What is Rental Reimbursement Coverage?

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Rental reimbursement (or rental car coverage) is optional car insurance coverage that helps pay for the cost of a rental car. At the same time, your vehicle is being repaired after a car accident or after suffering damages that are covered through your car insurance policy.

This coverage is not required as part of your car insurance policy. Still, it is beneficial if you do not have a secondary vehicle and need to travel to work or school while your car is undergoing auto repair.

About Rental Reimbursement Coverage

Rental car reimbursement coverage typically helps pay for rental car costs when your car’s damages are covered by your comprehensive and collision coverages. For example, you may need to rent a car if your own car has been damaged:

  • In a car accident.
  • By theft or vandalism.
  • By severe weather.

When using rental reimbursement coverage, there are usually 2 different options:

  1. You can rent a car from an approved provider and have them bill your insurance company directly. Contact your car insurance provider to learn more about this option.
  2. You can rent a car from the business of your choice and pay for the cost upfront. Then, you will need to submit receipts and a claim form to be reimbursed for the rental vehicle’s cost.

There is often a per-day and per-accident limit for rental reimbursement coverage.

For example, your rental reimbursement coverage may have a limit of $25 per day or $750 per accident. This means that your insurance policy will only pay $25 per day for a rental vehicle, and that coverage will stop once you’ve hit the $750 limit.

You are generally allowed to rent a similar vehicle that is being repaired when you’re using rental reimbursement coverage. However, if you’re expecting the repairs to be time-consuming, you may want to choose a lower-cost vehicle to ensure that your rental reimbursement coverage does not run out before your vehicle has been repaired.

The cost for rental reimbursement coverage will vary according to your auto insurance company and the level of protection you select. The coverage is usually fairly inexpensive.

Rental Reimbursement Policy Exclusions

If you consider purchasing rental reimbursement coverage, keep in mind that this protection only covers rentals needed. At the same time, your car is being repaired for damages covered under your car insurance policy.

It will not offer reimbursement for rentals needed while your regular vehicle is in the shop for normal maintenance or repairs, and it will not cover rentals for recreational purposes.

Insurance for Rental Vehicles

Many car rental businesses will ask if you want to purchase additional coverage to insure the rented vehicle in the event of an auto accident. Your rental reimbursement insurance coverage does not cover this added cost.

Fortunately, if your car insurance policy includes collision and comprehensive coverage on your regular vehicle, this protection typically transfers to the rental car you are driving while your vehicle is being repaired.

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Mobile Home Insurance

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Mobile Home Insurance

Mobile home insurance policies provide two basic kinds of coverage: physical damage and personal liability coverage.  Making sure you have the right insurance policy is vital to protecting your family and assets.
The coverage options are available depending upon the type of mobile home you have.  Rental mobile homes, commercial mobile homes, mobile homes used seasonally, or mobile homes located in a park or on private property all require different types of coverages.

Physical Damage

Physical damage coverage pays for accidental damage to your mobile home, belongings, or other structures (such as attached patios or decks, garages, or storage sheds) resulting from fire, hail, wind, theft, and vandalism, or falling objects. The amount and degree of coverage vary from one policy to another, so compare policies carefully.

Some policies only cover specific causes of loss (named peril policies). This is basic coverage, and while the low premiums may seem like a bargain, it could cost you hundreds of dollars in the event of a claim if the damage is not caused by one of the named perils.

Generally, coverage under a regular policy doesn’t apply while the mobile home is in transit. Like regular homeowners insurance, a flood is not generally covered, so be sure to find out whether you are in a flood zone and can purchase flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program.

Personal Liability Coverage

Property damage isn’t the only hazard of modern life. Liability insurance coverage applies when there is a claim or a lawsuit against you after someone is injured or their property is damaged because of your activities. That amount may be more than what comes standard with a mobile home insurance policy, so it may be wise to consider purchasing additional liability insurance. Claims might include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and even property damage. However, liability coverage does not pay claims for injuries to you or the members of your household.

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Home Cooking Safety

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Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity, and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips, you can prevent these fires.

Cook with Caution

  • Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.
  • Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
  • If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
  • Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains — away from your stovetop.

If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire…

  • On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
  • For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire…

  • Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
  • Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from outside the home.
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Vehicle Maintenance Tips

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The Maintenance Difference
We all know somebody with an older, high-mileage vehicle that keeps on running year after year—that crazy uncle in the high-mileage ride that keeps on going strong. So what’s the secret?

