Going away on Spring Break?

Spring has rolled around and that means one thing for a lot of families, SPRING BREAK. A chance to get out of the cold and head to a sunny oasis for a week.

I remember growing up and whenever we were going on a family vacation we didn't go around broadcasting that our home was going to be vacant for an extended time. Why? Well living in a small town, news tends to travel pretty quickly and if the word got around to the wrong crowd that our home was going to be empty for a long time, we knew that is a burglars dream.

Fast forward to the year 2013, now we tell the whole world that we are going on vacation through social media. So how can we continue to share our vacation experiences with our friends and family while still being cautious about who sees this information? Here are some tips:

1) Make sure your privacy settings on social media sites are restricted to private. This allows for you to share information only with the people you want to share information with, not the entire world.

2) Don't give people a timetable of how long you will be gone or that your home is vacant. The worst thing to do is to let people know when you are leaving or when you will be coming home.

3) Consider making a fake post thanking a friend or family member for house sitting while you are away/

4) Ask a neighbor or friend to check up on your home and make sure that everything still seems to be in order.

5) Don't be shy about leaving an interior light on in the home, this shows potential intruders that someone is still occupying the residence.

Hopefully these tips will give you the peace of mind that you can still share your vacation with your friends and family via social media without worrying about coming home to a nightmare.

Travel Safely!

Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent agency with two locations in mid-Michigan to service you. We wish we were going on your vacation with you. For a quote on your personal or business insurance click here.

Why I Could Care Less How Much You Currently Pay for Insurance.

Looking for an insurance quote? Well if you call Spalding Insurance Agency I can tell you one thing, we do not care what you currently pay! That might sound rude but let me explain to you why.

Reason #1: We are going to give you the best premium with the best coverage options that we have available, no matter what. As an independent agency we have access to 4 of Michigan’s finest insurance companies. Each one of these companies offers great coverage, financial stability, and pricing. 

Reason #2: Some people think that the insurance industry just makes up our pricing on the go and by telling me what you currently pay, I am automatically going to be able to beat your current premium. This of course is not true. The rates are determined at the company level and I have no saying on what you pay. I can of course influence your rate by finding out and using the insurance discounts that you qualify for. 

So if you’re looking for an auto or home insurance quote and give Spalding Insurance Agency a try, we don’t really have any interest in what you’re currently paying. We will always give you are best. 

What is an Umbrella?

It is hard to change the channel as Umbrella by Rihanna  comes on to your favorite radio station. The song is so catchy it is nearly impossible to not sing along with the chorus.

A lot of people do not know that the insurance industry has our very own version of an Umbrella. The sad truth is, for the majority of people, an umbrella is a policy they know nothing about or don’t think they need

.

So what is an umbrella?

An umbrella is a policy that provides liability coverage for you above the limits you carry on your auto and homeowner’s insurance. It offers protection for you against liability claims or judgments.

Why is this coverage important? 

Sadly, we live in a world that lawsuits are not uncommon. There are plenty of instances in which you might be dragged into a lawsuit, legitimate or frivolous. The biggest question is, can you afford the potential damages awarded to a victim of a lawsuit you were dragged into?

Not always the other family!

A lot of people wonder how often an umbrella policy is even needed. Bad things in life happen daily and like my mom always told me “it’s not always happening to other people.”

Prime Example

Bob and Jane (fictitious names) were an older couple driving home from a weekend up in Traverse City. Driving down U.S. 127 right before the I-69 interchange they hit a bad storm. Bob lost control of the vehicle and it rolled into the ditch. Sadly, his wife Jane did not survive the accident.

Sometime after the funeral Bob was served with papers stating that his children were filing a wrongful death lawsuit against him for the death of their mother. The court awarded the children a settlement that exceeded the liability limits that Bob had on his auto insurance policy.

We had an Umbrella policy in place for Bob that picked up the damages where his auto insurance limits ran out. The umbrella picked up the remaining balance and Bob, already emotionally damaged, was not financially ruined.

Should I Carry an Umbrella? 

Yes, everyone should carry an umbrella policy. For as little as $12 a month you can purchase an extra $1 million worth of liability coverage. Plus, if you have Auto-Owners insurance you qualify for a 5% discount on your home and auto insurance policies.

How a MIP or Open Intox Affects Your Car Insurance.

