Life changes, so should your insurance policy

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Six Scenarios When You Should Change Your Insurance Policy in Salt Lake City
Imagine if we could buy just one insurance policy and be set for life. That’s a nice thought, isn’t it? Like the good things that happen in life, your insurance policy should change and adapt to your situations. The beauty of having a local, independent insurance agent is that they represent multiple insurance companies. One that surely will fit your current and future needs. Some things to consider when reviewing your current insurance:

Did I get married?

Marriage discounts, multi-car discounts, combined insurance policies, jewelry endorsements, life insurance, a new home? A lot happens when you get married – be sure your new life together is properly insured.

Did I complete a major remodel?

A new kitchen can add tremendous value to your home. Simple changes like bay windows, granite counter tops and hardwood floors dramatically improve and increase the value of your home, not to mention if you blow out a wall and add some additional square footage. Be sure your current insurance policy has enough coverage for all your changes. Review these changes with your agent.

Did I or do I want to get a new car?

If you’re considering a new car, your independent agent can tell you what the new premiums will be on that fancy new ride before you buy it. Be sure to consider the increased premium in the sticker tag of the vehicle.

Do I have a teen who will soon be driving?

Teen drivers can be quite the sticker shock. If you have a teen driver in the house, it is important to let your agent know. Most insurance companies require your teen driver be listed on the policy. Not adding the driver to the policy could cause major problems and even a claim denial if they’re not added timely. Be sure to ask your agent about teen drivers.

Did I purchase a new exterior building for my home?

Many insurance policies automatically include exterior buildings coverages for 10% of the value of your home. While not all do this automatically, if you install or build a detached garage or other structure, be sure you have enough coverage in the event it is damaged or a total loss.

Did I protect my home with a new burglar alarm?

Reviewing what discounts you currently have and looking for new ones is always a good thing to do. Burglar alarms, driving less, multi-policy discounts and more are great ways to reduce your premiums. Your agent can look for these automatically. They’re discount detectives. Next time you talk with yours, be sure to have them go over what discounts are available so you can take advantage of them.

Understanding insurance is difficult. Fortunately, when you’re insured with an independent insurance agent they can review your policy with you anytime and shop from multiple companies to determine the best company for your needs.

Archibald Insurance Agency in Salt Lake City, UT is a different kind of insurance agency. They represent over 20 top-rated insurance companies to offer you comparative insurance quotes which means more coverage options, better pricing and flexibility.  Agency owner, Marc Archibald and his friendly and knowledgeable staff can quote your auto insurance, home insurance, business insurance & much more! With many payment options you’re sure to find the right company at the right price for your specific insurance needs! Both homeowners and auto insurance rates change, people change, situations change. Our goal is to be your preferred insurance agency for a lifetime.

Tired of Junk Mail? Follow these Five Simple Tips

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How to eliminate junk mail in Salt Lake CityIf you’re like most people, you really don’t like getting junk mail delivered to your home. Not only is it wasteful to you, but the companies paying for the marketing don’t want the wasted funds for print and distribution either. If you’d like to be removed from mailings to your home or business, follow these easy steps!

  1. Junk mail: Visit https://dmachoice.thedma.org and create an account. The DMA (Direct Marketing Association) created this site to help people opt out of unwanted solicitations. Seems counterproductive, but it is actually a cost savings to them as well as their customers, the companies sending you the unwanted mail.
    1. Have a deceased family member that still gets mail? You can opt out here too by filing out the deceased do not contact list
  2. Credit Card Offers: Opt-out of credit card offers. If you’ve ever filled out a warranty card, credit card application, refinance application or other form, your information was likely gathered and used for solicitation purposes. Sounds wrong, but it is allowed. If you’d like to opt-out of credit card offers from Equifax, Eperian, Innovis and TransUnion, Consumer Credit Reporting Companies simply visit https://www.optoutprescreen.com/ . You can request to be removed from credit card offers and other credit related offers right on this site – Permanently!
  3. Phone Books: Many people don’t rely on the phone books like they used to! Smartphones have really impacted this industry. If you don’t want to receive a phone book and it goes immediately into the recycle bin, you can contact the phone book companies directly. Usually from their own websites. Here is DEX.
  4. Phone Solicitations: Not exactly junk mail, but unsolicited nonetheless. If you’d like to register your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry, it is free. Click here.
  5. Junk Email: Getting off of junk email lists can be challenging. Who knows where they get your email address in the first place. In most cases, in order to be compliant with email marketing regulations, emails must have an unsubscribe feature. Look towards the bottom of the email and simply click. Do not enter personal information, just confirm your unsubscribe desires.

