Archive for December, 2009
Too Many People Die Without Life Insurance
December 30th, 2009. Published under Life Insurance. No Comments.
I had the type of phone call the other day that you wish you’d never have to take.
A long time client called with the bad news that her husband had passed away following cancer treatment and some surgeries for an injury. There was no life insurance benefit.
I first met this couple nearly five years ago. Life was good for them, they had jobs with group benefits, he was a fire fighter, she was an office manager. I asked them what type of life insurance program they had in place. ” We have life insurance through work, ” they said. ” We don’t need life insurance”.
Fast forward a few years: job changes, cancer treatments, surgeries, umemployment.
A medical discharge from the Fire Department.
Neither had a job and neither had life insurance.
You need to own a life insurance policy because very few people die when they are employed.
We die when we are retired, unemployed, or disabled.
Please plan ahead.
Take care of your family and buy life insurance in 2010.
What to do when you are rear-ended in an auto accident!
December 15th, 2009. Published under Auto Insurance, blogs, uninsured motorist. No Comments.
This morning I had two phone calls between 8:00 and 8:30 AM from clients who were rear ended.
If you want your car repaired by the negligent party, here are some tips for you:
Carry a camera or have a cell phone with a camera option, then get out of the car if you are able to and start snapping photos of the vehicles involved, the driver, the location, damage to the vehicle, witnesses, etc. You can’t have too many photos!!!
Make sure you call the police so they will write an accident report. If you are rear ended, this is proof of the other party’s negligence.
Get the drivers information: name, several phone #’s, address, their insurance carrier and policy #, description of the vehicle.f
If you call me or another agent and only have someone’s name and phone number and they don’t answer the phone when you call, how can we file a claim with their insurance carrier? Most of the time you will fix the car yourself or file with your carrier and pay your collision deductible.
Please call your agent if you are unsure of what to do when you are rear ended in an auto accident!
Safe driving!!
Why Should I Buy Landlord Insurance?
December 14th, 2009. Published under Business, Landlord Insurance, Renters Insurance, Small Business Owner, blogs. No Comments.
Whether you own a single family home or a duplex, you need to insure the property differently than you would an owner occupied home.
A Landlord policy insures the structure, usually includes a minimal amount of personal property coverage, (covering a lawn mower, ladder, or maybe a snow blower you may leave for the tenant to use), and liability coverage. As the owner of the home/duplex/triplex,etc. you may be sued for negligence .
Personal Liability coverage pays for legal services in case you are sued.
To protect your assets, liability insurance is very important.
Make sure your insurance carrier is aware of a vacant home as that can affect how your policy is written. Liability coverage may be difficult to obtain or be priced higher.
Landlord Insurance is fairly easy to purchase. If you have a property with frequent claims, you will need to buy coverage on the standard market. Call your personal insurance agent for information.
RENEE DARATA
Buying an Affordable Family Health Insurance Policy
December 14th, 2009. Published under Family health insurance, affordable health insurance, blogs. No Comments.
Many families are struggling to keep their health insurance.
Here are a few factors to consider:
- Reapply with the same carrier-you are placed within a risk pool when you first buy the policy. That risk pool may have a higher than average claims ratio. If you re-apply you may be bundled with a pool of people who will have lower than average claims.
- Consider a higher office visit co-pay
- Apply to another health insurance carrier
- Higher deductibles don’t save you very much money
- Consider a HSA/High Deductible Plan if you are healthy and rarely visit the DR.
Affordable Family Health Insurance is a quest best undertaken with a personal agent. The agent knows the underwriting guidelines of the insurance carriers and can advise you how to save money.
In Utah, the premiums are the same whether or not you use the services of an insurance agent. It’s like buying a house without a Realtor, you need an agent to negotiate the contract.
For assistance with your family health insurance, please give me a call.
Does a home based business need a small business insurance policy?
December 9th, 2009. Published under Business, General Liability, Home based business, Liability Insurance, Small Business Owner, blogs. No Comments.
Most people do not understand the difference between personal insurance and business insurance. A homeowners policy would not generally cover home-based business losses. If you have a business with inventory, you are especially at risk for an uninsured loss. A home based business should have a policy covering business property, professional liability, personal injury, loss of business data, crime and theft..
A small business owner who has a home based business needs to consult with a insurance agent to determine their insurance needs.
RENEE DARATA
Commercial Auto Insurance
December 8th, 2009. Published under Auto Insurance, Business, Commercial Auto Insurance, blogs. No Comments.
I had a call today for an auto insurance quote. I learned that one of the vehicles was being used for deliveries.
This vehicle would have to be written as a commercial auto insurance policy.
If they were insured under a personal auto insurance policy, the claim could be denied for misrepresentation.
Make sure the agent knows how the vehicle is being used. Many people don’t understand that a vehicle used for business purposes must be insured for that usage.
RENEE DARATA-your personal insurance agent
What if I Don't Pay my Auto Insurance Bill?
December 8th, 2009. Published under Auto Insurance, Insurance Claims, blogs, uninsured motorist. No Comments.
It snowed today. A lot. There were probably a number of automobile accidents. Probably some of those drivers didn’t have an active auto insurance policy.
Why does this matter?
It matters because you may be driving around with just liability insurance. This means you have coverage for property damage and bodily injury you cause to others, but you have no coverage for damage to your car.
With the current economy, people have cut back on many of their expenses, and auto insurance is one of them.
Can you afford to pay out of pocket for body shop repairs?
That is what will happen if you are in an accident with an uninsured motorist.
RENEE DARATA
