Personal Perspective

You’re one with the road when you ride your motorcycle. However, you need to ensure your ride and your assets are protected if you ever cause or are in an accident. Know the basics of motorcycle insurance as you purchase this valuable protection.

Types of Motorcycles Covered

Standard motorcycles are covered by a motorcycle insurance policy. However, you can also use your policy to insure your specialty bike, including:

• Scooter
• Moped
• Cruiser
• Touring and sport-touring bike
• Vintage bike
• Motocross bike
• Street or sports bike
• Limited-production and custom bike
• Off-road/dual-purpose bike
• ATV

Types of Motorcycle Insurance Coverage

Unlike auto insurance, motorcycle insurance is not mandatory in every state. However, replacing your bike or paying for someone’s medical expenses after an accident can wipe out your financial assets.

A standard motorcycle insurance policy protects your assets and includes several essential coverage types.

• Bodily injury – Pay medical bills for anyone who’s injured after an accident you cause.
• Property damage liability – Cover expenses caused when your motorcycle crashes into someone’s personal property.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist – Pay for property damages, injury bills, lost wages and other expenses after a collision with a driver who does not have insurance or adequate insurance coverage.

Additionally, you may purchase several optional coverages, such as:

• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – This no-fault insurance covers the medical expenses of your passenger or pedestrians after an at-fault accident.
• Medical payments – Pay for your medical treatment after an at-fault or no-fault accident.
• Comprehensive – Replace your lost or stolen motorcycle or repair a damaged bike after vandalism, a natural disaster or other non-accidental incident.
• Collision – Repair your damaged bike and replace damaged riding apparel and helmets after a collision.
• Optional equipment – Replace customizations you make to your bike.
• Accessory – Receive up to $30,000 based on the actual cash value (original value minus depreciation) of your bike’s customized parts and equipment.
• Towing and labor – Receive a payout if you’re stranded, need a tow or break down. It also covers labor costs associated with a flat tire, dead battery, low fuel or fluids or lost key.
• Trip interruption – Cover mechanical breakdowns and receive cash for lodging, food and transportation if you file a claim while you’re on a long distance ride.

Motorcycle Insurance Costs

Your motorcycle insurance policy cost depends on your policy’s deductible and the type and amount of coverage you purchase. Factor in your riding habits and personal preferences, too. You may want increased coverage if your bike is expensive, you ride highly-populated areas or you’re an inexperienced motorcyclist.

Motorcycle insurance gives you peace of mind and protects your asset

If you want to insure a mansion or a priceless art collection, don’t be surprised if a certified thermographer shows up at your door, infrared camera in hand.

Thermal imaging cameras are among the latest high-tech tools Homeowners insurers are using to help stem losses before they become catastrophes, saving policyholders from heartbreak and companies millions in damage claims.

One major insurance company is using thermal imaging cameras for its high-value homes, letting inspectors “see” hidden hot or cool spots. A hot reading might indicate a fire hazard from an electrical malfunction, while a cool reading could come from a leak. In one case, the camera detected a cool spot in a ceiling due to a leak caused by a faulty 37-cent clip in an upstairs ice maker. If the ceiling had collapsed, it would have caused $125,000 in damage.

High-tech devices aren’t limited to the high-end market. One insurer offers an online risk-assessment tool that its Homeowners clients can use to find the risks for flooding, wildfire and storm surge, based on their address. This company also provides its clients inexpensive alarms that can detect potential water leaks before they can cause extensive, and expensive, damage.

Insurance companies are exploring new technologies. One insurer has patented a data recorder that can be installed in building to analyze potential causes of damage or destruction. Another company has filed a patent for a system that would use spectroscopy to identify chemical changes caused by wildfires and other natural disasters. If such a change were detected and confirmed, the company could speed up the claims process.

In a recreational vehicle, you and your family can explore the United States, enjoy a vacation or retire in style. Since your RV is both a home and an auto, you’ll need recreational vehicle insurance. It protects your investment and assets and gives you peace of mind.

Why Buy Recreational Vehicle Insurance

Whether you drive a large motorhome or pull a pop-up, your recreational vehicle is an investment you want to protect. Insurance won’t prevent an accident, but it will cover repairs if your RV is damaged.

You also want to be insured if you’re in an accident or cause property damage as you navigate your RV. Insurance reduces your liability and can protect your assets.

For your protection, consider these coverage options.

• Bodily injury
• Property damage
• Medical payments
• Collision damage
• Towing and labor costs
• Vehicle rental costs
• Personal possession coverage

Benefits of Recreational Vehicle Insurance Coverage

While some homeowners and auto insurance policies cover RVs, consider a policy that’s specific to your recreational vehicle. Specialized coverage is designed for RV owners like you and offers numerous options.

RV Claims Experts

– Talk to an RV expert when you file a claim.

Full Replacement Cost Coverage

– Replace your RV if it’s stolen or totaled.

Coverage for Personal Belongings

– Cover your RV’s contents, including appliances and personal belongings.

Emergency Expenses Allowance

– Pay for lodging, food and travel you may need after you file a claim.

Service Call Allowance

– Pay an RV repair expert to visit your location and diagnose your RV repair needs.

