Summer Travel Safety

On the heels of my Yard Sale Preparation post - which received some positive feedback - here's some more tips for something else many of us will be planning to do this summer: Travel. To minimize the chances your vacation turns out like anything the Grizwold's experienced in the National Lampoon's Vacation series of movies; consider these tips:

For Your Car:

1) Check it over. Check the tire pressure; oil and coolant levels; air-conditioning system; and even power-steering and wiper fluid levels. Many oil change and auto repair shops will do this (sometimes free, sometimes for a nominal fee) - and it's not a bad time to just get the oil changed and tires rotated anyway while you're there. If you're handy and have the right tools at home go ahead and do it yourself. The big thing here is to do it.

2) If you're travelling with kids, do a quick double-check on the child-safety and booster seat installation.

Yard Sale Risks and Preparation

Spring time often means yard sales - Although you may not think they are a big risk, here are a few tips regarding your insurance liability.

• Have homeowners or renters insurance. Most standard home and renters insurance policies will generally provide at least $100,000 of liability coverage. This will protect against a lawsuit should someone get injured on your property. Additionally, these policies typically offer between $1,000 and $5,000 in no-fault medical coverage. 

• Consider additional insurance. Depending on the asset value, additional liability insurance or an umbrella policy, which provides more coverage, may be worth considering. Consult with me or your current insurance agent to determine which would best suit your insurance needs.

• Don’t rely on homeowners insurance if you have yard sales frequently. If you have yard sales several times a year, it’s wise to purchase a separate policy for business liability or an in-home business policy. These are available from my agency, as well as specialty insurers that sell stand-alone in-home business policies and are often quite affordable.

• Do keep pets indoors, for their safety and the safety of others. Dogs with a prior biting history or with ancestry classified as vicious are typically excluded from insurance coverage.

• Do allow enough space in between items to prevent tripping or falls. 3 feet is a good, easy guideline used in many retail stores.

• Don’t place items too close to stairs and ledges where people could fall.

• Do keep sharp objects such as knives and scissors out of reach of children.

• Before holding any type of event on your property, such as a yard sale, it’s a good idea to consult your insurance agent to discuss possible risks.

Here's to having a great and successful spring - and if you're planning a sale: good luck! Do well, but be safe and protect all you've worked so hard to accumulate with the right insurance coverage.

Contact me to see how I can help!

Insurance Tips for Home Buyers

I've been talking to a lot of people in the market for a home lately; so here's what may be a timely article that I sent out on my newsletter to my clients.

Aside from the tips I outline below; don't forget that I work with Realtors and Mortgage Brokers every day. So if you haven't chosen one yet I'll be happy to refer you to one of my trusted associates!

Many experts believe the housing market is getting ready to rebound — I hope they’re right! If you’rethinking about buying a home don’t forget to consider insurance. Would-be buyers often get pre-approved for mortgages, research school districts, and look at numerous houses before finding the “perfect” home for them. Often however, they don’t consider the insurance implications of buying a specific house. Insurance is not a one-time expense. If you have a mortgage it’s likely you will pay for insurance for the life of the mortgage, so keep insurance issues at the forefront of home-buying decisions. 

Read the tips after the break...

Bogus Auto Accidents - Know What to Look For

My monthly newsletter for my clients has so much good material in it; it's hard to not share it here too. Here's another article that appeared there. You'll receive this and much more when I become your agent!

‘Swoop and squat’
It’s no accident

No, this is not an exercise routine although it is a routine — a fairly common one designed to cause an auto accident. In 2010, The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported that questionable claims from “staged” accidents rose 46 percent between 2007 and 2009.¹ (Most recent available at time of writing.) These staged accidents cost the insurance industry billions of dollars each year.
How it happens
In this staged scenario, you’re stuck in heavy traffic on a busy highway when another car cuts off the driver in front of you forcing him to slam on the brakes. You try to stop, but there’s no time and you rear-end the vehicle. There you have it — the perfectly executed swoop and squat. The first car “swoops” in while the second car “squats” in front of you. After the “accident” everyone in the car you rear-ended files bogus injury claims with your insurance company — complaining of injuries that may be difficult to diagnose such as whiplash. The well organized stagers even have physical therapists, chiropractors, lawyers and auto repair technicians working together to further exaggerate their claims.
  
Similar scams to look out for:

• Drive down — You’re trying to merge into traffic when a dishonest driver slows down and waves you forward. You proceed and then he crashes into your vehicle but, of course, denies he waved you into traffic. Guess who could be at fault for the accident? You.

Why Do I Need Renters Insurance?

You come home from a dinner out with friends to find a mass of emergency vehicles blocking your entrance and your home on fire. They couldn't get there soon enough and everything is damaged: either by flames, heat, smoke, or water. How will you put your life back together?

Apartment fires, various kinds of theft, damaged valuables from a leaky drain pipe, an injury to someone in your home: all tragic and seemingly unrelated instances however they share something in common - if you don't have renters insurance you'll be left recovering from the financial fallout all by yourself.

Renters insurance is what I find to be one of the least understood and therefore has very little perceived value in the general public. So, lets look at a few quick facts on this very affordable, highly valuable coverage to understand it better.

1) Did you know that your landlord's insurance doesn't cover your valuables?

Switching Insurance Companies

So the photo isn't a direct correlation; but I think many people are as intimidated by their electrical panel as they are the prospect of changing insurance companies. It's a relatively simple task that many people agonize over; but a good agent should take care of most of this for you or at least make it very simple.  Here's a quick breakdown of how I help my clients switch their different kinds of policies to show you what to expect and just how little work is involved for you:

Auto Insurance: It is as simple as sending signed notification to the current provider of your intention to cancel your policies with them since you are changing providers.  I actually keep a form letter saved on my computer that I can fill in with your name,

Insurance for the Home-Based Business

As corporate downsizing and rightsizing continue and the Internet makes telecommuting ever more productive, an increasing number of entrepreneurs are discovering the benefits of running businesses out of their homes. Even I work from my home about half of the week! If you are looking to be your own boss, set your own hours and not worry about getting laid off, a home-based business may be the right decision for you … but make sure you and your valuable property are covered.

If you operate a retail business or office from your home, your current homeowners, renters, and personal auto insurance typically will not give you the coverage that you need. However, a home business insurance policy can help insure you, your property and your income while you grow your business and beyond. Details after the break...