Pharmacy's are in the news lately because they are about to help vaccinate America! What you say is this? I thought they only sold medication in a jar or thimble or tupperware container. In fact almost a third of all vaccinations are done by Pharmacists. And, when a country is trying to inoculate an entire population guess who gets the call? Yup, good old Pharmacists. 
So, if you've heard that you will be able to get a jab in the arm at your local CVS you will also be able to go to many independent pharmacies for your shot too.
Hopefully, we will be on the road to recovery soon. 
​If you need insurance for your Pharmacy, give us a call at 619-880-1234

Well, I'm about to embark on a journey that I don't have any experience with. So, let's learn a valuable auto insurance lesson together.
At the end of last year my car got hit by a young lady. She somehow managed to cross in front of me while I was stopped and remove 60 percent of my front bumper. The damage seemed minor enough. The side panels were fine. The door gaps didn't get impacted from the auto accident. Basically she just sheered off that part of the bumper. What I thought would be a few hundred dollar accident turned into a eleven thousand dollar accident. Yup, 60 percent of a bumper equaled half the value of my car. 
Apparently, when a car gets hit and any part of the car gets a scratch that scratched part needs to be replaced. And, on my car that meant the whole bracket that holds the engine in place had to be replaced. The main steel beam that protects you in an accident also had a scratch and had to be replaced.  I had about 9000 in parts that were replaced. Most of which I thought could be fixed on the cheap but who am I to tell the auto insurance company to please just weld it back together when I am not paying. I'd rather have a new part for the price of free than a welded part.
After I got the car back the first time it made a clunky sound when I went over a bump. It seemed like something wasn't tightened properly. And the fan on my car would come on and stay on even when the car was turned off and cool. 
I managed to get the clunky sound fixed but the fan wouldn't replicate the staying on thing. A few months back it came back on. Then I unplugged the fan and let the car sit for a day and it went off again. Now, it's back on. 
My plan is to take the car back to the body shop that happens to be attached to the dealership and have them try and fix it. So, as much as you hope that your car gets fixed the first time things do happen and sometimes they have to go back again. It will be interesting to see how they handle things. 
Stay tuned for what they say once I bring it back in.

As a lot of people continue to work from home more and more cars are sitting still in the garage or driveway for longer periods of time. Not only is this leading to insurance companies scrambling to re-rate their customers insurance rates but it is also leading to unexpected issues.
When modern cars don't get driven batteries don't get charged. And when batteries don't get charged all those computers that run modern cars use up the power in those batteries. At some level modern cars are always active. They are there awaiting your return. The sensors wait for signals from your keys so that doors can be unlocked when you pull the handles. With the slow drain of power car batteries are going dead and they are needing more jump starts than normal.
So, if you don't have any road assistance and you are working from home add road assistance to your insurance. I know it seems completely contradictory. Normally you would want the coverage if you drive a lot. But, now if you aren't driving it is important to have. Or call one of your local road assistance companies and find out the cost to add some coverage for the year.
Another option is to get a battery charger. Most auto supply stores stock low voltage car chargers that will keep your cars computers up and running even if you aren't driving. That's a great option especially if you have a car parked for an extended period of time.
Another issue can be rodent damage done to a car that sits for a long time. Many rodents find the areas inside your engine to be perfect places to place a nest. With cars sitting the little critters are more likely to stop by and visit. So, if you are in an area where there is a good amount of wildlife you may want to check under the hood if the car has been sitting for awhile to make sure no new friends have moved in while you have been away.
If you did find rodent damage most auto insurance companies cover the damage under your comprehensive coverage. You would just pay your deductible and your insurance company would fix any damage beyond that. But, you would need to have comprehensive coverage on your policy.
​If you need a quote for some coverage give us a call at 951-395-0754. 

