Bakersfield Wind Storm: Fence Damage and your Insurance

We are currently having a lot of claims for damaged fences from the high winds in Kern County. Here is a quick tutorial on the coverage your homeowners policy affords you and how we can help.

Coverage: Damage to your fence is covered under “Coverage B (Other Structures) subject to your deductible.

There are 2 types of fences and they apply differently to your insurance:

Shared Fences: Shared fences are fences that are shared with your neighbors. Your responsibility is for 50% of the cost of the damage to the fence. In the case of a shared fence your insurance company will pay 1/2 of the amount of the damage and split your deductible in 1/2. For example if there is $3000 in total damage and you have a $1000 deductible the insurance company will pay $1500 minus 1/2 of your deductible ($500) for a total of $1000.

Things to remember:

• You are responsible for 1/2 of the damage to a shared fence
• Your insurance company will split your deductible and you will be responsible for paying 1/2 of the deductible

Non-Shared Fences: Non-shared fences are fences that you don’t share with a neighbor such as front or side fence. You are responsible for 100% of the expense. If you have $3000 in damage the insurance company will pay $3000 minus your deductible.

Things to remember:

• You are responsible for 100% of the damage to a non-shared fence.
• The damage to your fence is covered under your homeowners policy minus your deductible

If you have a claim or want to discuss a possible claim give us a call 661-327-5531.  You can email us at ryanatcrosbyandcrosbydotcom (regular email format).

To turn in a claim directly to the company visit our claims page at http://www.crosbyandcrosby.com/claims/

Rest assured our emphasis is helping you handle a claim. It is never fun and can be confusing. We can help and make the process easy. We won’t say “fun” but we will handle your claim: quickly, efficiently and fairly. Aren’t you glad you chose a local agent?

Dealing with Rain, Wind and Weather Related Insurace Claims

January and February are our biggest months for weather related losses in Bakersfield. So what is the best way to handle these claims?

1. Secure your property against further loss. For a covered weather related loss- the insurance company will reimburse the out of pocket expenses to secure your property against further damage.

2.  Turn in your claim directly with the carrier.

Travelers: 1-800-252-4633 – Safeco 1-800-332-3226

Kemper Auto and Home: 1–888–252–2799

For other companies and to turn in claims online: http://www.crosbyandcrosby.com/claims/

3. A claims adjuster will contact you within 1 business day. Crosby and Crosby will be notified of your claim and we will follow-up to assist you and answer any questions that you may have. We can be reached at 661-327-5531.

4. Rest assured that with any of the companies we represent you are dealing with a great company that will quickly, effciently and fairly handle your claim. Plus Crosby and Crosby as your local agent will be there to assist you through your claim.

If you are unsure if you have a covered claim or need assistance don’t hesitate to contact us 661-327-5531 or email us at agentatcrosbyandcrosbydot com.

Weather related claims information

Rain: Covered losses include the damage caused by leaking or damaged roofs.  Secure your home against further damage and contact your company directly.

Wind: Wind related losses are the most common type of losses in Bakersfield. Damage to roofs and/or fences are the most common.

Other Weather Related Claims: Auto accidents increase during wet weather. Make sure to exchange information with the other people involved in the accident and get contact information from any witnesses.

Why Kemper Auto and Home Insurance is right for you in 2010!

Why might Kemper Auto and Home be the right company for your insurance needs in 2010?

New and Improved Discounts

• Good Driver and Superior Good Driver discount up to 24%
• New occupation discounts for teachers, California Medical Association members, law enforcement officers including California Highway Patrol and California Correctional Officers, dentist, engineers, pilots, accountants, EMT’s and veterinarians
• Newly increased multi-policy discounts 15%

Innovative Coverage Solutions

• Combined home and auto policies into 1-single policy- 1-policy number and a single declarations page make it simple. (Mortgage billed home policies will bill home premium to mortgage)
• Repair/Replace Coverage for new autos- Includes gap coverage and will repair or replace your vehicle with a new vehicle of similar make and kind for losses not caused by fire, theft or larceny.*
• Towing Labor coverage limits up to $300 available*
• Classic and Elite Endorsements include important coverage upgrades in a single endorsement. Includes coverages such as “all risk” coverage on personal property, enhanced personal property limits such as $10,000 in jewelry coverage and $5000 in firearms coverage,  includes “personal injury” protection on liability coverage.*

Local Claims Adjusters to Assist You In A Claim

• Local claims adjusters that work for Kemper are available to assist you during a claim and get your claims resolved quickly and fairly.
• Kemper consistently ranks high in claims satisfaction.

*Available by endorsement

It is easier then ever to get a quote with us on Kemper Home and Auto policies. Call us at 661-327-5531 or complete a quote online www.crosbyandcrosby.com

Help! Why did my home insurance go up?

In the last few years insurance rates have been relatively stable. But several factors may impact your insurance premium this year.

1. Losing a discount for a newly purchased home. Some companies offer discounts for newly purchased homes that drop off as you have lived in your home longer.
2. Losing a discount for age of your home. Companies often use your homes age as a rating criteria.
3. Inflation Index increases. Your homeowners policy likely has an inflation index to make sure your policy stays up with the increases in what your home’s replacement value is.
4. Company has taken a rate increase since your last renewal.

What to do about it!

Shop around! Our customers have the advantage of all the companies we represent. We are always able to compare rates from our great carriers. If you aren’t a customer we can compare from great companies like Kemper Auto and Home, Travelers and Safeco and find the very best policy for you.

Take advantage of new discounts! Companies are now offering even higher discounts for combining your policies. Make sure you are up to date with all the available discounts.

