Arizona Insurance Blog

Anyone who knows the difference between a “Zonie” and an “Arizonan” can tell you what May brings–the beginning of wildfire season.  As the last traces of coolness head toward the mountains and beyond, homeowners in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler  and Tucson and surrounding counties can look forward to the simple joys of burn notices, monsoons, and eventually, wildfires.

Last year, the Wallow Fire near Alpine burned more than 500,000 acres in Eastern Arizona, destroying homes and businesses and claimed the title of largest wildfire in Arizona history.  Arizona insurance adjusters were swamped with claims, and many home and business owners found out too late that they were underinsured.

The reality of life in the desert is that sooner or later, there are going to be fires.  According to the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, drought conditions in Arizona are expected to persist or intensify through the end of July, 2012.

There are some tips to protect your home during drought seasons.  The Arizona Division of Emergency Management offers several tips to help homeowners protect their assets.

• Housekeeping is your friend. Old branches, dead leaves, overgrown or drying shrubbery, and clogged gutters are just a few of the hidden flash spots for wildfires.  By removing both organic and man-made debris to at least 30 feet from your home, you can create a defensible space around these structures.
• Don’t skimp on storage.  Combustible or flammable materials need to be stored properly, in approved containers.  Also, remember to keep wooden structures like picnic tables and woodpiles a safe distance from your home.
• Be aware of power lines.  It’s important to prune bushes around the house, removing dead leaves and branches.  But don’t forget any trees that may have branches hanging near power lines.  All it takes is one monsoon wind to turn that lovely tree into a fire trap.
• Protect your most precious assets.  A house can be replaced.  But your family cannot.  Always be aware of hazardous conditions, and make sure your family has a well-defined emergency procedure.  Identify more than one route to and from your home or neighborhood, and agree on a predetermined place to gather in times of disaster.

Homeowners can also use some of the following preventative measures to decrease their risk of suffering wildfire-related losses.

• Replace roof with fire-resistant materials
• Provide fire breaks to prevent the spread of fire
• Provide fire roads to aid in firefighting.
• Install smoke detectors in your home
• Teach each member of the family how to use a fire extinguisher
• Regularly check fire extinguishers and smoke alarms to ensure they are in working order.
• Create a Disaster Supply Kit which includes the following items: a three-day supply of water (1 gallon per person), non-perishable food, a change of clothing, a medical kit that includes prescription medications, credit cards and important documents, personal hygiene products, extra eyeglasses, matches in a waterproof container, and a map of the area which includes important phone numbers.

Finally, ask a family member who lives outside of the are to act as your “family contact.” In times of disaster, this contact would be the go-to person to coordinate information, keep track of family members whereabouts, and maintain contact addresses and phone numbers.

Arizona is an amazing place to live, with abundant natural beauty.  While wildfires are to be expected, they don’t have to be devastating.  With preparation and common sense, you can protect your home and your assets from the dangers of summer.

We would alos recommend that you take the time to sit down with your local insurance agent, and let him/her know your fears and get their expert opinion on any changes you should make to your Arizona Insurance Policy. If you don’t have a good relationship with your insurance agent it’s time to find a new one!

If you follow sports, then you may know that over the weekend, Dan Weldon, a NASCAR racer was killed in a race track accident. Fifteen cars were involved in the crash, so it’s not like Weldon was taking abnormally high risks. He simply ran into a situation he had no control over, and he lost his life.

Our thoughts go out to his family.

Now, when something like that happens, you have to wonder whether the person had Arizona insurance. You always want to know if the wife and kids being left behind will have enough AZ insurance to cover their needs and help them live comfortably.

Our guess is that a race car driver knows the risks he’s taking and ensures his family will be well taken car of. But for the rest of us…do we know how risky our own lives are? And have we purchased the right amount of Scottsdale insurance to cover those risks?

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help you make the important insurance decisions in your life:

For AZ Car Insurance

Do you speed when you think you can get away with it?

