Winter can be a harsh time of year because of the weather it brings. Since ancient times, it has been a season to prepare for – and that still holds true to this day. To get ready for a cozy winter in your home, be sure to follow these preparation tips:

Check your pipes: When water freezes, it expands. When this happens to the water in your pipes, it could result in a messy insurance claim for water damage or potentially no coverage at all if your home is vacant or unoccupied when the loss occurs.

If you plan to leave your home for winter, make sure that your furnace or thermostat is set to at least 60 degrees to avoid potential damage to your indoor pipes. Also, before outdoor temperatures drop to below-freezing levels, shut off outside faucets and wrap exposed piping in heat tape for protection. A professional plumber can advise you on which pipes you will need to maintain.

Secure your roof: When snow piles up, it can get very heavy and the weight can damage your roof. Before snowfall, give your roof a careful visual inspection. Most roof damage is actually below the shingles, so look for buckling, sagging, or otherwise uneven areas. Missing or broken shingles should be replaced. A roofer can best asses any damage that you find and advise on necessary repairs.

Maintain your gutters: Just as too much snow on your roof can be bad, too much water can be just as harmful in the form of leaks or water damage. Keep your gutters clear so that snow and melt water can easily flow off the roof instead of building up on it – potentially causing damage.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

Comprehensive Coverage is part of your “Physical Damage” or “Damage to your Auto” coverage.  It is sometimes called “Other Than Collision” coverage.  Simply put it covers “Damage to Your Auto” – “Other Than Collision” and is “Comprehensive”.  By that I mean that Comprehensive Coverage is an example of “all risk” coverage in that everything not excluded is covered.  It typically covers, subject to a deductible, nonmoving losses such as fire, theft and vandalism.  The policy may contain a list of loss types which are defined as not collision.  These then are specifically comprehensive losses.  This list is not, however exhaustive.  Remember that all losses not otherwise excluded are covered.  Some interesting provisions in the coverage are:

1.  Collision with an animal is covered under comprehensive

2.  Windshield damage is covered under comprehensive and may be free from your deductible if the windshield can be repaired instead of replaced

If any time you have concerns or questions about Comprehensive Insurance, please contact our team of PoliSeek licensed representative to assist.  They can be reached at 866-540-7335 or by visiting poliseek.com.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

Flooding can happen anywhere and at any time. Many people assume that their homes will be safe if they do not live near a large body of water, but that is simply not true. Homes on the east and west coast, such as prime coastal Californian real estate often attract eager buyers for the views, but a new buyer’s mind rarely weighs the possibility of elemental threats such as wind, fire, or water damage. Again, even if there is no apparent threat of flood, record breaking rains and a blocked drainage system can spell disaster in any neighborhood. Large thunderstorms, hurricanes, even melting snow can also build up enough water to cause a flood. These events can have catastrophic consequences to your home and your belongings. If you think that your home is covered for flood under your homeowner’s policy, please check your policy. Flood damage is not covered by the typical homeowner’s insurance policy.

Flood damage is often excluded from a homeowner’s insurance policy and savvy homeowners will know that to fully protect their home and their belongings inside, they will need supplemental insurance; in this case, flood insurance. If you have moved to a new home or are reassessing your current homeowner’s insurance policy, consider purchasing a flood insurance policy. Research what amount is right to cover your home and your possessions and know that a natural disaster such as a flood can be covered by insurance.

PoliSeek.com, one of the nation’s largest personal lines insurance agencies, would like to help you with your policy needs no matter where in the United States you live! We make it easy to compare flood insurance quotes to find the best combination of coverage and price for you.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

An Umbrella Policy is a policy which is specifically designed to provide additional liability coverage when you have exhausted the limits of your traditional policies. If you are like most of us you carry several lines of insurance to protect your personal assets. These make include auto insurance, homeowner or renters insurance and perhaps even RV or boat insurance. Each of these policies offers coverage for described property and also provides some liability coverage in the event you injure another or damage their property. Within the liability coverage each of these policies also has a limit, which is a maximum amount payable per loss. If this limit is inadequate to pay for the total loss, you are personally responsible for the balance. A solution to this “underinsurance” problem is to purchase an Umbrella policy. As its name implies, this policy provides an “umbrella” of liability protection over each and all of these other policies. If the limit of your “underlying” auto policy, or homeowner policy or boat coverage is inadequate to pay all the damages in a given loss, the umbrella policy steps in and pays its limit of top of such underlyer.

