Consider Rental Reimbursement Coverage

Under the best circumstances, having an auto accident is really annoying. It can be equally disturbing to realize you didn't buy rental car coverage on your auto insurance policy. So you could be faced with having no car while it's being repaired, paying the $500 deductible and another $300 to $500 for the rental car. If you've got the money, fine; but if you don't, rental coverage could be something you'd like to consider.

People may say "Hey, if the accident isn't my fault, I can collect from the other person's insurance carrier." That's true -- as long as the other person was at fault, they have insurance, and you get their name, plate number, license number, etc. If they don't have insurance, lots of luck taking them to small claims court for the rental car money.

I find that most of the time, it's better to take care of Number One and get the extra coverage. The cost is reasonable, ranging from $40 to around $100.

Snow Alert!

The snow load on your roof could be approaching a dangerous level. For your safety, remove snow from your roof as soon as possible. The is especially critical if you have a flat roof or one with a minimal pitch.

The potential for roof collapse or structural damage increases as the weight of the accumulated snow and ice exceeds the snow load capacity of the roof. Also, the likelihood of developing ice dams and the resulting water damage to the interior of the house increases with the amount of snow remaining on your roof.

Rain falling on accumulated snow is especially dangerous because snow-covered roofs do not drain well and the weight of the snow increases.

It may be prudent to hire someone to remove snow from your roof before the next storm hits the area. You can call a local roofer or contractor to see if they can help.

Do a Dry Run – or an Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Most of us will remember the fire drills we had in elementary school and even in high school. We got to miss class, go outside, and fool around. In fact, if you were born in the late 40s, early 50s, you might even have had air raid drills in case we got bombed by the Russians, although I don’t think hiding under your desk would have done much good, but that's another story.

So why do we do fire drills? Why do we do dry runs? We do them because we need to know in advance what to do, how to act, what measures to take to protect ourselves. Practicing, that is having a walk-through of a situation, means things will go smoother if something does happen. We will be less panicked because we know what to do.

That's why acting troupes have dress rehearsals before the opening night. They do it to work out the bugs; that's why people test things, to work out the bugs. So let me ask you, have you done a dry run with your children on how to escape from your home in case of fire or a burglar situation. Do you all know where to meet?

What if there is a power outage; does everybody know where the candles and flashlights are kept? Or how to keep warm? How about something like changing a tire? Do your children know how to change the tire on the car? Or check the oil?

What about taking a few minutes to learn where the tools are, learning to use a jack, or realizing…oops no jack, no lug wrench,...what, no spare! Here is where that ounce of prevention comes in. Prepare some type of a emergency procedure. Is there a flashlight or flare in the car? Most kids have cell phones today so they can call someone. But what if they can't get hold of someone or what if they're hours away? Even if you have a motor club membership you could wait for hours.

So do a dry run. Show them where the jack is, and how to use it. Show how to take the tire off and put a spare tire on. Have a home fire drill. Decide together where you'll store the flashlights and candles. You’ll be glad you did.

Suggestions

Flash light

Blankets

Jack & lug wrench, oh yeah, the spare

Phone

Gas (keep the car full)

Shovel

Some sand

Maybe a piece of wood to put under the jack

Or a bottle of scotch …

Emergency money –I always keep $20 in the car

Sewer backup coverage

We would like to remind all home and business owners that unforeseen circumstances and/or extreme weather conditions may cause wastewater (sewerage) back-up into your homes or businesses. In most cases, the town where the home or business is located is not liable for damages or losses suffered as a result of such conditions.

We encourage each of our customers (homeowners, tenants, and businesses) to explore the possibility of purchasing additional homeowner’s or property damage insurance to protect against this type of loss or damage.

Good Tips to Help Prevent Homeowners Losses

Here's a good video from the Insurance Information Institute on how to maintain your home with an eye to preventing homeowner's losses:

http://www2.iii.org/video/proper_home_maintenance_preventing_losses.html

Traveler's Discounts on Massachusetts Auto Policies

Effective Nov, 2010, Travelers now offers new and improved discounts for drivers who are:

• Good Students
• College student at school at least 100 miles from home

This is a potential savings of up to 18%.

There is also a 5% discount for new customers who submit a application at least 5 days prior to their renewal date.

Annual Low Mileage Discount: The discount used to be given for cars driven under 7,500 miles annually. Travelers has changed this to under 10,000 miles a year.

Check with your Independent Insurance Agency to be sure that you get all the discounts you're entitled to.

Thinking about Dog Bite Claims and Rental Property

If you own property and rent out apartments, be sure that you require that each tenant sign a rental agreement and require proof that they have an HO4 (tenant's insurance policy). When you consider that there were more than 4.7 million dog bites annually, and that the average cost of a dog-bite claim claim in 2009 was $24,840, it's critical that your tenants have adequate insurance. It's likely that the tenant would be the first party the injured person would put a claim against.