Auto Insurance

When you buy an auto insurance policy, you are buying a package of individual coverages. Each “coverage” protects you against different types of losses. Once you understand the various coverages, you can decide which ones to include in your personal insurance package. You can also determine the limits of coverage you will need. The following are some common coverages found in an auto policy. NOTE - Your policy may not contain all of these coverages.

Bodily Injury (BI) Liability Coverage pays up to the coverage limits for damages due to injury or death of others in a vehicle accident for which you or the operator of your vehicle are legally responsible. It also pays your legal defense costs. In most states this coverage is mandatory.

Property Damage (PD) Liability Coverage pays up to the coverage limits for another individual's vehicle or property that has been damaged in an accident for which you or the operator of your vehicle is legally responsible. In most states this coverage is also mandatory.

Medical Payments Coverage pays up to the coverage limits for reasonable and necessary doctor, hospital and funeral expenses for you and your passengers injured or killed in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. Payments are usually limited to one to three years after the accident. This coverage is optional in most states without no-fault insurance systems.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists (UM/UIM) Coverage pays up to the coverage limits for pain and suffering which is not covered by medical, disability and PIP. Underinsured motorist coverage pays for bodily injury to you or your family resulting from the negligence of someone whose liability insurance limits are insufficient. The definition of an underinsured motorist varies from state to state.

Collision Coverage pays, up to the coverage limits, for damage to your vehicle or a vehicle you are operating caused by a collision or rollover. This coverage is usually required if you have a vehicle loan.

Comprehensive Physical Damage Coverage pays, up to the coverage limits, for damage to your vehicle or any vehicle in your custody resulting from theft, fire, vandalism, flooding, hail or other perils (but not damage by collision or overturning). It is usually required if you have a vehicle loan.

Rental Reimbursement pays up to a specified amount for rental vehicle charges while your vehicle is being repaired for damage covered under your policy. If you prefer not to incur the cost of renting a vehicle yourself and cannot be without a vehicle while yours is being repaired, you might consider this coverage.

Boat & Yacht Insurance

According to information from the U.S. Coast Guard, property damage to boats has been increasing. Many states now require boats to be insured. If you have your boat on a loan or use a marina, you will probably also be required to insure your boat. If you are not required to insure your boat, it is important you still consider purchasing boat insurance.

Boat insurance works similar to the insurance for your car, and can protect in the same way. But since boats have different features than your car, you will want to make sure you have all the coverages you need and any savings that may lower your premium.

Insurance coverages you will want for your boat:

• Liability
• Physical Damage
• Theft
• Medical Payments
• Motor Coverage
• Trailer Coverage
• Boat Covers
• Docking Fenders
• Communications Devices

Discounts you may be entitled to:

• New Boat
• Automatic Fire Extinguisher
• Burglar Alarm
• Ship-To-Shore Radio
• Approved Boating Education Course

Remember, since every boat is unique please make sure you check with us to see if you need any additional coverages or would be eligible for additional discounts.

Condominium Insurance

Condominiums and townhouses have special insurance needs. They don't need as much insurance as a house, but owners have more to insure than a renter. The insurance needs for a condo owner include personal property and liability coverage. Special policies for condominium owners, known as form HO-6, will provide the liability and personal property protection a condominium owner needs.

As a condominium owner, one needs to insure not only their personal possessions in the condo, but also any built in units such as cabinets, fixtures, appliances and shelves. In addition to covering the personal property, a condo owner also needs liability coverage. The liability portion of the policy would cover injuries or damage to people or property that the condo owner would be liable for.

Below is a checklist of the top four questions to consider when choosing a condominium insurance policy:

1. What are your ownership and insurance responsibilities in the condo association's Master Deed (the insurance requirements the association expects from you)?

Almost all associations have a master policy insurance that covers you for the actual structure and common elements such as a swimming pool or tennis court owned by all unit owners. The association documents and the master policy spell out very specifically where common areas end and where your unit starts. In some cases, for example, your unit may start inside the wallboard. In others, the wallboard may be considered part of your unit.


2. Does the policy you are considering include broad water damage coverage for problems such as sewer and drain back-ups?


3. Does your condo association provide comprehensive or blanket coverage to protect you against other condo owners who may not have adequate coverage?


4. Do you have expensive personal items such as jewelry or furs that you may need additional personal property coverage for?

