Maybe you’ve got a property you’re not living in anymore but don’t want to sell. Maybe you’ve got extra room in your own home or you travel a lot and want to earn some extra cash from your empty space. Home sharing websites like AirBnB and HomeAway have caught your attention. You know people who make good money by renting out their home or a room, and you like the sound of extra cash.

Getting distracted while we’re driving – we’re all guilty of it at some point – but it’s more serious than you may realize.

Of the 15 to 19 year-olds involved in fatal crashes, 10 percent were distracted at the time. Twenty-three percent of drivers in fatal crashes are in their 20s, but they account for 27 percent of all distracted drivers and 38 percent of the distracted drivers using cell phones.

Life can hit hard at a moment’s notice. A lost job, no money, and hard choices have hit us all at some time or another in our lives. The 2008 housing crash and recession are a prime example. Several years later, some people are still recovering from the financial devastation from those years.

Maybe North Carolina doesn’t have to worry about blizzards like Minnesota or North Dakota does, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get cold around here. Through the winter, heaters are churning, jackets are out, and chimneys are smoking in an effort to keep everyone warm.

As a result, energy costs can go up in the winter, right when you could really use a break on your expenses. Check out these tips on how to use less energy while trying to stay warm this winter and lower your costs as a result.

For most rideshare drivers, especially those who work with Uber and Lyft, finding affordable personal auto insurance that covers you when you’re working has been nearly impossible. Most insurance companies didn’t offer anything to fit your needs or if they did, it was too expensive.

Here at Charlotte Insurance, we’re happy to announce we can now offer personal auto insurance to cover you when you’re waiting on a fare, while you’ve got a ride, and when you’re using your vehicle for personal use.

It’s that time of year again. Time to plan for the future, see if you accomplished your goals from last year, and set new ones for the coming year.

Most of us focus on fitness, jobs, income, relationships, and other parts of our life. One thing that is forgotten, but you should review from the past year and plan for the next one, is your insurance. An annual insurance review takes a look at the changes in your life from the previous year and will make sure you don’t have a gap in coverage – and that you’re getting all the discounts you qualify for.

Here are some of the things to go over with your insurance agent for your annual insurance review.

Happy Holidays to all

You got into the freelance life for a few reasons. You wanted more control over your life, control over the work you do, and freedom to come and go as you please while following your passion. Of course, you also wanted to control your income, too.

How much control do you think you’ll have if a former client who’s upset with you sues you for a bad job or lost information?

You had your eye on a beautiful old home in the most historic part of town for years. From the outside, it clearly needs some love and attention, but you’re willing to put the time and effort in. You’ve talked to a real estate agent, drawn up plans to restore it, and know that it’s the perfect home for you.

Older homes have a certain charm from bygone eras that some people can’t resist. A lot of hard work is often involved to get these homes liveable and safe for a family. Even the historic homes that look great from the outside can be riddled with issues that require time and money to repair.

That’s why it’s important to understand what you’re getting when you buy an older home and how it will affect your insurance.

At some point in life, it happens to all of us. Our expenses rise but our income doesn’t keep up. The only solution is to look at your bills, wondering what you can cut out to save a few dollars.

If it’s been awhile since you had to file an auto insurance claim, it probably seems like the perfect place to cut. Instead of cutting coverage – a common but bad solution – you have other options. One of the easiest ways to reduce your Charlotte auto insurance costs, without sacrificing your coverage, is to increase your deductible.