Why Should You Work With a Local, Independent Agent?

Happy Monday Everyone and Welcome to 2011!

We hope you all had a very Happy Holidays. To start off the New Year, we wanted to share with you why we love what we do and what we can do for you. As you know, we are independent agents. This allows us to represent many companies and also act as brokers and representatives for you! As an independent agency, we are members of what is called the Independent Insurance Agents of America and North Carolina and also members of Trusted Choice. We are part of thes associations because we truly believe in the mission statement. Below is the Trusted Choice Agents Pledge of Performance.

Trusted Choice agencies are insurance and financial services firms whose access to multiple companies and commitment to quality service enable us to offer our clience competitive pricing, a broad choice of products and unparalleled advocacy.

As a Trusted Choice agency, we are dedicated to you and are committed to treated you as a person, not a policy. This commitment means we shall:

• Work with you to identify the insurance and financial services that are right for you, your family or your business and use our access to multiple companies to deliver those products.
• Guide you through the claims process for a prompt and fair resolution of your claim.
• Help you solve problems related to your coverage or account.
• Explain the coverages and options available to you through our agency, at your request.
• Return your phone calls and e-mails promptly and respond to your requests in a timely manner.
• Provide 24/7 services for our customers, offering any or all of the following: emergency phone numbers, Internet account accesss, e-mail and call center services.
• Use our experience and multiple company relationships to customize your coverage as needed.
• Commit our staff to continuing education so they may be more knowledgeable in serving you.
• Treat you with respect and courtesy.
• Conduct our business in an ethical manner.

We pledge this to you, our clients and ask that you let us know if we fail to meet our commitment, so we may take corrective action.

This is how we are starting off 2011. This is our pledge to our customers and prospective customers. Please never hesitate to give us a call or email if we can be of service to you.

Happy 2011!!!

10 Tip to Prevent Identity Fraud this Holiday Season

Check out this excellent article from Travelers.com to see how you can protect yourself from identity fraud.

CLICK HERE to READ THE ARTICLE

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US AT BROCK INSURANCE!

We wish you health and happiness in 2011

Time to Get Cozy Around the Fireplace...

As I was watching the local news a few days ago a story caught my attention. A local family had suffered a house fire. Thankfully no one was hurt. However, as an insurance agent, I immediately stopped to listen. The incident was due to a chimney fire. Unfortunately, this type of disaster is not uncommon. As the weather gets cooler, people turn to their fireplaces to make their homes warm and cozy. I would like to encourage you to also make your home SAFE when using your fireplace. Whether you have a wood-burning or gas log fireplace there are things you can do to prevent a fire in your home , I have attached a link below for some helpful tips to make sure your chimney and fireplace is safe and being properly used and maintained.

Chimney Safety Tips

If you have any questions, never hesitate to give us a call or send us an email!

As it is Veteran's Day, we would also like to extend our greatest appreciation to our men and women in the Armed services both past and present. It is because of your strength and courage that we are able to live in such a great country. Thank you for all you do!

Facebook Lawsuits!!

Can your insurance PROTECT YOU from Facebook and Social Media lawsuits?

(From AAA.COM and GO Magazine by Jim McCafferty)

Communicating online with popular websites, like Facebook, offers new ways to meet people and stay in touch globally. However, this comes with unique risks. Anyone using websites should be careful what they or their children say.

In the winter of 2009, a teenager from Oceanside, New York sued Facebook, four of her high school classmates and their parents for $3 million. The suit accuses her classmates of bullying and humiliating her in a Facebook forum. They allegedly posted derogatory and false statements intended to hold her up to "public hatred, ridicule and disgrace." Whether or not the allegations prove true, the teenagers and their parents need legal defense and resources to pay possible judgments against them. They may think their homeowner's insurance policies will help.

HOWEVER, a standard policy will probably not cover this! The policy pays amounts for which the policyholder is legally liable, plus the costs of legal defense, for Bodily Injury or Property Damage done to someone else and defines bodily injury as meaning bodily harm, sickness or disease; it defines property damage as injury to, destruction of, or loss of use of physical property.

Neither definition includes saying or publishing something that injures another's reputation. Consequently, the policy is unlikely to cover a Facebook post. The girl from Oceanside did not allege her classmates hurt her body, made her sick or passed her a disease; she accused them of making her life miserable, which is not covered.

Several of our Insurance companies offer special Personal Injury coverage to homeowner's policies and cover the insured for several offenses, including oral or written publication of material violating someone's privacy. If any of the Oceanside classmates' parents have this coverage, their insurance may cover the claim!

Another source of coverage is a personal umbrella policy that provides additional insurance in situations where a loss has used up the amounts of liability insurance under a homeowner's or auto policy. it covers some liability losses those policies do not, such as personal injury. Umbrellas typically carry deductibles of $250 or $500.

