Stop, Thief!

I'm sure it's happened to everyone...you park your car and head off to dinner, a ballgame, a concert or just for a quick walk. You get back to your car, or where your car should be, and it's not there. If you're lucky, you're just a bit directionally impaired and you're car is safely parked a few blocks or aisles from where you are. If not, you're car has been stolen and that's not always a good thing.

As I mentioned in a recent newsletter article (that should be getting to your mailbox any day now), there is a study every year that covers the Top 10 Most Frequently Stolen Vehicles in U.S. While I gave you the list of cars in the newsletter, there is a bit more information that the article provided. Here is a bit more of the information from the National Insurance Crime Bureau's "Hot Wheels" study:

On the list, the majority of the cars were made before 2000 (and that includes the top 5)...and thieves often target these vehicles because of the resale value of their parts. For cars that are more than a few years old, the value is found mostly in the parts rather than the whole car. Newer cars, the study found, are often sold intact - more expensive and insured vehicles are often sold with counterfeit VIN numbers or shipped overseas.

The study, of course, would like to reassure its readers that car thefts are declining. If the numbers hold true, the year 2010 will be the year with the least amount of car thefts since 1967.

Most importantly, if you have comprehensive coverage, or "comp" coverage, on your vehicle, should your car go missing you ARE covered. Not sure if you have comp? Give us a call.

P.S. Here's the link to the article: www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2011/08/03/209303.htm

P.P.S. Did your newsletter make it to your mailbox? Email info@mcdonaldmcgarry.com if it didn't and we'll send one your way!

Do You Know How to Handle a Gas Leak?

Do you know how to prevent a gas leak? Good for you if you answered yes!

The reason I ask is fairly simple...early this week a home in the Pinehurst neighborhood of Seattle exploded (and, no, I'm not exaggerating) because of a natural gas leak. Investigators are fairly certain that the couple living in the home smelled the natural gas before they went to sleep and decided not to report it. Luckily they survived with injuries, but their home wasn't so lucky. Now Puget Sound Energy and local utility companies are canvassing the area looking for leaks..and 4 have appeared in a 5-mile radius since Monday's explosion.

Which brings me to my first question: do you know what you can do to prevent a gas leak? And if you suspect a leak, do you know what to do? I'll go over a few safety tips for those of us with natural gas, and then explain how to detect a leak and what to do if you do find one.

Natural Gas Safety Tips:

-Check furnace filters monthly and change them as needed. The goal is to keep your heating and cooling appliance operating safely and efficiently.

-Have your furnace inspected yearly to make sure it's operating properly.

-If your pilot light goes out and you aren't sure about how to relight it, call Puget Sound Energy at 1-88-225-5773.

-Keep your gas meter clear of debris, landscaping, shrubs or even icicles.

-Don't keep combustible materials or liquids near furnace or water heater vents or pipes.

-Maintain your natural gas pipes.

How to Detect a Leak:

- SMELL: Natural gas is odorless...until a gas company adds a rotten-egg smell to it. If you smell rotten eggs that could indicate a leak.

- LOOK: If you see dirt blowing or bubbles rising in a puddle, that could be a good reason for concern.

-LISTEN: Hear a hissing sound near a pipe? That could be the gas forcing it's way out in the open.

If you notice ANY signs of a natural gas leak, call Puget Sound Energy or 911 RIGHT AWAY!

While most of these tips are fairly common sense, it's always a good idea to know what to do in case of a natural gas emergency.

A Little Bit of Prevention...

Most of us have had the opportunity to use our water heaters, and often on a daily basis. But when water heaters start to leak, they create quite a mess, and are a headache to clean up. One way to make sure you know if your water heater springs a leak is to install a Water Heater Alarm that detects leaks or seepage from your water heater. Honeywell makes a Water Detection Alarm (we found one at Home Depot Online) that picks up on small amounts of water heater with a very loud noise. If water damage is something that you are worried about, consider getting an alarm...sometimes stopping a small leak is a smaller headache, and smaller claim, than discovering a large puddle.

How Trusted Choice Agents Rebuilt the Metrodome

For those of you that are football fans, you might remember the December, 2010 collapse of the Metrodome in Minnesota. After a massive snow storm, the roof of the Metrodome began to leak, tear, fall apart and then the field was covered in falling snow and ice. Needless to say, they called their insurance agent.