Flood Insurance

Floods can happen at anytime or anywhere. Even in the same place twice. Floods are the leading natural cause of property damage. Four times more homes are destroyed by flood than by fire, causing over $2 billion in property damage every year.

You don't have to live by water to be at risk. Approximately 30% of all flood claims occur in low to moderate risk areas. Homeowner insurance does not cover flood damage, but Federal Flood Insurance does. Flood insurance also covers mudflow, dirt and debris resulting from moving water.

Homeowners with mortgaged property in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) are now required by federal law to obtain flood insurance. Lenders must comply by requiring flood insurance on the outstanding mortgage balance for the life of the loan.

Fortunately, Flood Insurance is affordable, though, flood damage is not. The average loss of property and contents from the 1993 Midwest flood was more than $25,000. Compare this to the average annual flood premium of about $300 per year.

Your coverage is based on your home's value, minus your land value. Flood Insurance up to $250,000 is available for residential buildings and also the option of up to $100,000 for contents. Since flood policies are backed by the US government, all valid claims are 100% guaranteed.

There is a 30 day waiting period for flood insurance, so the best way to protect your home is to act now, before the flood comes. Remember, just because you experience a flood disaster, that doesn't mean you have to experience financial ruin.

If you should have any questions regarding Flood Insurance, or we can assist you with a quote, please feel free to contact our office.

Homeowner's Insurance

For many of us our home is our most valuable possession. The time to think about the unthinkable disaster is before it happens to you. If your home were damaged or destroyed, insurance can help you repair or rebuild your home and replace damaged possessions.

The main purpose of insurance is to protect you against losses you cannot afford. Few people have the financial resources to rebuild their homes. In addition to protecting your home and possessions, homeowners insurance also provides liability coverage to protect you from financial ruin if someone is injured on your property and sues for damages.

A homeowner’s insurance policy consists of coverage for your dwelling and your personal property. It also includes liability insurance which pays for injuries to other people or damages to their property accidentally caused by you, your family or your pets. You also can buy several types of additional insurance for property that is not listed in your homeowner’s policy or for perils not covered — such as flood — for which you need a separate policy. You do this by either buying a separate policy or by adding an endorsement or rider to your policy.

Tips for Keeping Your Rates Low

There are some simple steps you can take to reduce your homeowner’s premiums.

• Raise Your Deductible - A deductible is the amount you pay before the insurance starts to pay for your loss. Since the purpose of insurance is to pay for the losses you cannot afford, raise your deductible to a limit that you could handle in case of a loss.


• New Home - If your home is less than 10 years old, you may be eligible for a new home discount.


• Make Your Home Safer - You may be eligible for a discount if you have a burglar and fire alarms systems and/or sprinkler systems. Monitored systems will earn a bigger discount than unmonitored systems.


• Construction Material - When you buy a home, look for fire-resistant construction, such as brick, masonry or rock. You may pay a lower premium for hail-resistant roofs, such as those made of concrete tile, while wood roofs may bring a surcharge. Check the location of the nearest fire department, and avoid buying in flood prone areas. Non-Smoker Discounts

Manufactured Home Insurance

Manufactured home insurance provides coverage for your mobile home, garage or shed, and your personal belongings. It may also provide financial protection in case you unintentionally injure someone or damage their property.

Having the right insurance helps you protect one of your most valuable assets – your home.

Fire. Theft. Windstorms. These are risks you face every day as a mobile home owner. You are also at risk in case someone gets hurt while at your home, or you accidentally damage someone else's property.

Mobile home insurance offers peace of mind in knowing that your finances won't suffer if unexpected events like these happen.

Do you have a mortgage on your mobile home? The financial institution that holds your mortgage may require you to have mobile home insurance.

Similar to conventional home insurance, mobile home insurance protects you in four basic ways:

• Enables you to repair/replace or get actual cash value for your mobile home usually depending on age.
• Allows you to replace your personal belongings if they are destroyed, stolen or damaged
• Covers injuries that happen to other people or their property while in your home.
• Covers your additional living expenses if you're forced to leave your home because of a claim.

Before purchasing mobile home insurance, consider the following questions:

• What would it cost to replace your mobile home?
• What would it cost to replace the contents of your mobile home?
• Do you have an inventory and photographs of your personal possessions?
• What kind of protection do you have against liability claims?
• Do you have items that should be insured with special coverage such as jewelry, cameras, collectibles etc?
• Does your mobile home have a fire extinguisher, deadbolt locks or other money-saving safety features?

