​According to reports by TMZ ‘Shark Tank’ judge Kevin O’Leary was a passenger on a ski boat that had an accident with another boat in the middle of a lake in Canada. Mr O’Leary the bald headed judge on the show who generally has a very high opinion of himself reportedly was out for an evening cruise when the two boats collided.
One passenger on the other boat sadly passed away and another was seriously injured. Mr. O’Leary seems to be fine but his wife did suffer minor injuries. According to the TMZ report Mr. O’Leary’s wife was the driver of the boat at the time of the incident.
As Labor Day quickly approaches this is an unfortunate reminder that if you are going to take the boat out on one last run for the season make sure your boat insurance is up to date. This incident happened in the evening when visibility probably wasn’t very good. Mrs. O’Leary reportedly passed a DUI test at the scene. Accidents on the water do happen and in this situation the worst thing that could happen did.
Before you take the boat out get some watercraft insurance. Make sure your liability limits are high enough to protect yourself. And if you need an umbrella insurance policy like Mr. O’Leary definitely does make sure you have one. If you don’t have a valid boat insurance policy in place your Umbrella insurance may not pay out to protect you. In the time that it takes to clean the boat after running around the lake you can have a completed boat policy.  Tragedy’s like this are a good reminder for everyone to protect themselves, because accident’s do happen.  951-395-0754

​I am often asked when should my son or daughter get their own auto insurance policy? The answer is not as simple as just stating an age. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that at age 23 ½ your kid is required to get their own auto insurance policy?  That would make things easy for both the parents and the insurance agents. But, the truth is it varies on the situation.
Is getting your own auto insurance a moment you will always remember? Well, I definitely remember getting my first auto insurance policy. I had moved out to California and I had been on my parents auto insurance policy. After working in Los Angeles for a few years I started to make enough money to consider replacing my aging car. I eventually decided to buy myself a cool little Ford ZX2. It was a sporty little coup and since my brother was working for Ford at the time I was able to buy it with the “family” discount. I picked out the color, silver. I also decided to get it with a manual transmission. I figured it would be fun to drive and more sporty. Despite me not really having a firm grasp on driving a stick shift car I walked into the dealership and signed some paperwork. They handed me some keys and off I drove slowly. I knew the basics to driving a manual transmission thanks to a few girlfriends along the way. But, getting that clutch and gas and the gears just right took a little while to get right. My first trip in my new car was to the insurance agency, I may have stalled the car a few times along the way. I met with an agent and he discussed the coverage. He asked me if I had any assets and I told him how much I had to my name. We went the 50/100 for bodily injury. I don’t really think I knew what that was but he seemed to thing it was good coverage. He put me at 50 thousand property damage and gave me a 500 deductible for the car. I rolled out with a shiny new Mercury Insurance policy and I felt pretty good about myself. I wasn’t really sure what I was buying but I knew the company and the coverage seemed appropriate.
Now, not all kids are going to run out and buy their own insurance. I have always tried to be independent from my parents and I wasn’t about to ask them to cover me driving a new car on their policy. But, some kids might ask. If you are the parent you need to tell them “no”. If they buy a car in their own name they really should have their own auto insurance. The reason is because they need to understand what insurance does for them. They need to learn how it works, what it covers and they need to know if they stop paying they are no longer legally able to drive in the state. Additionally, if they have a loan on the car the bank will force them to keep the insurance in place too.  If you put your kid and their new car on your policy you are opening yourself up to risk and lawsuit. Injury attorneys are always looking for the most money to make off an accident. I'm going to assume the parents have more assets and if they were to injure someone with their vehicle they are going to be knocking on your door.
I usually advise my clients to get their child off their policy as soon as they can. But, if your son or daughter is driving a car in your name you will want to keep that car on your policy until you can transfer it out of your name. If the car is in your name it puts you at risk for a lawsuit whether they are on or off your insurance.
I kept my daughter on my insurance until she moved out of the house.  Since she was living in NYC she doesn’t need a car. But, if she ends up moving she will be on her own to buy a car and get her own insurance.
Once the car is in their name get them their own insurance. It may not be cheaper but it is a wise investment. Call today to get your auto insurance quotes. 951-395-0754

