Warmer weather has arrived and with it come thoughts of vacations spent lying on the beach, hiking through the mountains, or visiting friends and relatives. No matter what you decide to do with your time off, it is important that homeowners make provisions to insure the security of their homes before they go.

Why Home Security Should be a Priority

According to FBI estimates, there are more than two million burglaries each year in the United States, and 65% of these are residential break-ins. It is no coincidence that these crimes occur at a 10% higher rate in July and August – the two most popular vacation months.

Having a fun-filled vacation can provide joyful memories for a lifetime, yet a disastrous homecoming can just as easily taint them.

Prepare for your vacation by taking a few home security precautions to insure that you are not added to these statistics.

Steps Homeowners Can Take for Increased Protection While Away

Homeowners insurance is your failsafe, but it's much better to avoid a breakin altogether. When faced with the subject of home security, many homeowners immediately think of a monitored home security system. With these systems, motion detectors and sensors send an alarm to a monitoring center during an intrusion. The center then reports the break-in to police. This is an effective method of deterring a home invasion while you are away. Keep in mind that installing the system can be expensive, and there is usually an ongoing monthly fee. Such systems can also lower your homeowners insurance premiums.

While it isn’t the most common method of securing your property, hiring or negotiating with a house sitter is another option.

There are other free or low-cost steps homeowners can take:

Make your house look inhabited:

Take some obvious measures inside your house:

Provide security on the outside:

• Criminals love hiding places, so trim any shrubbery that obscures windows and doors.
• Trim any branches that are close to the house and could provide direct entrance to the upper floors.
• Lock a detached garage and all outbuildings like tool sheds and workshops.
• Put timers or motion sensor lights in the driveway or walkway. They can surprise and deter a potential burglar.

Get a Homeowners Insurance Checkup for Your Peace of Mind

Protecting your property and possessions in your absence is essential, and the time and money that is invested will pay dividends in the form of peace of mind during your vacation and a return to a secure home after it’s over. Having the right homeowner's or renter's insurance is also important for your peace of mind because it provides important financial protection in the event of a breakin while you are away. Contact us or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. We're independent insurance agents who will help you find the best house insurance at the right price.

2013 was a good year for the real estate industry.  The price of homes increased by more than 20% in certain hotspots, and experts predict that home prices will continue to rise in 2014 – albeit, at a more moderate rate of 3-5%.  This is great news if you’re a realtor or if you’re trying to sell your home.  But you might be asking yourself, “Does this mean I need to reevaluate the insurance coverage on my home?  Does this mean I have to pay higher house insurance premiums?”

Market Value vs. Replacement Cost Value

Before we answer this question, you need to understand the difference between “market value” and “replacement cost value.”  Market value is how much you should be able to get for your home if you were to sell it.  This value is based on location, the value of the land, and other real estate trends. On the other hand, replacement cost is what it would cost to replace your home if it was completely destroyed – if you had to rebuild it from the ground up. 

Why Did You Purchase Homeowner’s Insurance?

Now think about why you purchased your homeowner’s insurance.  Wasn’t it to protect you and your family against unforeseen disasters?  If a storm rips the roof off your home, you want to be able to replace it.  If your house is completely destroyed by a fire, you need to have the resources to rebuild it, so you and your family have a place to live.  Plus, most disasters that can affect your home don’t affect the land itself.  If a tornado blows through your home or a tree lands on your roof, the value of the land your home rests on isn’t affected. 

Therefore, you should insure your home for what it would cost to repair or replace it, not what someone else would pay for it.  So, if the market value of your house increases because of the real estate market, there’s no need to re-evaluate your homeowner’s insurance.  Plus, most homeowner’s insurance policies have an inflation guard that automatically increases the value of the property by 3-5%.

When Considering Insurance on Your Home, Remember the Upgrades!

Now, if you make improvements to your home, such as an addition or a major renovation, it can affect both the market value and the replacement cost.  In that case you should contact your insurance agent, so you can make sure that your entire investment is protected in the event of a disaster. 

If you’d like to take a look at your homeowner’s insurance to be certain your home has sufficient protection, contact American Insuring Group at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. We'll help you get the right level of quality insurance at the right price, quoting several competing insurance providers in the process.

While most Pennsylvania homes and businesses are not considered to be in a flood plain, that doesn't mean that buildings in Pennsylvania don't flood. Even low risk areas suffer flooding due to poor drainage systems, blockages, broken mains, or rapid precipitation. The average homeowner's and business insurance does not cover flood damage, so it merits a discussion whether to purchase a flood insurance policy to protect yourself.

