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We loved this “classic” Christmas tale. We’re sure you will too!

Source: Unknown (with apologies to Clement Moore)

‘Twas the night before Christmas (12:01 a.m. 12/25) and all through the house (single family, joisted masonry, e.c.3, terr. 44, pc5), not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (thorough pride of ownership and excellent maintenance).

The (flame-retardant) stockings were hung by the (contractor-installed) chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there (in spite of deadbolt locks and central station alarm system).

The children (ages 4, 8, 14, & 16) were all nestled snug in their beds (check MVR on 16-year-old) while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.

Ma in her kerchief (scheduled heirloom) and I in my cap (no slave to fashion) had just settled down for a long winter’s nap. (Check employment; is insured sleeping all day?)

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter (check into condition of premises, housekeeping, etc.), I jumped out of bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, threw back the curtains and tore open the sash (intentional destructive act, no coverage; also, appears insured only wearing a cap in front of uncovered window).

When what to my wondrous eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. (check if sleigh is rated business use and corporate owned.) With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. (Notify life underwriting, order medical on 600-year-old driver).

More rapid than eagles (check MVR for speeding violations) his coursers they came and he whistled and shouted and called them by name (possible aggressive driver).

Now Dasher (turbo equipped?), now Dancer (classic?), now Prancer (check occupation), now Vixen (definitely check occupation), on Comet (possible muscle deer), on Cupid (check credit score), on Donner (4×4) and Blitzen (possible drinking problem?).

To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall (check for structural damage; also look into height exposures), now dash away, dash away, dash away all (old man climbing walls either in great shape or overly medicated).

So up to the housetop his coursers they flew, with a sleigh full of toys and Saint Nicholas, too. (Check for possible retail delivery classification of autos). And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. (Check for shingle damage; also classification of operations–roofing is a prohibited class).

As I drew in my head and was turning around, down the chimney he came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur (scheduled items) from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. (Part-time job as firefighter?)

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back. (Check to see if insured has safety committee; check lifting training). His eyes how they twinkled, his dimples how merry, his cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry (order updated medical report, possible drinking, drug abuse, Rosacea, or Hepatitis).

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth (ineligible for nonsmoker discount) and the smoke encircled his head like a wreath (check batteries in smoke detectors to make sure operational).

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly elf (overweight for height) and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a nod of his head soon gave me reason I had nothing to dread (Stranger enters past alarm and insured not worried? Sounds suspicious.)

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stocking, then turned with a jerk (review workplace for ergonomic compliance).

And laying his finger aside of his nose (obscene gesture?), and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. (Check operations, chimney sweeps are prohibited classification, look into GL PD deductible.)

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle (not likely with fat man and sleigh full of toys. Check GVW for proper classification, light/service/local seems unlikely).

And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” (Check hours of operation; 24-hour service operations prohibited. Also check into seasonal nature of business.)

Originally posted 2012-12-24 14:03:20.

Property and casualty insurance policies will provide a great deal of liability protection for policyholders and named insureds. If people slip and fall, a tree falls and damages a neighbor’s car, you are at fault in an accident, or other perils, most insurance policies will pay up to coverage limits minus any deductibles that apply. Liability insurance coverage is one of the primary functions of property and casualty insurance. In fact, liability insurance by definition is casualty insurance. But there is one thing no insurance policy will insurance against: A Moral hazard.

When Negligence Becomes a Moral Hazard

A moral hazard essentially is a policyholder’s willful disregard for known problems, such as a crumbling walkway with frequent foot traffic that remains in disrepair even after complaints are lodged. If, for example, the owner of an apartment complex knew of a potentially dangerous condition caused by a crumbling walkway and chose to ignore it until it caused injury, the insurance company could declare the management to be a moral hazard and refuse to pay any insurance claims. A peril must be sudden and unexpected and not the result of policyholder neglect for the contract to be valid. Ignoring a known dangerous condition, especially if tenants complained to local authorities, easily could constitute a moral hazard and negate any coverage for damages.

Preventing Moral Hazards

If the owner of an insured property, whether it be a home, auto, business or some other type of property and casualty coverage, suddenly becomes aware of a potentially dangerous condition and takes reasonable steps to correct it. insurance coverage would apply. In the case of a damages sidewalk, once aware of the disrepair, the landowner could cordon it off or place warning signs while making plans to either fix the problem or hire someone to correct the situation. Even if injury occurred during the repair process, the policyholder initiated reasonable steps to correct the matter, so insurance coverage would apply. Ignoring the same problem for months or years could negate coverage.

Are there any potentially dangerous conditions where you live?

Originally posted 2014-05-15 00:23:46.

