Is Water Damage Covered on my Texas Home Insurance Policy?

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Residents of Coppell, the DFW Metroplex and elsewhere in Texas know how unpredictable the Texas weather is. Home insurance is designed to protect your home and other personal property, but there are limitations on what is covered, and how much you’ll be reimbursed. Weather conditions result in water damage. Although Texas home insurance never covers flood damage, homeowners in Coppell, DFW or other Texas communities can and should purchase flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program.

Other Water Damage

Since home insurance policies don’t cover flood-related damage, it is also likely that your home insurance won’t cover other types of water damage. If you want to protect yourself against various types of water-related damage, including water damage caused by air conditioning, heating or plumbing problems, or backed up drains and/or sewers, consider adding provisions to your home insurance policy that will cover you for all types of water damage, and for clean up related to mold.

Residents of all of Texas, but in particular, Coppell and the rest of the DFW Metroplex, know that there are all sorts of weather-related situations that can cause water damage, and that damage can extend beyond the inside of the house to your garage. If you keep your watercraft in your garage rather than docking it at a marina, you may need to add to your existing home insurance coverage to ensure that your watercraft and other vehicles are protected.

Talk to an independent agent in the DFW or Coppell, Texas area to find out whether you are living in a designated flood area, and whether you’d be required to have flood insurance. If you are about to purchase a home, and your home lies with in a designated flood area, your lender will require you to prove that you have purchased flood insurance in addition to your regular home insurance before you can take possession of the home.

Does filing bankruptcy lower my chances of getting insurance?

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Many people in Coppell, Texas wonder if filing bankruptcy will affect their ability to purchase insurance. While there is some reason to be concerned, in practical terms, you can still get insurance in Texas after filing for bankruptcy.

Over the past four or five years, DFW, Coppell and many other parts of the state were impacted by the weak economy. Although the state of Texas had a lower unemployment rate and a stronger overall economy than the nation as a whole, there was still a significant percentage of people living in DFW, Coppell and all parts of Texas that fell on hard times and had to file for bankruptcy.

When you file for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and have all of your debts discharged, you are actually in a much better financial position than if you were behind or in default on payments to your creditors. As your independent insurance agent, here in Coppell, we can help you find affordable insurance even if you have filed for bankruptcy.

While you may have a more difficult time securing the most favorable rates, there are many insurance companies that are more than happy to work with people who have taken a misstep in their financial lives. In Texas, an insurance company can not discriminate against people with bad credit or people who have filed for bankruptcy. They can, however, charge higher premiums and also ask for more of a down payment when you take out a policy.

Insurers issue policies based on risk. One of the factors that they consider when evaluating risk is financial stability. People with bankruptcies on their record are considered to be in a higher risk group than people with perfect credit. Although a bankruptcy can affect your rates, if you are a safe driver and do not have any traffic violations, you should have no trouble finding insurance at a reasonable rate.

If bankruptcy forces you to initially pay a higher premium, as time goes by, your rates will come down, especially if you stick with the same insurance company that wrote your original policy.

What is Umbrella Insurance And Do You Need it in Texas?

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Regardless of whether you are a homeowner or business owner in Coppell, Texas or anywhere else within the DFW Metroplex, you might want to think about protecting yourself, your business or your other assets even more by adding umbrella insurance to your existing insurance portfolio.

Both business and homeowners insurance policies have built in provisions to protect the policy owner against liability. The amount of that liability protection depends on the type of insurance, and the amount of coverage you purchase.

Protecting Your Assets

At one time, insurance agents only recommended that people who had over $200,000 worth of assets purchase umbrella insurance. Today, there are many reasons for which a person or business might get sued.

Umbrella insurance is designed to pick up where the liability insurance leaves off, protecting you above and beyond the limits of liability coverage that is built into your homeowners insurance or business insurance.

Other Reasons for Umbrella Insurance

If you have some sort of large-scale celebration at your home, and one of your important guests (your boss, a doctor, the company CEO, or anyone else whose net worth is substantial,) is seriously injured, your liability insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of the medical costs, lost wages or other expenses that the person will incur as the result of that injury. This is the sort of situation where an umbrella insurance policy may save you from financial ruin.

If for some reason, you are involved in an automobile accident for which you are at fault, and there is damage to your car and several others, including at least one luxury vehicle that is totaled, there is no way that your liability insurance would cover the damages of the other cars, let alone the replacement cost of any luxury vehicle. Umbrella insurance provides protection after the amount of liability insurance coverage is exhausted.

Talk to your independent agent in Coppell, DFW or anywhere else in Texas to determine whether you would benefit from umbrella insurance.

How to Improve your Credit Score

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No matter how much money you earn or where ever you may live, having a poor credit score can affect you in more ways than you might realize. If you are trying to finance a new car in Coppell or obtain a mortgage for a house in the DFW area of Texas, you can have a hard time getting a loan if you have bad credit. Poor credit score can be a reason that you do not get a job or it can cause you to have to pay more for your auto insurance.

