Packaging Your Bakersfield Home and Auto Insurance The Easy Way

A large majority of potential clients we meet say they are looking for a better deal on their insurance. Many of those potential clients aren’t taking advantage of the easiest way to save, combining their auto and home insurance.

Combining your home and auto insurance is the simplest way to get a better value for your insurance.

Crosby and Crosby Insurance has been helping Bakersfield residents combine their policies since 1963. Our great companies like- Safeco, Travelers and Kemper Preferred offer savings up to 20% for combining your home and auto policies.

Some benefits of combining your home and auto insurance are:

• Savings up to 20%
• Increased and enhanced coverages
• Our package policies with Kemper Preferred and Safeco provide a single policy for both home and auto
• A knowledgeable local agent to help you choose the correct coverage options and assist you with claims

It is now easier than ever to get a quote for combining your home and auto insurance. You can try Crosby and Crosby’s online rater now for a great comparison quote 24 hrs/day. You can talk to us at 661-327-5531 or stop by our office at 111 “H” Street.

Tuesday Insurance Questions… Are insurance policies all the same, Best Bakersfield Health Insurance, ATVs in a Garage

We have another batch of our “Tuesday Insurance Questions”. If you have questions about insurance send us an email at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com.

Question: Are all insurance policies the same?

The answer is loudly a big shouting “NO”!!! On the basic level of the actual policy contract and how it is written companies use a similar form. The key word is similar. How does your policy wording cover things like- water backup, valuable items like your jewelry and firearms and your liability? Especially with so-called “tiered” policies the policy contract can vary drastically even within the same company.

It pays to speak with a knowledgeable agent like Crosby and Crosby to discuss specific contracts and policy coverages.

Some policies are the Motel 6 of the insurance world and some are the Ritz. Spending a $100 per night at a Motel 6 is probably a rip-off but probably is a great  deal at the Ritz. The same goes with insurance. Make sure you are getting a great deal at the Ritz and not paying for bargain basement coverage. And never forget to watch for bedbugs!

What is the best health insurance company in Bakersfield?

Health insurance is one that we have seen a ton of changes within the last few years and the markets can change literally overnight. Depending on your individual situation and the coverages that you are looking for the company may be different.

We offer coverage from Anthem, Blue Shield, Aetna and now Kaiser. These 4 companies can give us a great snapshot of the best company for your needs.

To get a health quote you can complete the online form, email our health agent Jennifer Crosby at jenni@crosbyandcrosby.com  or give us a call 661-327-5531.

Are my ATV’s covered under my homeowners insurance while they are in my garage?

This is a very common question and usually gets lumped in with dirt bikes, off-road vehicles,  personal watercraft, and power boats. Your homeowners policy very specifically excludes  coverage for, “Motor Vehicles or all other motorized land conveyances”.

If you vehicle is not subject to motor vehicle registration and is used for service at your residence or for the assistance of the handicapped it may be covered.

If you have a ATV or off-road vehicle such as a dirt bike or dune buggy please speak to us about coverage.

Coverage is very affordable and you do not have coverage on your homeowners policy even while in your garage.

That wraps up this ”Question and Answer”. Make sure to send us your questions! 

Tuesday Insurance Questions… Insurance for Boats, Moving Your Insurance to Idaho, Wood Shake Roofs

Today we are kicking off our new Tuesday Insurance Questions to help answer all of your insurance questions plus anything else you can throw at us. If you have a specific question you would like us to answer send us an email at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com.

Question: What is the best way to get insurance on my boat and what coverages should I choose?

Answer: The days of having to write your boat with a separate company from your home and auto insurance are in the past. The best way to get both the best value and the best coverages for your boat is combining the boat coverage with your home and auto insurance. For example Safeco, Kemper and Travelers all now offer excellent boat coverage for everything from wake boarding boats to bass boats. The best thing is that adding a boat policy may actually give your a discount on your other policies such as auto and home!

A boat insurance policy is going to have several options. You are going to want a policy that offers “agreed value” in the event the boat is destroyed. That is the policy will pay a value that is agreed to on the policy as opposed to a depreciated amount. Don’t forget coverage for the trailer and personal property such as fishing equipment and electronics that you may keep on the boat.

Last but not least you are going to want to discuss your coverage needs for both liability and uninsured boaters coverage. Don’t skimp on the uninsured boaters coverage! Many boaters on the water chose not to carry any coverage and in the event they cause an accident the uninsured boaters coverage will protect your and the passengers on the boat.

Question: I am moving from California to Idaho and need to transfer my insurance. How do I do that?

Answer: Many agencies are to be licensed to do business only in California. Crosby and Crosby is both licensed to write insurance in Idaho as well as having a local office in Boise. If you are currently insured with Travelers, Safeco or Kemper we can help you to transfer your existing California policy to Idaho and maintain all longevity credits that you are receiving. Our phone number in Idaho is 208-366-8366.

Question: I have a wood shake roof and am currently getting cancelled by my current insurance company. What can I do?

