Step 1: Call the police With any auto collision, it’s always a good idea to call the police. But it’s even more important whenever you find yourself in an incident involving an uninsured driver. Getting a police record and an accident report will go a long way toward getting your expenses covered and will help ease the claims process. You’ll additionally want to take photos of the damage, the location where the accident happened, skid marks, and any various other particulars of the scene. Use your mobile devices or borrow one to take pictures. It is also a good idea to sketch a simple diagram of the scene of the accident.  Step 2: Swap Personal Information The police will certainly take the other motorist’s information, but it’s essential for you to do this too. In fact, this step is where you might learn that the other driver doesn’t have any insurance policy at all. Be sure to get all the info you can having to do with the other driver and their car, along with the contact details for any witnesses. Gather the uninsured driver’s  Step 3: Give Us a Call What Lifelong Insurance will be able to do at this point depends on a few things, like how much damage was sustained and the specifics of your policy. If you already have uninsured motorist protection (both bodily injury and property damage), your insurance policy can do a lot for you when you report your claim. And if you don’t have this uninsured coverage, we’ll help you plan your next steps.  Step 4: Medical Expenses If you’ve been injured, you’ll likely incur some medical expenses. Typically, the other motorist’s bodily injury liability coverage would take care of it. But, in this situation, the other vehicle owner neglected their responsibility. Your health insurance may take care of your medical expenses, but you might be left covering your deductible out of pocket. With uninsured driver bodily injury protection, however, your carrier is going to be able to assist you to cover these expenses, including medical bills and lost wages– factors that the other driver’s auto insurance ought to have covered.  Step 5: Take Care of Your Vehicle Just like you would certainly after any collision, talk to either David or Diona and see what you can do about having your auto repaired. If you have uninsured motorist property damage coverage, your repairs will likely be dealt with as though the other driver’s insurance policy were taking care of it. If you don’t, your insurance coverage won’t be sufficient to deal with the total cost of your repairs, and you might have to seek reimbursement through other methods (namely the courts, which could get tricky).

As an insurance agent in Texas, and considering my love for classics, I have spent significant time learning the differences between all the classic car insurance policies and what sets them apart from each other. I hear a lot of accurate and inaccurate statements made about classic car insurance. So I will try to address some of those in this blog. The most important thing to understand is Stated Value versus Agreed Value. This is a very critical piece of information when it comes to classic car insurance policies. There are a handful of good Classic car insurance companies writing agreed value policies including American Modern, Hagerty, Chubs, etc. Most of the big names are partnered with bigger players, for instance: Progressive sells Hagerty and Geico sells American Modern. So you are dealing with Progressive but it’s actually a Hagerty policy. Now, agreed value policy is just the beginning. Each of these insurers have different limitations and different options. I’m going to pick on 3 for now just for examples. Hagerty is owned and employs classic car enthusiasts. They know classic cars and therefore can provide some of the best service and the best knowledge on value. Safeco on the other hand, does not. I recently had an issue with a policy I sold where Safeco didn’t think the car was worth the value we were asking for. Hagerty and American Mod on the other hand easily agreed with the value. After all was said and done, I discussed this with Safeco and proved the value to them. In this case, it really helped to have an agent that understood classics working with the carriers. When I talk to my customers about classic cars, I really try to understand what they are doing with their cars. If they have a car that they only take to shows and have lots of memorabilia etc, I will steer them to Hagerty. On the exact opposite, if they are like you and I and drive their cars as often as possible, I will work to write them with American Mod or Safeco. So it pays to really consider how the car is being used. This is not black and white. You will hear stories where person 1 gets insurance from one carrier for x amount of money and x amount of coverage. Person 2 feels he has the exact same car and tries to get the same insurance and is quoted a much higher amount or may even get denied. Not all classic car insurance policies are the same and not all customers are the same. In my opinion, it’s crucial to find an agent that understands what you need. There are a lot of agents out there that are very educated on Home and Auto insurance but don’t understand classics. They will sell you a policy but may not truly know what they are selling. As you can see, the differences in carriers is amount of coverage versus flexibility in use.  I’m sure there are more questions you may have so please feel free to reach out to me either by phone, email or ask here in the comments and I will answer as best I can.

