Winterize your home or business now
to prevent costly damage, insurance claims

Freezing temperatures, ice, snow and wind can devastate homes and businesses if they are not properly winterized. Winter storms are the third-largest cause of property loss in America, resulting in $38 million in insured losses in 2012, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Winter weather-related losses such as burst pipes, wind damage, ice dams, frozen gutters and damage caused by the weight of ice or snow are covered under standard Homeowners Insurance and Business Owners policies. However, damage caused by flooding from an outside source is specifically excluded under standard Home and Business Insurance policies. Coverage for flooding is available through the National Flood Insurance Program.

Winterizing your home or business also eliminates many inconveniences caused by weather-related losses.

Even when you have insurance, the hassle of waiting for your home or business to be repaired can be avoided. It takes some work, but it’s definitely worth the effort to winterize.

Shut the door on Old Man Winter and protect your home or business by following these easy, do-it-yourself tips:

• Maintain gutters. Remove leaves, pinecones, sticks and other debris from gutters so melting snow and ice can flow freely. This can prevent ice dams from forming, which can push melting water under the roofing and into your attic. You also may consider installing gutter guards – screens that prevent debris from entering the gutter and blocking drainpipes.
• Trim trees and remove dead branches. Ice, snow and wind can cause weak trees or branches to break and cause damage to your home or car. 
• Check insulation. Add extra insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. If too much heat escapes through the attic, it can cause snow or ice to melt on the roof. The water can re-freeze, allowing more snow and ice to build up. This can result in a collapsed roof.
• Maintain pipes. Wrap pipes with pipe insulation or heating tape and insulate unfinished rooms such as garages that have exposed pipes. Also, check for cracks and leaks. Repair them immediately to prevent much costlier repairs.
• Service your heating system. Furnaces, boilers and chimneys should be serviced at least once a year to avoid a fire or smoke damage.
• Keep your house warm. During freezing weather, the temperature in your home should be at least 65 degrees. The air inside the walls where pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A room temperature below 65 degrees may not keep pipes from freezing.
• Get to know your plumbing. Learn how to shut off the water and know where your home’s pipes are located. If pipes freeze, you may be able to prevent the pipes from bursting by taking immediate action. Quickly shut off the water and direct your plumber to the problem.

For more information on winterizing your home or business, visit the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety and the Insurance Information Institute. To request a free copy of Surviving Severe Cold Weather, contact NW Insurance Council at (800) 664-4942 or visit www.nwinsurance.org

Parents: keep your teenage driver safe and your auto insurance rates lower

 

The most dangerous time in your teenagers’ lives is when they start driving. As a parent, it’s up to you to coach your teens about safe driving practices, get them the driving experience they need and make sure you have adequate auto insurance for the new drivers in your family.
 
October 20-26 is designated National Teen Driver Safety Week to raise awareness about why teen drivers crash at such a high rate and how to prevent those crashes for your teen drivers. Car crashes kill more teens than anything else, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
 
In 2011, 1,987 drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 died in motor vehicle crashes and an additional 180,000 young drivers were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
 
Teaching and modeling safe driving is an essential part of making sure your teen grows up to be a safe-driving adult. Because of teens’ higher risk of an accident, however, you will see a rate increase when your teen starts driving. Adding a teenager to your Auto Policy can mean a 50 percent or more increase in your auto insurance premium. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to help keep that rate increase as small as possible."
 
The NW Insurance Council and Insurance Information Institute offer the following tips to keep your teenage driver safe and your auto insurance premiums down:

• Enroll your teen in a Drivers Education Course and a Graduated Drivers License program. Every state has a graduated drivers license law that includes a three-phase program to help teens gain experience behind the wheel and develop a more mature driving attitude.
• Pick a safe car for your teen to drive that offers protection in the event of a crash. Avoid small cars, sports cars and SUV’s, which are prone to rollovers. 
• Discuss the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Remind your teens never to phone or text while driving and tell them to keep distractions, such as listening to the radio and chatting with friends in passenger seats, to a minimum. Also, require your teenager to wear a seat belt at all times. 
• Prohibit talking on a cell phone or texting while driving. Studies show that texting while driving or talking on a hand-held cell phone can impair a driver as much as driving drunk or driving under the influence of controlled substances. 
• Always be a good role model for your teenager. New drivers learn by example. If you exceed the speed limit or drive recklessly, your teenage driver is likely to imitate you. 
• Shop around for the best insurance rates. Rates for younger drivers can differ dramatically, so ask agents, brokers or insurance companies for price comparisons. 
• Adding your teenager to your own auto insurance policy is generally less expensive than a stand-alone policy. Also, you may qualify for a multi-vehicle discount if you previously had only one car in your household. 
• Find out if your insurance company offers a "safe driver" program. If your teenager completes the program you may be eligible for a discount. Also, some insurance companies will subsidize the cost of electronic devices, such as video camera and GPS systems, to monitor the way teens drive and will alert parents of unsafe driving by email, text message or phone. 
• Some insurance companies offer a Good Student Discount, which is generally available to students who have a 3.0 grade point average or higher. 
• Consider increasing your liability insurance limits or purchasing an umbrella liability policy. If your teen is found negligent in an accident and the damages exceed your insurance limits, you will be held financially responsible for those amounts not covered by your insurance. An umbrella policy kicks in when you reach the limit on your underlying liability coverage in a Homeowners, Renters or Auto policy. 
• Raising your deductible can save you 10 percent to 20 percent on your premium. That savings could go towards purchasing more liability coverage.

