Snowmelt Prevention Tips To Protect Your Home

Date: February 26, 2025 Author: Rinehart Insurance

As winter ends and temperatures begin to rise, the accumulating water from melting snow and ice—also known as snowmelt—can lead to significant propery damage.

Don’t let snowmelt wreak havoc on your home. Review the following guidance for snowmelt prevention recommendations.

Clear snow from your home’s foundation. Shovel snow away from your home, including stairwells, window wells, downspouts and doors to help prevent water from seeping in through cracks.
Maintain your roof and gutters. Any heavy snow that has accumulated on your roof should be cleared away to avoid water damage. Keep your gutters clear of debris to avoid ice dams— melted snow that refreezes at night, causing gutter clogs.
Ensure proper drainage. Make sure your downspout drains away from your home, and keep any street storm sewer drains clear of snow to prevent buildup and freezing.
Check your sump pump. Test to see that your sump pump is in good working order in case your home experiences flooding. If you notice any small leaks, take care of them before they become a bigger hazard.

Trust the Professionals

Qualified contractors can help you in the most crucial areas of your home, including plumbing and heating. If you are unable or unsure of how to remove snow from your roof, fix a leaky pipe, seal windows and doors, or simply test your water heater, contact a professional to ensure you and your home stay safe from harm.

In addition to utilizing a qualified contractor to assist with home maintenance and repairs, be sure to contact the insurance professionals at Rinehart, Walters & Danner to ensure your home will be adequately covered in the event of potential damages and disasters.

For additional household maintenance guidance and homeowners insurance solutions, contact us today.

7 Money Saving Tips for Home Insurance Buyers in 2025

Date: January 29, 2025 Author: Rinehart Insurance

Many significant trends and patterns impacting the homeowners insurance market may be beyond the control of the average policyholder; however, policyholders can still take steps to mitigate rising premiums. Retaining adequate insurance protection is vital for financial security, even during difficult times.

The following strategies may help home insurance buyers lower their rates or limit upcoming increases:

Weatherproof your home. Homeowners may want to consider upgrading their roofs, affixing storm shutters on doors and windows and removing trees or flammable brush from around their properties.
Upgrade security. When quoting rates for homeowners, carriers may be more likely to offer favorable costs when homes include certain security features, such as deadbolt locks, home security systems and smart smoke alarms.
Update coverage. Many homeowners may explore the possibility of changing their coverage to achieve lower rates amid rising premiums.
Bundle policies. This refers to the process of purchasing multiple types of insurance from the same carrier, which can often unlock discounts and overall cost savings for policyholders.
Limit liability risks. Reducing the possibility of being liable for other parties’ losses, such as by restricting access to attractive nuisances (e.g., swimming pools and playground equipment) and refraining from hosting large gatherings, can lead to savings.
Research discounts. Many insurance carriers may offer discounts, such as if a policyholder has not filed a claim against their coverage for a certain period of time (e.g., at least three years).
Improve your credit score. A homeowner’s credit score may be used to calculate what is known as a credit-based insurance score in most states.

Ultimately, a trusted insurance professional is often a home insurance buyers best option for assessing various home insurance options available on the market. Our agency is here to help you navigate the changing insurance market. Contact us today.

How to Avoid Common Personal Insurance Gaps

Date: January 22, 2025 Author: Rinehart Insurance

Insurance plays a crucial role in your life’s financial security and stability. The various policies and coverages that make up your insurance portfolio can potentially ensure you’re able to endure accidents, natural disasters and unexpected circumstances that might otherwise incur devastating financial losses. These risks may be particularly prevalent for those who fail to identify and address common coverage gaps.

This article can help you understand how and why specific gaps in your insurance could have significant financial ramifications for you and your family. Rinehart, Walters & Danner Insurance is focused on assisting you in not only identifying and understanding these possible pitfalls but also filling them and ensuring that your personal lines insurance portfolio offers fortified financial protection.

Common Personal Insurance Gaps

Your personal lines insurance portfolio may consist of several types of policies, each covering risks and exposures that might otherwise lead to significant financial losses. Despite how you may have assembled an appropriate collection of policies, each one might still be prone to having coverage gaps that could leave you vulnerable to unexpected situations. The aftermath of an accident or other losses is the worst time to realize you’re underinsured, so it’s essential to identify and address gaps before coverage is needed.