I was working with a new client( they were still a prospective client at this time) a few weeks ago on an auto insurance quote when we hit a potential snag that a lot of people do not know about.

DUIs and DWIs are not the only alcohol related incidents that will play a role in your insurance premiums. Although those are the most commonly known violations, a Minor in Possession (MIP) and Open Intoxicant play an equal role in determining your insurance premiums.

The client and I had talked about his policy and we were in the final step, pulling driving histories for everyone in the household. Upon pulling the driving reports it was discovered that his son at college had registered an open intox for walking on the sidewalk with an open can of beer. The client had known of this incident and in his eyes he had no reason to inform me of this misdemeanor. Which would normally be true for a violation such as a parking ticket but not in this case.

Whenever an alcohol related incident is reported to the State it is automatically attached to your driving report, whether you’re in a vehicle or not. So unbeknownst to the father, this incident was actually a pretty big deal. 

Luckily we were able to work everything out but there was a drastic change in premium. 

Please share with your friends and family. It might be a heads up or an important reminder that all alcohol related incidents will play a role in their auto insurance 

Violations and Your Car Insurance

When you come to Spalding Insurance to request a quote, one of the questions we will ask you is about your driving history in the last 5 years.

Typically when we ask someone this question there is going to be a lot of hemming and hawing about how they want to answer this question. (Answering this question honestly is important, we are going to provide you with a quote based on the information you are providing)

After a minute or so the person might list off a couple of violations, a speeding ticket here or a blown stop sign there. They will tell us "all" that they have on their record and proceed to ask one of the two following questions.

1) How long do those points stay on my insurance?

2) How many points do I have?

While both of those questions are legitimate, there is no uniform response. Both questions rely on pretty much two determining factors:

1) Was the ticket for a major or minor violation?

2) What company are you with or going to be placed with? Remember, Spalding Insurance, is an independent agency and  we represent several companies. All companies view violations differently (major vs minor) and the length in which they stay on your record. We have companies that go back 35 months, 36 months, or 50 months. It all just depends on how severe they consider the violation. 

Before the Loss: Homeowners and Renters

I recently had the chance to move and with moving comes one of my favorite activities: purging.Now I am not saying my wife and I are hoarders but like everyone, we accumulate a lot of stuff over the years. 

35% of the stuff we had in our home I had either forgot about or most likely wouldn't remember we owned if we suffered a total loss. Why is this a problem? Lets pretend a loss occurs, such as a fire. The insurance adjuster gets in touch with you and wants a list of everything in your home destroyed by the fire. So you start to make a list and before you know it, you have everything you remember down. 

Well a few months down the road you go to use your waffle maker because you love waffles and only make them on special occasions. Problem is you forgot you had a waffle maker that was destroyed in the fire. So instead of enjoying your waffles you become frustrated as this is just one of the several dozen items you forgotabout whilst making your list. 

Since 99% of us will only remember 65% of the stuff we own, I always advise clients to document all that they own, as a way to avoid waffle maker mishaps. 

A few great ways to document what you own:

1) Make an Excel spreadsheet with each item that is in your home. Go room by room and get a good idea of exactly what is in the room and the approximate cost to replace it. If you can, be specific, get the makes and models of items.  Save this file and e-mail it to yourself, this way if your computer is destroyed in the loss, you will still have access to this information. 

2) Take photos of everything you own. This might not mean everything but go to your closet and snap a few photos. Walk around your place and take photos of the rooms from various angles showing all four corners and the room's contents. For higher priced items, such as electronics, appliances, or  furniture make sure you take photos of the brands. Again, e-mail these photos to yourself.

3) Make a video. Walk around the house with your camcorder (they still have those, right?) and capture all of your belongings.  I am sure a lot of people will not use a camcorder, as smartphones are highly capable too, but it is still important to either e-mail yourself this video or store this information in a place protected from potential perils. 

Being prepared with this information before the loss will greatly reduce the stress you might feel after it. 

Have a recommendation for another way to track everything in your home/condo/apartment? Leave a comment. 

What Does a Renter's Insurance Policy Cover?

We recently talked about how not having renter’s insurance was a mistake that fools make. 

Now that you have made a decision not to be a fool, you are wondering what exactly a renter’s insurance policy covers.

Here is an idea of the basic parts of a renter’s insurance policy. 

