How do I choose the right insurance company when there are so many to choose from?

With such a large selection to choose from, it can be hard to know which insurance company is right for you. Many people revert to shopping based solely on price or they rely on recommendations from friends and family to evaluate which insurance company to go with. But your decision should be based on more than just cost or a recommendation from a loved one. Let’s take a look at how you can choose the right insurance company for your needs without having to spend hours of research.

Rankings

The results of consumer surveys are easy to find online and often offer more reliable information than individual online reviews. These surveys are generally in-depth inquiries into specific sectors of a market. Those responding to the survey will be asked several questions about their satisfaction with the insurance company and how much they pay for their various policies. You can even get insights on the best insurance company for specific issues such as claims satisfaction, availability of discounts, or customer service. Consumer survey results are available for many types of insurance including auto, home, health, and life.

Financial Stability

If an insurance company is weak financially, then there could be issues with paying incoming claims. That’s especially a concern if there’s a natural disaster and the company is hit with a large number of claims in a short amount of time. Financial stability ratings are available online and it’s worth doing some homework, especially if you’re considering going with a smaller or lesser-known insurance provider.

Payment Plans

Different insurance companies take a different approach to payments. It’s best to look for a company that offers multiple payment plans. Some of the more flexible insurance companies offer discounts for automatic withdrawals or paying the premium in full. Likewise, beware of companies that charge excessive fees with each monthly payment as those costs can add up over time.

Buying Online vs Purchasing From an Independent Agent 

There are many big-name insurance companies that saturate the media with advertisements and commercials touting how much you can save in very little time. But these companies are not always the best option. While you may see and hear a lot less about independent agents, they offer some unbeatable benefits. These insurance professionals will take the time to understand your personal insurance needs and offer advice on which insurance companies are best for you. Independent agents have access to multiple insurance companies and they can effectively shop around for a policy that matches precisely what you’re looking for.

The best way to get more information on the best insurance company for you is to ask a licensed agent in our office. We can assist you with assessing your insurance needs and provide you with some quotes from several of the top insurance companies.

Call Us Today For A Free Consultation

Our licensed staff is ready to help you get multiple insurance quotes. Because we’re an independent insurance agent we can shop from multiple insurance companies to help you find the right coverage at the right price.

It is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,142 lives were lost from distracted driving accidents. This increased 10% from 2018.

What is considered distracted driving? Any time you cannot have 100% full attention to driving your vehicle is considered distracted driving. Behaviors can range from talking on the phone, texting, talking to a passenger in your vehicle, eating, brushing your hair, adjusting settings in your vehicle or playing with your vehicle’s GPS while driving your vehicle. Unfortunately, distracted driving is more common than it should be.

Take this month to practice safe driving by eliminating any of the previously mentioned behaviors while driving. This will not only make you a safer driver, but keeps other vehicles on the road safer too.

Cell Phone Use

Cell phone use can be one of the most dangerous behaviors while driving a vehicle. Sending a text message while driving can take your eyes off the road for several seconds. Talking on the phone also creates enough distraction while driving. Here are some things to consider practicing this month –

• Keep your phone in the back seat when driving to avoid looking at it, texting or talking. You could also consider other areas of your car like your trunk or glove box. If the glove box is tempting, place it farther away from you like the back seat or trunk.
• There are options to put a do not disturb setting on your phone while driving. This can help eliminate the distraction.
• Make phone calls or texts before or after driving your vehicle.
• If you are riding with a passenger, let the passenger be in charge of your phone for calls or texts.

Be Aware of Other Distracted Driving Behaviors

Do you find yourself eating in the car often? Grooming? Frequently fiddling with your entertainment system? Reaching in the back seat dealing with children? If you are guilty of these behaviors, how can you work to eliminate them?

