If your Laurel, Maryland home has been insured with the same home insurance company for a number of years and you faithfully renew your policy year-after-year, there is a good chance that you can qualify for a discount on your premium. Maryland home insurance companies have their own specific rules on how and when they reward their most loyal customers.

If you have maintained home coverage with the same carrier for 10 years and never filed a claim, you may qualify for what is known as an experience rating credit. In other words, you are rewarded not simply because you have been with the same carrier for years, but because the insurance company has had a good experience with you as a customer.

Say you pay $1,000 per year for your home insurance policy and do so for 10 consecutive years. You never file even a small claim for a few loose shingles falling off your roof. Your insurance company will have received $10,000 from you and paid out zero dollars in claims.

Rewards can come in the form of a discount to your annual premium or not being hit with a surcharge for filing a claim. Loyal policy holders may have their rates held steady while a new client may be subject to higher rates that the insurer recently decided to charge.

It costs insurance companies a lot of money and time to acquire new clients. It is in their benefit to hold onto good-paying and loyal customers that they already have. Loyalty programs are a marketing tool that is an incentive for current customers to stay with their same insurance company rather than switch to another.

As your independent agent, we agree that staying with the same insurance company can be beneficial thanks to the discounts you can receive for being a loyal customer. However, that does not mean you should not consider any other insurance company. Give us a call and talk to an independent agent. They will tell you whether you can get a lower premium by staying with your present carrier, or perhaps, switching to a new home insurance carrier.

Before you sign a lease to rent a Laurel, Maryland apartment, you better take a close look at all of the clauses. A landlord can require renter’s insurance as a condition before allowing you to move in as a tenant. He or she is not breaking any fair housing laws or Maryland statutes as long as he has the same policy for all tenants.

The landlord’s insurance does not cover your personal property like furniture or clothes that may be damaged, destroyed or stolen. Even though you may balk at the idea of being required to obtain renter’s insurance before you move in, it really is a good idea. Renter’s insurance only costs a few hundred dollars and it will cover all named perils like theft, fire, smoke and water damage. Should disaster strike, you could easily be out $5,000 or $10,000 if you have to buy all new things.

You do not have to buy a renter’s policy unless if your landlord does not specifically list it as a requirement of the lease. However, without this inexpensive coverage, anything that happens inside of your home, could be your responsibility. If a child throws a baseball through your big screen TV, your landlord is not going to pay to have it replaced.

Speaking candidly, as your independent agent, the main reason that many landlords want their tenants to carry such insurance is not because they care about you and want to make sure your property is protected. Landlords in Maryland are mostly looking out for their own interests. If a fire breaks out, a pipe bursts or something else happens to damage your property, you are more likely to sue the landlord if you do not have insurance of your own to cover the loss.

When you’re a brand new Laurel, Maryland homeowner, you might be at a little bit of a loss when it comes to what kinds of coverage you really need. That’s understandable, but we can help you get the right insurance policy. As an independent agent, we work with a lot of different companies. That’s good news for you, because it provides you with options that you wouldn’t have if you just picked one company, got a quote, and purchased a policy. It’s not just about money, either. It’s about choices and getting value for your dollar.

You might also need more than just a traditional home policy, depending on where in Laurel or the surrounding areas you live. Even though Maryland is far up the East Coast, it’s not immune to problems like hurricanes. There are also flooding concerns, and the possibility of severe winter storms. Talk to us about these issues, and let us take a look at the exact location of your home. We can advise you as to whether you’re going to need something beyond the standard coverage, or whether it’s not required but would be recommended.

If you have a mortgage on your new home, your mortgage company will let you know what kind of coverage (and in what amounts) you need. Of course, you can always purchase more than the minimum if you feel like you need more protection from perils. That’s the value of talking to an independent agent. You’ll get more information about your options and you’ll be able to see how one company compares to others. It may be possible for you to get a lot more insurance than you expected to be able to afford. That’s always good news when it comes to your budget and to protecting your valuable property.

When you have property that’s your own, like a home or a car, you obviously want to protect it so you don’t have to worry about damage. Unfortunately, you can’t always keep damage from occuring – and that’s why you have insurance. Your Maryland property can be repaired or replaced, but only if you have the financial ability to do so. If you protect your Laurel home and your auto with a good insurance policy, you’ll be able to get back what you’ve lost if something should happen to the material things you hold dear.

