January Ticket Winners!

The envelopes please…

We are pleased to announce our winners for the month of January! 

As a reminder, we award one set of Mavericks tickets from each of our social medias:  Our newsletter, Facebook, Twitter and our blog.

High Desert Mavericks Tickets:
From the subscribers to the KPIA Newsletter:  Brian P. – Hesperia
From our Twitter followers:  Thomas G. – Hesperia
From those who “Like” our Facebook page:  Dan H. – Apple Valley
From those who follow our WordPress blog:  Me!  (I am the only follower, but alas, I am ineligible…)

LA Angels Tickets Winner (chosen from the Mavericks’ ticket winners):  Brian P. – Hesperia

Congratulations to the winners!  If you are a winner, click here to learn how to claim your prize.  You have 14 days from the date of this post to claim your prize.

If you didn’t win, you can greatly increase your chances of winning by subscribing to all of our social media.  While we have lots of subscribers to our newsletter, we have relatively few entries for our Twitter, Facebook and WordPress blog.  For contest details and to subscribe to more of our social media, click here.

Noah way! That’s Apple Valley?

Yes way!  I took this picture in Apple Valley during the storms last winter but it could have been in any of the High Desert cities or communities.  Victorville and Hesperia (especially Hesperia!) and pretty much every other city in California are also at risk for flooding.

What’s that you say?  Your home is on higher ground?  Truth is that a lot of homes damaged by floods are simply from water accumulation on their property.  Those puddles in your backyard or alongside your house?  All it would take is an unexpected diversion of water due to any kind of sudden blockage in the normal runoff path…  WHAM!  That puddle becomes a pond and your den and living room are in two inches of water.

Really though, how bad is two inches of water anyway?  Quickly imagine…  All the flooring, the drywall on every wall, the furniture, the subwoofer (that got your attention, huh guys?)…  Everything that touches the floor!  And that’s just from two inches of water!

And if that sounds like bad news, consider that most homeowners don’t buy flood insurance because they figure that since they don’t live in the midwest or southeast, a flood won’t happen to them.  Of course while it is true that large scale flooding is more likely to happen there, small scale flooding happens everywhere.  Even here. 

Think flood insurance is expensive?  Think again.  Most homes in low to moderate risk areas (like most of the Victor Valley) can get basic flood insurance coverage for only$129 per year.  Yes, it is really that inexpensive here, primarily because we are not in one of the regions where widespread flooding is common.

That doesn’t mean, though, that it is unthinkable for us to experience widespread flooding.  No discussion about High Desert flood risk would be complete without referencing a very interesting and informative article that I found on the internet, written by long time High Desert resident Richard Doornbos.  Click here to read his evaluation about the potential for catastrophic, widespread flooding in the Victor Valley.

Lastly, but certainly not leastly (back off grammar cops, I was trying to be cute there)…  It’s important to know that there is a 30-day waiting period before any flood insurance would take effect, so waiting until the forecast calls for a deluge is too late. 

Act now so that when Mother Nature gives you a toxic indoor pool, you’re covered.

Was “Santa Baby” good to you?

But is it covered?

Did you get anything really nice for Christmas like a ring, a camera, a laptop, an expensive bicycle? If so, it would be a good idea to call your homeowners insurance agent to make sure it is covered.

See, all homeowners policies include limitations on certain types of frequently stolen items. For example, it is not uncommon for policies to limit theft of jewelry at $1,500. While that is fine for many pieces of common jewelry, it’s not nearly enough for your average wedding ring.

How can you make sure you have the coverage you need for those items?  First of all, call your agent who should be able to tell you what limitations your policy has.  Then, work with your agent to explore the different options to close that gap. 

Most companies will offer you the opportunity to purchase higher limits on such items.  Better yet, for items you wear or use regularly, discuss adding that item to a “personal articles schedule” which not only lets you insure it for the proper value but adds additional ‘perils’ that are not covered on most homeowners policies.  Back to the example of jewelry, if you have a ring with a valuable stone (like a diamond), homeowners policies may cover it for theft, fire, etc. but not for mysterious disappearance.  So if you lose the stone while you are out running errands, you’re out of luck unless you have scheduled it on an all-risk personal articles policy or endorsement.

So as is often the case, the best thing you can do is consult with an experienced agent to make sure your belongings are properly covered.

Now, if you got a fruitcake for Christmas, you needn’t worry about insuring it.  Chances are, it’s indestructible.

6-Things to Watch for When Shopping for Insurance (aka: Of Hooks, Crooks & Books)

Oinkin' da' Kaching

What a joy shopping for insurance is!  (Are you smelling the sarcasm here?)  Few decisions you make as a consumer can have such a radical impact in your life, yet because it can be confusing or make us feel awkward few people pay it the attention it deserves.  And though I could go on at length with advice about what coverages to get, what discounts are available, etc.., I would probably drone on for hours, bore you stiff and get typer’s cramp in the process.  Instead, I will give you some highlights (aka: executive bullet points, aka:  nifty things to know) to make you aware of some of the most easily avoided pitfalls.

Avoid “Chicken-With-Its-Head-Cut-Off” Syndrome:  More simply put, don’t wait until the last minute to go shopping.  Try to give yourself at least 2-4 weeks before your policy renews to gather information and make a decision.  That way you avoid the easily avoidable pressure to just renew your current policy rather than go through all the effort of switching.

