PoliSeek Blog

Protecting your Home from Winter Claims

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:41:12 +0000

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.

What is Comprehensive Insurance?

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:51:56 +0000

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.

Three Life Events That Can Greatly Affect Your Auto Insurance Rate

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:33:14 +0000

While your driving record is a major factor (and in some states the major factor) in the rate you pay for auto insurance, it is certainly not the only factor. Because auto insurance (and most other insurance) rates are derived by dividing clients into groups and charging some groups higher rates than others, some factors which you may have not suspected can have a big impact on your auto insurance rate. The three that immediately come to mind are:

• Turning 25 years old. Most carriers have surcharged “young driver” rates which are significantly higher than those charged to more mature drivers. These surcharges diminish over time and are often insignificant by age 25.

• Getting married. Experience shows that married drivers have (on average) fewer accidents than single drivers and so therefore pay a lower rate.

• Relocation. Where you live and where you operate your automobile still has a major impact on your auto insurance rates. If you move from the mid-west to New Jersey and nothing else changes, be prepared for a significant rate increase. Why – New Jersey drivers have a much greater accident frequency than other states. Claims cost is therefore much greater…and so are premiums.

While these are factors that will impact your rate, one does not usually consider them in making the decision to relocate or to get married and your age is not within your control. Other factors that may impact your rate is number of miles driven, use of the vehicle, make and model of the vehicle and other drivers in your household.

Why You Need Flood Insurance

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:14:09 +0000

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.

3 Events That Can Affect your Auto Insurance Rate

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:09:21 +0000

While your driving record is a major factor (and in some states the major factor) in the rate you pay for auto insurance, it is certainly not the only factor. Because Auto Insurance (and most other insurance) rates are derived by dividing customers into groups and charging some groups higher rates than others (a process known as rating classification), some factors which you may have not suspected can have a big impact on your auto insurance rate. The three that immediately come to mind are:

• Turning 25 years old. Most carriers have surcharged “young driver” rates which are significantly higher than those charged to more mature drivers. These surcharges diminish over time and decrease significantly by age 25, although age does affect the rate beyond that.

• Getting married. Experience shows that married drivers have (on average) fewer accidents than single drivers and therefore pay a lower rate.

• Relocation. Where you live and where you operate your automobile still has a major impact on your auto insurance rates. If you move from the mid-west to New Jersey and nothing else changes, be prepared for a significant rate increase. Why? New Jersey drivers have a much greater accident frequency than other states. Claims cost is therefore much greater…and so are premiums.

Should you have an Umbrella Policy?

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:31:15 +0000

An Umbrella Insurance policy is coverage that (among other things) provides an additional layer of liability protection over your auto policy, homeowner policy, rental property policy or even boat policy. For example your auto policy says that in the event of an accident they agree to pay, for instance, up to $500,000 in damages for bodily injury. With an umbrella policy the umbrella carrier will pay up to an additional $1,000,000 (or more) if needed.

Do I need an Umbrella Policy? How likely are you to be sued? And for how much. The answer to this question depends on the public’s perception of your wealth. If you drive a very expensive car and live in a nice house, you may be mortgaged to the teeth and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy but the public’s perception is that you are wealthy. In the event of an auto accident or other liability loss you are, because of this perception, more likely to be sued than someone who lives more modestly. When you are sued, again because of perception, it will be for a lot of money. Someone is going to have to pay for the loss and your defense. This is where you will be glad you purchased that umbrella policy.

Remember, it is not what you have but what the public perceives you have that may raise the need for the additional liability insurance found in an umbrella. For more information or a no-obligation quote, contact PoliSeek at 866-540-7335 or visit us online at PoliSeek.com.

What is an Umbrella Policy?

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:22:04 +0000

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.

What is a Deductible?

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:25:11 +0000

This is an amount of money which must be paid by the insured in the event of loss, prior to the insurer paying ay sums. The purpose of a deductible is to eliminate small claims and the administrative cost of handling them. The estimate is that it cost between $300.00 and $400.00 to handle the administrative cost of even the simplest auto claim. This is only the cost of assigning the adjustor, handling and processing the paperwork, and reporting the information to the appropriate sources. This has nothing to do with the amount paid for the claim but merely the internal cost to handle the claim. The purpose of the deductible is to eliminate as many of small claims as possible and their inherent cost. In its simplest form this is how it works.

Driver “A” backed his car into a post at the local high school parking lot. No one was hurt and the post was undamaged. If the cost to repair the damage to his automobile is less than his collision deductible, then driver “A” has no claim and will have to absorb the cost of repair himself. If the repair cost exceeds the deductible then driver “A” will have to pay the deductible and the balance will be paid by his collision insurer. Logically then, the higher the deductible, the fewer claims get reported and so the lower the premium. Deciding what deductible to carry is a bit of a balancing act. You must balance the savings of a lower premium against the higher cost to you in the event you have a loss.

If you have questions regarding this or any other insurance matter, please give us a call at 866-540-7335.

Should I carry Rental Car Insurance?

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:21:14 +0000

Rental Car Insurance, often referred to as Rental Reimbursement coverage, provides payment on a reimbursement basis, for the rental of a car in the event your automobile suffers a covered loss. That means that if you are in an accident and your car is damaged it will pay for the rental of an automobile while your car is repaired. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• You must carry collision and comprehensive coverage to purchase Rental Car Insurance

• It pays on a reimbursement basis, but most of the major rental agencies will bill your insurance directly.

• It pays only as a result of accident, not for your rental car on vacation

• The coverage has a per day and number of days limit, like $30 per day for 30 days maximum

• If the accident was the other guy’s fault, your rental car will be paid for as part of the property damage settlement by his insurance company

• The coverage is relatively inexpensive

• It covers only the rental of the car, not damage waiver or other add on charges

So the question is: if your car is damaged and has to go in the shop, how much of an inconvenience will that be? Do you have alternative means of transportation? If not, how much of a financial hardship will it be for you to pay $30 per day to rent a car?

If you have addition questions about this or other auto insurance coverage, or to add this coverage to your policy, please call PoliSeek at 866-540-7335. We are standing by to help in any way we can!

How to Make an Insurance Claim

PoliSeek Editor — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:57:26 +0000

When it is time to make an auto insurance claim, knowing how to properly navigate the process will save you time, frustration, and possibly even money. Here are some easy steps to follow that will keep your stress to a minimum.

• If you are making a claim due to an accident, exchange information with the other driver, including name address, phone number and insurance carrier.

• Insist on having an accident report filed, even if the damage appears to be minimal on the surface. If you later find out you underestimated the damage and you need to file a claim, you will be glad you have an accident report to refer to.

• Make sure you have the facts straight in your mind and write them down before calling your insurance carrier. Consistency is very important and time can cloud your memory.

• If there is a dispute, you will most likely be contacted by the other driver’s insurance company. Refer to your notes and be consistent with what you tell them.

• Contact your insurer as quickly as possible and file a claim whether you are at fault or not. Your insurance carrier will likely attend to your needs long before the carrier of the other party. They will also pursue the claim on your behalf if the other driver is at fault.

• If your claim is in reference to vandalism or theft as opposed to an accident, you need to report the incident and have a police report filled out in order to expedite the process and have your stolen items replaced or your car fixed.

Once your claim is approved, an adjuster will come by to determine the damage and refer you to an auto body shop that can fix your car and get you back on the road. The claims process can be a difficult one, but following these steps can make it as close to hassle-free as you can get.