Water Backup Coverage

Do you know what is covered and what is not covered by your homeowner policy?

If a toilet overflows or a shower drain gets clogged and overflows, your homeowner policy provides coverage.  However, all homeowner policies exclude any damage caused by water that escapes, overflows or discharges from a sump pump, sump well or any other system designed to remove water which is drained from the foundation area.

The good news is that there is an endorsement that can be added to your homeowner policy which removes the exclusion and provides coverage for such an unexpected incident.  Pricing and coverage amounts available will vary, depending on the carrier.

The other thing to remember is that flooding is not covered by this endorsement, but can be purchased through the government's national flood insurance program.

Note:  Some of the above information was obtained from a News & Community Bulletin from Safeco Insurance.

10 To Do's To Keep Your Home Safe Before You Leave For Vacation!

Summer is almost here and that means one thing: Vacation.  Whether you follow Route 66 or fly the friendly skies, you will most likely be one of the many people taking a well-deserved break!

To reduce the likelihood of house damage or a break-in, be sure to take the following steps before you go on vacation:


1) Turn off your water.  Many expensive losses occur when water leaks from a hot water heater or broken pipe.

2) Unplug your coffee pot, TV and other small appliances.  This will lower electric costs, as well as prevent possible fires.

3) Cut your grass and water your plants.  High grass or wilted plants may indicate you are away from your home - a possible draw for thieves.

4) Lock your windows and doors, and close curtains on windows where people can see into your house.  A simple, but oftentimes overlooked, step.

5) Install smart timers.  These inexpensive items can be programmed to turn lights on and off throughout the evening.  Burglars are less likely to target houses with lights on.

6) Stop your paper and mail deliveries.  Full mailboxes and a stack of old newspapers on your porch may signal you are out of town.

7) Don't leave an outgoing message on your phone announcing that you are away.  In this time of social media, even a post on Facebook could draw trouble.  Instead, try "I'm not able to take your call" or "I will respond to your message as soon as possible."

8) Ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your house.  You may also want to give them your contact information while you are away.

9) Unplug the motor of your garage door opener.  This will help ensure that no one will find a compatible opener and get into your garage.  (Leave a key with a neighbor or relative so you can get in upon return).

10) Ensure required security devices are in place - especially around your pool.

Taking some simple precautions will help ensure you enjoy your vacation - and your return to your home sweet home... exactly as you left it!



Source: MSB

Family Time by Frank Zimmerman

In this day and age of work pressures, deadlines, commuting and working overtime, make sure that you set aside time for quality family time.  That is what I will be doing as you read this - as my wife and I will be in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains at Boone, North Carolina.  I will be meeting our first grandchild for the first time - a beautiful baby girl named Elizabeth Grace Blaha - born on April 15th!


A special added bonus is that our other daughter is only 2 hours away in Charlotte and will be driving up for the weekend to meet us.  So we are looking to a joyous and restful time with our whole family together for a few days.


So, whatever your family situation is - take the time to enjoy time with your family.  Travel safely!

Never Use Cruise Control on a Rainy Day

Cruise control is designed for normal road conditions.  It doesn't know when the pavement is slippery.  Under slick conditions, you need to be in complete control and monitoring road conditions.  You’re more likely to notice hydroplaning if you are not relying on the cruise control.  With some cars, it is possible that the wheels will actually spin faster when the cruise control is on/engaged and the care hits a slippery spot.  When the tires make contact with firm road again, the car can skid or lose control.


On most cars, the cruise control is disengaged by tapping on the brake.  In an emergency situation, this adds a fraction of a second to your response time as well as the risk of the braking action itself causing a loss of control on a slippery road.

Allow plenty of distance between vehicles, avoid cruise control and reduce your speed to allow for slippery roads, especially during the spring and fall when there is debris from the trees also on the roadway making for more slippery pavement.

Check back for more safety information.  We’ll keep you up to date on Illinois Auto Insurance,  home insurance in Illinois and all your other coverage too.

The Benefits of Pet Insurance

  

Pet Insurance is a growing trend.  People love their animals as if they were their own children and for many folks, they are just like children.  Therefore, when they become ill, it is devastating.

