After 8 long months, football season is upon us, and with it comes traditional tailgates and good old fashioned get togethers at your home. Regardless if you’re a Bengals fan or a Browns fan it’s important to know you are covered for those unexpected events and we’re not talking about Cleveland winning. Are you protected if your neighbor trips and falls in the living room while celebrating a touchdown? What happens if someone is injured on the grill? Good insurance coverage is your defense for potential liability claims against you. Don’t get caught off guard without these key coverages. Homeowner Insurance policies have a coverage called Medical Payments to Others. This coverage is designed to pay medical expenses to guests who are injured in your home regardless of who’s at fault. This limit is usually anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000. Homeowner’s policies also offer liability coverage. This covers incidents you are legally responsible for. These limits are much larger and tend to be anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000. You can extend your liability limits to $1 million and above with the purchase of an Umbrella Policy. The extra Umbrella protection on average cost around $160 a year. Don’t get called for a flag, Watch for these hazards:
SPicy Jalapeno Dip RecipeSpicy Jalapeno Dip
Ingredients: 2 8oz Crème Cheese (Softened) 1 Cup Mayo 1 4oz Can of Green Chilies (Drained) 1 4oz can of Jalapenos (Drained) ½ Cup of Mexican Cheese ½ Cup of Mozzarella Crust 1 Cup Planko ½ Cup Parmesan Preheat Oven to 350 Mix Crème Cheese, Mayo, Chilies, Jalapenos, Mexican cheese, & Mozzarella in pan or glass dish. Layer it on top with parmesan and planko for the crust Add some optional Jalapenos on top for extra taste Bake for 20/25 minutes More choices. Less hassle. Just the right amount of protection. The right insurance is about more than choosing the right company. It's about selecting coverage that fits your specific needs. Your local independent agent will provide the expert guidance to help you do both – so you can focus on your life, not on your insurance. Having an unbiased advocate on your side means you don't have to navigate the insurance world on your own. In fact, if you don't want to, you don't even have to think about the insurance world. You can rest easy knowing that your agent has the knowledge and resources to protect what matters most to you. Because they aren't limited to products from any one company, independent agents have the freedom to create a personalized insurance package that fits your needs and your budget. Is an umbrella policy right for you? Do you have enough uninsured motorist coverage? Does your jewelry require a special rider on your homeowners policy? An independent agent can answer all of your insurance questions — even those you didn't know you had. HOW INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS BENEFIT YOU – AND YOUR COMMUNITYThis was a busy weekend for Buckner Insurance! Charity kickball on Saturday and then presenting sponsor of the 1st Annual Jim Cleamon’s Celebrity Outing Pairing Party on Sunday, followed by the Golf Outing on Monday. We love our community and we love to be involved, so this was a weekend we were very excited about. The pairing party was held in Dayton at Top of the Market. Our front girl Brittany won 2 signed basketballs in the silent auction! We also had 2 teams that played in the outing. Here are some photos from the party and the outing. We ran into our favorite home builders from Catalyst Homes. If you haven’t already, you have to check them out. Their homes are gorgeous. And everyone knows our friend Eric from Flyin’ To The Hoop. He’s a celebrity himself! LET'S TALK WATER...Did you know that floods are the Nation’s most common and costly natural disaster and that your standard property coverage does not cover it?
