by Flagship Staff | Nov 17, 2020 | Blog
Owning a home comes with both responsibilities and rewards. So before buying, it’s important to do your homework to make sure the home fits your budget and lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if you built a new home or purchased an existing home, at some point, you’ll probably decide to make some improvements.
With access to so much information, some homeowners choose to tackle those “Do It Yourself” (DIY) projects. There are, however, many things to consider before you start: What part of the home is being remodeled? How much will it cost? How much time will it take? Do you have the room for equipment and materials? Once you have those answers, you may discover the DIY project should actually be handled by a professional. Insurance is an important factor in choosing a professional contractor.
You should find out if they have the proper insurance coverage to protect both themselves and you. Ask for a copy of their insurance policy, called a Certificate of Insurance, to make sure they have general liability and workers’ compensation coverage. If the contractor is injured while working at your home or the newly installed dishwasher starts to leak, you want to be sure you’re covered.
When considering how much coverage you need for a home improvement project, the current value of your home is key. Regardless of whether you’re building an addition to your home or simply upgrading your kitchen cabinets, it makes sense to increase the value of your home on your insurance policy based on the improvement(s) you’re making. That also means increasing the amount of coverage on your policy. If there’s a loss during construction or after the work is complete, you don’t want to be underinsured. Remember, the most simple projects often turn into much bigger projects.
With West Bend’s Home and Highway® policy, we ask that you notify us within 90 days of completion of a project if it cost at least $5,000 or 5% of your current Coverage A limit for the guaranteed replacement cost coverage. Do you know what your policy requires?
Talking with your local independent agent before starting any home improvement project is a great idea. There are many things to discuss, including:
- Will you be living in the home during the remodeling process or moving out for an extended period of time?
- Do you have appropriate coverage for materials, like lumber and shingles, that will be stored outside the home?
- What if you need to rent a large moving truck to pick up new windows you purchased? Will your auto policy cover the truck and windows if they’re damaged while in transit?
- What if your new detached shed collapses during heavy winds before it’s completed?
These are just some of the things for which your insurance agent can make sure you have the right coverage.
Do you have any tips you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them; please share them in the box below.
This blog was written by Sarah Faris, senior Personal Lines underwriter.
Topics: Home Insurance
by Flagship Staff | Nov 13, 2020 | Blog
Moving into a new home can be stressful and exciting. There are so many decisions to make and tasks that need to be completed to prepare for moving day. If you don’t hire a professional moving company, moving boxes and furniture can last for days.
If you have pets, don’t forget about them. Moving can be just as stressful for them. While dogs can tolerate it better than cats, there’s no way to avoid the stress for either of them. However, there are things you can do before, during, and after the move that can help keep your fury friends safe and calm.
Before the move
Preparing for the move ahead of time can be beneficial for you and your pets. Not only can starting early help you ease into packing, it can help your pets start adjusting as well. Here are some things that can help.
- Display the moving supplies. If you’re moving yourself, having plenty of boxes and packing tape is crucial. Instead of just jumping into packing, let the supplies you plan on using sit out in a corner of your home for a few days. Allowing your pets to see and smell the supplies can help desensitize them for when the time arrives to start packing. We recently moved and found this helped our cat, Toulouse. Although I don’t know if either of us will ever get used to the sound of packing tape flying off the roll. The sound kind of reminded me of nails on a chalkboard.
- Set out your suitcase or pet carrier. For some pets, the minute they see your suitcase or their pet carrier they get anxious. Suitcases can tell them you’re leaving, and they’ll be without your companionship. A pet carrier can signify a trip to the vet. Again, letting them sit out ahead of time allows them to get used to seeing them. Especially when nothing immediately transpires.
- Maintain their routines. Let’s face it, we’re all creatures of habit. One small change can cause us some discomfort. Don’t interrupt your pets’ routines. If your dog loves going to the dog park, continue taking it. If you’re thinking about what you should be doing, stop and just enjoy the time and fresh air with your dog.
If you’re a cat owner, you know your pet may get distracted very easily and move from one thing to the next. However, it’s still important to play with your cat and to give it the attention when it wants it. Lastly, because cats love to sleep, don’t pack away items that comfort them until moving day arrives.
- Contact your vet. If your pets are easily stressed, consider talking to your vet about using anti-anxiety medication. Moving is fast paced and noisy. Keeping pets calm makes it easier for everyone.
- Crate train. If you’re moving a significant distance, make sure pets are trained to spend time in their crates prior to your move. Trying to put them in something they’re not familiar with is going to be stressful for you and them. Also, research pet-friendly hotels and other destinations prior to heading out on the road.
