insurance – Page 2 – Avant-Garde Insurance Advisors

Winter Is Coming

Yes, I am a fan of Game of Thrones. It is something my husband and I were able to binge watch in the evenings over the summer and are looking forward to watching when it airs next year.

With winter quickly approaching it is time to batten down the hatches for the looming cold temperatures and wintery precipitation.

Here is a quick list of things to check off as you prepare for winter…

Clean out gutters of any debris for proper drainage and to reduce the chance of an ice damn.
Disconnect and drain all outside hoses. If possible, shut off outside water valves.
Repair roof damage and remove tree branches that could become weighted down with ice or snow and fall on your house or your neighbor’s house.
Wrap water pipes in your basement or crawlspaces with insulation sleeves to reduce the chance of freezing.
Clean your furnace and replace the filter to reduce the chance of fire.
Have your chimney and/or flue inspected to make sure no animals are nesting there.
Test or install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace the batteries twice a year.
If your house will be unattended during cold periods, consider draining the water system.

Whether you live in a single family home, condo, or apartment be prepared for the freezing temperatures and the mounds of snow and ice to come.

By following the simple steps above you can reduce your chance of filing a home insurance claim and have a cozy winter season.

You can find more information about preparing for winter by visiting…

http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/

http://www.ready.gov/winter-weather

http://www.weather.com/safety/winter

Pamela

After an Auto Accident

Auto accidents are never fun, regardless if minor or major.

My client’s can get pretty rattled at the time of an accident.

Below are some quick and easy steps after an auto accident.

Stop immediately, but don’t obstruct traffic. Set up accident flares or warning signs if you have them.
Make sure to turn off your vehicle, to guard against fire.
Determine if anyone is injured and assist if necessary.
Call the police to file an auto accident report.
Secure the driver’s license number, make, model and other important information of other vehicles.
Take photos of driver’s license, registration, and vehicles involved, including license plates.
Secure the names and addresses of witness or other parties.
Observe your surroundings to determine direction, lanes of travel, traffic, weather conditions, to provide to your claim adjustor.
Do not accept fault of accident or attempt to make settlement at the scene.
Notify your insurance agent after the scene has be cleaned up and you are safely home.
Always, always, keep clam, don’t argue, accuse anyone or admit guilt.

If you have any questions or concerns before or after an accident consult with your insurance agent.

Insurance agents have been involved in the claim process in a variety of situations and can provide you guidance on what to expect and best practices.

Safe driving!

Pamela

Child Safety Seat and Your Auto Insurance

This weekend I went out and purchased another carseat for my soon to be 2 year old.

The carseat took up a good bit of my time this weekend. Between picking it out, unpacking it, setting it up, to installing it in my vehicle. As anyone knows with young kids, carseats are giant pain in the…

When I got into the office Monday morning one of my clients had an auto accident over the weekend. The client wanted to know what to do about the carseat that was in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

I reviewed their policy which provides coverage for the carseat. This little policy review led me on a excursion to look into more information on replacing carseats after an accident and auto insurance.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has guidelines as to when you should replace a carseat after it has been in an accident.

Check it out here… NHTSA Child Restraint Guidelines

My research then led me to another website which is chocked full of more useful information. It provides links to carseat manufacturer information and their recommendation on replacement after an accident.

Go here… Carseats for The Littles

The big pieces of information I got when I initially looked into a carseat when I was waiting for my bundle of joy to arrive was that carseats expire, there are important recalls you should stay on top of, and you should get professional assistance when picking and installing a carseat in your vehicle. The topic of replacing the carseat after an accident never really came up.

It’s good to know that some insurance companies will pay to replace the carseat if your vehicle is involved in an accident. Keep in mind that your policy may have a limitation on how much it will pay for a carseat, and a deductible may apply.

If you do have a carseat in your vehicle make sure you know when to replace it, and make sure you talk to your insurance agent about whether your policy covers the carseat after an accident.

If you do need to replace a carseat after an accident, make sure you take a picture of the carseat before you remove it from the vehicle. Also, make sure to cut the straps on the carseat so someone else does not attempt to use a compromised carseat.

Have a safe drive home with your little one!

Occupied… Rented… Unoccupied… Vacant…

I have several clients right now that have properties up for sale. All of them hope to have a favorable offer and sell the property quickly but that is not always possible.

As winter starts to approach the real estate market starts to cool down a little. So for clients hoping that their property will sell they may face the prospect of holding onto it through the winter season.

This type of situation begins the conversation I must have with clients that are facing the unknown but hoping for the best.

Are you still living at the property? Is it occupied? Do you plan to rent it? Is the home vacant? Does any one visit the property? What is your plan? When do you feel you can rent it or sell it?

Some of these questions can be challenging for a client.

Here is a brief definition of each scenario…

Occupied: It’s occupied by you or by another immediate member of your household; spouse, daughter, son, etc.

Rented: The property is rented out to an unknown individual or distant relative either temporarily until the home sells or permanently. There is a written lease agreement of some type. However, most insurance companies ask that the property be rented on an annual lease agreement.

Unoccupied: No people live at the property. It may be fully or sparsely furnished. It may only house a few items or used for storage. Any one that visited the property would be able to tell the home is not furnished for daily use. This type of scenario may lead an insurance company to believe the property is vacant.

Vacant: The property is absent of people and all contents. No visitors or occasional visitors. This is a big red flag for insurance companies and could result in swift termination of the policy.

