Archive for the ‘Seasonal’ Category

Hail to the chief! If you’re in the market for a new car, depending on what type of vehicle you’re looking for, President’s Day Weekend may be the time to find it. In addition to certain discounts from the automakers, dealerships also may be offering deals or incentives to buy. But whether you’re buying your first car or trading in for a “Presidential” upgrade, it’s important to keep in mind a few things about auto insurance when shopping for a new car.
 
First, if you’re serious about buying a new car (or a new-to-you used car!), before you even step onto a dealer’s lot, let us know you’ll be buying a car.  If you have a specific make and model in mind we may be able to give you a quote on the price of insurance coverage, so that you can factor it into your budget and decision making process.
 
Second, you cannot drive the car off of the lot without insurance coverage, so making arrangements with with us ahead of time can save you time and effort scrambling to secure coverage while at the dealership.
 
Here are a few more things to consider…
 

Do you already have insurance?
 
Yes- If you already have auto insurance on your existing car and are trading it in, some insurance companies will cover your new car for up to 30 days before changing to a new policy, but make sure you ask if your current company will provide coverage on the new car until you’re ready to make separate arrangements. If your old car or trade-in doesn’t have collision coverage and you’re financing the new car, the lending company will very likely require that you add collision coverage. Check with us to see if your new car is eligible for any insurance discounts your previous car wasn’t- some insurance companies provide discounts for certain safety features and anti-theft devices.
 
No- If this is your first car you’ll definitely want to make arrangements with us ahead of time. If you already have homeowners or renters insurance, you may be eligible for discounts on premium by adding an auto policy with the same company.  
 
Test Drives
 
As a smart shopper you may want to literally kick the tires on a few models and visit a few dealerships before making your decision. In fact, you’ll probably want to take a prospective car out for a test drive. But what happens if you get into an accident during your test drive?
 
There are a lot of variables at play when you test drive a car. First of all, even though the dealer may have insurance on the vehicles, do not assume that you are absolved of all of the risk of taking the car for a test drive. Understand what insurance coverage you have and what insurance coverage may be required by your state or the dealership before taking a test drive.

Make sure that the dealer assures you that if you do have an accident and damage the car, their insurance company will not come after you for reimbursement. Most garage policies (which insure the cars for the dealership) allow the dealer to waive subrogation in advance (in other words coming after you for the reimbursement).
 
Shopping for and buying a new car can be fun, and know that you can call us anytime about coverage questions.  We will help ease the buying process.

Chocolate Passion Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (18.3 to 19.5 oz.) brownie mix
• 2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
• 3 cups cold milk
• 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
• 2 cups fresh raspberries

 Directions: Cook brownies in 9-inch square pan as directed on package; cool completely. Beat pudding mixes and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Refrigerate until ready to use. Cut brownies into 1-inch cubes. Layer half each of the brownie cubes, pudding, berries and remaining COOL WHIP in 2- qt. bowl. Repeat layers. Refrigerate 1 hour.

 Note: Can substitute angel food cake instead of brownies, strawberries for raspberries, and add chopped Snickers bars.

 For more recipes go to:

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/valentines-day/main.aspx?e11=valentines&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&event8=1&prop24=SR_Showcase&e13=B%3aSearch%20Results-Grid%28test%29&e7=%2f404.aspx

It’s Valentine’s Day, and thoughts of people everywhere turn to … jewelry.

 “About one out of every four Americans buys jewelry, spending $2,000 per year on average, and industry experts expect jewelry sales to grow by at least 5% annually through 2025,” says Ross Turner of The Turner Agency, Inc. Those who don’t buy shiny things for Valentine’s Day may prefer other types of valuables, such as electronics, artwork, antiques, wine and furs.

 Whatever the purchase, American consumers should take steps to safeguard and insure their valuables. Homeowners insurance generally covers valuable and precious items such as jewelry, but they usually have limits.

 Typically policies restrict the dollar amount of coverage for individual valuable items ($1,000 is a typical maximum), as well as “sub-limits” that constrain coverage for certain categories of possessions (all the jewelry in the house, for example) to a certain dollar amount (say, $10,000).

 What’s more, most homeowners insurance policies cover “named perils” such as fire, lightning, and windstorm. That will exclude many events that create financial losses. Note, for example, that “my five-year-old dropping my engagement ring in the toilet and flushing” is not a named peril.

 To cover such circumstances—or other situations that the insurance industry has dubbed “mysterious disappearance” —you’ll need a valuable articles personal property endorsement (also called a “floater”) on your homeowners contract. Some homeowners insurance carriers also sell stand-alone valuables policies.

Need to know what’s best to protect your beloved Valentine’s Day gift? Ask your insurance agent. He or she will need a copy of your receipt or bill of sale for jewelry, furs, electronics and other valuable items.

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 item.

 Proving the value (termed “proof of loss”) of items is imperative 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 valuables “floaters” or values policies can provide:

•  All-risks coverage, which covers 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.

 Whatever is on your Valentine’s Day wish list or shopping list, protect it. It’ll help you love it even more.

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.