During the move
Whether you’re moving yourself or you’ve hired professionals, there’s a lot of commotion on moving day. Keeping your pets away from that is your best option. Consider clearing out one room or an area of your home and use that as their safe haven. Fill the room with food, water, familiar things, and soothing music. This can help keep them calm, as well as prevent them from getting injured or even worse, running away when a door is left open. Don’t forget to put a note on the door or inform your moving crew that it should remain closed.
Another option on moving day is to have a family member or friend take care of your pets. This removes them entirely from the busy and chaotic situation. Make sure they spend time with their temporary caregiver prior to the move. This allows them to get to know each other and makes for an easier transition.
After the move
Once you arrive at your new home, the commotion starts all over again. Here are some more tips that can help.
- Keep your pets secluded. While you’re probably excited to let them explore your new home, it’s best to keep them in a secluded place for a few days. When we moved, we kept our cat in the laundry room with everything he needed plus soft music and a white noise machine. Unfortunately, we let him out to explore too soon. He was terrified and found his way inside our couch. That turned into quite a project. All the felt had to be removed from the bottom of the couch so we could find him. Needless to say, he went back into our laundry room for a few more days. We made sure to visit him often. It took him about five days before he returned to being the cat we love.
- Give them plenty of treats. Treats can be used to reward pets for good behavior, calm them down, or act as their primary food source. Due to the stress of our move, Toulouse stopped eating. Thankfully, he continued to drink his water. While he could afford to lose a few pounds, it was still concerning. We quickly learned the only thing he would eat was his treats. After adjusting to our new home, he’s now gone back to eating his normal dry food.
- Update their records. If your pets have microchips, make sure you update their information. This never crossed my mind until a friend mentioned it. If they’re not microchipped, buy them some new tags.
- Be patient with your pets. While you’ll be excited to show them around, it’s important to back off and let them explore on their own. Once they feel comfortable in their new home, they’ll return to doing the stuff they loved prior to the move. Also, accidents may happen because they’re stressed and in an unfamiliar place. While that’s the last thing you want to happen, clean it up and take it in stride. Trying to keep your home perfect all the time can be stressful.
- In with the new and out with the old. While getting new furniture and other new items may be the plan for your new home, don’t get rid of everything. Keep some items that your pets are familiar with. While our cat’s favorite chair is no longer in our living room, we did keep it for him. It’s just in a different location. Having familiar items around can reduce your pets’ stress.
- Pet proof. Once you’re settled in, take a walk around your new home, and look for things that could be dangerous. In our new home, we had an open dryer vent that I covered. Since his safe place was in our laundry room, I didn’t want him getting stuck in it. If it’s a brand-new construction home, look for leftover materials laying around such as nails, insulation, wires, and caulk. Make sure any debris you find is cleaned up immediately.
- Take time off work. After a big move, there’s nothing nicer than spending time in your new home relaxing and hanging a few pictures. It’s also a great opportunity to spend time with your pets while they adjust to the new place.
No matter what type of pets your family has, moving can be stressful. Obviously, you know your pets’ personalities better than others. Use that knowledge to make them comfortable. For additional pet tips, check out the blogs below.
How to Make Moving Homes Easier on Your Pet Bird
HOW TO TRANSPORT FISH
Moving day: steps to protect your fish during the move
Moving with Reptiles
by Flagship Staff | Nov 3, 2020 | Blog
We all have personal property and we want to protect it in the event of a loss. But many people don’t understand how it’s covered by their homeowners insurance policy. There are a few ways you can protect your property on a homeowners policy.
The first way is what’s included automatically in your policy. The limit of coverage depends on your insurance carrier. Some carriers take a percent of your home limit and designate that for your personal property. Percentages commonly used are 50%, 60%, or 70% of the home limit. West Bend is unique and doesn’t designate a limit. Instead it’s included in a blanket limit that’s calculated based on your home value.
Coverage for personal property to an unendorsed policy is on a named peril basis. This means the perils that are covered are listed in the insurance contract. Some carriers will pay a loss settlement based on actual cash value of the personal property, which is replacement cost minus depreciation. These policies can be endorsed to include replacement cost coverage. The Home and Highway® has replacement cost coverage on contents for all the homeowners forms which include home, condo, and renters. The policy will pay for a loss to your personal property if it’s damaged by one of the perils specifically listed in the policy form. All losses to personal property are subject to the policy’s property deductible.
The second way to protect your personal property is to add an endorsement that broadens coverage from named perils to risks of direct loss or all risk coverage. When this endorsement is added to the policy it broadens the coverage to include all causes of loss except those that are specifically excluded.
