How Often do Home Insurance Needs Change?

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In many cases, the needs of each homeowner as they apply to home insurance are going to stay relatively the same through the course of your living in your home. There are some events however and some instances in which you might need to adjust or change your coverage to help better cover your home. If you are thinking of changing coverage and you live in the Cincinnati, OH area, the agents with Advantage Insurance Network can help.

In most cases, your insurance needs are going to stay the same from year to year unless you do some improvements to your home or unless your specific geographic location dictates a change of some sort. What we mean by geographic area is that if you live in an area where twenty inches of snow is the average before the 30th of December each year, you may want more coverage in the winter and less in the summer to save money.

Similarly, if you do a great deal of home improvement to your home like adding an all new addition or upgrading your home, you are going to need more coverage to build back your house if it is damaged or destroyed. In these cases, you might need to adjust your home insurance coverage so that you have more or less dependent on the situation. If you are unsure if you need to change your coverage, it is always helpful to talk with an agent about insurance policies and what might work for you.

If you live in the Cincinnati, OH area, the agents with Advantage Insurance Network can help you find the policy that is going to work best for you and for your home so that you are covered no matter the situation.  

How Often do Home Insurance Needs Change?

Posted on by AgentInsure

In many cases, the needs of each homeowner as they apply to home insurance are going to stay relatively the same through the course of your living in your home. There are some events however and some instances in which you might need to adjust or change your coverage to help better cover your home. If you are thinking of changing coverage and you live in the Cincinnati, OH area, the agents with Advantage Insurance Network can help.

In most cases, your insurance needs are going to stay the same from year to year unless you do some improvements to your home or unless your specific geographic location dictates a change of some sort. What we mean by geographic area is that if you live in an area where twenty inches of snow is the average before the 30th of December each year, you may want more coverage in the winter and less in the summer to save money.

Similarly, if you do a great deal of home improvement to your home like adding an all new addition or upgrading your home, you are going to need more coverage to build back your house if it is damaged or destroyed. In these cases, you might need to adjust your home insurance coverage so that you have more or less dependent on the situation. If you are unsure if you need to change your coverage, it is always helpful to talk with an agent about insurance policies and what might work for you.

If you live in the Cincinnati, OH area, the agents with Advantage Insurance Network can help you find the policy that is going to work best for you and for your home so that you are covered no matter the situation.  

Risks for New Drivers

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Any driver can have an accident regardless of their experience, but new drivers are at greater risk. Teens have the highest incidences of crashes and motor vehicle fatalities on the road. Advantage Insurance Network in Cincinnati, OH would like to share their advice on exposing risks to new drivers because your insurance rates can be affected by reckless teen drivers.

Control Your Speed

Teens are more likely to disobey the speed limit. They do not seem to recognize the dangers that are involved when you are speeding. Following too closely behind, or tailgating is another dangerous situation that could cause an accident.

Distractions While On the Road

Cell phones should not be used by anyone while they are driving. Because new drivers have less experience handling difficult traffic situations, texting could easily interfere with their focus on the road.

Friends in the vehicle make it a lot more difficult for a teenager to pay attention to what is in front of them. Teens are more prone to engage in risky driving behaviors when they are other teenagers in the car.

Drinking and Driving

Intoxicated teen drivers have a greater chance of becoming involved in a fatality than an adult. According to the CDC, in 2010, 1 in 5 teenagers that were killed in a car crash had some alcohol in their system. Alcohol greatly impairs your perception, reaction time, and judgment.  

Seatbelt Safety

Even though seatbelts have proven to save lives, new drivers tend not to wear them. They may feel the belt is unnecessary or uncomfortable. Passengers of teen drivers are also less likely to wear a seatbelt.

Advantage Insurance Network in Cincinnati, OH wants to keep new drivers safe while on the road. Having the appropriate kind of insurance can help protect you if you are involved in an auto accident.

 

How To Handle Being Hit While Parked

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While it is more common for a vehicle to be hit while on the road, hit and run accidents frequently occur when your vehicle is parked on the street, whether in front of your home, in the grocery parking lot, or in a parking structure. You may see the event as it occurs or may come back to your vehicle to find damage. The guilty party often doesn’t leave any contact information, leaving you, as the vehicle owner, with the issue of having the damage fixed. When your car experiences a hit and run, it’s often unclear what you should do, and many people are confused about the details of their auto insurance coverage. If your vehicle is hit while parked in Cincinnati, OH, here are some guidelines to help you proceed.