Consider the following common personal insurance coverage gaps:

Home insurance

Also known as homeowners insurance, this type of policy can be rife with coverage gaps if you’re not careful and do not work with a qualified professional. Be particularly mindful of the following possible gaps:
o Natural disaster exclusions—Certain natural disasters are often explicitly excluded from standard home insurance policies. For example, flood insurance must typically be purchased separately. Homeowners in certain parts of the country may also need coverage for earthquakes and windstorms.
o Coming up short of the 80% rule—Insurance carriers typically enforce the 80% rule, which states that homeowners must retain enough coverage to pay for at least 80% of the estimated cost of a complete rebuild of their home. Failing to do this could lead to lesser payouts following covered losses.
o Neglecting scheduled property coverage—Home insurance typically includes some coverage for personal possessions, but limits are often insufficient for those with significant valuables, such as fine art and jewelry. Additional coverage options, such as scheduled property coverage, may be necessary to ensure policyholders can recoup losses involving treasured items.

Auto insurance

These policies may also be referred to as car insurance and are often legally required. Still, while one of the most commonly purchased types of insurance, auto coverage is easily misunderstood, necessitating awareness of the following possible errors:
o Fulfilling only minimum requirements—While most states require motorists to carry certain levels of coverage, such as third-party liability coverage, simply complying with such mandates may not be enough. For example, many states do not require collision coverage, but if you crash your car, this part of a policy could be critical in ensuring you can repair or replace your vehicle.
o Lacking gap coverage—Aptly named, lacking this component of an auto insurance policy could represent a significant hole in your coverage. Gap coverage can be critical in offsetting losses if you’ve financed your vehicle. If your car is totaled or stolen and you still owe more on your loan than the vehicle’s current value, this coverage can make up the difference and limit out-of-pocket losses.

Life insurance

The right life insurance policy can provide financial stability and peace of mind for you and your loved ones. However, insufficient or outdated coverage could have dire ramifications, exacerbating the already difficult circumstances of a grieving family. Avoid this hardship by considering the following potential shortcomings in your coverage:
o Relying on group coverage—Life insurance offered by an employer can be a valuable employee benefit; however, one should not depend on this as your only form of coverage. Group life insurance plans are typically tied to employment status, meaning that being let go or retiring would result in no remaining coverage.
o Insufficient limits—As a person’s circumstances change, they may need to adjust their life insurance policies. For example, having a child or gaining a dependent typically increases expected expenses. Without making adjustments to life insurance, payouts could be insufficient to provide for a deceased’s family.

Personal umbrella insurance

This type of insurance may not be as well known as others, but for many people, it can be just as important. An umbrella insurance policy casts an additional layer of financial protection over various liabilities that might exceed the coverage limits in other policies. Consider how personal umbrella insurance might help fill the following coverage gaps:
o Inadequate auto insurance—Even if you’ve fulfilled your auto insurance policy’s minimum liability coverage requirements, severe accidents could have greater costs. If several people are severely injured, many vehicles are damaged or losses otherwise amount to a sum greater than your auto coverage can handle, personal umbrella insurance can offer additional aid and limit out-of-pocket losses.
o Insufficient home insurance—Certain accidents and other incidents at your home could be exceptionally costly. For instance, if your home has attractive nuisances, such as a swimming pool, or you regularly host large gatherings, accidents affecting multiple guests or inflicting significant injuries could quickly exhaust the liability coverage limits in your home insurance policy. Without umbrella coverage, you’d be saddled with paying the remainder out of pocket.

How to Avoid Coverage Gaps

Now that you have a better understanding of common coverage gaps and the potential consequences of being underinsured, you can take steps to shore up your insurance portfolio. Consider the following steps:

Appraise your belongings. One of the most effective ways to ensure you’re adequately covered is by being current on the value of what you’re insuring. Save receipts and document the condition of your possessions, and consider enlisting the assistance of professionals to appraise certain items, such as fine art and jewelry.
Assess liability risks. Whether considering home, renters, auto or umbrella coverage, certain policyholders may need to manage greater liability risk levels. For example, if you have children or pets, you may want to retain more coverage in your home insurance policy. Similarly, additional financial security may be advisable if you have a teen driver listed on your policy.
Consider recent life events. When your circumstances change, you should revisit your insurance policies. Getting married, having a child, buying a home or car, or moving should all trigger this process. Neglecting to account for life events in your insurance portfolio could lead to you being underinsured and your policies’ limits being incapable of covering losses.
Understand endorsements and options. Familiarize yourself with all of the features and enhancements that might be available. While a standard home insurance policy may be sufficient most of the time, specific exclusions, such as for floods and hurricanes, could mean the difference between weathering a financial storm alone or being buoyed by financial aid.
Enlist assistance. The knowledge and experience of a qualified insurance professional can be invaluable as you seek to purchase or reassess the components of your personal lines coverage.

