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How Homeowners Insurance Can Help Recover Damage from Wildfires

Having homeowners insurance can be a great benefit if there is a fire. The vast majority of policies have coverage that will be a great aid in getting your items repaired or replaced. Even though homeowners insurance can be expensive, house fires are a common occurrence that should not be taken lightly.

Estimates say the number of residential fires each year totals around 357,000 on average. Most of these are started from relatively simple issues, like a burning candle or a basic electrical issue.

It is important to know that homeowners insurance does cover fire damage, and it can be a great boost to you and your family as you recover. However, there are a couple of particulars that go along with it.

What Is Covered Under Homeowners Insurance?

Specifically, homeowners insurance covers the actual structure of a house along with any things that are attached, like a garage.

If your house is damaged or destroyed by a fire, many homeowners insurance companies will help pay for you to live somewhere else, like a hotel, until your can move into a house again.

Homeowners insurance also covers detached structures and personal property in the case of a fire. Detached structures can include items that are on your property but are not actually attached to a home, like a shed or fence. Insurance also extends to your personal belongings, which can include appliances, clothing, and furniture.

Usually, a homeowners insurance policy will help pay for the repair or replacement of these items if your house is affected by a fire or lightning strike. Some policies might even help you pay to replace shrubbery, grass, or trees that were destroyed during a fire.

Click here to learn why you need fire insurance!

What Type Of Homeowners Insurance Do I Need?

Ultimately, there’s no one size fits all policy for insurance. A policy will depend on how much you value your home and the belongings inside. For example, if you have a lot of valuable personal property, then it would be prudent to increase your limits for homeowners insurance across this area.

But you might need to buy additional coverage in top of this if you have valuables, like jewelry, that might have a lower coverage limit. One of the most important factors about homeowners insurance is the dwelling coverage. Homes and construction costs do change in value, so it might be more expensive to rebuild your house after a fire than it is now.

As a result, figure out dwelling coverage limits based on your house’s current valuation. Ultimately, even though there are a lot of house and dwelling fires each year, you can take concrete steps to prevent them. Be careful about open flames, especially from the stove or from candles, and always make sure to extinguish these before you leave.

Additionally, installing working smoke detectors can be a great deterrent against a fire, especially since they can help notify you if something goes wrong in the night.

Putting a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and out in the garage is another smart way to protect you and your house from a fire risk. Just check the expiration dates, as they might not work if they have been sitting around for awhile.

Do you have a question about how homeowners insurance can help recover damage from a fire? Click here to contact Partners Direct Insurance Services today!Courtesy of Cuselleration

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Why California Residents Need Earthquake Insurance

Most people in the United States are not really worried about earthquakes. That’s certainly not the case for those in California. Even though the state is well-known for its geological activity, studies and statistics sill suggest a pretty small amount of residents actually have earthquake insurance. This is a big mistake.

The purpose of insurance is to protect yourself and your financial situation from unforeseen disasters. Earthquakes can strike without any sort of notice and can cause massive amounts of damage, especially if they take place in an urban area.

Earthquake insurance is something homeowners have to buy separately, or have added by endorsement to their policy. Even though jumping through these hoops might be time-consuming, there are a number of reasons why California residents need earthquake insurance.

Click here to learn how home insurance can improve your way of life!

Why You Need Earthquake Insurance

Earthquake insurance is important for several reasons. If your home is damaged or destroyed by an earthquake, you are off the hook for paying for repairs on your own dime. Expenses will be covered in the case of repairs or a total reconstruction.

Plus, if your home is rendered uninhabitable by an earthquake, your insurance policy might allow you to accrue money so you can live somewhere else while your home is being rebuilt. Having money to go and relocate somewhere can drastically affect your recovery process after an earthquake. It will also allow your spouse and kids to maintain a sense of normalcy even if they are in a different area.

Earthquake insurance is especially necessary in places like California since there is a potential for more quakes due to natural human activity associated with mining and fracking, which has been known to awaken dormant fault lines.

Research has shown these types of activities could mean earthquakes could start occurring with more frequency, especially in places that are not even close to a natural fault line. As a result, this means people all across California are well-served by buying earthquake insurance, even if you are not in a major city or live close to a fault line.

Earthquake insurance can be a good buffer against the types of devastating damage seen after a quake, which can include building collapses, structural damages, damage to landscaping and property, explosions, gas leaks, fires, and even flash floods and tsunamis if you are living on the California coast.

These types of damage can be very expensive to fix on your own dime, and are all examples of instances where adequate earthquake insurance would cover repair and replacement costs.

Outlook for Earthquake Insurance

Even if you are a bit wary about the sticker prices of earthquake insurance, it is still important to go and get a quote for yourself. The costs of insurance are usually less in lower-risk areas, so you could be saving a bundle of cash by not paying premiums, depending on where you are living in the state.

