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You buy health insurance for yourself, so why not buy it for your best friend too? Caring for a sick pet can be very costly, especially since your furry friend cannot tell you what is wrong. Pet insurance is becoming more and more common these days and can come in very handy when you need it! Pet insurance will cover such costs as X-rays, hospitalization, medication, specialists and much more. There are also discounts for pets that are micro chipped, provide medical assistance (seeing eye dogs), or if you have multiple pets you would like to cover.

Contact your insurance agent to find out how much pet insurance will cost per month. Keep in mind, rates are different for all breeds and ages. Usually preexisting conditions are excluded.

As we get closer to summer, boat owners should all be assessing their insurance needs if they do not carry boat insurance already.

If you have a boat, you need boat insurance.  Some people assume their homeowners’ policy is all they need to protect their boat. Not true. Typically, homeowners policies limited coverage for boats and may not cover injuries or accidents while you’re on the water. To make sure you’re covered for boat injuries, theft and damage, buy a watercraft insurance policy.

Tune ups aren’t just for cars.  When you’re out on the water, make sure your gas tanks are vented and bilges are free of vapors, oil, waste and grease. Carry a fire extinguisher and keep it charged.

Have your boat’s operating systems checked at least once a year by a certified marine technician. The Coast Guard Auxiliary and United States Power Squadrons also offer free vessel safety checks. For information, go to www.vesselsafetycheck.org.

Eight out of 10 boating fatalities happen with untrained captains on the wheel. Experts say most boating accidents could be prevented by an experienced driver. Make sure anyone who drives your boat is properly trained. You also can qualify for discounts on your boat insurance by completing a safety course with the Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadrons.

Life preservers aren’t just for kids. Hundreds of people drown in boating accidents every year – and nearly all of them were not wearing a life jacket. It’s not enough to just have life jackets on board – you must wear them. In an accident, people rarely have time to reach for a life jacket. The rule applies for adults, too; more people in their 30′s die in boating accidents than any other age group. New lighter, more comfortable and attractive life jackets available today, making it even easier to get passengers to suit up.

As the weather gets warmer outside most motorcycle riders are beginning to ride more often. Now is the best time to review your motorcycle insurance to make sure you are properly covered! In addition, please take note of the below important safety tips to keep you safe on the road!

Nine out of 10 motorcycle accidents involve untrained riders. When you’re controlling this much force, it’s essential to have complete command of your machine. More than 90% of riders involved in accidents haven’t taken a formal motorcycle driving course.

Know your bike’s capabilities – how it performs in a curve or on slick roads and how quickly it can stop. Errors like overbraking, driving too fast or undercornering are major factors in many solo accidents.

Most insurance companies offer discounts to riders who attend the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s safe riding courses or are active in one of the 25 approved groups that promote safe riding. Do both those things and you can reduce your premium significantly!

In a crash, the SUV wins. When cars and motorcycles collide, it’s usually because the driver of the car failed to see the cyclist. With more SUV’s on the road, it’s even more critical to take extra steps to become more visible. Use your headlamps – both night and day – and wear yellow, red, or orange jackets to make yourself easy to see. Make a point of positioning yourself in your lane of visibility.

Remember: Ride sober. Driving impaired is more deadly for bikers than other drivers. In fact, more than half of all motorcycle deaths occur when the rider has been drinking.

No one’s too old to wear a helmet. A motorcycle rider not wearing a helmet is five times more likely to sustain a critical head injury in a crash. Buy a full-faced helmet for the best protection for your head and eyes. Wear other protective gear as well: heavy leather or synthetic gloves, long pants and jacket and over-the-ankle leather boots.

This advice applies to ALL riders – not just teenagers learning to ride! Today, more than 44% of all fatal motorcycle accidents involve riders in their 40′s. That’s three times higher than a decade ago.

