11 weeks till Christmas

It's almost Christmas ...

Are you hiding your teen driver?

Coverage extends

In general coverage will extend if you lend you car to someone and they get into an accident.  And most insurance companies extend coverage to accidents caused by teen drivers who were not listed on your policy.  Companies know it's possible it "slipped" your mind to add your child to your policy.

Misrepresentation

Some companies could deny a claim if your teen passed the road test before you renewed your policy and you didn't inform the  company.  Car insurance policies normally state that "you are to notify us of any additional drivers," Some companies may have an exclusion in the policy that says, 'If you do not notify us we will not cover you".  Not adding your teen driver could be considered misrepresentation and the company could deny coverage.  And some companies will honor the claim for unlisted teen drivers but add your driver, and charge you backdated premium to recover the time that the teen was licensed but not on your policy.

Click to read full article  

Rates 

Adding a teenager to your auto insurance policy can double your premium.  Teen rates are high because of the statistics.  Car crashes are the main cause of death for drivers between the ages of 16 and 19.

Discounts

Most Insurance companies offer discounts for driver's Ed and good grades.  Some insurance companies offer safe driver programs for teens to watch videos and track trip logs to save money.   And most companies won't charge you if your teen is away at school more than 100 miles from home.

Smart Transportation

Stopping safely in an emergency situation 

Sudden loss of power and the engine stalls -What do you do?

You're driving and suddenly there's no radio and no power.  What should you do?  Apply the brakes, soon steering will fail, next the brakes will go.  Keep eyes on the road, try to steer to side of the road and put flashing hazard lights on.

Read Full Article

Don't panic 

If you find it too difficult to slow down, move toward a safe area and use the emergency brake.

ABS Braking System


Vehicles equipped with an ABS braking system ought to provide controlled braking on most road surfaces. For ABS braking in an emergency situation:

* Press the brake pedal firmly.
* Don’t let up and allow the system to control wheel lock-up.

Another big VW recall 

Carbuzz article

Wheather the Storm

Mass Exodus

Thousands of cars headed North causing miles of  backups on Florida's interstate Highways to flee the wrath of Hurricane Irma.  Drivers waited for hours at gas stations, while others, including my daughter stood in line for hours at the airport.  I'm so glad she's back safe in NY.  My thoughts are with the people in FL, Carolinas and neighbor states - Be safe.

"Once the evacuation order is given, don't wait around," Sen. Bill Nelson

Hurricane Preparedness...Be ready 

Plan and Take Action

FEMA
Weather.com

Wheather the Storm ... What you should know

You shouldn't wait to review your homeowners policy when there's a storm coming.  Most insurance companies put binding restrictions in place before a storm preventing customers from purchasing policies or making changes like increasing coverage or reducing deductibles.


Homeowner policies usually cover damage from wind, rain and weight of ice and snow.  Some policies have higher windstorm deductibles and most have higher Hurricane deductibles.  Meaning your regular  deductible will not apply if you have a loss during one of these storms.  Review your policy and look for replacement cost and deductibles.

Most homeowner policies don't cover damage caused by rising water.  So if a hurricane tears the roof off your home and rain damages your personal property the insurance would pay to repair the home and replace your possessions, but damage  caused by water rising from a flooded street would  only be covered by a separate flood policy.

Remember to play after the storm ~ Mattie Stepanek

Sorry...You're Exposed

What you need to know


If you own a buisnrss you're exposed to liability on a daily basis.  Employer's Non Owned Liability provides liability insurance when your employees use their cars to run errands for your business.  If your employees use their own cars for sales visits, trips to the hardware store or bank deposits for your business, you could be liable for any accidents they have.





What If 

You send your employee to the hardware store to pick up a couple things you need to finish the job today.   On the way to the store, your employee gets into a crash, rear ends another car.  Are you exposed to liability?

The other car has damage and other driver goes to the hospital.  Since your employee was driving for work, his/her personal auto insurance might not cover medical bills.  But you have Employer's Non-Owned Liability coverage and your insurance will pay the other driver's medical bills up to the limits in your policy.  Preventing you from getting sued.

Big data

How insurance companies decide your rate

Does low scores equal bad drivers?

There's different factors that determine your auto insurance  rate, including your credit rating, age, gender, marital status, driving record and address.  Also statistics about your neighborhood and traffic counts in your area.

Crystal Ball


Insurance companies look at your credit and other data to predict if you're more likely to be a risk, have crashes and file claims. 

Type of car, deductible and coverage

It's difficult to compare rates, people have different driving records and different cars.  The best way to compare policies is to look at the deductibles and coverage.

Ways to keep cost down

Higher Deductible
High vehicle safety ratings
Discounts

Drive less 

People who drive  more miles during the year have a higher chance of getting into a crash.  Low annual mileage  might give you a lower rate.

The value of an agent

Talking to an agent about  coverage and discounts can save you money.

Under my Umbrella Ella ella

Could Save You Millions

Now that it's raining more than ever

Umbrella protects all your assets.  It pays your legal fees if you're sued.  And the couple of  hundred dollars for annual premium is about the same as an hour's consultation with a lawyer.  It provides an additional layer of protection.  1M,  2M, 5M or more above the liability limits of your auto and  Homeowners Insurance.  With an Umbrella policy you'll have a team of attorneys working on behalf of your insurance co protecting your assets.

Umbrella

What ifs...

"HERE’S the nightmare: Your car skids. You crash into a Mercedes with a highly paid business executive at the wheel. He’s hurt so badly he cannot return to work. A jury awards him millions of dollars and you have to pay it."

New York Times article

“After attending a Christmas party, my client got involved in a fatal auto accident where the other driver was killed… My client was given a breathalyzer on the scene and exceeded the legal alcohol limit. He was sued for something like $1.25 million by the claimant’s family and was legally liable for the damages, which were paid by the umbrella policy. The client was otherwise an upstanding citizen with no past history of these kinds of events.”

I.O.U. and sometimes Y

Actually... O.E.M.

OEM VS Generic Crash Parts

Does your insurance co pay for OEM parts?

Replacement crash parts like fenders, hoods and doors panels provided by the manufacturer are called original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. Parts that are made by generic companies or aftermarket crash parts are usually at a lower cost.

Ranking

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence

[hugs]
Teresa