There is a group of Insurance Agents that are independent agents committed to high standards of service and protection - Trusted Choice. You'll see their logo, and know that they hold themselves to a high standard of client protection. Our agency is proud to be a Trusted Choice agency and hope that our clients appreciate the fact we put the client and their needs first.

But why am I discussing Trusted Choice Insurance and a rather unfortunate collapse of a football stadium's roof? Because the Metrodome's building was insured with a Trusted Choice Independent Agent. In this video that Trusted Choice put together, Bill Lester - Executive Director of the Metrodome - credits the timely repair, and quality of the claims experience to his Trusted Choice agent. Check out the video here: http://www.vimeo.com/29451341. While they didn't technically use their hammers and nails to put the Metrodome back together, the agent was on-site overseeing the process every step of the way.

And thanks for choosing us as your Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent. Have a great weekend!

A Flood of Information...

In the weeks since Hurricane Irene visited the East Coast, we've discussed what your insurance covers after a disaster, what you should know about filing a claim and even gave you insight into what the CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers thinks of the situation. One thing we haven't discussed much, however, is the flooding that happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal published an article online about the sudden interest in flood insurance. And if you saw the images of people rowing down their streets, it's hard to be surprised at that. But what is interesting is that people in landlocked states are inquiring as to flood insurance - Chubb Insurance, one of the companies that we work with, saw a 30% increase in flood inquiries and applications since late August.

While we were spared the severe rains and sudden flooding that storms Irene and Lee unleashed on the northeast, flooding is still a concern in the Pacific Northwest. Between snow-packed mountains, several rivers, and a wet winter, we face our share of flooding. That is why we feel it is important to remind our clients to consider flood insurance.
With the companies we work with for flood insurance, there is a 30-day waiting period for policies to take effect. Meaning that by the time your toes are wet and there's a dark gray cloud it's a little late. CALL US IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FLOOD INSURANCE! As we learned from our friends back East, rising rivers and urban flooding are risks. We are more than happy to chat with you about your options, your risk and what, exactly, flood insurance offers. Our goal is to make sure you have the best protection possible, and to educate you on what your coverages mean so you can make an informed decision. We are always able to share our knowledge and expertise, and offer advice. That's why you chose an Independent Insurance Agent, right?

By the way, to read the rest of The Wall Street Journal article, here's the link: http://on.wsj.com/ng0wYY.

It Was Just a Little Backing Accident...

I heard a story once from another insurance agent (who actually shared this story with her clients) and so now I'm telling it to you. On Mondays, I like to start off the week with insurance tips and safety ideas. This story might enlighten you as to why you or your family should consider umbrella coverage - and I know its something I've discussed before.

It started out as a little backing accident...a Washington driver was in a typical commercial warehouse area with a big parking lot. I'm sure everyone has seen these - big warehouses, garage doors, not a lot of other cars. And every so often there is a fire hydrant. Well this driver reportedly backed his pickup truck into one of those fire hydrants.

The incident had a domino-effect of repairs, and costs. The resulting damage and expenses included:

- Fire hydrant replacement and cost of installation

- Damage to the parking lot caused by the sinkhole resulting from the damaged fire hydrant (did you know that a 6-inch water main connection to a fire hydrant can flow between 1,000 and 1,500 gallons of water per minute)

- Bill for hundreds of thousands of gallons of water

- Creation of a large lake in the remaining parking lot requiring special handling, pumping and resulting in possible additional damage to structures.

- Cost of business interruption due to lack of access to the parking lot until repairs are made.

- Extra security to block off the damaged areas to prevent other accidents

Suddenly, it doesn't seem like such a little backing accident anymore, does it? With the right insurance protection, some of these expenses could be covered. Which is why umbrella protection is so important - where the limits of your home or auto policy leave off, it picks up. And umbrella policies add at least a million dollars of coverage. Most of these policies are fairly inexpensive for the amount of coverage they offer. Give me a call to discuss your options - we can determine what coverage you would need and whether or not an umbrella policy is good for you.

Catch a Mystery at The Driftwood Players

It's Friday! And that means a few days of good times with family and friends ahead. While Friday is a "community events" sort of day, I've been looking for outdoor happenings. It looks like the weather is going to be turning this weekend, so I found something that I think could be an entertaining evening indoors.