Flood insurance must be purchased separately and the most recent poll done by the Insurance Information Institute showed only about 12% of US homeowners actually have it. We don’t want this percentage to be so low simply because of the assumption most people have that it’s automatically covered. So let’s focus on the ins and outs of water damage and coverage. Do I Need Flood Insurance? As you know the weather can be very unpredictable and according to FEMA all 50 states have experienced floods or flash floods in the past 5 years. Flooding can occur from storms, over saturated ground, overflowing or surging bodies of water like rivers, ponds, and, lakes. A flood could very well happen to anyone. A flood with no insurance could leave you financially devastated. The damage from just one inch of water can cost more than $20,000. More than 20 percent of flood claims come from properties NOT located in high risk flood zones. If you own, or are looking to purchase a personal or commercial property in a high flood zone your lender will actually require you to carry it. Flood insurance for homes in non-flood zones is surprisingly very affordable with a few different coverage and deductible options. Is my Car covered if there’s a flood? Streets flooding are more common than you think and can easily total a car. Unless you carry Comprehensive coverage your car is not covered for it. Comprehensive coverage comes with a deductible and covers not only flooding but things like fire, hail damage, if you hit a deer, and broken glass. You can have comprehensive coverage without collision. If you just carry liability only it’s a good idea to call your agent and ask how much more it would cost to add comprehensive coverage to it. It is a very low cost coverage! How do I get a Quote for Flood Insurance? Anyone with a residential or commercial policy with a property located in a NFIP- participating community can purchase flood insurance. Purchasing flood insurance is easy. You can contact agents who offer it, like us! All we need to get started on a quote is your name and property address. We will be able to recommend different coverage options and deductibles. It is important to know that unless it is a new purchase and required for a loan closing, you will typically have a 30 day wait period for coverage. So call now! Do not wait until it’s too late!! All flood insurance is written through FEMA through the National Flood Insurance Program so it is not something you can shop for different rates. All agents authorized to sell flood insurance will have the exact same price. The Exception… It is correct that flooding is not covered by homeowners, condo, and renters insurance. The exception to that is one of our companies Auto Owners Insurance, does in fact offer what is called “Inland Flood Coverage”. This can be added to homeowner’s policies as an endorsement. These properties must not be located in high risk flood zones and the limit must match the policies water backup limit. It would then give a small amount of coverage for flooding. What is Water Backup of Sewers and Drains? A residential and commercial property policy will cover what’s called “Water Backup of sewers and drains” if endorsed to be added to the policy. It is not an automatic coverage. This is different water scenario than flooding we discussed earlier. What this covers is repairing water damage from overflowing drains and sewers, broken sump pumps, and more. Typically, when a sump pump fails it causes water to backup into your home, sometimes bringing all kinds of water-borne materials with it. A water backup can create costly damage. This leaves you to have to quickly arrange for cleanup and repairs to avoid further damage. Water backups can happen to anyone! It is a good idea to call your agent and make sure you have the coverage and find out your limit. We recommend in most cases a very minimum of $10,000 -$25,000 coverage. Are the pipes in my front yard covered if they bust? Not unless you have the specific coverage added and not all companies have it available. Several of our companies will offer what is called “Service Line Coverage”. This will actually cover the pipes in your front yard leading from the street in the event the bust for any reason. This is a very common claim and another great misconception of something most believe to be automatically covered by their homeowners insurance. All of these things are just additional reasons why it is a great idea to review your policies with your agent every year at renewal. Things change and you don’t want to find out after the fact that you weren’t covered. We will review your policy even if you are not our current client and give you suggestions. Buckner insurance is an authorized flood insurance agency and we are here to help! Please contact us if you have any questions: 937-434-6800 Shopping for insurance can be overwhelming but it really doesn’t have to be. Buckner Insurance is here to help!! Below are some Frequently Asked Questions and answers about personal and commercial insurance. There are so many insurance companies, where do I start? When it comes to insurance there are Captive Agents and Independent Agents. Captive Agents are companies like AllState, State Farm, & Nationwide, to name a few. They only have the option to place your insurance with their company. Some captive companies have no agents at all, just an 800 number for example Geico. Independent Agents represent multiple companies and are able to get you more comparative prices with one single phone call. They also have the resources to keep all of your family and insurance with one Agent, in the unique case bundling is not your best option. One example would be a youthful driver with a bad driving record who may need to be on a separate policy. Regardless of what you choose remember there is so much value to having an experienced agent working for you every step of the way. Some other tips would be to research the company itself. Check out Facebook and Google reviews and