• Making sure you have the correct amount of dwelling coverage to ensure that you can rebuild the way it was before a loss.
• Some of the factors that affect your homeowners insurance cost and policy renewal.
• Avoiding common pitfalls that could result in paying higher premiums or even losing insurance coverage.
• Keys to saving on homeowners insurance.

To read the entire article click here

You may see them listed on your insurance policy as either BI or spelled out as bodily injury. These limits start as low as 25/65 (state Minimum). However, higher limits are available. The most common are 50/100, 100/300, and 250/500. What do these numbers mean and what are they for?

To start off there is one key fact that you need to remember: your bodily injury coverage is there to cover your legal liability for others that you injure as the result of a crash. The key word in that description is ‘others’.

So let’s say you have a coverage of 100/300 on your insurance, the first number ’100′ is the amount that your insurance will pay per person in the event of a crash for Bodily Injury expenses. This number is multiplied by 1000, so you would have $100,000 per person of coverage. The second number ’300′ is to total amount per crash that your insurance company will pay. So let’s say you run into a van carrying a family and their combined medical expenses are $400,000 for injuries sustained during the crash. How much will your insurance pay if you have 100/300?…$300,000. So what about the other $100,000? They come after you for the balance. This is where Umbrella coverage comes in, but we will get to that at another time.

Now here is the kicker, let’s say that someone hits you and they do not carry insurance. You carry limits of 100/300. Because of this accident you are sent to the hospital, how much will your insurance pay out to help you?…Nothing, unless you carry Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist (UM and UIM). UM and UIM are bodily injury limits that you can add to your coverage to protect you in the event that the at-fault parties insurance is insufficient or non-existent.

Please feel free to ask my any questions that you may have about your coverage.

I hope that now you may be a little more clear on what your bodily injury limits are and how they work.

Originally Posted Here

Lamar is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and is a two-time NBA Champion. He is also the star of a reality TV show, but most importantly he has a wonderful story to share about how life insurance has helped him achieve the success he has today. Please click the link below to see how life insurance has made a difference in Lamar's life.

Lamar's Story

Thanks to Kraft Mac and Cheese for bringing a little humor to the world of insurance!

As many of us love to spend our summers boating our local lakes, I thought it would be nice to share a few ideas on boat safety.  There are thousands of recreational boating accidents per year. Some of the contributing factors to these accidents include traveling too fast for water or weather conditions, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, failing to follow boating rules and regulations, carelessness and inexperience.

Although we can't prevent all accidents, following these simple safety suggestions form the Insurance Information Institute may help:

Care and protection of vessel 

1. Check weather forecasts before heading out.
2. Let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return.
3. Check engine, fuel, electrical and steering systems, especially for exhaust-system leaks.
4. Carry one or more fire extinguishers, matched to the size and type of boat. Keep them readily accessible and in condition for immediate use.
5. Equip the vessel with required navigation lights and with a whistle, horn or bell.
6. Consider additional safety devices, such as a paddle or oars, a first-aid kit, a supply of fresh water, a tool kit and spare parts, a flashlight, flares and a radio.

 Care and protection of crew and guests

1. Make sure that every person on board the boat wears a life-jacket.
2. Know and obey marine traffic laws, the "Rules-of-the-Road." Learn various distress signals.
3. Keep an alert lookout for other watercraft, swimmers, floating debris and shallow waters.
4. Pay attention to loading. Don’t overload; distribute the load evenly; don’t stand up or shift weight suddenly in a small boat; and don’t permit riding on the bow, seatbacks or gunwales.
5. Don't operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Improper ventilation and poor maintenance are the most frequent causes of dryer fires.  To lower the risk of a fire I would suggest following these simple steps:

• Turn the dryer off when leaving the house or going to bed.
• Use the lint filter and clean it after every use. 
• Make sure to not let any lint collect or build up on or around the dryer or other nearby appliances, such as the washer or even a water heater.
• Do not dry clothing that contains organic materials or flammable residue.
• Vent the dryer exhaust directly outdoors, not into an attic or crawl space.  Use metal ducts rather than plastic.  The problem with plastic ducts is that plastic can collapse, trap lint build up and act as a combustible itself.
• Periodically, have your dryer cleaned and do maintenance, including removing lint from around the heating elements and ducts and replacing worn parts and electrical connections.

For additional information on your particular appliance, consult your owner's manual.

Would you be able to remember all the possessions you’ve accumulated over the years if they were destroyed by a fire? Having an up-to-date home inventory will help you get your insurance claim settled faster, verify losses for your income tax return and help you purchase the correct amount of insurance.

Start by making a list of your possessions, describing each item and noting where you bought it and its make and model. Clip to your list any sales receipts, purchase contracts, and appraisals you have. For clothing, count the items you own by category — pants, coats, shoes, for example –- making notes about those that are especially valuable. For major appliance and electronic equipment, record their serial numbers usually found on the back or bottom.

