Our role in your claim

What is the role of your agent when you have a claim? In the case of our agency, we are the liaison between you and the insurance company. We report the claim on your behalf, and then follow up to make sure you have been contacted by your insurance company. We want the claims process to be as hassle free as possible, so we monitor all of your claim activity from our office. If you do encounter a question, or problem, in the adjustment of your claim we ask that you contact us immediately. That allows us to intercede before the problem becomes unmanageable. Excellent claims service is the delivery of the promise we made when you bought your insurance policy. It is important to us that your claim is handled as efficiently and quickly as possible.

Flooding, flooding, everywhere...

Recently the heavy rain plus a previous long winter have caused flooding all around Montana.  In order to be covered for flood, you must purchase a separate flood policy, which is a different process than all other kinds of insurance.  Flooding is not covered on a Homeowners policy.  The only water damage that's covered is sewer backup, and only if this is purchased at an extra cost and added to your policy.

Although many independent insurance agents sell flood insurance, the coverage is actually coming from a government program.  All flood insurance in the United States is purchased through this program.  The waiting period for flood insurance is 30 days, unless the bank that holds the mortgage to your home is requiring the coverage.  The policy lasts for one year, and unlike other insurance policies which you can pay on an installment basis, the government requires the policy to be paid in full at the time coverage begins.

Even though in the next few months the water will subside, flooding can be a possibility every year.   In fact, flooding is the number one natural disaster in the United States.  The damage covered by a flood policy is not only overflow from rivers and streams but also from groundwater and excessive rain.  This coverage would be valuable anytime of the year, especially if you live in low lying areas.

Protect Yourself from Identity Fraud

Click on this website link to check and see how vulnerable you are to identity fraud. It is just a few quick questions to see how susceptible your information is to others, and what you can do to further protect yourself. Take this Privacy Rights Quiz. Both of the companies we write homeowners insurance for, Metlife and Travelers, include identity fraud protection with your homeowners policy. In fact, Travelers was the first company to offer identity fraud protection for consumers in 1999, and has since expanded their program.

What Do Medical Payments Cover?

In your automobile policy, there is a section called medical payments.  Usually the amount is between $1,000 and $10,000.  This amount covers you and the passengers in your vehicle if there was to be an accident.  Medical payments pay for the necessary and reasonable medical expenses of anyone who was injured in the vehicle covered by your auto policy.  Medical payments are applied on a per-person basis.  So if your medical payment coverage is $5,000 and you are the only one in the vehicle, the policy will pay up to $5,000 for medical care.  But if there are 5 people in your car and each person is injured, the policy will pay up to $5,000 for each individual.   An added benefit with medical payments is if the named insured and family members are hit by a vehicle as pedestrians, that is also covered, up to the defined amount by your policy.  In addition, medical payments will pay regardless of fault.

Don't be fooled!

Lately, I have seen quite a few articles pop up on internet sites that claim to tell you how to "cut your rates in half!" As good as that sounds to all of us, these sites suggest for you to decrease your coverage, increase your deductibles, or just drop some coverage all together! While there are situations where increasing deductibles or decreasing coverage is appropriate, for the most part, these are things that can put you at risk. Factors such as your age, your assets, and your driving history should determine what kind of coverage you have. This is where having a personal insurance agent can benefit you. We can look at all of the factors, and help decide what the best insurance is for you.