The Benefits of Utilizing the Services of a Business Insurance Broker

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No matter what type of business you’re running, it’s always a good idea to invest in business insurance. Business insurance not only protects your business in the event that something negative occurs, but it can also provide business owners with the peace of mind that they need to focus their minds and attention on the success of their businesses. Transferring some of the risk involved in owning a business to a business insurance company can greatly alleviate your stress, but sometimes finding the type of insurance that’s best for your business can be challenging. Fortunately, you don’t have to search through numerous business insurance providers all on your own, which can be a huge and time-consuming process in itself. Utilizing a skilled business insurance agent can save you much time and hassle when it comes to securing insurance for your business. Continue reading…

How to Prepare for your Life Insurance Medical Exam

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Your health plays a big role in determining the cost of a life insurance policy.  Life insurance companies require a medical exam where a trained medical professional comes to you, at your convenience.  The exam usually lasts about 20-30 minutes and the results of the exam aid in determining your rates. A test usually consists of a blood sample, a urine sample, blood pressure, height, weight, and medical history.  The more prepared and informed you are, the better your results can be.

Tips to Consider:life policy

Fast 6-8 hours prior to your exam.  Not fasting runs the risk of elevated blood sugar and blood pressure levels.  Try to schedule the exam for the early morning.

Do not smoke or drink coffee at least one hour prior.  Nicotine and caffeine will elevate your blood pressure.

Avoid drinking any alcoholic beverages 3 days prior.  Alcohol is high in calories and sugar which elevates blood pressure.  It can also make liver enzymes appear elevated.

Try to avoid over salty and sugary foods 24 hours prior.  Cholesterol and blood pressure test results can be affected. For best results, avoid salt and excess fatty foods for five to seven days before your exam; however, 24 hours is the minimum recommended timeframe.

Drink a lot of water the day leading up to and a couple hours prior to your exam.  The water will flush out your system and make it easier for the examiner to draw blood.

Avoid strenuous cardio the night before and the day of your exam.  Exercise raises your blood pressure and pulse readings.

Get a good night’s sleep.  Your blood pressure will be lower if you are well-rested and it also helps offset anxiety and fear.

Have a list of any medications you are currently taking.

Relax and properly prepare

If you are denied coverage don’t give up!  You can choose to improve your health with a balanced diet, regular exercise and better control of any medical issues, or you can decide to reapply for a guaranteed issue life policy.

Michigan Business Insurance: Protection against Equipment Breakdown

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All Michigan businesses experience equipment failure at some point. Even if you have your own team of troubleshooters, major breakdowns can still seriously hamper your operations. Without the right business insurance coverage, you’d have to deal with costly repairs and replacements, all the while incurring revenue loss. This is the very reason why you should consider getting equipment breakdown insurance. Continue reading…

Michigan Home Insurance: As a Renter, You Need Protection Too

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Renting usually means you have fewer things to be concerned about. Should the drain clog, there’s your landlord’s plumber to fix the mess. Should the air conditioning stop working totally, all you need is to call the property owner to have it replaced. This is why it often takes some serious events, such as a burglary, fire or an accident, for many renters to realize why they need an insurance.

As a Renter, You Need Protection Too

In fact, according to Simple Dollar, renters insurance is the least purchased product in the insurance market. On a 2012 poll, while 96% of homeowners have home insurance, only 31% of renters have theirs. While some can’t afford an insurance in the first place, there are renters here in Michigan who mistakenly assume they are covered by their landlord’s policy. There are also those who underestimate the value of their belongings, although the latter could easily add up to thousands of dollars. Whether you’re a long-time renter or a new renter, it pays to understand the coverage and limits of renters insurance.

Personal Property

Insuring your personal belongings is the main purpose of a renters policy. It covers loss or damage due to calamities like fire or storm and specific crimes like burglary. When considering the amount of coverage you need, draft a cost inventory of all your personal possessions (clothes, gadgets, appliances, etc.) since it can be overwhelming if you do that after a loss.

Liability

If something goes wrong in your apartment and this causes damage to your neighbor’s property, you can be held liable for repair or replacement. If someone gets injured on your premises, be it your friend, neighbor, or the delivery guy, they can file negligence charges against you even if you’re just renting. You could be held responsible for hefty medical bills—or worse, face a financially-draining lawsuit. Renters insurance won’t just replace the amount of your lost and damaged belongings; it also provides liability coverage.

Other Expenses

If fire or flooding damage (for instance) renders the house or apartment you’re renting uninhabitable, where will you live? With a renters insurance, you won’t have to worry about moving back to mom and dad’s or with your in-laws. This policy can cover increases in expenses incurred during your move so that your standard of living remains as usual.

Renters insurance coverage can vary between carriers but the key is studying it carefully before you close to determine how the policy can protect you in a variety of circumstances. Brokers from Michigan firms like Allied Insurance Managers, Inc. that provides comprehensive homeowners insurance can also find you renters insurance tailor-fitted to your specific needs and budget.

Source:

Renters Insurance: Why It’s Worth It, TheSimpleDollar.com

4 Common Myths about Renters Insurance, USNews.com

Business Insurance Brokers: Find the Right Coverage for a Golf Course

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Business Insurance Brokers: Find the Right Coverage for a Golf Course

Find the Right Coverage for a Golf Course

Golf courses face insurance risks that are unique to their industry. Though such locations project scenes of serenity and tranquility, golf courses are still businesses. And like any business, there are dangers that could result in a potentially significant insurance claim at any time. Risk assessments and having the right business insurance agent are key to avoiding such unfortunate circumstances. Below are some of the types of coverage that trusted insurance companies offer golf course owners.