ask for some recommendations from your friends and family. You can also further research the insurance by checking out their A.M Best rating. This will show the company’s financial strength. What information should I have available when calling for a quote? It is important when getting prices from new companies that you are comparing Apples to Apples. If someone is quoting you a much better price, be sure it is not at the expense of your coverage. It is always a good idea to contact your current agent before shopping and ask them to send you a copy of your current “Declarations Pages”. This will list all of your current coverages along with almost all of the other prudent information needed to properly quote you. This is something they can quickly and easily fax or email to you. If you choose not go that route, all companies will always need the first and last name of every driver in the household along with birthdates and driver’s license numbers. We will also need your address and vehicle information. VIN numbers are helpful but are not necessary for a quote. **It is always a good idea to shop everything at once. Bundle discounts are a huge savings and it’s easier to just do it all at once. This goes for home, auto, life, & Business Insurance. How Often Should I shop? That is a great question!! Everyone is different; typically we would say every 2 to 3 years for those who are just rate shopping. Some companies offer “Welcome” Discounts, which you will sometimes see fall off or decrease after about a year. Sometimes there are certain life events can be a good time to shop. Things like buying a new home, youthful drivers being added to the policy, or the passing of a spouse or named insured. ** You do not have to wait until your renewal date to shop. What things affect my rate? There are so many factors built into insurance rates. A few things are: Your age, marital status, the area in which you live, claims and violations, your vehicle ages & types, home characteristics, multi-policy discounts, having a company car, your annual mileage, your credit, the age of your roof, your coverages and deductibles, youthful drivers in the household, and continuous prior insurance. Those are some of the main factors but not all. How do I know what coverage I should get? Knowing what coverage to have starts with knowing what your coverage means. Here are a few common insurance coverage terms and what they mean. Collision- Pays for damage to the vehicle from impact with other vehicles or objects. (This is subject to a deductible) Comprehensive- Sometimes called “Other than Collision” protects the vehicle against loss from fire, theft, animal collision, vandalism, breakage of glass, and windstorm/hail. (This is subject to a deductible) Deductible- a specified amount of money that you must pay before an insurance company will pay a claim. The higher your deductible the lower the premium. As far as understanding how much coverage you need, that is another great example of the value of having an agent. Your agent will ask questions when talking to you to understand your specific situation and be able to recommend proper coverages. Generally, the more money you have and assets you own the more liability insurance you should have to protect them. In some cases you may even need an umbrella policy. Umbrellas extend liability coverage and are a last line of defense against lawsuits. You would be surprised how affordable a million dollar umbrella policy is. You should also have enough life insurance to cover your mortgage and protect your family in the event of your death. Why are you insuring my home for more than what it is appraised at? Companies use different computer programs called “Replacement Cost Estimators”. In this program we enter all of your home information. This includes things like square footage, foundation, building material, and interior specifications. This will determine a rebuild amount based on today’s current construction costs. Your homes current market value and cost to rebuild it are completely different. It is always a good idea if you feel this amount is too high to discuss it with your agent to review. They may have simply gotten some misinformation from the Auditor’s site and/or have additional options available to lower the amount. What about My Business Insurance? It is a good idea to talk to your current agent before each year’s renewal to determine what adjustments should be made to your insurance. This can be reviewing driver’s lists, sales, equipment and vehicle lists, and business property limits. We suggest shopping and comparing new prices every 2 to 3 years. You are a business owner and your time is valuable. So is your money and it is important to not overpay for insurance for your growing business. When shopping your insurance keep in mind most agents will set up appointments to come to you. Just like personal insurance, having a copy of your current policy is a great start. The agent will probably have a few additional questions because every business is unique and therefore insurance should never be one size fits all. If you have commercial auto coverage a current drivers list is needed. Also Loss runs. Loss runs are a list of any claims your business has had in the last 3 to 5 years. All of these things are easily obtained from your current agent. They can be quickly printed off and faxed or emailed to you directly. Taking the time to shop could save you thousands of dollars a year!! For More Insurance Questions Please call Buckner Insurance at 937-434-6800 or email [email protected]. Jon Zimmerman and Buckner Insurance have been taking care of my personal and company insurance for over 10 years. We initially switched to them because of the cost savings. Over this time we have experienced the benefits of Buckner that have far exceeded the savings. The service my agent Jon has given us has led to many friends and companies I use making the switch to Buckner as well.” |
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