Answers to questions you may have before going on vacation

How can I secure my house or apartment while I'm away?

Create a lived-in look to deter burglars. Do this by stopping newspaper and mail deliveries; asking a neighbor to park a car in your driveway occasionally; and putting lights on a timer or asking a neighbor to turn lights on in the evening. Use a telephone answering machine or call forwarding to quiet ringing telephones. And, make sure all windows and doors are locked to make entry difficult for intruders.

If my home is burglarized or damaged by fire, are all of my possessions covered?

Under a standard homeowners insurance policy for a single-family home, the contents of the home normally are covered for at least 50 percent of the amount of insurance on the building ($50,000 contents coverage on a house insured for $100,000). A renters policy is written for a specified dollar amount, based on what you own, to cover the loss of personal belongings in your apartment. There are special limits of liability on certain items in certain situations, however. Typically, there is a $200 limit on money and $1,500 on securities, passports, tickets and stamps. There is generally a $1,500 limit on watercraft, trailers and outboard motors. For fine jewelry, furs and watches that are stolen, a usual limit of $1,500 is set. And, there is typically a $2,500 limit for theft of guns and a $2,500 limit on theft of silverware, goldware and pewterware.
A home inventory is important to have should you become the victim of a burglary or fire. The inventory is a list of your possessions, including makes, models and serial numbers. Photographs or a videotape of your belongings are other ways of recording what you own. These records should be kept in a safe place away from the house or apartment so they would not be lost in the event of fire.

What if the items I take with me on vacation are stolen?

Your belongings generally are covered by your homeowners or renters policy anywhere in the world, including items in storage facilities, suitcase contents and items lent to friends. Exceptions to this are items usually kept at another residence of yours, which then would be limited to the greater of $1,000 or 10 percent of the personal property limit shown on your policy (some restrictions also apply to theft). Typically, you would have another policy to cover all the eligible property at that location, including loss by theft.

We'll be traveling by car on vacation. Do you have any suggestions?

Check with our agency to make sure that your policy is up-to-date, and make sure the car is in good running condition. While traveling, be sure your passengers wear seat belts and young children ride in car seats at all times. Also, keep cameras, purses and other valuables with you while on vacation; never leave them in the car.

I plan to rent a car for this trip. Is it necessary to buy the insurance the rental agency sells?

It may not be. Prior to leaving for vacation, check with your professional insurance agent to determine if your personal auto insurance policy covers damage to a rented vehicle, as many policies do. You may want to contact your major credit-card company to ask if a rental car charged to that account is covered for damage. If you don't have one of these pre-existing coverages, it may be wise to purchase insurance from the rental agency.

'Tis the season for back to school: A parent's guide to the hidden dangers of carpooling

What is it about back to school that makes you think of getting organized, new school clothes, and a brand new set of colored pencils? While kids are full of excitement and jitters of the new school season, seeing their friends and making new ones, as parents, you are probably just as excited to get them back to the normal routine. And if you are like most busy parents that means you are driving your kids to the thousands of afterschool activities like soccer, dance, football, band, concerts, etc. In some cases, this means you are also carpooling everyone else’s kids around as well. And why wouldn’t you? If I am taking Tommy to football, of course I am going take his best friend Frankie who is playing on the same team as him. But did you know that as a parent, your good deed could come with consequences? And those consequences could come with law suits if say you ended up in an accident with other people’s kids in the car.

Yes, in the event of an accident, especially in today’s litigious society, if little Frankie got hurt, Frankie’s mom and dad are most likely going to sue you. So, what can you do to prevent this? I mean after all, you don’t want to be rude and leave Frankie on the side of the road because you are afraid of all of the “what-ifs” that could or would happen. And I am sure he would look at you like a crazy person if you told him, “I’m sorry I don’t want your parents to sue me for my house and Tommy’s college fund if I accidentally crash my car with you in it.”  I’m way over 10 years old and even I would look at you like a crazy person if you told me that.

But you can do what I suggest all of my clients to do, prepare for the worst but hope for the best. I know that may sounds a bit dramatic, but there is a method to my madness. There is…a plan. You can do this by starting to take a closer look at your auto liability insurance and even look into an umbrella policy.

Umbrella policy? I know, many people, even my brother did not know what an umbrella policy was. No, it’s not protection for your umbrellas, which is the first image that comes to mind. An umbrella policy is additional liability insurance which covers you over your auto insurance and your home insurance. In other words, this would pick up where your auto policy drops off, in the event that you didn’t have enough insurance. Usually this coverage starts at $1,000,000 in additional coverage over your auto insurance and can go up to $25,000,000 or higher depending on your needs. I know your next thought is probably, “$1,000,000? That sounds expensive!” But surprisingly for an extra $15-$20 per month, you can purchase this coverage and the best part is…it covers over the home insurance as well.

Now for the auto, my suggestion to many people is to take as much coverage as you can afford. I know things are tight today, so if you cannot afford to take the umbrella policy in addition to the car insurance, I would increase that liability to the highest your company will allow you to go. Usually this increase is not as much as you think it would be. It could be as little as an additional $5 a month for twice the amount of coverage. It’s a lot cheaper than having Frankie’s parents sue you and finding out you don’t have enough coverage.

And what happens then if you don’t have enough you ask? Well they can garnish up to 25% of your wages and go after any assets you own – i.e. your home. Does the $5 extra a month sound like a good deal? Heck, to me $20 a month sounds like a good deal at that point.

I know that this might sound a little overly prudent, but I wanted to make you aware of the risks of carpooling. And although I know your intentions are good, nobody plans to have an accident. That is why they are called accidents. And while Frankie’s parents might come over for game night at your house, if you got into an accident with their child, they most likely will sue you if it was bad enough.