The secret is that there is no real secret to getting a vehicle to last a long time. The difference is maintenance. Regular fluid checks and an almost pious dedication to scheduled lubrication will keep the powertrain going strong. What kind of oil, brake fluid, and grease used is just as important as changing. The best oil in the world will do your engine no good if you never change it. Cleaning and protecting the finishes of the vehicle inside and out will keep things looking good. Paint, plastic, leather, and fabric need help survive the constant assault of the sun and elements.

Tip 1: Check and change the oil. No single step will help an engine last more than regular oil and filter changes will. Conversely, nothing will destroy an engine faster than neglecting oil-level checks or fresh-oil changes.

Tip 2: Flush the cooling system and change coolant once a year. A 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water will keep the cooling system in good shape and prevent corrosion and deposits from building up inside the cooling system.

Tip 3: Change out transmission and differential oils. While not requiring frequent service, these fluids must be changed according to service intervals. Always use transmission fluid or gear oil of the recommended type and viscosity.

Tip 4: Keep it clean. While washing the outside of the vehicle is obvious, almost everything the vehicle ran over can also get stuck to the underside. Hosing off winter salt and road grime is a good idea.

Tip 5: Everything with moving parts needs grease to survive. This ball joint went into early retirement due to poor lubrication.

Tip 6: Nothing keeps paint looking good and protected like a coat of quality wax. Apply wax at least every six months.

Tip 7: Driveline components such as u-joints also require regular lubrication. The driveline may have to be removed to access the zerk grease fitting.

Tip 8: Protect the interior plastic by parking the vehicle in the shade, using a window deflector screen, and applying a UV protectant to prevent the plastic and vinyl from drying out.

Tip 9: Inspect, clean, and repack wheel bearings with wheel bearing grease according to service intervals. Wheel bearings and grease are inexpensive compared to spindle and hub replacement or liberated wheels rolling down the road ahead of you.

Tip 10: Brake fluid is hygroscopic. This means it is adept at attracting moisture. Moisture causes components to corrode and fail. Replace fluid and bleed system once a year. Brake fluid is cheap. Calipers, hoses, and sensors are expensive.

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Avoiding Hail Damage

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As one of the most susceptible states to hail damage, here are some tips on how to prevent car hail damage and protect your car or truck. Ways to prevent hail damage to your vehicle Thunderstorms can spring up quickly, making it nearly impossible to know when exactly your car or truck will be susceptible […]

Read more
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College Student Insurance Considerations

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With classes now starting for many college and universities, students all over the country are leaving their parents’ homes and moving into on- and off-campus housing near their respective campuses.
If you have a student getting ready to attend college, there are a number of important insurance considerations to take into account including property and liability insurance, auto insurance, and health insurance.
Below is a list of recommendations we have put together to ensure both you and your child are properly covered while he or she is away at school.
If you have any specific coverage questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office.

1. Dorm Inventory.  You should put together a list of any items your student plans on taking to school, especially any high value items like computers, cameras, tablets, and musical instruments.  (If you have receipts for those items, we highly recommend storing them in a safe place or scanning them into your computer.)  That way if a theft, fire, or other disaster occurs, you will have a list of everything and their associated values.
2. Homeowners Insurance.  Homeowners insurance policies differ in the way they will respond to your student’s personal possessions while away from home.  Some policies automatically extend the coverage to any property located away from the premises, other policies may limit the amount of coverage to a percentage of the total contents value of the policy (usually 10 percent), and some policies do not provide any coverage at all, which means that your student would need his or her own renters insurance policy.
3. Accidental Breakage.  Coverage for accidental damage and liquid spills is not provided by your homeowners insurance policy so you may want to consider a stand-alone policy for your student’s laptop, desktop, tablet, or other expensive electronics.
4. Auto Insurance.  If your child has been driving the family car and will now be at least 100 miles away at school, you may be eligible for significant policy discounts.  Likewise, if your child takes the car to school, it’s very important to let the insurance company know so that the proper coverage can be added to the policy.
5. Health Insurance.  As a student, your child is most likely eligible to be covered under your health insurance plan until he or she turns 26.   Even if your child is married, not living at your house, not financially dependent, or eligible for his or her own health insurance plan.  Full details can be found here and here.
6. Tuition Insurance.  Did you know there is insurance available to cover most (and sometimes all) of your student’s tuition and on-campus housing if he or she withdraws at any time during a semester?  Tuition insurance is available at a cost of 1 to 3 percent of your student’s tuition, and it will provide coverage if your child withdraws from school due to a covered medical reason, including emotional, nervous or mental disorders.
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7 Tips to Filing a Homeowners Claim

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Homeowners and renters insurance can help you replace your possessions after a loss, but only if you file a claim in a timely and complete manner. Use these tips to get started.

