Personal Insurance

Our comprehensive approach to insurance goes beyond the basics of home and auto coverage. We understand that your family's financial security is at stake, which is why we take the time to thoroughly assess your risk exposure before crafting a personalized policy. Once your policy is active, we don't just set it and forget it - we conduct annual reviews to ensure that your coverage aligns with any changes in your circumstances. And if there's an opportunity to secure a better rate with one of our partner companies, we'll make the switch seamlessly so you can rest assured that you're getting the best deal possible. Trust us to protect what matters most to you.

Frequently Asked Home Questions

Q: What does Loss of Use cover?

A: If damage to your home is covered by your insurance policy, Loss of Use pays for additional costs that you have due to not being able to live in your home while it is being repaired. It will pay for a hotel or an apartment, eating out expenses, laundry expenses, etc.

Q: If your home burns down and you decide not to rebuild, how much money do you get?

A: You get the face value of the policy. This is called the “Valued Policy” law. The insurance company must pay the face amount of the policy without depreciation or contesting the value if the fire was not deemed arson or insurance fraud.

Q: Is flood covered on your homeowner’s policy?

A: No. What is considered flood? Flood is outside ground water coming in. It has to affect two properties so one of your neighbors would have to also have been flooded.

Q: What is Actual Cash Value?

A: It is replacement cost minus (-) depreciation.

Q: If your home is hit by a tornado, and you have to rebuild, how much money do you have to rebuild with?

A: You will receive the face value of the policy along with the additional percentage you included, up to the actual cost of rebuilding with similar materials. Different companies may have varying terms for this coverage. Most endorsements add 25%, while some go up to 50%. If the rebuilding costs are lower than the total with the extra percentage, you will only receive the actual rebuilding cost without an additional payout.

Q: Does liability on a homeowner’s policy cover anything other than someone getting hurt on your property?

A: Yes. Some examples. A dog biting someone is covered even if off the property. If you are playing golf and a golf ball hits someone in the head, you are covered. If you rent a 4-wheeler while on vacation and injure someone, you can file a claim on your homeowner’s insurance. If you rent a facility for your daughter’s wedding and a guest is injured, your homeowners could pay.

Note where available- If you are a schoolteacher and are sued by a student in your classroom for injuries, you must have the business pursuit endorsement on your homeowner’s policy, or your policy will not defend you or payout on a claim.

Q: What do you have to do to collect money from the insurance company after a claim for personal property?

A: You have to show receipts that you replaced the property to get the replacement cost amount. In other words…. you will get the first check for actual cash value. Once you replace the property and send in receipts, you will receive a second check for the difference between the actual cash value and replacement cost.

Q: How much money will you get to replace your stuff with?

A: You will get what it actually costs to replace it up to the limit for personal property in the policy. So, if you are insured for $100,000 and it only costs $50,000 to replace your stuff, you only get $50,000.

Q: Is a tractor used for maintaining your property covered on a homeowner policy’s personal property coverage?

A: Yes, as long as it never leaves the property.

Q: Which coverage on your homeowner’s policy covers a fence or a pool?

A: Other structures

Q: If your home or rent house is vacant for 30 or 60 days, (depending on the carrier), which coverage do you lose most of the time?

A: Vandalism and Malicious Mischief

Q: Under a preferred carrier’s regular homeowner’s policy that uses special form, what perils are covered?

A: All coverage is assumed to be included unless specifically excluded in the policy. Should there be any exclusions, we are happy to provide you with the relevant section of your policy outlining these details.

Q: If someone gets hurt on your property and just wants their doctor bills covered and doesn’t want to sue you, which coverage will pay their bills up to the limit on the policy?

A: Medical

Q: What is, “Backup of Sewer and Drains,” coverage?

A: It provides coverage for any damage to your home and belongings caused by water backing up through sewers, drains, or from a sump pump or well. For instance, if a toilet overflows due to continuous running, it would be covered under your homeowner's policy without this specific endorsement. However, if the toilet overflows because of a clogged sewer located 40 feet away, it would not be covered under the standard homeowner's policy without this endorsement.

Frequently Asked

Auto Questions

Q: What coverage is mandatory?

A: Liability coverage is required by law. Liability coverage pays for any claims when you are at fault in an accident. When you apply for liability coverage, we will offer you an opportunity to purchase coverage for uninsured motorist bodily and property damage, underinsured motorist coverage for bodily injury and personal injury protection coverage. Uninsured motorist coverages cover you and your automobile if the other driver is at fault and does not have liability insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage gives you additional protection if the other driver is at fault and doesn't have enough coverage to cover your injuries. Personal Injury Protection provides coverage for medical you can also select to have coverages for wage loss and death benefits regardless of fault.

Q: What other coverages are available?

A: You may also purchase comprehensive and collision coverages, rental reimbursement, roadside assistance or towing & labor. GAP coverage (loan payoff) is available with some carriers. Comprehensive coverage protects against damage to your automobile from acts of nature or other events not associated with operating the automobile. Collision coverage protects against damage to your automobile when it is involved in an accident. Rental reimbursement pays for a rental car up to the limit if your vehicle is not in working order due to a covered loss. Roadside assistance varies with each carrier. Some of our carrier's roadside assistance program covers towing costs, delivery of fluids, including fuel, oil, or water, service to the battery, changing or inflating tires and lockout service to recover keys inside your vehicle. There are lots of different endorsements available. Some of which are the following: Coverage for trip interruption, pet injury, coverage for “essential services” customers are unable to perform during their recovery from a covered auto accident. This includes housekeeping, food preparation, transportation services, and lawn mowing. Accidental air bag deployment can be extended even when the vehicle has not had a comprehensive or collision loss. You can upgrade to a single loss deductible when a loss affects more than one policy. You can purchase accident forgiveness and guaranteed renewal.

Q: Are there any discounts offered?

A: Yes, some of our carriers offer a college graduate discount. Some offer a defensive driver discount for those insureds that are 55 years old and over who have successfully completed a course approved by the Office of Driver Services. Some of our carriers offer discounts for certain occupations, longevity at your job, owning a home, or being accident-free good grades, driver's training, etc. Nearly all of our carriers offer a discount as much as 20% for also having your home insured with the same company.

Q: Why have my rates gone up when I haven't had an accident and/or claim?

A: It's likely that the insurer raised its rates due to higher-than-expected losses. Your individual rate may fluctuate based on various factors. The advantage of working with an independent agency like ours is that if your rates increase, we'll review your insurance with all our carriers to ensure you're with the best option. Even though we initially compared quotes from all our companies when setting up your insurance, their pricing models may have changed, rates could have decreased in our area, or new discounts may be available. Therefore, we may need to switch you to a different carrier to maintain the lowest possible rates.

Q: Why haven't my physical damages premiums decreased as my vehicle ages?

A: The price of repairing a vehicle does not go down as a vehicle ages.

Personal Insurance