Personal Property

This is the coverage for your stuff. Your furniture, clothes, electronics, jewelry, and other knickknacks around your home/apartment. 

Loss of Use

An important coverage for you in the event of covered loss. This provides you with additional living expenses for you or your family while you are temporarily misplaced.  Items such as temporary shelter, dining out expenses. 

Personal Liability

Providing coverage for your actions or negligence in property damage or bodily injury to others. 

Medical Payments

Coverage for medical payments that may cover others’ medical expenses that result from and accident or injury on your property. 

Those are the four majors parts of a renter’s insurance policy. Later on this week we will give you coverage options that we feel that no renter’s insurance policy should be without. 

Renter's Insurance and Your Excuses!

Odds are pretty good that if you rent your home or apartment, you don’t have any coverage for your belongings or personal liability coverage. In the United States it is believed that nearly 65% of renters do not have coverage for their belongings or liability protection. 

Why don’t you have renter’s insurance? This is because at some point you made a decision that you didn’t need this coverage or your insurance agent didn’t tell you why this coverage is important.  So why didn’t you get renter’s insurance? Here are some of the worst excuses:

- “It is too expensive!”

- “I don’t have anything valuable, so I don’t need insurance.”

- “My landlord has insurance, therefore I have coverage.”

- “My roommate has insurance, so if anything happens I will just submit a claim under their policy.” 

All of your excuses are CRAP. Don’t believe me? Let me tell you why:

“It is too expensive!” – Renter’s insurance is one of the least expensive insurance products to purchase. A typical policy can range from $12-$25 a month depending on the coverage amount you decide on, among other factors. In most cases by applying the multipolicy discount to your auto insurance policy you can greatly reduce the expense of your auto insurance to the point were your renter’s insurance pays for itself. 

 ”I don’t have anything valuable, so I don’t need insurance.” – So you don’t have anything of value? Walk to your bedroom, open your closet door, and then tally up all of your shirts/pants/shoes alone. Say you have 100 articles of clothing, imagine that in order to replace them it is $50 a piece. Your closet alone is worth $5,000. If a loss occurs, do you have $5,000 sitting around just to buy new clothes? Remember, you haven’t even calculated how much value you have in electronics, furniture, or kitchen supplies yet. 

“My landlord has insurance, therefore I have coverage.”- A major misconception among renters all over the US. Your landlord has coverage for their interest in the home and only their interest. There is $0 worth of coverage for your stuff under their policy.

 ”My roommate has insurance, so if anything happens I will just submit a claim under their policy.” – A renter’s insurance policy requires the policy owner to have a financial interest in the items they’re insuring. Since you bought the items, your roommate has a 0% financial interest in them. So if a loss were to happen there would be no coverage for your stuff. Think you can pull a fast one and attempt to submit a claim under their policy? Insurance fraud is a crime and an insurance adjuster is trained to detect fraudulent activity. 

Still have a reason for not purchasing renter’s insurance? Leave a comment.

No longer have an excuse? Request a quote! 

Getting Nosy

You’re unsatisfied with your current insurance coverage. It could be for a variety reasons: a bad claim experience, poor agency relationship, coverage gaps, or pricing. So now what?

You decide to ask your friends or check out social media for a local independent agent. You come across our Facebook page and notice that a lot of your friends “like” Spalding Insurance Agency. Now it is time to for you to get a quote.

Once you get in touch with one of our agents expect us to play question-master.

Here is a story from the other day.

I had a lady call in , her sister referred her to our agency ,and she wanted a home and auto insurance quote. I asked her if she had some time so I could ask her some questions about her home and auto. She said yes and I was on my way.

About midway through my questions, which mind you don’t take that long, she asked me why I needed all of this information just for an insurance quote.

My first thought was “just an insurance quote”, really? Your home and cars are your most valuable assets. I know when going to the mechanic I don’t want them to rush through the inspection because it is “just my breaks”. But for some reason people don’t understand why we are asking all of these questions. So I told her, although you may think I am being nosy, I am in fact asking questions to get to know you and potential risks in your life. 

In order to be of benefit to you it is pivotal that your insurance agent takes the time to better understand your risks and how to limit  or eliminate them . Insurance is complicated and as an agent it is our job to help you better understand coverage options that help reduce or eliminate your exposures. But in order for us to do that we must get to know you a little bit.