Operating a small business from home is growing in popularity and is a cost effective way to start up. Be aware however that basic homeowner’s insurance won’t cover the activities of a home business. Robberies of inventory or liability related to your products or services you sell may fall outside the purview of the most homeowner’s insurance, so you may need an additional business insurance policy. Here’s a scenario for anyone running a home-based business: The UPS guy makes a business delivery to your house, but slips, falls, and sues. Are you covered by your homeowner’s or business insurance? There’s a good chance the answer is no, and that’s just one example of why owners of home-based businesses need to seriously consider their insurance needs. Business equipment and inventory losses beyond $2,500 will not be covered by the typical homeowner’s policy should you suffer a loss. In the same way, if you see clients at home and they suffer an injury like our UPS guy did in the opening paragraph, you’ll need some kind of business insurance coverage to protect you. Three levels of policy coverage Coverage options may vary, but generally speaking you have three “upgrades” to select from, depending on your business and your exposure to risks. At the “bare bones” level, you may be eligible to get a rider on your homeowner’s policy to cover equipment and inventory beyond $2,500 or whatever amount is included in your standard homeowner’s policy. In some cases, you can bump that $2,500 up to $5,000 for as little as $25 per year. Overall, coverage can be increased to $10,000. In the same way, you can add a liability endorsement to your homeowner’s policy that would cover our UPS guy and a few other business visitors. However, adding the endorsement is limited to home-based businesses that receive very few visitors at home, like freelance writers. You need to check in your state to see how far you can push this before you need to go to the next step in this insurance progression. In-home business insurance policies When adding riders and endorsements to your homeowner’s policy won’t cover the amount of equipment or inventory you keep in your home, or you need better liability coverage, there are in-home business insurance policies available. Additional areas covered by these kinds of policies would include off-site property, loss of important documents, accounts receivable, and perhaps some loss of income if you suffer a disaster or fire that shuts you down. Further, these policies may cover a few employees that you might have working at your home. They also give you broader liability coverage. Standard business owner’s policy The top level of coverage is a standard business owner policy. This is really the same coverage a brick-and-mortar business would carry and delivers broader coverage than a policy written specifically for a home-based business. Along with everything you need to consider in order to purchase sufficient coverage for your home-based business, you also need to check your automobile insurance to see if you’re covered while you’re out driving for your business. Further, if you have employees, none of the policies mentioned here cover workers compensation, health, or disability insurance. Summary You can get a rider to your homeowner’s insurance that will extend coverage to some business activities, but the ideal solution is a home business insurance policy. In addition to covering basic liability and theft, it can compensate for the loss of key documents or equipment.

Most philatelists know that the time, effort and money that goes into accumulating a valuable stamp collection makes it extremely important to protect it in the event of a break-in, fire or other unforeseen event. Some policies provide limited coverage for a stamp collection. Often the amount of limited coverage provided is not enough to cover their value. Here are some tips for properly insuring your stamp collection: You can also talk to us to find out what your homeowners insurance carrier offers, or we can help you find a personal articles floater from a specialty insurer. As an independent agent we’ll provide you pricing options, coverage and limits options for each type of policy, and we’ll make sure that you get the coverage you need. Tips on getting the most from your coverage: For additional information send a letter to Diona or David, stamped with a “Curtis Jenny Inverted Error US Postage” stamp and mail it to Lifelong Insurance in Prosper TX. Just kidding of course. But if you have this stamp, you really do need to call and discuss insuring your collection.