Answer: We have written several blog post about wood shake roofs including this one, “The Best Way to Get Homeowners Insurance for a Wood Shake Roof”. If your roof is in relatively good condition and less than 25 years old we can help find you great coverage. You can even quote and purchase online here.

Crosby and Crosby Insurance is a leading independent agency for great companies like Travelers, Safeco and Kemper Auto and Home. We are licensed in California, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Wisconsin.

We can be reached to answer any of your questions at 661-327-5531 or 208-366-8366 in Idaho or you can email us at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com

Why Most Insurance Quotes Are Boring

Get an instant comparison insurance quote with us now

There is no reason getting an insurance quote should be boring! You are doing something that will help to protect your family and hopefully is going to help you get a better value along the way.

Why should you go through the repetitive task of comparing exactly the same coverage over and over and hoping you come across a good deal?

There is a better way to shop for insurance. It starts with having several options and companies to chose from and ends with building a relationship with a trusted agent that can help you to make the best decision on your insurance.

Whether you prefer to call us on the phone or complete your quote online with Crosby and Crosby you are going to get several quotes with different options to compare. You can save time and compare options from great companies like Travelers, Kemper Auto and Home and Safeco Insurance.

You can call and discuss your quote with one of our agents at 661-327-5531 or if you prefer you can quote online now.

Quote and Buy Safeco Insurance Online and Get a Great Agent

There is certainly a lot of benefits to shopping for your insurance online and being able to quote and even purchase a policy online. With Safeco’s new quote and issue feature you can take advantage of the best of both worlds by purchasing a policy online and at the same time partnering with a great agent.

Many people think buying direct from the company can save you money. Whether you buy insurance directly from Safeco or from our agency the cost is exactly the same. What you get when you purchase your insurance through our agency is a trusted partner. As a, H.K. Dent recognized agency, Crosby and Crosby Insurance has been recognized as one of the top 10% of all Safeco agents in the nation.

The 1-on-1 Difference

With Crosby and Crosby Insurance you are assigned one agent that will handle your account during your application, will assist you with claims, and will be your independent advisor to make sure you are getting the proper coverage.

Get a quote now!!!

You can quote online 24 hours a day and even purchase the policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions or would like help with your quote call us at 661-327-5531 in California, 208-366-8366 in Idaho or toll free 1-888-710-7816.

Crosby and Crosby Insurance Services is licensed to write business in California, Idaho, Washington and Wisconsin.

What is Going on with Bakersfield Home Insurance?

I was speaking with a potential new customer on the phone last week about her 20+ year relationship with her current insurance company. Her current agent represents a single company. Over the years her rates have been going up but this newest renewal she had an increase of over 20%.

For the last 5 years insurance rates have been fairly steady. Within the last year many companies have had substantial increases in their premiums.

While speaking with this customer I explained to her the simple but effective way we have been able to help our customers when insurance rates rise.

- Maximize discounts! Many times when a company files for a rate increase they may change or add a new discount to keep the premium attractive to their preferred customers.

- Offer multiple companies! By representing multiple companies we can offer other options. I couldn’t imagine being able to only offer our customers a single insurance company. If one company raises rates we can shop around for the best value for our client.

- Review our clients needs! Sometimes by spending 5 minutes  we can better access our clients changing needs. Many people that were only comfortable with a $500 deductible 10-years ago may be better served with a $1000 deductible today and so on.

By taking advantage of the simple things that I have mentioned above you can make sure you are getting the best value for your home insurance.

Give us a call today 661-327-5531. Ryan, Scott, Larry and Paula are waiting to help you with all of your insurance needs.

The Best Way to Get Homeowner’s Insurance for a Wood Shake Roof

Many companies are making it harder to insure homes with a wood shake roof. With our agency and through Safeco Insurance you can now quote and issue home insurance for wood shake roofs up to 25 -years old instantly online.

If your home is currently: owner occupied, in above average condition and loss free (1 small weather related claim may be acceptable), you should consider Safeco and Crosby and Crosby Insurance Service for your home insurance.

Click on our quote link and you will be able to securely and quickly get a quote on your home insurance. The entire process takes about 5 minutes and you can complete your quote with very little information. Once you quote has been generated you can purchase your quote directly online or contact one of our agents at 661-327-5531 and get a free insurance review and have all your questions answered.

You can instantly quote your home insurnace and purchase the policy online if you live in California, Idaho or Wisconsin.

 Tips for Quoting Your Wood-Shake Roof

• You can save up to 15% for combining your home and auto insurance
• Your roof should be in good physcial condition. If you have questions call 661-327-5531 or email us at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com
• The quote process from completion to purchase should take less than 10 minutes

You can enjoy the advantages of having a trusted agent and the convenience of quoting and purchasing your policy online 365 days a year/24 hours/day.

Crosby and Crosby Insurance Services is an independent agent serving California, Wisconsin and Idaho.

Should I Purchase Earthquake Insurance?

