Don’t let water damage make your home a swamp
October 1st, 2006What a nightmare: You come home to find water covering your floors after a burst pipe or hose has spilled hundreds of gallons of water into your home. You may think that a leaky pipe in the kitchen or bathroom is the most common cause of water damage, but it isn’t. Here’s a quick Q&A that might help you prevent water damage in your home.
Q. What’s the most common source of water damage?
A. The water heater. Check annually — particularly the bottom — for signs of rust, and drain any sediment that has built up in the tank. The next most common sources of water damage are washing machines and air-conditioning units. It’s not enough just to
check your washer hoses every year for signs of wear; replace them every three to five years with heavy-duty reinforced hosing. Don’t forget to clear the air-conditioner’s condensate drain regularly.
Q. What should everyone in your family know?
A. The location of the main water-supply valve into your house. You also may want to consider buying an inexpensive water-pressure meter that can help you be sure that the water pressure in your home is set no higher than 80 pounds per square inch.
Q Are monitoring systems available?
A. Yes. Water detectors may be inexpensive units that can be placed near appliances and under sinks to sound an alarm when water is detected, or more sophisticated systems with links to a central monitoring station or with shut-off valves that automatically turn off the water supply.
Q. Are you remodeling or building a new home?
A. If your water heater is inside — especially if it’s upstairs or in the attic — consider relocating it to the garage. If you have an older home and are installing new appliances, such as a large- capacity washing machine and dishwasher, make sure the existing drainage and pipes can handle the larger loads.
Your Homeowners policy covers you for water damage from sources such as burst pipes or hoses. But if you’ve remodeled or added items and your policy isn’t up to date, you could be out-of-pocket for more than you expected. Lets review your coverage to help keep you from ending up “underwater” financially.
Insurance fraud - How it affects you!
September 26th, 2006If you think that only insurance companies are affected by fraud, think again. Insurance fraud costs an estimated $30 billion every year, and that costs insurance customers
as well as insurers. The average household could be paying as much as $300 extra every year because of fraud. Bottom line: Fraud rips off honest people like you and me because it results in higher insurance costs for all of us.
Here’s how you can fight fraud — and help keep your insurance costs down:
- Look out for staged auto-accident scams. Criminals deliberately cause accidents so they can submit fraudulent claims against honest drivers. The best way to avoid such situations is to drive defensively and not tailgate. If you are involved in an accident that seems suspicious, take photos and get information on the other driver and all passengers.
- Be aware of high-risk locations for vehicle theft. Contact me to discuss the benefits of anti-theft devices.
- Use only licensed and insured contractors or repair facilities.
- Report suspected fraud. Contact the Farmers Special Investigations Unit hotline at (888) 662-6616 or the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) hotline at (800) 441-6282.
Why should you pay when you’re innocent?
September 20th, 2006It isn’t fair, but it happens: Good drivers pay out-of-pocket costs for accidentsthat aren’t their fault. Why? Because the accident was caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
Your risk could be greater than you think — one-third of drivers today are uninsured. Obviously, it’s wise to sign up for Uninsured/Underinsured coverage in your Auto policy. This important coverage reimburses you or any other insured driver in your household who has an accident involving an uninsured or underinsured driver, or a hit-and-run driver. If the other driver is at fault and doesn’t have enough insurance to cover damages, this coverage would help to cover the gaps.
Take action now so that you’ll get help with the big bills you’ll be socked with after being hit by an irresponsible driver who doesn’t carry proper coverage. Let me show you how affordable Uninsured/Underinsured coverage can be.
Save on Auto Premiums
September 17th, 2006As your personal Farmers agent, helping you find good value for your Auto insurance dollar is one of my top priorities. If it has been awhile since you looked at Farmers’ wide range of Auto discounts, check out some options that may be available to you now:
Multiple lines. We want to reward you for placing more trust with me and Farmers. Each additional coverage you have with Farmers might make you eligible for a discount. For example, if you have an Auto policy and then take out a Homeowners (or Renters) policy, you might qualify for savings on both your Auto and Homeowners (or Renters) coverage. If you purchase Life and Auto policies, you could get a discount on your Auto coverage.
