Take a STAYCATION for free this weekend!

This weekend, Smithsonian Magazine is offering it's annual free pass day to almost all museums nationwide. This is a fantastic opportunity to see some of the more expensive exhibits you've been longing to see but unable to budget.

Click here to download your free pass!

Only 96 more shopping days till Christmas, and this year, travel experts warn that gifts aren’t the only thing we should buy early.

Travelers typically book their flight arrangements in the last 30 days before the holidays, but this year, with fares 20 to 30 percent higher than last year, travelers need to dedicate some time to shopping early, in order to get the best deal.

Another issue contributing to the shortage of airline seats this year: all the people who didn’t make it home last year. The economy may have caused us to alter our travel plans last year, but folks are less likely to miss two Christmases in a row. Coupled with the fact that airlines have cut capacity 12-15% since 2008, you can expect a very crowded plane if you’re lucky enough to nab a seat.

This year the holiday travel window is narrower than usual since the holidays fall on weekends. Consumers normally have a 16 to 19 day window for travel, but with both Christmas and New Year's Day falling on Saturdays this year, the peak travel period shortens to 14 days, experts say.

Here are a few tips to help get the most bang for your buck when making your travel arrangements-

If you're traveling with a party of four, the computer reservation system will give you the highest price of the four tickets in your search. So if three seats cost $200 each, but the fourth is $240, the $240 price will return when you search.

Don't forget to factor in peak travel surcharges. Most of the major carriers add $10 to $30 on top of published fares during the busiest travel periods.

Days around Thanksgiving with added charges include November 19-24 and 26-29, with the highest surcharges on November 28 and 29. Around Christmas and New Year's, December 17 to 24 and December 26 through January 3 will be subject to peak travel surcharges, with $30 charges on December 23, 26 and 27 and January 2 and 3, and the cheapest time to fly is typically the first flight out in the morning.

Another important tool in your vacation planning is protecting that financial investment. If ever your plans were at risk for delays, cancellations, missed connections, or lost baggage; it is during the busy holiday travel season.

A comprehensive trip insurance plan from Insurance Services of America will help you be prepared for the unexpected. Call the experts at Insurance Services of America and we'll help you find the coverage you need at a price you can live with.

800.647.4589

Short Term Insurance, who needs it? ME!

I would like to share a story with you that hit very close to home.

Even though I work in the insurance business, I went uninsured for awhile. Actually, a very long while! My employer assumed I was on my husband's plan, I never told him otherwise, and consequently I tempted fate for a long time before it came up in conversation one day.

My boss was shocked. "What do you mean you don't have insurance? Take my credit card and sign up RIGHT NOW!"

So I did, and after years of living on the edge, I finally had some peace of mind.

About a month later, I slipped and fell in my mom's garage and broke my ankle. An ambulance ride to the emergency room, followed by surgery, and before I knew it, I was looking at $22,000.00 in medical bills. Yup, 22 GRAND, for a broken ankle.

I recently submitted these claims to the insurance company and in the coming weeks, I will keep you posted about the claims process. It is interesting to be on the customer side of things and it will definitely be good to get a first hand account of how the insurance company treats our clients. I am very confident that everything will be handled quickly and efficiently.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard that Short Term Health Insurance isn't worth it.

It sure was for me. Even if you are young, active and healthy, you never know when a faulty flip flop can put you on the receiving end of $22 thousand bucks in medical bills...

Stop living on the edge! Short term health insurance is affordable and comprehensive, and you never know when you might need it. Call the pros at Insurance Services of America or apply online from our secure website and print out your policy on the spot!

800-647-4589