Do you own a home in Coppell, Grapevine, Carrollton, or any other surrounding areas, but do not live in it? Your Homeowners Policy will NOT cover a home that you rent out. Be sure to secure a Dwelling Policy for any rent houses you may own. Call us today to get it started!
National Teen Driver Safety Week
More than anything, we want our kids to be safe, especially when they start to drive. Talk with your teenager about making smart decisions while behind the wheel:
- Drive defensively. If you assume that other drivers are not as skilled and thoughtful as you are, you will instinctively become more careful and cautious when on the road.
- Try not to speed. When you speed, you have less time to react, less time to make the right decision.
- Never drink and drive. Alcohol can seriously impair your decision-making skills and reaction time.
- Take the keys away from friends who have been drinking.
- Adults can set an example by practicing safe driving habits.
Some helpful web-sites to visit:
http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/TeenDriving/Pages/teen_driving.aspx
http://www.teendriversource.org/events/teen/detail/48
https://www.travelers.com/personal-insurance/auto-insurance/teen-driver/index.aspx
Can Boat Insurance be Purchased Seasonally in Coppell, TX?
If you reside in Coppell, Texas and have a boat it is not possible to obtain insurance seasonally for the boat. Boat owners must purchase an annual policy and then when the boat is stored the insurance company will give a discount to the insured on their annual policy amount. The very rough average of cost for boat insurance is about $1,200 per year, with a yearly maintenance fee of about $2,500 per year. When the boat owner decides that it is time to store their boat for the winter months there is an average fee of about $1,200 to winterize the boat for storage to insure proper insurance coverage. This is a very rough figure because there are a lot of variables to consider, such as, how the boat owner wants the policy written up and what they want included in the policy.
An all risk policy covers the boat if there is damage done to the boat. If items are not mentioned in the policy then the insured can safely assume that it is covered. It is more plainly understood when one review what is not covered. The type of policy you buy will denote the rate of the policy.
Exclusions are included in most boat policies such as normal wear on the boat, gradual deterioration of the boat, elements of weather. Marine life, mold, animals, insects are not covered for damage. Some insurance companies include some forms of marine life while other companies do not. Careless wear and tear on the boat such as blistering from the sun, scratches, dents, manufacturer’s error in building of the boat, corrosion, defects by manufacturer, are not covered. While some insurance company’s do cover mechanical loses, other companies do not.
Not all insurance companies are created equal so it does pay to shop around to get the best price and purchase annual insurance coverage for your boat.
What is the Average Rate for Insurance on a Commercial Building in Coppell, Texas?
There is an insurance, independent agent in Coppell, Texas who is ready and willing to explain to business owners the technical issues of commercial building insurance. If the owner lives in or in surrounding areas of Coppell, give them a call today.
Along with owning a commercial property the owner must have insurance on the building. The business is not going to thrive without insurance. It would take one costly event and the owner could lose their business and everything that they worked so hard for. This is why it is imperative to have your commercial building protected at all times.
The independent agent will also explain that if the owner has another commercial building (s) all the buildings will fit under the protection of one policy. The business owner is not responsible for the insurance on the property if they do not own the property. This is the landlord’s responsibility.
There are three types of commercial insurance policies, Basic, Broad and Special. An insurance agent is needed to help sort out all of the unique needs of the owner to be sure that they will not lose money and the business will grow. Average rates on commercial buildings are extremely difficult to figure. This is where the independent agent in Coppell, Texas can help.
An insurance agent will evaluate the commercial property and business. If the owner is in a high risk category for filing future possible claims the monthly premiums will be higher. There are too many variables to determine the average rate on commercial building insurance. One big variable is the square footage size of the building. And, it all depends on how the building was built and with what kinds of materials.
Call your Coppell, Texas independent agent today to go over all variables for your special commercial building insurance needs and determine the lowest possible rate that will meet your unique commercial building insurance needs.
Managing Insurance Costs
What causes insurance costs to go up?
In the past several years, there has been an increase in the number and severity of natural disasters such as tornados, severe storms, hail, and wildfires. We saw large hail and high winds this spring in Dallas, Coppell, Irving, Carrollton…practically all over North Texas. Remember the baseball size hail?
These events have driven up the cost and demand for building materials across the country. This in turn affects your homeowners policy premium since it is based in part on the cost to rebuild your home.
What can you do to manage your insurance costs?
Check with our agency to see if you can take advantage of any of the following:
• Increasing deductibles can help keep your insurance costs down.
• Auto/Home discount for insuring your vehicles with us.
• Discounts for safeguarding your home with smoke detectors, burglar alarms and fire alarms.
• Discounts for extensive updates to electric, plumbing, and heating/cooling systems.
National Fire Prevention Week – Fire Station Open House
Escape Planning
- According to an NFPA survey, only one-third of Americans have both developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
- Almost three-quarters of Americans do have an escape plan; however, less than half actually practiced it.
- One-third of Americans households who made and estimate they thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!
Smoke Alarms - Almost two-thirds (62%) of reported home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
- Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.
- In fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, hardwired alarms operated 92% of the time, while battery powered alarms operated only 77% of the time.
“Reproduced from NFPA’s Fire Prevention Week website, www.firepreventionweek.org. ©2012 NFPA.