Consider these examples:
1. Power surge isn’t a covered peril on the unendorsed personal policy. But if you add risks of direct loss coverage or special personal property coverage to your Home and Highway policy this loss would be covered subject to the home deductible.
2. Let’s say your child is playing Xbox and the controller goes into your $2,000 TV and damages it. Without all risk coverage you’d be stuck paying the bill because that’s not a listed covered peril in your policy.
Covered losses may also be subject to the special limits of liability that are listed in the homeowners coverage form. These are built-in limits in the homeowners form that limit the amount of coverage for a specific type of property, such as jewelry, silverware, and firearms.
The third way to cover your personal property applies to items that have a higher value or may have a special limit of liability in the policy form. You can specifically schedule these items. Examples of items that are commonly scheduled include jewelry, furs, firearms, and fine arts.
When items are specifically scheduled the coverage is changed from named perils to risks of direct loss and all losses are covered except those specifically excluded. The coverage is replacement coverage up to the limit the item is scheduled at, and the insurance carrier will replace the item. You can also schedule items on an agreed value basis. If this is done, the item that’s scheduled is paid out to the limit that was agreed upon and shown on the declarations page, and the insured can then replace the item in the event of a total loss.
Of course, any loss on a Home and Highway policy would involve your very knowledgeable claims adjuster to help you through the process and going over your options with you.
If you have questions, please contact your independent agent.
by Flagship Staff | Oct 28, 2020 | Blog
Imagine your surprise when you get a call from an IRS representative saying that you owe money, and you’ll go to jail if you don’t pay up. Or someone from a sweepstakes company calls to tell you that you’ve won several thousand dollars, and all you have to do to collect your winnings is pay taxes and fees upfront.
Unfortunately, people get calls like these every day from fraudsters who specifically target seniors to rob them of their hard-earned money. These con artists often sound legitimate and they can be so convincing that older Americans lose around $2.9 billion every year to senior citizen scams, according to a report by the Senate Special Committee on Aging.
There are many different types of financial scams out there. Below are five of the most common ones targeting seniors today.
Romance Scams
There are unscrupulous con artists who seek out and prey upon single seniors by striking up fake romantic relationships online. They gain the affection and trust of their targets and steal their money. These scammers then claim to need money for medical emergencies, legal fees, or a variety of other issues. Some may ask their new online loves for their banking information to make a deposit, and instead, use it to withdraw money. They use fake identities and make excuses to avoid meeting in person. Romance scams cause the largest financial losses for seniors. According to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report, Protecting Older Consumers 2018 – 2019, seniors lost $56 million in 2018 due to romance scams.
Money Transfer Scams
Scammers often target seniors through money transfer scams. They contact seniors and claim they’ve won lotteries, sweepstakes, or other prizes, and all they have to do to collect their winnings is pay processing fees and taxes. Con artists will send checks to be deposited, knowing it’ll take a few days for these fake checks to be rejected by banks. In the meantime, they’ll collect fake fees and taxes. Then, when the checks bounce, the money no longer shows up in their victims’ accounts. According to an FTC report, Protecting Older Consumers 2018 – 2019, seniors lost $52 million in prize, sweepstakes, and lottery scams in 2018.
Government Impostor Scams
One of the most common financial impostor scams entails calling seniors and impersonating government officials, such as representatives from the IRS or the Social Security Administration. These fraudsters convince seniors to divulge personal information, such as social security numbers, birthdates, and addresses. They then use that information to steal their victims’ identities, and create credit card accounts in their names. Sometimes these scammers threaten foreclosure or jail time if their victims don’t pay back taxes or other fees they supposedly owe. Seniors lost $50 million in government impostor scams in 2018, according to an FTC report, Protecting Older Consumers 2018 – 2019.
Business Opportunity Scams
Business opportunity scams entice seniors with promises that they can own their own lucrative businesses, make large amounts of money working from home, or get rich from following some hyped-up program. Seniors can end up spending hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on misrepresented or fake programs or services that don’t produce the promised results. Some seniors have even taken out lines of credit to cover the fees of these programs and services.
Common examples of business opportunity scams are when sellers claim their victims can make a lot of money doing things such as assembling crafts, stuffing envelopes, or processing rebates at home. They want them to hand over their money to cover the cost of materials, deposits, or registration fees. While some money may be made doing this, it’s usually nowhere near the high amounts many of these sellers promise.
Other common scams involve online business opportunities that make questionable claims. For example, sellers may claim that if their victims purchase their online programs, they’ll teach them how to start an online business that will bring a six-figure income (or some other hefty amount). After paying for their programs, they may claim more coaching, mentoring, or additional services are needed to be successful.
