BEYOND THUNDER DUMB: WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES...
More than 80% of lightning fatalities are men who did not seek shelter from an approaching storm, but instead kept on fishing, boating, golfing, biking, or working outdoors. Be prepared by recognizing danger and knowing what to do and what not to do. If you can hear thunder, even a distant rumble, lightning is close enough to strike you. Immediately seek shelter in a substantial building or a metal-topped vehicle.
Our agency is a great place to seek shelter during a thunderstorm. We will be glad to review your insurance needs as the storm passes.

When you get into an accident that seems relatively minor, you may end up surprised when your insurance company declares your vehicle totaled. Also known as declaring a total loss, this decision relies on different information than you might expect. Understanding the total loss formula will give you some insight into what might happen the next time an accident damages your vehicle.
The Total Loss Formula

• As with most other insurance decisions, the adjuster handling your case uses a formula to determine if the car is repairable or a total loss. Even minor car repairs are expensive, so older cars with lower values are often less expensive to replace than repair. A repaired vehicle often doesn't function quite the same or offer the same safety benefits either.
• By declaring a total loss, the insurance company can reimburse you with the money to buy a replacement vehicle rather than spending more to cover the repairs. When the car insurance company declares a vehicle as totaled, they usually must pay you its fair market value on the day of the accident. Remember, this is the car’s depreciated cash value at the time of the loss.

What Happens to Totaled Cars?

• You can't keep a car that the car insurance company declares as a total loss. In exchange for the reimbursement of its value, the insurance company becomes the legal owner of the damaged vehicle. They sell these cars to salvage yards to recoup a little of their cost.
• Salvage yards generally break these cars down into salable parts and recycle the rest, but cars with limited damage may undergo repairs and end up resold as running vehicles again. This means you may see your old totaled car driving around again one day, but it's highly unlikely.

Can I Dispute a Declaration of Total Loss?

• When you get into a minor collision but have a car with a very low market value, even a badly dented bumper could tip your car into a total loss. If you want to keep your vehicle, you can try disputing the declaration.
• Hire a private vehicle appraiser to make their own assessment of your vehicle's condition and value to back up your claim. If the auto insurance company disagrees, you can argue the case in litigation, but must prove the vehicle costs less to repair than to replace to win the claim.

Getting compensated an adequate value of a totaled car should help you find a reasonable replacement. If you're concerned, talk to our insurance agency about how the insurance companies handle declarations of total loss before you get into an accident.

​As Hurricane Sally bears down on the Southeast and much of our state faces inclement weather, it is a good time to ensure you and your family are informed and prepared in the event of a storm. September and October are the busiest times for hurricanes each year.
Please take a moment and review the Storm Checklist below for important tips.
Preparing for a Storm:

• Stay informed. There are several apps for your smart phone that will keep you up to date with weather alerts, but a battery-operated radio is ideal in case of power outages.
• Secure outside items that could be blown around by wind. Items such as grills, patio furniture, trash cans, trampolines, and toys should be tied down or brought indoors.
• Turn your refrigerator and freezers to the lowest setting. This should help keep food colder and help it to last longer in case of a power outage.
• Unplug expensive electronics to guard against lightning and power surge.
• Review your safety plans. Make sure your family knows where you will meet and how you will stay safe during the storm.

During a Severe Storm:
Our state is susceptible to thunderstorms as well as tornadoes and hurricanes. And, every thunderstorm contains lightning, which kills more people each year than other storms. Lightning is the third largest cause of storm deaths in America. Thunderstorms can also cause high winds and heavy rains. The following tips will assist you and your family in staying safe during a thunderstorm:

• Avoid areas that have standing water
• Avoid windows and electrical equipment
• Be on the lookout for flash flooding while traveling
• Bring pets inside
• Pay attention to downed power lines and falling trees
• Secure loose objects
• Stay away from bodies of water
• Stay off the roads

During a Tornado:
Tornadoes are one of the deadliest natural disasters that occur in our state. Their winds alone can destroy homes, uproot trees, and down powerlines. It’s important to understand the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. Consider the following tips to stay safe during a tornado:

• Avoid windows and doors
• Keep a battery-operated radio nearby for updates
• Seek shelter in a basement
• Stay away from overpasses
• Stay off the roads
• Remember that a “watch” means a tornado is possible and a “warning means a tornado has been spotted and shelter should be taken immediately.

Now is a great time for our agency to complete a no-obligation review of your current coverages. We are great at finding coverage gaps and additional discounts for which you may be eligible.

