Securing your home against burglary
December is the fifth most common month in which burglaries occur, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
If you’re traveling over the holidays, have mail and packages picked up or held by the post office, use automatic timers to turn lights on and off at appropriate times and have a dependable neighbor check on the house periodically.

Consider making your home more secure with dead-bolt locks, window grates and smoke/fire/burglar alarms. An added benefit: most insurers provide discounts for devices that make a home safer.

Personal possessions are covered under standard homeowners and renters insurance policies—even holiday gifts stored in your car! 

Burglars won't find your home an easy target if it's well lit and features security measures that slow them down. Don't let your home be an easy mark for theft and vandalism. Protect yourself and your belongings—and save on insurance premiums—by employing commonsense safety precautions.
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Contact our office to find out how much you can save on home & renter’s insurance. Quotes and binding can be done over the phone from the comfort of your home.

​Liability Insurance Exclusion
Drivers involved in car pools and other group arrangements may wonder if the situation is covered under their auto policy. This concern is valid as many auto policies have restrictions. Typically, liability coverage under personal automobile policies does not apply to "…liability arising out of the ownership or operation of a vehicle while it is being used as a public or livery conveyance." (A public conveyance is a vehicle used indiscriminately in transporting the public without being limited to certain persons or occasions. A livery vehicle is one that is offered for rental). There is slight variation in language among policies issued by various insurers, but the intent is the same: to exclude the use of a personal auto for transporting people or property for income. However, this exclusion does not affect coverage for car pool, driver group, and share-the-ride arrangements.
​Feel free to call our office today. Most transactions such as quotes, binding and payments can be handled from the comfort of your home.

​Has it been over three years since you compared your coverages and rates?
Our agency uses the most state-of-the-art software to make sure you get all the discounts you deserve while comparing with all the many companies we have available for you.
Call us at your convenience and let us see how much money we can save you on your insurance.

Keep The Road Code
Operating a motor vehicle is the most dangerous and potentially deadly activity we do every day. In a vehicle, anything distracting a driver's hands, eyes, or mind — phones, food, friends, or control dials — becomes deadly. Take the Keep the Road Code pledge and commit to be a focused, responsible driver.
Take the Pledge
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Renters insurance provides financial protection against the loss or destruction of your possessions when you rent a house or apartment. While your landlord may be sympathetic to a burglary you have experienced, or a fire caused by your iron, destruction or loss of your possessions is not usually covered by your landlord’s insurance. Because in most cases, renters insurance covers only the value of your belongings, not the physical building, the premium is relatively inexpensive.

By purchasing renters insurance, your possessions are covered against losses from fire or smoke, lightning, vandalism, theft, explosion, windstorm and water damage (not including floods). Like homeowners insurance, renters insurance also covers your responsibility to other people injured at your home or elsewhere by you, a family member or your pet and pays legal defense costs if you are taken to court.

Renters insurance covers your additional living expenses if you are unable to live in your apartment because of a fire or other covered peril. Most policies will reimburse you the difference between your additional living expenses and your normal living expenses but still may set limits as to the amount they will pay.
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Feel free to contact our office for a no-obligation quote on Renter’s Insurance. You may be pleasantly surprised how little it costs to have peace of mind.

Do you have homeowners or renters insurance?
Recent storms are reminding folks to check what is covered – and what is not covered - when it comes to flooding and wind damage.
Fact: most homeowners’ and renters’ policies do not cover damage due to flooding. To get that coverage, you generally have to buy a separate policy through the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program, but many people skip it — even though floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. Only 18 percent of Americans have flood insurance.
Q. What’s the difference between rain damage and flooding?
A. The government defines flooding as the overflow of inland or tidal waters — including a storm surge, a mudflow, or the rapid accumulation of surface waters that can occur from a sudden rainstorm. Water leaking through the roof is not in the same category, which basically applies to water sloshing around at ground level, not raining down from above.
Q. Does insurance pay for tree removal?
A. If a tree falls and hits someone’s home, insurance companies will pay to fix the damage and remove the tree. But if it lands on the ground or on bushes it won’t be covered. You’ll have to remove it yourself.”
One exception: if the tree hits electrical wires, the local power company should take care of the removal. And if an adjuster determines that a tree fell because of a homeowner’s negligence — if, for instance, it was rotting — the insurance company might dispute the claim. (Owners of cars damaged by falling trees should submit auto insurance claims.)
Q. Is wind damage covered?
A. Damage from high winds is generally covered, but if a storm becomes a hurricane, or wind speeds exceed 74 miles per hour, the claim might be subject to a “hurricane deductible” ranging from 1 to 5 percent of insured value.
Autumn is a great time to review your insurance coverage before the Holiday Season begins. We invite you to contact our office for a no-obligation check up to uncover coverage gaps and get the discounts you deserve.

