Liability Tips to make your Halloween Sweet!

It's October and that means that Halloween is on it's way!

Here at van den Heuvel & Fountain we love any excuse to celebrate, but Halloween is especially fun around the office. However, I wouldn't be a good insurance agent if I didn't give a few good liability tips too.

 

You've heard most Halloween advice over and over.

• Pack a flashlight for when it gets dark.
• Put reflective tape on children's costumes.
• Check the kid's candy before letting them eat any.  

But what about the risks at your home?  Your Homeowners Insurance covers you if someone is injured on your property. But there are a few things you can do to prevent accidents before they happen!

 

1. Change your lightbulbs. Is your porch light burned out? What about lights along pathways? Good lightning will help prevent children (and adults) from tripping.

 

2. Clear hazards. Tree limbs in your yard? A hole you've been meaning to fill? These are all potential hazards that could cause an injury and subject you to a liability claim. Clean them up before you have people trick-or-treating at your home!

 

3. No open flames. While candle filled pumpkins are fun to make, they can be dangerous too. If you use any open flame candles, make sure they are up high and away from any loose costume pieces.

 

And the easiest way to protect yourself? Make sure you have plenty of liability insurance! Call van den Heuvel & Fountain today at 973-948-3200 to schedule a free review and  detailed explanation of how we can keep your home and family protected.

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Your homeowners policy and storm damage—what’s covered?

Generally, how does my homeowners policy respond to storm damage to my property?

Your homeowners policy covers most losses that may occur to your dwelling and personal property. Commonly, losses resulting from theft, fire, wind, vehicles and vandalism are covered.

What if there is damage because of a storm?

A standard homeowners policy covers storm damage to the dwelling, its contents and other structures such as garages and fences, up to the policy limit. Such damage also acts as a trigger for coverage of other consequential losses and expenses including removal of debris and loss of use.

What if my family and I cannot live in our home because of the damage?

When storm damages make it necessary to leave your home temporarily, your home-owners policy covers the additional costs necessary to maintain your normal standard of living for such things as meals, lodging, laundry, transportation, entertainment, etc. You will need to present receipts for all of your expenses to be reimbursed.

What clean-up expenses can I expect to recover following a storm?

Your homeowners policy will cover costs for removal of debris when covered property is damaged. This includes the removal of trees that fall on covered structures, but this coverage for trees usually is limited to $1,000 for a single storm.

Am I covered for protecting my property from damage?

Your policy obligates you to protect your property from further damage following a loss as a condition to payment of your claim. You can expect your policy to pay for such expenses to board windows and make emergency repairs. Also, property removed from your home to protect it from an impending storm receives more comprehensive coverage than what is provided at your home—for a limited period of time, it covers flood, earthquake and any direct damage to your dislocated property without exclusions. However, the expenses to remove the property from harm’s way is not a covered expense.

What damages are not covered by my homeowners policy?

Trees, shrubs and gardens damaged or destroyed by the storm are not covered. The spoilage of food due to an inoperative refrigerator or freezer resulting from a utility line power outage is not covered by many policies, unless the appliances are inoperative because the damage to power lines or other utility equipment occurred on your property; for example, lightning damage to your circuit box or a tree falling on power lines connected to your home. It is important to note that there is no coverage for any damage that is a direct result of flood, surface water or water that backs up through sewers or drains that is caused by an act of nature (a storm).

How can I find out what is covered in my specific circumstances?

The information provided here includes general guidelines for storm damage coverage. You should contact our agency for definite answers and further advice.

 Your Professional Insurance Agent … We want you to know about the insurance you're buying.

Credit Scores and Insurance

Many insurers now include credit scores as one of many factors in the rating of insurance.   We've gathered a few key points regarding how credit reports and scores are being used in insurance and how you can check and improve your score.

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What do I need to know about credit reports and scores?

What is on my credit report and where does it come from?

In general, your report includes your name, address, employers and more specific information about your accounts such as date opened, credit limit or loan amount, balance and payment patterns during the past several years. The information provided on your report comes from companies with whom you do or have done business.

