Insure Pro

Testimonial to their service

2012-03-22T17:14:00.000-06:00

Hi Brandon!

Glad to respond. We were very grateful for and impressed by the quick and thorough response we had after Elizabeth's accident.

Here are my responses to your questions:

1. How satisfied were you with the professionalism and level of communication your received from Insure Pro? 10

2. How satisfied were you with the insurance company and adjuster you dealt with? 10

3. How satisfied were you with the speed with which your claim was resolved? 10

4. How satisfied were you with answers you received to your questions? 10

5. Is there anything we could have done better to improve your claims experience? No, your attention was prompt and very reassuring. We appreciate your help!

Thanks again for everything!

Bonnie Nelson

The Hunger Games - Client Appreciation Event

2012-03-08T23:16:00.002-07:00

Come join us at our client appreciation event for opening night of Hunger Games. Click here for more details and to register: http://www.insureproins.com/content/clientevent.aspx.

Seats are limited and are filling up quickly so register now! We actually filled up our original theater due to the overwhelming response, and decide to buy another theater, so sign up fast!

If you currently are not a client contact us today to see why we are different, and why we should be your family or business insurance agents! 801-505-9960

Utah: Preparedness Now

2012-03-08T11:30:00.001-07:00

Many of us are not prepared for a big earthquake, and this may have you re-thinking. Also many people don't realize they don't have adequate insurance coverage for a devastating earthquake like this in Utah. Call us if we can be of any assistance to help you review your policy.

Is your jewelry covered correctly? Valentine's gift...

2012-02-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

Valuable articles coverage: a great Valentine's gift

The National Retail federation reported that Americans spent $15.7 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day gifts in 2010. Since Jewelry is one of the most popular gifts for sweethearts, now is the perfect time to think about valuable articles coverage.

According to the FBI, victims of burglary suffer more than $4 billion in lost property annually with an average dollar cost of about $2,000 per incident. The typical homeowners policy, however, has specific internal limits on jewelry, art and other items. If you have valuable pieces that exceed those limits, you could be in for an unhappy surprise if you become a victim of theft or an accidental loss. To help prevent coverage shortfalls, insurance companies offers valuable articles coverage to give you multiple options for protecting your most valuable items.

Itemized or scheduled coverage

Additional classes of property – Additional classes of property are available on a scheduled basis, including jewelry such as wedding rings, stamp and coin collections, musical instruments and others.
Agreed value and no deductible – With an agreed-upon value for each item of fine art and jewelry and no deductible, the claims experience is straightforward and simple.

Grouped or unscheduled coverage (blanket coverage or limit that covers everything)
Scheduling each item of personal property can be time consuming for you and costly. Grouped coverage is designed to provide you with an affordable and easy alternative. Available for fine arts, including collectables such as figurines and glass with breakage coverage, cameras, furs, jewelry and silverware, it offers blanket coverage for a wide range of perils.

Easy coverage – Customers can simply increase or decrease the blanket coverage limit as the amount of total property changes without having to modify schedules.
High limit and low deductible – High limits are available and low deductibles separate from the home policy.

Contact us today to make sure your jewelry or other high value items are covered correctly on your home owners policy.

Winterization Tips for Classic Cars

2011-10-27T10:13:00.000-06:00

For those classic car owners, it's time to put your cars to sleep for the winter. We've put together some steps to help you do it right. Feel free to pass this information on to anyone who may benefit.

1. Top off your levels.

• Fill your gas tank and add a fuel preservative. The full tank keeps out moisture, and the preservative keeps the gas from breaking down. Take one last drive to circulate the preservative.

• Make sure your antifreeze is fresh and topped off.

• To avoid a nasty sludge in the spring, change the oil

2. Take preventative measures.

• Give your car a good wash and wax to protect the paint. Protect the chrome with wax or paint sealant.

• Over-inflate tires to avoid flat spotting, or jack up the car to take pressure off the tires.

• Put a battery manager on your car.

• To prevent rodents nesting in an engine compartment, try a rodent repellent under the hood. Just remember to remove it before starting up.