The FTC created its Business Opportunity Rule to protect consumers from these types of scams. This rule does three things:
- It states specific practices, such as making misleading claims, are against the law.
- It requires sellers to provide a disclosure statement outlining information about the business opportunity.
- It requires sellers to provide an earnings claim statement as proof of earnings.
Tech Support Scams
Tech support scammers use scare tactics to convince seniors there are problems with their computers, including harmful viruses that need to be removed. They claim they can remove these viruses and fix their computers for a fee. And for an additional fee, they can provide a service plan to prevent further problems. Unsuspecting seniors may provide credit card information as payment for these fake services, which scammers then use to make unauthorized charges on their credit cards.
What if You’re the Victim of a Financial Scam?
If you or a loved one have been the victim of a financial scam, it’s important to file a complaint with the FTC. Information you provide to them could help prevent the scammer who targeted you from doing the same thing to others. You can reach the FTC online or at (877) FTC-HELP.
To reduce your chances of becoming the victim of a scam, don’t share your personal or financial information over the phone, be wary of new online relationships, and monitor your credit card and bank accounts for signs of unauthorized activity. Doing these things will go a long way toward protecting you from scammers.
by Flagship Staff | Oct 22, 2020 | Blog
This time of year, trees put on quite a spectacular show. Their leaves colored in yellow, orange, and red create impressive scenery. Unfortunately, as the season progresses, the once beautiful leaves turn your lawn into a mess. Whether you’re a veteran homeowner or you’ve just bought your first home, cleaning up leaves is a cumbersome task. Having the proper plan and tools can make it easier.
Here are some tips to help with your leaf cleanup project.
1. Understand your disposal options. Before you start working, think about how you’re going to dispose of your leaves. Some cities allow you to rake leaves into the street for pickup. If this is the case in your city, make sure you don’t cover storm drains or block fire hydrants.
Otherwise, you may have a local collection center that’ll allow you to drop off yard waste. If this is the case for you, your city may require proof of residency before you can drive in and begin dumping. In West Bend, you must have a sticker to gain access. For us, it’s the best $25 ever spent.
If you’re an avid gardener, using leaves as compost is a great solution. This can provide your garden with rich nutrients for next year’s growing season.
Lastly, never just leave them on your lawn. Piles of leaves can kill or damage your grass. Leaves can block sunlight and reduce water evaporation. This results in fungus, mold, and disease.
2. Select the best tools for the job. Having the proper tools can make cleanup easier and safe. Here some different tools you can use depending on the size of your property and the amount of leaves.
- Common leaf rake. Usually made of plastic with a wood handle, this rake can be used for raking leaves into a pile or onto a plastic tarp. If you’d like to spend a bit more money, you can buy an ergonomic rake which may be easier on your body. Don’t forget to wear gloves to prevent blisters.
- Pickup rake. This is a small rake that can be used to pick up leaves or other debris.
- Leaf claws or scoops. They attach to your hands and help you pick up leaves with ease. They remind me of the Incredible Hulk’s hands. If you buy some of these, your kids may enjoy helping.
- Leaf tarp. Using a tarp is a great way to collect large amounts of leaves. Once they’re on the tarp, you’ll be able to move them easily around your yard.
- Blower. As a homeowner, I use my blower all the time. Whether its removing debris from my garage, blowing leaves, or clearing a light dusting of snow, it works well. While you still may need to use a rake to create a pile, a blower can move them easily and quickly. Please note, if it’s a very windy day, a blower won’t work well and may lead to frustration. Wait for the wind to calm down.
- Mulching lawn mower. If you have a light collection of leaves each year, a mulching lawn mower will work great. You can even bag the leaves if you’d like.
- Leaf vacuum. If you live in a heavily wooded area, and have a riding lawn mower, you can try this. A leaf vacuum hooks up to your rider. As you drive over the leaves, the vacuum sucks them up, grinds them, and sends them into a pull-behind container.
- Lawn sweeper. This is like a leaf vacuum as it hooks up to your riding lawn mower. However, the difference is it uses a sweeping motion to pull the leaves into the cart. It doesn’t grind them up.
- Walk-behind power vacuum. Instead of vacuuming your carpet, you’ll be able to vacuum your yard. This tool sucks up leaves and shreds them before sending them into the collection bag. This is a great investment if your yard is too big to rake, but not large enough for a riding lawn mower.
3. Ask for assistance. If you have family members or neighbors, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Not only will you get the job done faster, but it can also help prevent injury.
4. Watch the weather. If it’s going to be a warm day, make sure you drink plenty of water. If it’s a windy day, the wind may do the work for you. Always watch the weather to make sure you wear the appropriate gear.