Local fire stations will be holding an Open House during fire prevention week. Some that we know about are:
Coppell Fire Station #3, on Parkway Blvd. – Sunday, Oct. 7 from 1pm-5pm
Plano – Thursday, Oct. 11 from 6:30pm-8pm
Lewisville – Central Sta. on Valley Pkwy – Saturday, Oct. 6 from 10am-3pm
Flower Mound – Central Sta. on Forums Dr. – Saturday, Oct. 13 from 10am-2pm
How does an Insurance Binder work in Coppell, TX?
In order to answer the question, "How does an insurance binder work in Coppell, Texas?" we need to explain exactly what insurance binder is for those who do not know.
A temporary proof of insurance is a binder that covers the insured until the formal policy is issued. This binder is supposed to be as good as the insurance policy that one will receive in the mail or is picked up at the insurance agent’s office.
In order for this insurance binder to be legal it must carry the insured’s name and what it is for such as home, automobile, business and so forth. It must also have the coverage amounts in dollars, and who the company is that is issuing the insurance. It must have a start date of coverage, and if there is a lien holder on the insured property.
When anyone buys a policy from an independent agent and the insured makes their first payment they are legally covered at that moment and the company can bind the policy for you, or cover you immediately and the proof is a temporary piece of paper with the above mentioned information. Not all independent agents have the ability to bind an insured, so coverage would take effect by 12:01 a.m. the next day.
An insurance binder is readily needed when one purchases another new or used vehicle in order to make it legal to drive on the road immediately. Otherwise, it would take a little under two weeks to receive the permanent insurance policy.
As far as the State of Texas and the city of Coppell is concerned, some independent agent in Coppell will issue binders, as proof of insurance, however due to a Texas court ruling in 2011 regarding a law suit involving a binder problem, the court ruled that binders are not the same as the actual policy that is being issued. If something should happen before the actual insurance policy is received by the insured then coverage’s cannot be determined by the binder. Actual coverage’s will be determined by the permanent insurance policy. In some cases a binder may not cover the insured like the actual insurance policy because endorsements in certain instances were not mentioned in the binder.
How does an Insurance Binder work in Coppell, TX?
In order to answer the question, "How does an insurance binder work in Coppell, Texas?" we need to explain exactly what insurance binder is for those who do not know.
A temporary proof of insurance is a binder that covers the insured until the formal policy is issued. This binder is supposed to be as good as the insurance policy that one will receive in the mail or is picked up at the insurance agent’s office.
In order for this insurance binder to be legal it must carry the insured’s name and what it is for such as home, automobile, business and so forth. It must also have the coverage amounts in dollars, and who the company is that is issuing the insurance. It must have a start date of coverage, and if there is a lien holder on the insured property.
When anyone buys a policy from an independent agent and the insured makes their first payment they are legally covered at that moment and the company can bind the policy for you, or cover you immediately and the proof is a temporary piece of paper with the above mentioned information. Not all independent agents have the ability to bind an insured, so coverage would take effect by 12:01 a.m. the next day.
An insurance binder is readily needed when one purchases another new or used vehicle in order to make it legal to drive on the road immediately. Otherwise, it would take a little under two weeks to receive the permanent insurance policy.
As far as the State of Texas and the city of Coppell is concerned, some independent agent in Coppell will issue binders, as proof of insurance, however due to a Texas court ruling in 2011 regarding a law suit involving a binder problem, the court ruled that binders are not the same as the actual policy that is being issued. If something should happen before the actual insurance policy is received by the insured then coverage’s cannot be determined by the binder. Actual coverage’s will be determined by the permanent insurance policy. In some cases a binder may not cover the insured like the actual insurance policy because endorsements in certain instances were not mentioned in the binder.
The Difference Between Canceling and Non-renewing Homeowners Insurance in Texas
If you own a home in Coppell, Texas, you will want to know the differences between canceling and non-renewing a homeowner’s insurance policy. Put simply, not renewing an insurance policy means that the coverage is terminated at the end of the policy’s period, while canceling a policy means that the coverage is terminated before the end of the policy period. If you are not sure about your policy period, consult the declarations page, typically located at the front of the documentation that your insurance agent gave you.
Non-renewal does not necessarily indicate that you, the homeowner, have done anything wrong. In Texas, an insurance company can use your claims history to opt for non-renewal. To satisfy this condition, you must have filed three or more claims in a three-year period and the company must have notified you in writing after the second claim that a third claim may result in them not renewing your insurance policy.
If you have a policy that has been in effect for more than 60 days and then fail to pay your premiums, the insurance company may cancel your insurance if you do not respond to reminders about the past-due amount. Insurance companies can also cancel coverage if they determine that you lied on your application form or have committed an act of fraud during the application process.
Remember that if your insurance company cancels your homeowner’s policy, you do not have to disclose the reason why to a new insurance agent when you go looking for replacement coverage. Some insurance companies may decline to offer you insurance, though, if you have an unexplainable gap in your homeowners insurance coverage. It’s best to address this issue as soon as possible, so you can make sure you have uninterrupted coverage for what may be the most valuable purchase you make in your life.
Coppell High School Football
The Coppell Cowboys will take on the Allen Eagles this Friday night, Sept. 28th at Coppell High School Stadium. It’s a Black Out, so wear your black and come support our Cowboys!
