Archive for February, 2012

How was your Valentine’s Day?

Of those who didn’t buy shiny things for Valentine’s Day, many purchased electronics, artwork, antiques, wine and furs. All totaled, Valentine’s Day spending equalled approximately $17.6 billion of retail sales, with $4.1 billion of that being spent on jewelry, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2012 Valentine’s Day Consumer Trends report.

Whatever the purchase, be sure to take steps to safeguard and insure your valuables. Homeowners insurance generally covers valuable and precious items such as jewelry, but usually has limits, so it’s important for you to check with us or a Trusted Choice® independent insurance agent to make sure you are covered.

While most homeowner’s insurance policies cover risks such as fire, lightning, and windstorm, they may exclude many events that create financial losses- for example, a claim that is submitted because “my three-year-old dropped my new diamond earrings into the toilet and flushed” may not be covered under a typical policy. To cover these kinds of incidents—or other situations that the insurance industry has dubbed “mysterious disappearance” —you’ll need what’s known as a valuable articles personal property endorsement on your homeowner’s contract. Some homeowner’s insurance carriers also sell stand-alone valuables policies.

Another reason to contact us or your Trusted Choice agent? Typically insurance policies restrict the dollar amount of coverage for individual valuable items in the case of theft ($1,000- $1,500), so you want to make sure that if jewelry is ever stolen, you’re not stuck with coverage that is less than the value of the item.

With valuable items, two of the biggest snags that consumers run into at the time of a claim are proving that an item is missing or stolen and establishing a value for the items. In fact, insurance carriers, when contacted for a claim, sometimes even ask consumers to get a police report for the missing item, even if the loss was not thought to be a theft.

Proving the value of items is very important when it’s time to file a claim. Claims are simpler and faster for consumers when they have photos of valuable items and collections, receipts or appraisal reports, and a written inventory.

Most additions to your homeowners policy or a separate valuables policies can provide:

• Coverage for mysterious disappearance as well as flooding or breakage.
• $0 deductible, which means that the entire replacement cost of that engagement ring is covered.
• Blanket coverage for groups of valuables such as jewelry, crystal, or fine arts.
• “Scheduled” coverage (meaning that items are individually listed) for valuables.
• Coverage for valuables purchased but not yet reported to the insurance agent or carrier.

Need to know what’s best to protect your Valentine’s Day gift? Ask us. 

Contact: Lyn Richardson Furrh

864-630-7220

lynsouthcarolina@aol.com

February 8, 2012  (Greenville, SC ) – Ross Turner will announce his candidacy for the South Carolina Senate District 8 seat at a press conference on Monday afternoon, February 13, at 4 o’clock.  The press conference will take place at The Ryan Nicholas Inn at 815 Holland Road in Simpsonville.

Ross Turner is a small business owner with over 26 years of experience in the insurance business.  He was born and raised in Greenville, and is a graduate of Clemson University.  He is 47 years old.  Ross and his wife Julie have lived in Gower Estates for over 15 years. 

The advisory council for the committee to elect Ross Turner includes:  Luther Boliek, Ann Cox, Danny Joyner, Jim Riggs and John Uprichard.

Ross and Julie have been married for 22 years and have three children.  Their son is a senior at J. L. Mann High School.  They also have two daughters.  One is a freshman at Mann and the other is in the fifth grade at Sara Collins Elementary School.  Ross is immediate past president of the J. L. Mann High School Booster Club and has served as president of the Gower Neighborhood Association.

He also serves on the Upstate Judicial Merit Selection Committee – a body which reviews and qualifies candidates for circuit and family court judgeships in South Carolina.

Ross has served twice on the Board of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of South Carolina (IIABSC), and is a past chairman of the Young Independent Agents Committee.  He enjoys traveling across South Carolina to teach continuing education classes for the IIABSC.  He also teaches classes at the Wyatt Institute of Real Estate. 

Ross and his family are members of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church where he has served on the Board of Trustees, as Chairman of the Sisk Foundation, and on numerous committees.  He teaches Sunday school, coaches senior boys basketball, and is chairman of the Buncombe Street Youth Board. 

In the past he has served as President of the Greater Greenville Independent Insurance Agents.  He was voted one of the “Best and Brightest of Greenville” in 1997.  He was involved with the Greenville Rotary Club and served several years on the board of Camp Greenville. 

Ross is an avid reader of business trends and a keen observer who always has an opinion, and follows through with his convictions.  While Ross loves to play golf, most of his spare time is filled with coaching his children’s teams, watching their sporting events, and attending dance recitals and swim meets.  He wishes he had more time to hunt.    

Directions to Ryan Nicholas Inn:

From downtown Greenville:

• Take I-385 South towards Columbia
• Due to construction on I385, take the first exit after Woodruff Road on to Butler/Bridges/417.  (This is a temporary exit.)
• Take the second exit #33 to Bridges Road.
• At top of ramp turn left.
• The Ryan Nicholas Inn will be .3 miles on your right.

From Mauldin:

• Take Butler Road to Bridges Road.
• Cross I-385.
• The Ryan Nicholas Inn will be .3 miles on your right.

 www.ryannicholasinn.com