Bicycling Can Be Good for You and the Environment, But Remember to Properly Insure Your Ride. May Is National Bike Month; I.I.I. Offers Insurance, Crime Prevention and Safety Tips

Throughout the country, many cyclists are taking advantage of bike month programs from car-free bike tours and classes on basic bike mechanics to racing clinics and group riding programs. Regardless of whether you plan to train for a century ride or simply like to cycle around the block with your children, it is important to understand the rules of the road and protect your financial investment with the proper insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I).

 According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 183,028 bicycles were stolen in 2009 (average value $318). Bicycles are stolen most often in densely populated areas such as cities and suburbs, but university and college towns are another hot spot; in fact bicycle thefts represent over half of property crimes on campuses.

• Actual Cash Value
  Actual cash value reimburses you for what the bicycle is actually worth given its age. A 10-year-old bicycle, for example, would be valued at the cost of a comparable bicycle minus 10 years depreciation. 

• Replacement Cost Coverage
  Replacement cost coverage reimburses you for what it would cost to replace your 10-year-old bicycle with one of like kind and quality at current cost. Replacement cost coverage costs about 10 percent more than actual cash value, but it is a good investment.  

As the economy slumps, homeowners across the country are finding innovative ways to save money on various monthly expenses such as groceries. The latest trend: “recession gardens”.

Dubbed the name recession gardens, these gardens are simply at-home vegetable, herb and fruit gardens that homeowners are cultivating in order to grow their own produce and save some money at the grocery store.

And they might just be on the right track.  The National Gardening Association claims that a well-planned, properly cared for garden costing a gardener $70 could yield up to $600 in produce over the course of a year.

They are also estimating that the number of American households planting vegetable, fruit and herb gardens this year will be about 43 million- that’s a 19 percent increase from last year according to a survey they performed in January.

And the trend isn’t just for middle-class homeowners. First Lady Michelle Obama has reportedly dug up a section of the White House lawn which she will be using as a vegetable, fruit and herb garden.  Eleanor Roosevelt did the same thing to show Americans the value of a garden in tough economic times.

The gardening industry is nothing less than shocked by the new trend. W. Atlee Burpee & Co., the largest seed and gardening supply store in the country reported a 25-30 percent spike in seed sales this spring. “I’ve been in the business for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it- even remotely like it.” -Geroge Ball, chairman and CEO of W. Atlee Burpee & Co.

It’s pretty simple. You either don’t know what to do or you don’t do what you know you’re supposed to do—a deficiency of knowledge or a deficiency of execution.

This post is compliments of Astonish Results

You find the cell phone of your dreams, and after mulling over the cost, you’re eager to buy. You walk up to the counter, fork over your debit card and begin peeling off the protective plastic–that baby is officially yours. But before you even have a chance to check out the games on your new phone, the sales guy hits you with the question every cell phone user dreads: “Would you like insurance for your phone?”

After shelling out a hundred bucks for a new phone, it may seem silly not pay a few dollars per month to insure it. But is cell phone insurance really worth it?

If your like Bucci Insurance Group and you have a well established online presence, but you want to continue to grow and are unsure how, this is the article for you. But first go to our Facebook page and like us!

At this point it is very clear that you need to run 2 power tools around your branding, your site or business: Twitter and Facebook Fan Pages, but when it comes to the later you have to dig a little deeper to get familiar with the possibilities.

1. Insights (Your In-House Analytics)

If you are already running a Fan Page, the first step will be to start paying attention to your analytics. Yep, Insights doesn’t include an incredible amount of analysis and reports but it sure provides enough data to get to know your audience a little better. So make that your first stop, see the genders, age groups and other available data before you start designing a strategy. In case you haven’t seen it, it’s located on the left sidebar of your page.

2. Big Profile Pic (Banner Style)

There is not much to do with Facebook in terms of customization and don’t get me wrong, this is a good thing or the site could be looking more like MySpace… but that means we have to leverage from any real estate available on the page and that is your profile picture.

3. Invitations & Bulk Messages

One of the main differences between a Profile and a Fan Page is that you can send bulk messages to all your fans. Also, and one of the first steps you should take is sending an invitation to join to all your friends with the “Suggest To Friends” feature right under the profile picture.

4. Facebook Widgets On Your Blog

So you are promoting your content on your Fan Page, now promote the other way. Bring your Fan Page to your blog or site by adding the Fan Box to encourage visitors to join the page.

5. Twitter Integration

You can’t ignore Twitter. Again, both ways, you can now sync your Fan Page to update your Twitter status.