Review your coverages! Make sure your coverages are up to date. There are new deductibles available that may fit your needs. Where you usually had the option of $500, $1000 or  $2500 you may now be able to chose from others including $750, $1500, $2000, $5000.

Contact Us

We offer innovative homeowners insurance from great companies like Travelers, Safeco, and Kemper Preferred. We would be glad to answer any questions that you have and show you how easy it is to switch your homeowners insurance even if it is billed to your mortgage impound account.

We can be reached at 661-327-5531, by email at agent@crosbyandcrosby.com, or your can get a great comparison quote online 24hrs/day here.

Great New Years Ideas for your Insurance

Always on the list for New Years: eat better, lose weight, exercise more…

What about some great ideas to put on your list to get your insurance policies up to date and save a little money… Here you go!

1. Check on raising your deductibles on auto and home insurance. If you haven’t had a chance to review your deductibles lately check with your agent. By taking a little more of the risk you can sometimes save several hundred dollars per year. Save on your budget!
2. Combine your policies. By combining home, auto, umbrella , valuable personal property such as firearms and rings, dwelling fire, boat and motorcycle policies you can maximize your savings and coverages. Save on your budget and protect your family!
3. Complete a home inventory. In the case of a fire or burglary a home inventory will help you put the pieces back together. You can complete a free online inventory here. Organize and Protect
4. Review your policy limits with your current needs. Finding out that you don’t have the correct coverage after a claim can be a financial disaster. Prepare, Protect
5. Consider an umbrella policy! There is not a cheaper protection than an umbrella policy. With some companies now offering additional discounts for having an umbrella a $1 million policy may now only cost you less than $10/month. Protect, Prepare, Save on your budget.

We have lots of other great ideas to get better coverage and get a great value for your personal insurance!

Even More Insurance Discounts for Teachers

Taking advantage of available insurance discounts is just plain smart. Now it is even easier for teachers and professors to take advantage of bigger and better discounts. We now offer discounts from our 3 preferred companies! And best yet is that the discount applies over the entire auto policy.

• Travelers offers a 12% discount
• Kemper offers a 5% discount
• Safeco offers a 5% discount

Couple those discounts with 15% for combining home and auto and up to a 25% superior good driver discount and we can help teachers to get the best possible value. Not to mention our experience as local agents since 1963!

You can now quote online, auto – home or give us a call at 661-327-5531

The power of a local Bakersfield Insurance Agent

The convenience of being able to shop for insurance, pay your bill, and access your account, online- is a wonderful thing. Just last week before leaving for a trip I noticed my ID card had just expired. I walked inside and logged into my account and just like that my printer was printing out my latest ID card.

Our website  www.crosbyandcrosby.com brings together all of the companies we represent. You can access billing, account information and even turn in a claim 24 hours a day.

But what if you need that face to face service that a purely online or out of town agent cannot help you with?

Here are a few of the most common situations that we are able to provide a superior level of service to our clients…

Claims: We represent some great companies and demand that the companies we represent treat our customers fairly and efficiently in a claim. Sometimes things don’t go as planned and honestly the claims process can be confusing to a customer who is not use to dealing with claims.

By being able to meet face-to-face or even to speak with someone who is very familiar with your account can make the claims process a little easier.

Consult: Sometimes a claims adjuster can have 50 or more open claims in-front of them. Dealing with so many claims can leave the adjuster seeming a little brash and the customer wondering exactly what is going on. We as independent agents can sit back and take the time to explain the claim process and details in a more human way. We know each of our customers as an individual and can help you with your claim.

Advocate: If you write a policy with a direct writer without an agent; what happens if you have a serious issue or are being treated unfairly? You are left with speaking to someone who works for the insurance company or someone else who works for the insurance company!

In 1963 we decided the best way to serve our clients was as an independent insurance agent. We do not work for the companies we represent. If you are being treated unfairly or have a major issue with a company, we are always available to advocate for our customers; YOU!

Policy Rate Changes

Insurance companies rates vary from year to year. One year one company may be very competitive and the next year another company. Several years ago there was a major insurance crisis in California. Homeowners policies were being cancelled or the rates were doubling. Auto insurance was rising by 20% per year and billing options were being shrunk.

We added several companies to better assist our customers.

If our customer has a significant rate change we can look for another company that better fits their needs. They already have a relationship with our agency and they don’t have to go looking for another agent to help them and start all over.

We are all for technological innovation that make things easier on your our customer. But when technology offers a barrier to what you need, service, we will be there for you too. Face-to-face!

We are proud to represent great companies like: Kemper Auto and Home, Travelers and Safeco Insurance. Please follow the links to view their customer access pages. We think you will like them.

Switch Insurance Companies without Breaking your Budget

With Christmas time here and much of the budget set aside for gifts and travel it is easy to put off switching insurance companies. Don’t put it off! It is easy to switch companies and get a better value without paying  a big down-payment. Here are our best ideas for switching companies without breaking your budget:

1. Look for an independent agent. Insurance agent and broker are used pretty loosely. In a snap, an agent is a representative of the company and all premiums you pay go toward your policy. A broker on the other hand will likely charge you an additional “brokers fee” up front to write your policy. An independent agent represents multiple companies that will best fit your individual needs.
2. Consider setting up an automatic payment plan from your checking account or credit card. Many companies will only require a single month payment to start a new policy if you chose an auto-pay option. Both Kemper and Safeco require only 1-month down and Travelers adds an additional billing option to both their 6 and 12 month policy for auto-pay.
3. Take advantage of discounts. By combining multiple policies you can reduce your premiums. Also consider occupation discounts for teachers, accountants, doctors, engineers, scientist and law enforcement.

With the right company and a knowledgeable agent it should not break your budget to switch companies. Take care of one of those new years resolutions early and find a better value for your insurance with Crosby and Crosby.