http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php babblings ! en 2009-07-04T06:58:48 webmaster hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=104&c=1 2009-06-24T17:55:18 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General Whether you're still unpacking boxes from your recent move or whether your boxes of memorabilia have been stashed away for years, the contents in your home are valuable. Your house or apartment would not be a home without your belongings. Trying to appraise your belongings would be a ...
Trying to appraise your belongings would be a difficult task without an organized format to follow.

The Insurance Information Institute simplifies home inventory with the Know Your Stuff application. Insured are invited to use the free, secure online software to log their possession on a room-by-rom basis. Then the inventory, which includes their insurance agent's name and contact information, can be accessed and updated remotely.

Know Your Stuff Home Inventory]]> http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=102&c=1 2009-05-22T14:49:41 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General With home sales down, more and more people are fixing up and updating the homes they live in these days. Plus the economy has "hit" contractors hard and they are now offering to do more services for jobs they may not have too much experience with. Before hiring a contractor, ...
Before hiring a contractor, The Federal Trade Commission recommends asking these questions:

- How long have you been in business?
- Are you licensed and registered with the state?
- How many projects like this have you completed in the last year?
- May I have a list of references?
- Will you be using subcontractors?
- What types of insurance do you carry?

Ask for a Certificate of Insurance once you decide on a contractor. Also, check for complaints lodged with your state Attorney General's Office, the Better Business Bureau and your local builder's association.
]]> http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=101&c=1 2009-05-15T14:56:59 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General Now, more than ever, you hear co-workers, family members or advertisements talking about credit scores. Your credit score is the information resulting from how much money you borrow and how your pay your bills. More and more industries are turning to this information when assessing applicants. Home ...
Home and auto insurers use credit information to produce an “insurance score,” which helps them to accurately assess an applicant. Research has shown a strong correlation between a person’s insurance score and their likelihood of having a loss. Erie Insurance uses this tool along with other factors when accepting applications and making underwriting decisions.

Factors for consideration may include:
• Credit Score
• Years of driving experience
• Previous accidents and violations
• Type of car
• Type of home construction (for homeowner’s insurance)
]]> http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=103&c=1 2009-05-06T15:08:15 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General Housing values have plummeted throughout the United States. The pace of existing-home sales dropped more than 8 percent from January 2008 to January 2009, reported the National Association of Realtors. Home values declined for 76 percent of all U.S. homes during 2008, estimated Zillow.com. And housing prices have fallen in ...
The pace of existing-home sales dropped more than 8 percent from January 2008 to January 2009, reported the National Association of Realtors. Home values declined for 76 percent of all U.S. homes during 2008, estimated Zillow.com. And housing prices have fallen in 70 percent of all metro areas over the past several years, according to Moody’s Economy.com. What’s more, the rate of new-home construction is now at its lowest in 50 years, noted the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development.

What’s not going down, though, is the cost of rebuilding and repairing houses. Construction costs rose by more than 4 percent between 2007 and 2008, according to a report in Best’s Review magazine citing Reed Construction Data figures.

Rising reconstruction prices are contrary to the economic news of recent months. And it’s contrary to consumers’ expectations that lower home values should mean lower homeowners coverage is needed.

What’s more, homeowners are already cutting back on insurance expenses. Nearly one in four households already have changed their insurance coverage in the past year to reduce costs, according to a recent survey by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) and local Trusted Choice® member agencies.

With these conflicting pressures, what should a homeowner do? The first thing: Recall what homeowners insurance is designed to do.

Insurance should “make whole” the policyholder after loss or damage to the home from an unforeseen event such as a fire, lightning strike or windstorm. In the case of rebuilding a home, “making whole” means rebuilding the same or similar structure.

When a home is damaged or destroyed, there are several issues that factor into its repair or replacement cost:
• Debris must be removed and discarded.
• Lumber, concrete, and other building materials are in demand on the worldwide market, even if demand is slumping in the United States.
• Building materials are purchased for just one home, not on a large-scale basis as for most housing developments.
• Fuel costs, a big part of construction costs, are higher than just a few years ago.
• Natural disasters in the U.S. have left a shortage of building materials and labor in certain areas.
• Homeowners want to get back into their home as quickly as possible, and speed drives up costs.

