Auto, Homeowners, Life, Pet, GAP, MMP, and more!
When an insurance company is deciding whether or not to offer automobile insurance to a potential customer, they will want to know about the person’s previous driving record, whether they have any recent accidents or tickets, and what type of car is to be insured.
Insurance companies have different programs for different customers. Adults with good driving records will generally pay less for auto insurance than a young driver with traffic tickets will. In order to determine which program you qualify for, an insurance company needs basic information about you.
In addition to your age, gender, and driving experience, they will also need information about the vehicle you drive and how you drive it to determine a fair price. For example, a large luxury car costs more to repair or replace than a sub-compact, and someone who commutes 30 miles each way is more likely to be in an accident than someone who rides the bus to work and drives only on weekends.
High-Risk Areas (Special Flood Hazard Area or SFHA)
In high-risk areas, there is at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage. All home and business owners in these areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to buy flood insurance. They are shown on the flood maps as zones labeled with the letters A or V.
Moderate to Low-Risk Areas
In moderate-to-low risk areas, the risk of being flooded is reduced but not completely removed. These areas submit over 20% of NFIP claims and receive one-third of disaster assistance for flooding. Flood insurance isn’t federally required in moderate-to-low areas, but it is recommended for all property owners and renters. They are shown on flood maps as zones labeled with the letters B, C or X (or a shaded X).
Many areas in the western states are at an increased flood risk due to wildfires in recent years. After a wildfire, the charred ground where vegetation has burned away cannot easily absorb rainwater, increasing the risk of flooding and mudflow over a number of years. Wildfire-affected areas include states such as California, Arizona and Nevada. Properties directly affected by fires and those located below or downstream of burn areas are most at risk.
In addition to the heavy rains and wildfires, the West Coast has thousands of miles of levees, which were constructed to help protect homes and land in case of a flood. However, levees are not fail-proof and can, weaken, or overtop when waters rise, often causing catastrophic results.
Flash floods are the #1 weather-related cause of death in the U.S. since they can roll boulders, tear out trees, and destroy buildings and bridges. A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas in less than six hours, which is caused by intense rainfall from a thunderstorm or several thunderstorms. Flash floods can also occur from the collapse of a man-made structure or ice dam.
New construction and development can change the natural drainage and create brand new flood risks. That’s because new buildings, parking lots, and roads mean less land to absorb excess precipitation from heavy rains, hurricanes, and tropical storms.
The amount of flood insurance coverage required by the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended by the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994, is the lesser of the following:
If the property is not in a high-risk area, but instead in a moderate-to-low risk area, federal law does not require flood insurance; however, a lender can still require it. It is also recommended since historically one-in-five claims come from these moderate-to-low areas. Note that if during the life of the loan the maps are revised and the property is now in the high-risk area, your lender will notify you that you must purchase flood insurance.
It’s often the case that the cost of repairing the damages to an older car is greater than its value. In these cases, your insurer will usually just “total” the car and give you a check for the car’s market value less the deductible. Many people with older cars decide not to purchase any physical damage coverage.
The type of car you drive, the purpose the car serves, your driving record, and where the car is garaged can all affect how much your automobile insurance will cost.
Even your marital status can affect your cost of insurance. Statistics show that married people tend to have fewer and less costly accidents than single people do.
It’s best not to admit an accident was your fault, even if you think it was. A simple apology can be construed as an admission of fault. Let the authorities determine who was responsible. Auto accidents can be disorienting even if you are not physically injured. You may not be aware of all factors leading up to the crash, so state only what you know about what happened. Contact your insurance company as soon as possible, even if damages were minor.
Just as a teenager will have to pay more for being young and inexperienced, drivers can expect to pay less as they reach the age range where they are statistically the safest on the road, roughly from ages 40 to 55. In some cases, rates may go up as a driver becomes elderly.
Auto insurers may cancel your policy at any time if you fail to pay your premium, lose your driving privileges, or have not accurately reported the facts relating to your level of risk. A cancellation will make it hard to get insurance for a long time to come.
