Black Friday Strategies

November 18, 2015 by nanette

Add some strategy to your ‘Black Friday’ shopping

If there’s anything more satisfying than melting into the couch following a multi-course Thanksgiving dinner complete with all the fixings, it has to be shopping for the best deals of the season the day after.

Hitting the shops on Black Friday has become a ritual that is as all-American as watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. And why wouldn’t it be, considering what a win-win it is for customers and retailers alike?

Over the years, however, Black Friday has evolved. Stores that used to open at 6 a.m. now open at midnight, and Cyber Monday has entered the picture, offering bargain prices online the Monday following Black Friday. All of this means that getting the best deals now requires a bit of strategy.

At Henderson Insurance Services, we want you to get the best deals for your holiday shopping, so here are a few pointers for maximizing your experience.

Be willing to forego the shut-eye. It’s a fact: stores open early. Accept that you will not get eight hours of sleep Thursday night (and remind yourself that your wallet will thank you).
Do your research. Go online before the holiday and note who has deals on what and when. Remember to factor in your opportunities for Cyber Monday.
Pick your favorites. You probably won’t have time or energy to go everywhere, so narrow your shopping store list down to focus only on your favorite stores or those that are offering sales on exactly what you’re looking for.

Create an itinerary. Before you go, make a list of stores in order of priority based on times they open and items you want to snap up. Then, map it so you know your route.

From the Henderson Insurance Services to you, we wish you a very productive and enjoyable Black Friday!

Fun fact:

Considered as the kick-off to the Christmas holiday season, Black Friday is often described as the busiest shopping day of the year. This has been true since 2005. The millions of Americans who shop on Black Friday have been keeping the streak alive for nearly seven years.

Football Fan Safety

November 17, 2015 by nanette

Make football season not just fun, but also safe!

Finally, we’re welcoming fall, that eagerly anticipated season when we get to enjoy cooler temps, colorful leaves, the start of school and, of course, football season in California! Football season brings with it a whole host of seasonal activities for football fans, from game-day tailgates and sports bar outings, to friendly bets and bowl parties. At Henderson Insurance Services we want your football season to be both exciting and safe, so as you cheer your team to victory, consider the following tips.

Keep it clean: Tailgating is one of America’s favorite pastimes! If you’re tailgating, opt for non-breakable, recyclable containers. This will make cleanup easier and help avoid injuries resulting from broken glass.
Be smart: Whether you are tailgating, hosting a football-watching party at your house, sitting in the stands or joining your buddies at the local bar, know your limit on alcohol intake and make sure you have a designated driver.
Know where you’re going: Pre-plan travel to and from the stadium to avoid getting lost and to make finding parking easier if you drive.
Fill those bellies: Whenever alcohol is consumed, make sure food is too!
Be weather wise: If you’re heading to the stadium, be sure to prepare for the weather. In colder temps, bring layers and blankets (especially if you’re bringing the little ones along). Also, avoid umbrellas if you find yourself in a lightning storm.
Keep it close: Whether you’re hitting the live game or the local tavern, be sure to keep your valuables, such as wallets, mobile phones and purses, safe. Also, keep it close to you (better yet, attached) at all times to avoid theft.

Wherever and however you’re watching the game this weekend, we hope you enjoy every last minute. Go team! Game day insurance tips Here are a few pointers for making sure your insurance provides an additional safety net on game day:

Make sure you have adequate auto coverage to cover any contents that may be stolen in the unfortunate event of a break-in at the stadium parking lot.
Ensure you have sufficient liability coverage on your homeowner’s policy, as well as medical payments coverage and possibly umbrella coverage. These exist to protect you in the event someone becomes injured while at your house.
Consider roadside assistance coverage. In the event your vehicle breaks down or you lock your keys in your car, it can save the day.

Understanding Common Gaps in Insurance Coverage

November 17, 2015 by nanette

To find out what the most common gaps are, we sought the advice of the claims professionals at Safeco Insurance. They quickly focused on three common insurance gaps. All three shared a similar feature, a misconception that can lead to inadequate coverage. 3 Common Insurance Gaps 1. Valuable Articles Coverage:

Misconception: If my wedding ring and grandma’s heirloom earrings are stolen, my homeowners’ policy has me completely covered.
Fact: When policyholders become the unfortunate victim of a theft, fire or natural disaster. their experience becomes even more painful when they discover that their homeowners’ policy has specific internal limits on jewelry. collectibles. art and other items.
Guidance: Talk to your independent insurance agent about jewelry, antiques or memorabilia that you own. If you buy a new collectible or get a gift, such as a new watch, be sure to check in with your agent to make sure your coverage is still adequate.