Hitch Coverage

– Replace your entire hitch assembly, including the attachment to your truck or tow vehicle.

Coverage for Permanent Attachments

– Replace awnings, antennas and other permanent RV attachments.

Storage Option

– Pay a lower insurance premium when your RV is in storage.

Full-Time Coverage

– Enjoy coverage similar to a homeowners insurance policy and pay any RV association charges if you live in your RV.

Talk to your insurance agent about these and other coverage options as you purchase a customized policy that meets your unique needs.

Recreational Vehicle Insurance Costs

The cost of your RV insurance depends on the type of RV you own, how frequently you use it, where you drive and where you store it. You may also qualify for discounts if you bundle other insurance coverage, join an RV club or take a defensive driving course. Your insurance agent can discuss your specific needs and prepare a customized policy that meets your needs and budget.

When you’re ready to buy recreational vehicle insurance, find an agency that specializes in RV coverage. They understand your specific needs and will provide the right policy for your needs.

A recent nationwide survey found that only 34% of tenants carry a Renters policy which means that most renters are taking a financial gamble with all of their belongings.

The three leading reasons that respondents gave for not buying Renters insurance show that many people don’t understand what this policy covers – and doesn’t cover:

• Nearly three in five (57%) felt that their rented home has such effective security that they don’t need protection against losses from theft.However, without a Renters policy, tenants still remain highly vulnerable to other risks. A fire could damage or destroy their possessions, requiring replacement at a high cost. An accident might leave the unit temporarily unlivable, costing hundreds or thousands in living expenses. An injury to a visitor on the premises could result in costly medical bills – not to mention a lawsuit. The typical Contents policy will provide protection against these losses – and a wide variety of other risks.
• More than half (52%) believed that they couldn’t afford the coverage. Among respondents, 21% estimated the annual premium at $1,000 or higher, while another 60% pegged the cost as $250 a year or more.However, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the average Renters policy costs only around $185 a year.
• Nearly half (48%) thought that the landlord already had coverage.Although the landlord carries insurance in the building itself, the policy does not cover risks to tenants’ property and liability.

For more information on how Renters insurance can protect you, feel free to get in touch with us.

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As the average cost of getting hitched keeps rising (to $27,000 in 2012), more and more couples are using Wedding Insurance to protect their investment against mishap – and help ensure peace of mind on this special day.

Wedding policies will reimburse you for losses due to:

• Weather: The cost of rescheduling if the event has to be postponed because of rain or other bad weather.
• Illness or injury to the bridal party. The expenses of postponing the wedding if essential people (such as the maid of honor or best man) can’t be there.
• A missing celebrant. Some of the costs if your minister, justice of the peace, rabbi, or other celebrant doesn’t show up.
• Missing vendors. Some, or all, of the expense (including rescheduling) if the caterer, florist, photographer, or other key vendor is missing in action.
• Damage to the venue. Your losses if fire, electrical or mechanical outage, or going out of business makes the wedding or reception site unusable, forcing you to reschedule. (This coverage might not apply if the sites already carry insurance).

You can also buy coverage “riders” for a variety of other risks, ranging from a military service call-up to the bride or groom and damage to a wedding gown or tuxedo, to stolen or damaged gifts, and cancellation of your honeymoon due to illness, bad weather, or other mishap. If you’re holding the ceremony in your home, you might also want Liability insurance in case a guest gets hurt or injures someone.

Premiums can range from $100 to $1,000 (if you buy Liability coverage and host an open bar).

We’d be happy to tailor a Wedding policy to meet your needs, and budget. Just give us a call.

If you’re building a new home, congratulations! However, if you don’t insure your new residence during construction, you’re exposing yourself to a huge risk if a fire, theft, or other event damages or destroys your partially-completed home.

You can protect yourself by buying a standard homeowners policy on the new dwelling. This will cover you for any damage to the home as it’s being built, and might also provide some coverage for theft of building supplies (although the building contractor’s insurance should also cover this).

The policy includes liability insurance, which would come in handy if one of your friends trips during a “tour” of your dream house and decides to sue you. However, homeowners insurance will not cover your personal property until the building is secure or “lockable.” Once construction reaches this point, you can add coverage for your personal property.

As an alternative, consider a dwelling and fire policy, which covers damage to the physical structure, but provides no theft coverage. This might be an appropriate choice if you’re living in your old house during construction, because the homeowners policy on this dwelling would cover theft of items from the construction site. Dwelling and fire insurance also provides liability coverage.

Once your new home is complete, it makes sense to re-evaluate your coverage. If you chose dwelling and fire coverage, you might want to replace it with a homeowners policy. If you have a standard homeowners policy, make sure that you have insured the home to its full value, especially if you have altered the original building plans (for example, by adding a room or upgrading building supplies).

If you have any questions about protecting your new home while it’s being built, just give our insurance professionals a call. We’re always here for you.

You’re probably familiar with the basic discounts that most insurance companies offer on Homeowners coverages, such as bundling Home and Auto insurance, loyalty rewards, and installing smoke detectors and/or home security systems.

