3 Questions Answered About Insuring Your Firearms

1. Does my homeowners insurance cover my firearm collection?

Answer: A regular homeowners policy provides limited coverage for your firearms. That coverage is usually limited to $1500 for losses caused by theft. The coverage also limits the losses your collection is insured against to, “named perils”, such as theft and fire.

Solution: We offer enhanced home policies with many of our companies that provide more coverage for firearms, up to $5000. We also offer both scheduled and blanketed firearm coverage. A schedule or a blanket can cover your firearms for “all risk”. Your firearms are covered beyond, the normally covered perils, to include things like losing a firearm because of a capsized duck boat or damages from breakage caused from dropping a weapon while hunting.

2. Do I have to give you each individual firearm’s serial number and other details?

Answer: If you are scheduling a firearms collection each firearm and it’s information would need to be listed on the policy.

Solution: By covering your firearms on a blanket policy you can insure your entire collection without giving the details of each firearm. Your entire collection would be covered up to  a certain value. This works great for all but the most expensive individual firearms.

3. Is it expensive to insure my firearms?

Answer: It is more affordable than ever to insure your firearm collection and there are better options than ever.

Solution: By combining you home, auto, and firearms collection under the same company you can save up to 30% on your home and auto. Your firearms collection can be insured for as little as $10 per $1000 of coverage.

We can be reached by phone in California at 661-327-5531, in Idaho at 208-366-8366, by email agent@crosbyandcrosby.com or live chat below.

Crosby and Crosby Insurance has been helping our customers find great insurance since 1963. We are licensed to write business in California, Idaho and Wisconsin.

Too Bad Summer Is Over But Great News for Teachers

The long days of summer are coming to an end and teachers are excitedly returning to their classrooms. You are excited right? There is some good news; about 179 days remain, and Crosby and Crosby offers teachers up to a 10% discount on their auto insurance.

We offer this discount for all full-time, and credientialed, teachers.

Combine your teachers discount with multi-policy discounts up to 25% for some great savings. Check with us or get a quote online.

Claims 101- Why We Are Here

Ultimately you purchase insurance to protect you in the event you have a unforeseen claim. No one plans to have a claim, but what can you expect when you have one?

Turning a Claim In

Turning your claim into your company is the first process in getting your damage repaired. As your agents we’re always available to help. Our companies claims departments are open 24/7/365 to get your claim started. Most offer the ability to turn your claim in online. You can view our online claims page to get stated.

What’s Next?

Once your claim has been turned in, you will receive a claims number and the contact information for the claims adjuster. That adjuster will contact you within 1 business day to begin the process of repairing your damage.

Crosby and Crosby will also receive a confirmation of your claim and be able to assist you along with the company.

Why you have an agent

Claims can be a very confusing time, especially for people who are not use to dealing with claims. As your local and trusted agent we are here to assist you and walk you through the claims process. The number one issue that we deal with is miscommunication between the claims adjuster and the insured. Claims adjusters deal with claims everyday. Many of our insureds dealing with claims for the first time.

As your agent we advocate for you and can help to smooth over the claims process and address any concerns that you, our client, may have.

Peace of Mind

Our history as a local agency for the last 48 years was built on giving our customers peace of mind. We represent the strongest companies and have long relationships with them. You can expect extraordinary service if you have a claim!

Do you get an insurance discount for being a teacher?

Yes! We offer auto insurance discounts up to 12.5% for full-time teachers. The discount applies across the whole auto policy. Every vehicle on the policy has the discount applied.

Combine Your Home and Auto Insurance in Bear Valley Springs

We write a lot of insurance for Bear Valley residents. The air is clear, it is cooler than the valley and there are great views. A lot of people, we talk to have had problems finding a great company that will insure both their home and autos. Bear Valley has areas that many insurance companies are not willing to write homeowners business in. These areas fall into high brush and high wildfire areas.

For a large amount of Bear Valley homes we are able to write business with a preferred company and combine home and auto insurance. Combining your policies is simply the best way to get a great value from your insurance policy. You can now save up to 30% by combining your policies!

If you have been turned down before for homeowners insurance in Bear Valley check with us. Give us a call at 661-327-5531, email us at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com or stop by 111 “H” Street in Bakersfield.

