Crash test photo, just a few dummies were injured! They were later reassembled. 

I learned very recently that in order to sound more interesting at a cocktail party I could tell people I’m in “risk management”. For years people would ask me what kind of work I do. Once I told them I’m an insurance agent in Temecula I’d get a quick yawn, they’d look at their wrist as if checking a watch, most didn’t actually have watches and they would wander off into the abyss. Suddenly, with my newfound status as a “risk manager” I was interesting, dare I say intriguing? Well, let’s not get carried away here. Once they got done asking me what a risk manager does and I then told them I was an insurance agent I still got the same initial response. But, I did get them to ask me one more question. That’s a win right there!
So, in this blog or we could call it ramblings of a risk manager I hope to make insurance seem slightly interesting. I’ll use color photos, because people like pictures and I’ll give you some halfway knowledgeable information to use in your daily lives.
I’ve been doing personal lines insurance for over 15 years now. Personal lines is just a fancy way of saying I do insurance for your cars, your house, motorcycles, basically things you need to protect in your daily lives.
I happen to really enjoy reading insurance policies and the thought of hanging out with an actuary while he’s calculating risk is interesting to me. Yeah, I know that probably puts me in a very small minority and the audience for these posts will be pretty limited. But, if you have any insurance questions along the way feel free to reach out to me. For an insurance quote call 951-395-0754

There really is nothing worse than coming out of the store and finding a huge dent or even a small dent in your car. It makes me crazy, especially when I try to keep my cars looking as nice as possible.
I was watching security camera footage of an accident that happened in my work parking lot the other day. It was night and one car backed out of its parking spot straight into the side of a parked car. Without hesitation, the person driving the car put it in drive and drove away into the night. So, what do you do in this situation? Well, if you are the driver of the car that hit someone or something you stop, write a note with your name, phone number and insurance information and then drive away. It may not be fun to admit that you screwed up. But, that’s what you do not to mention it's a misdemeanor punishable by fines or prison depending on the severity of the accident if you are caught.
Now if you find your car with damage in a parking lot you’ll need to call your insurance company. If you have collision coverage you will sadly have to pay your deductible. It doesn’t go on your driving record so don’t worry about that. If you don’t have collision you are in a much worse position because you will have to fix your car on your own. Another thing that I would suggest is make sure you add rental car coverage to your car insurance. That would cover a rental while your car is in the shop getting fixed. Otherwise you will be paying out of pocket for that too.
In this situation the car that was hit was parked illegally, he put his car at the end of a row in a spot that didn’t exist. If he hadn’t parked there the person pulling out of the spot wouldn’t have hit him. So, do I feel overly bad for this guy, no. But, it is still the responsibility of the person driving the car to pass along their insurance information. If you want to try and get all detective like, you can try to find a business that has a camera on the parking lot. If you can get a plate off the offending car most companies will waive your deductible. And then they will try to collect from the person who was driving the car. Happy shopping people!
​Call me today to get an auto insurance quote. 951-395-0754

Aw, look at that face!

Renters Insurance is like the unwanted dog in the shelter. It’s unloved it’s often neglected and it’s under appreciated. Why do I say such terrible things about an insurance product? Because it’s true. I have never met anyone who gets excited about renter’s insurance. Most people come to me for renters insurance because their landlord is requiring that they get the coverage. It is very rare that someone actually asks or wants the coverage.
The most common question I get is, "Why do I need renters insurance, it doesn’t do anything for me anyways. Right?" You couldn’t be more wrong. Renters insurance is designed for you. It is there to protect your belongings against theft, fire, smoke damage. It even gives you money if you can’t live in your home because it is damaged. I had a lot of people come to me when they were evacuated by the wildfires last fall. They had no idea that their policy would cover “loss of use”. When they got evacuated they got money to cover their hotel. That’s a huge benefit.
If you are renting a home or apartment you need renters insurance. It probably costs about 50 cents per day for a basic policy. If you wanted to get crazy it might cost you a dollar per day. It also usually gives you a discount on your auto insurance too.
Give me a call to find out more about renters insurance. 951-395-0754 