Be a Good Role Model

Especially if you are a parent to children, you should demonstrate how to be a safe driver. Children see what you do and can easily follow in your footsteps. Cell phone use can be one of the most dangerous behaviors so practice never using your cell phone while driving. If you do not have kids, keep others you love accountable. Not only demonstrate safe driving practices while you are behind the wheel, but call out any of their behaviors you feel are unsafe while in the passenger seat.

While our agents cannot teach out how to practice safe driving, we can shop to find you the best rate for your auto insurance. Call our office for a free auto insurance quote. We’ll shop our carriers and provide you with several quotes to choose from. We’ll explain your coverage options too.

The auto insurance industry landscape is changing as more companies embrace emerging technology. No longer are auto insurance rates based solely on your age, marital status, where you live, or the number of violations that you have. Instead, some companies are also basing their rating structures on how you drive, when you drive, and even where you drive. These models are often called Usage Based Insurance (UBI) or Pay-Per-Mile Insurance (PPMI) programs. And the adoption rates of these new rating variables varies across insurance companies. Some base their rates almost entirely on these new metrics whereas others have been slower to shift from traditional rating structures. Details regarding the type of data collected and the methods of data collection for these new programs are below:

Type of Data Collected:

Most insurance companies collect a wide range of data for their UBI programs. Some of the most common of these variables include the following:

• Hard Brakes/Hard Acceleration: Hard braking or fast accelerations are signs of aggressive driving which data suggests increases the likelihood of being involved in an accident. Maintaining assured clear distance with the cars ahead of you and accelerating smoothly are ways to ensure this variable doesn’t increase your premium.
• When You’re Driving Data suggests that between midnight and 4am are the riskiest times to be on the road. So, if possible, avoid late night driving when participating in a UBI program.
• How Much You’re Driving, The more you’re on the road, the higher the chances that you’ll be involved in an accident. Those with low annual miles tend to get the most favorable rates from UBI programs.

Data Collection Methods

You might be wondering how insurance companies even get access to your driving behavior data. There are two primary data collection methods:

• Proprietary Apps – Some insurance companies have created their own proprietary app which customers download to their phones for purposes of recording driving behavior. The app uses the technology embedded in the phone to collect hard brakes, GPS, date/time, etc and then wirelessly sends that data to the insurance company.
• Plug-In Devices –  Every car manufactured since 1996 has an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port which allows for real-time monitoring of the vehicle. Some insurance companies have created a device that a customer can plug into this port. The device then collects the vehicle information and wirelessly sends that data to the company.

The best way to determine whether a UBI program is best for you is to ask a licensed agent in our office. We can assist you with assessing your insurance needs and provide you with some quotes from several of the top insurance companies.

Get A Quote For Your Auto Insurance Today

Our licensed staff is ready to help you get multiple insurance quotes. Because we’re an independent insurance agent we can shop from multiple insurance companies to help you find the right coverage at the right price.

Jewelry is often one of the most valuable belongings in your home and, for this reason, it’s something you may want to consider insuring. Most pieces of jewelry can be fragile, easily lost, and they are among the first items stolen during burglaries. But most people still fail to insure expensive pieces of jewelry with high sentimental values.

Below is some general information to help you understand how much jewelry insurance can cost and the different ways that you can purchase insurance for some of your most precious belongings.

Homeowner Insurance

One common way to insure jewelry is on a homeowner’s insurance policy. Usually adding your jewelry to your home insurance will cost you extra. Homeowners insurance rates will vary based on the amount of coverage you choose for your home, the location, age, and condition of your home, and other factors like your marital status and even your credit score.

Most home policies don’t automatically cover your jewelry. You’ll need to ask for an endorsement to your policy to cover your jewelry. And, as jewelry is a high-value item and is often stolen or lost, you’ll see a separate amount of coverage for it on your policy.

The cost of jewelry insurance can vary but typically it’s between 1% – 5% of the total value of your jewelry collection.