A Flood? What are the Odds? (Answer: More Than You Think!)

If your home or business is located in a flood-prone area, you were probably required to purchase flood insurance by your lender, so you have probably skipped this whole topic! The fact is, though, that about 25% of flood claims come from buildings in low or moderate risk areas, so no area is completely risk-free when it comes to flooding.

Flood Insurance? I’m Just Renting!

Even if you are just renting, you should still consider flood insurance if you have valuable equipment you couldn’t afford to replace. So if you run a scuba shop you might be okay, but everyone else should take a look at their computers, copy machines, and everything else it takes to run a business and picture them in a foot of water. Renter’s insurance can keep you covered in case that happens.

How Much Will Flood Insurance Set me Back?

To get an accurate quote on your potential flood insurance premiums, you’ll need a property value assessment and an estimate on the value of the contents of your property. If you do live in a lower risk area, the premiums can be surprisingly reasonable since it is less of a gamble for insurance companies.

What’s Covered?

Homeowners can buy coverage for up to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for the contents. Business owners can get coverage for up to $1,000,000, half for the building and half for the contents. Renters can purchase coverage up to $100,000. If your property or equipment is worth more than that, you may want to consider getting excess coverage. When considering various plans, confirm whether the coverage is based on the current value of an item or the replacement cost.

So don’t wait until you see the ark float by; find out what kind of flood insurance works for you to protect your home and business!  Give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or Contact Us by email.

Considering the millions of dollars spent daily on TV commercials for single-brand insurance offerings, you would think that the independent insurance agent is a thing of the past. It's tough to go an hour on TV without seeing at least one commercial for AllState, Nationwide, GEICO, State Farm, or other single brand ("captive") insurance solution. That's because with few exceptions, only the big brands can afford to run national TV ads.

Bigger May Not be Better When it Comes to Insurance

Most people realize that big budget advertising does not necessarily equate with the best solution for all kinds of things in life. That's why, for example, many people avoid the pay-per-click ads found on search engines and instead click on the unpaid search results: they seek a high-quality answer to their search instead of one paid for by the competitor with the deepest pockets. In plain English, they don't want to be "spun" by the marketing machines behind the ads.

Let's apply the same thinking to an independent insurance agent vs. the mega-brands. Here are 4 reasons why an independent agent is likely to provide a superior personal or business insurance solution to satisfy your needs.

#1. Your Needs are Unique and Your Insurance Policy Should Fully Meet Your Needs

Insurance is complicated. It is difficult, if not impossible, for those outside the insurance industry to understand all the insurance options for meeting their needs. Only an independent insurance agent understands the pros and cons of each insurance company and their policy offerings as it pertains to protecting you against your unique combination of risks and liabilities.

#2. Independent Insurance Agents are a Valuable Advocate, and They Cost You Nothing

Your independent insurance agent will check multiple companies and insurance solutions in detail to arrive at the best combination of value, price, and insurance protection to properly and fully address your individual or business insurance needs. That can be very time-consuming, but that service typically costs you nothing.

#3. Your Independent Agent is a Single Source for All Your Insurance Needs

Insurance companies typically handle only certain types of insurance. However, your independent insurance agent handles insurance from multiple companies, thereby covering virtually any need, including business insurance, homeowners and car insurance, boat, RV, and motorcycle insurance, life and health insurance, umbrella insurance, pet and vacation insurance, workers compensation insurance, disability insurance, and virtually every kind of liability insurance to protect any type of business need. Being a single source with access to multiple insurance companies and solutions, your agent can create the best blend of policies to provide the right protection with minimal overlap and waste between and among your insurance policies.

#4. Unparalled Service

When you have an insurance question or need, your independent agent is there for you. You are not relegated to a faceless, nameless individual connected to an 800 number. Instead, you have the comfort and confidence of dealing with someone who you know, like, and trust for all your insurance needs. Think about it. Doesn't that kind of service and flexibility mean more to you than putting yourself in the hands of someone you don't know, and who offers only one solution or brand? 

We're Independent Insurance Agents, and We're Ready to Serve You

At American Insuring Group we pride ourselves in helping our customers not only save on insurance, but also in finding the right insurance protection. We'll put together a plan that will meet your needs, and we'll review your needs on a regular basis to see if it may be time to adjust your insurance to meet your changing needs, or to take advantage of better pricing that may become available as your needs change. Contact us today for a free consultation.

