Home insurance is important for both homeowners and renters. Homeowners need to purchase insurance to protect their homes and personal property. Those who rent need insurance to protect their furniture and personal property. Everyone needs protection against liability for accidents that injure other people or damage their property.
Whether you live in tornado alley, wildfire zones or along coastlines prone to flooding and hurricanes – now is the time to properly insure your home and possessions.
In recent years severe weather disasters across the country have inflicted more than $43 billion in damage. But research suggests more than half of consumers do not have an inventory of their possessions. Now is the time to make sure you have properly insured your 'stuff.'
Creating a simple home inventory helps you track what you own and what it is worth, making important insurance decisions easier.
How to create a home inventory

• Group your possessions into logical categories, i.e., by hobby, by room in your home, etc.
• Your list should include celebration purchases like jewelry and art, as well as everyday leisure items such as televisions and guitars.
• Don't forget items you use rarely such as holiday decorations, sports equipment, tools, etc.
• Pull together copies of original sales receipts and/or appraisal documents. Also note model and serial numbers.
• Carefully photograph or videotape each item and document a brief description, including age, purchase price and estimated current value. Download a home inventory checklist (PDF).
• Store your home inventory and related documents in a safe, easily accessible place online, on your computer or in a fire-proof box or safe deposit box. Consider sharing a copy with friends, relatives and your insurance provider.
  
• The NAIC’s free myHOME Scr.APP.book downloadable app lets you quickly photograph and capture descriptions of your possessions room by room, then store your inventory electronically for safekeeping. The app is available for Android devices. Click here to watch the demonstration video.
  

A home inventory can be invaluable when deciding how much insurance coverage fits your life situation and makes sure you are adequately protected should you need to file a claim. Let our agency help you in making this decision.

So, you just got married, or you just had a point taken off your record or you just improved your credit score. Your auto insurance premiums should be a little lower now, right?
Well, don't count on it.
In some cases, your car insurance provider will automatically adjust your premiums to fit your current profile. Once certain moving violations are off your record, for instance, you may see an instant change to your bill. But most factors will not result in a change until you get in touch with your insurer and let them know.
​Businesses have a lot of technology to track their customers now. If you tell your insurer that you're married, they can check with the courthouse and see if you ever filed a marriage certificate. But they don't exactly check every customer's data on a weekly basis, nor do they have a system plugged directly into your credit rating to see how you're doing in real-time.
As a general rule of thumb, it breaks down like this:

• If it's just a matter of time, then your rates will probably be adjusted automatically. Your insurer already knows when you were born, so they will typically adjust your insurance premiums accordingly each time you hit an age milestone. Likewise, points on your record typically have a built-in expiration date, and once that date is passed, they will no longer be held against you.
• If it's something you went out of your way to achieve, like an advanced driving course, an improved credit score, or you just got married, you'll probably have to call them up and let them know. In some instances, you may be required to show proof, such as a certificate of completion for that driving course. Some discounts may even involve an application process after you've completed the necessary qualifications.

All of this being said, different insurers may have different approaches to tracking your profile, so any time you're expecting your rates to go down, for any reason, it's a good idea to call our agency and keep us informed.

​Contractors or Cons?
Your home may be destroyed by a fire, flood, storm or other catastrophe. You're scrambling around to get your life back in order and you may think that things couldn't get worse. Well, they can and often do because of people who can't spell contractor without c-o-n.

The period after a serious loss is hectic, emotional and disorienting. Your major concern is to get your home repaired or rebuilt. These elements make you very vulnerable to "CONtractors" - people who specialize in victimization instead of construction and in rip-offs rather than repairs.
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Slow Down And Make Good Decisions
While you may be in a hurry to restore your loss, it is critically important to avoid persons who appear on your damaged doorstep offering to start construction. While handling a serious loss, think of taking precautions such as the following in order to avoid compounding your problems:

• Pay attention to any "feelings" you get about any contractor, particularly when they initiate contact
• Refuse to pay any money "up front"; a reputable contractor always works according to a written agreement, spelling out cost of materials, labor and other important work details
• Contact more than one contractor to get competitive estimates
• Make sure that any contractor you talk to provides references and proof that they are insured
• Check references and ask for evidence of how long the contractor has been in business
• If a local chapter is available, call the Better Business Bureau and check for complaints
• Ignore any tactics intended to pressure you into making an immediate financial commitment.

Keep in touch with our agency during such trying times. We're already committed to providing genuine help and guidance.

Yes. The Blue Book is only a guide. The company is required to pay you what your vehicle was actually worth (as a used car) the moment before the crash. The adjuster will find out how much used cars like yours (same make, model, and year) are going for in your area. It's a good idea for you to independently research the value of your car too.
Auto insurance can be confusing. That’s why our office stands ready to help you have a better understanding of your coverages. We invite you to contact our office for a no-obligation review of all your insurance needs.

