Happy Holidays

The team at Crabdree Insurance would like to take a few moments to wish everyone a joyous and blessed holiday season.

We cherish our clients and our home in this lovely community. It is because of you that we have the privilege of being here.

We treasure our colleagues within the companies we work with. You make superior customer service possible and enjoyable, too.

Thank you so much for being our customers, colleagues and friends. Wishing you good health, happiness, security and prosperity now and for always,

Merry Christmas!

Scott, Tina, Karen, Alita, Cris, Trish, Sierra and Tim.

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Payson People: Bobby Davis

Our first Payson People profile is about our good friend Bobby Davis. Bobby and his lovely wife Nina are fairly new to the Crabdree family of clients, but they are good friends and terrific Rim Country citizens.

I’m going to present this one Barbara Walters style. Just a question and answer session. Bobby’s wit, humor and heart shine through best with his own words.

Q: Tell me three things about our community that you think are perfect, just as they are.

            A: 1.The people, and their willingness to give back. 2. When someone is in need or sick their friends will surround them and help them overcome any issue. 3. The Rim Country (Payson, Star Valley, Pine, Strawberry, Christopher Creek & Tonto Basin) all work together to make this a great place to live.

Q: Tell me three things about our community you would change if you could.

            A: 1. This is a great place to live and raise a family; with the new college that will be built, it will change the demographics, and that will bring higher paying jobs and a nice mix of citizens. 2. The college will bring new business, new restaurants, more shopping; we the citizens need to be ready for the changes in a positive way. Now is the time to get ready before it is built.

Q. What is something that you are especially proud you learned how to do?

            A. I am proud that I learned how to give back and to appreciate the family and friends that I have in my life. 

Q. What is your absolute DREAM car? Make, model, color, everything.

            A. My dream vehicle would be a new Ford F-150: top of the line, fully loaded, black 4x4.

Q. If someone made a movie about you, who would be the best actor to play the role of YOU?

            A. Brad Pitt... but he would have to shave his head and gain about 50 lbs.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How close to that did you come in real life?

            A. Growing up in Texas I wanted to become a cowboy, and play football for the Dallas Cowboys. Well, I did become a cowboy and I worked on ranches. In high school, I played high school football. Then I joined the Marines and that changed my life. After my tour in the Marines I went to Dallas, Texas to try out for the Dallas Cowboys as a walk-on player. I found out real fast that I was way too small.  At my age I am happy with the person I have become and the family and friends that I can share my life with.

Q. Imagine you are marooned on a lovely island in the South Pacific. What three things would you wish to wash up on shore?

            A. Assuming I had food and water, then I would want a luxury yacht to dock and Ricardo Montalban and Tattoo, his side kick, to bring me a check for 100,000 million dollars. They would tell me that my beautiful wife Nina and our 4 great children and spouses and 7 perfect grandchildren were on the yacht, waiting to sail around the world.

Q, If someone wrote a biography of your life, would it be an adventure story? A love story? A comedy?  A thriller? Or something else?

            A. When Brad Pitt shaved his head and gained 50 lbs. he would find that it would be the best adventure, love story, thriller and most of all, a comedy with a happy ending.

Q. What part of the world do your ancestors come from? Have you ever been to that country?

            A. British/Scandinavian...not yet but plan on going someday.

Q. If you could wake up one day with a new talent or skill, what would you like to be able to do? Why?

            A. Understand and predicate the stock market so I could accumulate wealth. Then I would have the time and money to help others and to make a difference in children’s lives.

Thanks so much, Bobby, for playing along at Payson Profiles. Your answers made us all smile! (Maybe even an LOL or two!)

Bobby’s profile and picture appear in this space with his approval. What a good sport!

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

It Could Have Been Very Bad

Social media. That's what this is. Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Pintarest, etc. etc. etc. ad infinitum. But do you ever stop to really think about it?

Here's what happened to us. My sister called me. We had a nice chat, conversation perking along fine. Finally, she asks me, "OK. What's the deal with your son?"
"Which one?" I ask, completely puzzled.
"Oh, my gosh. You don't know!" She says.

