STEPS TO TAKE AFTER FLOOD

In recent times, there has been an increase in the number places being ravaged by the disaster of flood. Places that were never prone to flood are now being affected by the damaging effects of excessive water. Like the recent flood experienced in Lagos state (lekki, ajah and surulere) where there was an unpredictable rise in the level of water. The effect of flood water not only damage structures, it may also damage valuable properties in the home. The water from the flood could contain mud and bacteria carried all over from muddy places have now contaminated your personal belongings. After the effects of the flood has subsided, which have to removed the contamination from our clothing, shoes, furniture, kitchen, floors and laundry equipment. 

Here are the basic tips to follow when cleaning up our home after a flood disaster;

1. Immediately contact your insurance company/agent:

• First things first: call your insurance agent or company where cover is hopefully in place.
• If your insurance covers the damage, your agent will tell you when an adjuster will contact you.
• List damage and take photos or videotape as you clean.
• You'll need complete records for insurance claims, applications for disaster assistance and income tax deductions.

    2. Evaluate the damages and Set up a step-by-step action plan to:

• remove all water, mud and other debris
• dispose of contaminated household goods
• rinse away contamination inside the home
• remove the rinse water
• clean and dry out your house and salvageable possessions.

   3.  Make tough decisions:

• Be prepared to make difficult decisions about what to keep and what to throw out.\
• Household items that have been contaminated by mud water or sewage, or that have been wet for a long time, will have to be bagged, tagged and discarded according to local regulations.

   4. Assemble clean-up equipment and supplies:

• gloves, masks (respirators) and other protective gear
• pails(buckets), mops, squeegees, plastic garbage bags and unscented detergent
• large containers for wet bedding and clothing, and lines to hang them to dry
• you may also need to rent extension cords, submersible pumps, wet/dry shop vacuums, and dehumidifiers or heaters.

   5. Store valuable papers that have been damaged in a dry place until you have time to work on them.

   6.  Remove all soaked and dirty materials and debris, including residual mud and soil, furniture, appliances, clothing and bedding.

Here are more detailed cleaning steps for specific places in the home.

In the kitchen-

       a. Immerse glass, porcelain, china, plastic dinnerware and enamelware for 10 minutes in a disinfecting solution of 2 tablespoons of chlorine bleach per gallon of hot water. Air-dry dishes. Do not use a towel.  

       b. Disinfect silverware, metal utensils, and pots and pans by boiling in water for 10 minutes. chlorine bleach should not be used in this case because it reacts with many metals and causes them to darken.

       c. Cupboards and counters need to be cleaned and rinsed with a chlorine bleach solution before storing dishes.

Furniture and household items-

       a. Take furniture, rugs, bedding and clothing outside to dry as soon as possible.

       b. Use an air conditioner or dehumidifier to remove moisture or open as least two windows to ventilate with outdoor air.

       c. Use fans to circulate air in the house.

       d. Vacuum floors, ceilings and walls to remove mildew, then wash with disinfectant.

       e. Wear a two-strap protective mask to prevent breathing bad air.

       f. Upholstered furniture soaks up contaminants from floodwaters and should be cleaned only by a professional.

       g. Photographs, books and important papers should be dried carefully and slowly. Wash the mud off and store the articles in plastic bags to protect from further damage until you have time to clean them or take them to a professional.

Electrical system-

       a. The system must be shut off and repaired and inspected by an electrician before it can be turned back on.

       b. Wiring must be completely dried out - even behind walls.

       c. Switches, convenience outlets, light outlets, entrance panel, and junctionboxes that have been under water may be filled with mud and thus need to be cleaned by a professional.

FLOORS

I. Carpeting-

•   Clean and dry carpets and rugs as quickly as possible.
• If sewage-contaminated floodwater covered your carpeting, discard it for health safety reasons.
• Also discard if the carpet was under water for 24 hours or more.
• To clean, drape carpets and rugs outdoors and hose them down.
• Work a disinfecting carpet cleaner into soiled spots with a broom.
• Dry the carpet and floor thoroughly before replacing the carpet.
• Padding is nearly impossible to clean so should be replaced.
• If the carpet can't be removed, dry it as quickly as possible using a wet/dry vacuum and dehumidifier.
• Use a fan to circulate air above the carpet, and if possible, lift the carpet and ventilate with fans underneath.