Should I check my credit report regularly?

Since your credit report plays an important role when you apply for any type of credit, it would be a good idea to know what is on your credit report before applying for credit. Because of this, we recommend you check your score annually.

What is a credit score?

A credit score is a number insurers use to help them during the underwriting process, in determining whether or not to provide you with insurance coverage. A score is developed using elements of your credit history. However, it is not stored as part of your credit history. Typically, it is generated at the time a request for a credit report is made. Therefore, your credit score changes as the elements in your credit report change.

How is the credit score used for insurance purposes?

A credit score is a number insurers use in developing the premium and it also is used to help them during the underwriting process. Many insurers will use the score to determine if your rating will be in a nonstandard-, standard- or preferred-rating tier. The better credit score you have, the better rates you could possibly have. Also, many insurers decide whether or not you are eligible for their insurance based upon your rating in combination with your driving history. A general rule of thumb is the higher the score, the better the score. A poor credit score with a poor driving record could determine whether or not an insurer will provide you with insurance coverage.

How can I raise my score?

While you can improve your future score, it is unlikely that any single action you take will have a large impact on your score immediately. That is because your score reflects credit patterns over time. There are things you can do now to improve your score in the future, such as:

• pay your bills on time—delinquent payments and collections can have a major negative impact on your score; and
• apply for new credit sparingly.

There is no single action that will raise your score. Each time a credit score is calculated, specific reasons are delivered along with the score. If you have received your score, you can ask for the reasons that came back with your score. These reasons, listed in order of importance, represent why your score was not higher. Addressing these reasons will most likely result in an improvement in your score.

How long is credit information kept?

Payment in full does not remove your payment history. The length of time information remains on your credit file is:

• credit and collection accounts—seven years from the date of last activity;
• courthouse records (judgments, liens and bankruptcies)—seven years from the date filed; Chapters 7 and 11 remain on file for 10 years from date filed;
• satisfied judgments—five years from date filed; and
• paid collections—five years from the date of last activity with original creditor

What if the credit report has errors?

If an error is detected on your credit report, you should notify all three credit bureaus of the error. The credit bureaus must re-investigate the disputed item.
The three national credit bureaus are:

• Equifax—(800) 685-1111;
• TransUnion—(800) 916-8800; and
• Experian—(888) 397-3742.

 Your Professional Insurance Agent … We want you to know about the insurance you're buying.

Vacation Plans and Your Insurance Coverage

The summer months of June, July and August are a popular time for vacations.  We get many questions from clients regarding how their insurance will cover various scenarios in regards to their vacation plans.  The following are a few popular questions and the answers to those questions!

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Answers to questions you may have before going on vacation

How can I secure my house or apartment while I'm away?

Create a lived-in look to deter burglars. Do this by stopping newspaper and mail deliveries; asking a neighbor to park a car in your driveway occasionally; and putting lights on a timer or asking a neighbor to turn lights on in the evening. Use a telephone answering machine or call forwarding to quiet ringing telephones. And, make sure all windows and doors are locked to make entry difficult for intruders.

If my home is burglarized or damaged by fire, are all of my possessions covered?

Under a standard homeowners insurance policy for a single-family home, the contents of the home normally are covered for at least 50 percent of the amount of insurance on the building ($50,000 contents coverage on a house insured for $100,000). A renters policy is written for a specified dollar amount, based on what you own, to cover the loss of personal belongings in your apartment. There are special limits of liability on certain items in certain situations, however. Typically, there is a $200 limit on money and $1,500 on securities, passports, tickets and stamps. There is generally a $1,500 limit on watercraft, trailers and outboard motors. For fine jewelry, furs and watches that are stolen, a usual limit of $1,500 is set. And, there is typically a $2,500 limit for theft of guns and a $2,500 limit on theft of silverware, goldware and pewterware.
A home inventory is important to have should you become the victim of a burglary or fire. The inventory is a list of your possessions, including makes, models and serial numbers. Photographs or a videotape of your belongings are other ways of recording what you own. These records should be kept in a safe place away from the house or apartment so they would not be lost in the event of fire.

