Too many Americans believe that the coverage limits of their homeowners insurance policy are linked to the market value of their home, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

In the I.I.I.’s 2011 Insurance Pulse Survey, conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation, nearly half (48 percent) of survey respondents came to that mistaken conclusion.

One out of three respondents to the Pulse Survey reported that they purchased less homeowners or auto insurance as a way to save money. A better strategy would be to take a higher deductible, which can substantially reduce insurance costs. Home and car owners can then put the savings into a purchasing the right amount and type of insurance for their specific needs.

Following are the five biggest auto, home, flood and renters insurance mistakes consumers can make, with suggestions to avert those pitfalls while still saving money:

. Insuring a home for its real estate value rather than for the cost of rebuilding. Home insurance is designed to cover the cost of rebuilding, not the sales price of the home. You should make sure that you have enough coverage to completely rebuild your home and replace your belongings.

A better way to save: Raise your deductible. An increase from $500 to $1,000 could save up to 25 percent on your premium payments.

2. Selecting an insurance company by price alone. It is important to choose a company with competitive prices, but also one that is financially sound and provides good customer service.

A better way to save: Check the financial health of a company with independent rating agencies and ask friends and family for recommendations. You should select an insurance company that will respond to your needs and handle claims fairly and efficiently. Bucci Insurance has been a leading insurance provider in Rhode Island for over 30 years.

3. Dropping flood insurance. Damage from flooding is not covered under standard homeowners and renters insurance policies.Coverage is available from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), as well as from some private insurance companies. Many homeowners are unaware they are at risk for flooding, but in fact 25 percent of all flood losses occur in low risk areas.

A better way to save: Before purchasing a home, check with the NFIP to determine whether the property is situated in a flood zone; if so, consider a less risky area.

4. Only purchasing the legally required amount of liability for your car. In today’s litigious society, buying only the minimum amount of liability means you are likely to pay more out-of-pocket if you are sued—and those costs may be steep.

A better way to save: Consider dropping collision and/or comprehensive coverage on older cars worth less than $1,000. The insurance industry and consumer groups generally recommend a minimum of $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident.

5. Neglecting to buy renters insurance. A renters insurance policy covers your possessions and additional living expenses if you have to move out due to an insured disaster, such as a fire or hurricane. Equally important, it provides liability protection in the event someone is injured in your home and decides to sue.

A better way to save: Look into multi-policy discounts. Buying several policies with the same insurer, such as renters, auto and life will generally provide savings.

For more information visit Insurance Information Institute online or contact Bucci Insurance Group today!

Valentine’s Day is not just for the most obvious significant others in your life. How about showing the people you spend the majority of your day with a little love?   This Valentine’s Day show your employees how much you value them! Since many of your employees spend countless hours on the computer, social media is the perfect tool to share your love. Mashable, the top news site for the latest social and digital media information, came up with a few tech savvy ways you can show how much you value your employees during this month of hearts.

1. Don’t Block Social Networks

It’s been proven that employees with free access to the Internet are more productive than those without. A University of Melbourne study showed that those who surfed for fun (within a “reasonable limit” of 20% of their time in the office) were around 9% more productive than those who didn’t.

The reason behind this is that taking regular short breaks from work can rest the mind, leading to better concentration, and therefore, better productivity.

There’s always going to be an exception to the rule, but we say show your staff you trust them to keep their social time online reasonable, and they will reward your trust.

2. Allow Browser Freedom

Keep your employees’ choice of software and online tools as free as possible. For example, don’t force your staff to use Internet Explorer. Your I.T. guys might prefer it to keep things simple, but with the add-ons and extensions available for the likes of Firefox and Chrome, you will likely find your staff is more productive using their browsers of choice.

3. Work in the Cloud

A work-from-home day is always useful for employees waiting on deliveries or with child care issues. By putting as much of your company’s shared content in the cloud as possible, it frees up your staff by offering more flexibility. This will also show your staff you trust them to work well, even when you’re not looking over their shoulders.

From a productivity point of view (as the recent Snowmageddon has shown), making your systems available remotely means work does not have to grind to a halt should adverse weather conditions make commuting impossible.

4. Don’t Ban Personal Cell Phones

It may be tempting to ban personal cell phones from the workplace, but just think of how that move affects your staff. Imagine the worry that can be created over not being able to be easily contacted, especially in cases of emergency.

Face it — one-off personal calls are probably not going to affect your balance sheet as much as employee unhappiness.

5. Friend/Follow Your Employees

Be sure to friend and follow your employees on mainstream social networks, not to check up on them, but to show you value them as people as well as staff. This is especially relevant for companies that describe themselves as “social.” How do you think an employee of such a company feels when they’ve not been friended by the boss?