Have friends and family commented that you follow too close?

Does anyone ever complain about having to ride with you?

Do you text, talk on the phone, or eat while driving?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, then it’s probably a good idea to get more coverage than that required by the state.

For AZ Home Insurance

Have you ever come home to find a curling iron or the stove still on?

Do you live in an area with a high crime rate?

Are you and the rest of your family members gone during the day?

Do you live in an area known for any natural disasters?

Arizona Home insurance premiums are a little bit different than Arizona car insurance. With car insurance, you have a set limit of coverage. Scottsdale Home insurance claims are calculated based on the value of what is lost.

For Arizona Life Insurance

Do you have kids?

Do you work at a job with high accident rates?

Do you enjoy traveling, extreme sports, or recreational activities?

Do any health problems run in your family?

The best rule of thumb when getting AZ life insurance is…get enough to pay your debts and leave your family sitting comfortably for up to a year. It could take that long for your spouse to get their own lives in order.

Getting insurance is about more than just complying with the state guidelines (auto insurance) or your mortgage lender (home insurance). You need insurance that will take care of you no matter what happens. If you haven’t reviewed your insurance policies in a while, then it’s time to talk to an insurance agent. Our agents at Bennett and Porter would be more than happy to review information with you.

Good luck and let’s hope a tragic accident, like the one this weekend, never affects you and your family.

Many of us at Bennett and Porter like to hit the road. We visit Sedona. Go camping near Pinetop. Hike parts of the Grand Canyon. And frequently take trips to Southern California. Sometimes, a good road trip is exactly what the doctor ordered. But how often do you take a road trip and see cars stranded on the freeway.

Having good auto insurance is important. When your car breaks down or the windshield cracks, your insurance is going to cover the costs. That’s why you have insurance. But experiencing car trouble close to home is a lot different than breaking down 300 miles away.

So the best auto insurance for a road trip is the auto insurance you don’t have to use. With the summer winding down, you probably have just enough time for one more road trip. When preparing to take off, be sure to follow these standard inspection steps:

-Check the tires. Keeping your tires at the right pressure can help prevent blowouts. (Which is actually important when driving around your city. The last thing you want to do is call your insurance company to help you find a towing service.) Additionally, your tire treads are important to watch. Did you know the State of Arizona requires your tread to be at least 1/32 of an inch deep?

-Check the windshield wipers. An associate of ours took a trip to Utah in early May. For us, the weather was already warm. But this associate entered the Salt Lake Valley in the middle of the night and ran into a snow storm. Unfortunately, she hadn’t checked her windshield wipers. Turning them on smudged wet snow across the whole windshield. Yes, you live in Arizona, but that doesn’t mean you can neglect your wipers.

-Check the oil. As someone who takes good care of your possessions, you routinely get your oil changed. But check it before you leave on your trip…just in case. And be sure to take extra oil with you. In one incident, a client of ours got an oil leak 45 miles away from home. Rather than calling a tow truck, she filled up her car with extra oil and was able to make it to the auto care center near her home. This saved her from making an auto insurance claim as the leak was a simple, inexpensive fix.

-Check the A/C. This is not something most of us know how to do. But if you haven’t had your AC checked in a while, stop somewhere and get it looked at. Because we live in Arizona, we know how important a powerful AC system is.

If you’ve taken a road trip before, this might all sound like information you already knew. But there are a few things that your auto insurance won’t cover if you find yourself without, like: water, food, sunscreen, or a hat. So in addition to checking your car before your road trip, don’t forget to stock your car with emergency items that will keep you protected from the elements.

You’ve only got a few weeks of summer left. If you’re looking for something to do, consider a road trip. Just be sure to check the expiration date on your auto insurance card (so it’s up to date), properly maintain your card, and be ready for anything to happen.

Enjoy your trip!