1. Report the incident to the authorities. For a burglary, vandalism, fire, or other trauma, this is a vital first step. Leaky roofs, malfunctioning HVAC systems, etc., aren’t typically reasons to contact the police or fire department. If police and fire are dispatched to your residence, give them all the details of the event. Keep copies of their reports – you’ll need them when filing your insurance claim.

2. Call your insurance company. After you file the police or fire report, contact your insurance agent or company’s claims department. Your policy probably requires you to do so within a certain amount of time after the loss. When you call, have all of the details of the incident, plus your policy number.

3. Complete a claims form with your agent. This form includes all the details of the incident. Be thorough – note what was damaged, when, and how. For smaller claims, filing a claims report should suffice. For larger losses, your agent may send an adjuster to inspect the damage.

4. Document the damages. Before you begin cleanup, photograph, or record the damage and include the images with your claim. It’s a good idea to document your home and belongings before a loss visually, so you have “before” and “after” images when filing a claim.

5. Make temporary repairs, so your home is safe and livable. While you’re waiting for your claim to be processed, you may make temporary repairs. But review your policy for guidelines about what’s covered, and be sure to save your repair receipts. Don’t start permanent, major repairs or renovations until your claim is complete and your compensation is confirmed.

6. If you have to move temporarily, save your receipts. If the damage to your residence is so extensive that you must relocate for a while, your policy may help cover those costs. Save hotel and restaurant receipts – and discuss with your agent how to submit them for reimbursement.

7. Make yourself available. Be reachable and ready to talk with your insurance agent and claims adjuster after you file a claim. The faster you can answer questions and provide the necessary information, the faster your claim can be processed.

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Flood Insurance: The Basics

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Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States, causing an average of $50 billion in economic losses each year. Most U.S. natural disasters declared by the President involve flooding.

There is no coverage for flooding in standard homeowners or renters policies or most commercial property insurance policies. Coverage is available in a separate policy from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and a few private insurers. Despite efforts to publicize this, many people exposed to the risk of floods still fail to purchase flood insurance.

And, in light of the recent devastating floods experienced in the South, we thought it would be essential to shed some light on what flood insurance covers, how it is purchased, and provide an idea on the associated premiums.

WHAT’S COVERED

Building

  • The insured building and its foundation
  • Electrical and plumbing systems
  • Central air conditioning equipment, furnaces, and water heaters
  • Refrigerators, cooking stoves, and built-in appliances such as dishwashers
  • Permanently installed carpeting over unfinished flooring

Personal Property

  • Personal belongings, such as clothing, furniture, and electronic equipment

WHAT’S NOT COVERED

  • Damage caused by moisture, mildew, or mold that could have been avoided by the property owner
  • Currency, precious metals, and valuable papers such as stock certificates
  • Property and belongings outside of an insured building such as trees, plants, wells, septic systems, walks, decks, patios, fences, seawalls, hot tubs, and swimming pools
  • Living expenses such as temporary housing

FLOOD INSURANCE FOR BASEMENTS AND AREAS BELOW THE LOWEST ELEVATED FLOOR

Coverage is limited in basements regardless of zone or date of construction. It’s also limited in areas below the lowest elevated floor, depending on the flood zone and construction date. These areas include:

  • Basements
  • Crawl spaces under an elevated building
  • Enclosed areas beneath buildings elevated on full-story foundation walls that are sometimes referred to as “walkout basements.”
  • Enclosed areas under other types of elevated buildings

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Homes and businesses with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders in high-risk flood areas must have flood insurance. While flood insurance is not federally required if you live in a moderate-to-low-risk flood area, it is still available and strongly recommended.

RATES

The NFIP, a federal program, offers flood insurance, which can be purchased through most leading insurance companies. Rates are set and do not differ from company to company.

These rates depend on several factors, including the date and type of construction of your home, along with your area’s level of risk. Most premiums include a Federal Policy Fee and ICC Premium. If your community participates in the Community Rating System (CRS), you may qualify for an insurance premium discount in some communities of up to 45% if you live in a high-risk area and up to 10% moderate-to-low risk areas.
30-DAY WAITING PERIOD

Typically, there’s a 30-day waiting period from the date of purchase before your policy goes into effect. Here are the only exceptions:

  • If flood insurance is being purchased connected with the making, increasing, extending, or renewing your loan.
  • If a building has been newly designated in the SFHA and flood insurance is purchased within the 13-month period following a map revision.
  • If flood insurance is required due to a lender determining that a loan that does not have flood insurance coverage should be protected by flood insurance.
  • If an additional amount of insurance is selected as an option on the renewal bill.
  • If a property is affected by flooding on burned Federal land resulting from or is exacerbated by post-wildfire conditions when the policy is purchased within 60 days of the fire containment date.
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Auto Insurance Exclusions

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Exclusions listed in a personal auto insurance policy vary depending upon what state laws permit and then your car insurance company’s guidelines.  When something is noted as excluded from your policy, it means that your policy won’t cover it.