• Put down a few moisture pads on the upholstery to absorb moisture and prevent mildew.

• Cover the car with a breathable car cover to prevent corrosion and rust.

3. Re-circulate your oil.

• When a car sits, oil settles into the pan, leaving the engine without lubrication. Disconnect the coil wire and crank the engine over several times. Reconnect the coil wire and you should be good to go.

More information on winterization, along with a wide variety of car care articles can be found on Hagerty Insurance's website. Feel free to call us with any of your insurance needs on your classic cars or toys.
Insure Pro
801-505-9960

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim

2011-07-22T09:57:00.000-06:00

5 Steps To Filing Your Auto Insurance Claim

1. Evaluate whether or not you should file a claim: Did you know that just when you call your insurance company with a question about possibly filing a claim it is often recorded on your insurance record? It is important to keep your insurance record clean and one way is deciding whether or not you should file a claim. It doesn’t matter if the accident is your fault or not, you should ask yourself first if you can pay for the damage. Simply put, if you can pay for it yourself without financial hardship, don’t file the claim.

2. Fill out your What to do After an Auto Accident Worksheet: This worksheet, which when you click on the title is provided for print-out, will help you keep track of the information you will need to file your auto insurance claim. It is important to get every detail of the accident documented and to try to find witnesses that would be willing to talk to your insurance company to back-up your story.

3. File the claim ASAP: You will want to file the claim as soon as possible with your insurance company. Even if it is not your fault, your insurance company will handle the claim process as your advocate.

4. Prepare for a possible call from the other insurance company: If there is a dispute between the two parties in the accident, you may get a call from the other driver’s insurance company asking for your version of what happened at the accident scene. If this happens make sure you document everything you say and the name of the customer service agent you talked too.

5. Finally, getting your car fixed: If you had body damage to your vehicle this is when you will finally get it fixed. After your claim is approved, you will likely get a call from your insurance company about sending an insurance adjuster out to assess the damage or asking you to send your car to a pre-approved shop to get it fixed.

Source:

http://personalinsure.about.com/od/whattoexpect/a/aa071704a.htm

Child Safety seats

2011-07-15T12:09:00.000-06:00

Child Safety Seats

If you have children it's important to make sure they are secured properly when you drive with them. They are almost always safer when riding in the back, in a car seat that is appropriate to their age and weight.

Using a car seat correctly can prevent injuries, but wrong usage is very common. Even a small mistake in how the seat is used can cause serious injury in a crash.

Tips to ensure you are using a child car seat correctly

Never put an infant in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag.
Route harness straps in lower slots at or below shoulder level.
Keep harness straps snug and fasten the clip at armpit level.
Make sure the straps lie flat and are not twisted.
Dress your baby in clothes that allow the straps to go between the legs. Adjust the straps to allow for the thickness of your child's clothes. Do not use bulky clothes that could increase slack in a crash.
To keep your newborn from slouching, pad the sides of the seat and between the child's legs with rolled up up diapers or receiving blankets.
Put the car seat carrying handle down when in the car.
Infants must ride in the back seat facing the rear of the car. This offers the best protection for your infant's neck.
Recline the rear-facing seat at a 45-degree angle. If your child's head flops forward, the seat may not have reclined enough. Tilt the seat back until it is level by wedging firm padding such as a rolled towel, under the front of the base of the seat.
All new car seats are now required to come equipped with top tether straps. A tether strap is a belt that is attached to the car seat and bolted to the window ledge or the floor of the car. They give extra protection and keep the car seat from being thrown forward in a crash. Tether kits are also available for most older car seats. Check with the manufacturer to find out how to get a top tether for your seat. Install it according to instructions. The tether strap may help make some seats that are difficult to install fit more tightly.

Do not use a car seat if any of the following apply.

