Advantage Insurance Network of Cincinnati, OH wants you to fully understand your motorcycle insurance so you don’t experience any surprises if damage occurs to your bike. Many people don’t realize that insurance doesn’t cover customizations made after you obtain the insurance policy unless you specifically update the policy.

Modifying a Motorcycle Policy

When you buy insurance, you’re buying a policy to cover the motorcycle as it is at the time of purchase. Your agent bases your policy premiums on the value of your motorcycle at that time. So, any changes you make to the bike after obtaining the coverage you need to add to the policy or they won’t receive coverage.

Chopper Insurance

Some customizations completely alter the bike. A motorcycle that has undergone so many modifications that its design and shape have been altered receives the name “chopper.” A chopper generally features a long front fork and a low rear end. It may lack rear suspension. If you chopped your bike after purchasing motorcycle insurance, you need a different policy altogether. Ask us about chopper insurance. These bikes have their own policy type.

How the Policy Types Differ

Motorcycle insurance bases its premiums on factory standard models. An agent can consult a blue book to determine repair or replacement value.

Choppers require a custom policy because they’re custom bikes, sometimes altered from a factory model, sometimes built from a kit. No factory standard exists for a chopper. The agent cannot consult a blue book for a value for a one-of-a-kind vehicle. Choppers require an independent appraisal to determine actual value. The chopper policy provides custom coverage for a custom bike.

Before you can insure it, you’ll need to have the bike pass inspection by your state’s Department of Transportation or Motor Vehicles Bureau. Some states also require an annual safety test.

Contact Advantage Insurance Network of Cincinnati, OH to learn whether your bike needs a standard motorcycle policy or a chopper policy. We can help you obtain reliable coverage for your ride.

This blog looks at how installing a home security system can lower home insurance premiums while keeping the home owner safer. Insurance companies like Advantage Insurance Network in Cincinnati, OH favor ways of mitigating loss, a fancy way of saying preventing it. That leads them to offer discounts to those who take steps to prevent loss at their home.

You probably know that a smoke detector and fire extinguisher lower your home insurance costs. You can also lower your costs by installing a security system. Whether wired or wireless, a monitored home security system can produce a significant discount in home insurance premiums.

Add a home security system can also mean adding home automation. This also contributes to lower premiums. The installed sensors don’t just control the lights or temperature. They detect leaks of water or natural gas. This early detection adds a layer of protection by sending alerts to the homeowner’s mobile device when any home aspect veers from normal settings. This allows the homeowner to identify problems before they become claims. Leak detection sensors let them phone a plumber after remotely shutting down the water at the home.

It also adds to the home’s safety by offering safety aspects like being able to turn on the porch lights before you enter the driveway or having them automatically turn on at a specified time. You can unlock doors remotely, as well, which reduces your family’s vulnerability time.

If you live in a gated community, adding the security system saves you even more. The gate access adds an extra barrier of protection.

Join your neighborhood homeowners’ association (HOA). Its neighborhood watch adds to the security aspect of your home.

Call or come by Advantage Insurance Network in Cincinnati, OH to learn more home improvements that can save you money. We can help you have a safer and more affordable home.

Owning a home is a dream for many people. One of the most devastating things that could happen to a home would be if it is damaged by a fire. While most people have home insurance, many should also consider getting a fire insurance policy on top of the home insurance policy. For those that are in the Cincinnati, OH area, there are several advantages of investing in a larger fire insurance policy.

Ensures Full Coverage for Fire

One of the main reasons to get fire insurance in addition to your home insurance policy is that it will ensure that you get full coverage for fire damage on your policy. If you live in an area that is prone to fires or has a higher risk of fire hazards, you may not be covered for certain fires that could affect your home. However, if you invest in a fire insurance policy, this could end up being covered in included in your full policy.

Miscellaneous Costs

Another advantage of getting a fire insurance policy is that it can provide you with miscellaneous coverage as well. If your home is damaged by a fire, there are a number of other costs that you can incur. The costs of finding replacement housing and moving expenses can add up quickly. When you get a fire insurance policy in place, these costs could be included in your policy. 

If you own a home in the Cincinnati, OH area and are curious about whether or not you should get fire insurance, contacting the Advantage Insurance Network would be a great option. When you meet with the Advantage Insurance Network you will receive more insight into your fire insurance needs and will be able to get into a policy that properly protects you and your home. 

Riding a motorcycle in Cincinnati, OH is a fun experience but can be costly because of Ohio’s lack of mandatory helmet use. These types of laws have been found to increase and decrease your insurance in a variety of ways, which is why we at Advantage Insurance Network wanted to examine them right now.

Studies Show That Helmets Decrease Medical Costs

The Centers for Disease Control or CDC did a study that took a look at multiple motorcycle accidents with and without helmets. They found that people who wore a helmet suffered fewer injuries and, therefore, paid less medical bills. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agreed and stated that riders wearing helmets would naturally have higher healthcare costs.

As A Result, Premiums Go Down

Motorcycle insurance companies took those recommendations to heart and started decreasing premiums in states where motorcycle helmets were mandatory. Conversely, they increased them in states where helmets were not required. These steps are designed to protect themselves while offering benefits to those who do wear helmets. Unfortunately, states have repealed these laws in the past and left their motorcycle riders with higher premiums.

Repealed Laws Can Increase Premiums

Michigan motorcycle riders were overjoyed when their state repealed their mandatory helmet laws and then angry when their premiums went up. They blamed the insurance companies, but the truth is, increasing these premiums is mandatory because it protects them from serious loss. Likewise, a decrease is also mandatory when helmet laws are signed into effect. You can’t have it both ways, it seems.