Take a minute to imagine how you would feel if your car were stolen. You come out of a store, head out to work in the morning, or hear a strange sound in your driveway one night. What kinds of thoughts would run through your mind if you headed out to your car and it simply wasn’t there? Well, these things happen. But…if you have Arizona auto insurance, especially if you have auto insurance through Bennett and Porter Insurance, then you can sigh a breath of relief.

The same thing holds true with Arizona home insurance. How would you feel if you came home from vacation and found your home had been burglarized? No matter what, you’re not going to be happy about what happened. But as long as you have Scottsdale home insurance, at least you’ll have some peace of mind.

What about your business, your boat, or even your life? Image how you would feel if something were to happen to any of those.

In many cases, you’re required by law to have insurance. So it’s not like you’re sitting around thinking, “I wonder if getting Arizona car insurance or AZ home insurance will provide me with peace of mind.” But it’s always nice to appreciate what you have – even when you’re forced to get it.

Here are some recent stories we heard about where the insured individual was grateful they had coverage:

• One woman has had her car stolen twice in the last 3 years, the stereo stolen from her car once, and just this weekend her parked car was damaged in a hit and run incident. Her auto insurance company is getting to know her on a first name basis.
• Another woman lost the 1.5 carat diamond out of her wedding ring. Fortunately, her ring was covered under the terms of her home owners insurance and she was able to have the diamond replaced at absolutely no charge to her.
• A couple’s young daughter wanted to “help mommy” by giving her sister a bath. She turned on the bathtub faucets and left them running, unnoticed by anyone in the house, for several hours. Their home owners insurance is paying for the new floor, moldy wall replacement, and clean up.

The best case scenario is that you never need your auto insurance, home owners insurance, or any other insurance you carry. But it’s nice to know it’s there. Can you image what life would be like if we didn’t have good coverage? One devastating incident could leave you in serious financial trouble.

One of the reasons the employees of Bennett and Porter Insurance love their jobs is because they know they are offering a very needed service. And they love to find great rates and the perfect coverage for each of their clients.

Now, because we like to get your feedback, we’re hoping you’ll tell us about any incidents you may have had where your insurance policy allowed you to sigh a deep breath of relief. Let’s see how many times insurance policies saved the day. Just post your comments below.

You walk to the mailbox, sort through envelopes, and realize “Oh, my new insurance card has arrived.” And along with your insurance card, you get a copy of your insurance policy. But…if you’re like most people, you put your insurance card in a safe place and disregard the rest of the information.

Well, that’s a lot of trust to be putting in your insurance underwriters. Especially if your policy is a renewal. How do you know that what you needed was really included in your new insurance policy? Do you have a minimal policy or are you paying for all the coverage you need and deserve? If a catastrophe were to happen, are you going to feel secure that you’re taken care of? Or, are you going to worry that maybe things aren’t as great as you hoped they would be?

Whether you’re looking at a Arizona home insurance policy, Arizona auto insurance, or Arizona life insurance policy, you ought to read it. Sometimes the insurance terms can be difficult to understand. But that’s why we’re here.

At Bennett and Porter Insurance, we do our best to provide you with the insurance company and policies that work best for your situation. Then, once you get your policy…read through it. If you don’t understand it, or want clarification, give us a call? That’s what we’re here for.

With all the fires that have resulted in lost homes, we’re more concerned than ever that you know what to expect from your Arizona insurance policies. So read your policies and make sure you have the coverage you think you do.

At Bennett and Porter Insurance, we were so pleased to hear that the Wallow fire has become a little more contained. We’ve also been happy to hear from our clients, letting us know they are alright and asking questions about their insurance.

So let’s focus on that topic today: how to deal with your Arizona insurance when you have fire and smoke damage.

First of all, we are here to help our clients. We’re going to work with you to make sure you are able to recover from this devastation as easily as possible. But… as you know, we are not your direct source of insurance. We’re an insurance broker. So you will need to work with your insurance company directly to make sure you get the benefits you’re entitled to. As your Arizona insurance agent we will help you file the claim, and walk with you thru the process step by step.