 

For more information and tools on how you can keep your teenager safe behind the wheel, visit the website Drive It Home: Helping You Keep Your Teen Driver Safe. For more information about teen driving and Auto Insurance, contact NW Insurance Council at 800-664-4942.

Home and business remodeling: are you adequately insured?

Summer has ended and so have many home and business remodeling projects. Before sitting back and enjoying the improvements, make sure you have the right amount and type of insurance to cover your renovated home or business.

A good place to start is to talk with your insurance agent or company to make sure you are adequately insured and fully protected against a covered loss.  Depending on the addition or improvement, you may need to increase your level of coverage.

It may be tempting to save money by not informing your insurance company about remodeling changes made to your home or business. But that approach can have severe financial consequences if you have a large fire or other major loss.  You could find yourself on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars – all to save a few dollars in the short run.

NW Insurance Council and Insurance Information Institute offer the following tips to help you adequately insure your remodeled home so you can avoid some of the common pitfalls of home and business improvement projects:

·            If you’ve recently remodeled your home or built an addition, contact your agent or company immediately to determine if you need to increase or change your coverage.

·            If you’re planning a remodeling project, contact your agent or company before construction begins.  If your new addition is damaged or destroyed before the new coverage starts, you may be responsible for the repairs and rebuilding costs.

·            If you’re planning a do-it-yourself project, make sure you have sufficient liability protection in case someone gets injured during the project. Also, only take on remodeling projects you are qualified to handle.

·            For large remodeling projects, consider getting a builder’s risk policy, also known as a “course of construction” policy. This coverage is available as a stand-alone policy or as an add-on to your Homeowners policy and generally protects your home from damage during construction, such as wind, rain damage or theft.

·            If you’re hiring a contractor, make sure the contractor is properly insured, bonded and registered through the Department of Labor & Industries.  Ask the contractor to show you copies of the bond.  You also can check if the contractor has any complaints filed against it by looking online.

·            Also make sure the company has Workers Compensation coverage.  Ask for a copy of the policy.  Workers Compensation covers medical expenses and lost wages if workers suffer injuries on the job.  A contractor’s employees could sue you if the contractor doesn’t have the proper insurance.

·            Check references to verify the quality of a contractor’s work.  To find a reputable contractor, check with your local homebuilders association.

·            Take photographs before, during and after the renovation so you have a visual record of work done on your home or business. Also, keep copies of any contractor contracts and keep receipts for work done and materials purchased.

·            Consider getting more liability protection if you added a swimming pool or hot tub. You may want to ask your agent or insurance company about getting an excess or umbrella liability policy as a cost-effective way to increase your overall liability protection.

·            If you buy additional items such as furniture, exercise equipment and electronics, you may need to increase your coverage for personal possessions.  Talk with your insurance agent or company.  Keep the receipts, take pictures of the new items and keep them with your home inventory. 

·            NW Insurance Council offers free downloadable Home Inventory Software created by the Insurance Information Institute.

 For more information about insuring your newly remodeled home or business, contact NW Insurance Council or call (800) 664-4942.

 

Landslide on Whidbey Island a reminder that earth movement is excluded from home, business insurance

Last week's landslide on Whidbey Island that damaged one home and threatened or isolated more than 30 others, NW Insurance Council reminds homeowners and business owners that standard Homeowners and Business Insurance policies specifically exclude damage caused by earth movement such as a landslide.

Special coverage for landslides is available for an additional cost. As with all of your insurance policies, understanding what is and is not covered is a key first step toward protecting your property before a disaster strikes. 

Photo courtesy of Washington State Department of Natural

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This very unfortunate situation really highlights the need for special insurance if you own property above or below a steep slope.  Property owners in high-risk areas need special coverage that is not included in a standard home or business insurance policy.  The good news is that coverage is available through specialty carriers at an additional cost.

Homeowners can purchase a Difference in Conditions policy through a surplus-lines carrier as a stand-alone policy.

A Difference in Conditions policy includes coverage for landslide, mudflow, earthquake and flood.  Depending on risk factors, such as the slope of your property or proximity to a cliff, a homeowner with a $300,000 house can expect to pay $1,000 or more per year for this coverage.