• Don't be put off! 
  If you are just setting up a household, starting an inventory list can be relatively simple. If you’ve been living in the same house for many years, however, the task of creating a list can be daunting. Still, it’s better to have an incomplete inventory than nothing at all. Start with recent purchases and then try to remember what you can about older possessions.
• Big ticket items 
  Valuable items like jewelry, art work and collectibles may have increased in value since you received them. Check with your agent to make sure that you have adequate insurance for these items. They may need to be insured separately.
• Take a picture
  Besides the list, you can take pictures of rooms and important individual items. On the back of the photos, note what is shown and where you bought it or the make. Don’t forget things that are in closets or drawers.
• Videotape it 
  Walk through your house or apartment videotaping and describing the contents. Or do the same thing using a tape recorder.
• Use a personal computer 
  Use your PC to make your inventory list. Personal finance software packages often include a homeowners room-by-room inventory program.
• Storing the list, photos and tapes 
  Regardless of how you do it (written list, floppy disk, photos, videotape or audio tape), keep your inventory along with receipts in your safe deposit box or at a friend's or relative's home. That way you’ll be sure to have something to give your insurance representative if your home is damaged. When you make a significant purchase, add the information to your inventory while the details are fresh in your mind.

The Insurance Information Institute’s Know Your Stuff tool can make doing a home inventory a breeze. Know Your Stuff helps customers enter items by room and upload photos or scanned receipts. Items can be sorted by price, date of purchase or type (silverware, major appliances, etc.) and customers can even customize their own categories. Once completed or updated, the Know Your Stuff report can be printed, saved on a computer, e-mailed or burned on a CD. The site has an informative video about the Know Your Stuff tool, giving you a quick look at the process and the importance of doing a home inventory!

Spring is almost here, and that means for many of us it is time to take our motorcycles out of storage and get them ready to hit the road.  Here are a few tips on getting your bike road-ready for the spring!

Get your motorcycle road ready tip #1: Open the filler cap and look for gunk. If the fuel is questionable, it may be a good idea to drain the tank, fuel lines and carburetor.

Get your motorcycle road ready tip #2: Before starting your bike, remove the spark plugs and pour two tablespoons of oil into the spark plug ports to lubricate the top portion of the cylinder walls.  Slowly crank it over with the kick starter and listen for any abnormal noises. Then start it and let it run a few minutes in a well-ventilated area. If anything seems unusual, have your bike checked out by a factory-trained mechanic.

Get your motorcycle road ready tip #3: Oil degrades in the off-season – now is a great time to change it to keep your engine in shape.

Get your motorcycle road ready tip #4: Check your clutch, brake and coolant levels and top off any that need it.
Get your motorcycle road ready tip #5: Look over your suspension and tires. Check your tires for excessive wear, stress marks, cracks or flat spots.  Inspect and correct the following equipment after pulling your bike from storage: brake pads and shoes, coolant hoses and brake lines, cables, turn signals, reverse lights, kill switch, horn and headlight. If your bike has hydraulic brakes, check the fluid level and follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

I hope you found these suggestions useful.  In addition, it’s always a good idea to review your motorcycle insurance to make sure it is up to date.  I fo you have any questions about insuring your motorcycle don’t hesitate to give us a call. Have fun and be safe!

That does not mean, though, there is no way you can save on your insurance premiums. Insurance companies are not as unforgiving as you might think.

Here are some of the best ways to reduce the insurance premium:

1. Compare insurance companies. By comparison shopping, you can save as much as 30 percent on premiums. Insure Right Insurance Agency, for example, works with top-rated insurance companies, such as Auto-Owners, MetLife Auto & Home, The Hartford, Safeco and Travelers.

2. Encourage them to get good grades. Most insurers offer discounts to drivers who are full-time students and are certified academic achievers, with at least 3.0 grade-point average. The discount can be between 5 and 35 percent.

3. Do not let them get tickets. Tickets are not good. They are proof your teen is not familiar with the road rules or worse chooses to ignore and violate them. It takes years before violations fall off his or her record.

But what if he or she already has one? Find out if your state offers a ticket pardon. If it does, enroll your teen right away to a recommended traffic school. That will hopefully prevent a possible premium increase. Know, though, that this is a limited privilege. It works only if your teen possesses at most 2 tickets within a year.

4. Keep their records clean. Talk to your teen about the dangers of drinking and driving. Advise them to avoid a DUI (driving under influence) violation at all costs. It increases premiums to hundreds to thousands of dollars for as long as five years. In addition to drinking and driving, remind your teen driver of the risks of any kind of distracted driving, such as, texting, eating, putting on make-up, talking on a cell phone, etc. 

5. Choose the right car. The car your teen drives does matter. It is common for insurers to offer lower premiums to vehicles equipped with excellent safety and anti-theft features such as alarms, GPS, seatbelts, airbags, and anti-lock braking systems.

However, expect the premiums to skyrocket if your teen is driving a sports car or an expensive model, such as a Mustang or a Camero. These types of cars not only require costly maintenance, but they are also more susceptible to theft.

6. Be a good driver yourself. Drive by example. Your kid will less likely be reckless, irresponsible, and aggressive if you are not.

If you have any additional questions on how to save money on your car insurance, whether you have a teenage driver or not, please get in touch with me.

Seann McWhorter
(801) 407-8360
seann@insureright.biz