1. Insuring a home for its real estate value rather than for the cost of rebuilding. When real estate prices go down, some homeowners may think they can reduce the amount of insurance on their home. But insurance is designed to cover the cost of rebuilding, not the sales price of the home. You should make sure that you have enough coverage to completely rebuild your home and replace your belongings.

• A better way to save: Raise your deductible. An increase from $500 to $1,000 or $2,500 could save up to 25 percent on your premium payments.

2. Selecting an insurance company by price alone. It is important to choose a company with competitive prices, but also one that is financially sound and provides good customer service.

• A better way to save: Check the financial health of a company with independent rating agencies and ask friends and family for recommendations. You should select an insurance company that will respond to your needs and handle claims fairly and efficiently.

3. Dropping earthquake insurance. Damage from earthquakes is not covered under standard homeowners or renters insurance policy. Coverage is available from the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), as well as from some private insurance companies.

• A better way to save: Before purchasing a home, check with the CEA to determine whether the property is located near a higher risk earthquake zone; if so, consider a less risky area. If you are already living near an earthquake fault, consider retrofitting your home so that you can reduce your risk of earthquake damage and consider purchasing earthquake insurance.

4. Only purchasing the legally required amount of liability for your car. In today’s litigious society, buying only the minimum amount of liability means you are likely to pay more out-of-pocket if you are sued—and those costs may be steep.

• A better way to save: Consider dropping collision and/or comprehensive coverage on older cars worth less than $5,000. The insurance industry and consumer groups generally recommend a minimum of $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident. 

5. Neglecting to buy renters insurance. A renters insurance policy covers your possessions and additional living expenses if you have to move out due to an insured disaster, such as a fire. Equally important, it provides liability protection in the event someone is injured in your home and decides to sue.

• A better way to save: Look into multi-policy discounts. Buying several policies with the same insurer, such as renters, auto and life will generally provide savings. 

Whether it’s escaping on your motorcycle, cruising in your boat or trekking cross-country in your RV, we can help protect whatever moves you. And since you are already a client of our agency, you could qualify for multiple-policy discounts on your insurance if you add a motorcycle, watercraft, or RV policy.

Not only can we save you money, but the ease of doing business with just one agent will make the change worth it. Contact us to learn more about your motorcycle, watercraft, or RV coverage. We are happy to answer any questions and provide our clients with no-obligation quotes showing how much you may save.

Visit our website at www.genemorganinsurance.com or give us a call at (925) 447-2565 to obtain your free quote today!

The better an agent knows and understands your business, the better he or she can act as your trusted partner, helping ensure you’ve got the insurance coverages you need, while keeping costs reasonable. Farm agent certification is another reason Nationwide is the nation’s #1 farm and ranch provider.

We know of no other farm insurance company that trains and certifies its farm agents. It’s one of the reasons their agents are the best in the business.

What does it mean to be On Your Side^® Farm Certified?

• Farm Certified agents are committed to ongoing customer service training.
• We use worksheets and tools to customize your insurance program and help you understand what’s protected.
• Farm Certified agents take time to explain the products and what they mean to you.
• We provide annual reviews to ensure you have the right coverages and up-to-date values on your buildings, equipment, and inventory.

Buying a farm policy is just the beginning

We want to provide more than just insurance protection. Our goal is to develop a long-term relationship with you and your operations. So, after working with you to purchase a policy that’s tailored to your needs, as a Farm Certified agent we will:

• Contact you whenever new farm coverages become available;
• Review your coverages annually to be sure your protection is up to date;
• Be there for you whenever you have a question, need information, or need to make changes to your policy (like when you add new equipment, new buildings, or new business activities).

When we say our people specialize in the ag business, we mean it. That’s why we chose to earn Nationwide’s On Your Side^® Farm Certification. Because you deserve Certified!  

Contact us today for your free On Your Side farm review! Call us at (925) 447-2565 or submit your information online for a quote at www.genemorganinsurance.com.

You’ve seen them on the roads; you might even know a few of them.