It turns out that someone called our elderly mother, pretending to be one of my sons. The scammer sounded like he had a cold, and told a very credible story of being in jail and needing $2800 in bail money. He said he had been arrested on a DUI, but "Honestly, I only took some cold medicine!" Could she please wire the money to him?

My Mom, she's nobody's fool. She was not taken in by the scam, fortunately. We were all very lucky. I speak to my mother very frequently, she is sharp and well aware of what is going on with our family. But how might that have turned out if Mom was more easily confused, or if the scammer had been more convincing?

Here's what I found out. These scummy scammers browse social media sites like Facebook, and from that and other sources, they craft a believable story. I heard one story about a girl who posted that she was going to another country. The scammer used that tidbit: they posed as this girl, sick (of course, to disguise a voice I suppose) and stranded in another country. Grandparents wired thousands of dollars to "rescue" the girl and the scammer got away with it.

Our family had a happy ending. The scam didn't work this time. Talk to your young family members about the privacy settings on their profiles, and talk to your elderly family members about the danger.... please!

For more reading on social media sites and some thought-provoking information, click here:
http://blog.central-insurance.com/2011/12/14/whos-really-reading-about-you-on-facebook/

Wishing you a safe internet experience,

Trish


We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

The Messenger

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Payson Senior Center

My Grandmother was a regular at the Senior Center, back in the early 1980s. Even though she did have family around, and had no need to receive meals on wheels, the Senior Center was a wonderful resource for her. It was social contact with her own peers, which is very important, it was information and entertainment and companionship. Payson Senior Center was a blessing for our entire family. How much more of a blessing is it to the senior who does not live with their children, does not have family nearby to be their chauffeur and may not be able (financially or physically) to prepare their own meals?

I know that most of you are familiar with the "Credit for Kids" program. I just found out that our own Payson Senior Center has been approved as a recipient of a different tax credit donation. I am going to quote directly from Joanne Conlin, Payson Senior Center Director, as she explains it much better than I could!

"We are an approved charitable organization under the Working Poor Tax Credit Program.  This program is separate from the Credit For Kids and tax credit program for the private schools.  You can donate up to $200 for an individual and up to $400 for a married couple.  You can also take it as a charitable contribution on your federal taxes.

Your donation will be put to good use.  We serve approximately 200 meals a day between our Meals On Wheels Program and our Daily Lunch Program.  We also transport about 450 seniors a month.  These programs are so important to the health and well being of our seniors.  For many of the people we service, we are their only contact with the outside for days on end and give them their main and sometimes it is the only meal of the day."

  

Contact Joanne for more information or to get the form for a donation. Call her 928-474-4876 or email her at pseniors@npgcable.com 

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Crabdree Family

Cris' son is part of the Payson Longhorn marching band. They were invited to perform at the 70th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. What a great honor! We are so proud of our band; they were one of only 12 schools invited to perform. Here's a link to watch them

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18995074

We are all so proud of these young musicians, and we feeled honored as a community to be represented there, commemorating "a day that will live in infamy". With our deepest respects to all our veterans, and especially to those who lost their lives on that fateful day in December of 1941. Bless you all.



We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Auto Insurance 101

Should insurance coverage change for an older car?

We hear that question every week. The answer is, "No for some parts, and maybe for others." Sounds like a vague answer, doesn't it? For a complete answer, let's talk about the parts of your coverage.

First is liability insurance. This is the part of your policy that pays for damages and injuries for which you are legally responsible. This is the part that is required by law. How much liability insurance do you need? Ask yourself, how much do you have to protect?

The value of your own vehicle doesn't have anything to do with how much liability insurance you need, really. If you hurt someone or damage their car in an accident, it doesn't matter how old your car is. You want to make sure you have enough liability insurance to pay the damages you caused. If you don't have enough, their insurance company and their lawyers are not likely to just say, "Oh, that's ok. Never mind." They are going to want to collect the money from you somehow.

The same is true for uninsured and underinsured motorist. (read more about that coverage here) That is protection for you and your passengers.You aren't protecting the value of your car, you are protecting yourself and your loved ones.

