Author: Jacqueline Stephens

The Best Way to Choose Car Insurance

1. Determine How Much Coverage You Need

Minimum-liability limits established by the state where you live and collision-coverage requirements of your auto-loan lender take some of the coverage decisions out of your hands.

2. Evaluate Auto Insurance Companies

When choosing car insurance, the cost is essential in your decision-making process. But cost alone may not be the only reason to go with an insurance provider.

3. Compare Car Insurance Costs

Now that you’ve found a few companies that seem reliable, it’s time to compare costs for choosing the auto insurance policy.

4. Find an Agent

At this point in your research, you’ve probably narrowed your choices to the two or three least expensive, most reliable companies.

Start with the least expensive company and find an agent. Independent agents represent some companies who may represent several carriers, and others have dedicated offices and agents.

Let them know you are interviewing for a new insurance agent. If they don’t make time for you at this stage, they probably won’t when you need them most. Move on to the next agent.

You have a list of agents; keep moving through them until you find the one that fits.

5. Ask About Discounts

Insurers offer discounts for many reasons, such as a paid-in-full plan, bundling your auto policy with home or other cars, and good-driver history.

If you follow these steps, you will find an insurance company you can count on at a rate you can afford.

Then all you need to do is choose your car insurance deductible or the amount you will pay if your car gets damaged in an accident, by a fallen tree, or another mishap.

Choosing Car Insurance: 5 Steps for Selecting a Plan – Autotrader

We always look forward to the time of the year when we can come together, celebrate and look back on all the great accomplishments that have been achieved. Direct Link wishes each and everyone of you and your families a Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year! 🍾

Winter home preparation guide

By the time winter arrives, your home should be ready for whatever tricks Old Man Winter may have up his sleeve. There’s nothing worse than having to deal with a leaky window, broken furnace or a burst pipe in the middle of winter. These eight tips and tricks will help prevent any unfortunate winter mishaps or water damage.

1. For heat’s sake have your furnace professionally serviced. A routine maintenance check each autumn will help ensure your furnace is running properly and efficiently. Also, if you have an older thermostat, consider replacing it with a programmable one to save money on heating costs.
2. Inspect all windows and doors for leaks. In order to prevent heat loss, make sure your windows and doors are properly sealed. Check the weather-stripping around windows and door frames and replace where necessary. Also check for drafts and caulk both inside and out where necessary, to keep the heat in and the cold out.
3. Sweep the chimney. Before you use your fireplace, make sure the chimney and vents are clean and in good condition by having your chimney looked at by a professional. This will help prevent chimney fires and carbon monoxide from building up and finding its way into your home.
4. Clean out your gutters. It’s important your eaves are free of any debris such as leaves, dirt and sticks. Clogged gutters prevent the draining of rain and melting snow which could result in household leaks. Also, make sure your downspouts extend away from your house by at least five feet to ensure that water runs away from your house and not towards it.
5. Inspect the roof. While cleaning your eaves, inspect your roof for any missing, loose or damaged shingles. If your roof needs attention call a roofer to help you with the repairs or maintenance. Also ask them to look at the caulking around the chimney and air vents.
6. Turn off any faucets outside. Water left undrained can freeze, which can cause the pipes to burst. Disconnect your garden house and drain the remaining water.
7. Trim your bushes and trees. Make sure any overgrown bushes or trees are trimmed back away from your house and electrical wires. This will help decrease your risk of property damage and power problems.
8. Pad exposed pipes in unheated areas. This is an easy and inexpensive method to help prevent water damage resulting from a frozen pipe. Even the smallest of pipes can cause a lot of damage. Pipes in the basement, attic or crawl space are some examples of pipes you may want to cover.

Taking the time to winter-proof your home is a small price to pay especially if it helps prevent damages. Now is also a good time to stock up on all the winter essentials too including salt, sand, and snow shovels. It won’t go to waste, and you’ll need them before you know it.

Sited From: www.insurancehotline.com

A big shout out to our Account Manager Tammy on an amazing compliment from a happy Eastern/All Point Insurors’ client.

WOOO HOO TAMMY !!!🎉🎉🎉

” I Just wanted to drop a line to tell you how incredibly helpful Tammy was for me in getting my moms Florida homeowners insurance paid.  She went above and beyond and was so kind “

Regards,

April B.