In home insurance, "Stormchaser" does not refer to people who actually track storms for scientific purposes, but a certain category of con-artist known to show up in the wake of a storm to make quick cash off of vulnerable homeowners. They promise to fix your roof, then they cash the checks from your insurer and perform a shoddy quick-fix, or simply disappear without ever fixing anything. Here's how to spot them, and how to avoid getting scammed:
Telltale Signs of a Stormchaser

• They ask to deal directly with your insurer, promising there will be "no cost to you." They like to work with the insurer so that you do not have the power to cancel payment when they do a poor job, if they do the job at all.
• Stormchasers frequently call you or even go door to door in affected neighborhoods immediately after a storm. This might not necessarily mean that you're dealing with a scammer, as many legitimate contractors go door to door to get ahead of the stormchasers.
• Stormchasers are known for their pushy sales tactics. Don't be afraid to slam the door in their face if they won't take no for an answer.
• They'll often want to go up on your roof for a "free estimate." They've been known to come back down the ladder with photos of another roof taken miles away, or may even cause damages themselves to justify repairs.

How to Avoid a Scam

• Don't hire someone just because they came to your door. Do your research and look for contractors with a reputation, with an online footprint, with plenty of reviews on the web to recommend them.
• Don't let your contractor work directly with the insurance company. File your claim, get your check, and pay your contractor from the insurance payout.
• Inspect the damages yourself so that contractors can't exaggerate their severity.

As long as you practice caution in your hiring process, you should be able to avoid getting conned by a storm chaser. When in doubt, call our agency and ask for recommendations on local contractors.

​Autumn is a great time of year to enjoy a ride on your motorcycle.
It’s also a great time to check out your insurance needs
Choosing the right insurance policy is much like choosing the right motorcycle. You want it to fit your needs and lifestyle, but at the same time be within your budget. Although most states require you to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage, other types of coverage are usually optional. Our insurance agents can tell you which laws apply in your state.
In order to find out what coverage is best for you; it is important to understand all the options available.
Call or stop by our office today for a no-obligation review of your motorcycle insurance needs.

It is not a hard task to determine whether you require comprehensive coverage for your car. However, before you make the decision to buy comprehensive coverage, you need to have a good understanding of how it works. Comprehensive coverage is intended to cover a variety of physical damage claims, such as windshield and body damage, vandalism, and contact with an animal. Here is some information about why you need comprehensive car insurance.
Do You Have a Loan on the Car?
Lenders usually require physical damage coverage on the cars they have financed to drivers. Comprehensive is usually a portion of such mandatory coverage.
When you sign the contract for a loan, you agree to protect the car against physical damage by buying both collision and comprehensive coverage. You can end up having to deal with expensive penalties if you fail to notify your lender about your insurance coverage. You should ask your auto insurance agent to add your lender as a loss payee for the car. Doing this will ensure your lender is immediately notified of the coverage in case an accident occurs.
What Is Your Level of Risk for Having a Comprehensive Claim?
If you have a high level of risk for having a comprehensive claim, you should get comprehensive auto insurance. Some factors that will put you at high risk of having a comprehensive claim include living in a tornado alley or packing your car under a half-dead tall tree every night. Indeed, any driver can benefit from this coverage. However, for some people it’s worth more than others.
You should take the time to evaluate your risks before deciding whether to get comprehensive car insurance. In general, one would file a comprehensive auto insurance claim for damage to your car caused by the following:

• Falling objects like a tree limb
• Explosions or fire
• Lightning, floods, or hail from tornadoes, thunderstorms or hurricanes
• Theft
• Vandalism and certain civil disobedience
• Hitting an animal

The higher the risk is for a comprehensive claim, the more you should consider getting the coverage.
What Is the Value of the Vehicle?
 If the value of your vehicle is high, this will help you decide whether it is worthwhile to pay for comprehensive auto insurance. If the vehicle isn’t worth much anymore, then coverage might not be worth the investment.
How Much Does Comprehensive Coverage Cost?
You will be happy to know that comprehensive coverage tends to be reasonably priced. As long as you are not considered a high-risk driver, comprehensive coverage is typically worth the price. Even an older car with minimal value is likely worth the replacement of a windshield from damage.
For more information about comprehensive coverage, don't hesitate to contact us.