Get the Right Coverage

In the wake of an accident, damage to your home or other incident involving financial losses, the last thing you want to hear is that your insurance isn’t capable of what you expected. Coverage gaps can quickly lead to unexpected expenses, potentially incurring far-reaching fiscal consequences that might upend your entire life.

At Rinehart, Walters & Danner Insurance, we’re committed to making sure that you and your family are adequately insured. Contact us today to learn more about personal lines coverage options and to ensure you’ve identified and remedied any coverage gaps.

How To Prevent Ice Dams and Homeowners Insurance Claims

Date: January 15, 2025 Author: Rinehart Insurance

This crazy up and down weather we’ve had lately can really reek havoc on our homes. Between the arctic chill and freezing pipes, to the heat wave and snow melt we don’t know if it’s Winter or Spring. One think to keep an eye on is your roof. All this thawing and freezing can create ice dams on your roof which can lead to major water damage.

What is an ice dam?

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof. It prevents melting snow and water from draining off the roof. The water that does not drain can leak into your home and damage your walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas. Ice dams are typically caused by uneven heat loss from your home in wintry conditions such as snow, heat melting the snow, and cold temperatures re-freezing melted snow. A common cause of heat loss is due to inadequate attic insulation or from warm air seeping into the attic from living spaces below. This causes the roof to warm and melt the snow and then re-freeze before the melted snow slides off the roof. If this cycle repeats enough you get an ice dam and water collecting behind it.

How To Prevent Ice Dams

There are steps you can take to help prevent ice dams on your home.

Keep the attic well ventilated.
Seal air leaks to prevent warm air leakage from plumbing vents, junction boxes from ceiling fixtures and attic hatches.
Keep the attic floor well insulated to minimize the amount of heat rising into the attic from below. (between 16 and 22 inches of insulation).
Clean leaves and other debris from gutters before the first snow. This will help prevent ice buildup in your gutters.
Consider using an ice shield under your shingles when your house is getting re-roofed.
Use a roof rake to clear the snow above the gutter. Clear as much as three to four feet above the gutter to allow water to drain freely into the gutter.

Don’t let this crazy Ohio weather turn into a disaster for your home. Ice dams can cause serious damage to your home which can turn into a large homeowners insurance claim. Take the extra time before the bad weather to do the necessary preventative measures.

Share this information with your friends and family to help them prevent ice dams.

Important Chimney Maintenance Tips You need To Know

Date: October 23, 2024 Author: Rinehart Insurance

In spite of the ambiance and relaxation that a fireplace provides, there are also inherent fire dangers. To combat the risk of fire or inhalation of dangerous carbon monoxide (CO) gas, it is important for you to make chimney maintenance part of your home maintenance plan. Follow these tips to keep your chimney in good shape and prevent fire hazards.

General Chimney Maintenance Tips

Both metal and masonry chimneys require maintenance so that smoke and flue gases are ventilated properly. At the very least, you should have your chimney inspected annually before each heating season. In addition:

Have your chimney cleaned on a regular basis to reduce creosote buildup.
Make sure your masonry chimney has a flue liner in place to reduce the possibility that the masonry could absorb creosote.
Replace damaged liners, as they will allow creosote to accumulate and heat to escape.
When hiring someone to reline your chimney, only allow the contractor to use a product that has been tested and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.

Specific Chimney Maintenance Tips

There are two types of chimneys that require specific maintenance to limit the risks in your home.

Fireplace inserts—Make sure the vent is connected to the flue of the chimney.
Factory-built metal chimneys—Do not use natural gas, fuel oil vents, well casing, stovepipe or other material in the chimney, as they cannot withstand the heat in the wood burner.

Keep These Precautions in Mind

Do not vent more than one heater or appliance into a single flue, as major complications can arise. If one fuel-burning appliance is connected to a flue and then you attach another appliance, such as a water heater, you are running the risk of various problems. Such problems include heavy creosote accumulation, deterioration of the flue or CO gas drifting into your home.

For additional home maintenance guidance and homeowners insurance solutions, contact us today.

Why Renters Insurance for College Students is Important

Date: August 21, 2024 Author: Rinehart Insurance

When your child leaves for college, it’s a period of profound change that can be a challenging adjustment. Many moving parts and checklists must be completed for this new life experience. One item you should add to your list is speaking with your insurance provider to ensure your student still has coverage while they are away.