It is too old. Look on the label for the date it was made. If made before January 1981, the seat may not meet strict safety standards and its parts are too old to be safe. Some manufacturers recommend using seats for only 6 years.
It does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number. Without these, you cannot check on recalls.
It has been in a crash. If so, it may have been weakened and should not be used, even if it looks all right.
It does not come with instructions. You the instructions to know how to install and use the car seat properly. Do not rely on the former owner's instructions. Get a copy of the manual from the manufacturer.
It has cracks in the frame of the seat.
It is missing parts. Used seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts.

To find out if your child safety seat has been recalled, you can call the Auto Safety Hotline ( 888-DASH-2-DOT ). If the seat has been recalled, be sure to follow the instructions for the recall or to get the necessary parts. You should also get a registration card for future recall notices from the Hotline.

For more information about infant or toddler car seats, go to the Web site of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at (www.highwaysafety.org). Also check out the National SafeKids Campaign (http://www.safekids.org) which offers a free Child Car Seat Locator which allows you to enter your child's age and weight, and get back a list of recommended car seats. Another good source of information on car seats is the American Academy of Pediatrics website (http://www.aap.org/family/), which offers a detailed shopping guide to car seats.

Is your child ready for a regular seat belt?

Keep your child in a car seat for as long as possible. When he or she is big enough, make sure that seat belts in your car fit your child correctly. The shoulder belt should lie across the shoulder, not the neck or throat. The lap belt must be low and flat across the hips, not the stomach. The child's knees should bend easily over the edge of the vehicle seat. Seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, he or she should stay in a booster seat until the belt fits.

Never tuck the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind their back.

Use lap belts only as a last resort. Try to get a lap-shoulder belt installed in your car if it doesn't already have one. If you must use a lap belt, make sure it is worn tight and low on the hips, not across the stomach.

Child Safety Seats

Using a car seat correctly can prevent injuries, but wrong usage is very common. Even a small mistake in how the seat is used can cause serious injury in a crash.

Tips to ensure you are using a child car seat correctly

Never put an infant in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag.

Route harness straps in lower slots at or below shoulder level.

Keep harness straps snug and fasten the clip at armpit level.

Make sure the straps lie flat and are not twisted.

Dress your baby in clothes that allow the straps to go between the legs. Adjust the straps to allow for the thickness of your child's clothes. Do not use bulky clothes that could increase slack in a crash.

To keep your newborn from slouching, pad the sides of the seat and between the child's legs with rolled up up diapers or receiving blankets.

Put the car seat carrying handle down when in the car.

Infants must ride in the back seat facing the rear of the car. This offers the best protection for your infant's neck.

Recline the rear-facing seat at a 45-degree angle. If your child's head flops forward, the seat may not have reclined enough. Tilt the seat back until it is level by wedging firm padding such as a rolled towel, under the front of the base of the seat.

All new car seats are now required to come equipped with top tether straps. A tether strap is a belt that is attached to the car seat and bolted to the window ledge or the floor of the car. They give extra protection and keep the car seat from being thrown forward in a crash. Tether kits are also available for most older car seats. Check with the manufacturer to find out how to get a top tether for your seat. Install it according to instructions. The tether strap may help make some seats that are difficult to install fit more tightly.

Do not use a car seat if any of the following apply.

It is too old. Look on the label for the date it was made. If made before January 1981, the seat may not meet strict safety standards and its parts are too old to be safe. Some manufacturers recommend using seats for only 6 years.

It does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number. Without these, you cannot check on recalls.

It has been in a crash. If so, it may have been weakened and should not be used, even if it looks all right.

It does not come with instructions. You the instructions to know how to install and use the car seat properly. Do not rely on the former owner's instructions. Get a copy of the manual from the manufacturer.

It has cracks in the frame of the seat.

It is missing parts. Used seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts.

Is your child ready for a regular seat belt?

Never tuck the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind their back.

Health insurance between jobs

2011-07-14T12:06:00.000-06:00

Many people go between jobs with no health insurance. There is a quick, inexpensive, and easy option called Short-term Health Insurance to solve this problem!

Click here to get an instant online quote! If you decide to apply you can do it online, and just answer a couple health questions and your policy will start automatically.