6. Even Better, Set Up a Company Social Network

Set up a social network for your company on a platform such as Ning or Yammer. Your company’s social site is not going to give Facebook a run for its money any time soon, but it’s a really great way for everyone to find out a little more about each other, and show your staff you are interested in them without intruding on their personal online life.

7. Set Up Company Music Playlists

Allow music in the office (maybe just for set time periods, i.e., for an hour over lunch) and create company music playlists. The varied music taste of your staff will no doubt surprise you.

One way to do this is to share iTunes playlists across your company network. Collaborating on fun things as well as work is a great way to improve team dynamics.

8. Offer Rewards For Location-Based Service Achievements

Location-based social networking can be a fun way to incentivize your staff. Why not reward those that check in to your workplace the most? Think of it like a school’s good attendance achievement, and reward accordingly. This should help foster some healthy competitiveness among your staff, as well as show them you notice who is turning up to work.

 For guidance, check out these unique uses of Foursquare in the workplace.

9. Feature All Your Staff on Your Company Website

Give every single member of your staff a brief profile and a pic on your company website. This will demonstrate that every person who works in your organization — right down to the office cleaner — contributes, not just the bigwigs.

Additionally, consider letting all employees take turns to write posts for the company blog — there’s nothing like giving someone a voice to make them feel valued.

10. Set Up an Online Comments System

Set up an online system for feedback to give staff a virtual suggestion box for improvements. No one knows more about your company processes (whether that’s which clients are likely to go for a last-minute deal or when the copier jams) than your employees.

 Show how much you value their input by setting up an online forum to share feedback and offer ideas for improvements, which others can view and comment on.

What better way to celebrate the month of hearts than with an event showing love and appreciation for our home state? Rhode Island’s 8th Annual Winter Bash will bring together over 1,00 people from around the state to celebrate citywide restoration efforts.

The city has been home to beautiful historical architecture and innovative culture for centuries. The Providence Preservation Society encourages you to take pride in this fact. It will take place in Providence’s iconic Davol Square, located in the heart of the Jewelry/Knowledge district. The event will feature live music, signature cocktails, amazing architecture, VIP areas, and much more!  Join the Preservation Society and fellow Rhode Islanders and celebrate like its 1983, Saturday, February 5^th!

For more information visit the Providence Preservation Society website.

Nothing to do this weekend? Well the town of Newport is calling your name. This Saturday June 5^th from 11am to 6pm, Newport will be hosting the Knorr Great Chowder Cook-off. Numerous restaurants from around the country will be heading downtown this weekend in hopes of wooing your taste buds so that you vote their clam chowder to be the best. Treat yourself to endless samples of chowder from some of the participating restaurants including, Trio, Liquid Lunch, Hammerhead Grill, and one of last year’s winners, Tony’s Seafood Restaurant.

While you roam around enjoy live music by The Ravers, a six piece Reggae band, or if you prefer the sounds of Eric Clapton and James Taylor, head over to the sunset stage in the Marina area to listen to the Foreverly Brothers. Live music will be playing all day long by several talented artists so there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

After sampling dozens of chowdah’ recipes, browse the vendors to top off your taste buds with Jerry’s Pastries Conoli’s and Cookies, or spice up your wardrobe with N.A. Flotteron Jewelry. There will be activities for children kindly provided by Amica including fun photos and chef hat decorating.

Whether it’s a day spent with the family, a partner or a friend, this event is sure to be a “wicked” good time. Tickets are $25 and children under 12 are free.  Stop by downtown Newport, Rhode Island right along the waterfront for the Knorr Great Chowder Cook-off! Members from Bucci Insurance Group will be sure to be there!

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Hello readers! My name is Khiara LaBrie and I am the newest addition to the Bucci Insurance Group! I was just recently hired as the Social Media Engineer which I was so fortunate to have found through my school, Bryant University. I will be returning to Bryant this fall as a senior and completing my degree in Business Marketing- I cannot believe how fast time has gone by. I have had so many great experiences throughout my college career and have worked numerous rewarding jobs that I feel will contribute greatly to my latest position.

Khiara LaBrie in the Galapagos Islands

Some of the experiences I am most proud of are that I have traveled to Panama, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands, I competed gymnastics for 14 years and I have coached the North Kingstown High School Gymnastics Team for the past three years. I interned at BZ Results, a digital advertising company, and I currently hold another internship position at Eident Sports Marketing which I am thrilled about.

I am a local Rhode Islander and thoroughly enjoy everything this state has to offer. I hope to share the same passion with all of you and use this blog as a way to keep all of our readers updated on up and coming events happening in our area (such as the Great Chowder Cook Off that takes place this Saturday in Newport!) as well as made aware of important insurance topics in the news.

Looking forward to this next great experience and spending my summer with Bucci Insurance in Rhode Island!