II. Wood floors-

• Wooden floors should be dried gradually.
• Sudden drying could cause cracking or splitting
• Remove hardwood floor boards to prevent buckling.
• Clean and dry wood before attempting repairs.

III. Tiled floors-

• Mop and dry the surface gradually.
• Work a disinfecting tile cleaner on the surface and mop dry
• Quickly dry the surface using a dry vacuum.
• Use a fan to circulate air on the surface for complete dryness.

You can also suggest additional of cleaning up after flood. 
If you would like to know more about how to protect/insure your home against flood with our Householder Insurance Cover.

Click here: https://goo.gl/PLzotN  

For more information on other products and services, please contact us on
 our twitter handle - @con_hallmark &
 our facebook page – conhallmark

Visit our website for tailor-made insurance policy at www.consolidatedhallmark.com

HOW TO SAVE FROM YOUR SMALL SALARY?

Some days ago, Emeka and his friends had an argument. The bone of contention was, “Is it possible to save when your income cannot cover your basic needs?”. As expected, there were arguments for and against.  

Not minding which side of the divide you stand, it is certain that anything is possible if you want it hard enough. The questions are: “How bad do you desire to save?”. "What are you ready to give up to achieve your savings goal?"

Sure you will love to know 7 nuggets that can help you save money when you don’t make much. Take a seat and enjoy the ride. Let’s go!

1. HAVE A BUDGET

As the saying goes, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail". This holds true till today. If your goal is to save from a meager salary, then there must be plan. the plan is laid out in a Budget. having a budget helps you decide where your money should go, before your feelings do.

Someone said, a budget tells you what you can’t afford but it doesn’t keep you from buying it. This leads to the second nugget.

 

2. BUILD SAVING INTO YOUR BUDGET

Let saving be part of the plan. It should be a non-negotiable item on the budget as food, power, rent and other basic survival needs. Incorporate savings contributions into your monthly budget and be just as committed to following through on those payments as you are to rent and food.

3. USE PERCENTAGES

When income is tight, even small savings contributions can feel like a large sacrifice.  To get into the habit of saving without feeling like you’re giving up too much, try implementing a percentage savings system.  While experts recommend setting aside between 20 and 30 of your income for savings goals, feel free to start smaller with as little as 3 to 5 percent of each paycheck and increase your contributions as you’re more able 

4. DOWNGRADE YOUR LIFESTYLE

You can’t eat your cake and have it. Simple reason you need to cut your coat according to the amount of material available. If downgrading your lifestyle will help meet your savings goal, why not?

5. PAY YOURSELF FIRST. 

Don’t wait to fund your savings until the end of the month.If you wait to set aside whatever money is left over, chances are, there won’t be any. Pay into your savings at the start of each month before it gets squandered on unnecessary expenses and impulsive purchases.

By making savings a priority, even when income is low, you’ll be better prepared for a healthy and stable financial future. There are ways you can subtly force yourself to save. One is by having a Direct debit mandate on our salary account and the other is by joining a Cooperative society. Remember, whatever you can keep aside in a month, is your own salary. 

6. OTHER COST-SAVING STRATEGIES

To a large extent, your savings is dependent on your ability to keep your expenses under control. So, having some cost-reducing plan will help your saving goals. Examples of such are planning your meals and shopping, staying out of restaurants and Insurance. Yes, Insurance.

For example, having a Car insurance will save you from unnecessary expenses via emergencies and this can derail your savings goal.

7. DILIGENCE IS KEY

Of course, there are plenty of ways to save money if you put your mind to it and get creative.But when it comes down to it, diligence is the key to save money on a low income.When you deploy any of these nuggets mentioned above, you have to be sure to stick with them for the long term.

Finally, when you determine how much you’re saving from each one, put that money in the bank as an emergency fund, or into investment accounts to provide for your future needs.

Experience shows that saving money on a low income can be a daunting task, but you CAN do it.Your goals are valid.

For more information about the other saving cost (Insurance), contact us on our twitter handle & facebook page - @con_hallmark & conhallmark respectively. 

Visit our website for tailor-made insurance policy at www.consolidatedhallmark.com
Disclaimer: names and event are fictional and do not reflect any real person.