Getting Great Insurance for Rental Properties

Whether you are a first time landlord with a single property or have lots of experience with multiple properties, insuring your property correctly is crucial. As a landlord you must  protect you property against loss as well as the liability that may arise from a 3rd party or even the tenant. Here is a quick checklist of important coverages that you should be considered for a residential rental property.

• DP-3 Extended Perils- To get the broadest coverage available you should consider a DP-3 which provides for extended perils including vandalism.
• Replacement Cost- Always choose replacement cost coverage! In the event of a loss the property will be repaired for full replacement without depreciation.
• Premises Liability- To protect yourself from a liability claim you should choose to carry premises liability with a limit that fits your needs.
• Loss of Rents- this coverage provides for the loss of rent if you have a covered loss that forces the tenant to leave the property and stop paying the rent.

Personal Injury Endorsement- One of the fastest growing losses for landlords is a lawsuit from a tenant or past tenant for wrongful eviction, slander or defamation. These losses are not normally covered on a regular policy’s liability. Many companies are now offering “Personal Injury” protection as an endorsement on their policy. For under $25 a year this coverage is a must have!

F.A.Q.’s

What if my rental property is currently vacant? If your rental property is currently vacant you need to get a “Vacant Dwelling” policy. The policy is more expensive than if it were occupied. Prices have come down and you can now secure an annual policy without any minimum premium. So if the property becomes occupied a shorter time period you aren’t hit with a large premium.

Can I get discount on my policies for having a dwelling policy? Yes! You can save up to 5% additional on your home and auto policy by combining a dwelling fire policy. You can save up to 30% on your home and 25% on your auto for combining all your policies including dwelling fire.

Want to talk more?

Give us a call 661-327-5531 or email us agent@crosbyandcrosby.com .

Avoid Our Most Common Home Claim and Keep your Rates Down

Our most common homeowners claim is for; personal property stolen from a vehicle. Over 1.95 million car breakins are reported to police annually in these United States. Many clients think since the property is stolen from the vehicle that the coverage applies from the auto policy. The majority of auto policies exlude coverage for personal property even when it is in your vehicle.  Personal property in your vehicle ultimately is covered from your homeowners policy.

The damage to your vehicle such as, a broken window or stolen in-dash stereo, is covered on your auto policy. Your perosnal property is covered on your home policy. So a car break-is a double whammy in that you maybe responsible for two deductibles, the auto and home. Or if the claim doesn’t meet your deductible the entire damage may be out of pocket.

Preventing claims can go a long way in making sure you are getting the best value from your insurance. Leaving expensive personal property in your vehicle, even when locked, is an invitation for a loss and a claim.

Here are some quick tips to help prevent breakins:

1. Don’t keep valuable items in your car if at all possible
2. Hide items that may clue in thiefs as to valuable electronics such as: chargers, suction cups for gps and plugins for IPODS
3. Park in a visible spot
4. Turn on your alarm and leave the windows shut

Want to talk about other tips to protect your stuff? 661-327-5531

3 Things to Do This Week for Better Insurance Without Breaking the Bank

If you are like us, Monday’s are days to make progress and the start to a big week. So how can you get better insurance, insurance that better protects you and your family, without breaking the bank? Here are 3 simple and pain free (on the wallet) tips to consider this week.

Personal Umbrella Policy

What it is: A personal umbrella policy or by better name, personal catastrophe policy, is protection that goes above and beyond your normal policy limits. If you have a claim that exceeds your auto or home policy limits your umbrella kicks in. An umbrella policy also may help you to fill in gaps in coverage that are missing from your other policies. Policy limits from $1 million to $10 million are available.

Who needs it? In our opinion most individuals and nearly all families would benefit from a personal umbrella policy. An umbrella can help to protect your assets such as; retirement accounts, savings accounts, checking accounts, all the great things you own, home equity and the value of your future earnings.

How much? Remeber this was going to be painless on your wallet, right? By matching an umbrella policy with your policy to take advantage of discounts of up to 10% you can purchase an umbrella policy for often less than $10/month. I would give up 2 mochas and a bagel per month for that!

Identity Theft Protection

What it is: Protection if you become a victim of identity theft. Most credit cards now include a 0% liability feature if you card is lost or stolen. Other expenses such as;  legal expenses, notary fees, lost work and restoring your credit, may be covered.

Who needs it? Identity theft is available on homeowners, renters and condo owners policies. Anyone can become the victim of identity theft and the cost makes it affordable to protect yourself.

