We are especially thankful this time of

We are especially thankful this time of year for you, our friends and customers. Happy Thanksgiving. http://ow.ly/i/lQtr

Hurricane and Flood Preparedness With a

Hurricane and Flood Preparedness With a threat of a hurricane hitting our area within the next few days, you may also experience flooding in your community. Here are some tips on preparing for the coming storm and the best ways to safeguard lives and property. Have a Family Plan Keeping your family safe is your first priority, so develop a Family Disaster Plan. • First, determine the safest place for your family to be if a hurricane strikes. It might be your home, but it might be with friends or a local shelter. Make sure everyone knows where to meet if you get separated. • Find out about the established escape routes for your neighborhood. Many communities will block off streets, or change them into one-way avenues, so make sure you know what will happen to make evacuating faster and less stressful. • Contact an out-of-state friend and ask them to be a point of contact. Many times cell phones won’t work, or will not be properly charged. An out-of-state friend can relay messages to loved ones faster and easier than you may be able to. • Make plans for your pets. If you are keeping them with you, make sure they have a collar on with identifying information. Keep a photo of them with you so you can show it to others if you lose them. Be sure you have adequate food and water for them and a pet carrier in case you all must evacuate. If you are going to board the animal, make sure it is up to date on all vaccinations and leave important contact information with the facility. • Be sure to keep a battery powered NOAA weather radio in your home, with extra batteries. This radio will keep you up to date on storm news and data. • Keep a stocked first aid kit with you, along with a supply kit. Your supply kit should include enough supplies to last you 3-7 days: Water Food (nonperishable) Blankets Clothing (sturdy shoes and rain gear included) Flashlight and batteries Cash Secure Your Home After you’re sure you’ve done everything to keep your family safe, take measures to secure your home. Wind damage can be substantial if the wind is allowed to enter the house so take these precautions: • If you have shutters, make sure that all are closed and securely locked. If you don’t have shutters, you may want to consider boarding up your windows. • Close and lock all your doors, including your garage doors. You may want to consider installing head and foot bolts on the inactive door or double-entry doors. Make sure your doors have at least three hinges and a dead bolt security lock which has a minimum one inch bolt throw length. • If you are evacuating, be sure to shut off all water, gas and electricity in the home to prevent damage from broken pipes, wires, etc. • Park your cars in the garage, not in the driveway or on the street. They’ll be safer from flying debris or falling trees. Make Sure You Have the Proper Insurance Many homeowners policies contain exclusions for wind damage and flooding. Contact your agent to review your policy and ensure you’re properly protected!

Don’t Become an Auto Theft Victim. Ever

Don’t Become an Auto Theft Victim. Every 30 seconds, a motor vehicle is stolen in the United States. Read our blog: http://ow.ly/61HJH

Don’t Become an Auto Theft Victim

Every 30 seconds, a motor vehicle is stolen in the United States. Using Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that annual property losses from these thefts are approximately $5 billion. Although technology and aggressive law enforcement actions have lowered the auto theft rate in recent years, you should still be cognizant of this loss exposure. The following tips may prove helpful in reducing the chances that your vehicle or property in it may be stolen.

• When temporarily leaving your vehicle, never leave it running or with the keys in the ignition.
• Always lock your car and roll up the windows, even if it is in your driveway. If you have a garage, park your car in it, and close and lock the garage door.
• Park in busy, well-lit areas.
• When purchasing auto stereo equipment, choose items that can be removed and locked in the trunk.
• When using valet parking or taking your car in for repairs, leave only the ignition key with the attendant.
• Turn your wheels sharply toward the curb when parking since this makes it extra difficult for thieves to tow the vehicle. Always use your emergency brake, and leave the transmission in park or in gear.
• Look into various antitheft devices for your auto. Ask about auto insurance discounts for antitheft devices, including alarms and window etchings.

Get more personal lines insurance and risk management tips and ideas from IRMI.

Copyright 2011
International Risk Management Institute, Inc.

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Pursue Those Auto Insurance Discounts

 One way to avoid paying too much for your personal automobileinsurance is to assure you are getting all the discounts you deserve. The following are discounts you should inquire about. Some may not be available in all states and from all insurers, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. These discounts may significantly affect your insurance premium.

● “Defensive Driving Discount.” This discount can save you 10 percent on most of the major coverages under your auto policy, such as liability, medical payments, and collision coverage. Defensive driving courses can cost as little as $20 and last as few as 5 or 6 hours. However, the discount normally applies for 3 years. For example, if your auto insurance premium is $100 per month, the premium is $3,600 for 3 years. If liability, collision, and medical payments or personal injury protection coverage constitute 85 percent of this $3,600 premium, the resulting premium subject to this discount is $3,060. In this scenario, the actual premium savings would be $306 (10 percent of $3,060) for that 3-year period. To get the true savings, you must deduct the cost of the defensive driving class. If the cost is $26, the savings in this example would be reduced to $280. If you spend 6 hours taking the class, you are earning $47 per hour in savings—not an unproductive way to spend a Saturday!

● “Good Student Discount.” Statistics show that good students tend to be more reliable and mature than students with marginal grades, leading to better driving decisions. Therefore, many states allow a 5 to 10 percent discount if your student driver makes good grades, usually an overall “A” or “B” average in high school or college. If your child has to pay his or her own automobile insurance, this will be another motivator for him or her to make good grades.

● “Home/Car Discount.” Many insurers offer discounts of 10 percent or more if they pro-vide both your homeowners and personal automobile insurance. This can lower your costs on both policies.

● “Auto Safety Features.” Most insurers recognize that owners with cars containing safety features may have fewer accidents and reduced injuries. Many insurers encourage drivers to purchase cars with anti-lock brakes by giving small discounts for these safety features. Other insurers give discounts for vehicles with airbags and daytime running lights.

● “Auto Club and Professional Organizations.” Some insurance companies offer auto insurance discounts if you are a member of AAA or similar organizations.

● “Multicar.” Many insurance companies provide generous discounts up to 15 percent if you have multiple cars on your policy. This reduces the insurance company’s administra-tive costs, on a per-vehicle basis, in issuing the policy.

● “Claims-Free Customer.” If you have been insured with the same insurance company for at least 3 years and have not experienced any losses, inquire about a claims-free customer discount. These discounts help insurers retain customers with excellent driving records.

Get more personal lines insurance and risk management tips and ideas from IRMI. Copyright 2008, International Risk Management Institute, Inc. * * * * *

Burglar-Proofing Your Home While You’re On Vacation

Check out this story from WTEN, Albany,

Check out this story from WTEN, Albany, NY. Unfortunately, it’s people like this that make your insurance premiums go up. http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=14964416

We have a job opening for a (NYS Broker

We have a job opening for a (NYS Broker’s Licensed) Personal Lines Customer Service Rep- Call or email Barbara or Scot

Going on Vacation soon? Renting a car? C

Going on Vacation soon? Renting a car? Check out this short video found on the Insurance Information Institue website (iii.org). http://www2.iii.org/video/rental-car-insurance.html

Tornadoes

How fortunate are we that tornadoes are a rare occurrence for us here in the Hudson Valley?  If you saw our recent tweet, you know that our neighbors to the east suffered significant damage.  If this happened, would you be able to recover?

Wind damage is a commonly covered peril;  Insurance speak for Yes- you probably have coverage.  However, be sure that your limits are up to date and values have been reviewed.

Check with your Independent Insurance Agent to be sure that your could rebuild your home and replace your contents.