Wilkinson Insurance Blog

Wilkinson Insurance Bloghttp://www.mywilkinsoninsurance.com/blog/View Wilkinson Insurance's Website Blogen-uspostmaster@www.mywilkinsoninsurance.comInsurance Website Builder - www.insurancewebsitebuilder.comurn:uuid:c11358cf-54c0-465d-a2a2-2ad7c3baadf0urn:uuid:9f59c3dd-2c5b-4897-adf9-daf15b396459Rainy Season+Flood Insurance for You???Why You Must Have Flood Insurance If You Own A Home     Flood insurance on a home is very important. It can help you when a flood comes into your home and destroys everything your own. Floods can be small amounts of water or it can also be ...Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:09:25 -0500Why You Must Have Flood Insurance If You Own A Home     Flood insurance on a home is very important. It can help you when a flood comes into your home and destroys everything your own. Floods can be small amounts of water or it can also be a huge amount of water that can flood the entire house from top to bottom. Natural disaster floods can bring in things that will damage your home like chemicals, oils, gases, sewage, and many other things. It can cause lots and lots of water damage to the whole house inside and out. Everything you have can be gone from a flood and if you do not have insurance you will not get it back and you will not get the house back either. You have to have flood insurance it will help you get back your life because it covers the house and your things so they will be replaced. If you do not have flood insurance, all you have to do is go to the nearest insurance company and ask if they supply flood insurance. But you want to get a good rate on flood insurance so you can shop around for the best investment. Floods can cost thousands of dollars in repairs of water damage and it can take a long time to get your house repaired. You also need to find out if they will cover for a place to stay until your house is done. Because some insurances will not cover you for it and you will have to save receipts for them so they can pay you back later. Insurances vary when it comes to different coverage, like if a business is destroyed, they can get $500,000 for contents and they also get a half of a million dollars to cover the building. A house that gets destroyed could get $100,000 and $250,000 for the family residence. How much you can get for a natural disaster flood from your insurance is just like any other insurance, it depends on the policy you purchase. You need to check with the insurance companies on whether your house is in a high or low flood zone to know how large or small your risk of being flooded is. When you have flood insurance, you will not have a lot of stress because you know you will be taken care of. Floods are one of the most dangerous natural disasters out there, so you will want to have flood insurance to be on the safe side. Floods can happen at anytime whether you think it will happen to you or not, it can.   We at Wilkinson Insurance write for major carriers and can give you a fast quote-call, come by or visit <a href="http://www.mywilkinsoninsurance.com">www.mywilkinsoninsurance.com</a> and click on the flood link on the left and enter your info! Stay Dry, Jim and Richard and Eric urn:uuid:9705596a-da40-4f0f-be43-30e8c05db023The Power of Dealing with an Independent Agent Many consumers are finding they can drive down the cost of car insurance—and the time it takes to select the right policy— by contacting an independent insurance agent or broker. Because they represent many different insurance companies, we indep...Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:16:48 -0600<div class="Section1"> Many consumers are finding they can drive down the cost of car insurance—and the time it takes to select the right policy— by contacting an independent insurance agent or broker. Because they represent many different insurance companies, we independent agents have the flexibility to review rates and coverage from competing carriers and get you the best deal. Plus, they can offer affordable protection for your home, business and other assets. So rather than spending hours gathering quotes from various companies, you can get it done with one simple call or visit to your independent agent or broker. If you’re thinking of contacting an independent agent, here are a few things to consider: What’s your lifestyle? Many factors determine auto insurance rates, not just vehicle year, make and model. Companies also look at information about you. If you’ve recently moved, gotten married, had a birthday or experienced a similar life milestone, mention this to your independent agent or broker. You may be eligible to save money on your car insurance. Sweet 16 doesn’t have to be sour. Having a new teenage driver usually means the auto insurance bill will go up, but there are ways to save. An independent agent or broker can find them for you. How old is your car? You don’t always need the same level of physical damage coverage on older cars as on newer ones. If you drive an older car, your independent agent or broker can advise you what level of coverage makes the most sense. If you want to keep your physical dam-age coverage, consider raising your deductible—that could save you money each year, too. •Save money on the fun stuff. If you have a motorcycle, boat, RV or other “toy,” you might save money by having it covered by the same company that insures your car. Talk to us at Wilkinson Insurance about it. You may also want to consider separating your homeowner’s policy from your car insurance policy. Bundling your homeowner’s policy with your car insurance doesn’t always save you money. It may, but have your independent agent look at separating the policies— the discount you may have gotten for keeping them together may be outweighed by the lower price another company might have for your car insurance. To learn more or to find an independent agent or broker, visit progressiveagent.com. Or, visit us at <a href="http://www.mywilkinsoninsurance.com">www.mywilkinsoninsurance.com</a>!!! We at WILKINSON INSURANCE are here to maximize your coverage and keep your budget in mind! </div> Did You Know? Bundling your homeowner’s policy with your car insur-ance doesn’t always save you money. It may be wise to have an independent agent look at separating the policies. The discount you got for bundling may be outweighed by a lower competitive price. urn:uuid:08e88159-a08d-4f90-b783-05997889e7d3ARE MY BELONGINGS COVERED FOR ENOUGH??? I get asked a lot about having enough coverage, or having the RIGHT coverage. Well that statement is about as ambiguous as going to the doctor and saying, “Doc, I hurt”. It really depends on each person’s situation. And before I forget, this reason ...Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:16:05 -0600 I get asked a lot about having enough coverage, or having the RIGHT coverage. Well that statement is about as ambiguous as going to the doctor and saying, “Doc, I hurt”. It really depends on each person’s situation. And before I forget, this reason should be enough for you to know you really need an agent- not internet coverage!!! No one will know your situation better than a local agent. We have many, many experienced great agents in Milledgeville, so USE THEM!!!! Today, I will talk about your home. First and foremost, I would suggest you always insure your primary home with REPLACEMENT COST. An actual cash value policy while cheaper would only cover the value of your roof in depreciated dollars. REPLACEMENT cost coverage replaces the roof, etc in TODAYS dollars to replace!!! That is the simple answer. Please consult your local agent to discuss whether or not you have the right coverage for your needs. I want to give you a free tool to help with an inventory of the items in your home. Go to www. iii.org, on the right side of the page, and click on the” KNOW YOUR STUFF” link. The site will allow you to categorize and store the information. It is a great resource to get everything valued properly. THEN, look at your homeowner’s policy and make sure your contents are adequately covered. Hope this helps gets “your stuff” organized and valued!!!   Jim urn:uuid:daef8bfd-0162-42a1-8035-93925f2debb8Make Those Insurance Companies GO TO WORK!!   Found this on Progressive...................... Putting Insurance Companies To Work For You   (NAPS)—Car insurance may be one of the last things that comes to mind when you think about saving time, but the insurance company you cho...Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:12:00 -0600<div class="Section1">   Found this on Progressive...................... Putting Insurance Companies To Work For You </div> <div class="Section2">   (NAPS)—Car insurance may be one of the last things that comes to mind when you think about saving time, but the insurance company you choose can actually have a big impact on your time should trouble strike. If you’re in an accident that results in a claim, you could spend days handling the claims/repair process yourself. That’s one reason it’s a good idea to check out insurance options that can save you time. For instance, the concierge-level of claims service offered by The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies is a unique claims repair option that takes only 15 minutes to complete. Simply drop off the damaged vehicle at one of Progressive’s facilities offering this service and a claims representative handles the entire claims/repair process for you— from start to finish. Here’s how the process works: You can call or go online to report a claim—anytime of the day or night—and schedule an appointment to bring the vehicle to a nearby facility offering the concierge-level of claims service. In about 15 minutes, you’re in a rental car (if included on your policy) with assurance that you’ll receive updates from your claims representative. Your claims representative prepares a repair estimate and     contacts an auto body shop that has met strict quality requirements. Progressive and the shop reach an agreement on the cost of the repairs and the shop trans-ports the vehicle to the facility to begin repairs. When work is finished, the vehicle is returned to the insurance facility, where your claims representative and the body shop inspect the repairs. After the insurance company is satisfied with the repairs, you are called to pick up your car. You inspect the repairs and, if satisfied, drive off with a guarantee on those repairs for as long as you own the vehicle.   Throughout the process, you receive updates via phone or online. For more information, visit www.progressiveagent.com. Come see us at Wilkinson Insurance!!! Did You Know?An auto claims option from The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies takes 15 minutes to complete. With the concierge-level of claims service, customers simply drop off a damaged vehicle at a participating facility. A claims representative handles the process from that point on. Visit www.progressive.com. </div> urn:uuid:9805b903-a4a0-494c-9e1b-eb066760a911Did You Get ENOUGH Coverage or JUST ENOUGH TO GET FACT: After you have an accident is not the time to find out if you have enough car insurance coverage. Most of us don’t spend a lot of time pondering whether or not we carry enough car insurance coverage. When you originally purchased your current p...Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:30:34 -0600FACT: After you have an accident is not the time to find out if you have enough car insurance coverage. Most of us don’t spend a lot of time pondering whether or not we carry enough car insurance coverage. When you originally purchased your current policy, whether online or through an agent, you probably just made the assumption that your previous coverages were enough and rolled them into your current policy. The danger of carrying too little car insurance coverage is becoming more of a reality for many consumers. Buying car insurance without a complete question and answer session with a license agent, or at the very least with a company representative over the phone, is like playing Russian roulette with your financial future. More assets, more to protect As you get older, as does your car insurance policy, and with age generally comes more assets and financial responsibility. If you still have the low liability limits that you had when you were younger (and poorer), then it’s time for a thorough review of your situation to determine if you need more adequate car insurance coverage. Imagine for a second that you are driving home from work, you want to listen to some classic