6. Blog Promotion

You should always post links to the wall but if you are looking into taking it to the next level, add your blog to the tabs. Blogging networks such as NetworkedBlogs or Blogged allow you to integrate a feed and give your fans a little taste of your blog. At the same time, your blog is now part of a network and that can translate in some additional traffic and followers.

7. Facebook Apps

There are many applications you can integrate to Fan Pages that will help you promote user interaction. Some of them, like the Video app, are already a default on your page, but I suggest you browse through them and you will most likely find something great for your industry or business.

Your nuptials may not be as extravagant as the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but weddings in the U.S. can be extraordinarily expensive, so it is important to consider wedding insurance to financially protect your special day, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

• Find out if the insurer is licensed to do business in the state where you live.
• Determine how much the policy will cost and what specifically is covered and not covered by the policy.
• Ask your agent or company representative what wedding related insurance coverage you may already have through your homeowners, renters, auto or liability policy.
• Shop around and compare different wedding insurance policies for cost and range of coverages.

Sometimes we take for granted the beautiful area we live in. With this warm weather hopefully here to stay Bucci Insurance encourages you to get out in Rhode Island and enjoy everything it has to offer! Staying active can even reduce your life insurance costs!

For most college students across the country this time of year marks the end of the spring semester, which means FINALS and endless amounts of work to finish! As you can imagine this is quite a stressfull time especially with the weather getting nice. Bucci thought we would share some stress busters to help make the end of the semester less painful.

1. Avoid stressful people.

Stress actually is contagious. During exam week, resist the urge to have a study session with your super-tense friend. Her stress will only add to your stress.

2. Eat healthy and exercise.

This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s a wonder how many people forget it. Skip the sugar, which will make you crash, and go for snacks like granola bars, healthy cereal or fruits and veggies to keep your blood sugar stable. If you’re studying for a long period of time, eat some protein too. Also, try to get some form of exercise. Even a 10 minute walk will leave you calmer and more focused.

3. Just say NO.

I don’t mean to drugs, although I’m not recommending them either. What you need to say no to are the people who want to take up your time. There will probably be a friend who needs to talk to you for hours about her life, or a party the night before your final, and if you say yes, you’ll probably be tempted to blow off studying.

4. Force yourself to take breaks.

For every hour or so that you work, take a 10 or 15 minute break. Let yourself do whatever you want for those 10-15 mins, then start working again. This gives your brain a little rest and will help keep you more focused when you are actually doing work.

5 Visualize it all going right.

This is actually my favorite tip of all, even though it sounds kind of nuts. Imagine yourself taking the test and feeling confident that you know all the information. Picture getting all of the answers right, and focus on how relaxed you feel. Then picture the A on your test paper. When you imagine a happy ending, that’s often what happens, because you make the decisions that lead to it without even realizing.

6. If you’ve studied all you can, get up your confidence!

When test-time rolls around, it’s time to get yourself into confidence mode. You’ve prepared as much as you could, and now it’s time to ace the test. The tip here is to do whatever works to convince yourself you are going to do really well.

Good luck to all the students in Rhode Island, we know you will ace your exams!

Do you have the world’s best mom, but your not sure how to honor her on this special day? Don’t worry your not alone, with the help of gifts.com we complied some great ways to show your mom how much you appreciate her.

Gifts are not the only way to show mom how much you care, breakfast in bed and a hand made card goes a long way. However, if you are the gift giving type then your in luck becuase we have got some great ideas.

1. Personalized stepping stones for a mother who loves to garden

2. Eco-friendly pans coupled with a personalized cutting board for a mom who loves to cook and help the environment

3. Family Photo Tree

4. Spa Basket

5. Special rings, necklaces, and bracelts

However you choose to celebrate, remember motherhood is a 365 day a year job. We should let Mom know on a regular basis how much we appreciate her efforts. It’s never the wrong time to wash the dishes, make dinner, pamper Mom, or give Mom a poem. Bucci Insurance Group wishes you a happy Mother’s Day!

A recent study found that 25.8 percent of children in the U.S. are being raised by a single parent, compared with an average of 14.9 percent across the other 17 industrialized nations studied.

Despite the fact that 35.8 percent of single parents are employed, the poverty rate among the group is high. So, it is highly unlikely that many of these parents have a life insurance policy to protect their loved ones.

Life insurance is important for dual-income families, but it’s doubly important for a single-income parent. The loss of a single parent represents a 100 percent loss of income for the child–a devastating blow to the child’s future welfare.

A single parent living paycheck-to-paycheck can afford life insurance. The Insurance Information Institute reports that a relatively healthy 40-year-old non-smoker can purchase $500,000 in term life insurance for roughly $30 per month.

If you’re a single parent who lacks life insurance, protect your family with coverage you can afford.