Insurance help and free advice

Great News from Triest Agency

2012-09-06T15:56:00.001-04:00

Whenever we have the opportunity, we are delighted to share our good news with the entire Triest family of policyholders, friends, and clients. That's why we are pleased to announce staff changes. Pollyanna Lengel has been promoted to the position of Commercial and Professional Lines Account Executive. Pollyanna has been with the agency as an agent offering professional liability coverage and will be taking duties previously assigned to Joy St. Martin. Joy recently left the agency to pursue another opportunity. We wish her only the best in her new ventures. Pollyanna has over 23 years of insurance experience. She is a native of Georgia and a graduate of Auburn University. Pollyanna's direct number is 843-303-9160 or pollyanna@triestagency.com . Amber Posey has recently joined the agency as an administrative assistant and social media director. Amber is a graduate of the College of Charleston with a degree in English. Amber's direct number is 843-303-9209 or amber@triestagency.com . Christiana Davies has recently joined the agency as an administrative assistant. Christiana is a graduate of the College of Charleston with a degree in History. Christiana's direct number is 843-303-9163 or christiana@triestagency.com . Please don't hesitate to contact us at 843-556-6232 if you have any questions or if we can provide assistance with your policy. As always, we'd be happy to hear from you, and look forward to sharing more good news with you in the near future. Larry W. Freudenberg President Triest Agency 1052 Gardner Road Charleston, SC 29407 larry@triestagency.com 843-303-9200

Triest Agency Blog

2011-03-11T08:42:00.000-05:00

Triest Agency Blog

2011-02-05T14:27:00.000-05:00

Triest Agency Blog

Hurricane Hugo Photos Taken by Larry Freudenberg September 1989

2010-12-16T09:09:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Hugo Photos Taken by Larry Freudenberg September 1989

We Dodged The Bullet Another Year!

2010-12-10T16:25:00.000-05:00

Hurricane season is officially over for 2010 and we dodged another bullet. From June 1 until November 30th, those of us living in coastal communities held our breath as 19 named storms churned in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. 2010 earned the distinction of being number 3 on the list of largest number of named storms. Of the named storms, 12 were a hurricane which also ties a record for the 2nd most hurricanes with 1969. Danielle, Earl and even Igor tried to peak our interest earning a category 4 on the Safer-Simpson Hurricane Scale. As an insurance agent who sells auto insurance and home insurance and having survived Hurricane Hugo, a category 5 storm in 1989, I am always keenly aware of the damage these monsters can do if they hit land. Hugo struck historic Charleston, South Carolina on the evening of September 21, 1989. There was no dodging that bullet. Hugo was dead ahead and pointed directly for my city.

During the morning of September 21, the National Weather Service issued hurricane warnings for Charleston. The city was in a panic with thousands of cars heading west on the interstates leading out of Charleston. I was at my insurance office covering all of our computers with large plastic garbage bags to protect them in case water leaked from the roof. While working on this the UPS delivery truck pulled up and the driver had a package for us. My first instinct was to refuse the package and make them deliver it again after the storm passed. Instead I accepted and package which was the best alternative since this was our first FAX machine. Having a fax machine at our office in 1989 was a luxury and it was incredibly useful after the hurricane when we had to send hand written claim form to our insurance company adjusters.

The aftermath was devastating. Being in the insurance business, almost every homeowner had a claim on their homeowner’s insurance policy and many on their flood insurance. I am not sure of the exact statistic but almost every building in Charleston had roof damage. Back in 1989 homeowner insurance policies had very low deductibles compared to today. Many clients had deductibles of $250 to $1000 for their home and that covered almost all the wind damage, additional living expenses and for many spoiled food. Since Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans in 2005, deductibles have risen rapidly. Most homeowners in coastal areas have a special deductible for hurricanes (wind damage) that ranges from 2% to 10% of their property value. On a $500,000 home the deductible would be $10,000 to $50,000! Not the $250 deductible of yesteryear. That is just for the homeowner’s insurance policy. There is another deductible for the flood insurance and that is compounded since the flood deductible applies separately on the house and the client's personal property. We handled hundreds of auto insurance claims for cars that were damaged by flying debris; trees falling on them and flood damage. All of this spells high anxiety for those of us on the coast in South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana and all the other coastal states in the eye of the storm. We dodged another big one this year and our collective anxiety level has dropped until we get ready for June of 2011 and another storm season!

Tax cut deal: Why it isn't enough

2010-12-07T17:02:00.000-05:00

Tax cut deal: Why it isn't enough

Social Media Marketing: 5 Lessons From Business Leaders Who Get It

2010-11-17T11:29:00.000-05:00

Social Media Marketing: 5 Lessons From Business Leaders Who Get It

Charting a Course for Your Health Plan - Personal Finance - Health Care - SmartMoney.com

2010-10-18T10:36:00.000-04:00

Charting a Course for Your Health Plan - Personal Finance - Health Care - SmartMoney.com

5 Best Ways to Cut Insurance Costs - FOXBusiness.com -

2010-10-12T15:46:00.000-04:00

5 Best Ways to Cut Insurance Costs - FOXBusiness.com -

5 Best Ways to Cut Insurance Costs
By Constance Gustke

Published October 11, 2010
| Bankrate.com
Print Email Share Comments (0) Text Size

Death and taxes are two sure things. But people sometimes forget insurance costs aren't necessarily fixed, and getting the most policy for your money is worth checking out. All you'll need is extra time and the tenacity to pepper your agent with knowing questions. But the payoff can be big -- as much as 20 percent in savings.

These days, the odds favor consumers. Most insurers are in heated competition with each other. That means you're likely to get insurance breaks for most types of insurance, such as home and car.