The second thing a homeowner should do: Check with your Trusted Choice® insurance professional to see that your insurance program reflects current economic conditions.

Trusted Choice® insurance professionals use the term “insurance to value” to denote that the dwelling limit in the homeowners policy is tied to replacement cost (and not to resale value). Your insurance carrier may periodically analyze replacement-cost trends and suggest adjusting the insurance value of a home.

Check with your Trusted Choice® independent insurance agent about keeping the coverage current. Your Trusted Choice® agent is an advocate at time of claim. But the most important protection for homeowners is to have the proper amount of homeowners insurance—not too high, not too low.
]]> http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=100&c=1 2009-04-30T14:55:07 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General Window Blinds Window covering cords with loops are a serious strangling risk, especially for young children. The cords used to adjust window blinds are often looped together, or can form loops if tied improperly. A child can get tangled in these loops, with serious consequences, including death. While most new blinds ... Window Blinds

Window covering cords with loops are a serious strangling risk, especially for young children. The cords used to adjust window blinds are often looped together, or can form loops if tied improperly. A child can get tangled in these loops, with serious consequences, including death. While most new blinds today are made without loops, it’s important to adapt older blinds. Repair kits and tie-downs are available free from the Window Covering Safety Council at www.windowcoverings.org. Cord wind-ups can be purchased at most window covering stores and home centers for about $2.

Poisons

Poisoning remains a serious problem, even with safety bottle tops and childproof containers.
• Keep medicine out of the sight and reach of children
• Keep all products in original containers.
• Destroy and discard old medications.
• Store food and poison products separately.
• Use child safety locks on cabinets and drawers.

Pool safety rules

There are several safety rules that pool owners should follow to prevent accidents and decrease potential liability exposure.
• Install a fence around the pool area. This will help prevent people from using the pool without your knowledge and keep small children and animals out.
• In addition to the fence, door alarms, locks and safety covers create a barrier of protection around the pool.
• Never leave small children unsupervised in or around the pool -- even for a minute.
• Keep children away from pool filters. The suction may injure them or prevent them from reaching the surface.
• Be sure all pool users know how to swim. Teach your children to swim as early as possible.
• Develop a buddy system - don't swim alone or allow others to swim alone.
• Don't allow anyone who has been drinking alcohol to swim in the pool.
• Never dive into an above ground pool. Always check the water depth before plunging into an in-ground pool
• Don't allow your children to let their friends use the pool without your permission and supervision.
• Don’t allow glass bottles or other potential hazards into the pool area.
• Keep radios, CD players, blow dryers, and other electrical devices away from the pool.
• Keep a secure cover on the pool during the off season.
• Keep a first aid kit, ring buoys and reaching poles near the pool in case of emergency.
• Consider having the adults in your home take basic first aid and CPR training.

Contact our office for all of your insurance needs!
]]> http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=99&c=1 2009-03-13T17:59:03 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General You can't turn a TV on, listen to the radio, or surf the internet without some mention of the economy and the difficult time we are dealing with as a consumer and a nation. We don't need to tell you how difficult it may to pay your bills or ...
But, we can tell you there is help with your insurance. Before you allow your insurance to expire or cancel for non-payment, contact your agent to see if there are any optional payment arrangements that can be made. Today's insurance companies offer a variety of payment plans that can spread out your 6-month or 12-month premium. Options such as paying by credit card, online, or by electronic funds transfer (EFT) are also becoming more popular.

The worst part of an insurance agent's job is explaining to someone after they've had an accident that there is no coverage due to the client not paying their bill.

So before you operate your business without insurance, or allow your home or auto policy to cancel, please consider the potential personal and legal consequences you could have. Remember, your Trusted Choice Independent agent is there to help you get through this difficult time in our country's history.]]> http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=98&c=1 2009-02-14T03:47:09 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General He did the dishes Rubbed my feet Surprised me with tulips Took me to musicals even though he didn't like them Carried my bags while I did the shopping Held my hand. He died of cancer four years ago. Because he loved me, I can stay in our home. I can be here for our children. I can afford ... He did the dishes
Rubbed my feet
Surprised me with tulips
Took me to musicals even though he didn't like them
Carried my bags while I did the shopping
Held my hand.

He died of cancer four years ago.