Well just when you think things can't get any worse along come curfews, riots, protests and looting. It's a crazy time and I hope that everyone out there stays safe and treats each other kindly. If you have property that were to get damaged during these stressful times here's how your insurance would help.
The good news is that most damages done during a riot, protest or civil commotion are covered under your insurance. In most cases there is coverage on your auto insurance and your home insurance policies. Let's take a look and see how that might work.
Now, say that you go out to peacefully protest and you come back and find the windows of your car are shattered or worse your car is now in flames. As long as you carry comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance your vehicle will be repaired for damages above your deductible. Both vandalism and fire are covered under comprehensive. Don't worry about making an insurance claim because comprehensive claims don't impact your rate. I suppose if auto insurance companies paid out a huge number of claims in your area they may pass those losses onto their policy holders. But, generally comprehensive limits are fairly inexpensive and the impact from a one time event should be small. 
Now, on your home insurance there is usually coverage for riots, vandalism and civil commotion. It should be in your covered loss section of your policy declaration if you want to confirm the coverage. What that means is if your home happens to be damaged either from something small like spray paint or something more serious like fire those losses would be covered under your home insurance. Now, your deductible may still apply so it might not be coverage from dollar one. But, if you have major damage your home limits should be available. 
If you are needing either home or auto insurance give us a call for a free quote. We have lots of great carriers available. 951-395-0754

The unofficial start of summer began with Memorial Day over the weekend.  What will the summer of 2020 look like? I don't think anyone knows. What I do know is that more people will be staying home for the summer. Most people I have talked with have cancelled their summer trips and are planning on staying near or at home.
I read that pool contractors are building pools at brisk rates. This makes sense to me as public pools are limiting access and restricting how many people can be in the pool at one time. If you are in the market for a pool it is best to remember that you will need to notify your home insurance company after construction is completed. Most home insurance companies charge more when you have a pool due to the higher liability risk involved with having a pool in the yard. 
Once the pool is installed you will also want to review with your home insurance carrier to make sure your detached structure coverage is appropriate. On your declaration page it will list how much coverage you have under Coverage B (other structures). Standard coverage is usually 10 % of your dwelling coverage. For example if you have 500,000 for your dwelling coverage most policies will cover up to 50,000 for those detached structures including the pool. If you are putting a much more expensive pool in you will want to make sure you have the extra coverage to protect your pool. Now, your home policy will still only cover the type of losses that protect your home. So, if a fire burns your home and buckles the pools concrete that would be covered under your home insurance. If a storm blows a tree into the pool and damages the equipment or pool deck that would also be covered. 
Things that wouldn't be covered under your standard home insurance would be earth movement, landslides, earthquakes and subsidence.  
If you plan on building an amusement park at home since you can't get out to one make sure you talk to your insurance agent. Any time you add structures to your property it is a good time to review your limits and make sure you are covered properly. 
Beyond the addition to your Coverage B limits you will definitely want review your home liability limits. On average most people have 300,000 in liability coverage. That protects you if a guest slips and falls while visiting your home. With the addition of a pool you would want to increase your limits beyond 500,000. Beyond that you might want to consider an umbrella policy.
Insurance agents are still working. So, when you start construction give your agent a call or call us to review your limits. 951-395-0754