Suppose one of the parents in the Oceanside case doesn't have personal injury coverage on his homeowners policy but does have an umbrella. The umbrella would pay for the child's defense and their shares of any judgement, minus the deductible. If the parent has a homeowner's policy, it will pay until its limits are exhausted, and the umbrella will pay the rest, up to its limit.

Contact me today for coverage options, prices, and more information!

The bottom line is you are exposed to more risks than ever before and these risks could be financially devastating.

Happy Halloween!

Brock Insurance was swept away by a tornado last night and landed in OZ!

Homeowners Insurance and Halloween Risks
Safety Tips on How to Protect the Home and Trick or Treaters Read more at Suite101.com:

Celebrating Halloween usually includes buying candy, costumes, pumpkins and scary decorations. Whoever thinks about sprucing up the insurance policy for Halloween?
Although homeowners insurance is not usually the first thing that comes to mind at Halloween, it should be one of the items that is near the top of the Halloween list. The mere fact of the increased exposure (meaning a stream of people visiting the property), increases the possibility of a homeowners insurance claim.

Listed below are a few things a homeowner can do to reduce the risk of having to report a Halloween insurance claim.

Keep Fido out of the way. The constant ringing of the doorbell and the Halloween hustle and bustle gets dogs excited. The oddly dressed people on the other side of the door don't do much to calm Fido down. It's best to make sure that the dog is occupied or kept away from the door so that he does not feel the need to protect his turf or playfully jump on trick or treaters, knocking them to the floor. The last type of Halloween treat a homeowner wants is a liability suit because of the dog.
Practice extreme caution with candles. While the orange glowing effect of a candle adds to the Halloween ambiance, it can cause a fire if the candles are not carefully placed and monitored.
Illuminate walking paths for trick or treaters. It is possible to decorate a home for Halloween keeping with the dark and gloomy tradition while simultaneously providing enough light for the walking path. Whether the walkway is lined with glowing pumpkins or the muted illumination of solar lights, it is important for the homeowner to properly illuminate the walking path to avoid unnecessary trips and falls.
Keep all wiring off the walking path. Along with proper theme related lighting, homeowners must take care to keep the extension cords off the walkway or cover them with mats in such a way to prevent tripping and falling. Trips and falls are common causes for homeowner insurance third party liability claims.
Be careful of the 'shock and awe' affect. The Halloween celebration invokes thoughts of horror, fright and shock. However, in an attempt to reduce the possibility of a law suit, it is recommended to refrain from tactics such as suddenly jumping out from darkened bushes or other such scare tactics. These blood rushing tactics may be fun at an amusement park fun house, but it opens the homeowner up to another source of liability. Amusement parks carry Haunted House Insurance to cover such risks, homeowners do not.
Purchase additional coverage. If the thought of pulling in the reigns on a Halloween celebration puts a damper on the fun, maybe its time to consider purchasing additional insurance to cover the holiday. Homeowners can call their insurance agent to find out how much it will cost to increase their liability limits to cover the increased holiday exposure.
By taking just a few precautions, homeowners won't have to spend their time worrying about potential insurance claims. The only thing they should be concerned about is whether or not they have enough candy for the hungry little trick or treaters.

Read more at Suite101: Homeowners Insurance and Halloween Risks: Safety Tips on How to Protect the Home and Trick or Treaters

Happy Fall!

Fall is my favorite time of year. How about you?

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and enjoys this incredible fall weather!

Water, Not Fire, a Frequent Peril for Homeowners!

Travelers Insurance recently analyzed its claims in North Carolina, excluding claims related to catastrophes, and found damage caused by water accounted for 28 percent of all property claims in the state between April 2009 and October 2009, compared to three percent for fire. Furthermore, weather accounted for only five percent of those water damage claims, meaning that proper maintenance within the home may help homeowners avoid some of these problems.

Simple maintenance techniques can help you avoid the top causes of water damage to homes. The following list provides preventative measures to help avoid the top four common causes of non-weather-related water damage:

*Leaks from washing machine hoses: Washing machine hoses should be inspected annually and replaced every five years – or immediately, if there are any signs of cracking or bulging.

*Leaky plumbing around water heaters: Plumbing should be inspected annually and repaired if there are any signs of leaks or corrosion. When possible, water heaters should be installed in an area with floor drains to minimize damage if leaks should occur.

*Leaks from refrigerator ice machines: Ice maker connections, usually located behind the refrigerator, should be inspected annually and hoses replaced if they appear cracked or corroded.

*Clogged drain lines on air conditioning units: Air conditioning drain lines should be checked yearly.

To learn more about how to protect your home from water damage you can use these resources:

Home Maintenance Guide

Loss Prevention Resources

Information for Creating a Home Inventory