As your independent insurance agent in Coppell, Texas, we see the large discrepancy in car insurance rates that someone with a 500 FICO score and someone with a 750 FICO score pays. While we understand that good people run into financial problems all of the time that causes a decline in their credit score, if you find yourself in such a situation, there are ways to rebuild your credit score and qualify for a lower premium on your car insurance.

Insurance companies consider your credit score as a factor in assigning risk premiums. Statistics show that people with good credit scores act more responsibly and get in fewer accidents. If your credit score is low, you should start working on a plan today to build it back up to a solid number.

You can not improve your credit overnight. Just as it took months or years to fall into financial distress, the process of re-establishing your credit will take some time. You should start by making sure you pay all of your bills on time. If you have past due bills, contact your creditors and make arrangements to pay the debt off at a rate you can handle.

You can also improve your credit score by paying off your credit cards. Credit rating agencies look at your debt to credit limit ratio. For instance if you have a $10,000 limit on your unsecured credit cards and only $1,000 of available credit left, that will reflect negatively on your score. Stop charging and pay down your debt.

If you want lower auto insurance rates, make a concentrated effort to reform your spending habits. When you reduce debt and pay your bills on time, your FICO score will go up.

Windshield crack, will my car insurance cover it?

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Imagine driving down the road in Coppell or DFW, only for the vehicle in front of you to kick up a small pebble into your windshield. If you’re lucky, nothing will happen and you would have dodged a bullet. Otherwise, a crack might form then and there or the damage may become visible the next day.

A cracked windshield not only represents a rather unattractive flaw, but it also represents a safety hazard that has to be taken care of as soon as possible. If not, the crack can spread across the windshield and become large enough that the entire glass has to be replaced. It’s always a good idea to fix cracks sooner rather than later.

Will My Car Insurance Cover This?

Windshield cracks are usually covered under comprehensive car insurance coverage. In most cases, you’ll have to pay the stated deductible for your policy before the insurer will step in and handle the remainder. This may prevent your insurer from stepping in if you have a high deductible ($1,000 or more), but you’ll most likely benefit if you have a low deductible ($100-$500).

Some states offer zero-deductible windshield replacements. Unfortunately, Texas is not one of those states, but you may be able to have the costs of a windshield replacement taken care of by your insurer if the repair fails to take hold.

Keep in mind that liability insurance won’t be able to cover the costs of repairing your cracked windshield. On the other hand, it will cover such damages to other vehicles affected by your negligence. For more information about cracks and other damages covered by your insurance policy, it’s best to talk to your independent agent. Simply give us a call and we can help you along the process of fixing your windshield quickly and economically.

Things that auto insurance companies don’t tell you

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As your independent insurance agent in Coppell, Texas, we want you to understand everything about your auto insurance policy before you sign on the bottom line. We are in a unique position as we act to connect you with the insurance company. In the interest of full disclosure, we earn our fees from the carriers when we sell a policy.. We also want to treat you fairly and get you the best rates possible so you will continue to do business with us.

Auto insurance companies in DFW, Coppell, and for that matter, all across the country do not readily reveal all of the information you might want to know when buying a policy. It is not that they are dishonest, but rather that they have certain proprietary information they want to protect. If you are persistent and ask the right questions, you can become very well informed about all aspects of auto insurance.

For instance, insurance companies will not tell you precisely how they calculate your premium or why they are charging you more than another customer with the same model car. Each carrier has their own methods of characterizing risk and may use factors like your credit score, the type of neighborhood you live in or any other metric that they choose.

Some independent agents will recommend a specific carrier because they earn a higher commission from that carrier and not because it offers you the best policy. Most insurers will total your vehicle if the cost of repairs due to an accident are more than 70 percent of the repaired value. They also tend to low ball the totaled amount they offer to settle the claim.

Be sure to ask what discounts an auto insurance company offers because agents do not always bother to offer such information. You must realize that insurance companies are in business to make as much money as they can for their share holders. Watch out for agents who gently try to persuade you to carry more liability coverage than you need or encourage you to get a low deductible.

Finally, if you are involved in a serious accident and your insurance agent tells you not to worry because they will take care of everything, it is reason to be concerned. If you want the best settlement, you might want to consider talking to an attorney first.

Does Medical payment coverage pay for only my medical bills in case of a loss?

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Auto accidents are common in and around Coppell and the DFW area, especially those that result in personal injury. If you find yourself laid up in the hospital after an accident, it’s always good to know that your auto insurance will handle all of the bills and leave nothing that has to be paid for out-of-pocket. Having medical payment coverage added onto your policy beforehand can help you handle those medical costs and other expenses.

