At Tri-County Agency we can help to give brides peace of mind with our Wedding Plus product and the great features it provides. Learn more from USLI…

Wedding Plus Product –  
Special Event Coverage for Weddings

We have the ability to provide fast turnaround for weddings.
Offering includes General Liability and Host Liquor Liability.

Product Features:
- Separate limits for General Liability and Host Liquor Liability
- Rehearsal date can be included for no additional charge
- $1,000 sublimit included for lost deposits and attire
-  Up to three approved Additional Insureds can be included at no additional charge
- Coverage for damage to rented premises
- Medical payments coverage
- Food and beverage product liability included in the General Aggregate

Limits of Liability:
- Limits of $1,000,000/$2,000,000 available

Additional Advantages:
- Protect your Homeowner’s policy
- Instant Quote
- Experienced Carrier
- Competitive premium
- Online quoting available for Cstomer and Retail Web
- A.M. Best rated A++ carrier

The importance of compiling an inventory of your home from Trusted Choice:

Most people know that a homeowners or renter’s insurance policy is crucial when it comes to protecting your home from a fire or other disaster. However, if you want to safeguard your valuables from the unexpected, there’s another important document you may be overlooking: a home inventory.

If disaster strikes and your home and belongings are destroyed, a home inventory makes the insurance claims process a lot simpler, and it helps you get your possessions replaced quicker. While creating this inventory may be a time-consuming task, it doesn’t have to be completely daunting. Check out the following simple tips for compiling your home inventory:

• Details, details, details. A home inventory includes a comprehensive list of all your belongings, along with receipts, photos, and descriptions.
• Divide and conquer. Instead of making one long list of your items, break it down by room and/or type of item, such as clothing, heirlooms, electronics, and jewelry. This will make the home inventory less overwhelming and decrease the chances that you’ll overlook something.
• Know what your stuff is worth. If you have antiques, family heirlooms, or other valuables that don’t have receipts, you may want to have them appraised in order to determine their value.
• Look behind closed doors. When taking your inventory, make sure you don’t overlook items that are stored in the closet, drawers, attic, or garage. Bicycles, holiday decorations, and sports equipment may be out of sight, but their cost adds up. Make sure you include everything – even if it’s in storage – on your list.
• Add it up. Once you have a full document of all your belongings, along with their values, add up all the items in your home and their total cost.
• Keep it safe. Store your complete home inventory with your insurance policy in a safe, easily accessible place, such as a fireproof box, safe deposit box, or other secure location.
• Take stock annually. Remember to review and update your inventory each year, or whenever you make a significant purchase, to ensure your new items are documented.

If you’re looking for a useful tool to help with your home inventory, keep an eye out for the release of the new Trusted Choice mobile app, which includes a handy home inventory tool.  Available in the Android Marketplace and iTunes App Store in February 2012.  For help obtaining coverage for your posessions, find a Trusted Choice independent insurance agent near you.

What do you do if you’re planning a Superbowl party, or any party, and your power goes out? Take a look at Trusted Choice’s answer below:

You’re hosting the party for the big game. The invitations are out, responses are in and it’s going to be a big one. Your shopping is done and the refrigerator and freezer are stocked with the finest party fare money can buy.

Then the ice storm comes. And with it freezing temperatures. In fact, this particular cold snap is so extreme that it knocks out power to every home in a six-mile radius. The outage takes hours to restore, and when the lights come back on, you open the refrigerator to find the remains of what used to be fresh food for the party. Here’s the question: Will your home insurance policy cover the cost to replace the spoiled items?

Spoiled Rotten
Finding coverage under a  home insurance policy for spoiled items depends on why the power supply was interrupted. For example, if the outage can be sourced to your premises and caused by a covered loss, such as a tree branch falling onto your power meter in your yard, many home insurance policies will cover the cost of the spoiled items.

However, if the outage is generated off of your premises, such as at a utility company’s transfer station or downed power line, your home insurance policy may not cover resulting damage. Some communities may have programs available for reimbursement of damage caused by the outage. However, such dollars are usually paid by the utility company, not your home insurer.

Some home insurance carriers will cover spoiled items if the outage is caused by a surge in power. This may happen when the utility company flips the switch to restore power to your area. Even in cases where spoilage is covered, don’t get too excited. Keep in mind that your insurance company will not pay anything until you have kicked in for you deductible. This is typically $500 or $1,000 that you must pay out-of-pocket, meaning the spoilage loss would have to be significant to justify a claim.

Note you can also ask your home insurer about specific spoilage coverage, sold via an endorsement to your policy. This coverage typically has a limit of $500 to $1,000—but your deductible is zero or $100 max, which is usually less than your regular homeowner deductible. Bonus: Many of these endorsements cover not only spoilage due to power failure, but also if the refrigerator or freezer simply breaks down.

Frozen Pipes
But wait: A power outage that occurs during freezing conditions can cause more headaches than some spoiled party food. Lack of heat not only means discomfort for you, your family and guests—it also can leave pipes in your home vulnerable to freezing. A frozen pipe can easily burst, exposing your home and its contents to resulting water damage. When a pipe bursts, damage can happen very quickly and will continue to worsen until the problem is isolated.