Physical damage is the place you need to look to decide if you should lower your coverage. If your car is totalled in an accident, for example, could you afford to replace it? You need to seriously consider how much you could afford to spend to get your car repaired or replaced. If it is an extra vehicle in your household that you wouldn't replace at all, then maybe you don't want comprehensive or collsion coverage. But what if your car, whatever its age, is your only transportation? If you couldn't readily come up with the money for another car, it's a good idea to keep that physical damage coverage in place.

Let's talk about deductible. You know, of course, that the higher deductible you choose, the lower your premium. There are two ways you can look at deductibles. Find out how much you save with a higher deductible and then figure out how many years you would have to go without an accident to have saved any money. Many people would rather pay a little more each month, and have to come up with less money out of pocket if they did have an accident. Or you can think of a deductible as a bet: "I bet I won't have a loss of any kind, so I will save the money now and take my chances on paying more out of my pocket for a claim."

Liability claims are an unknown possibility. How bad might an accident be? What if you hurt more than one person? Worse, what if someone dies in an accident you caused? What if you cause an accident that damages a very expensive car, a fancy motorhome or even causes a pile-up? You have to insure for a worst-case scenario there. Physical damage of your own car is a known risk. "My car is worth $5000 so that is the most I would be out if it were damaged or stolen." That kind of risk you can anticipate.

Insurance is all about risk. It's about choosing the risks you want to take and the recognizing the ones you can't afford to take. You are the only one who can assess what risks you want to take. We are here to advise you and show you the options you have. But ultimately, YOU are in the driver's seat. (Pun intended!)

Drive safely out there. And always...if you have questions or concerns, come talk to a licensed professional.



We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Classic Lightning Protection Inc.

We are proud to present the first post in our series, “Payson Profiles”.

Let us introduce you to Classic Lightning Protection, Inc of Payson. They offer quality lightning, grounding and surge protection systems.

Kevin and Linda Morris are the hardworking people behind Classic Lightning Protection; they have been Crabdree clients since 1999. The Rim Country’s clean and beautiful outdoors is one of the many reasons why they love living and working here.

The owner of any residential, commercial or industrial structure needs to consider lightning protection to safeguard the building and surge protection to safeguard its contents. The NFPA reports an average of nearly 32,000 lightning-caused fires every year, and 16% of those are homes. Lightning protection is not only for the tallest building on the highest hill (but it’s definitely for those buildings!)

When you stop to consider the value of all the electronics in your business or home, you will immediately understand why surge protection is so important. You should also know that many insurance policies have a cap on or even exclude losses caused by artificially-generated current. In other words, the initial lightning strike would usually be covered, but if that lightning damaged the power company’s transformer and subsequent damage occurred...you may have a problem.

Classic Lightning Protection Inc. is UL Listed and an LPI Certified Master Installer/Designer with 14 years in business. You can find them at www.classiclightningprotection.com, or call today: 928-474-1727

This post was approved by Classic Lightning Protection, and their photo appears here with their kind permission. Thank you, Kevin and Linda!

Get A Checkup!

You already know that you need to get your checkups. You visit the doctor, the dentist and the ophthalmologist. When was the last time you saw your INSURANCE AGENT for a checkup?
Make an appointment today, because things change!