What to do for Fathers’ Day 2017

Father's day is a few days away and as you may agree that a great dad deserves a fantastic present. Hence, check out these 10 amazing gift ideas for father’s day. 

Buy your dad a grooming kit.

Kit your dad to step out looking fresh and clean with a grooming kit made up of his favourite shaving foam, shaving sticks and aftershave. Alternatively, you can buy him a clipper set with a carry bag so he can show up to the barbers feeling fly.

Accessories

Thank him for all the time and effort he has taken to make you who you are today by buying him a wrist watch. Depending on dad’s age brands such as Swatch, Rolex, Casio and Boss provide great variety in material and colour to suit any dad. Cuff-links and gold Tie-clips are great alternatives for working dads.

Boxers for the classic man

You can never go wrong when it comes to men’s gift with a nice Calvin Klein boxers or boxer briefs. Stick to whites or plain (checker) patterns as they are more matured.

Clothing

Regardless of budget-size, there is an array of clothing options available for you to pick from for dad. Formal shirts, ties, leather belt or a nice Italian shoe for him to step out in style. A suit or “Buba” and “Sokoto” set is also a great gift item as papa can flex at his next event.

Movies

For the movie loving dad, a trip to the cinema is perfect. You can choose between Silverbird, genesis and IMAX with several new movies out on the big screen this weekend – lost in London??

Day out

Take your nature-loving or adventure dad to Lekki Conservative for the day. With entry fee of N1,000 only, you have access to the Jungle, Gym, zipline, floor games, ponds, BBQ joints, beach volleyball court and you can pay an extra N1,000 to experience the longest canopy walk in Africa! This is also great as a group trip.

Dine out with dad

We all know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so why not appreciate dad with a meal at a nice restaurant (yes! You don’t have to cook). Nok by Alara has an amazing garden for dining and relaxing with your drinks afterwards.

411 restaurant is great for mid-range dining with Nigerian and intercontinental options. Jevnik Restaurant on Isaac John, Ikeja is great place to take dad for a Nigerian dining experience because they have VERY generous portions.

Buy him a Car or Solve his power problem

Make dad the envy of his friends by buying him a new car. With dollar being the way it is, a new car may just be a new car to him (i.e. foreign used) but the gesture will still be well appreciated. Or assist your dad with means of alternative power such that the stress of pulling on the generator becomes a thing of the past. You can get that solved by getting him an inverter that can power the basic electronics in the home. He will appreciate it because you have cut off the noise aspect of using a generator.

Pay off his mortgage or buy him a house

Cue “Daddy mi” by Reminisce as you hand your dad keys to his new house or pay off his mortgage. We can guarantee you that the smiles and prayer you would receive from gifting this piece of financial freedom to your dad will be well worth the dent in your bank balance.

Bring home bae

Father’s day is a perfect time to introduce your dad to Bae aka the girl or guy you want to marry so he can start planning his future with his soon-to-arrive grandkids.

We hope you find it all appealing and practicable.

We wish all our Customers who in one way or the other is a dad or being celebrated as a dad, a Happy Father's Day in advance.

You can also secure whatever you gift your dad on father's day for the risk of loss or damage by getting our All Risks Insurance Cover.

Click for more information: https://goo.gl/yFcZ88 

For more information, contact us on our twitter handle - @con_hallmark

  & facebook page – conhallmark

Visit our website for tailor-made insurance policy at www.consolidatedhallmark.com

DRIVING TIPS FOR A RAINY DAY

Driving in the rain is never a fun thing but we are forced into driving by our daily obligations to move from one point to another. For most people, driving in the rain can be scary and nerve-racking experience.

To manage the anxiety and stress, we have to give our undivided attention and reduce any possible distractions by turning the radio volume down or turning off our phone to keep our attention fully on the road.

Here are some driving tips for a safe drive on a rainy day;

1. Keep your car clean and maintained

a.    Keep your windows clean and clear

b.    Maintain your headlights

c.    Maintain your tyres

2. Drive with care when it’s raining

a.    Turn on your windshield wipers

b.    Slow down as the road is wet and slippery

c.    Stay focused as visibility is dropping

d.    Turn your headlights on whether it’s day or night

e.    Drive with both hands on the wheel

f.     Maintain a 3-4 second gap between your car and the car in front of you.

g.    Avoid slamming on the brakes, better still just ease of the accelerator instead.

h.    Take turns or enter corner slowly

i.      Do not use cruise control as that can lead to Hydroplaning

j.      Park off the road if necessary

Keep in mind that sometimes the best driving decision you can make is to stay off the road completely until the weather clears.