Locate Witnesses and Document The Accident

Make a note of the time you first noticed damage to your car. If you saw the vehicle and person who hit your car, take notes describing the vehicle and driver. If not, there may be other witnesses to the event who can provide information about the make and model of the vehicle, the color, and possibly a partial license plate number. Get contact details from these witnesses, as they may be asked to provide a statement regarding what they’ve seen, even if they don’t have specific information, as they will be able to provide verification that your car was hit by another vehicle which fled the scene.

Take photos or video of the damage your vehicle sustained, and look for paint scrapes which can help support your claim that another vehicle hit your car. Document the immediate area that clearly shows where your car was parked, and include identifying signs and landmarks when possible. If your vehicle was parked on the street, knock on doors of nearby homes and businesses and speak to people who may be able to provide useful information about the incident, the vehicle or the driver.  

Look for closed circuit TV cameras or security cameras in the area that may have captured the event, and request copies of the footage. This is a good approach for vehicles that are hit in parking lots or parking structures.  Call the police and Advantage Insurance Network immediately and make a report as soon as possible, even if there were no witnesses to the event.

Auto Insurance Coverage for Hit and Run Accidents

It is upsetting to come out of your home or back from a movie and find that your vehicle has received damage from a hit-and-run driver. That’s why it’s important to make sure you have the right auto insurance protection. At Advantage Insurance Network, we take great care to ensure that if your vehicle it hit while parked, that you have the correct type and amount of Cincinnati, OH auto insurance coverage to cover your losses. Call our office today!

Essential Home Repairs You Shouldn’t Avoid

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If you live on a tight budget, it can be tempting to ignore home maintenance jobs that need to be done on your property in order to save money. While some home repairs can be put off temporarily without serious repercussions, others need to be taken care of right away. By putting off essential home repairs, you increase the risk of causing even worse damage to your property. The following repairs fall under the "essential" category:

Roof Repair

An old roof with damaged shingles won’t hold up against stormy weather. If you delay making roof repairs, you increase the risk of structural and/or interior water damage to your property. Water damage caused by lack of roof maintenance and repair may not be covered by your insurance carrier. By discussing water damage coverage with an Advantage Insurance Network agent in Cincinnati, OH, you can get a better idea of the protection your insurance policy offers.    

Plumbing/Electrical System

Problems with your home’s plumbing and/or electrical system should also be taken care of as soon as possible. Worn pipes or faulty wiring increase the risk of flooding or fire, both of which could utterly destroy your home. If you own an older home, you may need to upgrade your plumbing or electrical system to avoid serious problems.

Cracks in Foundation

Although some cracks in your home’s foundation may be harmless, others could present a problem. When it doubt, it’s best to have cracks checked by a professional, especially if they cause buckling or bulging in the home’s structure. Taking care of the problem early on could save you the expense of costly repairs later down the line.

A comprehensive home insurance policy from Advantage Insurance Network in Cincinnati, OH, will protect your home and personal belongings from unforeseen events that could cause damage to your property.  

 

Does Home Insurance Make a Difference?

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The last thing that you want to deal with is finding the money to rebuild after your home is damaged or destroyed. Though it is possible, the burden of finding enough money to rebuild or to buy a new home is very trying and can be avoided with the right home insurance policy. The agents with Advantage Insurance Network in the Cincinnati, OH area can help.

There are a few different ways that a home insurance policy can make a positive difference in your overall experience. For starters, having a home insurance policy in place is going to make it far easier to rebuild if your home is destroyed, to repair if your home is damaged, and to recover if your home is burglarized. Also, home policies can help pay the cost of medical bills if someone is injured while on your property.

Overall, home insurance is going to help make a huge difference in how quickly you can get back to your life after something terrible happens. Though it might not seem like a possibility, a home can be destroyed in a matter of moments and when you have home insurance, you can be sure that you are going to be able to get the money to rebuild your home and get back to living. A great home insurance policy is going to be a safety net that keeps you covered no matter what even when it might seem like you do not need it.

It does cost a premium each month but that does not mean that the premiums are going to outweigh the benefit of keeping a home insurance policy up. If you live in the Cincinnati, OH area, contact the agents with Advantage Insurance Network today to get the right policy for your home and for your individual circumstance.  

Drivers Should Put the Brakes on Reporting Car Accidents on Social Media

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Throughout the last few years, increasing numbers of auto insurance companies claims adjusters, and attorneys have been probing consumers’ social media accounts when they file claims, looking for evidence to prove that they were made under false pretenses.  Facebook is probably mined the most, but claims-investigators also examine Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and Foursquare.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, most insurance companies have special investigation units (SIUs) that look at social media if they have any reason to suspect fraud.  

Large numbers of claims have been denied because social media posts and photos called their validity into question, especially in cases of bodily injury.  If policyholders report, for example, that an auto accident caused a back injury, and then share photos in which they’re playing sports, the claim will probably be considered fraudulent.  

