How to Save Big on Insurance

Don't you wish that on a lazy Sunday morning, as you clip out your weekly grocery coupons, you grab a nice 20% off of your homeowners insurance premium or a $5.00 coupon off your next auto policy?  Or how about around the holidays, when all of the big department stores are having their Black Friday sales, you score a great savings off of your next monthly insurance premium? 

Unfortunately, there are no magical coupons or sales when it comes to insurance.  But knowing what discounts that are available to you can actually save you a bundle off of your insurance.  There are many discounts that are automatically applied such as the multi policy discount - most companies that offer this discount automatically apply this discount when you purchase several policies with the same company.  It is however suggested that you still check your policy and make sure you are still getting this discount just in case the company doesn't automatically apply it. Then there are discounts that are more commonly reviewed and applied when you are purchasing your policy - such as anti theft discounts on autos or fire and/or burglar alarm discount on a home policy.

Here are a few discounts and rating factors that some companies offer that can help you save on your insurance premiums:

• Non smoker discount on a homeowners policy when there are no smokers living in the house
• Defensive driver course - a discount that is applied after you've completed an approve Defensive Driver Course.  Please visit New Jersey's Department of Motor Vehicles website for a list of approved courses http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/Defensive.htm
• Affinity Credits and Occupation Discounts- some companies will offer discount for certain occupations, employers and prior educational institutions you attended
• Homeownership discount - many companies now offer a discount or different rate for someone who owns their home as opposed to renting.  Most likely you will need to provide a copy of your homeowners insurance policy as proof of being the homeowner
• Preferred Homeowner - perhaps you don't have your home insured with the same company as your auto or the company your auto is insured with doesn't even write homeowners insurance; some companies may give a discount if your home is insured with a particular homeowner carrier.
• Auto with the same agent - as stated above, perhaps your homeowners carrier doesn't write auto, but some companies will give a discount if you should at least have your auto insured with the same agent
• Education - the level of education can be a rating factor and save you money

These are just a few possible discounts some companies offer.  Our office has some carriers that even offer a discount for having a AAA Membership or have a checking and/or savings account with a particular bank.  Knowing what discounts are offered by your insurance company can sometimes save you a considerable amount of money.  Instead of lowering your coverage to save money, find out what discounts you could be eligible for - save money for things you already have or have done and not by reducing and taking away valuable coverage. 

Does your agent simply ask you questions like what cars you have and who are the drivers, or just the style and age of your home? Or do they ask you questions that could reveal discounts like are mentioned above?  If they don't, they should be and are doing a disservice to you!

My Progressive's Snapshot® Test Drive

My  Progressive's Snapshot® Test Drive

by Dawn M. Johnson

When our agency was given the chance to try out Progressive's Snapshot® device, I decided that I would like to try it out.  I wanted to be able to give our customers first hand experience on how the Snapshot® device works so I immediately signed up online.

First, a quick note on the program.  The Snapshot® device plugs into your diagnostic port in your vehicle.  It collects data such as fast accelerations, hard brakes and time of day that the vehicle is being used.  However, it is not a GPS device and does not know your location.  One particular note is that in order to sign up for Snapshot®, you must have an email in order to participate as you will go online and track your own progress and will receive emails from the company.

Within less than a week, I received a small package from Progressive that contained the Snapshot® device, a return label, the terms and conditions of my participation in Snapshot® Test Drive and very quick and clear instructions on how to install the device. 

I took the device out to my car and in less than a minute, I had the device installed.  Just under your steering wheel is a diagnostic port and the device simply plugs right into it.  It's no harder than plugging an appliance into an outlet....it's THAT EASY!

Every time you start your car, you hear 3 quick beeps and you know the device is connected and working.  The directions had said that the device will beep if you brake hard.   I went almost 15 days into the trial and then I found out, yes indeed it beeps when you hard brake!  During my test period, I had 2 or 3 hard brakes and I was glad I had the device plugged in because it made me aware.  It turns out that all of the hard brakes happened at the same traffic light.  It made me aware that this is an area that I need to pay more attention at when driving. 



Each day I logged on to track my progress and to see my potential discount.  It tracks your hard braking, fast accelerations and average mileage driven.  And because we all like things to be fun, you earn badges along the way....the badges have nothing to do with the discount you earn, they just make it fun and interesting along the way.  Once you are done with the trial period, you receive an email saying that you are done and it's time to return the device.  Simply put the device back into the box it came in, put on the free return shipping label and drop it in the mail - again it's THAT EASY!   The only time you incur a fee is if you fail to return the device. 