For a better and less expensive option than COBRA, and a quick and easy option while you're waiting for your new health benefits to start with your new job you should look at short-term health insurance. This is a great option anytime you need 6-12 months of health coverage that is very affordable and still provides good coverage.

An ideal time to consider short-term health insurance would be:
1. Between jobs
2. Waiting for empoyer benefits to begin (new hire waiting period)
3. Student or recent graduate
4. Without coverage temporarily due to job or life changes
5. Part-time, temporary, or seasonal employee waiting to pick up benefits
6. Retired or waiting for Medicare eligibility

Preventing Water Damage in Your Home

2011-06-03T19:18:00.000-06:00

The first signs of water damage might seem meaningless: a drip here, a drop there – nothing that can’t be taken care of with a towel.

But warnings like water stains on the ceilings or a leak under the kitchen sink can lead to MAJOR problems like a weakened roof or rotten floorboards. A burst pipe can damage your furniture and other personal possessions, and flooding can very quickly lead to problems with mold.

Why take a chance? Learn where your home is most likely to suffer water damage, and what you can do to help prevent it.

Finding Possible Problems in your HOME

A good place to start when you’re trying to prevent water damage? The kitchen: a place with a whole lot of water.

Look carefully at your major appliances, and make sure they are up to snuff.

The Dishwasher: Periodically check for leaks under the sink where the hose connects to the water supply. Look around the base of the dishwasher for evidence of leaks, such as discolored, warped, or soft flooring materials, or water damage to nearby cabinets.

The Refrigerator: If your refrigerator has an icemaker, make sure the hose connection is securely attached to the water supply line. Also, a wet spot on the floor may be a sign of a crimped icemaker line about to burst.

The Sink: Replace deteriorated caulk around sinks, and check the pipes under the sink for leaks. A slow-draining pipe may indicate a partially blocked drain that needs cleaning.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is another water damage hot spot. Here’s what you should examine and address:

Showers And Bathtubs: Remove and replace deteriorated or cracked caulk and grout. Water from a broken supply pipe behind the wall can leak through these damaged sealants, causing stains or soft areas around nearby walls and floors. Leaking drain pipes and shower pan leaks are also common sources of water damage. If necessary, contact a plumber or contractor for help.

Sinks: Check under the sink for leaks from water supply lines or drainpipes. If necessary, contact a plumber or contractor for help.

Toilets: Clogs can result from too much toilet paper or objects such as hanging bowl deodorants. Also, some chlorine tablet cleaners may corrode internal plastic or rubber parts, leading to a leak. Again, don’t hesitate to call in a professional.

The Basement, Laundry, Or Utility Room

Washing Machine: Check hoses regularly for bulging, cracking, fraying, and leaks around hose ends. Replace the hose if a problem is found or every 3 to 5 years as part of a proactive maintenance program. To help make sure the hose doesn’t kink, leave at least 4 inches (or 11 centimeters) between the water connection and the back of the washing machine. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s installation instructions carefully.

Water Heater: Most water heaters last 8 to 15 years. Wet spots on the floor or a rusted tank may signal a leak. Water heaters should be installed on the lowest level of the home, next to a floor drain, or inside a drain pan piped to the floor drain.

Sump Pump: Battery-operated backup sump pumps can help protect against power failure or failure of the primary pump. Test the sump pump before the start of each wet season. Sump pumps are not intended to last more than 10 years and must have some components replaced or serviced within those 10 years.

Since water may still come through an overflowing drain or cracks in the foundation walls, make sure items stored in the basement are kept off the floor. Furniture should be on casters or shims and arranged away from floor drains.

Spring Newsletter

2011-05-03T20:05:00.000-06:00

We wanted to provide some useful and informative information to our clients. Click here to see our Spring Newsletter!

Topics include:

1. SPRING WATER TIPS-8 tips to help prevent spring water damages

2. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN... Learn more about our most popular insurance product

3. COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER-Join us for our 1st Annual Charity BBQ to help support the Children's Miracle Network.