2. Loss of Use Coverage:

Misconception: If l‘m involved in an accident and my car is in the shop, I’ll still be able to get to work because my auto policy includes rental car reimbursement.
Fact: When a covered loss requires a vehicle to be in the shop for repairs. many customers are unaware that their base policy does not help pay for the cost of a rental car – and they find themselves in a bind with no way to get to work, or get the kids where they need to go.
Guidance: Consider a scenario where your insured vehicle has been in an accident and must be in the shop for two, four or more days. Could you share the other family car or borrow a car from a relative? Could you get by biking or using public transportation? If the answer is no, loss of use coverage may be a valuable addition to your policy.

3. Original Equipment Manufacturer Coverage:

Misconception: If my Ford Mustang is in an accident, the damaged parts will be replaced with new, original equipment manufactured by Ford.
Fact: Customers with luxury vehicles or prized sports cars can be disappointed to learn that their car is being repaired using a new part not manufactured by the original manufacturer or a recycled part made by the original manufacturer.
Guidance: Have a discussion with your independent agent about your preferences. If it’s important to you that your car be repaired using original factory parts. consider original equipment manufacturer (OEM) coverage.

Covered California Enrollment and Renewal

October 22, 2015 by nanette

The time is here! If an application was submitted through Covered CA; starting October 12, 2015, individual and families can make changes or renew their current plan for 2016. If they do nothing by December 15, 2015, Covered California will automatically enroll members in their current or an equivalent plan for 2016. Important to mention, some insurance companies are changing their deductibles, benefits, co-payments and networks, so it will be important for all members to carefully review these changes before selecting a plan. Some plans will no longer be offered for 2016 and will be automatically moved onto a similar plan. For those that did not enroll for 2015 and would like to for 2016; starting November 1, 2015, they will be able to submit an application for 2016. For those that did not enroll into Covered CA or want to make a change to their health insurance; starting November 1, 2015 you can make changes for 2016.

Why are my insurance rates going up?

July 27, 2015 by nanette

Calls come in all the time asking why rates are increasing even though the insured has had no claims, tickets or accidents.

There are a number of factors in play but one of the most prominent one is FRAUD. The FBI has estimated the cost related to FRAUD is in the billions per year which in turn costs an average of $ 500 – $ 1000 per year for families and an even larger amount for business owners. Auto and Workers Compensation Insurance claims seem to be where the largest increases are currently being seen.

The California Department of Insurance has a whole division dedicated to this issue: http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0300-fraud/0100-fraud-division-overview/0300-fraud-claims-and-forms/.

Another agency who monitors and reports fraud is the National Association of Insurance Commissioners:

http://www.naic.org/documents/consumer_alert_beware_insurance_fraud.htm

Check out these websites for more information on how you can help prevent and report Fraud.

Paying your Insurance Premiums

July 21, 2015 by nanette

Hand for a handshake. The conclusion of the transaction.

Regardless the type of insurance, it is the responsibility of the insured to make the premiums payments on time. We have all heard this before and despite efforts within the insurance community, meaning agents, brokers and the insurance companies themselves, many clients still do not make this a priority in their daily lives.

We all get it; you do not even want to purchase the insurance in the first place. This is a part of our lives regardless; insurance is there to help should a catastrophic event occur that could financially ruin a business or bankrupt an individual or family. You may think it could never happen to you but it can and eventually something will happen in our lives that we never thought would or could.

With that being said, we get calls all of the time asking why an insurance policy cancelled, I never received a bill. Yes, it is the responsibility of the insurance company to send out a billing statement. In this digital age, there should be no excuse as to why someone has not received their bill. For most, but not all, there is a way to see the billing and payment activity online. For the others, the insured must be proactive and monitor their insurance premium payments carefully.

We cannot stress enough; the cost to an individual, family or business in not keeping up with their premiums payments could mean you are left on your own to pay expenses you simply cannot afford. For some insurance, it is hard or even impossible to re-write at the time you need it most.

