Having auto insurance is having “peace of mind.” It is security, knowing your auto is protected, your person, your guests in the auto and other drivers.

The first thing you need to do when looking for insurance coverage is to find out what is mandatory in your state. Most likely there is a requirement to have the minimum coverage of liability. For example, the miminum liablity requirements in the state of Arizona is “15/30,” which means for any single occurance, $15,000 covers any one person/property damage, or a total of $30,000 is available to cover the total number of people’s injuries and property damage.

In some states, uninsurance/underinsurance maybe be required or not. Uninsurance covers you, the insured if the facts show that the other party, at fault for the collision does not carry liability insurance.

Other common insurance coverage is collision, which covers the damage to your auto in the event of a collision. Comprehensive coverage applies to all other damages to your auto such as theft or rocks flying in the air and hits your auto.

Other popular coverages are medical pay and towing. For any other coverages, quite often it will be extended coverage or specialty category.

When reviewing auto insurance coverage with your agent, make sure you only purchase coverages which only applies to what your needs are.

For a quick and easy quote on your auto insurance needs, call Doug Seide Insurance at 480-443-1952.

Nowadays, when you find that more of your “prized possesions” such as motorcycles, boats, travel trailers, snowmobiles, etc., are located on your residential property, do you really know if you have the proper coverage on them?

Specialty Personal Lines

In this post, we will focus on an exellent company, Foremost Insurance Group, that is the recognized leader in the Specialty Personal Lines market. It started back in 1952 when they were the first insurance company to write coverage for moblie homes. They have broadened their product line and refined the policy with years of knowledge and experience. NO OTHER SPECIALTY insurer can match that.

Here is the items that Formost can write insurance on:
Motorcycles, Off road vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Yachts, Motorhomes, Travel Trailers, Mobile Homes, Dwelling Fire or Landlord policies, and NON standard homeowners policies.

Formost’s motto is “To be committed to make it easy for the customer to do business with us.”

1. By flexible billing. There are many payment options to meet client’s needs.
2. Excellent claims. Quickly and efficiently, experienced adjusters, they can write checks on the spot. They all have laptop PC’s and digital cameras so fast, accurate decisions on coverage can be made.
3. Great customer service. The Claims hotline is  1-800-527-3907. Claims service is available at www.foremost.com

The difference you find with Foremost’s SPECIALIZED coverages versus and endorsement on an AUTO or HOME policy is like NIGHT and DAY. Usually the endorsements on the auto or home policy are very limited. They could be missing out on important coverages they are not even aware of.

Call our OFFICE at 480-443-1952 or click the “Contact Doug” tab for a quick and cheerful quote.

We are going to expand on the previous post by adding the characterisitcs of a GREAT agent! Please enjoy….

Many times when we hire a lawyer, a dentist, a plumber, etc., it is because we have an immediate need. Seldom is it that we take the time to “shop” for these service providers with enough time to thoroughly check out everything we should.

Here are several tips when knowing you have a great insurance agent.

• Agent has empathy to your unique situation
• Carefully reveiws every available coverage you may need to protect you, your business, and your family without the “salesy” pitch
• Will answer any and all your questions, even if it takes all day
• Goes over the claims process in advance so you are not “lost” during a time when you need to know immediately what to do in case of a claim
• Keeps in touch with you at least on a quarterly basis to see if you need to make changes to your coverage for whatever the reason
• Makes a concerted effort to save you money via quantity discounts, preferred risk discounts, etc.
• Is knowledgeable in most aspects of the insurance policy. What the agent does not know, he should be able to find you answers right away

Most of the above items are common sense, but you would be surprised at how many people will purchase insurance policies without getting information that is a matter of “life and death” sometimes and find out it is too late to get coverage on something that is not covered due to the short comings of the insurance agent.

Seek your new insurance agent with care!

DO YOU NEED A QUOTE ON AUTO OR BUSINESS INSURANCE? CALL DOUG AT 480-443-1952.

There are at least 5 things to look for when securing a good insurance agent.

1. Make sure the agent is certified with some kind of recognized insurance certificate. For property/casualty agents, they are have a CPCU certification. If they sell investments, life policies and securitites, make sure they have a Series 7 and Series 11 license. If they specialize in life, check for a CLU or Chartered Life Underwriter certification.
2. Check for any valid complaints with the Better Business Bureau. If they either get complaints or inquires. Make sure the inquiries do not have any confirmed complaints. Sometimes there could be inquiries but unjustified.
3. Preferably get an insurance “broker” as opposed to a “captured agent,” or “exclusive agent.”  A broker will more likely look out for your own interests as opposed to an exclusive wanting to sell you more coverage than you need.
4. Ask if you can talk with some of his/her clients for references. You need to feel at ease that the agent has proved their worthiness through real life relationships with these agents.
5. Ask many questions of the agent. You want to make sure you have the “whole picture” of how complete your agent will be on discussing anything that has to do with coverages. Think up of as many “what if” questions. Too many insureds find out too late of what they are NOT covered for as opposed as for what they are covered.