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide if earthquake insurance is the right way to go, but everyone living in California should still understand how important it is to purchase, no matter your situation.

Do you have a question about earthquake insurance? Click here to contact Partners Direct Insurance Services today!

Courtesy of Cuselleration

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What You Need to Know About Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Photo Credit: Halfpoint / Shutterstock.com

 

If you are a business owner, you know first hand how hard it is to build a successful business. Countless hours of ensuring not only your customers’ happiness, but also the happiness of your employees is crucial in making sure that your company stays afloat. In addition to happiness, you must also ensure that your employees are safe while at work, and that any accidents on the job do not have the ability to destroy the hard work you put into creating your business.

 

What is Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

Workers’ Compensation Insurance was created to help companies cover the cost of on the job injuries or illnesses without the process of a lawsuit.

In most states, Workers’ Compensation Insurance is required by law and applies to any business that has one or more employees. This insurance is essential for owners to adopt in the workplace so that they may rest assured that their business and your employees are protected in the case of any injuries, illnesses, or work-related deaths. Workers, and your business, are in turn protected in the case of any injuries on the job, any work-related illnesses, or any automobile accidents that happen on business trips.

 

What Benefits Do Employees Receive?

As a result of implementing Workers’ Compensation Insurance in your business, employees receive a plethora of benefits. These benefits include medical care, temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, supplemental job displacement benefits and a return-to-work supplement, and death benefits.

 

How Can We Help Your Business?

At Partners Direct Insurance, our team of professionals can assist you by providing several insurance package options that will suit your business needs. We will give you all guidance necessary in determining what kind of coverage your business requires, and any coverage for your personal needs as well. Our goal is to help you protect your employees from harm, and to make sure that your business does not end up in a lawsuit that may threaten its success.

 

Give us a call today or fill out our online form to get a quote today!

 

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How Umbrella Insurance Plans Save You More

What is Umbrella Insurance Anyway?

Imagine it’s pouring down rain. You are wearing your suede jacket and not happy about the unforeseen weather change. Thankfully you have your umbrella with you: reach in, grab it, and whew! Problem solved! Umbrella Insurance is just like that. You aren’t ruining your suede jacket, but you are protecting your hard-earned savings from life’s accidents. An umbrella liability policy covers much more than your auto and home policies, and can make a long-term difference in your financial health.

Why Do I Need It?

No one likes insurance until they need it; then, they are grateful to have it. The umbrella protects your financial assets from an event you didn’t see coming. Say you were involved in a car accident, and the court decided you were responsible for damages and bodily injuries to the other party. If they were to file a lawsuit against you and you didn’t have an umbrella policy, you would be legally responsible for the damages and that can deplete your savings in a hurry.

What Does It Cover?

It covers the extras that your basic coverage does not. In the case of the car accident, it will cover the extra expenses of the others involved beyond what your normal policy does. It can also cover you for legal fees, false arrest, libel and slander.

Okay, You Have My Attention: How Does It Work?

Let’s go back to the car accident. The court found you liable for the wreck, and there are people who are hurt and a car that is totalled. You are sued and need to pay for your legal defense. Umbrella policies pay once your basic liability limits have been reached.

So Assets Matter!

What are your financial assets? Your house certainly. Add your cars, your investment and retirement accounts, and don’t forget your checking and savings accounts. If someone decides to sue you for a lot of money and you don’t have the policies in place to take care of what the court says you owe, your assets can be liquidated to pay your debts. Imagine that one bad mistake, one traffic accident, can ruin you financially because you did not have an umbrella plan in place.

Got It. How Much Does It Cost?

Our team at Partners Direct Insurance have a mission of making sure we look at each client’s needs individually, in order to design a custom insurance package that works. We want to be sure that you have the coverage you need, without overpaying. Getting an umbrella policy for $1 million worth of coverage can be very affordable. Our team can help design a plan that works for you.

How Much Do I Need?

That depends. Think about a few things, and talk with our partners to get the best deal for you.

  • How risky are you? Do you skydive? Race sports cars?
  • How much are your assets worth? The more property, stocks, and retirement funds to protect, the higher the umbrella policy to consider.
  • What would it cost you to lose your future income? If it would be devastating, you need more coverage.

Can I Write It Off My Taxes?

Generally speaking, personal umbrella policies are not tax deductible. However, if you own a business, an umbrella policy can mean your premium is tax deductible. This is another reason why it is important to have our team counsel you on what works best for your individual needs.

Let’s Talk!

At Partners Direct Insurance, we partner with our clients to make sure they have the best umbrella policy for their particular needs. Call us and we can discuss what makes the most sense for you, to keep you covered!

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