rock so you reach down to find the perfect CD or song on your iPod. In the fraction of a second that you take your eyes off the road, what if the light was red? What if the car in front of you comes to a screeching stop? What if a pedestrian steps into a crosswalk? These are all situations that we encounter almost daily on our commute. It only takes a split second of inattentiveness to the road to put yourself in a very bad situation. If you hit the pedestrian in the crosswalk, it would be very difficult to prove you were not liable for the injuries they sustain from being hit by your vehicle. What if the pedestrian has severe brain damage from your carelessness and requires life support and extensive medical bills for the rest of their life? What about punitive damages? The split second of you searching for AC/DC can easily add up to millions of dollars in liabilities. <div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px;"> <div style="background-image: url(/images/comparison7.jpg);" class="comparison"> <div class="compbox"> Now do you think your 100/300 liability limits are adequate? Or even 250/500? And your million dollar umbrella?</div> </div> </div> This is obviously a hypothetical worse-case scenario, but in reality, it happens daily. If you have assets, then you have assets to lose. If you have a family, you not only put yourself in financial ruin, but they suffer as well. It’s time to take a reality check and get a complete insurance checkup and address your old coverages that haven’t been increased since you got out of college. Liability coverage is CHEAP! Don’t skimp! Liability is a much cheaper coverage than physical damage coverage, and for a few extra bucks a month, you can have higher limits that more adequately protect your assets. I mentioned an umbrella earlier, and if you thought I was referring to the accessory that keeps water off your head, it’s really time to get educated on insurance coverage. Umbrellas are for more than just rainy days Umbrella policies provide coverage over and above your underlying car insurance coverage. As long as you maintain the car insurance liability limits as required by your umbrella policy, your umbrella policy will kick in when your car insurance policy runs out. Depending on your personal situation such as the number of vehicles you own and the number and ages of drivers, you could possibly buy an extra million dollars of liability coverage for around $150 a year. That’s $12.50 a month, and only about 42 cents a day. Take the time to assess your coverage today After you hit the pedestrian in the crosswalk, would you be willing to pay 42 cents a day for an extra million dollars of liability coverage? I thought so. It’s time to find out if you have enough car insurance coverage. Make sure you come by or call and let us look at your coverage and see if it meets your needs. Even if you dont have insurance with us, we will be glad to look at what you have! Jim Fain urn:uuid:51fc4128-8332-41cf-982e-49818779f23cLETS PARTY- Or Not?With a busy schedule of partying, experimenting, disobeying their parents, further experimenting, and (of course) receiving a 4.0 grade average, a student tends to forget perhaps the most important aspect of living—health. Taking into consideration t...Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:38:47 -0600With a busy schedule of partying, experimenting, disobeying their parents, further experimenting, and (of course) receiving a 4.0 grade average, a student tends to forget perhaps the most important aspect of living—health. Taking into consideration the rising numbers of smoking, pregnancy, drug use, alcohol consumption, malnutrition and obesity among young adults, it seems appropriate now more than ever for a student to receive proper, quality health insurance. This demographic tends to live invincibly. Many believe themselves to be indestructible, as though nothing dangerous can happen to them, even while staring danger in the face. This vicarious attitude may add an intended flavor to their lives, but it's almost as if an overdose could lead to poison. <h2 roundtrip="0" lastVisited="0">Debauchery in Numbers</h2> So they wear the shortest skirts, drive the fastest cars, and eat the greasiest pizzas. What are the numbers saying about teens and young adults? <ul> <li roundtrip="0" lastVisited="1">SMOKING: A third of all smokers began smoking at age 14. Almost ninety percent of all smokers began smoking at age 21.</li> <li roundtrip="0" lastVisited="1">PREGNANCY: In the United States, one in ten babies is born from a teen mother. Three-quarters of a million teens between 15 and 19 become pregnant each year.</li> <li roundtrip="0" lastVisited="1">DRUGS: On an average day in 2006, 586,000 adolescents used marijuana, about 49,000 adolescents used inhalants, 27,000 used hallucinogens (e.g., Ecstasy and other club drugs), 13,000 used cocaine, and 3,800 used heroin.</li> <li roundtrip="0" lastVisited="1">ALCOHOL: Among persons aged 18- to 22-years-old, 18 percent of full-time undergraduates were heavy drinkers compared with 12 percent of those who were not full-time undergraduates.</li> <li roundtrip="0" lastVisited="1">MALNUTRITION: About one out of every one hundred young women between ten and twenty are starving themselves, sometimes to death. Four percent of college-aged women have bulimia. One percent of female adolescents have anorexia. Researchers at Harvard University Medical School have new data that suggests that up to 25 percent of adults with eating disorders are male.</li> <li roundtrip="0" lastVisited="1">OBESITY: About 31 percent of American teenage girls and 28 percent of boys are somewhat overweight. An additional 15 percent of American teen girls and nearly 14 percent of teen boys are obese.</li> </ul> In the United States, approximately three-fourths of all deaths among persons aged 10-24 years result from only four causes: motor-vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Call me or email me and I will find the best health insurance to fit your lifestyle. It may not seem like it now- but how you take care of yourself can impact everything from health insurance rates to life insurance rates, not to mention background checks performed on prospective employees by the majority oif employers today. Jim Fain