If a client holds onto a property that is unoccupied or vacant they run the risk of not having coverage when a loss happens. The policy will specify what occupancy is acceptable under the policy. The policy will also define when coverage starts to fall away if the property is unoccupied or vacant.

No one thinks it will happen to them but during the cold months the number one cause of loss is frozen pipes bursting. If pipes burst when the home is unoccupied or vacant the claim may be denied.

I understand the strain my clients are under when they are forced to hold onto a property longer than they wish. That being said there are insurance products out there to address each of these situations.

Always err on the side of caution and call your agent to discuss your situation.

What the heck did I sign up for???

So I have been blogging for a couple weeks now. I am finding the process a little challenging. I have no experience with blogging and I’m a little anxious but I feel an immense need to do this.

Every time I post I question if I am doing this right. I am going with the theory, “Fake it ’til you make it” or maybe I am hoping after doing this for awhile I will finally feel comfortable doing it and things will take off. Who knows!

I have several reasons for blogging…

I want to enhance my relationships personally and professionally. I am naturally reserved and shy. I want to change that. I have a freak flag and I would like it to be easier for me to share it with others.
I want to grow professionally. I am branching into sales. Something I have been dancing around for several years now. I am not sure that I am good at sales but I have to try. No risk, no reward, as they say.
I love meeting new people and developing a long term relationship with my connections. It’s what makes my job fun.
I want to share what I know about my field. So little is known about the insurance industry but honestly it is very complex. And quite frankly I am a geek about insurance.

There are many other reasons but these are the big ones for me.

I thought blogging would be so easy before I began. What could be so hard about having a conversation with the internet?

As I continue this journey I want to hear from everyone. I want comments and I want feedback.

Otherwise how will I know that I am doing this right?

The Value of An Insurance Agent

Recently, I have been seeing the same quote over and over again in my daily readings. It’s in my trade journals, my social media posts, and my daily business readings. It is stirring up several thoughts and feelings that I need to voice.

As of right now, insurance agents are in an uphill battle to gain more ground as a necessity in the insurance industry. I, we are battling against the major insurance giants that spend millions of dollars on advertising to gain market share.

What few fail to realize is that not all insurance is created equal. Every insurance company is different. An insurance company has several different types of policies for the same purpose. And pricing is specific to the person requesting coverage. Insurance is not a one size fits all.

Can you imagine if your underwear was a one size fits all? What if cars were sold as, one size fits all?

Sounds kind of crazy doesn’t it? So why would insurance be one size fits all?

That being said, how is the discerning insurance buyer suppose to know what they need and execute the appropriate policy on their own? They wouldn’t and they shouldn’t have to.

That is where insurance professionals like myself come into to play. We don’t have millions of dollars to create fancy ads using a lizard with an Australian accent. What we have is knowledge and experience and your best interests at heart. We live and breathe insurance on a daily basis. Our job is to help you determine your needs and get you the right policy at a price you can afford.

So what is this quote that is bring all of this to the forefront…

“Premium is what you pay, value is what you get.”

What value is your insurance company providing you?

Insurance for Older Homes

I visited Evergreen Museum yesterday. I was able to take a self-guided tour of the museum. It was amazing to see the details of the home up close and personal. The design of older homes is just amazing.

As part of the tour I learned why you should consider Chubb Insurance Group to insure your older home.

Do you know the differences between a Georgian home versus a Queen Anne home? The appraisers at Chubb sure do. Not only do they know the difference but they can also tell you alot about the architects and designers of those types of home, and the cost to replicate the home today. They are truely experts in their field.

If you have an older home you should consider Chubb. Call me for more information.

Chubb Insurance Group: http://www.chubb.com/personal/

Evergreen Museum: http: http://www.museums.jhu.edu/evergreen.php

Pamela

Home Inventory

Do you know how much stuff you have in your home?

Would you remember every item you currently own after a major loss?

What about the value of each of those items?

These are some pretty tricky questions, which are even tougher to answer after you experience a home fire or other catastrophe.

In an effort to help you recover after a loss you should have a home inventory or listing of all of your personal property in your home. So when a loss does happen you can relieve some of your stress and get back to normal quicker.

Insurance Information Institute (III) has come up with software that can be used via your iPhone or Android to document your personal property, and it’s free!

This software should even be used by individuals that own a condo or rent. The value of your personal property is the driving force of policy premium. Having an idea how much stuff you have will help narrow down a premium faster.

Information on conducting a home inventory, and instructions on getting the software can be found by visiting, http://www.knowyourstuff.org/iii/login.html.

Check it out today!

Coach… yummy!

It’s official… I have my first Coach purse! It looks so pretty and it has that new smell. Its so sleek and stylish. Eeeek! See for your self.

Are you jealous? I would be if I were you and didn’t have a Coach purse. Lol!

Truth be told and I am a fashion nut. I subscribe to like 5 fashion magazines. And when I receive them I go through them religiously. My husband always teases me about my expensive taste, which means I have to remind him of his expensive taste. He did pick me, right? And you can’t forget his collection of fishing rods, reels, and the several tackle boxes full of fishing gear. (Baby, see I’m learning the lingo…)

So now I have another purse but not any purse… A Coach! She will go right next to my Guess and Jessica Simpson purses.

Now here is the lesson….

This precious purse is an investment, despite the fact that I got it 80% off. I would like to protect my investment. I know a major way do to so… homeowners insurance. Your homeowners insurance policy should have replacement cost coverage for contents, so that when my precious Coach bag is lost or damaged my homeowners policy will pay the full price to replace it.

Time to go show off my new stylish, Coach purse.

Pamela