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Do You Need Umbrella Insurance?

5/30/2019

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One of the most certain things in life is uncertainty. Your dog could bite the neighbor’s kid. Your teen driver could hit a cyclist. A guest could fall down your stairs. A rainy morning commute on worn-out tires could result in a multi-car accident. And you could be held liable to others for the cost of damages – injuries, property destruction, emotional distress, lost wages and more.

Good thing you have insurance. But, wait, your policy covers $300,000 of liability, and, in a lawsuit, you’re judged liable for $1 million. That leaves $700,000 left to pay. How will you cover it?

If you have umbrella insurance and your policy covers the incident, the additional $700,000 will come from your policy. If not, it will come from the assets you have now, such as your home and savings, and from future assets, such as your wages or inheritance.

The fact is, it only takes one serious accident and a resulting lawsuit to put everything you own – and will own – at risk. And it only takes one umbrella policy to help protect it all.

Here are a few things you should know about umbrella insurance:
  • Personal umbrella policies typically offer between one and five million dollars of liability coverage. Consider your net worth when choosing your coverage –you could be sued for everything you have.
  • An umbrella policy is not a stand-alone policy. Your insurance carrier will typically require you to meet certain qualifications, such as having an auto policy with a certain level of liability coverage, in order to purchase umbrella insurance.
  • Even when you have umbrella insurance, your car or home insurance is your first line of defense. For example, if you are liable for $2 million in a car accident and your auto insurance covers $500,000 of liability, your auto policy covers the first $500,000. Your umbrella policy covers the remaining $1.5 million, assuming your policy covers the incident and that you purchased that much coverage. If you are liable for $250,000 in an accident on your property and your homeowners insurance covers $300,000, your umbrella policy won’t be needed.
  • If you insure a motorcycle, ATV, golf cart, snowmobile, motorhome, or watercraft, your umbrella policy may provide additional liability coverage on top of those policies as well. Be sure to check with your agent to confirm your coverage on these types of vehicles.
  • A single umbrella policy typically covers all of your family members who are residents of your household.

Essentially, an umbrella policy gives you excess liability coverage on top of what your other policies provide. If you’re at fault for a serious accident, you’ll need it.

Umbrella insurance also gives you liability coverage in instances where other policies don’t. Examples include driving in a foreign country or renting a boat.

If you’re curious about how umbrella insurance might play a role in protecting the life you’ve built or plan to build, talk to us today.
​
For more information, please visit SafeCo.com.
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it's wedding season! learn about special event insurance to protect any event

5/23/2019

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You devote months to planning, working out every detail for what should be a perfect event. Unfortunately, even the best planned events are at the mercy of the unexpected. Like a flood that ruins your venue. Or a caterer who inexplicably goes bottom up. And chances are, you'll still be on the hook for all or most of the costs. Thankfully, special event insurance can help protect what you've invested in your event should the unexpected put a dark cloud over your big day.

WHAT IS SPECIAL EVENT INSURANCE?

Special event insurance helps cover financial losses that may occur when an accident, extreme weather, illness or a problem with a key vendor puts a stop to your private event. Policies often cost less than you might expect and typically offer two types of coverage:

Event cancellation coverage reimburses you for lost deposits and other charges when unforeseen circumstances cause you to cancel or postpone your function. This type of coverage may extend to special gifts, attire (lost wedding bands, for instance) and damaged photo and video files. It does not, however, cover a change of heart.

Event liability coverage helps protect you from financial loss if you're held responsible for an accident that hurts someone or causes property damage at your event. You may even be covered if one of your guests creates havoc. Many venues now require you to have liability protection before you can even book there.


WHAT TYPES OF FUNCTIONS ARE COVERED?

Events that are covered by special event insurance include but are not limited to:
  • Weddings
  • Engagement parties
  • Business meetings
  • Non-Profit functions
  • Retirement parties
  • Anniversary parties
  • Corporate events

WHEN SHOULD I BUY SPECIAL EVENT INSURANCE?

It's a good idea to purchase a policy as soon as you begin making deposits, because unexpected issues can crop up at any point. That said, you need to buy event cancellation coverage at least 14 days before your function date and liability coverage at least one day prior. You can buy both up to 24 months in advance.
No one wants to think about something unpleasant when planning an important day, but it's nice to know there's a policy that can help protect you from the unexpected.