What if the items I take with me on vacation are stolen?

Your belongings generally are covered by your homeowners or renters policy anywhere in the world, including items in storage facilities, suitcase contents and items lent to friends. Exceptions to this are items usually kept at another residence of yours, which then would be limited to the greater of $1,000 or 10 percent of the personal property limit shown on your policy (some restrictions also apply to theft). Typically, you would have another policy to cover all the eligible property at that location, including loss by theft.

We'll be traveling by car on vacation. Do you have any suggestions?

Check with our agency to make sure that your policy is up-to-date, and make sure the car is in good running condition. While traveling, be sure your passengers wear seat belts and young children ride in car seats at all times. Also, keep cameras, purses and other valuables with you while on vacation; never leave them in the car.

I plan to rent a car for this trip. Is it necessary to buy the insurance the rental agency sells?

It may not be. Prior to leaving for vacation, check with your professional insurance agent to determine if your personal auto insurance policy covers damage to a rented vehicle, as many policies do. You may want to contact your major credit-card company to ask if a rental car charged to that account is covered for damage. If you don't have one of these pre-existing coverages, it may be wise to purchase insurance from the rental agency.

Your Professional Insurance Agent … We want you to know about the insurance you're buying.

Dog Days of Summer...Tips to Stay Cool!

 This week has been hot and humid.  Here are some tips to prevent heat related illnesses!

 

• Drink more fluids (non-alcoholic).  Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink!
• Stay indoors and in air conditioned places, if at all possible.  No air conditioning in your home, visit a local mall or library to cool off.
• Take a cool shower or bath.
• Wear lightweight, light colored and loose fitting clothes.
• Wear brimmed hats and sunscreen.
• Never leave anyone or a pet in a closed, parked vehicle!
• Limit outdoor activity to the morning or evening hours, when the sun is lower and it's more cool.
• If you must exercise, drink 2 to 4 glasses of cool fluids each hour.
• Find a shady place to rest when outdoors.

For more information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Inland Flooding

We welcome everyone to please watch this short video presented by the National Flood Center regarding inland flooding.  When people mention New Jersey, everyone instantly thinks of the Jersey Shore.  However, for those of us located in Northern New Jersey in counties like Sussex, Warren, Morris and Hunterdon we are far from the Jersey shoreline.   Unfortunately many people have the response that they feel it is unlikely that they will experience a flood, however Hurricane Irene in 2011 proved otherwise.



If you have any questions regarding Flood Insurance or would like a free quote, please do not hesitate to contact our office and speak with any of our representatives.

Extreme Weather and Insurance

Don’t Panic

By Steve Tague

If you live in a state that has been anyway affected by the storms that have hit areas of our country and you own a home covered by a Homeowners Policy, chances are you may be receiving a premium increase upon your next policy renewal.

You see, even if you have not had any claims during the storms, rates are determined by the claims experience of all Homeowners policies that are written through an insurance company. In recent history, claims experience has increased due to the bizarre weather we have all experienced. Some insurance companies have even ceased writing or renewing Homeowners business in certain states.

Our first reaction is to run out and find the cheapest premium that one can find, after all, everything is going up and in this economic environment, you have to get the best “bang for your buck”.

Please be careful, however, and look before you leap. Even though your premium has gone up, a cheaper premium from a different company may mean “pared-down coverage”. In other words the bargain that you think you are getting may eliminate some of the essential coverages that you may need in the event of a claim. All Homeowners policies are not the same. This is a fact.

My recommendation is to make an appointment with a Professional Independent Insurance Agency like ours, who represents many insurance companies and can work on getting not only a good premium level, but making sure you have the essential coverage for your individual needs.

Finally, please don’t forget that flood is not covered on your Homeowners Policy and if you live in a flood zone, you need to get a separate flood policy. Ask us about Flood Coverage!

Give Dawn a call at 973-948-3200 Ext. 10