At the end of my 30 days, I have a potential of receiving a 23% discount.  If it is something I want to pursue, I will keep the device plugged in for the remainder of 6 months, at which time I would lock in the savings after they've collected the data for the full 6 months.  Now, I really think that if I choose to switch and fulfill my remaining 6 months I don't think my discount will be as high as 23%.  It's only natural that for the first 30 days you are really aware and intent on getting the best discount you can, however over 6 months I feel that I would drive a little more normal and would have a few "bumps" in the road, so to speak and my end result would be a more realistic "snapshot" of my driving.  But even getting a 5, 10 or any discount is better than none. 

I love bargains, coupons and discounts.  Progressive offers an easy and free way to earn a discount for your good driving behavior.  If you have any questions about Progressive's Snapshot® discount and would like to try it out, please contact me and I would be happy to discuss it in more detail!

Dawn M Johnson
Personal Lines Coordinator
van den Heuvel & Fountain
973-948-3200 x10

Teachers' Insurance Plan of NJ

We are very pleased to announce that we now offer Teachers' Insurance Plan of NJ through Plymouth Rock Assurance - auto insurance exclusively for New Jersey's Educational Community, including:

• Active and retired teachers and professors
• Substitute teachers
• Administrators
• Guidance counselors
• School librarians
• School medical staff
• Early childhood education professionals
• Support staff employed by state-licensed educational institutions
• Staff members of professional education associations
• Active school board officials

Some features of the plan include:

• School zone zero deductibles
• First class roadside assistance
• Get Home Safe®
• Claim Assistance

If you have any questions regarding the Teachers' Insurance Plan of NJ or would like to see if you are eligible and obtain a free no-obligation quote, kindly contact Dawn Johnson at van den Heuvel & Fountain 973-948-3200 ext. 10

Weekend Weather Watch

Looks like Sussex County may be in for a bit of nasty weather this weekend.  According to New Jersey Weather, there is a freezing rain advisory in effect from 10pm this evening until noon Saturday.

Please stay safe and use caution when driving in icy road conditions.  Here are a few tips if you must travel when the roads are icy:

• Travel if only absolutely necessary. Allow yourself extra time for delays.


• Wait for the sanding trucks to pass, if possible.


• Use extreme caution when driving. When it is safe to do so, test the road surface carefully by gently applying your brakes to familiarize yourself with the extent of the icy conditions. This will help you prepare yourself should you have to use your brakes.


• If you come upon an accident, use extreme caution. Park in a safe area and use your emergency flashers. Do not rush to offer assistance until it is safe to do so. If you are near the scene, another vehicle could lose control and collide with the car you are trying to help. Do not become a victim yourself.

Stay safe and have a great weekend!

How Much Would a Flood Cost You?

You might be surprised how only an inch or two of water could result in over $10,000 in damages to your home.  Standard homeowners policies exclude damage as a result of flooding.  Flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Plan (NFIP) to homeowners, renters, condo owners and commercial property owners and renters.  The cost of the coverage varies depending upon the coverage amount, type of coverage and the flood zone of which the property is located. 

Check out this neat tool provided by NFIP to see what kind of damages you could sustain from just a few inches of water.  If you have any questions regarding flood coverage, our agency would be happy to answer any questions you may have and provide you with a free, no obligation quote.  Don't wait for the next storm to come though.....there's a standard 30 day waiting period for coverage to be in effect!

Cyberliability Coverage - Can you Really Live Without It?

Cyberliability Coverage- Can You Really Live Without It?

by Steve Tague, President, van den Heuvel & Fountain Inc.

Let’s face it, for better or worse, we are living in a “Cyber-World”, whether we like it or not. No matter if its smart phones, laptops, cash registers, games, e-mails or movies, we can’t seem to get along without being part of the computerized era. For Pete’s sake, we now even socialize on the Internet through Facebook and Twitter!

There are some who believe that we are losing part of our personal humanity as a result of this phenomenon and like most of us, there are we who believe it has measurably improved our lives and made things a lot easier.