The different home insurance coverage options

When it comes to comparing home insurance, there are many different options to choose from. Some of the most common options that you will want to consider when taking out a policy include:

• HO-3 Insurance – This is the most popular type of insurance and, if you have a mortgage, you are often required to have at a minimum this level of coverage.

This type of policy will cover any damage to your home, apart from any exclusions in the policy, which might be events such as floods or earthquakes.

As for the coverage for your belongings, this policy is commonly referred to as a Named Peril policy. On an HO-3 policy, your belongings will only be covered for events listed in your policy. Also, you typically will only be reimbursed for the actual cash value of your belongings rather than the true replacement cost.

• HO-5 Insurance – If you are looking for more holistic coverage, then this type of policy provides more extensive coverage than an HO-3 policy.

HO-5 insurance provides the same amount of protection for your home as an HO-3 policy. But for your belongings, HO-5 is commonly referred to as an Open Peril policy. This means that rather than only covering your belongings for perils that are named in the policy, your belongings will be covered for everything unless a peril is specifically excluded in the policy.

An HO-5 policy will also reimburse you for replacing your belongings if lost or stolen rather than only providing the actual cash value of your property.

The best way to get more information on jewelry insurance is to ask a licensed agent in our office. We can assist you with assessing your insurance needs and provide you with some quotes from several of the top insurance companies.

Get A Quote For Your Jewelry Insurance Today

Our licensed staff is ready to help you get multiple jewelry insurance quotes. Because we’re an independent insurance agent we can shop from multiple insurance companies to help you find the right coverage at the right price.

Avoiding Frozen Pipes

When the temperatures drop in the winter, there is a possibility that your water pipes could freeze. Since water expands when it freezes, there is a chance that a pipe could burst, which could cause major damage to your home. To avoid this from happening, install frost-proof hose bibs, find and wrap exposed water pipes and keep garage doors closed.

Driving in the snow and ice

Auto accidents during the winter are often related to slick roads and driving in poor weather conditions. Whether you live in a climate that gets yearly snow and icy roads or you are traveling to a climate that does, every driver should have the knowledge for driving in these conditions.

A few things to consider:

• If your vehicle starts to slide on the road, take your foot off the gas until you regain traction. While it can be natural to want to slam on your brakes, try not to do this.
• Make sure your vehicle has plenty of windshield washer fluid. The last thing you want to do is run out of fluid on muddy, frozen roads and have it impact your visibility.
• Always check weather conditions. If conditions are bad and you still have to make your trip, allow yourself extra time to get to your destination. This allows you to drive slower as well as give yourself more distance between other cards on the road.

Liability concerns regarding ice or tripping hazards in your driveway

With more people doing home delivery for groceries, gifts and other necessities during the pandemic it is important to keep your delivery area clear of hazards. Avoid being held liable for a slip and fall injury claim by keeping your driveway and stairs clear of hazards for your delivery drivers. Keep extension cords tucked safely away, make sure steps and driveways are free of ice and slippery surfaces are scrubbed clean. A huge thank you to delivery drivers everywhere.

Review your policy

Life changes, so should your insurance policy. If you need an agent to review your current insurance policy, reach out to us! There are many scenarios where an update to your insurance policy may be necessary. Items such as a kitchen remodels, a big-ticket purchase like jewelry, art, collectibles or antiques or if you are driving less to name a few. If you are shopping prices or want to change your coverage, reach out to us. We can shop all our insurance carriers and help you find a policy that suits your budget and coverage requirements. We will always explain your coverage options too.

Watching for rodents

Rodent damage isn’t always covered by your home insurance policy. Rodents are always looking for a warm place during the winter months and likely would prefer to enter your home if given the opportunity.

Here are a few tips:

• Cover all holes and gaps in your crawlspace by checking your screens and access panels.
• Never store food in your garage or crawlspace. Also leave your pet food in a safe place. It can be stored high on racks or in an airtight container.

If you suspect a rodent may be in your crawlspace, consider calling a professional to come out and look.