These limitations to your coverage are important to know so that you don’t end up in a situation where you find out after an auto accident that you have no coverage — or have voided your policy.  (Remember, if your policy doesn’t cover you, then you’ll be stuck paying out-of-pocket usually.)

The most common exclusion regarding a person is a named driver exclusion.  With this, you and your insurer agree to exclude a specific person from your policy’s coverages.  This driver isn’t rated on your policy, and in return, your insurer won’t cover the individual if found driving your car.
Here’s a look at some of the most common exclusions found in the different parts of a personal auto insurance policy.

Bodily and property damage liability exclusions

Most policies plainly state they don’t provide liability coverage:

  • If an insured has intentionally caused injury or property damage.
  • For property damage to property owned (or being transported) by the insured.  (So if you hit your own car, you can’t make a liability claim)
  • For property damage to property that is rented, used by, or in the insured’s care.
  • For bodily injury to the insured or any insured family member residing in the insured’s household. (Some states only allow the policy to reduce the bodily injury limits for family members to the state’s minimum)
  • For liability arising out of the vehicle’s ownership or operation being used for “livery conveyance.”   This means using your vehicle to transport goods or people for payment – so don’t use your car as a taxi or delivery service.   So, don’t use your car for delivering pizzas, or you may void your coverage.

In general, using your vehicle for business purposes can be a no-no according to your liability policy.  For example, it may say that the business of:

  • Selling, repairing, servicing, storing, or parking vehicles (other than your insured vehicles) is not covered by your liability or physical damage coverages.
  • Maintaining or using any vehicle that the insureds are using to engage in business –other than farming or ranching – may not be covered.  (If you are using your vehicle for business, see about a business-use or commercial policy)

Vehicles that are excluded from coverage (or deemed unacceptable to cover for either liability or physical damage coverages) vary, but the list may include:

  • One with less than four wheels
  • Designed for use principally off public roads or not registered for use on public roads
  • Any vehicle owned by you or a family member but isn’t listed as insured on your policy.
  • Any vehicle furnished for your regular use but isn’t listed as insured on your policy.
  • Any vehicle used to compete in a race or practice or preparing for any prearranged or organized racing or speed contest.

Some insurers have amended policies to include an exclusion for any operated, maintained, or used vehicle as part of a personal vehicle sharing program.  So, loaning your vehicle out for a car-sharing service could mean you have no personal coverages.

Physical damage coverage exclusions

Collision and comprehensive coverage are the physical damage coverages offered by auto insurers. Liability insurance covers those that you damage, collision, and comprehensive cover your own vehicle if it’s damage.

Exclusions under this portion of the policy can be similar in many ways to the restrictions listed in your liability portion of your policy.  Typically, collision and comprehensive coverage exclusions include loss or damage due to:

  • Wear and tear
  • Freezing
  • Mechanical or electrical breakdown or failure
  • Road damage to tires
  • Catastrophic events – radioactive contamination, nuclear weapon discharge, war, etc.
  • Destruction or confiscation by government or civil authorities
  • Using your vehicle for livery or delivery purposes
  • The vehicle being used for racing purposes
  • Intentional damage
  • A vehicle used in personal car-sharing programs (some insurers)

Personal items that are damaged in your vehicle or stolen from it aren’t covered, and most policies specifically mention the exclusion of coverage for losses to:

  • Any electronic equipment that is not permanently installed.
  • Custom equipment (or is covered to a specific minimal amount — such as $2,000) unless you’ve added custom parts and equipment endorsement to your policy.

If a vehicle is excluded from liability coverage, then typically, it’s also unable to obtain physical damage coverage.   However, there is some vehicle that insurers allow to obtain liability but not collision and comprehensive — such as vehicles with a salvage or rebuilt title.

Medical payments and uninsured motorist bodily injury

Medical coverages you can purchase for yourself as part of an auto insurance policy have exclusions as well.  Typically, they include injuries sustained in the circumstances mentioned above, such as catastrophic events, racing or livery service, as well as situations such as:

  • Injured on a motorized vehicle having fewer than four wheels
  • Injured while using the vehicle as a residence
  • Injuries that workers compensation benefits should cover because occurred during the course of work
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