Understanding How Homeowners Insurance Extends to Your Student

Fortunately, most homeowners insurance policies will extend to your student’s belongings while living on campus. Some insurance providers may have a list of requirements to qualify for coverage. These criteria may state that your child must be a full-time student, live on campus, be under the age of 24 and be a relative of the insured on the homeowners policy. However, even if your homeowners insurance policy extends to your student, the coverage limits may not be enough if your student has high-value items, such as gaming devices, computers and other electronics.

Homeowners insurance also may not extend its coverage to your student if they live in a house or apartment off campus. Instead, consider helping them obtain a renters policy. A specified renters insurance policy can provide robust coverage for personal belongings, as well as liability protections and additional living expenses coverage.

Renters Insurance Coverage

Renters insurance typically includes the following three coverages:

Personal possessions coverage can help protect your student’s belongings, such as furniture, electronic devices and other possessions, against covered perils such as fire, theft and vandalism. This coverage can help cover the cost of replacing or repairing them up to the policy’s limits; however, as noted previously, particularly expensive items such as laptops and jewelry may require additional insurance to be covered adequately. Talk to your agent about any high-value property.
Liability protection coverage can help cover lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage for which your student is responsible.
Additional living expenses coverage can help pay hotel and food bills if your student’s residence becomes uninhabitable due to a covered event.

Value of Renters Insurance

Renters insurance is a valuable and affordable investment for college students. Renters insurance is a relatively inexpensive coverage with some premiums as low as $10 a month. The payments will typically be low, especially compared to what it would cost to replace expensive items out of pocket. In this exciting phase of life, renters insurance grants peace of mind, ensuring students can focus more on their studies and less on the burden of unexpected financial setbacks.

Contact Your Agent Today

Review your homeowners coverage with your agent to understand how coverage may extend to your college student. Your agent can help you understand what is and isn’t covered, coverage limits and potential gaps that may necessitate renters insurance for college students.

Do I Have To Pay If A Tree Falls On My House?

Date: July 10, 2024 Author: Rinehart Insurance

Every year, storms are responsible for knocking over or breaking off limbs of numerous trees. Unfortunately, sometimes, a limb or tree falls on our house or other property. Cleaning up the damage from a storm can be a difficult task, both physically and emotionally. And things can become especially tense when you discover that it’s your neighbor’s tree that damaged your house.

To make matters worse, many homeowners are surprised to discover that if a neighbor’s tree falls on their house, it’s usually their own homeowners policy—not their neighbor’s—that will cover the cost of the damages. What follows are general guidelines for who pays what in various situations. However, you should also check your homeowners policy for coverages and exclusions. (Click here to learn more about homeowners insurance policies)

Your Property, Your Policy

Generally speaking, if your property is damaged, you are responsible for the damages. It doesn’t matter if the tree or limb came from your property, your neighbor’s property or even municipal property. Keep in mind that a windstorm isn’t anyone’s fault; it’s an act of nature. If a tree does damage your property during a windstorm, your policy will cover the damages. After all, that’s why you purchased a homeowners policy. To protect yourself against unforeseen losses like a tree damaging your house.

Their Property, Their Policy

It might seem unfair that if it’s your neighbor’s tree that damages your home, you should have to pay. Fortunately for you, that standard applies both ways. If a storm rolls through and your tree falls and damages your neighbor’s house, his or her insurance is going to cover the damages.

Negligence and Liability

So far, these scenarios have been fairly straightforward. But what happens when it wasn’t a storm that made the tree fall? Instead, your neighbor’s tree was hollowed out from years of disease, and he’d neglected to do anything about it. In fact, it was so diseased that you expressed your concern to your neighbor that it might topple over and damage your property. Unfortunately, one day, that’s exactly what happens. What then?

Your insurance carrier is still going to be the one paying your claim. However, if you can prove your neighbor knew that the tree was diseased and that he or she neglected to fix it your insurance carrier would probably attempt to collect from your neighbor’s insurance. If your carrier is successful, you could be reimbursed for your deductible.

Remember, though, this rule also applies the other way. If you have diseased or damaged trees on your property and they damage your neighbor’s house, he or she can try to prove your negligence. Your property is your responsibility. So it’s best to inspect your trees every year for signs of disease or damage. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, consider having a professional arborist examine your trees.