Golf Cart Insurance

Golf Carts are the primary mode of transportation for golfers on the green. Regardless if your patrons use them off-road or on, proper insurance can help you protect your investment. Golf carts can get stolen or damaged, and they can also cause serious damage or injuries in an accident. Even if you’re not legally bound to buy insurance for your golf carts, it will be wise for you to do so for your own peace of mind.

Golf Maintenance Equipment Coverage

Should your golf maintenance equipment get lost, stolen, or damaged, this type of coverage can help you get back on track with minimal delay.

Pesticides and Herbicides Insurance

Pesticides and herbicides help maintain the health of your greenery. Unfortunately, depending on the products you use, you could end up harming the health of individuals who come in contact with it, which can have legal implications. Pesticides and herbicides insurance provides coverage for physical injury or property damage that may result from the intentional spraying of such products.

Errant golf ball property damage

If one of your patrons hit property owned by others—such as a car or a house—and deals significant damage, having this type of coverage can save you a fortune.

Country club insurance

A general country club insurance will cover whatever type of venue that you have to protect such as tennis clubs, city clubs, sports clubs, private and semi-private clubs, golf management companies, golf course communities, and national, state, local golf associations, and more.

Whether you run a public or private golf course, you know that owning such a property is serious business, and it’s crucial to avoid the hazards. With the types of insurance coverage highlighted above, you can rest assured your business is covered from a variety of damages. To find the best coverage for your needs, talk to trusted business insurance brokers such as those working with Allied Insurance Managers, Inc.

 

Sources:

How clubs can protect themselves and their golfers from insurance claims, Golf Club Management

Golf Course Insurance, Allied Insurance Managers

Michigan Car Insurance Info: Get to Know the State’s No-Fault Law

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Michigan Car Insurance Info: Get to Know the State’s No-Fault Law

When it comes to automobile, bus, truck, or motorcycle accidents in Michigan, it is important to note that the state practices a no-fault policy. Under Michigan’s No-Fault Act, your auto insurance company will be the one responsible for paying most of your economic damages, regardless of who’s at fault. Coming into effect on October 1, 1973, the law was designed to achieve two things: compensate persons injured in auto accidents quickly and equitably, and limit lawsuits by paying benefits quickly.

Michigan Auto Law enumerates the five benefits you could be entitled to should you find yourself involved in a car accident in the Great Lake State.

Get to Know the State’s No-Fault Law

Medical Expenses

Michigan’s No-Fault Act provides reimbursement for all medical expenses incurred by a personal injury from a vehicular accident. Depending on the type of coverage you obtained, the benefits you receive may either be full or coordinated (the insurance company only pays for the balance not covered by your basic health insurance).

Mileage

The Act also contains a provision for the reimbursement of transportation expenses, including those for traveling to and from hospitals, doctor’s offices, and rehabilitation clinics. In that sense, the injured party must keep a record of his or her mileage expenses for reference.

Wage Loss

The Act’s wage loss provision states that an injured person will be reimbursed up to 85 percent of any wage lost due to injury. The legally-set monthly maximum is adjusted every year. Wage loss benefits are payable up to three years from the date of the accident.

Replacement Services

An injured person can receive up to $20 a day for any services he or she may need to carry out daily activities that he or she are no longer able to do because of injury. Replacement services can include property maintenance, car maintenance, child care services, meal preparation, and driving family members to appointments.

Attendant Care

The No-Fault Act states that attendant care benefits are recoverable in the event of a serious auto accident injury. Attendant care includes, monitoring and supervision, administering medication, ambulation, dressing, bathing, wound care, and more.

Under Michigan’s No-Fault system, injured accident victims are promptly compensated for their losses. Of course, to receive a fair amount of compensation, you need to find a reputable insurance company that can satisfy your needs. Find the right insurance provider for you by working with top car insurance brokers such as Allied Insurance Managers.

Sources:       

Michigan Personal Injury Protection Benefits, Michigan Auto Law

Auto Insurance Facts, Insurance Institute of Michigan

Source URLs:

(Michigan Personal Injury Protection Benefits, michiganautolaw.com)

(Auto Insurance Facts, iiminfo.org)

Michigan Auto Insurance – New Electronic Proof of Insurance Law

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Officer:“May I see your Driver’s License and Proof of Insurance?”

Driver: “Yes officer. Here’s my license and my phone.”

Michigan drivers will soon be able to show police their proof of auto insurance on their cell phone or other mobile device under a new law signed yesterday by Gov. Rick Snyder. HB 4193, introduced by Representative Nesbitt, would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:

    • Provide that a certificate of no-fault automobile insurance in electronic form would be evidence that insurance was in force for the vehicle described in the certificate.
    • Provide that, if the owner or operator of a vehicle displayed to a police officer an electronic copy of the person’s certificate of insurance using an electronic device, the officer could view only the electronic copy of the certificate and would be prohibited from manipulating the device to view any other information on it.
    • Specify that the person would not be presumed to have consented to a search of the device.
    • Allow a police officer to require a person to forward an electronic copy of an insurance certificate to a specified location, and the officer could view it in a setting where it was safe for him or her to verify that the information contained in the electronic copy was valid and accurate.|
    • Provide that the State or a law enforcement agency, or an employee of the State or a law enforcement agency, would not be liable for damage to or loss of an electronic device that occurred when a police officer viewed an electronic copy of an insurance certificate, regardless of whether the officer or the owner or operator of the vehicle was in possession of the device at the time the damage or loss occurred.

The bill takes effect 90 days after being signed into law.  Thus, the law becomes effective approximately January 6, 2016.

Credit:  Michigan Association of Insurance Agents