Motor Home and RV Insurance

A common practice for RV owners is to insure their RV under their current auto policy. But too often the owner does not take the time to read what and how much is covered under their auto policy. In many instances, RV’s covered under auto policies are not adequately covered.

One misconception RV owners have is that the personal property in their RV will be covered under their homeowners policy. This is true, but, coverage on personal property is limited when the property is kept somewhere other than the “residence premises.” Often the limit in a standard policy is very low and the usual policy deduction would apply.

To insure proper and adequate coverage, a RV owner should add a separate RV coverage to their current auto policy or secure a policy specifically for RV's

If the RV owner’s insurance carrier does not have this type of coverage available, there are insurance companies that specialize in RV coverage. Usually the cost is minimal, especially compared to the alternative of finding out the RV and its possessions are not covered after a loss occurs.

Motorcycle Insurance

Motorcycle Insurance typically offers a combination of collision, liability, theft, and related coverage designed specifically to meet the needs of motorcycle owners. If you own a motorcycle—whether you ride it or not—you need this coverage to protect you from theft, collision, and other common exposures. Some of the items that may affect premiums:

• Your driving record where you keep your cycle (in the open or in garage), your credit record, how many years you have been driving a motorcycle, your age previous cycle coverage
• Anti-theft devices

ATV Insurance

Most states don't require ATV insurance and you may have limited coverage if you have a homeowner’s policy. If you have an ATV we urge you to contact us and let us review your specific policy to determine whether you need a separate ATV Policy.

Many insurance companies offer discounts to help lower your premium such as:

• A discount for completing and approved ATV safety course.
• A discount for owning and insuring multiple ATVs.

Renters Insurance

Even though you don't own your own home you have personal property that can be lost to fires, burglaries and even lawsuits.

While most homeowners are insured for these risks, many renters are not. No one requires renters to buy insurance to protect their personal property, so many do not.

The first time most people think about property insurance is with their first home since it is required by the mortgage company. Although renter's insurance is usually not required, it is just as necessary to have. Not only will it protect your personal items, but it will also help with temporary housing and liability protection, such as medical expenses for people on your property or a lawyer if you are sued by someone unintentionally injured by you.

If the ceiling in your apartment is damaged by a storm, the ceiling is covered by your landlord. But what about your new stereo and TV that was also damaged? Also, while the ceiling is being fixed, do you have enough money to immediately find another place to stay? These are the types of things that would be covered by your renter’s insurance policy.

Renters insurance can help you pay for repairing or replacing personal property that is damaged, destroyed or stolen. It may also cover most lawsuits or claims against you if you are responsible for injuring others or damaging their property.

Umbrella & Excess Liability Coverage

Homeowners, auto, and watercraft policies have a limit on liability insurance. If an unfortunate accident should happen that is your fault, do you have enough liability insurance from your current policies to cover your costs for negligence? Since no one can predict how much a judge may award the injured person, umbrella insurance is not just for the wealthy anymore, but a needed protection for every policyholder.

Umbrella insurance is designed to give one added liability protection above and beyond the limits on homeowners, auto, and watercraft personal insurance policies. With an umbrella policy, depending on the insurance company, one can add an additional 1-5 million in liability protection.

This protection is designed to “kick-in” when the liability on other current policies has been exhausted.

Liability insurance is the portion of a homeowners or auto policy that pays for expenses such as the injured persons medical bills, rehabilitative therapy, and lost wages due to the negligence of the at fault person. The liability portion of an insurance policy also covers a legal defense representative if the negligence would happen to land the at fault person in the court room. After adding up all of the medical expenses for the injured and the legal fees of the negligent person, the standard liability in one’s homeowners or auto policy is often not enough. Almost every state has financial responsibility laws that will hold drivers accountable for bodily injury and property damage resulting from car accidents and the “at fault” driver could be sued for the damage. Personal assets from the “at fault” driver could be seized resulting from a lawsuit. Similar laws are also in force for home and watercraft owners.

There is good news. A personal liability umbrella insurance policy can give one added liability protection without a large added cost. Additional liability insurance is often inexpensive, especially compared to the added coverage one gains. Furthermore, liability insurance covers one’s non-business activities anywhere in the world. Having the added protection of a liability umbrella policy is coverage no one should go without.