How much? Identity theft protection is now only $5-$25.year. Prices have come down substantially since the coverage was first offered.

Term Life Coverage

What is it? Term Life is life insurance coverage that covers you for a set amount of time at an agreed price. For example you chose a $250,000 policy for a period of 15 years at $40 per month. Policies are available for $100,000 and up and terms of 10-30 years.

Who needs it? If you death would cause your family financial harm then you should protect them with term life coverage.

How much? Rates for term life coverage have never been lower. As we live longer, term life rates have gone down. For a non-smoker in good health rates start for around $20/month.

“Good Will and Confidence” – Thats What He Said

Selecting your insurance agent and company is a little different than smelling a tasty melon at the market or trying on another pair of shoes. So what ultimately do you hinge your decision on? Insurance is something you can’t smell, can’t look at in the mirror and ultimately comes in a rather large envelope with similar sounding terms and conditions.

Are all insurance companies the same? Is insurance just a commodity where the lowest price is the winner?

H.K. Dent, the founder of Safeco Insurance, said, “Insurance produces nothing, it replaces. We have nothing to sell except goodwill and confidence”.

So rather than producing a tasty melon that you can enjoy or a pair of shoes that look and fit great- we produce “goodwill and confidence”.

The good will and confidence; that assures you that you are getting the best value for your insurance, that lets you know a friend will be sitting on the other side of the desk when you need us and that our experience will help you to make the best decision, choosing your insurance.

Ultimately insurance is not equal. We have built our careers and our business on providing great insurance and a tremendous value to our customers. Our customers can feel, “the good will and confidence” we have been producing since 1963.

Is Your Home in a High-Risk Fire or Brush Area? Some Tips on How to Insure it

Many homeowners are finding that their current insurance company is not offering renewals because their home is located in a fire or brush area. New home buyers in those areas are finding that getting adequate coverage can be tough.

Companies are using more underwriting information to better access potential risks. Your home location is listed in an “ISO Public Protection Class”. This rating measures the fire departments ability to suppress a fire at your home. Ratings are listed from 1-10. A rating of 1 is listed as “superior” and a 10 would not meet ISO’s minimum rating. Companies may also use other tools to identify homes in high risk areas.

No matter how severe the fire area, there are options to get the proper coverage to meet your needs.

What an insurance company will consider…

• distant from the responding fire station (less than 5 is good, over 10 is higher risk)
• distance to fire hydrants or water storage tanks
• clearance from brush
• home construction type and roof type
• wildfire history in the area

Specific Area Concerns

Slight Fire and Brush Areas (Outer Areas of Tehachapi, Bear Valley, Hart Flat near Highway 58)

If you own a home in these areas, many companies may not be willing to write coverage for you. There are plenty of companies available including preferred companies like Travelers Insurance. Travelers offers a “tiered” program for homes in brush areas starting with “Eligible” being no brush risk to “Eligible 3″ being the highest brush risk they are willing to consider.

The benefit of a company like Travelers considering higher risk homes is that you can still qualify for a multi-policy discount and get a great value on your insurance.

Properties that are ineligible for Travelers tiered policy can still be placed with companies such as Foremost, American Reliable or American Modern.

Things that are considered are;  road access, slope and elevation of the property, possible smoke drift from a large forest fire, construction type and roof type.

High Fire and Brush Risk (upper Bear Valley, unprotected areas of Tehachapi, areas of Hart Flat, Shaver Lake, Alta Sierra)

If your home is classified as being in a severe fire area and other companies are unwilling to write a policy for you, you should consider the California Fair Plan. The Fair Plan is a syndicate of all property insurers licensed to do business in California and was established in 1968. The California Fair Plan is intended to be the “insurer of last resort” for hard to place policies.

 The California Fair Plan has major gaps in coverage that make it unsuitable for most needs without a “wrap-around” policy. A “wrap-around” policy helps to fill coverage gaps such as liability coverage, loss of use coverage and extended perils such as theft or burglary.

“Wrap-around” policies are offered by many major carriers and may qualify you for a multi-policy discount. A Fair Plan policy with a “Wrap-around” may offer you an economical policy to help insure your home in a high-risk area.

Need more info?

If you have specific questions about your homes wildfire or brush risk, we would be glad to talk with you. You can call us at 661-327-5531, email us at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com or stop by 111 “H” Street in Bakersfield.