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In the event that your wallet is lost or stolen, would you have all of the credit card numbers and telephone numbers on hand to be able to call and report the card lost or stolen? It is also a good idea to create a credit card inventory sheet in the event this ever happens.

If you have recently purchased or are planning to purchase a new or used vehicle you may want to consider purchasing Gap Insurance.

What is Gap Insurance?
When you drive your new or used car off the dealer’s lot your car has most likely lost 20% of its value and you need Gap Insurance.

If you put less than a 20% down payment on your car you need Gap Insurance.

How does Gap Insurance Work?
If your car is stolen or declared a total, your insurance company will pay the actual cash value of the car. The actual cash value can be a lot different from what you still owe on your loan. Without Gap Insurance your lender will hold you responsible for paying the difference between the actual cash value and the amount left on the loan.

Not everyone needs Gap Insurance but if you think you should have it and would like more information on how it works, please give us a call and we will be happy to discuss it with you.

This discount is available to drivers in all inexperienced operator rate classes who are enrolled as full-time high school, college or university students at an accredited educational institution, and either maintain at least a “B” or “3.0” grade point average or are included on the “Dean’s List,” “Honor Roll,” or comparable scholastic achievement list.

The discount is based on rate class:

• Class 17 and 18 – 15%
• Classes 20,21,25, and 26 – 10%

lists the at-fault driver and vehicle
includes no other accidents currently being waived and applies to:

• Bodily Injury (Part 1)
• Personal Injury Protection (Part 2)
• Property Damage (Part 4)
• Optional Bodily Injury (Part 5)
• Medical Payments (Part 6)
• Collision (Part 7)
• Limited Collision (Part 8)
• Comprehensive (Part 9)

To be eligible, the student operator must have a driving record with fewer than 3 points under the SDIP plan. The student must supply a report card, transcript or certified statement from the school indicating the academic requirement was met during the semester immediately preceding the policy effective date.

The discount may not be endorsed mid-term, and must be requested before each policy renewal for which the student is eligible (based on grades and inexperienced operator classification). The Student Away at School discount cannot be selected in conjunction with the Good Student discount. The higher of the two discounts should be applied. All other eligible discounts apply.

To be eligible, the student operator may not have regular access to the covered vehicle while at school or on weekends. The discount would still apply when the student is home on breaks and summer vacation as long as they remain enrolled at the school and reside on or near campus during the regular school year.

The Student Away at School discount cannot be applied In conjunction with the Good Student discount. The higher of the two discounts should be applied. All other eligIble discounts apply.

This discount is available to drivers in all inexperienced operator rate classes who are enrolled as students and reside at an accredited educational institution located more than 100 road miles from the auto’s principal place of garaging.

The discount is based on rate class:

• Class 18 (occasional use, 3-6 years experience) – 5%
• Class 17 (principal use, 3-6 years experience) – 10%
• Classes 20, 21, 25, and 26 – 15%

and applies to:

• Bodily Injury (Part 1)
• Personal Injury Protection (Part 2)
• Property Damage (Part 4)
• Optional Bodily Injury (Part 5)
• Medical Payments (Part 6)
• Collision (Part 7)
• Limited Collision (Part 8)
• Comprehensive (Part 9)

Because of the high incidence of Identity Theft you can now obtain coverage on your homeowner’s policy to protect yourself from the high cost of restoring your name and credit.

Each year millions of Americans fall victim to Identity Theft and may spend months – even years – and their hard-earned money restoring their good names and credit records. Your doors and windows may be carefully locked, but identity thieves know no bounds.

For comprehensive tips on how to protect your good name and credit record, refer to the Federal Trade Commission.

By keeping an accurate inventory of your personal possessions you could save hundreds, even thousands of dollars at the time of a loss. If your home were burned, vandalized, or destroyed in some other way, could you remember the value of each and every item? Keeping an inventory will also help you determine how much insurance you should carry. You may be surprised by the value of your accumulated possessions.

In addition to your inventory sheets, another way to supplement your inventory is by taking a picture or video of each room in your home after you have finished cataloging the contents.

After you have your inventory complete, be sure to keep it in a safe place away from your home such as a relatives home or you can even bring copies of the inventory and pictures/video to our office for safe keeping in your file.

Why do I need a Personal Umbrella policy?

Jury awards and out-of-court settlements routinely run into hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Add to this the cost of legal fees, and the expense becomes staggering. An unexpected catastrophe could result in a large judgment against you. Without adequate protection, your current assets could be placed in serious jeopardy.

A Personal Umbrella policy could protect you against excess liability judgments for loss, injury, or even death caused by negligent acts. It is designed to provide liability protection over and above the insurance policies you currently have.

Consider the following example:

One evening a 17-year old took his parent’s car out for a drive. He crossed over a median and collided head-on with another vehicle. Two passengers in the other car were killed, and a third was seriously injured. The 17-year old driver was found negligent and ordered to pay $1.5 million to settle the injury claims. The parents had an auto policy with a $300,000 per claim liability limit. Fortunately the parents carried a Personal Umbrella policy. The auto policy paid $300,000, and the Personal Umbrella policy paid the remaining $1.2 million.

With a Personal Umbrella policy, you are covered if the limits under your primary policy are used up. Your assets, as well as your future earnings, are protected.

In today’s society, lawsuits are occurring with alarming frequency. Moreover, the monetary awards can be staggering. Your current insurance will protect you against a minor misfortune – but it probably would not give you the needed protection against a catastrophic loss.

What is Term Life?
A Term Life insurance policy is a life insurance policy where the premium stays the same for the life of the policy. Depending upon your needs and your age, you can write this policy for 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 years and your premiums will never go up during this term.

Who needs Term Life?
If something should happen to you, a Term Life policy could cover your mortgage or a childs education and leave your family with financial security.

How much does a Term Life policy cost?
The cost of a Term Life policy will be determined by your age although it is very reasonable at any age.

Residential Building Coverage
Building coverage insures a house or dwelling, attached and detached garages, as well as certain permanently installed fixtures such as built-in dishwashers, permanent shelving and cabinetry, furnaces and radiators, hot-water heaters, plumbing fixtures, stoves, ovens and refrigerators.

Residential Contents Coverage
Contents coverage insures most of your personal property and belongings, including:

• Clothing
• Furniture, housewares, bedding
• Decorative items, lamps and lighting fixtures
• Books, home electronics
• Area rugs and draperies
• Clothes washers and dryers
• Air conditioners
• Food freezers and the food in them
• Portable microwave ovens

Coverage in Basements
Flood insurance covers structural elements, essential equipment and other basic items normally located in a basement, such as:

• Unfinished drywall for walls and ceilings, including nonflammable insulation
• Electrical junction and circuit breaker boxes, and required utility connections
• Central air-conditioning units
• Furnaces, hot-water heaters, fuel tanks and the fuel inside them, and heat pumps
• Light fixtures
• Foundation elements
• Cleanup

However, flood insurance does not cover basement improvements such as finished walls, floors or ceilings or personal belongings that may be left in a basement such as furniture and other contents.

Flooding is defined as a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties from the following:

• Overflow of inland or tidal waters
• Unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source
• Mudflows
• Collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or other body of water, as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels that result in a flood.