Because he loved me,
I can stay in our home.
I can be here for our children.
I can afford to pay for their college education.
I can worry about the other things in life besides money.

He still loves me. And he still shows it.

Life insurance. You do it for love.]]> http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=97&c=1 2009-01-29T03:46:10 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General We volunteer at the local shelter. We put donations in the church basket each week. We help an elderly person cross the street. We do a lot for others without a thought of what we'll get in return. Isn't that what love and compassion are really ...
You may be wondering, what's "selfless" about buying a life insurance policy? Think about it. In all likelihood you won't be around to see or experience the death benefits of a life insurance purchase. But the proceeds could benefit your loved one for many years after you're gone.

So forget the chocolates. Cancel the dinner reservation. Consider giving an unexpected gift this Valentine's Day. Buy a life insurance policy and give your loved ones the gift of long-term financial security.]]> http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=95&c=1 2009-01-06T20:32:43 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General Trusted Choice insurance agents suggest you take stock of what you own-and how it's insured-soon after you finish unwrapping the presents you received this holiday. Most consumers protect what they own with homeowners or renters insurance. Around the holidays, the value of what you own can change quickly. Now ...
Most consumers protect what they own with homeowners or renters insurance. Around the holidays, the value of what you own can change quickly. Now is a good time to contact your agent to review not only if you have enough insurance for your belongings but also what coverage is and is not available.

Many homeowners policies put a dollar-amount cap on certain categories of property. So even if you have a large amount of personal property coverage on your policy, you might have a "sub-limit" with a specified amount. Jewelry is one type of item that generally has a sub-limit.

Be sure to check your deductible and how it impacts a payment of a claim should you have one.

Your agent should explain the policy exclusions and how they may apply to the item you have received. Depending on the policy, additional risks such as water damage may be covered.

Can I get coverage for my valuables? Sold as an add-on to a home or renters policy, this coverage is sometimes referred to as a "floater" or "rider". Adding this type of coverage is suitable when you are insuring expensive items such as jewelry, furs, art, and antiques.

If you're a collector of items such as dolls, trains, or figurines, a different type of policy might be more appropriate for you. Collectibles coverage also protects against more risks than homeowners coverage.

There are two vital ways to protect your property, especially as you add to it during the holidays:

Keep and update inventory of what you own. A written record of the cost, date and place of purchase, and description is invaluable. It's easier and faster to get claim payments when you can document what you lost.
Protect your property. A secure home, with especially valuable items kept in locked cabinets and/or fireproof boxes, is the best way to deter thefts.

Your Trusted Choice insurance agent or broker can guide you as to which type of coverage you need for what you own. The holiday season is a good time to discuss what you own and how it is insured.]]> http://gcwinsure.com/news/index.php?p=94&c=1 2009-01-06T19:20:06 admin (mailto:webmaster@gcwinsure.com) General Nowadays keeping cash in your own pocket is a difficult task to do. Between rising costs and a shaky economy consumers are looking for ways to lower their insurance premiums. The following tips can help cut your bill-without sacrificing the quality of your insurance. Raise your deductibles Ask yourself how ...
Raise your deductibles
Ask yourself how much you could pay personally if you were involved in an auto accident. You can save by increasing your collision deductible from $250.00 to $500.00. Additional savings can be found by dropping collision coverage on older cars with a Kelly Blue Book Value of $2,000 or less. Homeowners can save by increasing deductibles on these policies as well.

Consolidate
If you're buying auto insurance from one company and homeowners from another, chances are good you're paying too much for both policies. Companies generally give multi-policy discounts that will save you money.

Stay around awhile
It's tempting to insurance hop, especially with frequent ads on television and in your mailbox. But changing companies can lead to higher premium over the long haul. The longer you stick with one company, the more you'll save.

Annual reviews
Policyholders should review their insurance policies annually, preferably in a meeting with their agent. Not only will this help you keep coverages current and at appropriate levels, but frequent reviews will help identify new ways to cut premiums.

Check before buying
Considering the insurance cost of homes and cars before buying can help save substantial amounts. Buying a car with anti-lock brakes and airbags can help reduce the cost of insurance.

No matter what your reason is to save money, the goal is to understand what your coverage is and what your dollars are purchasing. Your Trusted Choice agent is able to answer these questions and make recommendations concerning your coverage.]]>