Should you purchase earthquake insurance for your home? That is a question that we hear often because homeowners insurance companies in California are required to offer

USGS Earthquake Map

earthquake insurance to their policy holders. You will always receive an offer when you write  a new policy and at least every other year after that.

Should you take that offer?

You should make that decision based on the following 2- questions:

Could an earthquake destroy my house?

Would a earthquake destroying my home cause me to go bankrupt or have great financial pain?

Both of those answers are clearly; YES! If you live in the Western United States we are always waiting for the “big one” that would destroy our home in seconds. The damage or destruction of your home would cause the vast majority of us to go bankrupt or have great financial pain in trying to recover.

“Isn’t Earthquake Insurance very expensive”? Earthquake insurance rates have been falling in recent years and are quite affordable. Most homes in California can be insured for earthquake coverage for a few hundred dollars per year. Insurance Companies tend to have short memories and the Northridge Earthquake in 1994 was the last major earthquake event in California. In fact the Northridge Earthquake completely reshaped the California home insurance market with as much as $25,000,000,000 in damages.

“Isn’t Earthquake Insurance very limited in what it covers”? As rates have fallen, the coverage offerings have also improved. You can now purchase a policy with a lower 10% (as opposed to 15%) deductible, increased coverage for personal property, loss of use and building code upgrades.

“How do I purchase coverage”? Most earthquake insurance is required to be written through your homeowners insurance policy. Many companies allow you to purchase earthquake insurance at any time during your policy (prior to a loss of course). Some companies only allow you to start an earthquake policy when they offer it each or every other renewal.

“If I have a big loss and my home is destroyed I am sure the state or federal government will help me to rebuild”. It is actually a very common response when talking about earthquake insurance. We help our customers protect themselves and their families and it certainly is not prudent to “hope” that the government will step in to help when you need them.

If you have questions you can talk to us by phone 661-327-5531 or by email at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com. You can also complete an instant quote here.

Update: Travelers Insurance Enhances Coverage for Identity Theft

In 2009, 11.1 million adults were victimized by Identity Fraud. In addition to the $25,000 in coverage offered Travelers has added additional coverage to meet insureds needs. Some of the coverage enhancements that have been added include the possible reimbursement of expenses such as:

• expenses related to medical identity fraud,
• expanded attorney fees for tax and employment fraud,
• travel expenses up to $1000/week for up to 5 weeks when victims are required to travel to the jurisdiction in which the identity fraud took place,
• expenses and fees associated with acquiring new identification cards, drivers licenses and passports.

In addition Travelers provides customers access to a consumer fraud specialist that can assist in the process of restoring their identity. Joe Reynolds, Identity Fraud Product Manager for Travelers said, ”a survey of Travelers claims data show that most people fall victim to identity theft through old-fashioned tactics such as stealing someones license, passport or Social Security card and then committing complex frauds with the easily acquired information.”

Remember to keep your important documents secure- if you haven’t done so speak with us about Identity Theft Insurance. It is available for all Travelers homeowners, renters, and condo customers  for $25 per year. We also offer Identity Theft Protection for our customers insured with Kemper Auto and Home and Safeco.

Call us at 661-327-5531 in California, 208-366-8366 in Idaho

Come to see us in Bakersfield at 111 “H” Street

Or email us at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com

You can also chat live with us below-

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How do I get insurance for a home with a wood shingle roof?

Question: How do I insured my home with a wood roof?

The Crosby Solution:

Insuring a home with a wood shake roof has become more difficult as many insurance companies have decided not to offer insurance on homes with wood roofs. In addition, many companies have age restrictions on wood roofs and since most builders stopped using wood roofs in the late 1980’s age restrictions are causing many people to be cancelled or have difficulty finding insurance.

The insurance solution for you wood roof depends on what sitution you fall under.

My roof is newer than 25 years old and in good condition

If your roof is newer than 25-years-old and in good condition finding a great policy to meet your needs is as simple as talking to an independent agent like Crosby and Crosby or getting an online quote now. You should not be required to pay a surcharge for a wood-roof less than 25-years old and can find a highly rated, preferred company to write your policy. To judge the condition of your roof there should not be; excessive curling of the shingles, missing shingles, or loose shingles on the roof.

My roof is older than 25-years-old or in poor condition 

 - The best option would be to find a company that offers a full “homeowners” or HO-3 contract. The policy will likely be more expensive but in the event of a loss such as, wind damage to the roof or water leaking through the roof and damaging your contents, you will have the coverage that you need.

- Another option may be to find a policy with an exclusion for losses arising out of damage to the roof. Because coverage is limited you should only consider a policy like this if your roof is in very bad repair and there is not another option.

Contact us for more information

If you have a question about insuring a home with a wood roof we would love to help. We are licensed to do business in California, Idaho and Wisconsin and can answer insurance questions for homes in those states. You can get an instant quote here. You can contact us at 661-327-5531, 208-366-8366 (Idaho), by email at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com or by using our live help link below during normal business hours.

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