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Unsure about purchasing an Umbrella Policy?

Most people don’t know what an Umbrella Policy is and, if they do, they don’t fully understand how it can help them.

So, what is a Personal Umbrella?

Umbrella liability insurance is so named because it acts like an umbrella, extending over your auto and homeowners liability policies to provide extra protection. Even if you do not own a home, you still need renters insurance to cover both your Liability and personal property. An umbrella policy is excess liability insurance coverage over and above that which is covered by basic homeowner or automobile insurance. In picking up where homeowner and automobile policies leave off, it is an extra layer of protection against lawsuits resulting from damage to someone else’s property or injuries as the result of an accident. It also protects against false claims and intentional acts such as libel, slander and vandalism by minors, and covers false arrest, wrongful entry, invasion of privacy and more.

Why We May Need an Umbrella

Lawsuits are pervasive these days. When it comes to personal liability exposures we’ve come to expect the unexpected. A neighbor or guest could slip and fall on your property, break a leg and sue you under your homeowner’s insurance. A storm or natural disaster could occur, causing a tree on your property to crash down on the neighbors’ vehicle or home. Lawsuits in cases like these are becoming more common, and the amount that juries award in these cases is often unpredictable and expensive.

Everyone needs to protect themselves and their assets against lawsuits and that is what an umbrella policy will do for all of us. We must all ask ourselves, do we have assets that we don’t want to be put at risk in the event of a catastrophic liability. These days, the equity on a person’s home is a considerable asset that we should think about
protecting.

Umbrella Limits can range form $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 and the annual cost, based on individual needs will be between $150.00 and $550.00.

For more information read this New York Times article on Umbrella policies.

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What is Phishing?

Our curiosity caught up with us in a recent review of our email filtering reports. The word PHISHING is one of the categories listed next to spam and Virus in the report. The question was asked, “What is PHISHING?”… Nobody knew, so we looked it up and this is what we found.

It’s a web term used when describing the attempt to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

Here’s a link on how it works: How Phishing Works

(In the link above watch the short video about using WIFI and how easily it is to get people’s passwords.)

Why does this matter to you, and why are you reading about it on an insurance agency’s website?

Because it’s useful knowledge to have the next time you come across a suspicious email or website that asks you to enter personal information. It might be worth doing a little investigation before entering your numbers and passwords.

But more importantly, it’s to let you know that there is insurance protection available for this exposure. In fact, it’s quite common. The next time you talk to your agent, ask about Identity Theft Protection. This is legitimate coverage which can be added to your home or business policy for a minimal amount each year.

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Attention Time Share Owners!

In a recent article from the Big “I”, Homeowners guru David Thompson talks about coverage gaps one may have if they own a time share. He breaks down where you are covered and where you are not covered. He also talks about how simple it would be to get coverage by spending very little. In most cases, you could get coverage for less than $50 per year.

Read the article here!

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Iowa Road Fatalities are Down to a Historic Low Number

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In a recent report by the Iowa Department of Transportation 359 people died on Iowa’s roadways last year, the lowest number since 1944. The State of Iowa’s fatality numbers have been under 400 for the last 3 years and reducing it’s number consistently each year.

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Midwest Strongman Competition

Midwest Strongman Competition

Think you’re tough? Prove it on May 26th at Muscatine’s Riverside Park

Miller-Harrison Insurance Services and Bark Chiropractic and Rehab Clinic are teaming up to promote the Midwest Strongman Competition. The event will be held in Muscatine on May 26th at the Riverside Park.Place page

Top two athletes in each weight class or division will receive an invitation to the NASM championships at Harrah’s Casino in Tunica, MS. Nov. 2nd & 3rd

Sign up today!

All participants must have a North American Strongman Inc. Membership. Click here for a membership application.

Already a member then download the Midwest Strongman Competition application here!

Stay tuned for details to come!

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Miller-Harrison Insurance Top 5 Safety Tips for a Safe and Happy New Year’s Eve

  1. Make Travel Arrangements-A designated driver will keep us all safe this New Year’s Eve.
  2. Designated Drivers Be Alert!- If you are the designated driver be aware of pedestrians. Intoxicated walkers may not pay any attention to crosswalks or lights.
  3. Housekeeping- If the party is at your house, double check the batteries in your smoke alarms, remove or fix any hazards that may cause injury to your guests, and put away the expensive keepsakes.
  4. Offer non-alcoholic beverages- Don’t forget to have non-alcoholic drinks available to your guests.
  5. Know Your Limits-Go ahead and celebrate, you’ve earned it! Just know your limits so you don’t start 2012 off with regrets.

Happy New Year from your local Independent Insurance Agency!
-Miller-Harrison Insurance Services

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Is Your Home Protected?

With the start of 2012 just a few weeks away, many of you will take a moment to reflect back on the events of the previous year.

You will most likely remember the fall of certain regimes and dictators, the Royal wedding, and even the death of Steve Jobs. Undoubtedly, you will recall the crazy weather we’ve had in 2011. We had earthquakes in Oklahoma and Washington D.C., a hurricane in the northeast, a flooded Missouri river, straight-line winds and hail like we’ve never seen before.

Many people were not prepared for the extreme weather of 2012; the unusual location and the severity of these events caught everyone off guard. Although these events may seem uncommon to us; the fact is they are becoming more and more common each year. It’s time to plan for and analyze the financial impact of potential weather-related disasters by reviewing and updating your insurance policy, so you can be better prepared if disaster strikes. Many homeowner policies exclude earthquake and flood, and most cover wind, but to what limit?

An article written by Amy Hoak for the Wall Street Journal talks about homeowners insurance and how many people are not properly insured. Read the article here.

The start of a new year is always a good time to review your policy and even reevaluate your property’s replacement cost. The cost of building materials has increased significantly, and the house you bought 10 years ago may cost much more to rebuild today then what you have listed for on your insurance policy.

So, begin 2012 with peace of mind knowing that you are properly covered; for just a few extra dollars a month it could save you a lot in the end.

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Online Portal to Connect Independent Agents with Consumers

Beginning in 2012 the Big “I” and the Consumer Agent Portal LLP (CAP) is getting ready to roll out an online resource for independent agencies. The online resource will connect thousands of independent agencies to the other 65% of the personal lines market owned by the direct writers. Read the whole story here.

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