In the past 30 years what determines your insurance premium has undergone huge, complex changes. At one time car insurance premiums were based simply on your age, vehicle and driving record, but those days are over. Credit history and stability are becoming huge factors in your premiums in addition to claims history, home ownership, and prior insurance coverage.

• There are dozens of insurance carriers who want your business but their premiums to cover you can vary by hundreds of dollars for the same coverage. If you call an insurance company directly to get a policy, you will only get one price and it may be way too high. By using our independent insurance agency, you will have the advantage of a licensed individual working on your behalf to find the lowest price for great coverage.
• Many people ask why an agent will get the lowest price. It is because we know that if we don't find you the best price you will look elsewhere for insurance. Like any other retail store an agency won't stay in business if they are selling products at a high price. 
• You may wonder if you are getting the best coverage.  This is what our agents are trained to do.   Selling poor coverage will ultimately lead to you being dissatisfied in the event you have a claim.  If you are dissatisfied, then the agent loses a customer. Our agents depend on making sure their customers are satisfied and coming back year after year.

Our agents know the difference between quality carriers and carriers that may not be there for you when you need them. Contact us at your convenience to get great rates and excellent service for local folks. 

Baby boomers are feeling the pressure of empty-nest reversal from boomerangs – adult children returning home to live and live-in elders – seniors trading their current home for a loved one’s spare bedroom. According to Pew Research Center, nearly half of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a young child or financially supporting an adult child. About one in seven of these middle-aged adults are providing financial support to both an aging parent and a child.
Live-In Elders
Having an aging parent or other family member move in can be stressful for both parties. Before you unpack that first box, take the time to have “the talk” about finances, including insurance.
Don’t shy away from tough questions such as “are you current on health, auto, home and life insurance premiums,” “are you covered by Medicare,” “is long-term care insurance something we should look into,” and “what are your end-of-life wishes?” This level of detail will help you decide what changes, if any, need to be made to existing coverage.
To minimize stress, seek to make your loved one feel cared about, not cared for.
Boomerang Kids
Welcoming an adult child home can be just as daunting as a live-in senior. Plus, it’s expensive. In fact, experts estimate hosting an adult child in your home costs between $8,000 and $18,000 per year. To minimize the burden and avoid surprises, set clear expectations.
To avoid misunderstandings, the NAIC developed a Welcome Home Contract for host parents of adult children. In addition to outlining basic rules of co-habitation, the contract places under signature key insurance-related agreements.
Let our agency know any time someone moves into or out of your home. Those small changes can have a very big impact on your premiums and coverages in the event of a claim.

​Fortunate are those who are blessed with opportunities to work and to be successful. On the occasion of Labor Day, our agency extends warm greetings to you for living up to the challenges, for striving daily and for never giving up to circumstances. Wishing you a very Happy Labor Day.

Properly insuring a rental car can be confusing, frustrating and downright daunting. Unfortunately, many consumers do not even think about car rental insurance until they get to the counter, which can result in costly mistakes—either wasting money by purchasing unnecessary coverage or having dangerous gaps in coverage.
Before renting a car, we suggest that you make two phone calls—one to our insurance agency and another to the credit card company you will be using to pay for the rental car.
Our agency staff will be glad to check out your coverage for you. Just give us a call before you start out on your Labor Day Adventure.

The purpose of life insurance is to provide a source of income, in case of death, for your children, dependents, or other beneficiaries. Life insurance can also serve certain estate planning purposes, which we won't go into here.

Buying life insurance is contingent upon whether anyone is depending on your income after your death. If you have a spouse, child, parent, or some other individual who depends on your income, then you probably need life insurance.

Because life insurance protects your family in the event of a death, it is important to determine the correct amount. Most people do not have the right amount of insurance.

There are two basic types of life insurance: term and permanent. Term insurance is insurance that covers a specified period. If you die within this time frame, your beneficiary receives the insurance benefit. Term policy premiums usually increase with age.

Permanent insurance such as universal life, variable life, and whole life, contains a cash value account or an investment element to the insurance.

Rules of Thumb:
The younger your children, the more insurance you need. If both spouses earn income, then both spouses should be insured, with insurance amounts proportionate to salary amounts.

Tip: If the family cannot afford to insure both wage earners, the primary wage earner should be insured first, and the secondary wage earner should be insured later on. A less expensive term policy might be used to fill an insurance gap.