There are many factors that can affect  Homeowner’s Insurance costs.  The most notable factors to consider are the location, the age of the home, and the style/method of construction.  Homes that are safe from both natural disasters and crimes are the most affordable to insure.  However, unless moving is an option, choosing a perfect location can be difficult to control.  Regardless of where you live, using the 5 tips below can help you save when purchasing a Homeowner’s Insurance policy.

1. Compare Homeowner’s Insurance Options

Similar to typical shopping, when searching for homeowners insurance a buyer will want to compare the most affordable policies from different insurers.  Using an independent agent is a good move because an independent agent will represent your interests when obtaining quotes for homeowners insurance policies from multiple providers. This saves you time because you can get multiple quotes at once instead of contacting each provider independently.  Remember, just because a friend of family member got the best rate on home insurance for their specific situation from one company, does not mean that the same company will be the most affordable for you.  All homeowners policies are based on unique circumstances and therefore underwritten independently.

2. Review Your Coverage

Be sure to review what coverages are in your policy as well as the policy type.  Sometimes “affordable” can mean less coverage, which could result in falling short of the legal requirements for your mortgage.

An Ho-1 policy, for example, would only cover the home against the 10 listed perils (fire or lightning, smoke, ect) but would not provide homeowner liability coverage.  Homeowners liability insurance is what protects the homeowner should an accident occur which results in legal action.  Homeowners liability coverage is a requirement for most mortgages.

3. Use Safety Features

Having common safety features like deadbolts, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers can earn you discounts on your homeowners insurance.  Security systems may save you even more money based on your home security provider.

In the event your dwelling is in a disaster-prone location, research to see if you can make any precautionary improvements for safety.  Installing storm shades, storm-proof doors, storm resistant roofing, and shatter-proof windows can reduce coverage expense.

4. Ask Around Town

If you find searching for an affordable policy from a homeowner insurance provider in a high-risk area difficult, ask yourself this: “Who would have a risk profile that would be similar to mine?”  Your neighbors, that’s who!  Don’t be shy, ask your neighbors for a homeowners insurance recommendation, the may be able to steer you in the right direction.

5. Find Adequate Coverage But Avoid Over-Insuring

It is important to remember that the market value of your home includes the price of the home AND the market value of the property on which it is located. This distinction is essential because a homeowners insurance policy should only cover the cost of replacing the home itself. A typical homeowners policy does NOT need to insure the land the home was built on.  Avoid overpaying by choosing a homeowners insurance  policy that will cover the “replacement cost” of your home, instead of its full market value.

Lana is on a roll!! Congratulations on a great compliment from a happy client!

Way to go Lana !!!🎉🎉🎉

“Just wanted to let you know how much I love working with Lana. She is always so cheerful, pleasant, and willing to help.

She is definitely an asset! Glad she is part of the SBB team

Anne Marie

Commercial Lines Assistant Account Executive

Signature B&B Companies 

Garden City, NY

We would like to wish Lori Thibodeau a Happy Retirement. Lori has been a dedicated team member of Direct Link since 2019 working on the Signature B&B book of business as a Personal Lines Insurance Assistant. Lori’s hard work and dedication has been recognized throughout the organization. We will truly miss her smiling face and positive energy.

We love throwing  a good team building event and this AXE Throwing Event was no exception. The Cumbre/Direct Link team definitely came out all ready to compete for the top prize!!! Congratulations to Chantelle who showed off her AXE Throwing skills and placed #1!!! 🪓

At Cumbre/Direct Link Insurance our number one goal is to ensure our clients are receiving premium customer service. It brings us great joy when a customers takes the time to send a compliment about our team and we are always ensuring that team member is being recognized.

A shout out goes to one of our Account Executives Lana Saifalla who received wonderful feed back from an insured.

” Thank you very much Lana. In the 15 to 20 years that I have worked with Signature Group you are by far the most helpful and most responsive person I’ve ever dealt with. I greatly appreciate your attitude and your work. “

Way to go Lana !!!🎉🎉🎉

Cumbre Insurance Services/Direct Link LLC, a trusted Acrisure Agency Partner provides opportunities for the team to collaborate and connect.  Our Director, Jacquie Stephens recently visited the Grand Rapids office to spend time planning and collaborating with peers and leaders.