Here are some tips for making this a smooth, beneficial process:

-Call your insurance company now. Obviously the country is aware of the damage being done by the Wallow Fire. But, more than likely, insurance companies are not seeking out which of their clients have been affected.

Give them a call and let them know you’ve been displaced. Then, review your Arizona home insurance policy with them. Many policies will pay the expenses you’re incurring by being evacuated (subjected to your deductible). Find out what your policy covers and what the process will be for submitting your claim once you are allowed to return home. Give us a call if you would like some help with this.

-Keep all receipts. Whether your homeowners insurance policy covers your evacuation expenses or not, it’s a good idea to keep all your receipts from gas to lodging to food. At this point, you are building a case for yourself (in case you need it) and receipts will come in handy. If you don’t have receipts, get copies of your bank statements showing your expenses.

-Document everything. From the moment you walk in your door, start taking pictures, videotaping, and writing down all the damage you notice. You may (hopefully not, but…) need that documentation as proof for what you should be compensated.

-Get a restoration specialist (or 2) to come in as soon as possible. Unless you are an expert in housing and construction, you really won’t have any idea how much damage has been done to your property. Smoke and soot can get into vents, a/c units, behind walls, into the pluming, and all kinds of places you wouldn’t think to look. Nor will you be able to see the damage in these areas on your own. As the specialist comes through, they will write down their observations and give you an idea what will need to be replaced or cleaned.

And if one specialist is good, two is better. You may need to submit more than one estimate to your insurance company.

-Write down the cost of your damaged property. Since the insurance company will be replacing your irreparable things, be sure to write down what they cost. Odds are, you will not get 100% of the purchase price for all your items, but that’s what you’ve got to build your case for. If you have receipts from recent purchases, find them and add them to your collection of documents. Pull information from your bank statements. Do your best to find evidence of what your personal property costs.

-Stay logical. Again, we will do everything in our power to assist you. But insurance companies never like to pay out on claims. So you’ve got to present them with the facts. By documenting, getting assessments, and creating a case for yourself, you are approaching this situation wisely. You’re going through a horrible tragedy, but tears are not going to sway the claims department. Knowing what you’re entitled to (because you read through your policy and we can help you) and presenting your evidence should get you a reparation check. So stay calm and don’t move, repair, or trash anything until you’ve got evidence.

I think we’ve said it twice in this post, but I think it’s worth mentioning again: we are here to assist you. It’s what we do and it’s why you come to us for your insurance needs. So reach out if you need us.

And, if anyone reading this post has been through fire damage before and has thoughts about how to build your case for an insurance company, please include your comments below. We hope to hear about what helped and what mistakes to avoid.

One of the nice things about AZ home insurance or AZ car insurance or renters insurance is that you know you need it and every now and again you see it being used. You get it once and maybe you check on your policy when it expires. But for the most part, you don’t give it that much thought….especially when you’ve got a great agent like those at Bennett & Porter.

Life insurance however is a little different. Circumstances in your life will change the way you see your policy and may seriously alter your needs. Things like:

• Having a baby
• Becoming empty-nesters
• Incurring new debts
• Starting a business
• Retirement

Each of these events is bound to affect your needs. So how do you know how much life insurance you need and when you should change your policy? Well, we’ve got some suggestions about how to calculate that amount.

Cover your debts.

If something were to happen to you, your loved ones would be the ones trying to pay off your loans. When getting a new life insurance policy, you’ll want to plan for enough money to cover any and all debts – including your house. (Houses are usually the biggest expense each month. By paying off the house, you’re giving your family a better chance of easily taking care of their other payments.

Include enough for funeral expenses.

Even if you have savings that could cover funeral costs, your family will appreciate a little something extra so they don’t feel confined to cutting expenses.

Plan for each child’s future. If you have younger children, you’ll want to put something aside for their education. College can be expensive and if something were to happen to you, a single parent would really struggle to provide college educations for their kids.

