The 2019 Hurricane Season begins on June 1st, and our agency wants to remind consumers that now is the time to check and see if your homeowners, renters, or business insurance policy is sufficient enough to cover the potential damage this hurricane season could bring.
Residents who live in coastal counties face the most danger when a hazardous storm or hurricane strikes. However, as we have seen the last two years, people living inland could face heavy rain, very strong winds, and even flooding.
It is recommended you contact our agency to check in on your homeowners, business, or flood insurance policy. Remember, flood insurance policies take 30 days to go into effect.
There are several steps to take if you decide to purchase an insurance policy this hurricane season:

1. It is important that you make a list of your covered items (furniture, electronics, appliances, valuables, etc.). This list should include pictures of the items as well. A written (with copies of the photos) and electronic version of the list is recommended. It is also advised that you keep the written record somewhere outside of the home or business, such as a safety deposit box. The electronic version should be saved in your email or stored on Dropbox. Having an accurate, up-to-date record of your valuables is essential when filing a claim after a catastrophic storm.
2. Consider Purchasing Flood Insurance. You can purchase up to $250,000 in federally backed flood insurance from the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) for your home and up to $500,000 for your business. Some items that are covered in a policy from the NFIP include but are not limited to: your home and its foundation, electrical and plumbing system, air conditioning unit, furnace, water heater, refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, window blinds, and removal of debris.
3. If your community participates in the NFIP, a flood insurance policy can be purchased from any state-licensed property and casualty insurance company or agent. Our agency can confirm whether or not flood insurance is available to you and what pricing options you have. Or, consumers can check the NFIP’s Community Status Book to see if they can purchase a policy in their location.
4. Decide whether or not you would like actual cash value coverage or replacement cost coverage.
5. Actual cash value coverage will grant you only the current value of an item when you file a claim. To put it simply, you will get only “used” prices for your electronics, furniture, appliances, etc. On the other hand, replacement cost coverage will grant you enough money to purchase new items that were lost or damaged.

Anyone with questions about a policy can contact our agency for a no-obligation review of all your insurance needs.

When atmospheric conditions are right, tornadoes can strike with little warning and cause grave amounts of damage in a very short time. These tips can help minimize your risk and keep you and your family safe.
What is a tornado?
A tornado—also known as a twister—is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm and comes into contact with the ground. Tornado intensity is measured by the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which rates tornadoes from 0 through 5, based on the amount and type of wind damage.
How common are tornadoes?
An average of about 1,000 tornadoes are reported nationwide each year. Twisters are more common in the central United States, though they can occur almost anywhere in North America, including in large cities.
Tornadoes can happen at any time of year or at any time of the day or night, though they happen most frequently between early spring and July, and between the hours of 4pm and 9pm.
What are the warning signs of a tornado?
Signs that a twister is coming include:

• Dark greenish skies
• Large hail
• Dark, rotating, low-altitude cloud
• Loud roar, like a train

Despite the fact that meteorologists are now better able to predict them, tornadoes can strike with little warning. Therefore, it's best to be prepared well before a tornado approaches. For tips, handy checklists (including ones you can personalize yourself) and planning advice to cover a variety of situations, get the I.I.I.’s Know Your Plan app. It's a great tool to help get you and your family—including pets—organized and ready to act more quickly if disaster strikes.
In communities with a history of tornado activity, there may be a tornado warning siren and/or a digital messaging system to alert residents that there is a twister coming and that they should seek proper shelter immediately.
What's the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
Both tornado watches and tornado warnings are issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/ National Weather Service. However, there are critical differences between the two alerts.

• A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop. Be alert to changes in the weather, account for all family members, and listen to local radio and TV stations for updated storm information. Move cars inside and keep car and house keys with you. If time permits, move lawn furniture and equipment inside to minimize flying debris. If a tornado siren sounds, stay inside and take cover.
• A tornado warning means a tornado has actually been spotted or is indicated on weather radar in your area. This means danger is imminent and you may only have seconds to take cover.

Fraud always plagues the insurance sector while insurance consumers often view the problem far less seriously. There is a similarity with how individuals view tax fraud. Regardless any justification, many feel that “cheating” on taxes or insurance claims may be acceptable because they consider both as unnecessary and unwelcome financial burdens.
However, insurance fraud victimizes both insurance companies and their customers, saddling both groups with substantial, measurable costs.

