It is no secret that the cost of living in New York, especially on Long Island and in the metro area, is too #@%! high! A trip to the supermarket or gas pump and various housing costs can really put a dent in your wallet. Auto insurance is another bill that stings, but we may be caught in a bind. On Long Island, many of us need a car to work, shop, and get around, and the law requires insurance. I wish I had a magic wand to make life more affordable, but I don't. What I do have is one important piece of advice: Don't rate evade to save money! THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU CHEAT INSURANCE RATE EVASION IS A RISKY GAME
The hum of a busy coffee shop, traffic outside, your favorite song through your headphones as you work — we live in a noisy world with constant background noise. But is that ambient buzz boosting your brainpower or creating static in the system? While some swear a little noise helps them focus, for others, every passing siren or side conversation is a distraction. Let’s tune in and find out if that background noise could be a productivity playlist or sound sabotage. BRAIN BEATS Your brain is always busy trying to filter out distractions, and how background noise impacts your noggin depends on what it is. Steady or low-level sounds, like raindrops or white noise, can help hide other intrusive interruptions, making it easier to focus on the task you're working on. Irregular, sudden, surprise, or meaningful sounds, like a direct conversation, notifications on your phone, or lyrics to a beloved song, activate your brain, pulling you out of the concentration zone. SOUND SUPPORT If you are working on something that requires light focus, like answering emails, then the right kind of background noise, something like instrumental music, can help you stay on track. Other beneficial times for background noise include working in a loud environment or letting low-level sounds shift your brain into creative or problem-solving mode. The key is choosing something that won’t distract your mind from what you’re trying to focus on. CUE THE QUIET Noise most often gets in the way of more complex or challenging work, such as reading, writing, meetings, learning new skills, or finding solutions to issues. Deeper tasks require more brainpower, like using memory or vocabulary skills. When your brain engages in more concentrated tasks, it is more sensitive to interruptions, so a song lyric or burst of action on the TV can win out against the quieter goal you’re trying to accomplish. Background noise can be a sound decision or just more racket. The trick is tuning into what helps your mind focus without being carried away by the clatter. SOUND ADVICE Is Your Work Playlist Helping or Hurting Your Focus?
What is rate evasion? It's when someone provides inaccurate information on an insurance application
for a lower premium. Common examples include providing an incorrect residence address, failing to disclose additional drivers in a household, or wrongly stating where a vehicle is
kept. These all can be considered insurance fraud and can void coverage.
Here's how it plays out. Say someone on Long Island registers their
car at a relative's out-of-state address for cheaper rates. If that person is later injured in a car accident here, their insurance carrier may refuse no-fault benefits and other important coverages as well. In New York, no-fault typically covers the first $50,000 of medical expenses from an accident, plus a portion of lost earnings and other costs. Insurance carriers swiftly deny these benefits once they discover the car involved has not been “principally garaged” where the policy says it was. That creates problems for getting timely medical treatment and documenting the injury portion of the case. Insurance might be expensive, but it protects you when life takes a bad turn. Rate evasion puts that protection at risk and is a terrible idea.It might save a few dollars up front, but it can cost far more if you ever need to use your coverage. Having a quick conversation with your agent about discounts or coverage levels is a much better way to reduce costs.
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