Sump Pump Failure

Tips to keep your basement from flooding

With Michigan's sporadic weather, it may seem like an uphill battle to protect and maintain your home from mother nature. If you live in Michigan, you have probably walked downstairs after a stormy night to find that your basement flooded.... again!

A typical homeowners insurance policy has a limit of $5,000 for backup or sewers and drains (less your deductible, of course). This includes sump pump failure/backup so it is important to have your water backup system in tip-top shape, especially if you have a finished basement.

If your sump pump isn't doing the job, you might want to install one of the following:

• backflow preventer or backwater valve
• water powered sump pump
• backup system with a generator
• battery powered backup sump pump

Top reasons why sump pumps fail:

1. Float switch is broken
2. Too much water, sump pump can't keep up
3. Clogged intake screen
4. Pump is air locked
5. Jammed by mud/stone
6. Power outage
7. Tripped circuit/blown fuse
8. Broken pump impeller or drive shaft
9. Clogged/frozen discharge

Is there coverage for my dirt bike on my home insurance policy?

Do you have a Polaris or Kubota UTV? How about a dirt bike or four wheeler? If you do, the next questions you should be asking yourself is 'does my policy cover this'?

Physical Damage:
If you want to make sure your recreational vehicle is covered for physical damage, the best answer is to just schedule it on your homeowners policy. This will ensure you get the proper value for your vehicle and provide coverage for additional perils not normally included.

Liability:
Most policies include recreational vehicle liability while you are on your own property, however it is usually excluded off premises. Even if you don't want to cover the vehicle for physical damage you should still purchase the recreational vehicle liability endorsement.

15 Auto Insurance Discounts

How can I lower my car insurance premiums?

Make sure you are cashing in on the discounts you deserve!  We have compiled a list of common discounts available on car insurance policies.

 

Multi policy discounts:

Cash in on discounts for insuring your home, auto, umbrella, life, disability, long term care, etc. all at the same company. The discounts you receive on your home/auto insurance could pay for an entire life or umbrella policy and still save you money!

Go Green: Get a discount for going paperless.

Home Ownership:

Even if you don't insure your home with the same company as your car, you can still get a discount for owning your home.

Pay in full:

There is a significant discount for paying your policy in full if you can afford to do so.

Storage coverage: 

Don't drive one of your vehicles in the winter? Put your vehicle in storage coverage while it is laid up for the winter.

Vehicle safety devices:

Air bags, anti lock breaks, anti theft devices, auto recovery systems (i.e. OnStar), and even daytime running lights can all be provide discounts on your auto policy.

Student away at school:

Available for people who have a child on their policy who is at college without a vehicle.

Good student discount:

Good grades= cheaper auto insurance.

Teen driver monitoring device:

Your kids might not like this one, but there is a discount available if you install a teen driver monitoring device in your child's vehicle. The savings on your auto could more than pay for installing the device.

Loss free discount:

Your loss history stays with you for 3 years.  Consult your agent before turning in claims, sometimes it's not worth while to turn in that $100 claim if you could lose your claim free discount for 3 years.

Coordinating health insurance:

Ask your health carrier if they pay for auto related accidents. If they do, you can get a discount on your auto insurance.

Group memberships:

Being a member of a credit union, professional association, alumni association, gym, or local volunteer group can get you another discount.

Education:

Some companies give a discount if you have a high school diploma, some college education, bachelors degree, and post graduate degrees.

Driver's safety course:

Do you have to take a driver's safety course for work? Or maybe you took a class to get out of a traffic ticket? Send your agent the completion certificate to get a discount on your auto insurance.

Low mileage:

If you move, switch jobs, or retire make sure to let your insurance agent know. You can get a discount if you now commute 5 miles to work instead of 30.

 

 

 

Personal Umbrella

What does a personal umbrella policy cover?

 If you are ever faced with a lawsuit, even if groundless, false, or fraudulent, chances are you are going to wish you had an umbrella policy to foot your defence costs.  Personal umbrella policies provide excess liability coverage for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage lawsuits beyond the limits of your individual insurance policies. 

Umbrella policies provide an emense amount of coverage, starting at $1 million of protection.  Even with this much protection umbrella policies are typically inexpensive, starting at about $130 per year depending on your underlying policies. On top of that, some carriers offer discounts on your home and auto policies to lower the cost even further.

Feel free to email us with questions or visit our website to inquire about a quote.

MCCA - Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association

What is the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA)?

Have you ever looked at your auto insurance policy and notice a fee at the bottom for the MCCA? If you have, there are probably a couple of questions that popped into your head. The first question you most likely asked yourself is 'What the heck is the MCCA?' followed very quickly by '...and why is it costing me $186.00 per vehicle?'. 

The MCCA is a private non profit association created by the Michigan State Legislature that provides unlimited lifetime medical benefits for auto related accidents. Private insurance companies are reimbursed for personal injury protection (PIP) claims in excess of $530,000. Visit the MCCA's website for more information.

Currently, Michigan is the only state to offer unlimited lifetime medical benefits for PIP claims, with New York coming in second with a benefit cap of $50,000. MIC  Government officials are working hard in Lansing to reform Michigan no fault insurance. You can read more about no fault reform at the Michigan Insurance Coalition's  website.

Auto Collision Coverage

What is the difference between limited, standard, and broad collision?

Most people know enough about insurance to know the difference between full coverage and PLPD, but did you know there actually three different forms of collision offered? It is important consider the advantages of each type when placing coverage on a vehicle.

Limited Collision: If you purchase limited collision, your insurance will only pay for collision damages when the driver of the insured vehicle is not at fault. If the driver of the insured vehicle is more than 50% of the cause of the accident, there is no collision coverarge.

Standard/Basic Collision: If you purchase basic or standard collision, your insurance will pay for collision damages regardless of who is at fault, less your deductible.

Borad Collision: If you purchase broad form collision, your insurance wil pay for collision damages regardless of who is at fault. If the driver of the insured vehicle is found not at fault, the deductible is waived.