And you could be one yourself.

Distracted drivers in come in all shapes, sizes, ages and experience levels. Even if you’re not one today, you could become one at any moment — in the time it takes you to answer your cell phone or check the kids in the back seat when you’re driving through {neighborhoods}.

If you or someone else you know thinks you can drive just fine while talking on your phone, think about this: More than 450,000 people were injured in crashes that reportedly involved distracted driving in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than 5,000 of those people died.

Distractions on the road come in many forms, according to www.distraction.gov, a U.S. Department of Transportation website. There are three main kinds of distractions:

• Visual – taking your eyes off the road
• Manual –taking your hands off the wheel
• Cognitive – taking your mind off what you’re doing

To help you avoid all three kinds of distractions the next time you’re behind the wheel of your car  here are a few tips:

• Put your phone in silent mode and store it away from the front seat or in a purse or bag. This helps reduce temptation.
• Have a passenger answer your phone or return text messages for you.
• If a call or a text can’t wait, pull over in a safe spot before using your phone.
• This one seems obvious, but finish shaving or applying makeup before you get in the car!
• If you’re emotional, wait until you’ve calmed down before hitting the road.
• Avoid road rage. You’ll be happier and safer.

Whenever you’re on the road, it’s not a time to multi-task. Focus on driving safely.

Content provided by: Safeco Insurance

Even a small leak can become a major problem, so knowing what you’re covered for and how to prevent water damage are equally important.  The below tips should help uncover any potential water problems down the road and keep your property dry. 

Check appliance hoses.  Standard hoses are not as durable as they used to be.  Replace rubber hoses with steel-braided hoses. This is a low cost fix that can save thousands in water damage.

Broken tiles in the shower can allow water to leak into the walls or on the floor. Replace cracked tiles and re-grout when needed.

Run dishwasher and washing machine only when you are home.  If a leak occurs, you can turn the appliance off right away. 

When on vacation, turn off the main water supply to your house.

Keep storm drains near your house clear of leaves.

Install a gutter guard.  This can prevent a rooftop disaster caused by drain clogs, and also prevents flooding by water that isn’t carried away from the house.

Install a water pressure gauge.  An inexpensive gauge can prevent damage caused by water pressure that’s too high.  Pressure should be between 60 and 80 PSI. 

©2011 Safeco Insurance Company of America, member of Liberty Mutual Group. 1001 Fourth Avenue, Seattle WA 98154.

A client of ours recently was involved in an unfortunate accident which has really reinforced our belief that most of our clients need an umbrella policy to protect their financial future. Most of our clients are unaware that standard limits on a homeowner’s or auto policy may not be enough!

If you are ever sued, your standard homeowners or auto policy will provide you with some liability coverage, paying for judgments against you and your attorney’s fees, up to a limit set in the policy. However, in our litigious society, you may want to have an extra layer of liability protection. That’s what a personal umbrella liability policy provides!

An umbrella policy kicks in when you reach the limit on the underlying liability coverage in a homeowners, renters, condo or auto policy. It will also cover you for things such as libel and slander.

For only about $150 to $300 per year you can buy a $1 million personal umbrella liability policy. The next million will cost about $75, and $50 for every million after that.

Because the personal umbrella policy goes into effect after the underlying coverage is exhausted, there are certain limits that usually must be met in order to purchase this coverage. Most insurers will want you to have about $250,000 of liability insurance on your auto policy and $300,000 of liability insurance on your homeowners policy before selling you an umbrella liability policy for $1 million of additional coverage.