​Every so often a story about a kid taking his parents car for a joyride pops up online. I’m always fascinated by these stories. I guess it’s hard for me to imagine one of my little kids not only figuring out how to drive the car but just the whole reaching the steering wheel and pedal aspect confounds me.  
For fun I decided to google “kid takes parents car” and to my amazement stories from all around the world showed up. Who knew this was a common thing. I just thought American kids took their parents cars to get cheeseburgers and fries occasionally.
The story that got this all started was about an 8 year old German boy. He apparently just wanted to “drive for a bit”. Gosh, I wish I could get my 16 year old daughter excited about driving for a bit. But, this kid got on the freeway, got up to over 80 miles an hour before he decided he no longer felt safe. He pulled over to a service station per the report. He then put his hazards on and placed a reflective safety triangle out. He put his little feet up on the dashboard grabbed a piece of bubble gum (I added this part) and waited for his mom to show up. Uhm, are we sure this kid was eight? Because I know a lot of full grown people who wouldn’t know how to put their hazard lights on and would never think to put a safety triangle out on the road.
So, what would happen with your Auto Insurance if your ten year old kid decided to take your SUV down to McDonald’s to get a big mac and fries? Well, the kid can’t really get a ticket because they don’t have a license.  I’m pretty sure being under age they can’t get a ticket for driving without a license either. I sure do hope my ten year old isn’t reading this, don't get any ideas honey.
Now, if your kid takes your car and has an accident along the way your auto insurance should pay to get your car fixed minus your deductible.  Auto Insurance companies don’t exclude kids that aren’t old enough to drive. If you have a 16 year old in the house and they take your car that might be a different story. Just make sure your insurance company covers your vehicle if someone decides to “borrow” it.  There are some companies that are more restrictive in who is allowed to drive your car. You'll need to check with your auto insurance carrier to find out how they handle that.
If you want to have a good time check out some of these stories online. Not all the situations where the car is taken by the kid end as uneventful as the practical German boy.  There are kids that run from the police, there are kids that get together and take an under age road trip. I saw one kid took his parents car because the parents took his Playstation. And, my personal favorite was the kid who took the car and when pulled over told the police he was just a “Little Person”, that happened in Norway.
Before your kids take your car for a road trip give me a call to get some insurance. 951-395-0754

There are lots of expensive trucks and SUV’s on the road these days. Since the cost of gas has remained low for the last few years people are trading in smaller cars for SUV's. Even in California where we pay the most for gas bigger vehicles are still the most popular. We Americans do love our SUV’s and Trucks and along with buying these monster vehicles people are spending a lot of money to customize them. There is a huge market that sells everything from custom paint, to expensive sound systems, to lift kits and custom wheels. You can easily drop tens of thousands of dollars on this stuff and it’s important to make sure your auto insurance is going to cover these expensive additions.
Most morning as I drive to work I run across the same giant truck.  One day I should go introduce myself to this guy since we live parallel commute lives.  Normally, I wouldn’t notice a car. But, this is no ordinary Toyota Corolla.  This guy has a custom sound business and his entire truck is wrapped with graphics. He has a huge lift on the truck. I can only imagine that he gets gallons per mile, compared with miles per gallon as he drives.  The truck is huge, the lift is huge, he has every other custom item you can add to a truck. Mud flaps, running boards, light bar on the roof, custom grill and I can only imagine the sound equipment in there. Since that is his business and all. Once you start adding equipment you need to check with your auto insurance company to see how they cover all these additions
Some auto insurance companies will automatically cover any wheels, lifts or running boards. Other companies will only cover what was stock on the vehicle originally. It’s important to check with your insurance carrier to see how they would handle a claim.
Additionally, things like stereos, navigation and other aftermarket sound equipment are covered differently. Most auto insurance companies will cover the stock equipment, but most companies offer the ability to add and endorsement the upgrades. The cost to insure equipment on cars varies dramatically by carrier.
When you are getting insurance quotes make sure that you mention any additional equipment so that you can make sure it is covered properly.  Save all your receipts for your upgrades too. Take some pictures of your vehicle with the equipment. Both of those things will help your insurance claims adjusters value the additions to your vehicle and help you get paid. If your agent asks what type of car you have mention the additional equipment so that they can make sure you are covered properly. If you'd like a quote on your cars, trucks or SUV's give me a call at 951-395-0754.

It’s always nice to see that people act crazy all around the world, not just in the U.S. I saw a story online from India where a young man was given a new BMW for his birthday.  I'm sure his parents were very proud and happy to give such a nice gift to their beloved son. Well, things didn't go quite as they planned. Not only did the young man not like his new gift. He was so upset that his parents dared to give him such a fine German sedan that he drove it straight down to the local river and pushed it in.  Take that mom and dad! You can find video’s online of the car floating free in the wild while people try to get a rope on it to pull it back to shore. It eventually sinks. It is later brought back up to the surface after its underwater adventure. Here's a link to the CBS website where you can watch the video.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/22-year-old-pushes-bmw-into-a-river-because-he-wanted-a-jaguar-instead/