Allow for up to a year of time off for your spouse. Whether you have children still at home or not, recovering from loss can take some time. Whether you’re a husband or a wife, consider including enough insurance to take care of the family expenses for a year. That will allow your spouse and children some time together to pull themselves back together without the worry of a job.

No one really wants to think about the need for life insurance. But planning ahead can mean the difference between your family being well-cared for and struggling with extra expenses they never expected.

At Bennett and Porter, we’re here to make sure you get the best policy for your family no matter what the situation may be.

Are you sure you’re ready for this? A teenager who can now drive? With gas prices skyrocketing and the added costs to your insurance, you may be dreading that sweet 16 birthday. On the other hand, those who have teen drivers enjoy sending their children to the store for milk and appreciate not having to pick up their child from a party on a Saturday night.

Teenagers will only be around for a few more years. So why not learn to appreciate the new milestones your children are reaching. Here are some ideas for preparing your teens to drive…so you don’t break the bank while helping them move into that new stage of life:

Encourage Good Grades. Did you know that a lot of insurance companies will over good student discounts on insurance rates? You want your children to get good grades anyway. Here is one more incentive for them to keep their grades up. Perhaps you can have them pay the additional insurance costs if their grades slip.

Choose a Car with Lower Insurance Rates. Sure, every kid would love to be driving to school in a sports car. But it’s not realistic on your budget. Besides the cost of the car, certain vehicles will cost you more to insure. Your insurance company should be able to tell you which vehicles are cost effective.

Let Them Drive the Family Car. Even if you don’t buy a vehicle for your child, you still need to get them insured if they plan on driving. Insuring your child on existing vehicles is a heck of a lot cheaper than purchasing a new one. Of course, then you have to battle for possession of the family car.

Avoid Driving Incidents at All Costs. Does your student realize what happens to your insurance rates when they get a ticket or have an accident? Talk to them about it. You may consider having them pay their own insurance costs if they violate traffic laws. And be sure to have a heartfelt discussion about NOT texting in the car.

Call an Insurance Agent in Advance. Finding the best insurance policy for your teen driver can take some time and some shopping around. Before your child turns 16, we strongly encourage you to start looking for the best car insurance options for your child.

At Bennett and Porter, we do the shopping for you. If you have a child quickly approaching that magic age, give us a call. We can find discounts and better rates for your student. We can help you choose a car that will bring in a lower insurance rate. And we let you know what to expect if the unexpected happens.

If you drive a car or own a home, you know that insurance is a requirement both with the state of Arizona and those that hold your loan (either car loan or mortgage). But does having only the “required” coverage make you feel safe leaving your home on vacation or driving your car?

Here are a few things you should know about the average insurance policy and whether it’s enough coverage for you:

Whether a car accident is your fault or not, you can be sued by the others involved in the accident. Consider the assets you own (home, car, stocks, etc.) and then determine how much coverage is enough for you. The same concerns hold true with your properties. An incident at your home could also leave you in a vulnerable position.

Minimum state requirements may not be sufficient for repairing your car in the case of an accident. Consider how many uninsured drivers are on the road. When determining insurance coverage think about the possibility of needing to cover car repairs…even when the situation may not be your fault.

Insurance on your home may not cover every possible natural disaster and human error. Find out what your insurance does cover and then consider any other possible scenarios that may keep you from covering all your bases. Flood damage and earthquake insurance may need to be purchased separately.

Not all insurance policies will cover the assets in your home. Others will cover everything from jewelry to electronics. Determine what you want covered and make sure it’s included in your policy. Take note that home offices are not typically covered in a homeowners insurance policy.

With car insurance, a claim could be denied if the insurer finds the policy holder to be reckless or the car poorly maintained. In which case, you’ll be paying out of pocket.

In all reality, there are dozens of little nuances and details about insurance that are sometimes difficult to follow. Shopping for insurance can be confusing, especially when you’re not even sure what coverage you need.

That’s why we’re here…to help you find the best policies at the best premiums. Why not give our team a chance to find the best policy for you?