Call Theodore & Associates today to talk about how you can help safeguard your big day!
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Insuring Jewelry: How to Know if Your Coverage is Enough

5/16/2019

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​A ring from a loved one. A bracelet handed down through generations. A watch or necklace marking a special occasion.

Every reason why you treasure a piece of fine jewelry is a reason why it should be insured.

However, calling it “jewelry insurance” may be a stretch. You don’t need a separate policy to insure your jewelry. You just need to ensure you have the right personal property coverage from your homeowners, condo, or renters insurance.

Jewelry coverage helps protect the investment you’ve made in your favorite pieces by helping you replace them if you experience a loss that’s covered by your policy. But, the coverage is only for certain instances and set dollar amounts, so double check what coverage you have and learn more about insuring jewelry below.

Know What Your Existing Insurance Policy Covers
If you already have personal property coverage as part of a homeowners, renters, or condo policy, you likely already have some form of protection for your jewelry. The typical insurance policy will cover you, up to your policy limit, for jewelry that’s stolen or damaged in certain incidents, such as a fire at your home. However, the typical policy will not cover everyday damage, such as a stone falling out of its setting.

In addition to knowing when you’re covered and when you’re not, it’s also important to know how much you’re covered for. Your insurance policy may cover each individual piece of jewelry at a set amount, such as $1,000 per piece. Or, it may cover your jewelry collection as a whole, such as $3,000 for all pieces. Check your policy or schedule an insurance review with us to better understand what kind of jewelry coverage you have.

Calculate the Value of Your Jewelry Collection in Today’s Dollars
To determine whether you have enough jewelry insurance, you need to know how much your pieces are worth. Keep in mind that your pieces may be worth more now than when you bought them. The value of precious metals and precious stones can increase over time, so have your pieces appraised about every three years.

Use these appraisals, as well as receipts for recently purchased items, to add up the value of your collection. Then compare it to how much jewelry replacement coverage you have on your homeowners insurance, condo insurance or renters insurance.

Decide Which Items Require Additional Coverage
If the jewelry coverage on your policy is lower than the value of your collection, you’ll likely want to purchase additional coverage. For example, you may have a $2,000 pair of diamond earrings, a $7,500 engagement ring and an insurance policy that covers jewelry loss – no matter how many pieces – at $3,000. If both pieces are lost in a single incident, you’re short $6,500 of coverage.

To fill this gap, you can insure high-value items individually, as part of your homeowners insurance, condo insurance or renters insurance. This is known as “scheduling valuables” or adding a “rider” or “endorsement” to your policy. To do so, you will likely need a recent receipt or appraisal establishing the value of each item.

Once scheduled, if an item is damaged or lost in a covered incident, you’ll be covered for the full scheduled amount. Typically, scheduling an item also gives you broader coverage. A lost stone that isn’t covered under your homeowners policy, for example, is likely covered under a policy rider.

Catalog Your Jewelry in a Home Inventory
Once you arrange coverage for your high-value jewelry, it’s important to create a home inventory or update an existing one to catalog your valuable belongings. This isn’t as important for your scheduled pieces because your insurance company has a record of their value. However, for any unscheduled pieces that are lost or stolen, you’ll want a record of their worth.

Ideally, your home inventory will include photos, receipts, appraisals, descriptions, brand names, etc. of all valuable personal property, not just your jewelry. That way, if there’s a loss, you’ll already have the documentation needed for a personal property claim in place.

A home inventory can be as simple as a Word document (save it to the cloud or a flash drive in case your computer is damaged or stolen). Or use a Web program or mobile phone app, such as the home inventory app, to help you catalog your belongings.

Insuring jewelry is easy and affordable, so talk to us about it. If you get something special this year, in addition to flashing it to your friends, think about protecting it, too.

For more info, please visit Safeco Insurance®.
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how to lower your auto insurance bill

5/9/2019

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​It’s easy to lower your insurance costs — especially if you have a great driving record, or don’t mind having higher deductibles.
​