Remember this morning when you picked up that coffee on the way to work or last night when you went through the drive-through to pick up a hamburger, think about how you probably could not resist the coffee or hamburger and you started to consume them while driving. When you are sipping your coffee or biting out of your hamburger you probably feel immediate satisfaction, but you need to realize this immediate satisfaction will soon be gone when you start to make some risky driving choices because of them.

Everyone has eaten or drank something while driving; Nine out of 10 times you probably made a mess by spilling something or getting food on your clothing, because I know I sure have. On the way to work this morning I was eating a sticky breakfast bar and managed to get it all over my pants, so while driving I attempted to clean it up. Let me tell you that is a BIG mistake. I was not paying attention to the road and had to stop short when the car in front of me put on their brakes. I was lucky enough to catch it in time, but I could have easily not looked up from cleaning off my pants and rammed into the car in front of me. That is why you should never eat or drink while driving! Trying to consume things while driving can almost be as risky as talking or texting on your cell phone when in the car.

Some research has shown that most problems occur when people are trying to clean up the messes that they have made while eating and driving. It seems that the issue is more about spilling things than eating or drinking things. It is scary to think that spilling your small Dunkin Donuts coffee could lead to an accident. Now, you are probably want to know what the worse foods to eat while driving are and we are ready to tell you the top 10.The Providence Journal listed the top 10 most dangerous foods to eat while driving as stated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

1. Coffee – Probably the one thing that almost everyone drinks in the car is the most dangerous because it always manages to spill out.
2. Hot Soup – I’m not really sure why or how you can eat soup in the car, but again the same as coffee always manages to spill.
3. Tacos – Need I say more. This food is probably one of the most dangerous foods to eat sitting still, let alone trying to operate a vehicle while eating it.
4. Chili – Again, I am not sure why you would choose to eat this and drive, but just think of the spilling and dripping that can occur.
5. Hamburgers – All the condiments inside this bad boy are a disaster waiting to happen.
6. Barbecue – While delicious, very messy. The sauce will get all over anything that you touch.
7. Fried Chicken – Very, very greasy.
8. Jelly-filled Doughnuts – Think about this: Have you ever been able to eat a jelly doughnut without the center coming out? No, so don’t eat it while driving.
9. Soft Drinks – Common to have in the car, but these drinks can easily lead to spillage, which means a sticky mess all over your car.
10. Chocolate – It melts. This means all over your hands, your sterling while and your seats.

Eating while driving is messy and dangerous. It means that you are being occupied with something else other than the road. This can result in an accident, and no one wants that to happen because you could not wait 5 minutes till you got home to eat your jelly doughnut. Stay safe while driving and come to Bucci Insurance for all of your auto needs. We are  here to help you with your specific auto insurance policy.

Jeff Massey of Massey & Associates Inc.

It is time for the customer of the week again. Jeff Massey of Massey & Associates is the Bucci Insurance customer of the week! Jeff is the President of Massey & Associates Inc. in Lincoln, RI, which has been up and running since 1992. Jeff is a highly qualified Certified Financial Planner that has been working in the insurance field since 1987. The company generally works with individuals 55 or higher who are either ready to retire or retired. Jeff is more than just a person who works in the insurance industry, he is a radio DJ, a seminar host, an author, and someone who truly cares about the people that he helps serve.

Radio is something that Jeff has been involved with for four years now. He says that he enjoys doing it, but its takes some time to get accustomed to hosting a radio show.  Jeff hosts two different radio shows weekly. One of his shows is hosted every Monday at 9:05 a.m. on WRNI called “Senior Financial Strategies.” This is a short 15 minute show where Jeff is interviewed by the station manager about topics that Jeff chooses. Every week Jeff tries to integrate  a current issue into his radio show. On Saturday, Jeff hosts an hour long show on WHJJ, which will soon be moving over to WPRO, by himself. He talks about topics that are of interest to his audience like reducing risk in portfolios, safety nets, income planning and then mixes current topics in the news and media in.  He really cares about his listeners and his customers. Jeff told me that he loves the feeling of helping his clients. The most rewarding thing he said is helping his clients sleep better at night by helping them to achieve their financial goals. He likes making his clients feel secure by providing them with a retirement  income that they cannot outlive.

Aside from hosting radio shows, Jeff hosts monthly seminars at no cost. The people who attend are receiving advice from a highly qualified individual with more that 20 years of experience in the field. He discusses topics from legal documents, living wills, safe money programs, Medicaid, how to maximize wealth for your family and so much more.

After speaking with Jeff briefly, you are able to tell that he is the type of person who really loves to help his clients get the most out of life. Jeff we applaud you for your outstanding work in the insurance industry. At Bucci Insurance we are proud to say that you are our client and we hope that we have helped you in every way that we can.

Please visit our Bucci Insurance Group website to find out how we can help you with all of your insurance needs. If you own a business look up how we can help you with business insurance or restaurant insurance. We are happy to help. Once again, we congratulate Jeff Massey our customer of the week!