Other Structures

If the tree doesn’t damage your house but instead damages your fence, are you still covered? Generally, you are. Most homeowners policies distinguish between two different kinds of structures on your property. The “dwelling” refers to your house and any attached structures (like an attached garage), as well as any fixtures attached to the house. “Other structures,” including detached garages, sheds, fences or gazebos, are also insured, but typically only for 10 percent of the coverage on your dwelling.

Vehicles

If, in the aftermath of a storm, you discover that a tree has fallen on your car, your homeowners policy doesn’t apply. Instead, you’ll be looking at your auto policy. If you have comprehensive coverage on your vehicle, your auto insurance carrier will pay for the damages, after you pay your deductible. The same rule would apply to a guest’s car. Hopefully, he or she took out comprehensive coverage, too.(Click here to learn about auto insurance)

Removal and Cleanup

What if the tree fell but didn’t hit anything? Would you be covered for removal costs? If the fallen tree blocks a path to your front door or driveway, then many homeowners policies would pay for removal. Generally, the maximum coverage is around $500. If the tree simply falls in the middle of your yard, your policy likely wouldn’t cover it. Unless the fallen tree damaged insured property, there is no loss to file a claim for.

Replacement

Replacing the trees themselves can be more complicated. Trees that have fallen due to wind damage may or may not be covered, so it’s best to check with your broker. Most policies offer limited coverage for trees that have fallen due to fire, lightning, explosion, theft, vandalism, malicious mischief or aircraft. Amounts and exclusions will vary. It’s important to read your policy and check with your broker if you have any questions.

Making Sure You’re Covered

Hopefully, your trees grow and endure. In the event that they fall, it’s important to know that you’re covered. Contact our office today to make sure that you have sufficient coverage for whatever might blow your way.

Are My Valuables Covered By Homeowners Insurance?

Date: April 3, 2024 Author: Rinehart Insurance

Your grandmother decided to pass on her birthstone ring to you on you 16th birthday, many years ago. Of all your valuables, it is the most important to you. You always took extra precautions when wearing it and storing it. But, even when it’s locked up safely at home, is it truly safe? If it was ever stolen or lost, that’s what your homeowners insurance is for, right? Wrong.

Standard homeowners, condominium or renters insurance policies include a limit on coverage for jewelry and other valuables. Most policies have stringent limits on coverage of valuables.

Jewelry – as little as $1,000
Firearms – up to $2,000
Silverware – up to $2,500

Also, many policies may not cover losses due to theft, accident or loss.

Common items that require additional coverage

Jewelry
Silverware
Heirlooms (furniture, paintings, etc)
Rugs
Musical instruments
Fine Art
Antique china, crystal, decorative items
Designer appliances
Furs
Vintage wine
Collectibles (stamps, coins, glassware, etc.)
Firearms
Computers

Additional coverage options

Endorsements – Endorsements are additions to your homeowners, condominiums or renters insurance policies. This will change or add to the policy’s provisions. Your valuables are “scheduled” on a list that includes a brief description and the item’s dollar value. For all items, an appraisal or sales receipt is typically required. This will help ensure that, in the event of a covered loss, the amount of insurance is enough to cover the repair, replacement or cash payment of the item. The endorsement can cover property otherwise excluded from a basic homeowners insurance policy, extends the number of perils insured against or increase the amount paid for a covered loss. Items scheduled are typically not subject to the policy deductible.

Floaters – A Separate personal articles floater may be used to schedule your valuables that are subject to special limits under basic homeowners insurance coverage.

If you have an existing endorsement or floater, it is important to periodically review our policy’s coverage limits to minimize the likelihood of underinsurance arising out of outdated appraisals and inadequate limits of insurance.

Doing a home inventory can help protect valuables

A home inventory can be a great tool when it comes to protecting your home and valuables. A home inventory will allow you to go room to room and take pictures and details for your items. Some insurance carrier’s even provide a mobile application and you can save the inventory information within the app.

As always, your agent is there to help you determine the best coverage for your needs. Doing a home inventory and sharing it with them is a great way to help make sure no valuables are missed.

What You Need To Know About Fireplace And Wood Burning Stove Safety

Date: January 24, 2024 Author: Rinehart Insurance

It’s safe to say that winter is here to stay along with the freezing cold. Did you know the largest source of fire in American homes comes from fuel burning appliances? That is why fireplace and wood burning stove safety is so important.

Wood Burning Safety

Use these tips to practice fireplace and wood burning stove safety.