Thanks again,

Take advantage of your health insurance FREE preventative care

2011-03-28T10:54:00.000-06:00

Since Obama passed the health care reform in March of last year, in October several new coverages went into place, including now preventative care is covered 100% on all health plans. If your plan hasn't renewed yet then this may not be available until your next renewal, but either way make sure you take advantage of these FREE preventative services and avoid something more major down the road.

Click here to see a brochure from SelectHealth on most of the common preventative services covered for FREE!

Changes to getting kids under 19 on an individual health plan

2011-02-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

If you have a kid that was declined health insurance on an individual health plan because an adult was not accepted on the plan, the Utah Insurance Department (UID) made an emergency change to the health care law last week. PLEASE CALL WITH ANY QUESTIONS, BUT PLEASE READ BELOW. 801-505-9960

As you know, the passage of the Affordable Care Act resulted in a number of changes to dependent eligibility, including guaranteed issue for children younger than age 19. In September 2010, the Utah Insurance Department (UID) issued an emergency rule regarding dependent eligibility, including requirements for open enrollment periods.
Last week, the UID made changes to this emergency rule that address child-only plans. Under this new rule, carriers must issue a child-only plan to individuals younger than age 19 who have obtained a certificate of insurability.

To receive a certificate of insurability, an individual must apply with HIPUtah (High Risk Health Insurance Pool). If the individual qualifies for a HIPUtah plan, he or she will be offered HIPUtah coverage. If not, the individual will be issued a certificate of insurability, which must be honored by any commercial carrier in the Utah individual market.

Avoid winter-related disasters

2011-02-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

With below freezing temperatures it's probably worth taking some extra steps to protect your home. Check out this information from the Insurance Information Institute about avoiding winter-related damages to your home. Click on the title to this article to see the page.

OPEN ENROLLMENT for kids under age 19 that are now guaranteed acceptance on health insurance

2010-12-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Remember that effective this September that the first set of healthcare legislation went into force, and kids under age 19 are guaranteed acceptance on individual/family health plans. So if you applied for health insurance in the past and one of your kids was declined coverage, then most carriers are only allowing to add them back onto your plan on your policy renewal, which most plans renew the first of January or July.

There is a catch.... at least one parent has to apply and get approved with the child to have them on the plan, and both parent's have to apply and one has to get approved with several companies.

Let us know if you have any kids under age 19 that you've had problems getting insurance on and want to re-look at these options.

Know Your Stuff - FREE Home Inventory Software

2010-12-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

We recommend all the time to clients to keep an inventory of everything in their home in case they ever have an insurance claim, but most people never get around to doing it because of the hassle. This software makes it easy, and will really help you inventory your belongings if you have to ever make a claim Check it out!

Know Your Stuff® – Home Inventory is provided by the Insurance Information Institute's (III) and is a free online home inventory software. This application makes creating and updating your home inventory easy and efficient. And with the free, secure online storage you will have access to your inventory anywhere, any time. You never know when a disaster may strike, but you can be prepared with an up-to-date home inventory.

We hope this helps! -Insure Pro

Top Vehicle Safety Picks 2010-How does your car stack up?

2010-11-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Top Vehicle Safety Picks 2010-Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

To determine crashworthiness — how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a crash — the Institute rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests, a rollover test, plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. To earn Top Safety Pick for 2010 a vehicle must have good ratings in all four Institute tests. In addition, the winning vehicles must offer electronic stability control.

How to select the best booster for your kids! You need to read this!

2010-11-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety take the guesswork out of selecting boosters for your kids, and get ratings for the top boosters! Make sure you're using them properly also.

Have you ever heard of Medical ID Theft?

2010-11-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

I had a client last month apply for health insurance and there was a major surgery on her medical records that she didn't have done! Honestly, how can this even happen right? Many people think that ID Theft is associated with only financial transactions, but it goes far beyond that with medical, drivers license, social security, and financial ID Theft. ID Theft is the fastest growing crime in America, but everyone also thinks it will never happen to them right?

