We’d be happy to review your insurance coverage options with you! Give us a call at 610-335-1139 or visit https://riskaverseinsurance.com.
Author: ammteama
Risk Averse Insurance Launches New Website!
Risk Averse is proud to launch a new website that will provide customers and the community at-large with useful tools and programs dedicated to strengthening the community.
The website will be home to Our Hometown magazine, the monthly community magazine that the agency will be publishing. It will be loaded with great tips, advice and recipes, and will shine a spotlight on a local family that could use a hand.
The campaigns to help others in the area is called the Community Cause Program, and the agency expects to give thousands of dollars each year to children, families, and others who could use a helping hand.
A listing of quality local businesses will be featured in a brand new Concierge Directory. Types of businesses customers may discover there are expected include auto body shops, contractors, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, restaurants, and many other services.
The agency has also formalized its rewards program to benefit those recommending friends and family to the agency for a no-obligation quote. People taking part will not only receive immediate rewards, but also entries to frequent drawings for larger prizes.
Homeowners Insurance – The Balance Between Coverage and Price
Not all homeowners insurance policies are created equal. Many clients frequently compare homeowners quotes based on price alone, without having a thorough understanding of what coverage is provided. I must stress that it is very important to know if you are giving anything up for the lower price. Too many insurance agents are willing to provide bare-bones homeowners insurance coverage just to get your business on the books. The problem with this is that many of the claims we see are not covered in a bare-bones homeowners insurance policy.
My goal here is to identify several coverages that you should be on the lookout for as they are commonly used and cost very little to add to your homeowners insurance policy in PA.
Buried Utility Lines
How many times have you heard of someone that needed to have their front yard dug up to replace a pipe? We see it all the time. Traditionally, homeowners insurance did not cover this and many people were left paying the bill out of pocket. Many others bought separate coverage through the water company which provides limited coverage at a high price point. Today, most homeowners insurance companies in Pennsylvania offer this endorsement at a fraction of that cost. In addition, this endorsement typically provides broader coverage and higher limits than the policies through the water company.
Water/Sewer Backup
It’s a homeowner’s worst nightmare… you walk downstairs to find that a sewer or drain has backed up into your house through a toilet or sink. The floors are a mess with the grossest slime you can imagine. Your Bounty paper towels weren’t meant for this cleanup. You’ll need to have a professional come in for this. Unfortunately, this can cost in excess of $10,000 and most basic insurance policies don’t provide coverage. Just about all insurance companies in PA offer this endorsement though, and it typically costs very little. Make sure this one is on your homeowners insurance policy.
Roofing/Siding Matching
Many people think that when they have some damage to their roof or siding, the insurance company will automatically replace the entire roof or rewrap the house. That is not always the case. If the wording in the policy allows them to patch the damaged area, they will. However, you can purchase Roofing/Siding Matching with many PA insurance companies which provides extended coverage of $10k or $20k to match the roof or siding all the way around the house.
There are many more homeowners insurance endorsements that could be included on the list. The main takeaway is that you should not just assume every company is providing you equal homeowners coverage. Dive into the coverage package offered on the quote and ask questions of the broker to make sure the coverage meets your needs. Your home is likely your biggest asset. Spend a couple extra dollars for the right protection so you aren’t forced to spend thousands out of pocket when a claim isn’t covered.
Risk Averse Insurance is an insurance agency in Media, PA – Delaware County – that specializes in providing high-quality insurance products at an affordable price.
COVID-19 Workers Compensation Changes
The past few months have been an extremely tough time for everyone. Businesses have been shut down and had to furlough or layoff entire teams. Keeping up with all of the constantly changing information has been nearly impossible. And making sure that employees and customers are safe as businesses begin to open has become a job in itself. Hopefully, we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
As with everything else, the insurance industry has been making adjustments based on the situation that we’ve found ourselves in.
The Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau (PCRB) has released the following guidelines with regards to your 2020 workers’ compensation policy in response to COVID-19:
- All employees working from home will be reclassified as clerical for the duration of the home work period as long as separate, accurate, verifiable records are maintained.
- Payroll to furloughed workers will be excluded from the premium calculation at audit.
- Any virus-related workers’ compensation claims will be classified as a catastrophe loss (catastrophe code 12) and will be excluded from the employer’s experience rating calculation.
The most important thing here is to make sure you are keeping detailed records. This will really benefit you at audit this year. Should you have any questions as your audits come up, please feel free to reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help you through the process.
As business owners and entrepreneurs, you have always stepped up to the challenge and created your own path. When looking back, this will hopefully just be a detour that makes you stronger and more prepared for success in the future.
I wish you all continued success in navigating through this challenge.
Call Risk Averse Insurance in Media, PA for any questions you may have about how COVID-19 has impacted your workers’ compensation coverage.
Risk Averse Insurance is an independent insurance agency in Delaware County that specializes in providing high-quality insurance products at an affordable price.