Higher deductibles. One way to reduce your Auto insurance cost is by selecting a higher deductible the amount you pay out-of-pocket for a loss before your policy kicks in. Generally, the higher your deductible; the lower your premium may be. Check out our new Comprehensive and Collision deductibles, which offer attractive options for full coverage at lower rates. Before selecting a higher deductible, you’ll want to consider your ability to pay out-of-pocket costs in case of a loss. However, the premium reduction from choosing a higher deductible can be significant. Contact me for a free Farmers Friendly Review® of your insurance needs and the notions available to you.
I can discuss other Auto discounts, such as the Multiple Vehicle discount, if you insure more than one vehicle with Farmers. Let’s check which discounts you qualify for.
How to get low cost auto insurance for your teen?
August 13th, 2006Your son or daughter has just turned 16 and obtained his/her driving license and with that a new found sense of freedom. The question on your mind is: how to get low cost auto insurance for my son/daughter ? Car insurances can vary widely in price depending on various factors, so read on to make a learned decision to buy an affordable car insurance for your teen drivers.
The teens lack driving experience and are considered a high risk to insure and thus the premiums assigned are much higher than an adults insurance rates would be. Here are a few things you can do to help reduce the rates you pay for your teen drivers.
- Make your teen accountable and responsible for the vehicle.
- Preach to your teen, how important it is to keep a clean driving record by driving defensively, no speeding, no traffic violations and avoid accidents.
To get better rates try these tips
- Purchase insurance with high deductible.
- Purchase a vehicle for your teen that has good safety features.
- Consider purchasing a standalone policy.
- Farmers Insurance offers Y.E.S. (You’re Essential to Safety) program for teens. Make sure your teen watches the video, that has educational material that will help your teen hopefully make good decisions on the road. For further details on this program, select Y.E.S. program from the menu.
Do your research and let your teen enjoy the new found freedom and you at same time enjoy peace of mind.
Facts of a Renters Insurance Policy
August 8th, 2006A renters insurance policy protects the contents of a rented property, in most cases apartments, against losses incurred due to theft or fire or damage due to other natural disasters like hurricanes and tornados. Renters insurance provides protection against liabilities. It pays for liability for accidents, such as a visitor slipping in your apartment and breaking a leg.
Renters policies, like all other insurance policies, specifically state what it insures against. There is a standard set of named perils covered by a renters insurance policy. Some of them are fire, lightning, tornado, smoke, vandalism or malicious mischief, theft and accidental discharge of water due to a burst pipe. It can also include payment for the medical expenses of non-residents. Floods and earthquakes are not covered and are often times purchased separately from the renters policy in coastal areas and places prone to either (California).
Similar to Homeowners policies, Renters policies use one of the two methods of valuation of the home contents, these are the actual cash value or the replacement cost. The actual cash value pays only for what the belongings were worth at the time of the loss. A household appliance like dishwasher or dryer that was purchased for $1000 few years ago, may be worth significantly less at the time of loss. On the other hand, the replacement cost will reimburse policy-holders for the actual cost of buying the appliance at the time of the loss.
The expensive jewellery and antique items must be declared at the time of Renters policy purchase to facilitate addition of rider policies.
Tip: It may be a good idea to video-tape your property and keep it safe in a fire safe deposit locker at home or in a bank along with serial numbers and receipts of expensive items.
The Renter policy may provide hotel expenses if the property becomes uninhabitable due to a fire or burst pipe. The disasters due to a pet may or may not be covered.
Please contact me to help you evaluate your rental property needs and propose an appropriate Renters policy.
Think twice: Don’t make your backyard a ‘rad’ yard
July 24th, 2006You want your kids to have a backyard that they enjoy, but be careful about letting it become an “extreme sports” zone. Before you install a trampoline for the kids or build a half pipe for your budding skateboarder, consider the dangers of a “rad” yard. Even if you’re putting in traditional playground equipment such as swings and slides, make safety a priority: It’ll reduce the risk of injuries for your kids and others. Don’t forget — you could be held liable if someone else’s child is injured on your property.
- Think twice about risky equipment. More than 90,000 trampoline-related injuries and 104,000 skateboard-related injuries are seen in emergency rooms every year. If you do install a trampoline, be sure to supervise it closely: Allow only one person on at a time, and prohibit tricks such as somersaults or blindfolded tag. Insist that your skateboarders wear protective gear, such as helmets, and pads on their wrists, elbows and knees. Better yet, sign the kids up at a gymnastics center or bring them to a skate park.
- Install a shock-absorbing surface, such as mulch or shredded rubber, beneath traditional equipment, such as swings, slides and climbing walls.