How does pushing your new car into a river solve this kids problem? Maybe the kid just thought that such a nice car had an underwater feature. You know like in that James Bond movie where the Lotus James was driving became a submarine.  The report did mention that the boy was upset because he actually wanted a Jaguar, that would explain the connection between the two. English car, English top secret agent. English sports car that goes underwater. See, there is a connection.
So, what happens with your auto insurance if the son you love so much pushes his new BMW into the local river? It’s a really good question. Let's look at a couple of different scenarios. If the car was accidentally driven into the river you would have a collision claim. You've seen those videos of people trying to cross a river only to be swept away. The driver would be charged with an accident. The car would get replaced minus your collision deductible.  If your car was parked and it got flooded by a river overflowing it would be a comprehensive claim. I had one customer that parked their car and after a downpour the area where it was parked captured all the water and flooded her car. In that case you would just pay your deductible and your auto insurance would pay to replace the car. If your car was parked on a dock and the dock collapsed like in another classic move “Risky Business” that would also most likely be a comprehensive claim. But, if you were to intentionally push your car into a river you would probably be denied coverage from your auto insurance carrier. That means you would be on your own to pay the costs to fish the car out of the river. You’d have to pay someone to fix the car if that’s possible. Or just sell it off in it’s current state. Intentional acts are not usually covered under your auto insurance policy. That means you can't just set your car on fire, push it over a cliff or kick it into a river and expect to get a payment from your auto insurance carrier.
So, if you are planning on giving your kiddo a new car for his birthday give me a call to get them some insurance. Hopefully your gift will be better received than this one was. 951-395-0754

I was reading online this morning that the house where “Gone with the Wind” was filmed is currently on the market. I don't think I've ever seen the movie, but everyone has heard of it. And I’m sure everyone can quote a few lines from the movie and name the characters at least.  I'm sure this house will cost you a mint, but if you want to recreate the life of Scarlett and Rhett get your checkbook out. If the Brady Bunch house sold for crazy money, I'm sure this one will also exceed expectations.
I was scrolling through the photos of this palatial estate imagining myself living there.  It looks like it has been beautifully renovated over the years. It is no longer stuck in the plantation past but has many modern amenities. The kitchen is huge with all updated appliances. I could do some serious cooking in there. They put in a nice pool. So, when you aren't walking around in your period correct clothing you can take a dip in the cool water. Do they have civil war era bathing suites? Wonder what that would look like. 
Now, there are several things to consider when getting home insurance for an estate like this. Any house that is considered historic requires special coverage. There are many insurance companies that will not cover historical homes. The reason for this is cost. If something were to happen to a historic home it would cost double or triple what repairs to a non historic home would run. The insurance company would also have to pay for special permits and rebuild in historic style using the appropriate materials. These things would dramatically add to the cost of rebuilding. Additionally, if the home had to be upgraded to the current building codes the costs would also increase.  Make sure you max out your building code upgrade if you have an older home or you might be paying out of pocket for earthquake retrofitting, sprinklers, reinforced foundations and whatever else you'd have to update.
Work with your insurance agent to make sure the building replacement cost calculator is correct.  You will want to be very detailed to make sure everything is covered. Make sure all those built ins cabinets and book shelves are covered. Make sure your ceiling height is accounted for. Make sure they list plaster if that is what your ceilings and walls are covered with.
The “Gone With The Wind” house is also enormous at over 10,000 sq feet. They are also running it as a bed and breakfast. So, finding the right company to cover this property may take some work. You need historic coverage, you need commercial coverage for the business and you need a company that will cover high value homes.  You want to make sure you get the right fit with the right company.
If you just have a nice old historic house that you are living in give me a call. I do have companies that cover historic homes. If you are buying a historic or standard home give me a call to get a quote on insurance. 951-395-0754