As medical costs increase around the country for humans, the same is true for animals.  Consequently a few companies have instituted pet insurance products to help offset the rising costs of medical care for your dogs and cats.

The costs of good veterinary care are high, especially as more treatments become available for animals. Most pet insurance carries a deductible, you pay the initial charges up front, file a claim with the company and the carrier reimburses you for the allowable limit for treatment.

Imagine coming home from work to find that your dog had consumed the entire bag of chocolate that your son left sitting on the counter.  Your pet will need immediate emergency attention and probably monitoring overnight to be sure he is out of the woods.  Or you allow your cat outside to explore the countryside and she is attacked by a feral cat.  Events like this and others such as a diagnosis of a tumor, kidney disease, heart disease, all treatable from emergency care to long term treatment; but they come attached with a price tag.

If you are as in love with your pets as I am, please consider looking into a pet health insurance policy to be assured your pet is with you for a long time with proper medical treatment.

The ASPCA Pet Health Insurance program is a fantastic policy which gives you the option of 4 levels of coverage at very affordable rates.  It offers a $100 deductible and the ability to use your own vet and not be tied down to using someone you don’t know and trust and reimburses up to 90%.

Visit their website today and find out just how affordable this valuable coverage is.  Protect your pets as you would yourself.

http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/enroll/?priority=BR10MARS87







To learn more about pets visit www.barkpurrandinsure.com

Summer Safe Driving

According to a recent survey provided to us by Travelers Insurance, 67% of Americans taking a summer vacation plan to drive.  Make sure it is a safe trip by doing the following:

1.  Do not overload your vehicle - keep the load evenly distributed and do not block rear and side view mirror vision.

2.  Be prepared - Pack snacks and entertaining items for the little ones in the backseat to help avoid distractions.

3.  Take a break to avoid fatigue - this helps maintain focus - make sure to pull off in a safe spot.

4.  Know the route - be familiar with the route and do not solely rely on GPS so as to avoid dangerous last minute turns and lane changes.

5.  Use cruise control carefully - it can be easier for the driver to lose focus on the road and become more distracted.  But also remember never to use cruise control when roads are wet due to the slowing of response time when cruise control is engaged

6.  DO NOT TEXT WHILE DRIVING - even using a hands-free device can be enough of a distraction to cause a driver to miss key visual and audio cues needed to avoid a crash.



Enjoy your summer vacation, but please be safe and cautious.

Frank Zimmerman, CIC

My brother is getting married this upcoming June to one of the most wonderful women I have had the honor of meeting.  I have volunteered to throw a bridal shower for them and I wanted to share a couple of the ideas that I have done to make it special for them.
The first game I decided to do for them was a word search.

Going to the Chapel and We’re Gonna Get Married!

The wedding bells are ringing
And the guests are seated. Help
Us find the wedding party so
We can cue the music!

L    B    M   A   R  Y   N  A   T   T    I   R   B

K   D    F    T    I    F    F  A   N  Y   W  R  J

G    Z    D   Q   C   Y   K  C   I    R   T   A  P

C   W   H    J     X   E    E  T   J    C   S   U  T

D   N    C   O    E    L   A   I   P   N   X  C   P

V   R    W   H    Z    L   N  V   Z   Q  U  B   T

W  I     E    N    H    E   A  Y   M  A  R   Y   L

V   E    R    M   P    I   D   H   S   G   O  P   S

O   B    D   T    E   N   Z   T    R   V   D  A  R

T   Q    N   D   S   A   A   O   B   U  R   L   I

W  M   A   Z   O   D   D   M  J   A  V   Q   E

J    S    A   B    J    Y   W   I    J   D  O   Q  O

E   N    P   G   N   W   D   T   P   Z  G   F    J

Andrew      Brittany
Joe             Danielle
Eirn            Dana
John           Mary
Joseph       Sara
Patrick       Tiffany
Timothy      Mary



By Mary Marsh



Everyone at Mars Insurance Agency sends best wishes to the happy couple!