sobering statistics start to pile up:Car...

Read More


7 Driving Habits That Are Bad for Your Car

No matter how safe you are behind the wheel, you’ve probably done things like: Shift into drive while the car is still rolling backward. Ride the brakes on steep hills. Roll into the gas station on empty. Guilty? If so,...

Read More


Burglary Prevention: Should You Leave the Lights On?

It seems like a no-brainer to leave the lights on outside your home to deter burglars while you’re away (or even while you’re asleep). But does that really work? Or is it just a waste of electricity — particularly this...

Read More


Safe, Secure Shopping: Tips for Black Friday

It's become almost as much a part of Thanksgiving as turkey and football: Black Friday, the morning-after (or in some cases evening-after) shopping spree. It's the biggest shopping day of the year, an event in its own...

Read More


Your Home Maintenance Checklist for Fall

Fall brings more than just changing leaves and shorter days. In many areas, it also comes with a shift in weather conditions that can have a serious impact on your home. And, don’t forget, winter is right around the...

Read More


Tips for a Safe Fourth of July — From Food to Fireworks

Memorial Day might be the unofficial start of summer, but Independence Day is when the season truly kicks into high gear. July 4 is a holiday that has something for everyone, whether you like to host (or attend)...

Read More


Commuting by Bike: How to Get to the Office on Two Wheels

There are plenty of great reasons to bike to work: Commuters who ride save money on gas and car insurance, stay fit and help the environment (they don’t get stuck in traffic, either). And they even have fun — as long as...

Read More


Helping Seniors Have a Wonderful Winter

Slippery sidewalks. Freezing temperatures. Power outages. Winter isn't always a wonderland. If you regularly lend a hand to a senior friend or family member here in Ohio, it may be a good time of the year to provide...

Read More


The Right Tires for Winter Driving

It's easy to forget about your tires when it comes to vehicle safety. But with winter weather already in many parts of the country, tires are an important aspect you should keep in mind. Your tires can be the difference...

Read More


Holiday Safety Tips for Your Four-Legged Friends

As a nation, our pets are like family, so let's make sure they enjoy the holidays with us while staying safe. As a general rule of thumb, always keep pets on a regular routine, even during the holiday season. Don't let...

Read More


Protect Your Family From the "Silent Killer"

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, invisible gas that results when certain fuels do not burn completely. And it can be deadly. That's why it's important to know how to prevent it, detect it, and protect yourself...

Read More


A Different Season Means Different Dangers For Motorcyclists

Fall is a wonderful time to be outside on your bike, thanks to the crisp, cool weather and changing colors of the landscape. Staying safe on the road in autumn requires some special precautions, however. Because we at...

Read More


When Things go BOOM in the Night - Fireworks Safety

For most of us, the Fourth of July is a time to enjoy the company of family and friends, having fun and creating memories - whether at home or away But for some families, the holiday is a nightmare. Each year, homes in...

Read More