Example: A race to the railroad crossing finished in a tie. The collision caused the derailment of the train locomotive which slid down an embankment and into a river. The cost to extract and repair the locomotive was over $1,000,000 and the driver of the automobile (who was miraculously unharmed) was held responsible. The driver’s auto policy paid its property damage limit of $100,000 and the umbrella stepped in and paid the balance. Without the umbrella coverage the driver could have lost all that he owned in an attempt to pay the damages.

An umbrella policy may also provide coverage (subject to a deductible called an SIR) not provided in the underlying policies such as worldwide auto liability coverage or coverage for libel and slander. If you are interested in more information or to obtain this valuable coverage please call us at 866-540-7335.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

Purchasing a new car is often a joyous occasion. You are excited to sign the paperwork and drive your new vehicle off the lot, but, before you do, keep in mind the legal ramifications of your actions. You are legally required to carry automobile insurance. Additionally, it is dangerous and costly to drive without it. We often get asked “am I automatically covered when I drive off the dealership lot with a new car?” The answer is may be no, as the process is not always automatic.

If you are currently insured, you should contact your insurer to find out the specifics of your policy. Many automotive insurance plans have some type of automatic coverage provision in place and they may give you a period of time to add a new car after purchase, however it is up to you to be a knowledgeable consumer and know the specifics of your agreement. You are still responsible for adding the new car within the parameters of your policy, as well as any additional costs that may be associated with your new car make or model. If you hear the phrases “grace period” or “30 days of free insurance” understand that only what is in the written, signed agreement is enforceable by law and you should find out the exact parameters meant by these phrases according to your policy provider. If you have already purchased a new vehicle and have not contacted your current insurance provider, please do so as soon as possible to make sure you are fully covered.

Contact PoliSeek to learn more about low cost automobile policies. If your auto insurance policy is through PoliSeek, we make it easy for you to add a new vehicle to your account.

Finding the right automobile insurance policy can help keep the process of buying a new vehicle enjoyable. Let PoliSeek help you find the right coverage at the right price for you!

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

More and more people are trying to save money by purchasing a “fixer upper” house, and doing the work themselves. This is a great way to save some money and know that the job will get done to your satisfaction.

Something that may not be on the mind of those fixing up their homes is lowering the rates on their homeowners insurance. There are many things that you can do to your home that can save you some money on your homeowners insurance. Here are a few:

Improve home security – Making sure you have smoke detectors, dead-bolt locks and a burglar alarm can save you some money. Installing a more sophisticated system can significantly reduce you insurance cost.

Make your home disaster resistant – Adding storm shutters, reinforcing your roof or modernizing your heating and cooling equipment can also help shave dollars off of your premium.

For more ways to save on your homeowners insurance, please contact a PoliSeek Representative or visit PoliSeek.com.

One Thing many people don’t realize about a “standard” homeowners insurance policy, is that it may limit coverage on some especially valuable items that you may own. These items could include jewelry, rare musical instruments, furs or even collectable antiques.

In order to fully protect your valuables, you should learn more about an addition to your policy, called a floater. When you add a floater to your policy, it will increase your premium, but it is the only way to make sure you can get full reimbursement or replacement for your high value items.

There are a few different options you can choose. If you have single items that are worth more than $2500, you can buy an individual floater for each item. The threshold for the price of an item will vary by insurance company and type of property you wish to insure, so you will need to tell them your specifics when inquiring about a rider.