The best way to get the right property damage coverage is to come see us. As an independent agent, we can work with a lot of different companies to get you the best rates for the most comprehensive coverage available to you. You can link your home and auto policies together and get a discount, and if you have other specific property needs we can talk about how best to insure them, as well. You need to know that property damage coverage isn’t always going to protect everything, and that there are some kinds of disasters that won’t be covered under a standard policy.

There are riders and additional policies available for things like hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. Whether you need additional policies, and whether you need riders for specific types of property, are things we can help you determine. If you have a grand piano or expensive jewelry, for example, you may want to have additional coverage specifically for those kinds of items, to make sure you have enough coverage to protect you in a property disaster. The same is true with your car policy. Collision and comprehensive insurance are good choices, because they provide you with more protection and peace of mind than just the minimum liability.

If you’ve lived in Maryland for awhile, you probably know that natural disasters happen in the area. The geographic location of the state makes it vulnerable to several different types of natural disaster. You may have even experienced an earthquake, a hurricane, a flood, a blizzard or even some other type of natural disaster wile you’ve lived there. With so many ways for mother nature to damage your home, it’s good to know just what, exactly, is covered by your homeowners insurance and what kind of damage you might end up paying for out of your own pocket.

Your home insurance coverage will take care of most emergencies like fire, normal damage from wind, ice and snow and such. It will also often cover damage from smoke, burst pipes, roof leaks and electrical problems. However, sometimes it will fall short in a major natural disaster. In particular, earthquakes, floods and hurricanes are often not covered by normal home insurance, especially in areas like Maryland where these kind of events happen fairly regularly. You can, however, purchase special coverage for each of these types of natural disasters if you are especially concerned about them.

If you’re unsure of what is covered by your home insurance policy, it’s always a good idea to check with your insurance agent or an independent agent in your area. If you live near Laurel, Maryland, and you are thinking about getting a new homeowners insurance policy, you need to call us. As an independent agent, we can get you live comparative quotes on home insurance coverage. This insures that you get the best deal on the coverage you want, even if you want to include extra coverage for natural disasters like hurricanes and floods.

After you’ve had a big winter storm blow through the Mid-Atlantic region, there are often lingering problems. Maryland can be particularly hard hit, especially in places like Laurel. If you’re one of the people who’ve seen your home or auto damaged by a bad storm, it’s time to talk to your insurance company and make a claim. Sure, you want to clean up the mess, but you also want the adjuster to clearly see the damage that was done. Leave things where they are if possible. If you can’t do that, take good, clear pictures of the damage and document everything.

That way you’ll have a better chance of making sure that the damage is understood and paid for. Your insurance company will have questions for you, so make sure you answer all of them honestly. It’s much better to be upfront, even if you’re concerned that could affect whether you’re covered or not. You may also need to have your home or auto inspected, in order to determine whether unseen damage was done. A roof problem, for example, could affect your home at a later date by causing leaks.

Don’t just assume everything is fine if you don’t see any obvious damage. It’s always best to check things out, and if you have any questions you should call in a professional to assess the structure. It can get expensive to have someone examine your home every time there’s a storm, but if you have it done after a particularly bad storm you can see what the inspector looks at so you’ll know what to look for the next time there’s a storm. Damage that you can spot because of your new knowledge may be something that can be fixed much more easily than damage that was allowed to continue. That will save you and your insurance company money.

In the state of Maryland renter’s have the choice to protect their personal belongings with an insurance product designed to meet their needs. There are some people who have to have this kind of policy and there are some who get to chose whether or not they need one. Here are some situations when a person may be under a requirement to buy renter’s insurance in Maryland.

When Renter’s Insurance Becomes a Requirement

• As a renter there will be times when you will have to have a renter’s insurance policy. Even though it may not be required by law some landlords can actually require you to buy a policy. In the event of a loss the landlord will not pay for your belongings should they ever be lost. So they make it a requirement for you to carry a policy to protect yourself and themselves at the same time.
• Sometime’s situations make having a policy a requirement. For instance, if you live in a high risk environment, then you may feel the need to buy renter’s insurance.
• Placing your personal belongs in storage in Laurel Maryland may make you take out a renter’s policy. In some cases it may be beneficial for you to protect your belongings while it is being stored. Having your items out in the open in a storage unit can attract attention to possible theft. a renter’s policy helps take the worry out of storing your items.