Recent heavy rainfall reminds us that not all disasters are brought on by tornadoes.  I was attempting to get groceries at my local grocery store only to find several shoppers standing outside their doors. I was quickly told that the store was closed due to power outages. It made me wonder how much revenue and produce they loose as a result of this type of business interruption. Especially considering this is the second time this year, that I know of, that power has gone out at this grocer. The first time it occurred I had a half-full cart of groceries. Thankfully for them their registers have temporary power supplies that allow them to close out open transactions. But I couldn’t help but wonder the effects of a long lasting outage. Would I be seeing a lot of clearance items the following week on sour milk and not so frozen ice cream? Or worst a complete store closure? Seems far fetched doesn’t it. “ Of those businesses that experience a disaster and have no emergency plan, 43 percent never reopen; of those that do reopen, only 29 percent are still operating two years later.” — The Hartford’s Guide to Emergency Preparedness Planning, created by The Hartford Financial Services Group and now published by J.J. Keller & Associates Power outages, flooding, or other business interruptions like this creates an immediate need for all for all companies to take a closer look at their insurance plans. Would you be sufficiently covered in case of a natural disaster? Call us for advice anytime to review your coverage to ensure you are covered, not just for damages and lost inventory, but also for loss of business income. Until we hear from you, I’ll go and enjoy that coffee cake made with sour milk. What is Included in a Business Interruption Insurance Policy? Business interruption insurance is one of the most valuable policies a business can have, yet it is often overlooked. Contact Us today to learn more about this valuable policy. This Coverage Can Be Crucial To Your Company’s Survival

Each new year brings the promise of a fresh start to make those resolutions a reality. Instead of creating a list of recommended new years resolutions. We thought it would be fun to create the worst new years resolutions you can make from an insurance perspective. All jokes aside, we hope you stick to your new years resolutions and have a wonderful and prosperous 2016!

Residents in North Texas are cleaning up after devastating tornados destroyed homes and businesses throughout the area. When faced with having to repair your home, its important that you take the appropriate steps to protect yourself from building and roofing scammers. Take these suggestions into consideration when selecting contractors: Go Local – Make sure that the company you choose is local. Meaning that they have an established business with a physical location and reputation within your community. This protects your investment should you choose to purchase an extended warranty on a roof. You don’t want an issue to crop up down the road with no one to call or visit because they’re not in your area. Check for Insurance – Any reputable contractor should have workers’ compensation and liability insurance. This protects the homeowner in the event of an injury while liability will cover any damage during repairs. Check for a License – Texas does not require contractor licensing which makes things a little more difficult here. There are however accreditations in this field. In this case, it is important to check references and for insurance. Insurance is not cheap for roofers so if they have insurance, at least they are invested in the business. Get a Warranty – You should always get a warranty for the work being hired. Most roofing warranties last for a year. The manufacturer usually covers the materials, and the roofer covers the work. Check References – Talk with your neighbors and friends to get references for reputable contractors. Have you hired a roofer or contractor for past repairs? Leave us a comment about how you made your decision and protected yourself from scammers.

There is nothing like the feeling of riding a motorcycle when the weather is great. Sun is shining and the wind just flowing. Is your motorcycle protected  with motorcycle insurance to ensure it is ready to go when that perfect day comes along? Motorcycle insurance is not the same as your standard Auto Insurance but getting the right coverage is critical to helping you in the event of a loss. The first and most important aspect of insurance is the property coverage. Standard coverage will provide limits based on Nada or Kelley Blue Book but in our experience, that is not enough. Most motorcycle enthusiasts spend time and money customizing their bikes which can quickly increase its value significantly. A knowledgeable insurance agent should be trained to help you get the right insurance for your needs. Did you also know there are several key ways to save money on your insurance? This includes tips like: Lifelong Insurance is committed to helping you insure your treasures no matter how big or how small. Give one of our agents a call today to see how much you can save while getting the proper insurance you need today!

I was recently talking to a friend who was telling me a story about a family member that was receiving in-home care. Unfortunately, the staff was stealing items from the home during their visits. Theft seems to be a very common issue mostly because there is no supervision on the staff that is visiting the house. Typically the person receiving care is not very mobile and thus cannot see what is going on in the house. This same issue can happen if you have a housekeeper, babysitters or unfortunately friends coming and going to your house. Depending on how you handle these situations, you might find yourself struggling to claim the loss with your insurance carrier. Here are some tips to help ensure you can utilize your coverage best in case of home theft. Agents at Lifelong Insurance are experienced in these coverages and would be glad to review your coverage with you to determine any gaps you may have. Give us a call today at 469-606-4590.