Better to know you have the proper coverage now, than to find out later when you really need it. Not sure how much you have or what is enough? Or do you not know what everything means? We speak insurance here and can help you figure out how much is enough insurance.

Call me, Amy Bryan at 845.565.2200 or 888.565.2212 or email me at abryan@bryanagency.com today to find out more information about how to protect your family the right way. You can also visit us online at www.bryanagency.com

Pet Safety: The Safest Way to Drive Your Pet Around

The Safest way to Drive Your Pet Around

What dog doesn’t like to go for a car ride every once in a while—and what dog owner doesn’t like to indulge that? And cats, while not friends of automobile transportation in general, need to visit the vet annually in order to ensure their continued good health which means they, too, must travel by car on a somewhat regular basis. But driving your pets around isn’t just a matter of throwing them into the car and hoping for the best. Here are some tips on the safest ways to transport your favorite four-legged family member.

Tips for Dogs

• Close the window: This may be heartbreaking to read, but allowing your dog to ride in the car with his head out the window is actually dangerous. Debris in the air can get into his eyes or lungs, and according to the Humane Association, cold air forced into their lungs can cause illness.
• Use a harness: Just as it is dangerous with a small child, it is dangerous to travel with your dog unseatbelted. Dogs should either be in a carrier while you drive or in a harness that connects to your vehicle’s safety belt system. This will prevent them from getting thrown and injured in an accident.
• Only bring pets to pet friendly locations: No animal should be left unattended in a vehicle, no matter how comfortable the weather is. If you are driving to a destination that does not allow pets to come inside, leave your dog at home.

Tips for Cats

• Use a carrier: For the safety of both the cat and the people in the car, trips with cats should always be conducted with the cat inside a carrier. Frightened cats are a danger in terms of their claws and their small size, so keep them in a carrier at all times.
• Get the cat used to traveling: It can be extremely stressful to your cat to go on a long car ride, even when she’s in the safety of her carrier. To get your cat used to the car, About.com recommends you take her on short trips a few times a month and reward her with treats afterward. You can gradually lengthen the trip times in order to get her ready for a multi-day trip.

It doesn’t take much effort to keep your pet safe and comfortable when traveling. Taking these extra steps will help add years to their lives.

Did you know?Did you know that Progressive Insurance is one of the few companies which provides injury coverage to your pet in the event of an accident? They offer up to $1000 of coverage if your pet is injured in a car accident.

For more tips and information on Pet Safety, call us at 845-565-2200,
email us at info@bryanagency.com or visit us online at Bryan Agency or on Facebook

Do I Have Any Control Over My Auto Insurance Rates?

In today’s market, where affordable personal auto insurance seems less and less available, you may wonder if there’s any way to control rising premiums. You’ve already taken one step by choosing an independent insurance agent, representing multiple companies, so we can give you the right insurance to fit your needs. Besides choosing the right insurance company, there are some other tips to help you control the rates you pay for auto insurance.

DRIVING RECORD
An operator’s driving history affects rates and could predict future claims activity. Obeying the rules of the road and driving defensively are your best ways to lower premiums.

TYPE OF VEHICLE
A major factor in the rating of the coverages that pay to repair your car is the type of vehicle you own. In assigning a rate, most insurance companies begin with the cost of the vehicle and the model year. Generally, the higher the cost of the vehicle and the newer it is, the higher the rate. However, further adjustments are made for the vehicle’s weight, body type, engine performance, actual loss experience from past years for that model, etc. We can give you a premium comparison for vehicles you are considering purchasing or leasing, which will give you some control over the cost of your insurance.

COVERAGE
Some people prefer to assume more of the risk of loss on their autos and save on premiums. It may make sense for you to remove coverages on older vehicles, or increase your deductibles on newer vehicles. A common rule of thumb is that for vehicles more than 10 years old, many do not cover them for other-than-collision (or comprehensive) or collision coverage (physical damage). However, to obtain glass coverage on a vehicle, you would have to maintain other-than-collision coverage.

USE AND RESIDENCE
Your employment opportunities and lifestyle most likely will dictate the kind of use your vehicles get and the location at which they are garaged—two things that impact your premiums. However, there is a way you can gain some control over the rating of your vehicles. You may want to consider driving the lowest-rated vehicle (for example, an older vehicle without physical damage coverage) for activities that have the highest rate for use (for example, business use or long-distance commuting to work).

PAYING ON TIME
Always pay your premiums on time. Issuing cancellations, processing late payments and then issuing reinstatements, add significant costs to the servicing of auto insurance policies. Some companies have a low tolerance for late payments under policies that are eligible for their preferred pricing.

YOUR CREDIT SCORE
Many insurance companies have established a link between a person’s credit history and that person’s probability of having a car accident. As strange as this may sound, there appears to be an objective basis for using credit analysis, known as insurance credit scores, to predict which policyholders will have greater-than-average loss experience or less-than-average loss experience. Managing your credit and your credit report will help to lower rates on your auto insurance.

DISCOUNTS
There are some standard discounts, such as those for taking a driver-training course or a defensive-driving course, qualifying as a good student, insuring multiple vehicles on the same policy, installing certain anti-theft devices and maintaining certain safety equipment (for example, passive restraints, anti-lock brakes or good student discounts). Some insurance companies have developed their own discounts for such things as buying your homeowners policy from the same company. Our agency would like you to take advantage of every discount that is available to you, so don’t hesitate to call us for a discount review.

FIGHTING FRAUD
Lawmakers are working on bills that would help prevent fraud. If you are concerned about your auto insurance costs, be sure to contact your state legislators and urge them to reach agreement on reforms to drive the cost down.

Information provided by Professional Insurance Agents of NY
"Your Professional Insurance Agent … We want you to know about the insurance you’re buying."