Medical payment coverage, also known as personal injury protection or PIP, covers a variety of medical expenses after a loss, including doctor’s visits, hospital stays, surgery and X-rays. It also covers EMT and ambulance costs, as well as professional nursing care and even funeral costs. PIP coverage isn’t just limited to medical payments – it also covers lost income and child care expenses while you heal.

PIP doesn’t just protect you in the event of a loss – it also extends to other occupants in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Family members who were behind the wheel of your insured vehicle during that time are also covered under PIP.

Personal injury protection isn’t required in the state of Texas, but it can come in handy if you get into an accident and have to take care of medical payments. You might even think you don’t need PIP if you already have health plan coverage, but here’s some food for thought – PIP can help take care of your health plan’s deductible. Your health plan may not cover all occupants in the event of an accident, either.

As your independent agent, we can help you answer a wide variety of questions regarding medical payments and personal injury protection. If you’re ready to add this protection onto your current auto insurance policy, we can make that happen.

How to keep pets safe near the pool in Coppel, TX?

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In many cases, pets are pretty much like members of the family. We love and take care of them just like our other family members. Because of this, it is important that we follow certain precautions when it comes to safety. One of the most important precautions you must take involves pool safety. Follow these simple tips and help keep your pets safe this summer.

  • Fence in your pool area, and make certain it stays secure.
  • Consider investing in special products that make pool time safer for your pets. There are ramps and other items available that can make it easier for a pet to escape, and if your pet enjoys swimming consider investing in a life jacket.
  • A pool alarm can notify you if your pet (or a person for that matter) falls into the pool even if you are not around.
  • Cold temperatures are even more dangerous than the summer months—keep your pets away from the pool especially during the colder winter months.
  • If you take your pet on a boat, make certain he or she has a life vest. Even a pet that is a good swimmer may have trouble in a strong current.
  • Never leave your pets unattended near a pool or other source of open water. Even a few moments could lead to death for your dog or cat.

When you have a pool or a source of natural water on your property, you must take certain extra precautions. One of these is making certain you have the proper home insurance. If you live in Coppell, Texas or any part of the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area, you have many options for insurance available. Check with us and allow us to help set you up with a plan that works for you. We can run a real time price scan to compare and find you the best possible rate in home insurance.

I Had a Home Burglary in Coppell, Texas, Can I Claim This as a Loss?

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There’s nothing quite like the sense of invasion you feel after a home burglary. Nothing can actually help you to get back the sense of security you’ve lost, at least not yet. However, you can file a claim for what property you’ve lost.

File a Police Report

First, you will need to call the police. When you file a police report is a critical step in filing a claim from your insurance provider. The police will document what occurred and, if all goes well, find the thief.

Filing Your Claim

The insurance adjuster is likely to want to come to your home to inspect the loss. You’ll need to provide anything you can to prove what you’ve lost, such as receipts, photographs showing your belongings or anything that can show the value of the items you’ve lost. If you have a home inventory, you are one step closer to having an easy claim process. You’ll need to provide:

  • A list of what is missing
  • Any proof you have of the missing items, including value
  • A list of damage to your home (your insurance company will pay for those losses too)

Then, the insurance adjuster will work on determining how much you are owed. This will depend on the amount of loss and the type of policy you have.

Are You Protected?

Though most people want to believe that living in a town like Coppell, Texas means you are relatively safe, there are always risks. If you are unsure if your current insurance policy will cover this type of loss, it is time to find a new policy. As an independent agent, we will work with you to find a policy that protects you from this type of devastating loss.

Auto Insurance Tips: How to Handle a Parking Lot Hit and Run in Texas

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If your vehicle is hit in a parking lot, you may become instantly frustrated. How could this happen? Who is going to pay for the damage? If you have a quality auto insurance policy in place, you may have the help you need right there. These tips can help you.

Handle the Parking Lot Hit and Run

The first step to take if you are the victim of a parking lot hit and run is to call the police. Even for small problems, do not leave the scene. Instead, contact the police immediate to file a police report. This establishes what happened and can help the police to determine, if possible, who caused the accident. Many parking lots have cameras that can help the police to track down who did the damage to your car.

The next step is to contact your insurance agency to file a claim. In most cases, they will want to come to the scene of the accident to inspect what happened, especially if there is a significant amount of damage. Otherwise, they will rely on the police report. The insurance adjuster will then work with you to determine what amount they will pay for the repairs needed. You may need to get quotes from several auto repair companies.

Is Your Insurance Company Not Helping You?

If you find that your insurance agent is not helping you with your hit and run, it may be time to look for a new one. Turn to an independent agent in Coppell, Texas and the surrounding area. Our team will work with you to ensure you have an insurance policy that protects you from incidents like this. You don’t have to suffer at the hands of someone else’s negligence. We can help you to avoid this.

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