• On the insurance company side, fraud drains time and resources. Every insurance company must commit a high level of its resources to combat fraud. It takes time and personnel to investigate suspicious claims, it must pay out losses on claims that it can’t prove invalid, it often must create and maintain special investigative units with related costs, and it must invest in new ways to keep up with new schemes.
• Customers are hurt by fraud in different ways too. One cost is the increase in premiums caused by insurance company efforts to recoup their higher cost of business. I think that insurance claimants are harmed by the, sometimes, hostile approach that insurers feel they need to use to ferret out fraud. That aggressive posture creates tension and problems for those with legitimate claims.

Insurance fraud refers to lying to or deceiving an insurer to make money or to illegally secure insurance. Some common fraud schemes include:

• "padding" (inflating the true amount of) a claim
• lying or hiding (concealing) important information when applying for insurance
• lying or hiding (concealing) important information when reporting a loss
• submitting false claims
• "staging" accidents
• failing to report recovered property
• faking theft claims
• committing (home or vehicular) arson for profit

Because of the costs associated with fraud, consumers should have an interest in the role they can play in reducing the impact of fraud.
You can help reduce the rising cost of insurance by reporting suspected insurance fraud to our agency. We’ll make sure to put you in touch with folks who will investigate the situation for you.

​ Essentially insurance is offered on a package basis, meaning that there is coverage for physical property as well as protection against the legal and financial consequences of injuring others or damaging property that belongs to others.
Property Coverage - Typically a boatowners policy covers:

• Boats - Refers to property designed to travel on water and includes sails, its permanent equipment, spars and fittings.
• Boating Equipment - Includes a wide variety of property that is used in conjunction with boats and it includes accessories. Items considered as equipment are property used for communication (radios), navigation, sonar, radar, outboard motors, dinghies, skis and sports equipment (recreational flotation devices) that are towed by boats and similar property. As a rule of thumb, the more related an item is to the ownership and use of a boat, the greater the justification to classify it as boating equipment.
• Boat Trailers - Trailers used (and designed) for transporting boats (as defined by the policy).

This property must be owned by the person who is named as the policyholder. There are limited instances when such property that is temporarily in the policyholder’s possession also qualifies for coverage.
Items and situations that aren’t covered include boating property that is used in business activity, losses that involve races or competitions (an exception is made for sailboats) and boats that are used, full-time, as residences.
Liability Coverage - Besides protecting boating property, a boatowners policy also responds to claims or lawsuits caused when another person is injured, and /or when another person’s property is damaged or destroyed. An example would be a collision where the owner of a large speedboat collides with a person on a jet ski, seriously injuring the rider and demolishing the jet ski. The policy would handle both portions of such a loss. The liability portion would also provide a legal defense against lawsuits.
Another important coverage under the liability section is medical payments. This provides reimbursement for, typically, emergency or immediate medical treatment expense. Consider a person who slips on a boat deck and needs transportation to an emergency for treatment of a broken bone or concussion. Such costs would qualify under medical payments.
As is the case with property coverage, there are liability situations that are NOT covered by a boatowners policy, including losses that involve business activity, transmission of communicable disease, unauthorized operation of boating property, intentional acts, and criminal activity.
Boating property is a substantial investment and boatowners coverage is an efficient, affordable way to guard against accidental losses.

​Did You Know?
Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States, affecting every state. Flooding can be caused by storms, dams or levees breaking, new development changing how water flows above and below ground, snow-melt and much more.
Do You Need Flood Insurance?
Here are some important facts to keep in mind:

• FACT: Homeowners and renters insurance does not typically cover flood damage.
• FACT: More than 20 percent of flood claims come from properties outside high-risk flood zones.
• FACT: Flood insurance can pay regardless of whether or not there is a Presidential Disaster Declaration.
• FACT: Disaster assistance comes in two forms: a U.S. Small Business Administration loan, which must be paid back with interest, or a FEMA disaster grant, which is about $5,000 on average per household.  By comparison, the average flood insurance claim is nearly $30,000 and does not have to be repaid.

It’s easy to see that having flood insurance provides important recovery help.
Our agency can help you understand more about this important coverage. Stop by or call … we’re here for you!

​If you have just married or will soon, you are likely facing some complex insurance decisions. Getting smart about the insurance implications of combining lives and households can help you secure "happily ever after," and perhaps even save money. To get smart about insurance together without tearing each other apart, you need resources.
Home is where the heart is …

• New home or fixer-upper: A renovation investment of $5,000 or more can change a home's replacement value and your insurance needs. As you research coverage for your first home together, think about what the structure offers today... and tomorrow.
• Where to live: Location, location, location doesn't only affect a home's resale value. Your address also impacts insurance rates, as does your home's construction type and square footage. Do your homework before crossing the threshold.

You have enough details to worry about without adding to the stress by searching for insurance. Let our agency do the searching for you. We represent many fine companies and can find affordable coverage customized for your insurance needs.
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