While getting off of unsolicited mail, credit card offers, phone solicitations and email offers may be difficult with some work you can curb a large majority of this. While we can’t help you get off of these lists, we can help you with your home, auto and renters insurance.

Archibald Insurance Agency in Salt Lake City, UT is a different kind of insurance agency. They represent over 20 top-rated insurance companies to offer you comparative insurance quotes which means more coverage options, better pricing and flexibility.  Agency owner, Marc Archibald and his friendly and knowledgeable staff can quote your auto insurance, home insurance, business insurance & much more! With many payment options you’re sure to find the right company at the right price for your specific insurance needs! Both homeowners and auto insurance rates change, people change, situations change. Our goal is to be your preferred insurance agency for a lifetime.

How to Avoid a Spooky Insurance Claim on Halloween

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How to avoid an insurance claim on Halloween in Salt Lake CityHalloween can be some people’s favorite holiday. Whether it’s fun sized candy, making your own costume, setting up spooky decorations inside or outside your home or carving pumpkins, Halloween brings many of us joy. However, this holiday can increase your risk for an expensive liability claim if you’re not careful. Follow these five tips to ensure your holiday is fun and safe.

Prep Your Home for Trick-or-Treaters. Even if you don’t decorate the outside of your home, be sure your sidewalks, driveway and the entrance leading up to your front door is clear. You are liable if a child or adult trips on a broken branch, garden house or electrical cord on your property.

Keep Your Pets Indoors. Sometimes animals can be frightened by strangers or unusual noises. To avoid a dog bite claim, keep your animals inside in a separate room. The door bell ringing several times an hour can get your animal too excited or scared. Be sure they get a treat too.

Use LED candles. This can help prevent any trick-or-treater from knocking over lit candles close to your home. For your carved pumpkin, LED candles are much easier to use and can prevent any unwanted burns compared to lighting a candle.

Drive Slowly. If you find yourself driving home in the dark on Halloween night, be extra cautious of children and adults walking around your neighborhood who may not be using proper lighting. Be aware of your speed and don’t be a distracted driver.

Carry the right tools. If you plan to go out for trick-or-treating, be sure you have a flash light and a fully charged cell phone in the case you need to make an emergency call. Stay on the sidewalks and avoid walking through yards.

Happy Halloween!

Archibald Insurance Agency in Salt Lake City, UT is a different kind of insurance agency. They represent over 20 top-rated insurance companies to offer you comparative insurance quotes which means more coverage options, better pricing and flexibility.  Agency owner, Marc Archibald and his friendly and knowledgeable staff can quote your auto insurance, home insurance, business insurance & much more! With many payment options you’re sure to find the right company at the right price for your specific insurance needs! Both homeowners and auto insurance rates change, people change, situations change. Our goal is to be your preferred insurance agency for a lifetime.

Do I Need to Keep My Insurance During The Off-Season?

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Why you should keep your insurance on your RV, motorcycle or boat in Salt Lake City year round.It’s now time to enjoy some amazing fall camping excursions, calm boating on the lake or a motorcycle road trip. Each year we’re asked by many of our customers about the possibility to cancel your insurance policies on your summer toys like motorcycles, RVs, boats and ATVs. While you may not be using these alternative vehicles during the fall and winter months, your vehicles may be damaged and insurance claim would need to be opened. If you cancelled your insurance policy, you may be forced to pay for repairs or replacements out-of-pocket. During the cooler months while your toys are parked events can occur that could get expensive without a valid insurance policy.

Types of claims that could occur during the off-season:

Comprehensive insurance claims: Even though your vehicles are secured, theft or vandalism can still occur at any time. Having to pay out-of-pocket to repaint, repair or replace your toy could put a serious strain on your finances. Catastrophic events like floods or fires can occur during the off-season. If your comprehensive insurance policy is not in effect, you may be responsible to pay to replace your toys without assistance from your insurance carrier.