Edmonds loves its arts and culture - we are known for the Arts Festival, Art Walks, numerous galleries and more than a few concerts in parks around the city. If you're in the mood for a whodunit, however, The Driftwood Players (one of our team members is very involved with their costume department) are showing "A Murder is Announced" this weekend and the next.

In Agatha Christie's "A Murder is Announced", a newspaper column announces that a murder will take place that afternoon. Next thing you know, Miss Marple is on the case. We won't tell you the ending (though if you've read the book you might remember the murderer), but we will tell you that Agatha Christie keeps the audience on their collective toes.

For more information about The Driftwood Players (and their upcoming shows) visit www.driftwoodplayers.com. Have a great weekend!

Questionable Claims Are Rising...

We believe our clients are honest...and we always conduct our business with integrity. But from time to time, there are a few people who take a rather, shall we say, creative approach to their insurance when it comes time to file a claim. According to a study from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (they also make the list of Top 10 Stolen Cars), "questionable claims" have risen 4.5% this year over last year.

Now, the increase takes into account only those claims that are referred to the NICB organization for review because of suspected fraud. There are several reasons that a claim can be flagged, but so far, "Inflated Damages" tops the list this year. With the hail storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods and hurricanes, there's no doubt a lot of damage out there. But the inflated damages category rose 10% in 2011 (interestingly enough, the only categories not seeing an increase were suspicious loss/theft and fire/arson).

The Pacific Northwest hasn't experienced the brunt of the rough weather this year, but the numbers from across the country are interesting to consider. Thoroughly investigating claims is good because then the companies aren't paying out fraudulent or inflated claims, thus translating into some premium savings. At the same time, does it bother us that people are so willing to bend the truth? Just a few things to consider...

Check This Out: Chubb Insurance on YouTube!

The tricky thing about insurance for many people is understanding the different ways that it works for you. While no two insurance companies are exactly the same, the general policy parts (like collision for an auto policy, or liability for a homeowners policy) are still the same. That's why when I found a valuable resource from one of our companies, I felt compelled to share it - even if your home, classic car or other possessions are taken care of by another insurer.

Chubb Insurance, one of our companies, has put together a YouTube channel filled with videos explaining topics ranging from watercraft coverage, to young driver safety, to what those coverages in your homeowners policy mean. These simple, short videos are a great overview to understanding the different parts of your policy. Luckily, they're general enough to apply to homeowners policies from several of our other carriers. If they raise any questions for you, however, you really should call our office since we can speak specifically to your insurance company and to your specific situation.

Chubb's specialty is high-valued homes, and with that they provide many "extras" from Wildfire Protection to personalized claim service and those videos are on there as well (there is a really touching series of videos about a family who lost everything in a wildfire in California and how they put everything back together again). But for those of us looking for a bit of clarification and explanation, Chubb's videos are a great place to start.

To find them, you can visit this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/ChubbInsurance. Let me know if they raise any questions for you! I'm always happy to discuss your policy.

Balancing Premiums and Deductibles

When considering auto insurance, one of the great debates is about deductibles. What is the right deductible? While a low deductible may be beneficial in the event of an accident, it increases your premium, while adjusting the deductible upwards to lower the premium may be costly in the event of a claim. Here are a few tips, courtesy of the blog at http://homeinsurance.com/blog to help determine what amount you and your family would be comfortable with for a deductible.

1) Avoid the Very-Highs and the Very-Lows

Let's review how a deductible works. The deductible is the amount you pay in the event of an accident before your insurance policy starts to pay. So with a $250 deductible, and a $1,000 accident, you pay $250, and your insurance pays the balance of $750. So a high deductible, while lowering your premiums, increases your out-of-pocket expense. A low deductible keeps your costs low, but increases your premium. Our recommendation is to find something in-between. Balancing the risk and the premium costs is essential to choosing the right deductibles.

2) Know Your Comfort Zone

The most important thing to think about when looking at your deductibles is your family situation. How much would you really be able to, or comfortable with, spend on a claim right now? If you typically have $1,000 in extra funds to pay for a claim, perhaps a $1,000 would work for you. You can always lower your deductible until it's in your financial comfort zone. While you may pay a few dollars more a month, you wouldn't necessarily face a hardship should you need to make a claim.