Who doesn’t want to pay less for car insurance? Billions of dollars are spent on ad campaigns to convince you to “switch and save” — but the truth is, many people can find savings no matter who their insurance company is. According to the Insurance Information Institute and other experts, here’s how you can, too:
  1. Drive safely. Accidents, speeding violations, and other incidents on the road can put your safety at risk, of course. But they also can hit your wallet pretty hard, because some can cause your insurance premiums to skyrocket. On the flip side, many companies will give you a discount if you don’t have an accident or moving violation over a set amount of time — so not only will you not pay more than you should, you could pay less than you would otherwise.
  2. Make sure your coverage fits your life (and your car). If you can afford higher deductibles — that is, the amount you have to pay before your insurance kicks in — you can save significantly on your premiums. The Insurance Information Institute says raising your deductible from $200 to $500 could drop your overall cost by as much as 30%. You’ll also want to consider dropping collision or comprehensive coverage if your car is old and worth far less than it once was.
  3. Pay your bills on time. And not just the ones from your insurance company, either. Most carriers use credit information when they’re determining how much your coverage will cost, so it pays to have a good credit history. Other things that can impact your standing include your outstanding balances and how much available credit you have.
  4. Ask about discounts. There are all kinds of discounts available for drivers — including some you might not have realized. Do you own your home? You might save on your car insurance. Do you purchase your homeowners and auto policies from the same company? You’re probably already getting a discount for that. If you don’t drive much, you could be eligible for a low-mileage discount. The list goes on and on (literally), so we’ll help you get the savings you deserve!
  5. Shop around. This goes for cars and insurance policies! Your car has a big impact on how expensive your insurance will be, so if you’re buying a new one, be sure to do your research on how much it costs to repair that particular model, the likelihood of theft, etc. And when it comes to insurance, we can help you get quotes from a number of insurance companies — we’ll make it easy to weigh your options and find the right balance between coverage and cost.

For more information, visit Safeco Insurance®.
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do i really need disability insurance?

5/2/2019

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There are lots of things no one wants to talk about – disability insurance is one of them. But the longer you ignore it, the less protected you are against long term financial risks due to unexpected illnesses and injuries.

Read on for guidance and answers to common questions about disability insurance. This information can help you get started and make the best decision based on your specific needs.

1. If you have people who depend on your income – or if you depend on your income – you need disability insurance. You might be surprised to learn that social security disability benefits are not available if you are expected to be out of work for less than a year. One year without income could deplete your savings and have a significant impact on your finances.

2. Disability insurance replaces a portion of your income when you can’t work. If you were unable to work due to illness or injury, disability insurance can help to pay your most essential expenses, including food, utilities, school tuition, home and car payments.

3. Most long-term absences are due to illnesses, not accidents. While many people think that disabilities are typically caused by accidents, the majority of long-term absences are actually due to illness.

4. You need it even if you’re young and healthy. Almost 1 in 4 of today’s 20 year-olds will become disabled before reaching age 67. What’s more, it’s easier and less expensive to get disability insurance when you’re young and healthy.

5. The risk of a disability during your working years may be greater than you think. The risk of suffering a disabling illness or injury may be more likely than you realize. In fact, at least one in four of today’s 20-year-olds can expect to be out of work for at least a year because of a disabling before they reach retirement age. Disability insurance helps you maintain a steady stream of income when you can’t work due to illness or injury.

6. A good rule of thumb is to protect 60-80% of your after-tax income. You will need to meet your essential living expenses if you should become disabled. 72% of consumer expenditures cover essential needs like housing, food, transportation, health care and education. This easy-to-use Disability Needs Calculator can help determine what amount of disability insurance is most appropriate for your situation.

7. Some disability insurance is better than no disability insurance. When budgets are especially tight, it still makes sense to buy enough disability insurance to cover rent or mortgage payments and keep your family in their home should you become disabled. Disability insurance is more affordable than you may think. For example, a healthy 35 year-old male may obtain a $1,000 monthly benefit for an initial premium of approximately $25 per month.

8. Make sure you know how much disability insurance you get at work. Check to see if disability coverage is made available to you through your employee benefits package. You might want to look carefully at coverage, however, since group benefits alone may not be enough due to potential benefit limitations and types of income covered.

9. There is no substitute for good advice. Seek advice on how much insurance is right for your needs. Talk to a trained financial professional or perform research online. Whichever approach works best for you, taking action to protect you and your family with disability insurance is an important part of a strong financial plan.

10. The financial strength and reputation of the company you buy from matters. When you purchase disability insurance, the company you buy from is making a long-term commitment to you. If you become disabled, there is a chance you will receive benefits for an extended period of time, so it makes sense to buy from a company with experience, financial strength and a solid reputation.

Call us today to talk about getting you a Disability Insurance quote!
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  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Team
    • History
    • Summerville office
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  • INSURANCE
    • Vehicle Insurance >
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