And the winning number is...

This was the first year that we held this contest for our clients, their friends, and family. The contest was pretty simple, all you had to do was guess how many jellybeans were in the jar pictured below. We supplied the dimensions of the jar, 9X6 inches, and you all did the rest.

 

When we decided to start this contest we were simply hoping to provide a fun contest

,something different, and the chance to win some $. We weren't sure how many participants we would even have. 10? 50? 100?

 

Over the month of March and into early April our inbox was flooded with guesses,  we had somewhere north of 350 people enter. It was exciting to see all of the guesses come in. There were so many great guesses we thought that there might be a chance multiple people would guess the actual number.

 

Surprisingly only one person guessed 1905, which is the year Spalding Insurance was founded. It was a well thought out guess and probably would have been a winner if we had thought of it ourselves.

 

The actual number of jellybeans in the jar was 1,117. 

 

The winning guess was 1,114 and the runner-up number was 1,111. We are in the process of notifying the winners so that they can stop into one of our agency locations to collect their Visa gift cards.

 

Thank you to everyone who participated! We believe that we have the best clients in Michigan. It is our privilege to provide you with insurance services and products.

State of Michigan Employee Insurance Program

One of the best ways to reduce your insurance costs is through a group discount. An insurance company provides discounts to people for belonging to different social or professional groups. These discount range anywhere from 2% to 23% depending on the group and company. We take great pride in that all of our home and auto insurance companies will provide you with a group discount if you qualify.

As a State of Michigan employee you qualify for a group discount with Spalding Insurance Agency. We help people who are members of credit unions all of the time and would love to be of service to you.

 

Although you qualify for a discount as a State of Michigan Employee, this doesn’t mean this is the best group discount we have for you. When requesting a quote please think about all potential group discounts you will qualify for and we will find the one best for you.

 

Between Auto-Owners Insurance, Citizens Insurance, and Fremont Mutual Insurance we offer group discounts for thousands of different organizations. Some companies are very specific while others are very broad for who qualifies.

 

If you’re an employee of the State of Michigan please get in touch with us today as we would love to see how adding the group discount to your auto and home insurance can help you.

 

Other insurance discounts are available to all of our clients on their home insurance and auto insurance.  One of the most substantial discounts is the multipolicy discount that is applied to your home and auto insurance when they are insured through the same company. A major discount that you might qualify for is the prior carrier discount which is available to people who were previously insured with certain insurance companies.  

 

Other insurance companies want for you to ask which discounts are available to you. At Spalding Insurance Agency we ask you. We make sure your insurance is reliable, easy, and transparent. We look forward to serving you.

Should I schedule jewelry on my homeowners insurance?

Did Valentine’s Day treat you well?

 

Maybe you were on the receiving end of a new piece of jewelry such as a necklace, bracelet, or engagement ring.

 

You have had a few days to share your excitement with friends and family so now you should contact your insurance agent.

 

Your home, condo, or renter’s insurance policy typically has a limit that they will pay on a jewelry loss. A typical limit is $1,000, which might not be enough to cover the cost to replace your jewelry in the event of a covered loss. Not only is there a limit of insurance on jewelry there also is better coverage available to you by scheduling your jewelry on your home insurance policy.

 

How does scheduling my jewelry give me better coverage?

 

Not only are you able to insure your jewelry for its replacement cost, you are also protecting yourself with better coverage. Personal property on your home insurance policy is typically insured against named perils. By scheduling your jewelry you are scheduling it against open perils with exclusions listed of wear and tear, deterioration, inherent vice, war, insects and vermin, or nuclear hazard.

 

What is an example of a time a claim was paid?

 

One of the coverages that scheduling your jewelry gives you is known as “mysterious disappearance”. Mysterious disappearance simply means it is lost and you have no idea where it is.

 

A few years back we had a client lose her engagement ring while she was out running errands a few days before her big day. Luckily, she had scheduled the ring on her homeowners policy a few days after her engagement and we were able to get the item replaced quickly.

 

What does it cost to schedule a piece of jewelry?

 

This varies by insurance carrier. We generally tell people to expect to pay about $11 per $1,000 of value.

 

 

What do I need in order to schedule a piece of jewelry?

 

Once again, this is going to depend on your insurance company and the value of the item. Anytime you do wish to schedule an item you should have a recent appraisal showing the replacement cost of your item.

What information do I need to have for a home insurance quote?

Have you noticed that no company is touting that they are able to provide you with a homeowners insurance quote in 15 minutes or less? If so, I would have to say I am a little nervous about the situation.

 

Protecting your home is a big deal. Odds are, this is the most expensive investment you have made in your life and having the proper coverage in place with the right agency is important. We know how important our job is when we provide someone with a homeowners insurance quote. 

We take a lot of information because we need to complete a replacement cost estimator. A replacement cost estimator (RCE) is a tool our agency uses to make sure your home is properly insured. The RCE we use has been approved by all of our carriers in determining the coverage amount on your home. 

 

In order to properly rate the replacement cost estimator we need to know some of the following:

 

Year of Construction

Square Footage

Type of Construction (Brick, Frame, etc.)