We are going to ask you questions that are pertinent to finding the best policy for you and your family. It might seem like we are being nosy, which is good, because we are being nosy. We are trying to find out your exposures to risks and looking for ways to reduce or eliminate potential gaps in coverage.  

So if you’re looking for a quote from Spalding Insurance understand that although we are convenient and easy to work with. We are also thorough in making sure we get to know you and your exposures. You might think we are being nosy but it is your interests we have in mind. 

Are you a good cook? If so, read this.

In the past we have touched on the safety devices that you should have in your home. We hope you are thinking about ways to make your home a safer place. The problem with some of you is that just because you have these devices, doesn't mean they are in working order.

Let me ask you this, when was the last time you checked to make sure your smoke detectors worked? If you're a bad cook you might unintentionally test your smoke detectors often. But for those of you who are a whiz in the kitchen, the odds are you haven't tested your smoke detectors lately or ever. 

I am sure you're a busy person just like everyone who claims they don't have the time to test their detectors. The good news for you is that it only takes a few minutes and is pretty dang simple. Make it a weekly routine like getting the Sunday morning paper or right before you start your work week.

The most precious sound in your life just might be that alarm going off in the middle of the night. A smoke detector is a life saving device. Make sure it is able to do its job should it need to. 

Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent agency with locations in East Lansing, Michigan and Perry, Michigan. We want to make your life easier. For a quote on your personal or business insurance click here.

What Safety Devices Should I have in my Home?

One question we often get asked is "what discounts can I get on my homeowners insurance if I make it safer?"

Seems like a silly question. So if you didn't get a discount for having safety devices in your home, to protect you and your family, than you wouldn't bother to have them? 

Of course, there are discounts available for having safety devices in your home. All of our carriers offer these discounts.The biggest discount for safety devices is by having a central station reporting alarm system, think ADT, in your home. But not everyone is in the financial situations to have one of these systems installed. 

Here is a list of protective devices to have in your home. These devices should be in your home to help reduce risk and protect your family (and get a discount). 

-Smoke Detectors

-Fire Extinguisher 

-Carbon Monoxide Detectors

-Deadbolt locks

All of these devices are imperative to have in your home for your family's safety. Although we love to tell you about insurance discounts, don't forget that these devices are about protecting you and your loved ones.

Who We Represent.

Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency. As an independent agent we represent several insurance companies. We are proud to say that of the four carriers we represent, all of them have headquarters based in Michigan.

The four carriers we represent are Auto-Owners, Michigan Millers, Citizens Insurance, and Fremont Mutual Insurance. If you are not familiar with these companies here are some potential billboards or landmarks that you might see around Michigan.

If you live in the Lansing area, you will see billboards for Auto-Owners Insurance touting their J.D. Power awards or you might notice their corporate headquarters located off I-496 and Creyts Road. 

Heading up north? If so, you will see our partner Fremont Insurance Pure Michigan billboards on I-75. 

In the Frandor area?Michigan Miller's is headquartered there, you might notice the famous 1858 vintage steam pumper out in front of their headquarters.

Our fourth company, Citizens Insurance, is located off of the I-96 corridor near Howell. 

As an independent agency we take great pride in the companies we represent. We are even prouder to offer you coverage options with four of Michigan's finest insurance companies. 

Shovel your Sidewalks!

Do you live in Michigan? If so, it is likely at some point in your life you awoke to a blanket of snow covering your sidewalks and driveway. 

Most towns have laws and ordinances demanding snow removal from "city" owned sidewalks within a 24 hour period. If you live in certain Michigan towns or cities you might know someone who has been fined for not obeying these laws.

As an insurance agent I know how important it is to clear your sidewalks not only because of these ordinances but because of the liability exposure you face for not doing so.

Let me give you an example:

It is a few days after a snow storm and you have neglected to clear off your sidewalks. Luckily for you the township hasn't been enforcing the law so you have not received a fine. 

However, that same day the local youth basketball team is going door-to-door fundraising for new jerseys. All of a sudden the boys get to your home and make their way through the snow still piled on your walkways. The team captain approaches your home and as he puts his right foot up to walk up your stairs he slips, falls, and breaks his arm. Your laziness or disregard to remove the snow, now might be looked at as negligence to this injury. At this point in time you have opened up yourself to a potential lawsuit.

