5 Reasons to contact your insurance agent


1) You recently married

If you have tied the knot recently it may be worth while to contact your insurance agent, as premium rates are often lower for married couples. Additionally, by combining your insurance, you can often qualify for discounts such as multi-car and multi-policy.

2) You now have a teenage driver

Contact your agent to make sure you are properly insured and getting the best rate for your coverage. In addition, if your high school or college age child/children has at least a 3.0 or “B” average, they may be able to qualify for a Good Student Discount.

3) You have remodeled your home

If you have added additional structures such as a pool, shed, detached garage, etc. you should contact your homeowners insurance agent to adjust your coverage to adequately provide for these additions. Also, if you have remodeled your home in any significant manner (i.e. kitchen remodel, converting to wood floors, etc.) you may want to talk with your agent about whether or not it would be wise to increase the dwelling coverage on your policy.

4) You are considering purchasing a second home 

Fortunately, by insuring a second home with your current homeowners insurance carrier, you may qualify for a discount. However, do your homework before buying and ask your agent for quotes prior to making a purchase. Often, secondary homes serve as vacation homes and may be located on the waterfront. Insuring a waterfront property may mean you have limited options when it comes to insurance companies, and/or your rates may be far more costly than you expect. Additionally, vacation homes require a different type of coverage, as they are typically vacant for extended periods of time.

5) You have acquired valuable personal property

Your standard homeowenrs insurance policy limits the amount of coverage on certain types of personal property, and does not typically cover loss. Consider insuring items of significant value seperatley, such as jewlery, electronics, musical instruments, guns, artwork, etc.

 

Renters Insurance in Gainesville, FL


If you live in an apartment, rented condominium or rental house, renter’s Insurance provides important coverage for both you and your possessions.

WHAT IS COVERD BY A RENTER’S INSURANCE POLICY?

A renter’s policy commonly contains four sections

Personal Property: Provides protection for your personal property, such as furniture, clothing, and electronics. This coverage limit is chosen by you when you purchase the policy.

Loss of Use: Includes the relocation expenses or additional living expenses you incur when your apartment, condo or rental home is deemed uninhabitable due to a covered loss. For example, if the property you are renting  caught fire and you are required to temporarily relocate, your renter’s insurance policy will cover the cost of your living expenses, up to the amount listed in your policy.

Personal liability: Covers damages to others for which you are held liable except as limited or excluded by the policy.

Medical Payments to Others: Pays for medical expenses for minor injuries to others even if you are not at fault. The policy normally includes limits of $1000-$5000 per person.

Renters insurance policies provide protection if your personal property is damaged, stolen, or destroyed by a covered loss.  Your personal property is not the responsibility of your apartment manager or landlord unless you can prove negligence.

The named perils your renters insurance likely covers, may include, but is not limited to: Fire or lightening, windstorm, smoke, vandalism or malicious mischief, theft (even if not within your rental property – for instance, if your car is broken into), or water-related damage from plumbing, heating, or A/C unit.

Flood damage is NOT covered and requires a separate policy.    

When choosing replacement cost or actual cash value options always choose replacement cost as it pays to replace or repair personal property without depreciation being taken from the value of the property. Actual cash value would only pay what your property was worth as the time of loss.

 

Tune Up Your Auto Insurance Before Your Next Roadtrip


When we get in our cars and hit the highway for a road trip we are often excited, but unfortunately sometimes we are unprepared.  It’s great to remember to fill up and check your tires and oil, but there are a few other items you can do to reduce your risk while on the road.

“Tuning up” your auto insurance coverage is often overlooked before hitting the road. To help minimize risk on the road, consider doing the following:

1)      Check your auto insurance limits

More driving means you are at a higher risk of being involved in an automobile accident. So if you are you plan on increasing your time on the road, consider increasing your auto insurance limits as well. We recommend consulting with your insurance agent for their expert advice.

2)      If possible, add “Roadside Assistance” to your current coverage plan.

Roadside Assistance offers 24/7 emergency assistance when your vehicles. Services may include fluid delivery, tire change, battery jump, lockout assistance and towing. Keep in mind, only select auto insurance companies offer this additional coverage.

3)      If they are not already insured, consider adding or increasing coverage on any recreation vehicles you may be use while on the road.

Recreational vehicles may include, but is not limited to travel trailers, boats, jet skis, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), golf carts, etc.

4)      Consider purchasing a Personal Umbrella Policy for additional coverage

A Personal Umbrella Policy serves as a secondary liability policy that provides additional coverage above and beyond the limits of your personal auto insurance and is designed to help protect you and your assets from major claims and lawsuits.

*NOTE: Keep in mind your personal property is covered by your home or renters insurance policies, so if you do not have either of these types of policies, your personal items may not be covered in the event that they are stolen or damaged.

To learn how to properly protect your home while you are away on your roadtrip, check out our “5 Tips for Protecting you Home While on Vacation” blog.