We wish you safe and comfortable driving during the rains. However for a more comprehensive protection during this season and all year round, check out our variant of motor insurance products: goo.gl/Cvv29y & goo.gl/4bk3th

Follow us on our twitter handle - @con_hallmark 

            & facebook page - conhallmark

Visit our website for more tailor-made insurance covers at: www.consolidatedhallmark.com

Quick & Safe Steps to Change a Flat Tyre

A flat tyre never happens when it’s convenient. Imagine you are all dressed up and about getting into your car in the morning then you notice you have a flat tyre or you may already be on the way to an important event when you ran over an errant nail leading to a punctured tyre.

The best and easy way to handle the situation where your tyre either gets punctured by nail or any sharp object while on motion is to carefully pull off to the side of the road where the surface is flat. Check to make sure no other motorists are going to run you over, turn on the hazard light, get out of the car and inspect the tyre.

Then follow these quick, easy and safe steps to take to get your tyre fixed;

• Place bracing material - like a piece of wood or brick - behind and in front of one of the tyres you’re not lifting, to prevent rolling and increase stability.
• Find the spare tyre and jack. If you don’t know where they are, check the boot of your car.
• Line the jack up properly to make sure it’s in the right place to avoid preventing damage to your car. Usually, the head of the jack goes to the ridge at the bottom of the car closest to the affected tyre.   
• Begin to jack the car up while keeping pressure on the ground (without lifting the car up entirely).
• Remove hubcaps or centre covers so that you can access the lug nuts.
• Turn the lug nuts anticlockwise to loosen them using the lug wrench.
• Finish jacking the car up so that you can slip the tyre off easily. Make sure the jack is stable first.
• Put on the spare tyre and place the lug nuts in the correct positions.
• Tighten the lug nuts a little with your tyre wrench, this time turning clockwise. TIP: Make sure the lug nuts are tight, but don't use too much force. This may knock your car off of the jack.
• Lower the jack fully until the car is back on all four wheels. 
• Properly tighten the lug nuts with the wrench before driving. Make sure they’re as tight as you can get them.
• Stop and check that the lug nuts are still tight after driving for a few miles.

You really don’t need to be worried because changing your flat tyre can be done fast if you follow the above steps.

For more information on motor related maintenance tips and insurance products, follow any of our social media accounts.

Twitter handle - @con_hallmark 

& Facebook page - conhallmark

Visit our website for our tailor-made insurance covers at www.consolidatedhallmark.com

Sources:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a5855/how-to-change-a-flat-tire/

https://www.dunlop.eu/en_gb/consumer/learn/changing-a-flat-tire.html

https://www.edmunds.com/how-to/how-to-change-a-flat-tire.html

http://www.bridgestonetyre.com/tread-and-trend/drivers-ed/how-to-change-a-flat-tire

WHY YOU SHOULD UPGRADE TO COMPREHENSIVE MOTOR INSURANCE

Mr. Peter came out of his apartment after a heavy storm to observe that his car has been damaged by the fallen trees. He felt bad and worried about how he would get the money to fix the damage.

Mr. Tunde just concluded a deal with a client but on getting to his car parked outside the client’s residence observed that his right side mirror and headlight have been smashed. Engulfed with anger and worry of how he would get it fixed in this recession.

Mrs. Mary came out of her saloon to see that the left door of her car has been dented. She started crying and distressed that she cannot afford the repairs with her current finances.

Looking at all the above scenarios, I believe you can all relate with them and probably might have fallen into one or two category. 

They all have car insurance at least a third party motor insurance as required by law.

Mr. Peter, Mr. Tunde and Mrs. Mary would not have felt bad, gotten angry and cried respectively if they had purchased comprehensive motor insurance. With a comprehensive motor insurance the stress, anger and cry of an unfortunate event will automatically be transferred to their insurer.

Now, let's take a look at some common questions asked about Comprehensive Motor Insurance.

What makes comprehensive motor insurance more stress-relieving and comforting than third party motor insurance?