Homeowners insurance: Go for discounts

Don't forget to ply your insurance agent with questions about discounts.

"There are five to 10 discounts on house insurance that people aren't aware of," says Don Griffin, vice president of personal lines for Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. For example, he says, insurers offer discounts for homes built to higher building codes.

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All discounts vary from state to state and among companies, though. So it pays to get three to four quotes online with different insurers, says Griffin.

Auto: Is your new car an insurance hog?

Most people buy car insurance backward: buying the car and then considering insurance costs. That can be costly.

"Before you buy, compare insurance costs for different cars," says Claire Wilkinson, vice president of global issues at Insurance Information Institute. "Their insurance costs vary, based on the likelihood of theft, etc." Once you know your insurance costs, you can ask yourself another key question: Is it within my budget?

After kicking a car's tires, check out its safety at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's website, says Griffin. "In most cases, (having a safer car) will lower your insurance costs," he says.

Health: Mix and match policies

In insurance, one size doesn't fit all. And that includes one health insurance policy per family.

"People don't realize they can mix and match policies within families," says Carrie McLean, a consumer specialist at online insurance broker eHealthInsurance.com. "Perhaps one member of the family needs more care, such as preventive care, and others don't."

For example, she says, it may be cheaper to buy an individual plan for a child than include him or her in a family plan.

The downside, she says, is that family members may go to different hospitals and doctors. "But it's saving you money in the long-run," says McLean.

Know your budget for the coming year, says Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman at America's Health Insurance Plans. Do you have a chronic condition? Do you want to have a baby? Do you have a lower premium and need higher cost services? "Make sure to get your preventative services," Pisano says.

Disability: Join group plans

Disability insurance can be expensive, so it pays to cut corners when you can, though the options are limited.

"It's harder to save money on disability than other kinds of insurance," says Byron Udell, CEO of AccuQuote in Chicago. "Group plans are much less expensive."

Basically, disability policies are priced by two components: waiting periods before benefits begin and actual benefit periods. Rejiggering either option can lower your policy costs, but Udell doesn't recommend it. For example, lengthening the policy waiting time from, say, 90 to 180 days only saves 5 percent on a premium, he says.

Life: Term insurance is a better buy

Term insurance is one of the cheapest forms of life insurance.

The savings come from buying a term policy and investing the savings on your own instead of in a policy. "Half of the life insurance policies sold are dropped," says James Hunt, a life insurance actuary with the Consumer Federation of America. "They're too complicated."

If you do need life insurance, though, opt for a multicarrier broker and shop around. "Half the time people are paying more than they need to," says Udell.

5 Best Ways to Cut Insurance Costs - FOXBusiness.com -

2010-10-12T15:42:00.000-04:00

5 Best Ways to Cut Insurance Costs - FOXBusiness.com -

Chile official: 1st miner to surface Tuesday - Yahoo! News

2010-10-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

Chile official: 1st miner to surface Tuesday - Yahoo! News

Should You Hurry to Buy Life Insurance? - Personal Finance - Insurance - SmartMoney.com

2010-10-01T09:37:00.000-04:00

Should You Hurry to Buy Life Insurance? - Personal Finance - Insurance - SmartMoney.com

Homeowner's Insurance: Do You Have Enough? - Personal Finance - Real Estate - SmartMoney.com

2010-10-01T09:35:00.000-04:00

Homeowner's Insurance: Do You Have Enough? - Personal Finance - Real Estate - SmartMoney.com

A New Tax Break for the Self-Employed - NYTimes.com

2010-09-30T11:47:00.001-04:00

A New Tax Break for the Self-Employed - NYTimes.com

2010-09-30T11:47:00.000-04:00

This is really good news for my self employed clients who pay their own health insurance.

A New Tax Break for the Self-Employed - NYTimes.com

Obama signs small business bill into law | Reuters

2010-09-28T10:39:00.000-04:00

Obama signs small business bill into law Reuters

National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Igor intensifies quickly - CSMonitor.com

2010-09-14T11:27:00.001-04:00

National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Igor intensifies quickly - CSMonitor.com

2010-09-14T11:27:00.000-04:00

National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Igor intensifies quickly - CSMonitor.com

U.S. Rebukes Health Insurers - WSJ.com

2010-09-14T10:38:00.000-04:00

U.S. Rebukes Health Insurers - WSJ.com

Apartment Security | Wireless Home Security System | Wireless Alarm

2010-07-26T15:23:00.000-04:00

Apartment Security | Wireless Home Security System | Wireless Alarm: "-

This is a great home or apartment alarm system and anyone can install it themselves. I've used this company for a couple of years and am extremely satisfied. The monthly monitoring fee is the lowest anywhere!

Larry

National Hurricane Preparedness Week

2010-07-23T09:56:00.000-04:00

National Hurricane Preparedness Week: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Hurricane Guide: Get ready - Hurricanes - MiamiHerald.com

2010-07-21T10:45:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Guide: Get ready - Hurricanes - MiamiHerald.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Some Banks Slash Their Overdraft Fees - Personal Finance - Debt - SmartMoney.com

2010-07-21T09:25:00.000-04:00

Some Banks Slash Their Overdraft Fees - Personal Finance - Debt - SmartMoney.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Disaster Updates: A Website For Disaster News - Undesignated - Property and Casualty Insurance News

2010-07-12T11:10:00.000-04:00

Disaster Updates: A Website For Disaster News - Undesignated - Property and Casualty Insurance News: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Flood Insurance Program Back in Business Until Sept. 30

2010-07-01T09:42:00.000-04:00

Flood Insurance Program Back in Business Until Sept. 30: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"