If you live in a high-risk area, there are several things you can do to protect yourself from landslides.  NW Insurance Council offers the following tips:

• Create a family evacuation plan.
• Learn and recognize early landslide warning signs such as: doors or windows that stick or jam, new cracks in plaster, tile, bricks or foundations, broken underground utility lines and bulging ground at the base of a slope.
• Build retaining walls and install flexible pipe fitting to avoid gas or water leaks.
• Maintain a complete inventory of all your possessions, including photographs, receipts and serial numbers.  NW Insurance Council offers free downloadable Home Inventory Software from the Insurance Information Institute. 
• Damage to vehicles caused by landslide is covered if the owner has chosen optional Comprehensive Coverage in the auto policy. 
• Personal contents inside a vehicle that are damaged by a landslide are covered under standard Homeowners or Renters insurance. 
• If you aren’t sure what’s covered or have questions regarding your policy, contact your agent or insurance company.

If you’d like more information on how to protect your family and property from landslide, contact the NW Insurance Council at (800) 664-4942 or visit www.nwinsurance.org.

 

NW Insurance Council is a nonprofit, public-education organization funded by member insurance companies serving Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

 

 

 

 

Spring home maintenance can prevent damage your insurance won’t cover

Spring is just around the corner and for many that signals the start of outdoor projects to enhance lawns, gardens and home exteriors. 

Spring also is an ideal time to inspect in and around your home for wear and tear and safety hazards.  From cracked foundations to clogged gutters to worn shingles, improperly maintained homes can lead to expensive repairs down the road – and many of those repairs are not covered by your Homeowners Insurance.

Homeowners Insurance is designed to protect you from sudden and accidental losses such as fire, windstorm, theft or a broken water pipe. It’s not intended to cover maintenance-related issues such as water damage from a leaky roof or a cracked foundation.  Each homeowner is responsible for conducting regular preventive maintenance.

NW Insurance Council offers the following tips to help you conduct home exterior maintenance and reduce safety hazards.

• Check and clean gutters to prevent water from backing up into your attic.
• Check the roof.  Look for worn, curled or missing shingles and replace them.
• Repair loose or damaged siding.
• Examine soffit boards (horizontal surfaces under eaves).
• Make sure downspouts slope away from the home and carry water at least five feet from the foundation walls.
• Have a professional inspect your air conditioning system.
• Make sure sprinkler heads are directed away from the house to prevent water build-up near foundation walls.
• Remove clutter from storage areas to reduce fire hazards.
• Examine decks, porches and balconies for weak or broken railings and posts.  Railings should be spaced no more than four inches apart to prevent children from slipping through.
• Caulk and reseal window and door flashing, seals or weather stripping.
• Check the attic for moisture and surface discoloration.
• Check fire extinguishers in your kitchen and garage to make sure they are full and work properly.
• Install special outlets equipped with ground-fault circuit interrupters when outdoor electrical outlets are located near water sources.
• Be sure exterior walls are well painted and sealed.
• Inspect your lawn for rocks or other objects that could be launched from your lawnmower and injure others or damage property.
• Contact your insurance company or agent to review your Homeowners policy to be sure you have the coverage you want and need.

To order a free copy of our Maintenance Guide for Your Home, call NW Insurance Council at (800) 664-4942.  For more information about insurance, visit www.nwinsurance.org.

 NW Insurance Council is a nonprofit, public-education organization funded by member insurance companies serving Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Expensive holiday gifts and insurance

Are you insured? Expensive holiday gifts may require special insurance

The holidays are over and you may have received a beautiful new necklace, a piece of fine art, a new musical instrument or other high-value gift. You’ll want to enjoy your gifts for years to come, so it’s important to protect them from possible losses, such as theft or fire, by evaluating your insurance coverage.

Most homeowner’s policies have coverage for personal belongings. However, for items of special value such as jewelry, musical instruments, coins or fine arts, the included coverage is limited and may not meet your needs.

Standard Homeowners Insurance generally protects against loss of high-value items from causes such as fire, theft and other disasters up to a relatively small amount. Jewelry, fine art, furs, musical instruments and other expensive belongings typically have $1,000 to $2,500 worth of coverage, depending on your policy.

To protect your high-dollar items for their full value you can purchase special coverage in addition to your Homeowners or Renters Insurance, called a Floater or Endorsement. Floaters and Endorsements have no deductible and often include the option to replace the item in the event of a loss.

NW Insurance Council and the Insurance Information Institute offer the following consumer tips to help you enjoy your expensive gifts for years to come:

·       Contact your insurance company or agent to find out how much coverage you have under your currently policy and if additional insurance is needed to cover your expensive item or items.

·       Find a reputable appraiser to determine the dollar value of expensive items such as antiques, fine art and jewelry. The premium for an Endorsement is based on the appraised value. If you have a claim you will be compensated for the most recent appraised value.

·       Examine your jewelry periodically for signs of damage or loose stones and have your jewelry cleaned and checked annually. Many jewelers guarantee the safety of a stone if you have regular checkups. Also, store your jewelry in a safe place such as a safe deposit box.

·       Keep a video, photographic and written inventory of all personal property, including high-value items, and keep receipts.  This simplifies your insurance claim if you have a loss. 

·       You can access free, downloadable Home Inventory Software at NW Insurance Council’s website.

For more information on how to protect your valuables, visit NW Insurance Council or call
(800) 664-4942.

NW Insurance Council is a nonprofit, public-education organization funded by member insurance companies serving Washington, Oregon and Idaho.