If you’ve ever looked for a new car insurance policy, you know that shopping around can really help you find the cheapest rates. But sometimes those cheap rates aren’t really all that they seem. If you’re looking online for cheap car insurance in Las Vegas, you’ll want to keep the following “red flags” in mind.

Low-ball Estimates

So you filled out an online form and got a ridiculously cheap quote. Great, right? Well, maybe not. Some “quick and easy quotes” don’t paint a complete picture. It’s possible that the company may be luring you in with a low-ball quote, only to add on a number of costs and fees later in the underwriting process. For instance, your quoted coverage may not stand up to all state requirements, may include hefty deductibles or lack some areas of coverage altogether. Be sure you know exactly what is reflected in your quote and compare that with your own car insurance requirements.

Information Theft

We don’t want to scare you, but some of those online care insurance quote generators may not have your insurance needs in mind at all. In fact, they could just be repositories for personal information that is then sold to third parties for marketing and advertising purposes. Unless the site offering the quote service is reputable and trustworthy, you should be wary of supplying your private information.

Fraudulent Sites

You probably generally use common sense when researching a purchase. But when you’re trying to get Auto Insurance in Las Vegas, it can be easy to brush aside that common sense in favor of projected savings! Steer clear of websites that include red flags: poor spelling, no mention of credentials or affiliations, rock-bottom insurance prices, or quote generators that do not ask relevant questions. Make sure that the common sense portion of your brain isn’t overcome by the portion that wants to save money!

Finding cheap car insurance in Las Vegas doesn’t have to mean sacrificing coverage

Ready to get cheap car insurance in Las Vegas without compromising coverage or giving away private information? Give us a call today.

Originally posted 2013-08-05 10:21:25.

Not everyone needs life insurance, but it is a very important safety net for most families in the United States. Life insurance helps ensure families can continue to meet financial obligations and not suffer substantial reductions in their standards of living if there is an unfortunate accident and a family’s primary earner no longer is around. But some life insurance policies cost more than others and work differently. The simplest, most affordable and for many financial advisors the most preferable type of coverage is term life insurance, which is in effect for a set period of time and then expires if the insured individual is still alive.

Term Plans Are Very Affordable

Term life is the most affordable kind of life insurance with rates running often times a tenth or less of that for comparable levels of whole life insurance. Term life policies also do not require a medical exam because the rates are determined based on mortality tables that very accurately assess the odds of someone dying while a term life policy is in force. Those whose lives are insured through term life plans will be happy to learn information from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners indicates the insured individual outlives the term more than 90 percent of the time. A typical term lasts from between 10 years and 30 years.

Term Life Policies Protect Homes, Investments

The most common use of a term life insurance policy is to protect a home mortgage with a decreasing term life insurance policy. A decreasing term life policy is one that has a death benefit that decreases over time to reflect the decreased amount owed on a mortgage, for example. Many term life insurance policies have guaranteed renewal options and can be converted into whole life insurance, although not all term life policies offer such policy options. Many financial advisors prefer purchasing term life insurance instead of whole life insurance and using the money saved on monthly premiums to invest in higher-return investment vehicles.

If you no longer were around, would your family suffer a drastic drop in its standard of living?

Originally posted 2014-04-18 22:30:21.

Sure, the holidays are a joyous time. But they’re also an expensive time. That’s why, when January 1 rolls around, most of us are resolving to tighten the purse strings a bit and save some cash in the year to come. If you haven’t assessed your homeowners policy lately, January is a great time to do it. You could be able to save on home insurance and make finances a little brighter in the coming year. Here are our top tips:

Save on Home Insurance With These Tips:

Shop around: If it’s been a while since you’ve gotten a quote from a different insurance company, you may be paying too much for your homeowners policy. Save on home insurance by getting a current quote from another company or agency and comparing your current premium and coverage.

Increase your security: Installing new security feature on your property won’t just help protect your family; they also may help you save on home insurance. You could save money on your premium by installing a security alarm, deadbolt locks or even fire extinguishers.

Ask about discounts: Often, homeowners may qualify for premium discounts they didn’t even know existed! Ask your agency or provider about specific premium discounts, like multi-policy, senior citizen, low claims, marital status or security features.

Keep an inventory: You purchase home insurance to protect your possessions, right? But many policyholders fail to keep a current, accurate inventory of their personal property, which could cost them down the line. If you have not yet created an inventory (or it’s been a while since you updated it), now’s the time!

Want to learn more ways to save on home insurance in 2014? Give us a call today and a friendly agent will help determine how to get you the best policy for your budget – and keep you, your home and your family protected this year.

Originally posted 2014-01-01 09:39:42.