Get It Together, Man!:  This just means take all of your insurance to one agent or company.  Not only does this reduce the chance something important gets missed, it will probably save you money too with multi-policy discounts.  Plus you get the added convenience of knowing just who to call with any questions.

How Low Can You Go?:  Are you getting all the available discounts?  Don’t just assume you are, ask your agent what discounts you are NOT getting that are available.  You may learn of discounts that you qualify for but did not even know you were missing out on.  (If you have a good agent, this shouldn’t happen but you might be surprised how often this happens with newer agents or inexperienced call center employees with ‘agentless’ companies.

Send OUT the Clowns:  Rule of thumb, if an agency has a clown (whether actually dressed as one or not) waving an arrow promising $14 auto insurance, you don’t want to trust your financial security to that place.  (Oh, by the way, I promise you that agency does not have a single client paying $14 each month for insurance.)  And if you see print ad promising that kind of rate, you can lump them in with the arrow-waving bozos.

Bait and Switch, It’s Not Just for Suckers Anymore:  This is too common nowadays.  Sometimes it happens before you buy the policy, sometimes after.  Unethical agents won’t disclose fees like billing fees or broker fees at the time of quote.  Then when it comes time to actually buy the policy, the price changes even though no information changed.  If that happens, get up and leave no matter what they say.  If they tried something like that on you at the outset, who knows what they will pull when they actually have your money and your policy is on the books.  Harder to defend against are agents who intentionally quote low, write the policy at the artificially low rate knowing that the company will correct the rate when the policy is issued.  Most customers, when this happens may grumble but they pay the higher rate rather than go through all the trouble of switching again.  Unethical salespeople know this, which is why they do it.  The only defense against this is to insist on receiving a copy of the application at the point of sale.  If it uses unrealistic information like ultra low annual miles, or fails to list all drivers or tickets/accidents, have it corrected right then and there.  If the price goes up, walk away.  Reputable agents will stand behind their quote as long as they were given accurate information from the client.

Get the License Number of that Truck:  OK, maybe not a truck, but a salesperson.  Be sure to get the name and license number of the person you are getting the quote from and then check that number against the Department of Insurance database.  The license MUST come back to the person you talked to, not just the agency or company.  Far too many agencies and companies use unlicensed people to do tasks that require a license, like quoting and writing policies.  Even if it turns out the person is properly licensed, checking will show you how long the person has been licensed so you will know if you are trusting your financial security to someone who has very little experience.  Far too many call center quoters couldn’t spell insurance a couple of months ago, now they are insurance “experts”.

 Now that didn’t hurt so bad did it?  It’s like anything, caveat emptor (which is latin for “buyer beware” aka: “hold onto your wallet with both hands”).  Make sure the person you choose to represent your interests when it comes to insurance really has your interests at heart, knows what they are talking about and will be there to stand behind the promises they make.

Free Renters Insurance! Seriously, FREE Renters Insurance…

HA!  Made you look!  But in this case, that’s a good thing, because what I said is true.  You can buy renters insurance for such a low premium that it costs less than you save on your auto insurance for having it!

Huh?  What am I talking about?  Why am I now talking about auto insurance?  Simple…

Auto insurance companies love giving discounts.  (OK, so that’s not true, they love that you buy insurance from them because YOU love their discounts…  But I digress…)  Anyhow, you might know that they give discounts for carrying multiple policies with them, like your homeowners and your auto insurance.  But what if you don’t own a home?  How can you get in on the discountalicious savings?  A renter’s policy! 

See a renters insurance policy is technically a homeowners insurance policy (don’t get hung up on the term “homeowner”, just trust me on this…) Now the good part, renters insurance is very inexpensive with most companies.  So say Company A sells you a renters policy for $75.00 a year (I told you it was cheap) for a basic renters insurance policy AND they give you a 10% discount on your auto insurance for having multiple policies.  Well, if you are paying auto insurance premiums of $750 a year or more (or $62.00/month if you pay monthly), you save more on your auto insurance than you pay for the renters insurance!

Most people in California pay MORE than $750 in car insurance if they own more than one car or have a car with full coverage.  So for most people, it’s like they are paying you to have renters insurance. 

But, what is renters insurance?  Coverage on your stuff (aka: personal property) and liability coverage should someone hurt themselves at your pad (aka:  apartment or rented home to those of you who aren’t as old as rope like me).  It’s something you should have anyway, but didn’t know it.

So get on it, call your agent and talk to them about renters insurance!  Then call us, we’ll beat their rates and give you better service.  After all, they didn’t tell you about free renters insurance, did they?  Just sayin’…

This is it! A blog about insurance! (And the crowd goes wild!)

Seriously, can you think of anything more exciting than an insurance blog?  Giving you goose bumps, huh? 

Not so much, you say?

OK, I get it.  Insurance isn’t sexy.  It’s one of those things that, except attorneys and body shops, nobody really likes.  After all, you pay, you pay, you pay and seldom see anything in return.  What’s to like?  And it’s complicated.  Way, way too complicated and too technical and just about as much fun as a rash on the bottom of your feet.

So how can I hope to attract readers?  What can I possibly do to make you want to come back or even care what I write? 

In that vein, I pledge to:

1. Make it useful by answering some of the most common questions we get;
2. NOT make it a dry, technical, BORING, Ambien-substitute of a blog;
3. Focus on what matters most to the consumer, making sure they are making the most of their insurance dollar and making sure they have the coverages they need to keep from getting soaked when claim time comes.

 

So sit back, hang on, and please, PLEASE keep your hands and arms inside the car at all times.