Storing Your Stuff? Don’t Forget Your Insurance!!!

There are multiple reasons why people put their personal items in storage but there are also those horror stories you hear about items going missing or being damaged.  Now, before you go out and start buying storage and storage insurance contact your Home Owners/ Renters Insurance Company and see what your policy already covers.  Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind!

•  On average many insurers typically limit the “off-premises” coverage for items to 10-15% of the overall amount of coverage they have, you may need more!    
• Homeowner policies have internal caps.  Example: Cap of $1,000 on jewelry
• If you don’t have renters or homeowners insurance that covers stored items shop around at various insurance companies and get quotes! 
• See what various policies cover what in case of theft or weather-related events.  Most storage facilities make you sign a waiver stating they are not responsible for lost or damaged items.
• Make a list of what you put in the storage unit!

Good luck and contact Consumer United for your first quote!  

Filing a Homeowners Insurance Claim 101

Filing insurance claims can be stressful and confusing if you don’t have the right tools to go about it.  Whether a disaster or just a small accident its best to be prepared and that’s where I come in!  With the information below I can walk you through the process of filing a home insurance claim in as easy as 1,2,3! 

1.      Your insurance company must start investigating with damage within 15 days or receiving the written notice

a.      They have 15 days to either accept or reject your claim

b.      They have 5 days to pay for the claim if they accept it

c.      If your claim is rejected your company owes you a written explanation why

2.      Contact your agent or company immediately to find the following:

a.      Is there damage covered in your policy?

b.      Does the claim exceed your deductible?

c.      Will you need estimates of the repairs?

d.      How long will it take to process the claim?

3.      What your Insurance Company will do?

a.      Provide you with a contact person who will monitor your claim

b.      Send a company representative to view the damage

c.      Let you know whether the damage is covered under your policy and an estimate of the damage

d.      If you are covered under your policy they will pay you the necessary costs to repair or replace your damaged property

4.      Tips for a smooth process

a.      Know your insurance policy and ask questions to your agent or company representative

b.      Have your policy number available

c.      Make a list of the damaged property, photos are a plus!

d.      DO NOT make permanent repairs before the company has time to inspect your damage.  If you are insure what that consists of contact your agency ASAP

e.      Keep all damaged or removed materials

f.       Keep receipts and lists of all repair expenses for temporary fixes

g.      Keep an activity log of all your contacts, repairs, letters and other documents

h.      Be there when the inspector inspects your home

Follow these tips when filing a home insurance claim and lose the unnecessary hassle.  Remember, ASK QUESTIONS!    

Easy Ways to Make your Car More Fuel Efficient

Happy Monday!!!! The gas tank is getting closer to E and you pass a few gas stations and look at the price and think to yourself, “3.65!?!?” The gas price like almost everything else, besides the cost of homes, have increased over the years and it’s something that you need, just like car insurance  The national average in February has reached a high of 3.65. Here are 5 tips that will make your car more fuel efficient.
1.) Keep your air filter clean
2.) Check your gas cap
3.) Maintain proper tire pressure
4.) Avoid idling
5.) Change your driving habits
6.) Try to maintain your speed

Speed Demon Given Creative Sentencing

When driving a Ferrari I’m sure the adrenaline rush you feel is as though are on top of the world. I personally wouldn’t know but Frank Rodriguez Jr., a retired Army colonel had that same shot of adrenaline which landed him a speeding ticket, community service. Obviously he didn’t get the memo that maintaining your speed saves you money on gas however; when you drive a fire engine red 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena F1 I doubt saving money on gas is the first thing you are thinking of. Caught driving 90 mph in Austin, TX he was slapped a speeding ticket and a huge fine. Mr. Rodriguez had no problems paying the fine but thought it would be a much better and valuable idea to travel to various high schools and teach students about safe driving! Now that’s what I call creative Sentencing.

Be Greener this St. Paddy’s Day!

St. Paddy’s Day is right around the corner!  Everyone gets to be Irish for a day and the lucky Leprechaun has a pot of gold waiting for all of us at the end of the rainbow (we all wish).  In addition to wearing green why not practice being a bit greener in your living habits?  You’d be surprised but even the littlest bit helps.

·        Telecommute!  In a recent study it was found that staying home just twice a month can save the average American $169 a year on gas!  And we all know gas prices right now are through the roof, no pun intended.  Doesn’t mean become a homebody but walk, take public transportation or car pool!

·         Drive smarter not faster!  Driving faster may get you to where you want to be faster but you waste more money on gas.  Leave a few minutes early and save yourself some $$$

·        Lose the bottled water!  Not only have they done studies finding that drinking bottled water isn’t good for your health it costs more money!   To put this into perspective 1 bottle of water is at least $1 which is $8 a gallon.  That is more than twice the cost of an equal amount of gas!  A survey from the National Resources Defense Council found that Americans spend $4 billion a year on bottled water.  Here is a link for the top 5 eco-friendly reusable water bottles.  http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1865754,00.html

·        Bargain shop!  Check out Amazon, eBay, Craigslist, Google Shopping for items and compare prices.

·        Cooler water!  Wash clothes in cooler water.  Cold water cleans clothes just as much as warm water and you don’t need to waste money heating it up J

·        RECYCLE!  Start a recycling bin. 

·        Bring your own bags to the grocery store and save the plastic bags for someone who forgot.

For more advice on being eco-friendly and check out www.ecolivingadvice.com!  

Money Saving tips for 2012

It’s already March 2012 which means you still have some time to save yourself and household money.  As the tough economy continues I thought I’d share some of my findings. 