Learning More About Your Motorcycle Insurance

So if you live in Cincinnati, OH and want the lowest possible motorcycle insurance premiums, please contact us at Advantage Insurance Network today. We will work hard to decrease your motorcycle insurance premiums as much as possible and help you stay fully covered.

When it comes to protecting your investment, boat insurance is a necessary tool. Some boats can cost as much as a home, which is why coverage will give you peace of mind in case of an unforeseen event. When it comes to storms, however, coverage isn’t cut and dry. Make sure you know exactly what circumstances afford your insurance coverage. Not all policies will cover you during a storm or a hurricane. 

Know Your Policy

You make have to do some research before you find the type of boat coverage you need. Not all policies cover the same events, which is why you need to work with an insurance provider who will explain exactly what each product covers. Some may offer protection from storms and storm-related damage but don’t assume that every policy will cover those occurrences. Education is the key to being protected and avoiding a loss as a result of gaps in coverage. 

Working With A Great Provider

Finding an insurance provider who values their customers is the first step towards getting the protection you need. A reputable company such as Advantage Insurance Network will help you discover boat insurance products that will protect you and give you peace of mind. The serve the residents in and around the Cincinnati, OH area and would love to assist you with your boat insurance coverage need.

If you are a resident in or around Cincinnati, OH and would like more information about boat insurance coverage options, call or stop by Advantage Insurance Network. They have knowledgeable insurance agents who can answer your questions and get you started on your way to finding boat insurance coverage. 

Condos can be tricky.   They aren’t quite an apartment,  they aren’t a house. A condo lies somewhere in between, especially for insurance.

Renters insurance and condo insurance are quite different because the properties involved are different. A condominium unit might be any one of the following:

• an apartment
• a townhouse
• a penthouse

The difference is not the type of property that it is, but, in fact, the type of ownership that exists.

For example:

  A property owner might own a block of eight apartments.  Thereby holding a single deed, that makes him the owner of an entity,  If someone rents an apartment, then rented space within a designated area is the renter’s responsibility to ensure their possessions within the apartment.  However, here’s the trick, the property owner should have separate insurance to protect the building.

The owner is not responsible for a renter’s personal property, legal liability to others within the premises, accidental injury or property damage that might happen on the premises or from the renter’s personal actions.

Conversely, a condo owner has a deed but this is only to private living space, and the  "common areas," like walkways, clubhouses, entrances, stairs, workout areas, grounds, and pools.

Therefore, the Condo association is responsible for the insurance coverage of the building and the grounds.  However, an event that the condo association’s insurance doesn’t adequately cover for common areas, it may become the responsibility of the condo owner and his insurance to handle the injury of a visitor, or the damage incurred to the building.

Advantage Insurance Network serving Cincinnati, OH understands your needs and requirements and can define what is best for you. They are there to help you make your condo a home and avoid the sticky and tricky elements of condo insurance.

 

Cincinnati, OH homeowners live in a cold environment that often suffers from extremely cold weather and rapid temperature changes. As a result, it is important to know whether or not their dwelling insurance covers ice damage. We at Advantage Insurance Network can answer this question for you.

Dwelling Insurance Covers A Variety Of Ice Damage

In most cases, your dwelling insurance should cover your home and the items on it from serious ice damage. For example, hail damage is usually protected from this danger. You can also get coverage for problems as diverse as ice dams and as damaging as severe ice buildup on your windows and walls.

The exact nature of your coverage will, naturally, vary depending on your policy. Most dwelling insurance types will cover your garage, barns, and storage sheds from this kind of damage. Just as importantly, they will keep your home from serious injuries caused by ice storms.

Roof Collapse May Also Be Covered

Typically, your dwelling insurance will also cover the collapse of roofs on your home and other buildings on your property. For example, the kind of ice and snow buildup that occurs on older sheds may cause them to collapse unexpectedly.

This shocking situation can be even worse if it happens to your home. Thankfully, you should be able to get some kind of coverage for this problem. This type of insurance can not only provide you with coverage for repairs but any temporary-relocation costs. For example, if a collapsed roof forces you to live in a hotel for a few months, you should be covered. 

Staying Covered With Us

At Advantage Insurance Network, we provide Cincinnati, OH and the surrounding area with dwelling insurance that can protect your home from serious ice damage. Talk to us today to learn more.

Renters insurance is quite a common type of insurance. Property management companies often require renters to obtain and maintain renters insurance coverage in order to live in their rental properties. This is generally because the renter’s insurance protects the property management company from liability, but it benefits the renter as well. Renters insurance covers a renter’s personal property in the event of theft thus allowing the renter to have peace of mind when away from their apartment. Renters insurance also covers expenses such as a renter’s cost of living in the event that the renter must temporarily relocate because of fire damage.

One factor that people always discuss when it comes to insurance is cost. Thankfully, the cost of renters insurance in Cincinnati, OH is fairly low and typically ranges from a minimum of fifteen dollars a month to a maximum of thirty dollars a month. This is extremely affordable for almost all renters. Thus, the cost of a renters insurance policy is usually not a deciding factor in whether or not someone is able to obtain renters insurance. However, as with all insurance, the cost of the policy is an important point to cover when examining renters insurance as a whole.

Coverage is another major part of any discussion on insurance. For $15-30 a month, the average renter’s insurance plan provides $100,000 of personal liability coverage and $15,000 of personal property coverage. For the low monthly cost, renters insurance, even the basic plans, provides an excellent amount of coverage for renters. Additionally, renters insurance also provides approximately $1000-2000 of coverage for medical bills in these basic plans.

Many people want to get renters insurance in Cincinnati, OH. If you are interested in getting renters insurance, Advantage Insurance Network is the company for you since they have years of experience helping customers with renters insurance. To find out more, call Advantage Insurance Network at 513.922.9460.