I feel like this Polar Vortex should be used in a Star Trek episode, poor Captain Kirk is stuck in the polar vortex again I hope he makes it out alive, oh wait he always does. Let’s be real it’s a pretty cool term to say but freezing cold temperatures are no fun. There are only so many layers of clothes you can put on and sometimes those aren’t enough to keep you warm. Even though I did see some crazy bloggers dressed in bikini’s outside in the middle of this madness, what people will do for clicks. Fortunately, the polar vortex has returned to where it should be and we have settled into regular cold winter stuff.
Now, things happen when the temperature drops. This morning in sunny southern California we actually had a hard frost and our mountains are covered in snow. This may seem like an aberration but to the uninitiated it can get frosty out here, cold no not so much, but frosty yes.
So, let’s say we have a puddle that has frozen over and now someone comes to the door and slips and falls. Well, there is a pretty good chance your homeowner liability insurance will cover this person. This is a perfect example of why you need to make sure you protect yourself with liability coverage. Sometimes things just happen. And, don’t forget to add an Umbrella Policy to your insurance. It’s an amazingly affordable way to protect yourself from lawsuits.
And if you know it’s going to be cold and you see a puddle on your walkway, just get out a broom and sweep them away people.
Call me today to get a quote on your home insurance and add an umbrella policy! 951-395-0754

Can anyone tell my why there are rocks on the bottom of this roof? 

It’s raining in Southern California! What is going on here? I can tell you what is going on, it’s roof leaks. You know how I know this? Because I get a ton of calls as soon as this strange substance called water falls from the sky. And the first question is, will my home insurance cover my roof leak?

The answer to this question is usually no, your home insurance is not designed to be a maintenance package. If your roof has missing or cracked tiles, or if your flashing (that metal looking stuff between the house and roof) has detached, or if the paper under your tiles has disintegrated it probably won’t be covered by home insurance.
 
A few years ago I had a guy come into my office. He needed home insurance, I reviewed the limits and options and he was ready to get the policy started. Since he wanted to get it started right away, I told him I’d come by his house on my way home. That would allow me to do the home inspection and once it was complete he could sign the home policy. As soon as I rolled up on the house I saw a major problem. The roof was missing a huge section of tiles. I got out of the car, I took a few pictures and when I was done I explained that I wouldn’t be able to insure his house until the roof was repaired. He seemed to understand and that night it started to rain hard. All I could think about was that man with his missing roof and how a waterfall could be flowing through his living room.

Now home insurance does cover some situations where water comes into the home. If there was a wind and rain storm that blew through your area and it knocked some tiles loose and then the rain came it it may be covered. If a tree branch hits your roof and knocks tiles off it would also probably be covered. 

It’s a good idea to have your roof inspected every few years to make sure the tiles look good, aren’t cracked and the flashing and the paper underlayment are in good shape. And please, if you remove the tiles from your roof, replace them people!
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Call me today to get a home insurance quote, please have a complete roof. 951-395-0754 

​Recently a friend of mine, a pretty close friend had an accident in a rental car. Okay, it was me. I had an accident in a rental car! I admit it, it isn’t something I’m proud of but I did it. Maybe this is good therapy for me. So, I hit a pole in a parking lot with my brand new Toyota Corolla. And just to give you an idea how crummy this parking lot was, while I was going to lunch the next day I witnessed another person  hitting a different pole in the same parking lot! I just wanted you to know that the parking lot was a hazard and that this is not a reflection of my driving skills.
Back to the point of this post. People ask all the time if their auto insurance covers them when they rent cars. This sadly is not a yes or no answer. Some companies do cover you, other companies do not. The best option is to call your insurance company and ask. When they do cover you remember that if you wreck that rental you still need to pay your deductible. And, if that rental car is out of circulation for a month while it is getting fixed the rental company can try and bill you their “loss rental” income. If they could rent that car for 40.00 a day and it can’t be rented for 30 days, they could try to bill you 1200.00. That may be a little extreme. But just keep it in mind. Also, I use one of those travel credit cards to pay for the rental. Some have the benefit where they will pay your deductible. Once again check with your credit card company before you put it on their card. And yes, you still have an at fault accident on your driving record even if the accident isn’t in your own car.
What’s my take away on this one. Just be aware of what your auto insurance covers and doesn’t cover. Then you can make a knowledgeable decision when you get to that rental counter and either decide to buy the coverage from the rental company or decline it.  If you buy the coverage they usually cover from dollar one and it does make the claims process much easier.
​Call me today for your free insurance quote. 951-395-0754.