• Is your home covered adequately? If you've had your homeowners policy for more than 5 years, you may be underinsured. If you've made any improvements to your home, you may be underinsured. You need to review your coverage with a licensed agent.
• Has the size of your family changed? What about your employment status, or how many miles to work you drive each week? A good example is a real estate agent who has changed careers. Are you still paying a "business use" rate? What if you are now using your vehicle in business, but you are rated for pleasure. Are you covered correctly?
• Has your business changed? If you have downsized, grown, expanded your services or increased your inventory, you should discuss that with your agent and make sure your coverage is suitable.
• Did you know that your policy probably specifies how your coverage is DECREASED if a building is vacant? Talk to your agent if you have a vacant property.
• New discounts become available, new programs become available and carriers are added to our repertoire every year. Schedule a visit so that we can review your insurance portfolio.
• Do you have vehicles insured with different companies? That can be a huge risk to you. Get them on one policy right away. If your insurance company won't cover a travel trailer or motorhome, maybe you should shop around. One exception: motorcycles and ATVs: those are almost never insured on the same policy as an automobile.
• And what about your ATV? If you told your agent to just get you the minimum coverage to make it legal, since you use your ATV so seldom, you may be leaving money on the table. You may be able to get more coverage for the same dollars. Schedule a review!
• This is a concern that I see very often: does the named insured on the policy match the true owner of the property? If you purchased property in the name of a trust, an LLC, or in partnership with another party, are you properly protected by your policy? Visit with a licensed professional to discuss it. (more on this topic in a future post!)
• Did you pay off your mortgage? It complicates a claim if a mortgage company is listed on the policy but they don't have a lien on the property. That's also true if you paid off your vehicle loan. See your agent!

Did I say it too many times? Schedule a review! Get a checkup! Visit a professional TODAY!


We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Photos

Autumn color at The Pocket, by Scott Crabdree

Photos submitted by our customers are presented with the owner's permission and our thanks. Owner retains copyright, and consents to have photo shown here.

Thank You, Veterans!

We have a lot of veterans in the Crabdree Insurance extended family. Cris' husband is a vet, Karen's daughter is on active duty now, and my son recently came home after five years in the Army.

Some of our parents, brothers and sisters were vets, many of our cherished clients were vets and many, many of our neighbors served our country, too.

I'd like to take a moment this day to thank each one of them. We owe more than words could ever express. Our safety and security as a people, our position on the world's stage, our liberty, our civil rights and our human rights....every single thing that we hold dear, and everything that we have the choice or opportunity to do is there because they was safeguarded for us by our military.

Whatever your politics, I do hope that you will join us today in holding our veterans dear to your heart. Take a moment out of your day off, and give a thought to the men and women who sacrificed so much, often everything, so that you could stay in your pajamas all day. :D

Thank you, Veterans!

Trish

and the entire Crabdree Team. 

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Win a World Series T-Shirt!

Yay, Nancy! You WON!!!

Bring in a donation to the Payson Food Drive,

and you'll get a chance to win an

OFFICIAL 2011 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ST LOUIS CARDINALS T-SHIRT! 

Size XXL.

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Winter weather is coming

Winter 2005. All was busy around the house that cold winter morning.  My husband and I were getting ready for work. The kids were ready for school, and out the door we go. A few hours later that afternoon, Mike went home to pick up some papers he had left behind sitting on the desk in the den.  As he approached the house, he noticed water streaming down from the roof and gutters, so he thought, until he got closer.  The water wasn't coming down from the roof, but sheeting like a waterfall on the interior side of  the master bedroom window.

To his surprise, Mike ran inside and in disbelief, watched the ceiling drywall crash to the floor with a waterfall of insulation hanging from the exposed trusses above.  It was a mess!

The cost to repair this small crack in our water pipe... $50;
The cost to repair/replace the damages of the home interior... $6,800. 

Okay, lesson learned the hard way.  But here is my (and your insurance company's) wisdom to cold weather prevention tips to reduce winter claims for homeowners:

1. Prevent ice dams by cleaning gutters and installing gutter guards. Ice can cause damage to walls and ceilings which can lead to mold and other problems.
2. Keep your inside temperature at 65 degrees or warmer and wrap water pipes with heat tape or insulation to prevent freezing.
3. Repair any cracked or leaking pipes. These areas freeze first.
4. On extremely cold days/nights, open doors and cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms to allow warm air to circulate around pipes.
5. Trim trees and remove dead branches at least five feet from your home.  Once heavy with snow, trees can fall into driveways, entryways, covered patios, garages, etc.  Remove trees that are leaning and seek professionals to clear your lot if you need help.

Here are the facts, water damage claims average $5,500 per occurrence and is the 5th leading cause of homeowner claims.  Don't add to this statistic.  Follow these few Cold Weather Tips and keep your home safe and sound for you and your family. 