However, a growing number of companies offer significant premium discounts on Homeowners insurance to policyholders who are:

• Senior citizens. If you’re 60 or older, you could lower your premium by as much as 15%.
• Non-smokers. If you’ve given up the habit — or have never picked up a cigarette, cigar, or pipe — you might qualify for a discount.
• Married couples or widows/widowers. Could be eligible for discounts of up to 5%.
• New buyers who have closed a home purchase within 60 days.
• Willing to increase coverage to reflect a rise in inflation.
• Ready to buy coverage for the full value of a home.
• Prepared to buy from a new carrier before the policy with your current insurance company expires.
• New policy holders with the company (the “welcome” discount) and purchasing coverage for the entire value of your home.

You might also be eligible for a discount if you don’t have a Property damage claim for a specified period, such as three years.

Bear in mind that many insurance companies might not offer some (or any) of these discounts.

To see if you’re eligible, check with the professionals at our agency. We might be able to save you some big dollars.

October, Adopt a Shelter Dog month, is a great time to add a dog to your family. Be careful which breed you adopt, though. Insurance companies use data from insurance claims and public health studies to create a high risk dog breed list, and your homeowners insurance premiums can increase based on the type of dog you adopt. You can save money when you choose a dog that’s not on the high risk list.

Working Breed Dogs

Agile, powerful and intelligent, Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers and Siberian Huskies are also fiercely protective. If they’re not trained properly, these breeds could be potentially dangerous, especially to young children and small pets.

Terrier Breeds

Loyal and protective, American Pitbull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers have been bred to hunt. These traits mean they can become aggressive and tenacious if they’re cornered or frightened by one of your family members or guests.

German Shepherds

Police departments, military personnel and ranch hands appreciate this breed because the dogs are intelligent, hard-working and powerful. They’re also suspicious of strangers and won’t back down, which makes them a challenging breed for inexperienced owners to handle.

Chow Chows

Independent and strong Chow Chows are often kept as companions. These fluffy dogs can be aloof and stubborn, though, and should only be adopted by experienced dog owners.

Miscellaneous Breeds

Wolf Hybrid and Presa Canarios dogs exhibit strength and protective characteristics. However, they can also be unpredictable and quick to attack, making them potentially dangerous breeds. Friendly and docile Great Danes are listed on the high risk list, too, because of their size.

A dog adds fun and companionship to your home and family, and adopting a shelter dog is socially responsible. Before you choose a new pet, though, consider whether or not it will increase your homeowners insurance cost. If so, you may choose a different breed or reduce your home insurance premiums by installing a dog fence or raising your deductible.

To determine the deductible that provides the greatest value for your insurance dollar, we believe Sherlock Holmes might have made a great insurance agent. Although insurance can sometimes seem complicated, choosing the best deductible for your personal situation can prove an elementary decision.

Deductibles serve a clear purpose. For a given loss, the deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket. The insurance coverage will pay the remainder of the covered loss, up to the available policy amounts. Using deductibles properly can reduce premiums by eliminating smaller claims that most people would never expect their policy to pay anyway. This keeps coverage available as your safety net for large, possibly catastrophic, claims.

How do you decide what’s “small.” How much would you be willing to pay in the event of a claim; and at what point would you want insurance to take over? For some policyholders, especially in tough economic circumstances, this “out-of-pocket” amount might be very small. Recognizing this, the usual Homeowners insurance deductible for many years has been between $250 and $500. The same amounts hold true for Auto insurance.

However, suppose you feel you could comfortably handle a $1,000 or $2,500 deductible? Paying losses lower than those amounts will reduce your premiums — but by how much? Will it put enough money back in your pocket today to make it worthwhile if you file a claim tomorrow?

Before you decide, let us show you what the savings would be. Give our agency a call about your deductibles. If you’re willing to take on a bit more risk today, we can put some money back in your pocket. As Holmes might have said, “It’s a simple premium deduction, dear boy.”

Floods happen – and nearly half of all deaths related to them involve vehicles, says the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The best advice for drivers during periods of heavy rain or flooding is to stay off the road. If that’s not possible and you see signs of high water or stranded vehicles, pull over or take a different route ( “Turn around, don’t drown”).

However, an unexpected flash flood can easily catch you unawares. If this happens, safety experts recommend taking these precautions to prevent an accident or a water-damaged car:

• Never drive beneath an underpass during a heavy rainstorm because they’re prone to flooding.
• Be wary of water levels. According to FEMA it takes only one foot of water to float a car, or even an SUV, sweeping it off a bridge or down a road.
• If your vehicle gets caught in a flood and stalls, or you lose control, get out before the car is carried downstream.
• If you can’t escape and your vehicle is going under, don’t panic. Once the car is submerged, open the doors, hold your breath, and climb out.

The good news: If your car is involved in a flood-related accident, Auto insurance can make sure that you don’t get swept away financially. Comprehensive coverage will pay for any type of damage to your car up to its actual cash value caused by natural events, such as flooding. If you hydroplane during a storm and flip your car or hit another vehicle or tree, Collision insurance will pay to repair it or cover the actual cash value of the car.

To learn more, please feel free to get in touch with our agency.