1.)    Lose the TV Package- take a note of which channels you watch of a two week basis and then do some research to find which package works best for your household

2.)    Discount grocery shopping!  You’ve seen the show Extreme Couponing- and although I know it’s a bit to an extreme I am saying everything is great in reasonable portions.  Take the time to flip through the coupon section or check out some of the manufacturers websites that you frequently purchase at the stores.  Here are some great links

a.      http://thekrazycouponlady.com/

b.      http://www.coupons.com/

c.      http://www.redplum.com/

3.)    Take advantage of Groupon, Buy With Me, Eversave and so forth.  All provide local deals on restaurants, shows, gyms, spas and other services! 

Stay tuned throughout 2012 for some more money saving ideas!  

4 Years at Consumer United and Still Going Strong!

Daniel Marzinotto, Consumer United’s glowing VP of Sales Training is celebrating his 4^th year anniversary today!  Four years ago Dan, also known as Marz, was on the phones selling policies.  From there he had moved up to Sales Manager but decided to share his insurance and sales knowledge to all of our new trainees that come in through CU’s doors.  Why not have the best, train the best?  Consumer United is growing tremendously with an excellent team of 100 individuals here in Boston and our team in Denver, CO.  If you’d like to join the fun, knowledgeable and growing CU team please send your resume to careers@consumerunited.com and you may even get  the chance to work with the sales guru,  Daniel Marzinotto, himself!  

Electronic Proof of Insurance? Why not?

It’s absolutely crazy when you think of the things that we can do on cell phones now days.  I personally can’t go anywhere without my cell phone or I feel naked.  It was this morning on the train that I took a look up from my iPhone and realized everyone around me were ALL on their phones too!  Just to think we used to have those huge cell phones back in the stone ages, then the flip phones, then color and pictures and now?  There are endless limits of the things you can do and crazy amounts of apps that make everything, well, EASIER!

A California legislator’s bill to allow auto insurance policyholders to provide proof of coverage via a Smartphone is the new “in”, going paperless and green!  States such as Idaho, Arizona, Maryland and Mississippi are to follow. 

“Most people today, their whole life is on their cell phone and their laptop,” Assemblyman Mike Gatto said.  “They have a paperless life… they just feel this is a total hassle to keep this paper in their car.  This would just make it a lot easier for folks.”   Agreed! 

Stay tuned!  Since the bill is currently in Assembly, it won’t be heard in committee until March 17^th!   Stay tuned for an update.  

The ABC's of Auto Insurance

Happy Monday!

It’s hard to shop for something when you DON’T KNOW what it means!  It’s like going to an Italian restaurant, taking a look at the menu and having no idea what you are about to order.  I put together a list of the most common auto insurance terms that will you help you out.

Comprehensive Coverage- This is not the same as COMPLETE coverage.  It only means that your auto is covered in situations such as damage, theft or vandalism.  NOT Collisions and of course a deductible amount will apply.

Bodily Injury liability- The part of your auto insurance policy that pays for injuries that you may cause another driver or pedestrian i.e. medical expenses and loss of wages

Deductible amount- The amount you pay before the insurance agency pays the rest.  Average deductible rates range from $100-$1,000 however the higher your deductible, the lower your insurance premium is. 

Liability insurance- Covers the injuries you may cause to other vehicles or drivers when you are at fault for the accident.  Most states require liability coverage. 

Property Damage- Pays for damages you may cause to another car or property.

Uninsured motorist- Covers injuries to you caused by a driver without insurance i.e. your medical expenses.  Some states will include damages to your car as well.

Collision coverage- Pays for repairs to your vehicle after a collision with another vehicle or object.  Deductible amounts will apply.

Now study up and check out a free auto insurance quote!  

Renewing Auto Insurance for Dummies

Before starting at Consumer United I would have had NO idea what different factors or tid bits of information I should know when renewing my auto insurance.  Everyone’s insurance premium rate is different and is based on a variety of factors such as; what car you drive; where you live; how old you are; driving record and so forth.  Brought to you directly from the Insurance Information Institute are some tips that you should know on renewing and getting the best price possible for you insurance!

1.)    Shop around!  Just like buying a car or house, take a look around the market place.  See what type of prices various insurance companies are offering and do a detailed comparison.

a.      Check out your QUOTE HERE! 

2.)    Before buying a car, contact some insurance companies and price out the auto insurance, repair costs, safety record and retail price of the car.

3.)    INCREASE your deductible!  I know it sounds silly but if you request a higher deductible (amount you pay before you insurance policy kicks in) you can actually lower the costs. 

4.)    Older Car? If the market value of your car is less than 10 times your auto insurance premium that you are paying it may not make sense to purchase the optional comprehensive or collision coverage.

5.)    Discounts Discounts Discounts!  Ask about various discounts that you may be eligible for such as

•      Anti-theft devices
•    Multiple Policies with the same company
•      College students living out of the house
•     Defensive driving courses
•     Drivers Ed courses
•      Good credit record
•      Higher deductibles
•      Low annual mileage
•      Long-time customer and loyalty
•     Multiple cars
•      No accidents
•      No moving violations
•     Student drivers with good grades- Honor roll students!

For more information check out http://www.iii.org/articles/how-can-i-save-money.html

Consumer-Centric is the New Black

For the past 5 years Consumer United has been providing consumers with our industry knowledge and expertise!   We want to make sure that you have all the right tools to purchase and renew your insurance while saving more money in 2012.  Nowadays people are buying everything online like groceries, pets, cars, vacations, spouses, clothes etc. so why not insurance and at the best rate possible?  This is where “Consumer-Centric” carriers like us come into play. 

Servicing states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and Texas we team up with insurance companies such as Progressive and our girl, Flow, The Harford, 21^st Century, Safeco, Infinity, Bunker Hill, Plymouth Rock, Travelers and Metlife to find out what the best priced insurance is for you!  Take a minute to fill out this form for a FREE QUOTE; you could be spending more money than you have to!