It's Not Just About the Midwest

Wind storms and hail are known for causing severe damage to private property throughout the U.S.  Although hail damage is more frequent throughout the Midwest and Great Plains states, the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions are also surprisingly susceptible.

$3.9 Billion for State Farm Alone

According to State Farm, its 2012 wind and hail damage insurance claims cost the company and those insured over $3.9 billion combined.  To view a series of photos showing examples of wind and hail damage for each of the states above, click here. 

Are You Covered for Wind and Hail Damage?

Is your homeowner’s or commercial property insurance properly protecting you from the risks of damage due to wind, hail, and other forces of nature? Contact us today for an insurance check up.

Chances are that your current homeowner’s insurance policy is weaker than you think in terms of the financial protection it offers. That’s because many insurers have been steadily changing their coverage to increase deductibles and to add new loopholes protecting the insurance company from excessive loss. To make matters worse, homeowner’s insurance rates have climbed 69% over the past 10 years and now average approximately $1,000 per year.

Why the Big Homeowner’s Insurance Cost Increases?

So why are insurers raising home insurance rates, cutting coverage, and increasing deductibles in Reading, Philadelphia, Allentown, Lancaster, and all across Pennsylvania and the US? Is it nothing more than unbridled greed? Hardly. Insurers are experiencing factors beyond their control that are driving up costs. The biggest factor alone, the weather, has resulted in a 58% increase in the number of catastrophic weather events in the past five years vs. the prior five, climbing from 602 to 953 according to insurance industry data. Of course, along with each disaster comes a series of insurance industry payouts to policy holders. 

Another factor driving these changes is that states have denied insurers’ requests to increase their rates to the full extent needed to capture the true increases in weather-related payouts. As a result, insurers have resorted to shifting a much larger percentage of the cost of homeowner’s claims to their customers in an effort to remain solvent, and this has been done by cutting coverage. Many homeowners are on the hook for far more of the cost of repairs than they were five years ago.  Homeowner’s insurance is among the least profitable forms of insurance, and, as they say, you can’t get blood from a rock, so something has to give, and that has been both the extent and cost of coverage.

Get Help: Homeowner’s Insurance Coverage Varies Widely

Because house insurance coverage varies widely among insurers, and given that the specifics of what is covered and what is not are often buried in the insurance policy fine print, it is wise to seek the advice of an independent insurance agent to help you make sense of the coverages, deductibles, and loopholes within policies offered by various insurance carriers. An independent agent is uniquely positioned to help you find the best policy for your needs and budget because he or she represents multiple competing carriers, rather than just one. Don’t rely solely on an insurance company’s reputation or marketing. Instead get the facts so you can make an informed purchase.

We Can Help

Are you and your family in a precarious position? Arrange for a homeowner’s insurance review with an independent agent. Why not make an appointment today? You’ll sleep better knowing you did the smart thing. Call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848, or click below to contact us.

Are You at Risk?

Even if you have good automobile and homeowner’s insurance, you may be liable for excessive damages resulting from a major lawsuit.  Consider what would happen if you were to injure a doctor, lawyer, or other highly paid professional in a car or other accident that prevented him from earning his regular income for the rest of his life. A court could easily award damages far exceeding the limits of your auto, watercraft, or homeowner’s insurance policy. Such damages could drastically alter your lifestyle for many years to come.

That’s where umbrella liability insurance comes in.  The right policy will provide the additional protection needed to withstand such an event. 

You May be at Higher Risk for a Lawsuit

Higher-income individuals who cause an accident have a far greater risk of being sued as lawyers seek out those with deep pockets. In such cases an umbrella policy may provide the protection that could be the difference between maintaining your lifestyle vs. paying punitive damages out of pocket for the rest of your life.

An Umbrella Liability Policy May be More Affordable Than You Think

Umbrella liability insurance tends to be more affordable than other types of insurance because it comes into play only after your other insurance has been exhausted.  For example, a $1,000,000 umbrella policy would cover up to an additional $600,000 of protection on a homeowner’s policy with $400,000 of coverage. The same principle applies to automobile and watercraft insurance. Increased savings may be found by purchasing your umbrella policy from the same insurance provider as for your home, car, commercial property, or watercraft.

Commercial Property and Umbrella Insurance

Are you a business owner or landlord? If so, you are at greater risk of incurring a lawsuit. Landlord insurance in the form of an umbrella liability policy can provide additional protection against lawsuits from tenants, as well as from being sued for slander or libel by disgruntled employees.

Do You Have an Adequate Umbrella Policy?

If you would like help in obtaining the right level of insurance protection then please click to contact us, or call us at 800-947-1270.