Property Damage Liability – Pays for damages to the property of others, caused by you or your vehicle.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Covers the costs associated with damage or injury caused by an uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run driver.
Medical Payments – Covers the medical bills of you and your passengers after an auto accident, regardless of who is at fault.
Collision – Covers the damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision, regardless of who is responsible. Collision coverage requires the payment of a deductible by the insured.
Comprehensive Physical Damage – Pays for damage to your car that is not the result of an auto accident, such as theft, vandalism, fire, hail, natural disasters, hitting a deer, etc. Comprehensive coverage also requires a deductible, and will only pay as much as the car was worth before sustaining the damage.
It’s not surprising to find quotes on homeowners insurance that vary by hundreds of dollars for the same coverage on the same home. When you shop, be careful to make sure each insurer is offering the same coverage.
Another way to lower the cost of your homeowners insurance is to look for any discounts that you may qualify for. For example, many insurers will offer a discount when you place both your automobile and homeowners insurance with them. Other times, insurers offer discounts if there are deadbolt exterior locks on all your doors, or if your home has a security system. Be sure to ask us to look into these discounts for you.
Another easy way to lower the cost of your homeowners insurance is to raise your deductible. Increasing your deductible from $250 to $500 will lower your premium, sometimes by as much as five or ten percent.
The dwelling and other structures on the premises are protected on an “all risks” basis up to the policy limits. “All risks” means that unless the policy specifically excludes the manner in which your home is damaged or destroyed, there is coverage. The policy limit for the dwelling is set by the policy owner at the time the insurance is purchased. The policy limit for the other structure is usually equal to 10% of the policy limit for the dwelling.
Losses to your personal property are covered on a “named perils” basis. “Named perils” means that you have coverage only when your property is damaged or destroyed in the manner specifically described in the policy. The policy limit on the coverage is equal to 50% of the policy limit on the dwelling. Limits for the coverage for the additional expenses that the policy owner may incur when the residence cannot be used because of an insured loss is equal to 20% of the policy limit on the dwelling.
The coverage limit on personal liability is determined by the policy owner at the time the policy is issued. The coverage limit on medical payments to others is usually set at $1,000 per injured person.
You can also step up coverage to include:
Protection is subject to policy limits and deductibles can vary.
Renters coverage applies to your personal property, no matter where you are in the world. This means you’re covered when you are on vacation as well as at home.
Important factors include:
Calculating the correct amount of life insurance to buy is not as simple as it appears. We recommend contacting us for help determining the right amount of coverage. As independent agents, we are unbiased advisors who will help you avoid buying too much, show you appropriate optional coverage for your need, and recommend a company that will best serve your interests.
It’s of utmost importance that the income-earning capacity of the primary breadwinner be fully protected, if possible, through the purchase of the required amount of life insurance. This should be done before contemplating the purchase of life insurance on children or on a non-wage-earning spouse. Life insurance on a non-wage-earning spouse is often recommended for the purpose of paying for household services lost due to this individual’s death. In a dual-earning household, it’s important to protect the income-earning capacity of both spouses.
Question #1 should always be resolved first. For example, the amount of life insurance that you need may be so large that the only way you can be afford it is through the purchase of term insurance, since term insurance has a lower premium.
If your ability to pay life insurance premiums is such that you can afford the desired amount of life insurance under either type of policy, it is then appropriate to consider the second question: what type of policy to buy. Important factors affecting this decision include your income tax bracket, whether the need for life insurance is short-term or long-term (e.g., 20 years or longer), and the rate of return on alternative investments possessing similar risk.
Credit life insurance is frequently recommended in conjunction with the taking out of an installment loan when purchasing expensive appliances or a new car, or for debt consolidation.
Products are not NCUA/NCUSIF insured and are not guaranteed or obligations of One Nevada Credit Union. Property, casualty and life insurance offered through One Nevada Insurance Services. IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: To offer you an accurate quote, we may need to collect information from consumer reporting agencies, such as driving record, claims and credit history reports. Future reports may be used to update or renew your insurance.