As the country begins to open up auto insurance companies are bringing to an end the discounts they have been either been refunding or crediting their customers. It has been an unusual time for everyone and that includes auto insurance companies.  Most are still assessing the overall impact of the stay at home orders and the impact they had on their bottom lines. This is new territory for everyone. 
​The next step for many insurance companies will be working with existing customers to make sure they are able to keep their policies in force. As stimulus money dries up and unemployment benefits get stretched paying for insurance has become more of a challenge.
The insurance commissioner in California is recommending insurance companies extend out grace periods for their customers from 30 days to 60 days. It is important to note that doesn't mean the policy holders won't be responsible for those premiums. They will still be charged for the time their policy is in effect. It just means that the insurance companies can't cancel the policies for a longer period of time. 
The current extension of premium due dates will go through July 14, 2020. If you have questions about making a premium payment the best thing to do is call your carrier and see what types of adjustments they can make. Maybe a smaller premium due one month is a better option than skipping a payment altogether. 
Auto insurance companies are still working hard to help out their customers during these difficult times. Many people have been unaffected but many more have had significant income losses. If you have questions about your coverage or you need to get a policy started give us a call at 951-395-0754
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Buying a house during the coronavirus period is a different experience. But, even during a pandemic people are moving and buying homes. The good news is that home insurance companies are adjusting their operations so that they can still bind insurance policies.
Over the last few years electronic paperwork signing has become a more regular part of the process.  Now all my insurance companies allow for electronic signing. It makes the process easier and with physical distancing being a concern you don't have to step foot in an office.
The important thing to remember when signing your paperwork electronically is to make sure you review your documents. Yes it is very easy to just click, click and be done. But, you always want to review your limits. Make sure the address is correct on the paperwork. Make sure your names are spelled properly. Review your deductibles, the price and all the coverage's. If it's what you agreed to then sign the paperwork. If you have questions now is a great time to ask them. 
Recently most home insurance carriers have been inspecting almost all the homes they insure. Over the last few months many of those inspections have been rolled back. If the inspections are still happening most are exterior only. Now, if you don't have an inspection completed this year many home insurance companies may in the future ask for an inspection. 
If you are in the market for buying a home give your insurance agent a call and get some quotes. If you are looking for some of the best home insurance rates on the market give us a call at 951-395-0754

A not very surprising thing has happened during the Coronavirus lockdown. With fewer cars on the road auto insurance companies are discovering that people are having fewer car accidents. I know, who would have put those two pieces together?
No one likes having accidents so one upside of not traveling very far is that the frequency of accidents has gone down significantly. I saw one report stating that there have been 50% less auto accidents reported since the stay at home orders began. I'm sure each insurance company is experiencing different rates of accident reduction. But, that's still a pretty huge number if that is one auto carriers experience.
The good news is that a lot of auto insurance companies have decided to give some of their premiums back. Most are giving a percentage of the premiums back during the months we have been told to stay home. I've seen percentages from 15-20%. 
Why if there is possibly a 50% reduction in accidents are the insurance companies only giving back a much smaller percentage? Well, remember employees are still going to work and they might be processing less claims but they are still showing up everyday. So, the true savings for auto insurance companies is probably only a fraction of the money they are saving paying out on less claims.
Enjoy the emptier roads while you can. Enjoy your auto insurance premium returns while they last. And drive carefully out there. If you are bored at home and want to shop your auto insurance rates give us a call at 951-395-0754. 

Ah, the mysteries of how to replace your homeowners insurance. Most people buy home insurance once for a home. They set up impound accounts and then they don't think about their home insurance again for a long time.
Well, in a perfect world that's the way it would work. You would buy a policy, it would cover your house properly and the price would stay the same forever. Unfortunately, home insurance rates have seen large increases over the last few years. And, in certain situations some home insurance companies have been non renewing policies. That means you will need to look into buying a new policy. Now, how do you do that when you have an impound account?
The good news is that it really is a simple process. This year I replaced my own home insurance policy. My premium went up 800 dollars from the prior year. Even with going with a higher deductible and a less expensive policy it was still expensive with the old company. 
When I decided to shop the policy the first thing I did was call my mortgage company. And, that's what you should do to. Let your mortgage company know that they shouldn't pay your old company until you ask them to. That saves you from having to get a refund from your old company and reapply it to your account. Once you decide on your new company you can have that new home insurance company bill your impound account. They will then pay the new company and you have successfully replaced your insurance.
Now, if you are mid term you can also cancel your home policy. You would set up the new policy with your insurance agent. Call and cancel the old policy with your old insurance company. Get the refund mailed to you. Then take those funds and add them back into your impound account. Let your mortgage company know you switched and have them pay the new company. 
If you are buying a new home you just need to pick your home insurance company. Let the agent know who is handling your escrow. They will then get in touch with them and make sure proof of insurance gets sent over along with a bill. The escrow company will pay the year and you will be good to go.
Now, if you pay for your home insurance yourself. All you need to do is pay the new company and have get a refund from your old company.
There is no reason to be afraid to switch your home insurance. It is an easy process. Your insurance agent will be happy to help you along the way. If you need a quote for home insurance give us a call at 951-395-0754. We have great options along with great rates.