Liability insurance claims: Accidents can happen at any time, even if your toy is secure. During a party at your home someone thinks it would be great to take a picture on your Harley. They hop on and fall over damaging both your bike and themselves. Even if you did not give them permission to do so, you may be legally responsible for their injuries. Without a liability insurance policy in effect, you may be responsible to pay for the injured party’s medical bills and recovery costs.

Additional claims scenarios:

  1. A blustery storm knocks over a tree and it falls on your parked camper. (Comprehensive claim)
  2. A hail storm damages your vehicle (Comprehensive claim)
  3. Your garage catches on fire and burns your motorcycle, boat, or ATV inside (Not home insurance, Comprehensive claim for the vehicle)
  4. Your RV or Boat is parked in an off-season boat/rv storage facility and is damaged when an unknown party backs their vehicle into it. They don’t leave their information.
  5. A thief vandalizes your vehicle looking for valuable items

These are just a few of the many claims that can occur in the off-season. Some carriers understand that these vehicles are not used year-round and the premiums reflect the high and the low season.

Keeping your motorcycle insurance, RV insurance, ATV insurance or boat insurance in effect during the off-season may not only save your from a costly out-of-pocket repairs or medical payments, keeping a year-round policy may also save you money on your policy premium. Ask your insurance agent today about the benefits of keeping a comprehensive and liability insurance policy on your toys all year!

Archibald Insurance Agency in Salt Lake City, UT is a different kind of insurance agency. They represent over 20 top-rated insurance companies to offer you comparative insurance quotes which means more coverage options, better pricing and flexibility.  Agency owner, Marc Archibald and his friendly and knowledgeable staff can quote your auto insurance, home insurance, business insurance & much more! With many payment options you’re sure to find the right company at the right price for your specific insurance needs! Both homeowners and auto insurance rates change, people change, situations change. Our goal is to be your preferred insurance agency for a lifetime.

Fall Dangers: Be Alert!

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Fall is one of our favorite seasons! The leaves, the cooler, shorter days and of course, pumpkin spice everything. There are some seasonal dangers associated with fall that can be quite hazardous if one is not prepared. Knowing what these dangers are and how to anticipate them can mean the difference between a lovely, relaxing fall and having to file a potentially costly insurance claim.

Seasonal Fall Dangers in Utah:

  • The Road: A drive to see the fall colors can be relaxing and enjoyable for all. You should be aware of changing weather conditions. Fall brings rain, wind and fog. Standing water on the roadways can create a slick, ice-like surface making it difficult to control the vehicle or hydroplane. If you happen to be in an area where leaves are falling, the leaves have a similar ice-like effect on the car. Another potential danger while in the car is fog. Fog can seemingly roll in from nowhere and impede your ability to see road hazards like traffic, debris, etc. For all these dangers, the best course of action is attentive driving. Reduce your speed, increase your following distance and stay alert to changing conditions.
  • The Wind: The winds returns, sometimes with a vengeance, during the fall. The wind can blow cars around the road and debris into the road, so during an episode of high winds, be alert to debris that may be entering the roadways. Trees and tree branches can also be a hazard. Trees that are diseased or branches that are low-hanging can become dislodged and cause massive amounts of damage to homes, garages and cars. The best way to try and stave off falling trees and branches is to trim all low-hanging branches that reside over dwellings. If your neighbors have tree branches that sit over your dwellings, work with them to get the branches removed. Also, if you suspect your trees to be diseased, have them inspected and removed.
  • The Water: A gentle fall rain can be soothing, but let’s be honest the rain in the fall tends to be more torrential. Fast moving storms can overwhelm storm drains (that could already be blocked with leaves or other debris) and the over-saturated ground cannot absorb the water resulting in large amounts of standing water or a flash flood. Remember that a standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover outside water entering your home due to rain or flood. If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, having sandbags on hand in case of a storm could be the difference between just mopping off your front porch and filing a flood insurance claim.

With a little preparation, you may be able to avoid an unpleasant situation and a costly insurance claim. The insurance experts at Archibald Insurance Agency in Utah can assist you with setting up policies like auto insurance, home insurance and flood insurance. If you have questions about your current insurance policies or about the potential fall dangers in Utah, give your Archibald Insurance Agency agent a call. You can also visit their insurance website 24/7!