Number of Stories

Number of Bathrooms, type of construction

Number of Kitchens, type of contruction

Number of Fireplaces or woodstoves

Any decks or porches

Attached or Detached Garage 

Crawl Space, Michigan Basement, Slap? Finshed or Unfinished basement?

 

Once we have this information we will need to know information on when updates to the home have been completed such as the roof, electrical, plumbing, or heating. 

 

The last details we we will need to know is about the owners of the home which includes the owners' names, address, date of birth, social security numbers, and association discounts. 

 

When we have all of this information and our replacement cost estimator is complete we will provide you with a homeowners policy quote tailored to you and your home. 

Why You Can't Miss the 2013 SIA Golf Classic!

For the 9th straight year we are proud to host the Spalding Insurance Agency Golf Classic that benefits the Perry, Morrice, Shaftsburg Area Emergency Relief Fund.

It is our pleasure to host this golf classic and hope that you and your foursome will look to join us on August 24th at Glenbrier Golf Course in Perry, Michigan.

Outside of getting the chance to spend time with your favorite insurance agency staff here are 5 reasons you should clear your schedule for August 24th, 2013 and join us on the course:

1) A great cause. Over the last 9 years we have raised over $25,000 for the local food bank. This wouldn't be possible without participants and hole sponsors. As our tournament continues to grow we look forward to providing an even better experience for our participants and sponsors. 

2) Cash. Think your team has what it takes to win a $250 first place prize? You better go low as past tournaments have had scores as low as 16-under. 

3) An Excuse. A day spent on a golf course is a day that you are not at the office or doing household chores. Use this as an excuse to get out and enjoy yourself for one of the last Saturdays we have in summer. 

4) The competition. How often do you get a chance to get your competitive juices flowing? Here is your chance to get a group of friends together and take on our agency staff. 

5) The Randomness. Not the best golfer but enjoy supporting a good cause and having a great time? Your team will automatically be entered to win $500 just for competing in the tournament.

The Cost and What it Includes

The cost of this years event is $50 a person or $200 for a team. With your entry fee you will receive 18-holes of golf with a cart, a hot dog , your donation to the food bank, and entry into the tournament with a $500 prize to one random team and $250 prize to the first place team.

I can't make it to golf, how else can I help?

If you are unable to make this years event but would still like to help support the outing you can do so by stopping into Spalding Insurance Agency and making a donation to the food bank.

We have hole sponsorship opportunities available for businesses who are interested in advertising their services whilst supporting a great cause. For more information on hole sponsorships, e-mail Jon@SIA1905.com.

See you on the course!

Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent agency with two locations in mid-Michigan to service your insurance needs.We love to beat our competition on the golf course and in the insurance world. For a quote on your personal or business insurance click here.

How an Open House Can Become a Nightmare.

One of the most exciting times in any young persons life is when they put on a cap and gown for high school graduation. One could argue that only a first kiss or getting their drivers license might rival this milestone.

Traditionally, parents throw an open house to celebrate the graduates past success and dreams for their future. These events are always an enjoyable experience but come with some risks that you most likely don't come across very often..

Serving Alcohol to a Minor, Criminal Implications

The legal drinking age in the State of Michigan is 21. As much as you may agree or disagree with the law, it is important to remember that if a minor at your event is served alcohol and you're somehow caught by law enforcement you may receive a $1000 fine and up to 60 days in jail. 

You can be held responsible for the actions of a minor if you provide them alcohol. It is considered a felony, should the minor you provide alcohol to die or is responsible for the death of another. This can be punishable up to 10 years in prison and a $6000 fine. 

Serving Alcohol to a Minor, Civil Implications

Providing alcohol to a minor makes you directly responsible for their actions. Even if the minor is 20 years of age, you're still responsible for any damages that occur while they are considered to be under the influence. 

For example, at your child's graduation party you are serving their friends, all under the age of 21. One of the boys in the group, Jeremy, has had too much and is getting angry at Floyd for talking to his girlfriend. Jeremy decides to take a swing at Floyd and knocks Floyd out. Floyd is taken to the hospital and has suffered vision damage for the rest of his life. As the hosts of the party and adults serving Jeremy, you can be legally found responsible for Jeremy's actions and dragged into a civil lawsuit. 

Serving Alcohol to someone 21 or over

With any celebration and party you might have a guest that gets carried away. Please keep in mind that Michigan is a social host liability state. This means is that you can be held liable if a guest injures themselves or someone else as a result of alcohol consumption from your party.

Serve Your Guests Responsibly

If you are going to serve your guests here are some tips:

- Limit your own alcohol intake so that you can better judge your guests sobriety

- Do not serve guests who are visibly intoxicated

- Stop serving alcohol at a certain time, switch to other products such as pop or coffee

- Encourage guests to have a designated driver 

- If you have guests who are intoxicated without a ride, offer to call them a cab or allow for them to stay at your home.

Be Responsible and Enjoy Your Time

Although the graduate loves this time of year and looks forward to their graduation party, there is a lot of stress that goes into planning an open house. As our agency staff knows these parties keep you busy with planning, cooking, and cleaning. So although you're putting on the party, don't forget to enjoy the celebration.

Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent agency with two locations in mid-Michigan to service your insurance needs. We want to wish all of the 2013 graduates the best of luck in their future endeavors. For a quote on your personal or business insurance click here.

Severe Spring Weather

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people in Oklahoma who are dealing with the aftermath of the tornadoes. It is a sad day when any community goes through a great loss of life and devastation to their homes and surrounding environment.

With such a tragedy the one thing that never ceases to amaze me is the American spirit and willingness to help out complete strangers. Over the next few days we will here stories of people who will travel from all over this great country of ours to lend a hand to a community in need.

If you would like to donate to help the victims of these storms you can text RedCross to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Get Prepared!

As you know the weather in Michigan, like the mood of an infant, can change in a heartbeat. For instance look at the past couple of days, we have had sunshine and literally minutes later we are in the eye of a severe thunderstorm. Being prepared takes time and planning but here are some quick tips for you to get a plan in place.

Before the Storm

So you don't have a plan in place for your family? Good news for you is there is still time. But before the storm you need to know what to do. Here are ideas of the things you should do before a storm.

1) Build an emergency kit. This kit should include; a flashlight, non-perishable food, water, extra batteries, a first-aid kit, a radio, and a cell phone in case you're trapped by debris.

2) Have an emergency plan. Make sure your family knows where to go in case of severe weather. Include information on where to meet when the storm is over, in case not everyone was together.

During the Storm

1) Use your weather radio to listen to updates about your local weather

2) Avoid contact with cords and electronics plugged into outlets.

3) Avoid contact with plumbing. Try not to wash your hands, shower, do laundry. These fixtures can conduct electricity.

After the Storm

1) Stay off of the roads and allow for emergency crews to clear roads and provide assistance.

2) Try to use your phones for emergencies only, it is important for cellphone lines to be open for people who truly need to contact help.

3)Watch out for debris such as tree limbs, power lines, and other hazardous debris.

4) Help injured or trapped persons. Do not attempt to help those who are seriously injured.

Severe Weather Resources

Before the internet, how were we taught to be prepared? Our local schools who taught us it was important to have fire safety and severe weather plans. The great thing about the internet is there is still a lot of information available and that a plan is important.

For more information and to help prepare a plan, I would recommend using Ready.Gov as a resource in preparing your family for all emergency situations.


Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent agency with two locations in mid-Michigan to service your insurance needs. We want to make sure you and your family are prepared for natural disasters. For a quote on your personal or business insurance click here.

Why Now is the Time for Reform.

Enacted in 1973, Michigan’s No Fault Law was, and is today, one of the best in the United States in terms of coverage and claims settlement.   Its Unlimited Lifetime Medical Coverage was the absolute best in the land, a benchmark for other states to follow!  But it has become unaffordable to many, and now is the time fore reform.

You might see in the press others who are against this reform, and their reasoning is simple……it’s become a cash cow to the medical profession. If you’ve been treated in an emergency room, what is the first question they ask?   “Are your injuries a result of an auto accident????”

Studies have shown that you could go into a hospital for falling off your ladder and have your health insurance billed $400 for a CAT Scan. If the CAT Scan is a result of an auto accident, the charge for the exact same procedure is $1,800!    The reason being is simple….there is no mandated set reimbursement schedule for auto related medical treatment!.  It’s an open checkbook, and one we all pay in the form of some of the highest rates in the country.
 

Review your policy, add the premiums together for the Personal Injury Coverage and the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Assessment.   That is the cost you’re paying, per vehicle, for the Unlimited Lifetime Medical Coverage.   In order to be affordable, we have got to align our reimbursement with those others pay.

Even if our benefits are reduced to the proposed levels, we’re still offering 50 times the coverage level of any other state!  If our laws were to be benchmark for insurance coverage in the USA, why hasn’t any other state adopted the Unlimited Lifetime Medical Coverage?

For more information, please visit WWW.NoFaultReform.Com.  Also, please let your legislators know that you’re in favor of the Reform, and ask for their support!

Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent agency with two locations in mid-Michigan to service you. We want to make your life easier. For a quote on your personal or business insurance click here.

An Office Divided

Anyone that knows anyone who works at Spalding Insurance Agency knows that we love our sports. More than anything we love our college sports. We have a whole onslaught of fans within the office ranging from Spartan fans to Wolverines.

You can pretty much draw a line down the middle of the office and each side would be equally divided.The two agency owners are divided between our two B1G Universities. Jon is an avid Spartan fan(Alabama too) while Bob Jr. sets is allegiance with the Wolverines.  Joining Jon as a Spartan fan are our CSR's ,Janean and Brenda, from our East Lansing office and Joyce from the Perry branch. While Bob Jr. is joined with CSR, Rosie, from our Perry office and myself (Ryan).

So here we are, in uncharted territories for most of the office. As we lead up to the Final Four, the Michigan fans will enjoy this week and live with anticipation for Saturday. Something our Spartan counterparts have had the luxury of doing a lot over the past decade.

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.

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.

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! 

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.