If you have any good suggestions that you would like to share please respond so that we can post your good ideas too!

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

6 Tips for a Safe Halloween

With thanks to Central Insurance for the post!

Six Tips for a Safe Halloween

With Halloween around the corner, there are sure to be ghouls and goblins knocking on doors and demanding sugary treats. Below are some tips to keep these little “monsters” safe while out trick-or-treating.

1. Use reflective tape on costumes to help night drivers identify pedestrians. Most costumes are dark in color and can render pedestrians nearly invisible to drivers. By adding reflective tape to a costume, you can help assure that drivers will see someone in the road.
2. Carry a flashlight to avoid hidden pitfalls while going door-to-door. Walking down dark streets and cutting across lawns that may not be well lit can hide dangers causing you to trip and fall, possibly spraining an ankle or bumping your head.
3. NEVER eat unwrapped candy or candy with damaged packaging. Although we would all like to think our neighbors are benevolent people, the truth is, you never know who could be the “bad apple” of the bunch. If a stranger is handing out candy with easily resealable packaging or no packaging at all, it is best to throw these items away. You cannot be sure that they have not tampered with the treat in some way.
4. Travel in groups at all times. Safety in numbers is an age old rule that applies as much today as ever. Predators will often forego approaching a group of kids in favor of a lone child as they are more vulnerable. Although not comforting, this tip is imperative to keeping children safe.
5. Wear a mask that does not obstruct your vision too much. Most Halloween masks obstruct the wearer’s view by cutting off peripheral vision. By finding a mask that allows some peripheral vision, you can better assess your surroundings and the potential dangers around you. This can help avoid a litany of issues including being hit by a car you couldn’t see, bumping into a passerby, tripping over unseen objects, etc.
6. Travel on sidewalks whenever possible. Halloween is a very exciting night for kids, and the tendency to wander into the road is much higher on  Halloween than other nights of the year. Kids and parents alike are crossing the street constantly and sometimes this creates a false sense of security for trick-or-treaters. They believe that drivers will see the throngs of people and slow or stop well ahead of time. While this may be true for most drivers, all it takes is one driver who is too close to the edge of the road where you are walking or one driver to look down for a moment and not see you crossing the street to cause serious injuries. Trick-or-treaters should choose streets they know have sidewalks in order to limit the amount of time spent on the roadway and your exposure to night time drivers.  This news story is a prime example of the inherent danagers of the roadway on Halloween.

Halloween is a lot of fun for kids and adults alike. By adhering to these tips and using common sense, we can help ensure a safe celebration for everyone. Are there any tips not listed that you would recommend? If so, please post them in the comments section. Happy Halloween!

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Bloggers, Bloggers Everywhere!

Blogs are great. We love blogs. They're a great way to share information, to go into a little extra detail where needed and to show you the human side of the insurance world.


One of our top companies, Central Insurance, recently launched their blog http://blog.central-insurance.com/ .


They are joining some of our other companies who have a blog for your information, entertainment and convenience. You will also find
Progressive Insurance http://www.progressive.com/understanding-insurance/
Hagerty Insurance has a blog http://hagertyblog.blogspot.com/
there are probably some others out there we haven't heard about yet.


And then. Then. The Crabdree team also has a couple of bloggers. In addition to this one, you'll find Tina's blog about her journey as an artist http://www.tinacrabdreeart.blogspot.com/ and Trish keeps a personal blog, http://contemplatinghappiness.blogspot.com/ .


So what's with all the blogging? The casual format lets us communicate so informally! We are talking to our friends and neighbors, about all kinds of different things. Business and personal, blogs can be helpful and fun. Look around at the blogs above; get to know our insurance carriers better, and us too. Oh, and don't forget to look at past blog posts on this site!









We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Classics

One of my favorite kinds of insurance policies to write is for a classic car. Not only do I get to see pictures of really fun, cool cars, I get to spend a little time talking to clients about something they're passionate about. I love the animation and excitement in their eyes when they tell me about their 'baby'.