Making your insurance premium payments on time is just good common sense. Making sure those payments are applied to your policy is even more important. Let’s face it, there are still people keying the information and the potential of errors is there. My advice is, being proactive is essential; make sure you receive your billing statement either by mail or electronically. Do not ignore the fact that a statement was not received, there may be a reason why, maybe the address is incorrect, or it is lost in the mail somewhere. Check your bank or credit card statements every week to confirm payment was taken from your account. This would be the only recourse should a policy cancel and the funds were misapplied. Keep good records of all your premium payments. Make your payments on time and use automatic payments features where applicable. Make this a priority in your weekly schedule.

Protecting your Small Business

July 16, 2015 by nanette

Most certainly small businesses are not immune from Cyber Attacks. This is a frightening thing for small business owners. It is not enough that they have to purchase all kinds of liability insurance, now comes another one to consider…Cyber Liability Insurance.

Why would you need to consider Cyber Liability Insurance?

Once a hacker has access to your customer’s information then can virtually bring your business operation to a screeching halt. This type of insurance is more affordable than you think. It will pay for things like business interruption, the cost of notifying your customers and the expense of having to hire a public relations firm. Having a good insurance company will help manage your risk and help protect you from Hackers.

Do not make the mistake and think your General Liability Policy offers you this kind of protection, in most policies they will specifically exclude any loss you incur through the internet.

Cyber liability insurance is undergoing changes to protect not only your customer data but also the economic and societal developments of cyberspace and help to prevent cyber failures. This kind of coverage is more customized than others depending on the size of the business and the customer base.

Cyber Liability should be considered for all business owners, small and large.

Not Waiting to Purchase Dental Insurance

June 9, 2015 by nanette

Clients will contact us to purchase a Dental Policy primarily because they need some major work done. Now, most of the policies out there will emphasize on prevention however, the real benefit for getting Dental Insurance is for everything else other than cleaning and x-rays. Prevention is a good thing and may help avoid some major work down the road; most of the preventive work is covered at a 100%.

When you purchase a Dental Policy you are in essence purchasing peace of mind for when you need fillings, root canals and crowns. The cost to purchase an individual policy might run you around $ 400.00 a year on average. Dental plans do have pre-exiting conditions and there are waiting periods to also consider when purchasing a plan.

Just like any insurance, this is not something you just want to purchase when you get the toothache or need a root canal. In many cases you might have to wait 6 – 12 months to use the plan for these kinds of procedures.

Understanding the different plans and benefits can be confusing. Contacting your broker is the first step to take. We can help you make the right decision which best suits your needs and budget.

Business owners do not always purchase all the insurance they need.

May 22, 2015 by nanette

We have seen this time and time again. A business owner needs just liability insurance to satisfy their landlord or property management company. To save money they turn down any Property, Employers Liability, Workers Compensation and a host of other Coverage’s just to safe some money.

Business owners would be much better off if they had the right Coverage’s to protect their business and their employees. I hate to tell you what would happen if an employee was injured on the job and the business owner does not have Workers Compensation Insurance. It would end up costing the owner thousands of dollars in penalties and additional costs for the injured employee healthcare would also be in the thousands. What we have also seen recently is when the building is damaged by fire or water and a business owner renting the location experiences property damage to their equipment or personal property, it is not covered because they only had Liability and no Property Coverage.

Most business owners who own their building also refuse to purchase Earthquake Coverage on their building. Just imagine what would happen if an Earthquake damaged your business overnight tonight. The costs to rebuild or repair after an Earthquake most likely would not be covered under a Business Owners Policy without Earthquake Coverage.

Sure, it may cost the business owner a few more dollars, but not having the right coverage’s could cost thousands. It is not worth it.

Not Getting Paid and Frustrated with the Bureacracy

May 20, 2015 by nanette

When Agents attended their training in order to sell health insurance through Covered California, they were told they would be paid $ 58.00 for each Medi-Cal Application. This was welcome news as it would provide Agents with the resources to accommodate thousands of people seeking help with their applications.

In 2014 no money was distributed to Agents for Medi-Cal applications submitted. We find out it was because the “Contract” Agents were required to sign did not have specific wording in it which would permit the Department of Healthcare Services to distribute those funds. Talk about incompetent! They made promises they intended not to keep.

Here we are May 2015, many Agent have not received any money for the hundreds of applications they submitted on behalf of Medi-Cal beneficiaries. When our office reached out to Covered California, The Department of Healthcare Services and our legislative representatives, we were told no one really has any substantial answers to this problem and the Department of Health Care Services is working diligently to get agents paid.

I wonder just how diligently they would be working on this issue if it affected their paychecks?!