Having an insurance policy is an essential part of renting a place to live. If you have any questions, then contact your independent agent today and see if a renter’s policy is right for you. You can have the protection you need for your personal belongings for just a few dollars per month.

If you are a homeowner in Maryland you need to know what natural disasters are and are not covered in your homeowner’s insurance policy, in the event your home and personal possessions are destroyed in a natural disaster. Read over your standard policy and if certain criteria are not listed, then you are not covered for that natural disaster. For example, you reside in Maryland so will be prone towards the high risk for flooding from hurricanes. No standard insurance policy will pay for flooding; you will have to have a flood policy active for at least 30 days before it will cover you and pay for damages.

Your basic homeowner’s policy will offer coverage for an extensive list of natural disasters that could cause damages to your property. Some of these covered situations include, but are not limited to fire, lightning, riots, explosions, hail, wind damage, smoke, falling objects, snow, weight of snow, ice and sleet.

If you do not find specifics listed in your policy then you are not covered, such as would be damages from earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, sink holes and landslides, war and nuclear mishaps. Flooding is another episodic event that may or may not be covered for water damage.

You need to read every word of your policy and go over the coverage that you feel will be needed in order to make you as secure as possible, keeping your valuable investments secure. You will need to talk with your independent agent and then make decisions with some professional guidance. However, never leave these decisions the responsibility of your agent. It is your right and responsibility to make sure that you are covered and specifics are spelled out in your individual policy as to what your insurance company will pay.

Maryland homeowners, like many other homeowners across the United States are finding out that after a catastrophic weather event they did not have adequate homeowners insurance to cover the damages incurred. It is a very sad situation for these homeowners to find out that their insurance company is not going to pay in certain instances, and they thought that they were secure in the knowledge that if any damages were done to their home or personal possessions they would be reimbursed.

All homeowner policies from all companies work on the same basis by offering an extensive list of coverage on a standard policy. If certain damages are not listed on the policy, in black and white, you must consider them uncovered issues. Flood damages from hurricanes in Maryland are another example. There is no standard homeowner’s policy that will pay for flood damages from a hurricane. As a Maryland homeowner you need to be aware that if you want to insure your home for items not listed on your standard policy then you must buy a separate policy, such as a flood policy.

A separate flood insurance policy is not cheap through any company, so if you reside further inland in Maryland and feel there is no risk for flood damage you should consider if you want this added expense. Be aware though, this type of thinking can give you a false sense of security that water damage is not going to touch your home should a hurricane occur, as flooding has happened far inland in Maryland.

If you do not have flood coverage and hear that a serious hurricane is on its way and you are right in its path, do not rush and sign up for flood insurance, because it is already too late, as there is a 30 day waiting period. Call your independent agent today for a flood policy quote.

As a Maryland resident who rents your apartment, you are aware that you need to have some sort of coverage for your possessions, but when you share your place with a roommate the rules can get a little confusing. To put it simply, you always need to make sure that you have a renters insurance policy because you will not get any coverage from your roommate’s policy, or vice versa.

Your independent agent in Laurel can help you to identify the type of renters policy and level of coverage that works best for you. The most important thing is just to make sure that you have a policy that will cover you. It may seem strange that two people living in the same space would not be able to share coverage, but you should think of a renters policy rather like you look at a car insurance policy: Everyone who drives needs to have car insurance, and everyone who lives in an apartment needs to have a renters policy.

Your own personal possessions are completely separate from the personal possessions of your roommate, and so you need to draw a distinction between these in your policy. Some people pose the question "What if it’s my boyfriend who is my roommate?" In this case, you will still need to have your own policies because you still have your own property.

If you have a change in your living situation or if you get married you should contact your Laurel independent agent as soon as possible because you may need to make a change to your renters policy as a result of this. Renters insurance is typically very inexpensive, so it is a smart investment and an easy one to make today!