I don't know much about cars, but I know joy when I see it. It doesn't matter if I'm a motorhead; I enjoy my client's enthusiasm for their car hobby. Most classic car owners love their car and are happy to get a policy for it that understands what makes a classic car so cool...and still charges a great premium. Most auto policies offer actual cash value coverage. A policy designed for a classic car covers the car for a specified or agreed amount. That is a world of difference if your classic is restored, modified or just a pristine example.

Here's one classic you might see around town, with thanks to the owner for letting me post "her" picture here.

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Boy in the 'Hood

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a neighbor who had a late dinner at my place. Karen has neighbors from the same family...except her neighbors are more respectful in their manners.

Karen went home for lunch yesterday, and found this guy waiting for her...

He hung around awhile....

They had a nice chat.

And like any good friend and neighbor, he didn't overstay his welcome.

Karen's cat was not as impressed and excited to have company as the people were. Cats are like that.

Trish

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Going Green

I have to tell you: I'm in love with email! I love it that I can get a memo or an ID Card or a quote to my client instantly. I love it that clients can have their entire policy in seconds; they don't need to print it. If they save it to their computer, they can look at it any time without having to dig in the file cabinet. When a client asks me a question, they can save my email response if it is something they might wish to refer to again or discuss with another person.

I also love that my clients can email me and give me information I might need, request a certificate, or set up an appointment, almost anything at their convenience and not wait for business hours. Especially for business owners, it isn't always easy to get out of the office or get in a phone call when you're making a living. I bet 90% of my commercial clients do their paperwork in the evening after the doors close. Now they can take care of insurance during that evening cram session, too.

Our computer system is very secure. We never spam you. We only share your email address with your insurance company if you approve it, such as to get a paperless discount. We're saving paper, ink cartridges, postage and time. We are also walking a little lighter on the earth. It's all good.

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Facebook

I just received word that one of our top insurance companies has launched a Facebook page. You might already be a client of Central Insurance. Check out their link, and don't forget to LIKE us on FB, too!

www.facebook.com/Central.Insurance.

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Rainy Days

It looks like we are in for a day of rainy weather here in Payson.  Many area roads are flooded so be careful.  Watch for floating debris, in other words, drive with caution.

As my husband and I drove in today (yes, we carpool everyday) from Pine, we saw a few deer crossing the highway.  They are just beautiful creatures; sorry Trish, I know they loved your flower garden and they will soon get into mine as well as the apple trees. 

So be safe friends and enjoy the cooler weather while it's here.   
~ Cris

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Canine Retirement

Does anyone know where I can file for social security benefits for my dog? She made it very clear this morning that she is officially retired.

Without so much as a yip, growl, whine or woof from her, two elk cows helped themselves to my entire garden this morning. They ate all the leaves off the sunflowers that were just about ready to bloom. My young pear tree is just a stick now. And they pulled the juicy hearts out of the native century plants, exactly the way I would eat an artichoke. Without the lemon-butter sauce, of course. They also did a fine job of getting birdseed out of the feeder. They didn't care for the tomato plants, although I've seen elk eat them in the past. All in all, I think they had a wonderful banquet. I hope they give me five stars in the restaurant reviews section of the Elk Newspaper.

I looked at the dog and asked her, "Do you call yourself a guard dog?" She looked at me with an expression that clearly said that she couldn't possibly care less. I suppose a herding dog disdains to chase off garden marauders?

The elk hopped over our 5' high fence. Then they waited until we were asleep again (knowing that our dog would not molest them), went around to the front yard and ate my maple tree.

And that right there, folks, is what I love about Payson. Where else can you set a table for your neighbors in such a way?

De-sunflowerization in Arizona. This was a lush green patch of heaven yesterday.

We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Time. Where does it go?

If you are anything like me, you stay busy.  Not intentionally, but with stuff. Life stuff. Kid stuff. Spouse and Parents stuff. But, stuff molds us, and often creates happiness in our life.

So here is some Insurance Stuff that will make you think about your own stuff.