3) Examine Your Risk Factors

As anyone will tell you, no one can predict when an accident will occur, but you can try to figure out what your risk might be. If you are the proud parent of teenage drivers your risk factor is a little higher than a middle-aged couple with only a few miles on their odometers. If you have a riskier driving situation then perhaps a lower deductible will pay off in the long run...

The best advice that we can offer in this situation is to give us a call and chat with us about your coverage and deductibles and we can work together to determine what is most advantageous for your situation. Whatever your deductible is or will be it is important to be prepared - if you select a $500 deductible it would be wise to make sure you always have that available for you. That way, in the event of a claim or accident, you wouldn't need to worry about finding the funds.

This Weekend in Edmonds: Classic Car Show!

It's that time again...the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce is hosting the annual Edmonds Classic Car Show Sunday, September 11 from 10am-5pm. The streets of downtown Edmonds are filled with antique autos, classic rides and cars from entirely different generations.

Starting mid-morning cars and their owners will be lined up all throughout the downtown core, and are answering questions, chatting away and checking out the cars too. With Edmonds' old-fashioned charm, it could seem like the plethora of classic cars fit right in. The day wraps up around 5, with ribbons being handed out and the cars packing up for the drive home.

And even if you don't enter the show, but have a classic car or antique auto, let us know. We have a few companies who specialize in taking care of those types of cars and we are more than happy to discuss your coverage options for those situations.

In the meantime, have a great weekend, and enjoy the sunshine!

Fun Facts About the Autumn Sky!

Since it's almost officially fall, and the harvest moon is this weekend, I thought I'd share a few fun facts about the harvest moon and skygazing in the autumn sky.

This year's Harvest Moon is scheduled to come a bit earlier in the year than normal, but tradition holds that the full moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox is the Harvest Moon. Well this weekend, and actually beginning September 10th and going through the 13th, the Harvest Moon will be visible all across the state (and country for that matter). But why is the Harvest Moon special? According to http://earthsky.org, around this particular equinox, the moon starts to rise much earlier than normal for this time of year. Due to the path of the sun and moon and planets, things are much closer this time of year. Which works out well for us, as we can see much more of the beautiful moon this year.

Of course, given that the moon only lasts one weekend, there are other things that can be seen in the sky this time of year. Daylight hours are shrinking so there is much more that can be seen in the sky. According to several resources, winter constellations are starting to take their positions in the sky. Some of this - Orion the Hunter and Canis Major - are only visible in the early mornings at first, then slowly move to being seen in the evening.

For more information, look up the Harvest Moon. Or, even better, look out at the Harvest Moon and enjoy the beautiful September we're lucky to enjoy!

Another Take on Hurricane Irene

A few days ago, I was telling you about what is covered when a hurricane hits, and what isn't. Almost a week after the storm hit the East Coast, clean up efforts are still underway, and the news channels are discussing the fallout of the storm.

On Fox News, Geraldo had a talk with the CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents of America, Bob Rusbuldt about the insurance side of the damage. What you'll notice is that Bob mentions a lot of the same things we do - buy flood insurance, buy flood insurance, buy flood insurance. Only a small portion of the country has that coverage, and they have several challenges ahead of them in rebuilding their homes.

Click this link to watch the video: http://bit.ly/r1sDWs.

Hope you have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend! We will be closed on Monday, but will return to the office bright and early on Tuesday morning. In the event of a claims or coverage emergency, we can be reached by pager at 206-610-3200.

Red Light, Green Light

We've all heard about the controversy of red light cameras in our communities...and chances are if you've ever debated testing a light you know how they work. A new study shows that red light cameras actually help prevent fatal traffic accidents. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in a study of the 14 biggest U.S. cities, 159 lives were saved between 2004 and 2008 because of the use of red light cameras. Even better, the combined per capita fatality rate fell 35% in cities with the red light cameras compared with those those cities without the technology from 1992-1996. The per capita fatality rate fell in 48 cities without cameras in either period...but only by 14%. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety predicts that if red light cameras operated in all major cities from 2004-2008 as many as 815 deaths could have been prevented. Just a little something to think about on a sunny Thursday afternoon...and drive safely out there!