Drivers in Cincinnati, OH need to be sure that their posts are consistent with the information they provide when filing a claim.  Motorists are likely to call unwanted attention to their claim if they report driving against a doctor’s order or under the influence of medication.  If they claim a physical limitation because of their injury and then share posts in which said limitation seems non-existent, they will raise red flags. 

There are a few things Cincinnati, OH drivers can do to protect themselves from social media scrutiny.

Investigating claims via social media is legal if the claimant’s settings are "public."  Users should restrict their settings so that only friends can see them.  However, this does not guarantee complete privacy.  Drivers are best-advised not to post about their auto accidents on social media at all.  If that’s already happened, they may be able to dispute the decision if their claim is denied.

Contact Advantage Insurance Network to discuss your options.

DIY Winter Home Maintenance

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Want to keep your house in good condition throughout the Cincinnati, OH winters? There are a few home maintenance tips that you can do yourself to help keep your home secure for the season.

  • Gutters – Clean your gutters to remove any debris that may have become trapped over the last few months. If your gutters are blocked, water can damage your roof and fascia of your home. Water that settles can attract insects, animals, and rodents. Water that flows over can seep into your foundation and cause mold damage. Remove any large debris by hand and then, with a gutter attachment, spray the gutters with a garden hose. This is a good time to see if your gutters are draining properly. If not, you will need to flush the downspout with a hose.
  • Empty Pipes – Before the weather gets below freezing temperatures, make sure there is no water in the exterior pipes of your home. Shut off the main water valve and then run all of the faucets until the pipes are clear. Don’t forget about the toilets, dishwasher, and washing machine. Add a small amount of propylene glycol to prevent freezing from standing water inside of any pipe traps.
  • Fireplace Maintenance – Fireplaces that are not maintained properly can cause house fires and could result in carbon monoxide poisoning. Check the outside of your chimney for cracks and make sure that your cap is in good condition. The screen preventing rodents and animals from entering your home should be damage-free and clear of debris. Also, clean out any ash from inside your fireplace.

 In Cincinnati, OH, our independent insurance agents can help you keep your home safe and secure with home insurance. We can also take care of your auto, business, life, health, and boat insurance needs.

4 Things You Can Do to Prepare for Fall

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Fall is a beautiful time of year, but sometimes people are too busy outside enjoying the new season that they fail to remember that winter is coming. Preparing for fall really means getting the house ready for a change in temperature, so check out these 4 tips from Advantage Insurance Network to get your house back in tip-top shape. 

Insulate It All 

Unless you love spending money on all of your heating bills, then it’s time to consider better insulation in the house. It’s not a myth that you can lose hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year by the heat escaping to the outside. 

Clean It Up 

Winter is stuffy and if your house in Cincinnati, OH isn’t clean, it can compound the cabin fever feeling you will not doubt be having at some point this season. When you clean everything, you can at least have air that hasn’t been compromised by the dust that’s built up over the stifling heat of summer. 

Store It Away 

There are a lot of things you won’t be using this winter, and why have all of the clutter around if you don’t have to? By putting it all away, you have space and room to breathe, and it makes it a lot easier to find the things you will need — like your sweaters and your shovel.

Remember the Perils of Winter

 Advantage Insurance Network serves Cincinnati, OH, and wants you to have a safer home for all the seasons. Failing to purchase the right policy can lead you open to repairs that you can’t afford. For protection against natural disasters, call our agents today to find out how you can get the coverage you need to ward off snow, ice and more. 

 

Your Cincinnati, OH home insurance agent can find you the right policy

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When you buy a home it’s a very exciting time, but don’t get so caught up in getting a house that you overlook the important details of protecting your new investment. You need to make sure you take good care of your house, and that includes keeping it insured. With a good insurance policy, your home will be financially protected from fire, floods, break-ins, and other worries that are common to people who own a house of their own. One of the best ways to get the right insurance policy for your Cincinnati, OH home is to work with an independent agent from Advantage Insurance Network.

Independent agents are great at finding you the right policy because they can get you quotes from several different companies. Then you can ask questions about all of the options you have and can consider which policy is going to be right for you. Some of your focus may be on the cost of your policy, but there are other issues to consider, too. How much coverage you’re getting for the money matters, because that tells you the true value of the policy you’ve chosen. Instead of just selecting what’s least expensive, you can look at several different policies that fit your budget.

When you get your home insurance from Advantage Insurance Network, you can work with an independent agent and get answers to your questions about the right policy and what that can mean for your needs. Then you can just live in your home and enjoy it, knowing you’re protected financially. As your needs change you may need to make adjustments to your home insurance, too, so it’s good to know that you have an agent on your side to help you stay prepared.