I want you to think about your Auto insurance today.  TV commercials are bombarding you for their attention about how to get cheaper insurance.  But if you're like me, I ask, "What's the catch?"  Go with what you know.  And here is a list of Top 10 items you need to know when you go shopping for auto insurance.

1. Know your privacy rights

2. Find your current policy for pertinent information (drivers, vehicles, limits, etc.)

3. Vehicle Identification No's (VIN)

4. Birth dates and Driver License numbers of all household drivers

5. Ask your agent about Bodily Injury/Property Damage (BI/PD) limits. State limits are convenient and may provide lower premiums; but in the event of an accident, if you don't have enough coverage, then you are financially responsible.

6. Driving history and claims can directly affect rates

7. Comprehensive with Full Glass Coverage is a great incentive to many buyers. My advice, don't abuse it, it's still a claim.  Yes, a Glass Claim.  This feature to a policy is not a maintenance program, and glass can cost several hundred dollars to replace. As mentioned in #6 - Claims can and do affect rates. 

8. Ask for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Paperless Billing Delivery (ebills) for additional discounts.  We all are looking for ways to save a few dollars.

9. Students: Grades will reward you! Even in the insurance world.  Good Grades = $ Saved

10. "Know what to do when involved in an accident."  Many companies offer Accident Scene Information Tips to keep in your vehicle glove compartment.  You will probably forget to obtain some information that will be pertinent to an accident.  These checklists are helpful when you are distracted.

I hope you learned something new, and maybe you'll even share this with a friend. If so, then I hope this Insurance Stuff has made it less stressful.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

This is a question I hear very often: "Arizona requires that drivers have insurance; why do I need to insure an uninsured driver?" The answer is simple: you aren't! You are protecting yourself, not them.

In Arizona, Un/Underinsured Motorist coverage pays for YOUR injuries, or YOUR PASSENGER'S injuries, if you are hit by someone without insurance or without enough insurance. It has to be their fault. It does not pay for damage to your car. Just covers your injuries.

Why do you need this coverage when the state requires that drivers have insurance?

What if the other driver didn't pay their insurance bill and the policy cancelled? Or if they stole the car they just hit you with? What if they are a hit-and-run driver? That is considered an uninsured motorist, too. I am sorry to tell you that there are a lot of people driving without insurance in force.

Underinsured Motorist pays for injuries after the other person's insurance is exhausted. Once again, it has to be the other driver's fault. State minimum is $15,000 per person and $30,000 for the entire accident for bodily injuries. Suppose the at-fault driver causes a pile-up of several cars, maybe 6 people injured. That could potentially mean each injured person would get $5,000 of their medical bills paid. Five thousand. How much does a trip in the ambulance cost these days? Maybe it is only your one vehicle, but you have three passengers. Now you might get $7500. 

Many people feel comfortable rejecting Un/Underinsured Motorist Coverage because they have health insurance. That can be a perfectly logical and reasonable decision. Don't discount what Un/Underinsured Motorist Coverage would mean for your passengers who may not have the health insurance you do. And consider what your co-pays, deductibles and other expenses not covered by health insurance might be.

In a perfect world, every driver would have adequate liability limits, an active policy and excellent driving skills. Until that perfect world arrives, talk to your insurance agent about uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

Trish


We are offering general information and opinions. Talk to your insurance professional for questions and concerns about your insurance policy.

Art, Jewelry, Guns, Baseball cards.... what do you collect?

You've heard people call it a "Jewelry Rider", a "Floater" or something like that. It's extra coverage, just for your precious possessions.

In Insurance-ese (that special language unique to insurance) you are talking about Scheduled Personal Property. Why do you want it? Is it worth the extra money? The answer is yes. Yes. And YES some more.

