The Mortgage Market Guide View… 

How to Prepare for Holiday Road Travel
Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition and stocked with these must-haves before you hit the road.

By Cameron Huddleston, Kiplinger.com

Winter seemed to have announced its presence a few weeks ago when heavy snow covered states in the Midwest. The winter storm also serves as a reminder to people who plan to travel by car over the holidays that they need to prepare now before hitting the road. That means you might have to spend a little money now to get your vehicle ready for winter weather. Doing this, though, could help you avoid an emergency situation that would require you to spend big bucks.
For starters, make sure you stock your vehicle with these must-haves recommended by auto insurer Progressive:

1. First-aid kit
2. Bottled water
3. Jumper cables
4. Emergency phone numbers of family and friends
5. Insurance information
6. Fire extinguisher
7. Empty gas can
8. Flares
9. Spare tire
10. Jack

Before you embark on a trip, AAA recommends that you do the following:

• Have your vehicle inspected to make sure it’s in peak operating condition.
• Make sure that you have good tires for bad winter driving and that they’re properly inflated.
• Don’t mix radial tires with other types.
• Add extra weight to your car if you have rear-wheel drive.
• Keep fluids, including window washer and anti-freeze, full.
• Keep at least half a tank of gasoline in your car at all times to avoid gas line freeze-up.
• Put blankets in your vehicle to keep you warm if you’re stranded.
• Make sure you have a flashlight, window scraper and batteries in your vehicle.

For advice on dealing with bad road conditions and emergency situations, see AAA’s Winter Driving Tips.
Reprinted with permission. All Contents ©2012 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. Kiplinger.com.

Economic Calendar for the Week of December 31 – January 04

The material contained in this newsletter is provided by a third party to real estate, financial services and other professionals only for their use and the use of their clients. The material provided is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment and/or mortgage advice. Although the material is deemed to be accurate and reliable, we do not make any representations as to its accuracy or completeness and as a result, there is no guarantee it is without errors.