Did you know you can add ID Fraud Protection onto your home policy with most insurance companies? Call us today and we can show you how inexpensive it is, and if the company we have you with has this important coverage. If you want a more comprehensive coverage for everyone in the family, including kids, then for about $14/mo you can get one of the best and most comprehensive ID Theft plans on the market! Call us today and we can help you with that also.

20% Rate Increases on health insurance

2010-09-12T12:20:00.000-06:00

We are getting new rates for our individual health insurance plans effective for 10/1/2010, and we are seeing on average 20% rate increases on almost all plans and all companies.

Why are they going up? Effective 9/23/2010 the first requirements of the Healthcare Reform bill are hitting insurance plans which include:

1. $0 out-of-pocket and unlimited preventative care (used to have to pay at least a copay)
2. Unlimited lifetime maximum benefits (these used to be $2-5M)
3. Dependents under 26 years old covered whether full-time students or not (used to have to be a full-time student to be covered over 19)
4. One of the primary reasons for the increase is the first stage of guaranteed issue health insurance-under 19 years old is guaranteed issue with NO preexisting clause (used to be underwritten based on health on individual plans, and 1 yr preexisting clause if they didn't have at least 1 year of prior insurance)

So you can't obviously give away coverage for free, so yes there are more coverages, but in turn we are also seeing this first stage of rate increases across the board. As other requirements begin to hit plans in 2014 (guaranteed issue for all ages, maternity included on individual plans, etc), I'm afraid that we will continue to see even higher than normal rate increases. Some changes needed to be made probably, and will help some people, but overall giving away coverage is going to cost someone-and that includes us unfortunately.

Click here to see more Healthcare Reform resources from our website. Please call with any questions!

NOW VOTE ON OUR POLL ON THE RIGHT IF YOU APPROVE OF THE HEALTHCARE REFORM BILL?

Utah Health Exchange Now Open for All Utah Companies with 2-50 Employees

2010-09-07T23:32:00.000-06:00

Small businesses in Utah now have the ability to offer expanded health coverage choices to their employees while controlling their own health benefit costs.

The Utah Health Exchange, whice had been operating as a pilot program for the past year, is now open for all Utah employer groups with two to fifty individuals.

Employees of participating businesses can use the Exchange to "shop" for health insurance plans that are tailored to their individual needs. Rather than having one or two options that are pre-selected by their employer, employees can choose from over sixty plans from four of Utah's largest insurance carriers: Humana, Regence, Select Health, and United Healthcare.

For employers, the Exchange offers access to Utah's new defined contribution insurance market. With defined contribution, employers simply decided how much to contribute to their employees' health premium. That defined contribution is then automatically included in the premium calculations as employees shop for plans in the Exchange.

Defined contribution allows businesses to predict and contain benefits costs from year-to-year. Health plans purchased via the Exchange are also portable between qualified, registered employers, and all plans in the Exchange allow both employers and employees to retain the pre-tax advantages of traditional small group insurance.

For more information on the Exchange, as well as instructions on how businesses can begin the enrollment process, please visit www.exchange.utah.gov or contact us today!

Utah Health Exchange - An Introduction

2010-09-07T23:29:00.000-06:00

Here is an introduction to the new Utah Health Insurance Exchange that is open to small businesses with 2-50 employees. This offers a new option for small employers health insurance, and more options for employees.

Call us today to learn more about the Utah Health Insurance Exchange and how it could benefit your business!

SWAGGER WAGON-Funny!

2010-09-04T08:40:00.000-06:00

This is a funny commercial/video! So driving a minivan after all is cool?

Please call us with any of your insurance needs!

PRANK OF THE WEEK MUST SEE!!!!!!!

2010-09-04T07:37:00.000-06:00

This is a really funny prank from the show "Scare Tactics." I've never heard of this show, but then after watching this I went to Hulu and watched a bunch of scenes that are pretty funny. I hope you like it!

Give us a call if we can help you with anything!

Some Useful Insurance Tips

2010-08-13T16:47:00.000-06:00

Get an instant auto and home quote now!

2010-08-12T21:52:00.000-06:00

You can get an instant online auto and home insurance quote from multiple top companies right from our website!