I've been to Mexico several times for vacation. I've enjoyed all the tips and have been able to see numerous parts of the pretty county. But, I never drive across the border. I drove across the border to Mexico a few times when I was in my 20's but I haven't done that in decades.  The last time I went was with some friends that wanted to go camping in Mexico.  I guess I had faith that they knew what they were doing so I grabbed some clothes and went along for the ride. We made it pretty far down the Baja Peninsula on that trip. There wasn’t much along the way but we found a pretty place to camp with an ocean view. It was a pretty desolate campground, other than the scorpions there wasn't much wandering around. The roads weren’t great, the bathrooms consisted of a hole in the ground. I’m not sure if we had an actual end route in mind but when we hit a patch of road that was so poorly maintained that the whole SUV shook we decided to turn back and head home.
Now, would I ever do that now? Probably not. As beautiful as Mexico can be traveling through the rural areas may not be the safest thing in the world. It was always a little off putting when you ran into the Mexican army holding high powered weapons. You never knew if they were going to let you by or request a “donation” for continuing down the road. Now, this was a long time ago and I have no idea if the roads down the peninsula are better. I’d imagine they are.
The lure of cheap beer, margaritas, tacos, chips and salsa on the beach definitely has an appeal. Rosarito is not that long a drive. Ensenada isn’t too much further and has really nice beaches and restaurants.  So, inevitably people are going to drive across the border and when you do you need to make sure you have the proper insurance coverage.
The first thing you need to know is that you have to buy Mexican Insurance.  I have people ask me all the time if they need it. They always seem to think there is some magic number of miles they can drive into Mexico and be fine under their regular auto insurance. The truth is that if you drive in Mexico without Mexican insurance you are basically driving illegally. Mexico doesn’t recognize American auto insurance companies. So, yes your insurance may still fix your car if you have an accident in Mexico. But, you may be responsible for getting that car across the border. You will be cited by the Mexican police if you hit another driver. You could go to jail if you get in an accident. So, buy the Mexican insurance. It is much cheaper to buy the insurance than deal with the hassle of not buying it. There are plenty of places online you can buy an insurance policy. Back in my day we had to stop at a place close to the border and buy it in person. Today it is so much easier. You can get a day’s worth of coverage, a weekend, a month or a year. You can cover your equipment on your vehicle, add drivers.
Spend the money and buy your insurance policy in advance. At least you won’t have to worry about the along the way. You can then focus on enjoying your drive though the Mexican countryside.  Always check to see if there are travel alerts for the areas you are traveling to. Mexico is a big country and has so many different areas. Some are safer than others so plan your trip accordingly. Additionally, buy some extra days of coverage. If you are planning a weekend buy a weeks worth of coverage. Just in case your car breaks down, or some other issue comes up and delays your return. Check the road conditions so that you can make sure that you make it to your destination. And, drive the speed limit. You don't want to get pulled over for a ticket. Have some cash handy if you do.  
If you have any questions about how your insurance works out of country give me a call. If you are ready to shop your auto insurance rates give me a call at 951-395-0754

I didn’t intend for this to become the anti scooter blog. But, I just happen to read in the news a few scooter stories that I thought were worth mentioning.
The first one I saw was in the San Diego Tribune on Sunday. I was reading about how a woman was riding a scooter and her purse got tangled up in the scooter handlebars. In a panic to untangle the purse it caused her to lose control of the bike which made her crash. She is in the hospital with a fractured scull. It makes me wonder if she wasn’t wearing a helmet which wasn't mentioned in the brief story. But, regardless life lesson people. Don’t have a dangling purse if you are getting ready to ride a scooter. And, once again make sure you have a very good helmet. Fracturing your scull should not be part of the scooter riding experience.
The second story I saw was about a kicker for the TCU college football team. Apparently, no fault of his own he also had a scooter accident this weekend. He was riding along the side of the road and a car didn’t see him and that car turned into him sending him flying off the scooter. The story didn’t mention if he was still hospitalized or the what he injured. But, it did say it was sever enough that he probably won’t be on the field all season.
These are good reminders that scooter accidents happen. And, you are much more vulnerable to injuries if you are on one. So, make sure you are driving defensively and that you have the proper safety protection on.
Additionally, make sure all your insurance is up to date. Health insurance, life insurance, personal injury insurance and your motorcycle insurance. As fun as a scooter may sound, it may be cheap to buy and operate one, so use that savings to make sure your insurance is crazy good. Just in case someone hits you. Both of these scooter drivers should recover. But, it is nice to know that your bills would be paid if you are out of commission for awhile.  Call me today for your life insurance and motorcycle insurance quote 951-395-0754

I was reading this mornings news and one story stood out to me. It was about a man who decided the best way to clear dry dead weeds was to burn them with a blow torch! On the surface this is every pyro’s best thought. I’ll take a really hot flame and go have fun getting rid of weeds and overgrowth. A lawn mower or heck using a spade to clear it isn’t nearly as much fun. Those bastard weeds will pay!
This story went exactly like you are thinking it would.  He not only lit the weeds on fire the flames then spread to a nearby shed and then to several mobile homes. The fire was contained quickly by the fire department but only after several people had to be evacuated. One home was lost and several others were damaged.
You can read the full story here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/michigan-man-uses-blowtorch-to-kill-weeds-sets-trailer-park-on-fire/ar-AAFeJhS?ocid=spartanntp
It’s a good reminder that we always get insurance for the unexpected. We can’t make other people make wise decisions. But, we can protect ourselves against someone’s lapse in judgement by making sure we have the proper home insurance coverage in place.
At least once a year when your home insurance policy renews you should review the limits. If you aren’t sure what each coverage does you can call your agent. I also listed the most common coverage under the home section of this website. That will give you a little guidance. Make sure your dwelling coverage is appropriate.  The home insurance carriers in California are required to give you a replacement cost calculator every year. Take a minute and make sure the year built, square footage and all the features of your home are accounted for. You don’t want to be insuring your home with one less bathroom or if you have a really nice kitchen and it lists “builder grade” you might not get those nice upgrades covered if something were to happen to your home.
You can also call me. If you have a mobile home like the one that burned in this story I have more carriers than most insurance agencies do.  I’d be happy to review your coverage and get you some comparisons. 951-395-0754