If one spouse does not work outside the home, insurance should be purchased to cover the absence of the services being provided by that spouse (child care, housekeeping, bookkeeping, etc.). However, if funds are limited, insurance on the non-wage earner should be secondary to insurance for the wage earner.

If there are no dependents and your spouse could live comfortably without your income, then you will still need life insurance, but you will need less than someone who has dependents.

Tip: At a minimum, you will want to provide for burial expenses and paying off your debts.

If your spouse would undergo financial hardship without your income, or if you do not have adequate savings, you may need to purchase more insurance. The amount of insurance you need depends on your salary level and that of your spouse, the amount of savings you have, and the amount of debt you both have.

If you need help figuring out the correct amount of life insurance you need, then give us a call. We're happy to help. 

Quick quiz: Without looking at your policy, tell us what type of water damage is covered by your homeowners or renters insurance. If you answered, “Water that comes from the top down is generally covered, but not when it comes from the bottom up,” good for you! If not, read on…

Here’s something to think about: Homeowners and renters policies generally cover you for a burst pipe, or rain coming through a storm-damaged roof. But in the case of water damage caused by flooding and sewer backup, you’ll need a separate policy or endorsement. 

If you’re among the many homeowners and renters who don’t have flood insurance, remember this: Just because flood coverage is optional, doesn’t mean you don’t need it. Events such as 2012’s Hurricane Sandy demonstrated that you don’t have to live in a coastal region to be in danger of flooding—in fact, some of the worst flooding from Sandy occurred hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean. Another point to consider: Because flood insurance is a specialized product, available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), it has its own set of rules--deductibles, coverage limits, and so forth. Some private insurers also offer flood coverage. 

So what’s the best way to figure out your flood insurance needs? A good first step is to see whether your home is in an area that’s prone to flooding—you can do this by looking at FEMA.gov’s Flood Map Service Center. (FEMA also has tons of other resources to help with disaster preparation.) Another smart idea? Talk to one of our Insurance Agents. They can help you assess your risks and come up with smart insurance strategies to protect your home, family and belongings.  
Watch and Learn: Even a Dummy Can Be Smart about Flood Insurance! 

For many people, their home is their greatest asset, so it is crucial to avoid being underinsured. To protect their investment from disasters, homeowners should update their insurance regularly to include improvements, major purchases and increased rebuilding costs.
Since the end of the Great Recession in June 2009, despite the major drop off in construction activity, construction prices have actually risen significantly. Furthermore, after a disaster, materials and labor may become scare, driving repair and rebuilding costs up even further.
To properly insure your home, it is important to ask one of our insurance agents key questions such as:
Your policy needs to cover the cost of rebuilding your home at current construction costs. Unfortunately, some homeowners simply purchase enough insurance protection to satisfy their mortgage lender. Others confuse the real estate value of their home with what it would cost to rebuild it. Quite simply, you should have enough insurance to rebuild your home in the event that it is completely destroyed. Be sure to consider the following:
Replacement Cost
Most policies cover replacement cost for damage to the structure. A replacement cost policy pays for the repair or replacement of damaged property with materials of similar kind and quality.
Extended Replacement Cost
This type of policy provides additional insurance coverage of 20 percent or more over the limits in your policy, which can be critical if there is a widespread disaster that pushes up the cost of building materials and labor.
Inflation Guard
This coverage automatically adjusts the rebuilding costs of your home to reflect changes in construction costs. Find out if your policy includes this coverage or if you have to purchase it separately.
Ordinance or Law coverage
If your home is badly damaged, you may be required to rebuild it to meet new (and often stricter) building codes. Ordinance or law coverage pays a specific amount toward these costs.
Water Back-Up  
This coverage insures your property for damage from sewer or drain back-up. Most insurers offer it as an add-on to a standard policy.
Flood Insurance
Standard home insurance policies provide coverage for disasters such as fire, lightning and hurricanes. They do not include coverage for flood (including flooding from a hurricane). Flood insurance is available through the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (www.floodsmart.gov), but can be purchased from the same agent who provides you with your home or renters insurance. Make sure to purchase flood insurance for the structure of your house, as well as for the contents. Excess Flood Protection, which provides higher limits of coverage than the NFIP in the event of catastrophic loss by flooding, is available from some insurers. Keep in mind that there is a 30-day waiting period before the insurance is valid.
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If you do suffer damage from a disaster, contact our insurance agency as soon as possible and begin the claims filing process.  Also, if you need the assistance of FEMA, here are their Frequently Asked Questions about FEMA Disaster Assistance.