To decide how much coverage and policy limits you need, you’ll need to understand the importance of replacement costs vs. actual costs:

• Actual cash value (ACV) – This method would reimburse you for your lost or damaged possessions only after accounting for the age of each item and discounting for the wear and tear – or the depreciation – that has occurred over the years to lessen its value. Usually, the ACV is lower than the market value, but premiums tend to be cheaper.
• Replacement cost value (RCV) – This would replace your possessions with similar items at their current market value, so it does not factor into depreciation. The downside is that the annual premiums for RCV policies tend to be about 10 percent higher than ACV ones. To make sure you get enough for reimbursement, your coverage should equal the full RCV of your home.

The market value, which includes the price of your land, depends on the real estate market. RCV doesn’t include the land. If your dwelling coverage drops below 80 percent of the RCV of your home, your insurance company may reduce the amount it will pay on a claim.
As you shop for a quote, our agent will ask for some basic information about your house, such as:

• Where it’s located.
• The square footage.
• When it was built.
• The type of construction.
• Roof type and age.
• Number of bedrooms, bathrooms and stories.
• Garage type (if any).
• Foundation type.
• Whether it has security systems, such as burglar alarms and smoke detectors.
• Type of heating and air-conditioning systems.

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.
And we might be able to close some coverage gaps in your current policy.
So, let us do the searching for you for free! Call our office for all your home insurance needs. 

​What is Covered
Your coverage will not kick in unless you experience a loss that is caused by a specific peril, or reason for loss, that your policy covers. For most policies, the list of covered perils includes:

• Fire, smoke, wind, hail, lightning, explosions.
• Theft or vandalism.
• Trees and other falling objects.
• Weight of ice, snow and sleet.
• Damage from an aircraft, car or vehicle.
• Water damage caused by a ruptured pipe.

What is Not Covered
Some common perils occur with such frequency and predictability in certain areas that they are subject to exclusion from basic coverage. The most notable excluded perils include:

• Floods or sewers that back up into the home.
• Land movement, including earthquakes, landslides and mudflows.
• Damage from pets, birds, rodents or insects.
• Pollution damage.
• Deliberate damage to the home.
• Normal wear and tear.

Most of these are fairly clear-cut perils, but many people get confused by the types of water damage perils, as defined by insurance companies. They make a clear distinction between sudden water damage caused by a ruptured pipe (covered) and gradual water damage caused by rising floodwaters that seep into a home (not covered).
Pulling It All Together
For far too many homeowners, insurance is just another piece of paper that is signed and filed away, rarely to be thought of again. That is, until the worst happens. People who wait until they experience a loss before analyzing their own policies are not getting the full value – maybe little value – out of their countless premium payments.
Homeowners insurance is a financial covenant, but it should also be treated as a living, breathing entity to be nurtured over time. Only by reading the policy carefully, knowing your coverage limits and updating the property inventory can you ensure that your hard-earned dollars will keep that roof over your head – and another, stronger one after that. Our agency welcomes the opportunity to help you achieve that goal.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) released an online quiz, “What the Flood!,” as part of its #YourRiskIsReal campaign, an ongoing effort to educate consumers about flood risks and the need to consider purchasing flood insurance.
The short, interactive quiz presents several insurance concepts in easy-to-understand terms. Sample questions include: “Is damage from a busted bathroom pipe and a burst levee covered by the same policy?” and “If a hurricane floods your car, do you file a claim with auto or home?”
Some erroneous beliefs about flood insurance commonly held by consumers include:

• Myth: Homeowners insurance covers damage from floods.
• Reality: Most homeowners and business insurance policies do not cover damage caused by flooding.
• Myth: FEMA assistance is just as good as an insurance policy.
• Reality: Not everyone will qualify for FEMA assistance after a disaster, and grants (averaging less than $8,000) are not enough to cover all costs after a flood.
• Myth: Flooded homes are fine once they dry out.
• Reality: Flooding can damage the foundation of a house, as well as the walls and subfloors, causing mold and other problems. Fixing the damage is expensive.

Take the quiz: https://naic.org/what_the_flood/index.html

After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for several days. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.
Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with the items on the checklist below. Download a printable version to take with you to the store. Once you take a look at the basic items consider what unique needs your family might have, such as supplies for pets or seniors.
More information at https://www.ready.gov/kit.
The safety of you & your family is first and foremost. Houses can be rebuilt especially if you have the proper insurance in place. Our agency can help you customize coverages to fit your insurance needs. Call us today, please don’t delay.