The other option is for when you have a collection or group of similar items. For a collection, you will want to inquire about schedule coverage. An example of a need for schedule coverage may be for a group of valuable items of jewelry

If you are in need of an additional floater for expensive valuables, please contact a qualified professional at http://www.poliseek.com or call 866-500-7335.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverage in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

Many people have picked a specific geographic location to live in because they like certain characteristics of that area. Some people like areas with snow, while others can’t get away from it fast enough. Others like ocean accessible areas, where others prefer mountains settings with cool spring lakes. The only one thing that all of these geographic areas have in common is that there are specific things which homeowners must “worry” about in terms of protecting their home.

To fully protect your home and other investments, you need to take into account the specific threats that are inherent to where you live. Those who live near the oceans, especially in the southeast are more prone to hurricanes and need to add the appropriate insurance to protect them. Those that live in the west like in California need to be aware of the chance of an earthquake and protect themselves accordingly. And those that are in no apparent threat of a natural disaster should still review their homeowner’s insurance policy anyway to make sure it covers more common items such as fire, flood, wind, etc.

This information is common to those that have lived in a particular area for some time, but if you are in the process of moving to a new place, it is essential that you research the area and determine what some of the risks may be. After you have researched, purchase the right amount of coverage to protect your house and your family. PoliSeek.com has many insurance policies to meet your needs, anywhere in the country!

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

The cost of insurance coupled with an uncertain economy encourages cutting costs where we can. One common mistake people make is drastically reducing the homeowners or auto insurance coverage they have, or canceling their policy altogether. While this may seem like a good idea in the immediate future, in the long run this can end up costing more through out of pocket expenses. Instead of canceling your insurance, here are a few discounts to explore with your insurance company to reduce the cost of many homeowners and auto insurance policies.

Homeowner’s insurance discounts you may be eligible for:

• Safety Feature Discounts. – If you have indoor sprinklers, smoke detectors or other fire protection items, you may be eligible for a discount. These safety features make it more likely that your home will be less damaged in the event of a fire.

• Burglar Alarm – Installing an alarm system will not only protect your home and family, but it could also make you eligible for a homeowners insurance discount. Thieves will be deterred if you make it known that you have a system, making your home less expensive for the insurance company to cover.

• Age of home – If you are in the market to move, purchasing a newer home instead of an older one can save you on insurance. New homes are often constructed better and with safer materials, as compared to older homes.

Auto insurance discounts you may be eligible for:

• Multi-car discount – If you have multiple cars in your household, but they are under different insurance providers, you could save by consolidating all vehicles under one policy.

• Anti-theft system – If you have an after market alarm or LoJack system installed in your car, you may also receive discounts. Alarm and recovery systems make it a deterrent for a thief and easier to locate a stolen vehicle.

• Safe driver – If for a period of time you go without traffic violations or accidents, you can then apply for discounts.

• Good student – If you have a student driver that is also good in school, you can qualify for a discount.

To find out which discounts you are eligible for, you should contact your insurance agent. If you are in need of homeowners insurance or auto insurance, www.PoliSeek.com has many different insurance products to meet your needs.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

While the push for universal healthcare is not quite there, it is important that every person have health insurance.  Having even basic health insurance can protect you from unanticipated health bills.  Even if you have a job that doesn’t provide health insurance, you can still get it at an affordable rate.  PoliSeek will help you to find the best health insurance at an affordable rate to meet your needs.  We partner with many different providers to ensure we are giving our customers the best possible prices.  Our health insurance products include:

 •            Insurance for individuals and families
•             Short term disability
•             Health savings accounts (HSA)
•             Prescription drug discounts
•             Student health care
•             Short term health insurance 

Not having any health insurance can leave you finically liable in the event you should incur a medical expense.  When bills add up because of medical problems, this puts stress on you and your family.  The number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States is due to medical related expenses.  If you are in need of health insurance, contact one of our health insurance specialists at http://PoliSeek.com . Call 866-540-7335 or request a free quote at http://www.poliseek.com/health-insurance .

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.