When the economy takes a down turn, insurance agents usually see an increase in the number of theft claims reported. While we wish that no one had to experience a robbery, here are some tips to make your claim go more smoothly.

-Know your coverage! In most cases a standard Homeowners policy only includes a minimal amount of coverage for commonly stolen items such as fine arts, electronics, and jewelry. You might need to schedule these types of belongings for a specific amount of coverage. Or you may have to insure them on their own policy if they can't be covered on your Homeowners insurance.
-File a police report immediately. This is going to be required by the insurance company to document the theft. 
-Take pictures of any damage to the building before you have it repaired. Your first instinct is to secure your home against future break-ins, but before you have the window replaced or the door repaired, document the damage. You can then submit them with the receipt to the claims adjustor to be included in the claim.
- Although it may be impossible to know everything that was taken, try to give the police an itemized list for the police report. You may even have to file an amended report after you have time to take a full inventory. The reason behind this is that he list of items that you present to the insurance company should match the items listed on the police report. For example, if your list says "movies," but the police report says "video games," the insurance company may refuse to pay for movies.

-Include as much detail as you can. Instead of the police report indicating "various games and movies" were stolen, give the police the number of games/movies that are missing, and the names and titles of as many of them as you can remember. The more information you can provide to the claims adjustor, the more likely he will be able to reimburse you.
-Catalog your personal property! Whether its by taking pictures of your household items, or by scanning digital copies of receipts, the more the better. Because insurance fraud is a growing problem in Florida, insurance companies want to see proof of ownership before they can include it in a claim. Do you have pictures of yourself wearing the missing jewelry? Do you have the original packaging for your gaming system or laptop? Do you have the jewel cases for DVD's and video games? Did you keep the instruction manual for the digital camera? Keep these types of things together in a safe place. If you take pictures you can email them to yourself so you can access them from another location (don't just keep them on the laptop in case that is taken in the burglary.) Or bring them to your insurance agent and see if they will keep them in your file.
Claims are never enjoyable since they start out with damage or theft to your property. But with some planning, you can help to make the claims process less painful so you can get back to normal faster.

If you are considering purchasing flood insurance, you should keep in mind there is a 30 day wait for the coverage to start if you do not purchase it during the closing on your property or when refinancing.  If you need Hurricane Guide, we have extras in our office for you to pick up. 

When going on a trip, it is wise to have car rental on your policy.  Suppose you start you 4 day trip on Friday night after work.  You are 100 miles from home and someone runs a red light and hits your car.  Your car is no longer driveable.  What do you do?

If you have car rental on your policy, you will be able to continue your journey. 

The 2011 hurricane season is starting, and we urge all of our friends and neighbors to be prepared. You can review Hillsborough County's 2011 Hurricane Guide at http://www.tbrpc.org/tampabaydisaster/hurricane_guide2011/HG_2011.html

With hurricane season fast approaching, it is wise to prepare now in case you are unfortunate enough to experience damage.   Even minimal planning will be helpful.

If a hurricane develops, your area will experience high winds and heavy rains.  It is wise to have a plan developed where you would take only what is necessary, figure out where your destination would be and share this with friends or relatives.   Have an emergency bag available and fill with a few necessities should you need to leave immediately.  Include a list of relatives phone numbers.   If you should experience damage, you will need your insurance policy number.   Locate the Declaration Page for each of your insurance policies and put them in a plastic bag or at least write the name of the  insurance company  and claim number to be able to start a claim as soon as possible.  Put this with your other valuables that you will take with you should you evacuate your home.

 

What goes into determining my auto premium?

Many factors are used by insurance companies to calculate the premium they will offer to a customer.

Some of the factors are age, credit, driving record, type of car, annual mileage and even the zip code you live in.  These ratings vary from company to company so it is not unusual to get a different premium from one company to the next. 

Auto insurance companies provide many discounts to assist drivers in reducing their auto policy premiums.

Of course one of the more obvious is if the driver or drivers have clean accident free records.  But there are many others that might apply.  Low mileage, owning a home, and having multiple vehicles on a policy are a few. 
Have your agent review these discounts with you.  You may not have qualified at the time you originally started your policy but you may qualify now.

Both males and females are more likely to suffer a disability than die at an early age. Many employers offer this important coverage, but if your does not, you should consider purchasing the coverage on your own.   Think of how your family will survive if your income is suddenly discontinued.  Mortgage payments, medical expenses, food expenses  etc. will continue even if you are no longer able to work.

Since many companies offer this important coverage, you should compare several before making a decision. 
A main consideration is the definition of a disability.  Be sure to compare companies and look for one that describes a disability as "unable to perform the duties of your current occupation".

I borrowed my neighbor’s car.  Does my insurance cover their car?