Still not convinced you need an umbrella policy? Check out the below real-life examples of umbrella claims:

• Dog bite suit exceeded liability limits and left the homeowners fending for themselves.
• Driver didn’t see a 4-way stop and T-boned another vehicle severely injuring multiple passengers in the other vehicle. Injuries went way beyond their $300,000 liability limit, and the driver REALLY wished they listened to their insurance agent and bought an umbrella policy
• An insured is a landlord who had a fire in one of their homes and 2 children were killed. The insured only carried a $300,000 liability limit on the property and had no umbrella despite owning a couple rental properties. The insured had to make a very large out of pocket contribution to avoid an even larger jury verdict against them well in excess of their liability limit.
• A driver was DUI and involved in an accident and killed the other party. The insured only carried a $100,000 liability limit and had some assets, although not significant (mainly some equity in their home). Given the DUI and the fatality, the insured ended up taking a second mortgage out on their home and paid $100,000 of their own money towards settlement.

As an added incentive to buy an umbrella policy, most of our carriers offer up to a 10% discount on your auto & homeowner’s premium! Contact us today for your free umbrella quote or to review your insurance protection.

The benefits of a life insurance policy are clear: the coverage provides financial protection against the death of a policyholder in the form of a payment to the beneficiary; and life insurance proceeds are not taxable income. However, it is important that you find the policy that best fits your situation. Here are six key questions to help you make the right choice.

1. Do I need to buy a life insurance policy?
   If you and your spouse or partner have made financial commitments that rely on the continuation of your income, a life insurance policy is the most cost-effective way to provide the benefits your survivors would need. The proceeds from a life insurance policy also enables your estate to pay what it owes after your death, or fund a post-death gift to your beneficiaries.
2. Won’t the life insurance benefits I receive from my employer be enough?
   Maybe, but probably not. Group life insurance policies—often offered to employees by their employers—generally pay out a dollar amount equal to one year of the employee’s salary, much less than what your survivors would need over time.
3. Can I count on my survivors getting Social Security benefits?
   U.S. Social Security survivor benefits are available only if the surviving spouse has dependent children under the age of 18, or if the surviving spouse is aged 60 or over, so there may be a lengthy period where, in fact, he or she would not receive any benefits at all. Even when children and spouses are eligible for Social Security survivor benefits, the federal government caps them at a “family maximum,” which is likely to fall far short of what the survivors need.
4. How can I figure out how much life insurance coverage I need?
   Try to identify how much money your survivors will need for as long a time period as they will need it, and buy enough insurance to meet this dollar amount. Some people like to use a shortcut, such as a multiple of their current annual income, when deciding how much the face value of their life insurance policy should be. If you use this method, remember that your income is likely to increase over time, while the life insurance benefit is often a fixed amount, such as $100,000 or $500,000. In other words, a death benefit bought today as a multiple of your current income will be a smaller multiple of future income. Moreover, life insurance industry research has shown that most survivors struggled to meet their financial commitments when the life insurance policy proceeds they received were equal to three times the policyholder’s annual income, or less. If you use a multiple-of-income shortcut, consider buying a life insurance policy with a face value equal to at least 10 times your annual income.
5. Should I purchase a term or permanent life policy?
   Term insurance is a form of life insurance that pays out only if the policyholder’s death occurs during the “term” of the policy, which is usually anywhere from one to 30 years. The premium rates for term policies are lower than for permanent life policies. Permanent policies, such as whole life, universal life, variable life and variable universal life, remain in force as long as the premium is paid, and some policies accumulate a cash value.
6. How can I save money on life insurance?
   Life insurance premium rates, especially for term life policies, are now at virtually their lowest levels in history. However, there are a number of things you can do to keep the cost even lower, whether you are purchasing a term or permanent life insurance policy. For example, buy policies with face-value amounts that reflect “quantity discounts.” It’s possible that a $500,000 life insurance policy will cost less than one valued at $450,000 because the larger policy might offer a discount for reaching the $500,000 milestone. You can also save by paying premiums annually, rather than on a monthly, or quarterly, basis.

But the most important question to ask about price is: how much will it cost your survivors if you do not pay the premium at all? Contact Mike Morgan today and schedule and appointment to review your life insurance options! He can be reached at (925) 447-2565 ext. 220, or you may email him here.