Trust me, I hate shoveling snow as much as the next guy. Getting bundled up to brave the cold is not an idea of morning fun for me but it is vital in protecting yourself from a potential claim. 

Winter Driving Tips!

So the weather looks like it is going to be a rough for commuters on their way home tonight. It is important that we take these conditions as a serious driving hazard. There are a lot of tips about driving in these winter months. My favorite tip sheet comes from one of our carriers, Fremont Insurance. 

Here are some great winter driving tips! 

Clean off your car!!!

I awoke this morning to fresh powder covering my car. Like many people the biggest pain in my morning routine is cleaning off the snow while braving the winter cold. 

Traveling down the highway this morning I was amazed to see the amount of people who still had frost/snow covering their windows, side and rear-view. (only the insane would have left the windshield covered). 

All I could think about was how difficult and unsafe it is to make a lane change in what was already pretty difficult driving conditions. Why is it that people cannot spend the extra minutes before driving to help improve their own vision? If it is because of lack of knowledge of how, today is your lucky day. Here are some tips for cleaning off your car:

1) Buy an ice scraper and leave said ice scraper in vehicle.

2) Open your door car and remove scraper upon the need for ice scraper to be used

3) Remove snow and ice from windows, mirrors, and lights.

4) Get into vehicle and travel safely. 

Seems pretty easy? A couple of minutes is all it takes. So buck up, buttercup. Brave that cold for just a few more minutes to make make it safer for us all. 

A Festivus Pole doesn't have this problem.

It is that time of year, when we welcome the great outdoors into our homes. We go out to the forest (or tree lot) pick that perfect conifer, chop it down, strap it to our car roof and then drag it into our home.

The process involves a lot of danger, an ax or strapping foreign objects on a car, but that is not when the Christmas tree danger ends. With decorations and internal heat sources, our homes do not make for a very good wilderness environment. That is why it is important for you to keep your tree watered and properly maintained throughout the holiday season.

Click here for proof if how quickly a dry tree can catch fire. 

The NFPA offers a Christmas Tree Safety sheet for you. Click here for more information.

Biggest, Baddest discounts in the valley.

Spalding Insurance offers a lot of discounts, outside of the group discounts, for you.

The most popular discount with the biggest discount is the multi-policy discount. The multi-policy discount is offered to you when you insure both your home and autos with the same insurance company. All five of our insurance companies offer this discount to you.

Another discount offered to you is a prior carrier discount. One of our insurance carriers offers you a discount if you belong to certain insurance companies as of now and are looking to make a switch. Some companies included in that list are State Farm, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, and AAA.

Unsure if you are receiving all the discounts available to you? Get in touch with one of our seasoned professionals and we will be more than happy to take a look. 

What Group Discounts Does Spalding Insurance Have?

We recently took an inside look into one of the major discounts that insurance carriers provide, group discounts.

Spalding Insurance represents four auto and home insurance carriers that all offer different group discounts. Some of the most popular group discounts are:

-State of Michigan Employees

-College Alumni

-Credit Union Members

-Teachers or MEA members

-Medical or Dentist Office Professionals

-USGA or PGA Golf Members

-AARP Members

These discounts are pretty broad and mostly everyone qualifies for one, whether or not you're taking advantage of it is up to you

What is a group discount?

One of the best ways to reduce your insurance costs is through a group discount.

Insurance companies provide discounts to people for belonging to different social or professional groups. 

Insurance rates are determined by grouping people together, mostly by a variety of factors such as age and location. Another way to determine rates is to look at people who belong to certain organizations, both professional and social. 

For example, the insurance company has determined that members of a credit unions tend to be less likely to get into accidents or file a claim. The smart thing for the insurance company to do would be to insure as many credit union members as possible, right? In order to get more members of the credit union and to retain their current members they are willing to pass along a discount to those members.

A lot of people are not familiar with the group discounts available to them. All four of our insurance companies provide group discounts. 

Welcome

Spalding Insurance Agency is proud to present to you our daily, weekly, or whenever we have something valuable to write blog(still working on an awesome name). 

What is the mission of this blog? Our plans for this blog is for it to be informative, entertaining, and just flat out awesome. We plan on sharing with you funny content, but also look forward to educating you. Have an insurance question? Great, we would love to answer it. 

Since 1905, Spalding Insurance Agency, has served the insurance needs of clients throughout Michigan. We look forward to being of service.