There is, however, a sinister aspect to the “Cyber-World” and that is the Cyber Crimes that are committed by “hackers” who seek to steal the identities included in your customer listings, which we all keep in our businesses and are “chock full” of private customer information like Social Security and Credit Card numbers as well as phone numbers and addresses of the lifeline of your business… Your Clients!

What do you think would happen if someone got a hold of your computerized customer list? In the first instance, when you become aware of this crime, you are required by law to inform all of your clients that their information has been breached. Next, you now have a Public Relations problem since your customers will surely share that their problem was the result of conducting business with you. This is also not to mention possible litigation against you that ensues when your customers experience a financial loss as the result of their identities being stolen. Even small businesses have experienced losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up a computer security theft in there businesses. These crimes are on the increase and have generated significant claims for small and large business owners.

You can protect yourself by purchasing a Cyber liability policy through your Insurance Agent. Please contact Stacey Kerr, Commercial Lines Manager at 973-948-3022 Ext. 11 to discuss this coverage. The premiums for a policy are reasonable and will never rival the “out of pocket costs” that you can experience if you have this kind of loss.

Wednesday's Word!

Wednesday's Word this week is Replacement Cost!

Replacement Cost is the cost to repair or replace an insured item. Some insurance only pays the actual cash or market value of the item at the time of the loss, not what it would cost to fix or replace it. If you have personal property replacement cost coverage, your insurance will pay the full cost to repair an item or buy a new one.

Do you know if your policy has replacement cost?  You don't want to find out at the time of a loss that the value of your personal property will be minus the depreciated value!

Please help us welcome.....Rachael Yerkes!

We here at van den Heuvel & Fountain, Inc. are pleased to announce the addition of a new Account Representative to our Commercial Lines Insurance Staff!

Her name is Rachael Yerkes, CISR and she comes to us with a vast amount of experience in servicing the policy needs of business clients.

We are delighted to have her on board and we welcome you to drop by and say hello when you are in the area.

Why Buy Cyberliability Insurance???

Why Buy Cyberliability Insurance???

By Steve Tague, President

Recently, it has become apparent that insurance consumers; namely you and me, are not only concerned about the cost of buying insurance, but paying more attention to what our insurance policies cover. At long last, this is a very good thing.

Major storm activity, paying claims “out of pocket” because insurance offered or suggested at the time was too expensive, purchasing lower coverage amounts and just not seeing why we should purchase certain types of coverage, have proven to cause expensive consequences on the part of the insured public.

One of the coverages that many business owners see as unnecessary is cyberliability. Cyberliability is insurance that is purchased to protect against cyber attack, which is any unauthorized access to our computer systems and or our databases.

Whether you, as a business owner, run a Mom and Pop bakery or a major Fortune 500 corporation, lists of a business’ customers; loaded with phone numbers, Social Security and Tax Identification numbers, addresses and who knows what other personal information may be  included in your database.

What would you do if your customer database or, for that matter, your paper lists of customers were breached? Well, you would first have to explain that this did occur to your valued customers, either by personal contact or a costly mailing. You would then have to run the risk of suffering a myriad of lawsuits from your angry customers. Finally, you would have to mount a major Public Relations Campaign to assure your current customers and any other future customers that your business and frankly, you can be trusted to keep their private information exactly that… Private. All of this will cost you a great deal of money, because these kinds of claims are not covered on your traditional business insurance policies.

If you don’t believe how this can be a problem, just ask the Taxation Department of the State of South Carolina whose tax database was breached and the “hackers” obtained access to 3.6 million tax returns with millions of Social Security numbers and 387,000 credit and debit card numbers. Or how about asking The New York Times and Wall Street Journal whose databases were breached by a Chinese entity and access to all of the employee computer passwords and sensitive e-mails were obtained by the “hackers”

No matter how large or small your business is, you might consider discussing the purchase of cyber- liability coverage with us. It may save a lot of money and heartache for your business in the long run. Let’s talk about it!

Come Visit Us in Augusta NJ

We Are Staying Put!

As you drive by our office on Rt 206, you see a big red sign that states “For Rent”

Let us assure you that we are staying put and not going anywhere!

The landlord of the piece of property on which we rent our office space has a vacancy behind the office that we rent. It was formerly rented by a contractor who moved to another location a few months ago.

But, if you are driving by, please stop in for a cup of coffee and/or a soda and visit with our knowledgeable staff!