It wouldn’t hurt to find out the process when a claim is made. Is there 24 hour contact? Is it live assistance or recorded message centers you have to deal with. Can you get a 24 hour, round the clock assistance? Is there a checklist that the agent can provide when making a claim?

When you use due diligence when shopping for an agent, you can have peace of mind that you made all the right decisions when selecting your insurance agent.

For any further questions regarding your insurance needs, call Doug at 480-443-1952.

Quite often we forget that if, we are self employed or even freelance, coverage in the office within our home can be limited. What you took for granted that is covered, really is not. Here are some things to ask your insurance agent regarding insurance coverage on your home office.

• What is the limit of business equipment in your office?
• Does your current homeowners policy cover business liability?
• Do you have coverage for “cyber crime?”
• Are you covered for people who visit your home for business purposes?
• Is your business records covered for loss?
• Are you covered for business interruption within the home?

There are policy riders and other additional coverage available for self employed people who work out of their home. Try to imagine your home office a completely separate entity that needs its own insurance. Even if you are employed by a large corporation and they let you work from home or “telecommute,” always remember to check with your insurance agent before starting your assignment.

Here are four ways your insurance agent can help you get proper coverage on your liability risk:

1. He can write a separate business policy for property
2. BOP or business owners policy
3. Homeowners endorsement
4. Custom home office/home business insurance policy

Don’t risk being under insured or over insured on your home office!

For more information or to secure a no obligation quote, call Doug at 480-443-1952

Did you know that you can be liable for any household guest  getting injured in a different location other than your house if they have been drinking alcohol initially from your house? This will also hold true if your intoxicated guest does injury to anyone else. Law enforcement and claims adjusters can trace back the original, or “proximate” cause of injury to where the individual got intoxicated in the first place. You can be held responsible for medical bills, vehicle repairs, lost time from work and in some cases, wrongful death.

Make sure you review with your insurance agent, your coverages pertaining to Comprehensive General Liability. If you are an employer you need to make sure you have third pary Liquor Liability coverage.

A one time special event coverage is available if you are having a party at your office or home and serving alcohol there.

Here are some ways to make sure your party or special event is safe while reducing the chance of an accident or liability:

• Arrange for transportation of anyone so intoxicated that they cannot drive safely.
• Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the event ends
• As the host of your event, make sure you stay sober. It is your responsibility
• Limit the guest list to only those you know

Most of all, use common sense when hosting a party. We want all of you to enjoy the festivity!

For more information or to secure a no obligation quote, call Doug at 480-443-1952

At this time in the USA, we are entering the Labor Day holidays. Make sure you stay safe this holiday weekend.

If you go boating and swimming, remember to stay aware of your surroundings. It is so easy to get caught up in having fun while being distracted on a boat and possibly colliding with another boat or object. When swimming, always be aware of other swimmers and call for help immediately if you see anyone in trouble in the water. Knowing CPR is a Godsend if you happen to be at the right place at the right time.

Remember to drive safely when on the roads. There are a lot of crazy drivers out there! Keep your cell phone handy in case of emergencies. If you go camping, remember to always double and triple check your campfires when leaving…..make sure they are out, cold!

If you are staying at home for the holidays and have a pool, well you know the drill…..”watch your kids around water!”

We wish you and all your families a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.

Do you know if you are adequately covered for liability insurance if you have a small business? If you are not sure, visit your local insurance agent and ask about umbrella coverage. We put together a video here to show you what an umbrella policy can do for you.

We have a great video here from howcast.com that shows you tips and tricks on what to think about when shopping for homeowners insurance. Enjoy!

If you have a business, whether small, medium or large, it would be beneficial to get a review of your current coverages on it. A business has dramatic upticks and downturns in its life and liability coverage should reflect what is properly covered.

For example, when there is a down year, a retail concern may carry lower inventory, therefore a lower risk of loss of wholesale product. You should reduce inventory coverage immediately, if you know that your down trend is going to hold for at least several months. If not, you are over insured for the amount of goods on hand.

If you physically relocate to another area for your business, know that there could be a drastic savings of business property coverage because of a smaller structure, the location being in an upscale and safer area, etc. Many things can affect your premium and what kinds of coverage you should have.

If you recently added an alarm system or updated the sprinkler system, it can mean immediate discounts in your premium. Your underwriters will love you, too!

Whatever your situation in your business, make at least a bi-annual trip to your insurance agent so he/she can go over your liability coverage as well as property to make sure you are not paying more than you have to on your premium.