Read the instructions for your wood burning stove and follow them carefully.
Inspect the firebrick liner, if you have one. Should the liner show signs of wear, replace it immediately. Do not use that unit until the liner is replaced.
Do not use flammable or combustible liquid (gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, etc.) to start a fire.
Burn wood recommended by the manufacturer only.
Do not burn plastic, wood or garbage that has been painted or treated with chemicals.
Be sure to have properly maintained smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and an approved multi-purpose fire extinguisher in your home.
Never close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. Doing so will cause the fire to heat up which will force toxic carbon monoxide into your house.
Take extra care when disposing of hot ashes. Remember that these embers may still be hot for several days.

Solid fuel units tend to require a lot more maintenance than other heating systems. Therefore, regular inspections and care are needed to protect your home and family against fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Chimney Maintenance

Have your chimney cleaned on a regular basis to reduce creosote buildup.
Make sure your masonry chimney has a flue liner in place to reduce the possibility that the masonry could absorb creosote.
Replace cracked or damaged liners, as they will allow creosote to accumulate and heat to escape.
When hiring someone to reline your chimney, only allow the contractor to use a product that has been tested and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.

There are two types of chimneys that require specific maintenance to maximize the dangers in your home.

Fireplace inserts (hearth stoves):
- Vent should be connected to the flue of the chimney.
Factory-built metal chimneys:
- Do not use natural gas, fuel oil vents, well casing, stovepipe or other material in the chimney, as they cannot withstand the heat in the wood burner.

A few other tips

Do not vent more than one heater or appliance into a single flue. Doing so can cause major complications. If one fuel-burning appliance is connected to a flue and then you attach another appliance, such as a water heater, you are running the risk of the following serious problems:

Heavy creosote accumulation
Deterioration of the flue
Creosote blocking the lower heater vent
Carbon monoxide drifting into your home

When it comes to your home and family fireplace and wood burning stove safety is crucial. Make sure to practice the above safety tips to stay safe and warm. Now is a good time to review your homeowners insurance coverage to make sure your policy is up to day and adequate.

Click here for information on homeowners insurance.

Click here to learn more about chimney fires.

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Should I Bundle All My Insurance Policies Or Not?

Date: November 29, 2023 Author: Rinehart Insurance

If you’ve ever shopped around for insurance, you’ve likely been asked if you want to bundle your policies. In other words, combine your home or renters, auto and life insurance policies with the same carrier. Although you have the option to shop around individually for each policy, it almost always makes sense to have the same carrier cover as many of your policies as possible.

Click here to learn more about personal insurance options

Benefits of Bundling

The discount—Most policyholders bundle their policies because of the promise of a discount. The amount varies by provider but can generally range between 5-25 percent.
The option of a single deductible—With bundled policies, your deductible may be cheaper in the event of a claim that affects multiple policies. For example, if your home and auto policies are with two separate carriers, and a hailstorm damages your home and your car, you’re responsible for paying both your home and auto deductibles before receiving payment. But if you bundle your policies, your provider may offer you the option to pay only the higher of the two deductibles.
Less chance of being dropped—If you’ve made claims or gotten tickets, having your policies bundled with one provider can decrease the chance of them dropping you.

When It Doesn’t Pay to Bundle

It isn’t always better to bundle your policies with one insurance carrier. Here’s when it may be better to split them up:

If you have tickets or past claims that make your auto insurance expensive – In this case, it may be cheaper overall to buy each policy from separate providers.
When premiums increase—Bundling discourages people from price shopping, which makes it easier for providers to increase their rates. Most assume that you won’t go through the effort of shopping around when your policies renew.
If policies aren’t technically bundled—Some carriers may insure you with an affiliated company. Although you may get a discount with that company, you’ll lose the convenience of paying your premium with one familiar provider.

A Few Tips to Consider

Although discounts are the main reason people bundle their insurance policies, never assume that bundling is the cheapest option. Your needs and circumstances will dictate whether you should combine your policies with one carrier. Consider the following tips:

Shop for new coverage when your policies renew. Ask for the price of the individual premiums as well as the price of the bundled premium. Then you can decide whether it is worth it. Just make sure you compare the same coverage when shopping for quotes from each carrier.
Ask if the provider uses a third-party insurance company. Remember that you may save money but lose the convenience of dealing with one provider and a combined bill.
Ask an independent insurance agent to get prices from multiple companies so you don’t have to do the legwork. An agent that is loyal to a particular carrier may be able to offer discounts that you can’t get alone.

With multiple factors contributing to the price of your insurance premiums, it is important to shop around in order to get the best rate for your insurance needs. Feel free to contact us to determine if bundling is right for you and help you take advantage of all available discounts.