As already briefly stated above, third party motor insurance only cover the damage done to another person’s car/property. However, comprehensive motor insurance being the highest level of protection would cover the damage to your car and also cover the damage done to another person's car/property.

Why should I upgrade to comprehensive motor insurance?

With comprehensive motor insurance, you can claim from your insurer for all unexpected accidents that are deemed to be your fault. 

It also applies when fault can't be proven, e.g. if you return to your car after shopping to find that someone has hit you and driven off like in the case of Mr. Tunde above.

Without comprehensive insurance cover, you risk having to spend for repairs yourself. Worse still, if your car is written off you'll have to pay for a brand-new car.

A comprehensive policy gives you that added level of protection and peace of mind that you won't necessarily have should you need to pay for expensive repairs.

What does comprehensive insurance really cover?

The cover or benefits offered by comprehensive motor insurance which is a lot more embracing include:

• -       Loss of or damage to your vehicle as a result of accident
• -       Loss or damage to your vehicle resulting from Fire
• -       Loss or damage to your vehicle due to theft
• -       Damage by your vehicle to another up to N1,000,000
• -       Damage to Third Party property by your vehicle up to N1,000,000
• -       Damage to Third parties by your vehicle which caused bodily injury and death is Unlimited
• -        Medical expenses to you or your driver or any occupant of your vehicle to the tune of N10,000
• -       Passenger Liability (N75,000 per person and a maximum of N300,000 per vehicle)
• -       Damage resulting from Riot, Strike and Civil Commotion (SRCC)
• -       Towing Limit up to N10,000 

Where does comprehensive insurance fall short?

Despite its name, comprehensive insurance policy cover in itself is a standard cover that can be enhanced with certain policy extras to meet your needs at additional charges.

Here are a few of those policy extras or add-ons:

Excess Buy Back

Many insurers use the excess proportion to make the vehicle owner conscious to try and prevent losses by making the insured bear part of the claims arising from such accidents. You can buy off this excess at inception of the cover at additional charge.

Courtesy car

Many insurers let you use another car while yours is being repaired, but not all of them. It’s also worth noting that courtesy cars usually aren’t provided if your car is written off. This policy extra is at additional charge.

It’s always best to check the policy details before you buy – don’t assume that you’ll be entitled to all the bells and whistles.

For more inquiries, you can contact us on our  phone - 09056037852
                                                                      twitter handle - @con_hallmark

                                                                      & facebook page – conhallmark

Also visit our website for more tailor-made insurance coverage at www.consolidatedhallmark.com 

HOW TO JUMP START YOUR CAR

Having a car battery failing or completely dead is a situation that has probably happened to you before. You park your car for a while and when you get back in to turn the ignition nothing happens. Maybe you hear a few clicks but the car does not start. That means you have a flat/dead battery and the best way to get you back on the road as fast as possible is to get another car battery to jump start your car. 

To jump start a car safely you need to follow these basics steps;

1. Ensure you have jumper cables that are safe for use.

2. Get a functioning car to help you with the jump start.

3. Park the functioning car so that the two vehicles are facing each other at a distance of 18 inches apart.

4. Ensure both vehicles are in park gear position with engines turned off and keys removed.

5. Attach the red clip which is the positive clip to the positive (+ve) end of your battery.

6. Also attach the other end of the red clip to the positive (+ve) end of the functioning battery.

7. Now attach the black clip which is the negative clip to the negative (-ve) end of the functioning battery.

8. Take the other end of the black clip and clamp it on any unpainted part of your vehicle (preferably any bolt that is not painted).

9. Now start the functioning vehicle and let it run for a few minutes (5 minutes).

10. Then start your car, if it did not start wait a few more minutes and then try it again.

11. If the dead car is running, disconnect all the cables and let the car run for about 20 minutes.

12. You can now drive your car to your destination, but keep in mind that you need to visit an auto-shop to examine the performance of your car battery.

We hope the above steps have enlightened you on the process of jump starting a vehicle easily. 

Drive safely and always take note of all signals displayed on your car dashboard to avoid car trouble or disappointments. 

For more interesting read, follow us on our twitter handle - @con_hallmark & facebook page - conhallmark

You can also visit our website for our tailor-made insurance covers at www.consolidatedhallmark.com