• Your homeowners policy probably has internal limits for theft of jewelry, watches, furs, guns, fine art, coins, stamps, baseball cards and more. You may have as little as $500 in coverage if your special possessions are stolen, or you may have as much as $10,000. Read your policy to find out.
• If your home and its contents are destroyed in a fire, there is usually not an internal limit on those special items. But you ARE now using that same contents coverage amount for all of your furniture, clothes, kitchenware, appliances, tools...is there enough for all of that and your art work, too?
• Scheduling your personal property, in many cases, broadens the covered causes of loss. What does that mean in English? It means you may now have coverage for mysterious disappearance. Was the ring stolen? Lost? Eaten by the puppy? What??? Most homeowners policies would not cover it unless you can show it was stolen. Unless you scheduled it.
• How much is your favorite bronze sculpture or your baseball card collection worth? How would that be determined in the event of a loss? Scheduling your personal property, in some cases, is an agreement with the company that your item is worth what it is covered for. You may have to provide an appraisal to verify the value, but what a wonderful peace of mind to know that your grandmother's opal ring is covered for what it is worth. Of course, you can't put a price on the sentimental value of items, but you can at least make sure that they are covered for their monetary value.
• There are some things that are unique in their value. If you own something that would be difficult to determine a value for, doesn't fit into a typical category or is completely one-of-a-kind, maybe you should think about scheduling it. A great example is taxidermy. If you have a world-record, life size Dall sheep mount, how do you establish what that was worth in the event a claim? You can't exactly order up another one on Ebay. A claims adjustor is unlikely to have a reference book that will help. Look at it this way, if you schedule the sheep and something happens to it, maybe you can get enough money to go hunt another one.

The rates for scheduling your special possessions are directly affected by how attractive the item is to a thief, among other things. Guns cost more money per dollar value to schedule than oil paintings. That's logical. Jewelry kept in safe deposit box at the bank will cost less to insure than the diamond tennis bracelet you wear every day.

Some of the comments I hear most often is, "My jewelry is more valuable to me because it is sentimental.", "Oh, that painting is one of a kind, so I couldn't replace it anyway." and my personal favorite, "If they try to take my guns, they're going to get them and not they way they meant to."

If your cherished jewelry was stolen, that gift from your husband or the family heirloom piece, would you be happy to receive a fraction of what it would cost to buy something similar? (just an example, of course). If the painting burned in a fire and you had never determined a value on it, how do you know you're getting what it was worth? The claims adjustor can only go by what is left of the painting and what you remember about it. And for that last one, do you really think a gang of thugs is going to wait until you are home to break in and haul away your entire gun safe?

So, take a good long look around your home. Give some serious thought to the value of the items you possess. If any of those things has a special value please call your insurance agent today. At least get a quote on adding Scheduled Personal Property, so that you know if you want to take the risk.

Introducing Trish

I'll start with me. :-)  My name is Trish and I have been with Crabdree Insurance for 4 years.

I am a licensed producer and I write commercial lines of insurance, personal lines and surety & fidelity.

What makes me suited to this industry? That's easy. I like people and I am a natural worrier. I am very good at imagining all the things that can go wrong, and that helps me make sure that an insurance policy covers everything it should. It doesn't help my insomnia any, but it does help me find the right coverage for you.

Crabdree Insurance & Financial Services is a terrific place to spend my days. We have a great team of dedicated professionals. We enjoy a wonderful balance of skills and knowledge among the team members and we all share a common vision of customer service and integrity.

On a more personal note: I've been a Payson resident for 30 years. I love our town and I love Payson's patriotic, warm, kind and generous people. Payson enjoys a great sense of community and I love being a part of that. My husband of 26 years and I have two fine sons. I am passionate about history, the English language and perfecting my Chicken Tetrazzini.

Crabdree Insurance moved to a lovely new agency in July of 2010. Drive carefully, Payson, because when I lift my eyes from computer screen, I'm looking right out onto the Beeline. And when you're driving by, carefully, swing in and visit us!

Trish

Insurance in a Nutshell

Let me help you make insurance more palatable, like chocolate covered almonds that make you feel cozy and comforted.  That is what 'Insurance' should feel like, but lets tell the truth, we don't like paying for the transfer of risk.  As I discover the insurance world, I will share the good, the tasty and the Ah-ha moments to our readers.  Stay tuned and explore what you need to understand and/or learn about insurance, it's purpose and your protection.  In short, probably more than you'll ever want to know.