Call us to review what’s in your backyard and inside your home. Let’s make sure your Homeowners coverage can handle I what lands on it — even if it’s an accident or a lawsuit.
Be tire smart - check your wheels
July 17th, 2006Five minutes — that’s all it takes to make your vehicle safer by checking your tires. But in a recent Farmers survey, 14 percent of drivers surveyed said they never check their tire pressure, and 30 percent don’t perform proper maintenance (aligning wheels, balancing tires) more than once every two years.
To me, these findings show that many people just don’t understand why checking their tires is so important. It can reduce the risk of tire failure - and accidents - and save you money by increasing the life of your tires and improving your gas mileage. (Properly inflated tires can improve your mileage by up to 3 percent per year - saving you hundreds of dollars.) I want to help you stay safe by alerting you to a few simple steps you can take to make your ride safer. Here’s an easy safety checldist:
- Keep a tire-pressure gauge in your vehicle. I was amazed to learn that one-third of drivers who responded to the Farmers survey don’t follow this simple practice. Check your tire pressure at least once a month - and don’t forget the spare tire. Inflate your tires to the manufacturer-recommended PSI (pounds per square inch specified in your owner’s manual or on the inside of your driver-side door.
- Inspect tires for uneven wear patterns and check whether any objects have become wedged in the tread.
- Have your vehicle’s wheels aligned and the tires properly balanced regularly. Your owner’s manual will show how often the tires should be rotated.
In addition to checking your tire safety, let’s also check your Auto coverage. I want to help you make sure it’s in top-notch condition and that you’re covered from the ground up.
Is your teen safe on the roads?
July 10th, 2006Here’s a recipe for danger:
Mix a good measure of biology with lack of experience. Add a dash of peer pressure. Teen drivers are at great risk on our roads. Motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds.
The sad news is that the crash rate for young drivers is three times greater than for older drivers. No wonder — I was shocked to learn that teens in one survey defined “speeding” as about 90 mph. Inexperience makes young drivers less able to recognize and respond to dangerous situations, and they are more likely to engage in risky practices, such as speeding and drunken driving, than older drivers. The crash rate for teens rises when they drive at night and when friends ride along. And don’t forget the latest crash-related distraction — cell phones.
Here’s what you, Farmers and I can do to help your teen stay safe during the first years of driving:
- Save lives and money with the Farmers Y.E.S. (You’re Essential to Safety) program. This informative program helps young drivers see what it means to make good and bad driving decisions. Have your teen go to www.farmers.com, click Teen Driver Education and Discounts and view the Y.E.S. WRECKED video online(or they can also view it right here on my website). Then call me and I’ll give you a questionnaire for your teen to complete as part of the Y.E.S. program. This may offer another advantage — a discount on Auto insurance — but you need to contact me to see if you qualify for it and other discounts, such as the Good Student discount.
- ‘Graduate’ them to full driving privileges. You watched your children around swimming pools when they were young. The roads are also dangerous, so exercise the same caution when they learn to drive. Institute and enforce a graduated driving program for your teen. For example, when your teen first gets behind the wheel, don’t allow driving without an adult in the car. Restrict driving to daylight hours. Don’t allow driving with friends. As your teen gains experience, you can gradually ease these restrictions.
Lets talk soon about protecting your young driver and exploring ways to reduce your Auto coverage cost.
Could you rebuild?
July 3rd, 2006I read something recently that surprised me: Natural disasters around the world increased by 20 percent last year. We don’t know what Mother Nature has in store for us this year, but here’s my advice:
Take steps now to prepare for whatever a natural or man-made disaster might do to your home.
Do you know what it would cost to rebuild your home if it were destroyed? It’s not the purchase price or the current market value. The cost to rebuild is based on factors such as labor and material costs in our area, the square footage of your home, the materials used in construction, and the style of construction. The age of your home, the type of roof, the quality of the kitchen and baths and the cost to remove debris are among the other concerns unique to rebuilding (as opposed to original construction). I want to help you be sure that your Homeowners coverage is sufficient to cover the replacement value of your home and its contents. Let’s get together soon, and I’ll provide the information you need to make good decisions about your coverage.
Americans spent more than $198 billion in 2004 for home improvements and repairs, but only 31 percent of them changed their Homeowners coverage to reflect their home’s increased value.
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