Most home insurance companies will cover damage resulting from a frozen pipe provided you can prove that you took measures to prevent the pipe from freezing. For example, many policies say that coverage applies if you can show that you either 1) shut off the water supply and drained your system, or 2) maintained heat to your home.

If a power outage prevents you from maintaining the heat, many home insurance policies will cover the resulting loss from the frozen pipe.

Summary
Cold weather conditions pose a number of threats to homeowners. If the threat manifests into damage to your home or its contents, is it covered by your home insurance policy? Sometimes the answer is “yes” and sometimes it’s “no.” Either way, waiting until the damage happens is the wrong time to learn about coverage. A phone call to your Trusted Choice® independent insurance agent can help. Your agent will help you understand the types of losses you are most vulnerable to, types of losses that are and are not covered, and options that exist which may prevent a high out-of-pocket expense to you. It’s a brand new year—why not call today?

One of our companies, The Norfolk & Dedham Group, tells you what you need to know if you’re buying a new car and safety is a priority:

You can find safer vehicles in various price and style groups — and you can use this publication to help identify the best choices. Start by recognizing that safety involves AVOIDING CRASHES to begin with and then PROTECTING YOU if and when a crash occurs.

All vehicles have basic features to reduce crash likelihood — lights so other motorists can see you, brakes to stop, etc. New  technology is being added to help
avoid crashes in the first place. These features alert you if you stray from your lane or get too close to a car in front of you. Most of the new features haven’t been scientifically evaluated yet, but some show promise and one already is proving effective:

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL.
You’ll find it by various trade names (StabiliTrak, Stability Assist, etc.), but the systems are basically the same. They’re extensions of antilock brake technology that help drivers maintain control in the worst situation — loss of control at high speed. These systems engage automatically to help bring a vehicle back in the intended line of travel. Electronic stability control lowers the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half. It lowers the risk of a fatal rollover crash by as much as 80 percent. To see if a vehicle you’re thinking of buying has electronic stability control, go to iihs.org/ratings/esc/esc.aspx.

DON’T COUNT ON AVOIDING CRASHES.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, millions of crashes occur each year. Tens of thousands of them involve deaths. So the most important aspect of shopping for safety is  to choose a crashworthy vehicle — one that reduces death and injury risk during a crash.

It’s that time of year that everyone is making their New Years Resolutions and setting goals for the coming year. What about making a New Years Resolution to make insurance a priority this year and take the steps to ensure that you are properly insured, saving money, and avoiding typical insurance mistakes.

The Insurance Information Institute lists insurance mistakes that you should avoid and some suggestions for saving:

1. Insuring a home for its real estate value instead of for the cost of rebuilding. With the real estate market in a slump and home prices down in many parts of the country, some homeowners may think they can reduce the amount of insurance on their home, too. But insurance is designed to cover the cost of rebuilding, not the sales price of your home. Make sure you have enough coverage to completely rebuild your home and replace all your belongings in the event of a disaster.
A better way to save: Raise your deductible. An increase from $500 to $1,000 could save up to 25 percent on your annual premium.

2. Selecting an insurance company by price alone. Do not just choose a company with competitive prices. It is a good idea to also make sure the company 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 has a reputation for excellent customer service and will respond to your needs and handle claims fairly and efficiently.  .

3. Dropping flood insurance. Damage from flooding is not covered under standard homeowners and renters insurance policies. Coverage is available from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as well as from some private insurance companies. Many homeowners are unaware they are at risk for flooding, but in fact 25 percent of all flood losses occur in low risk areas.
A better way to save: Before purchasing a home check with the NFIP to see whether it is located in a flood zone. If so, consider buying a home in a less risky area. If you already own a home in a flood zone area, look at home mitigation efforts that can reduce your risk of flood damage and consider purchasing flood insurance.

4. Purchasing only the legally required amount of liability for your vehicle. 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. The insurance industry and consumer groups generally recommend a minimum of $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident.
A better way to save: Consider dropping collision and/or comprehensive coverage on older vehicles worth less than $1,000.

5. Neglecting to buy renters insurance. A renters insurance policy covers your possessions and additional living expenses if you have to move out of your home due to a disaster. 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.

We are proud to be among 15 local Brick Township businesses who have been members of the Chamber of Commerce for 30 years! The 30 years that we have been involved with the Brick Township Chamber of Commerce have been wonderful and we’re looking forward to many more years. Being a member of the Chamber of Commerce has given us many great opportunities to connect and interact with our community and other local businesses. Thank you to our local community for your support and our fellow Brick Chamber members who form a network of great local businesses! You can click here to see Brick Township Chamber of Commerce’s recognition of us and the 14 other businesses who are celebrating 30 years with the Chamber!

Another great article from Trusted Choice -if you’ll be renting a car during the holiday season, or ever, this is a must read!

Rental Car Insurance:  To Buy or Not to Buy?
As the holiday season approaches, millions of Americans will take to the roads to visit family and friends. Since many will make the trip in a rented car, it’s an appropriate time to discuss one of the most frequently asked questions of agents and brokers all over the country: “Should I buy the insurance from the rental car company?”

Following are a few considerations when mulling this important decision:

DAMAGE WAIVER & YOUR PERSONAL AUTO POLICY
First, the good news: In many cases, a personal auto insurance policy will cover damage to a rented vehicle. That said—don’t get too comfortable! There are other costs associated with damage to a rented vehicle that the policy will not cover. For this reason, careful consideration should be given to purchasing the damage waiver offered by the rental car company.

On your personal auto policy, “Collision” insurance covers your vehicle for damage resulting from a collision with another object. “Comprehensive” (sometimes called “Other Than Collision”) covers your vehicle for theft, vandalism, falling objects and other causes not resulting from a collision. If you have a car loan, your lender will require you to purchase both. If you pay the loan off, the choice to purchase collision or comprehensive—and both or neither—is up to you.

Your personal auto policy will only cover damage to the rental car if you have the appropriate coverage type on at least one vehicle you own. For example, if you damage the rental car in a collision, you must have “collision” coverage on at least one vehicle covered by your personal auto policy. But if the rental car is stolen, vandalized, or damaged in any way not resulting from a collision, you must have “comprehensive” coverage on at least one vehicle covered by your personal auto policy. The key point: If your personal auto policy excludes the coverage type that damages the rental car—and you reject or violate the damage waiver—you will become personally responsible for paying all costs related to the damaged rental car out of your own pocket!
In contrast, the damage waiver usually offered at the rental counter will cover the damaged rental car regardless of what’s covered by your personal auto policy.

LIMITATIONS IN YOUR PERSONAL AUTO POLICY
What else could you possibly owe the rental company following an event or crash? These include administrative fees and the depreciated value of the vehicle after repairs—neither expense is covered by your personal auto policy. In addition, most personal auto policies only pay up to the actual cash value (ACV) of the damaged vehicle. If the contract requires the damaged rental’s replacement, the ACV payout may not be sufficient to cover the entire expense.

Again, in contrast, the damage waiver will cover all such expenses.

Also, the rental contract likely will require you to pay the rental company’s “loss of use.” These are expenses they incur resulting from the inability to earn income from the damaged rental. This cost could be hundreds of dollars or more. Some personal auto policies will pay a limited amount for this expense (such as $20 per day or $600 total). Others will not cover it at all.

In contrast, the damage waiver will pay the full cost of the rental company’s loss of use.

NO CLAIM NECESSARY
If something happens to the rental car, purchasing the damage waiver gives the rental agency management of the process. This will allow you to avoid filing a claim and possibly help keep the cost of your insurance from going up. It also will keep your deductible in your pocket.

LIMITATIONS IN THE DAMAGE WAIVER
Don’t forget that the rental car company’s damage waiver is a contract. It will include a list of restrictions that, if violated, may terminate the waiver and leave you personally responsible for paying the costs associated with the damaged rental car. Examples of such restrictions may include:

• Damage to rental while driven by someone not specifically named on the contract.
• Damage to rental while driven on unpaved roads.
• Damage to rental while it’s being occupied by more passengers than available seatbelts.
• Damage that occurs while pushing or towing.

This list is only a sample; the typical damage waiver may include additional restrictions.

Moreover, the car rental company’s loss damage waiver covers “diminished value,” the economic reduction in value of a repaired auto due to it having been damaged. Almost all auto policies and many credit card coverages exclude diminished value. What’s the impact to you? If you don’t take the damage waiver, you could get hit with a diminished value claim of $1,500 or more, depending on your type of damaged rental car.

DAMAGE WAIVER COVERS VEHICLE DAMAGE ONLY
Perhaps the most important fact to remember is that the damage waiver only applies to damage to the rented vehicle. It is not a substitute for liability, medical payments, uninsured motorist, personal injury protection, and any other personal auto insurance coverage.

OTHER PRODUCTS OFFERED BY RENTAL COMPANY
In addition to the damage waiver, most rental car companies offer a few optional insurance-type products. For example, some may offer a liability enhancement that gives you the option to increase the liability limits you already carry on your personal auto insurance policy. Depending on your available auto liability insurance, this option may be worth consideration.

Others may offer options such as accidental death, trip cancellation, or damaged luggage insurance during the rental period. Such options vary by company and may provide insurance dollars you cannot get elsewhere. However, they should not be purchased without first reviewing your current home, health and auto insurance policies as there may be duplication.

CONCLUSION
In light of the information above, you should seriously consider—and probably buy—the damage waiver from the rental car company. Deciding whether to purchase other products from the rental firm, however, depends largely on the insurance already available to you from other sources. For assistance in determining coverage you already have and comparing it to the rental company’s options, call your Trusted Choice® independent insurance agent today.

Business Travel Note: When you rent a car on a business trip, that’s an entirely different set of decisions, so again please talk with your Trusted Choice® independent insurance agent.