You have many coverage options when it comes to purchasing auto insurance. Some people choose to have the state minimum requirements, while others want more coverage protection.

If you are looking to lease or finance your next vehicle, it is important to understand what you most likely will need.

State minimum requirements include two coverages:

Bodily injury & property damage: this coverage only protects others if you are involved in an at-fault accident. This coverage will pay for damage you caused to a person’s property & if your at-fault accident caused an injury to anyone outside your vehicle and often a passenger in your vehicle.

Bodily injury & property damage coverage does not provide any coverage for your injuries or damages caused to your vehicle. State minimum requirements vary by state so depending on where you live, additional coverage may be required besides just bodily injury & property damage.

If you are leasing or financing a vehicle, you most likely will be required to carry more than just state minimum requirements on your auto insurance policy.

If you currently have state minimum requirements on your auto insurance policy but want to lease or finance a vehicle, your auto insurance premium will typically increase in cost since you need to purchase more coverage.

Additional auto insurance coverage that tends to be required when you lease or finance a vehicle:

Comprehensive coverage: this coverage can help pay to repair or replace your vehicle if it is vandalized, or damaged from a fire, wind, fallen tree, flood, lightning, or other covered weather-related incidents. It can also pay for damages caused by hitting an animal or if your car is stolen.

Collision coverage: If you cause an at-fault accident where your vehicle is damaged, this coverage can help pay for repairs or the replacement of your vehicle should it be deemed a total loss. This could include colliding with another vehicle, a guardrail, or fence.

Depending on who you lease or finance your vehicle through, you may have specific policy limit requirements you need to purchase. For example, bodily injury limits may need to be $100,000/person and $300,000/accident. To make things easier for you, ask your lease or finance company what liability limits you need to purchase. This will allow an insurance agent to provide you with the most accurate auto insurance quote.

Other coverages we recommend:

There are additional coverages that can help protect you if you get into an accident. Uninsured motorist coverage, medical payments, personal injury protection, and more. If you call us for a quote, we will explain all of your options.

Call Our Agency When it’s Time to Shop for Auto Insurance

A local insurance agent is one of the best ways to find affordable auto insurance. Especially if you currently have state minimum auto insurance, we will shop all of our insurance carriers to find the best rate.

We also have access to car insurance discounts, which will help lower your monthly or yearly premium. Call, email, or fill out a quote form on our website to get a free auto insurance quote.

Many people prefer to host a New Year’s Eve party instead of going out to celebrate. If you plan to gather with friends and family at your house, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to being a host.

Watch how much alcohol you are serving your guests

Not only should you be aware of how much you are serving your guests, but you should also be aware of who is driving home. It’s always best to have a designated driver if your guests plan to leave your home the same night as the party. If you over-serve alcohol & a guest drives home & gets into a car accident, you could be found liable for the damages. Instead of risking an accident, call an Uber, Lyft, or local taxi service to ensure they get home safely.

Do you have any tripping hazards or icy walkways?

Did you know you could be liable if someone injures themselves on your property? If someone trips over an object outside or slips on your walkway, you could be responsible to pay for any medical bills that may accrue from the injury.

Is it time to review your insurance policies in the New Year?

If you have experienced life changes, reach out to your insurance carrier about reviewing your current insurance coverage. Life changes should be a good time to review or update your policy.

For example, if you recently remodeled your home, be sure to relay this to your agent. This is important for your home insurance policy. If your home ever experiences significant damage, your home may not be covered at the correct amount if you failed to tell your insurance carrier of major remodeling updates.

If you find yourself driving less, you may want to make an update to your auto insurance policy. Teen drivers can also impact your auto insurance coverage. If your teen is going to start driving in 2023, talk to your agent about getting your teen added to your policy.

Life insurance also should be updated if you are getting married, divorced, having children, retiring, etc. There may be certain years where you want more insurance coverage or certain years where you need less coverage. Our agents are here to provide you with professional advice so you have the right coverage at the right time for your unique situation.

Lastly, if your insurance premiums have increased significantly, reach out to us. While insurance premiums have been up across the board this year, we may still be able to help match you with a different carrier at a more affordable price. We’ll shop all our carriers & can provide you with options to choose from.

Wishing you and your family the happiest New Year.

November 28, 2022

 

 

 

 

With the holiday season upon us and Giving Tuesday right around the corner, we have joined with Marathon Kids as advocates to inspire kids to run and adopt active lifestyles.

Did you know only 1 in 4 children get the daily recommended 60 minutes of physical activity? (That’s over half of our nation’s children!)

This is where Marathon Kids comes in. This non-profit organization supports schools and community organizations with an evidenced-based physical activity program that challenges kids to run, jog, walk or move the equivalent of four (or more!) marathons throughout a season. Marathons are reached by finishing miles in achievable increments or completing minutes of heart-pumping activity with the help of a Marathon Kids Coach. Coaches serve as positive role models leading children toward a balanced and healthy lifestyle and teaching valuable lessons such as goal setting and determination.

Marathon Kids is an opportunity for all kids – at any fitness level – to learn how being active every day improves their entire well-being.

Giving Tuesday, November 29^th, 2022

Giving Tuesday is the biggest giving day of the year around the world. It gives nonprofits the opportunity to better support their causes by increasing donations and awareness.

We’re excited to take this opportunity to get involved in our community and support a local nonprofit.

Austin Runner’s Club Giving Tuesday Social Run for Marathon Kids

Join us in running for Marathon Kids this Giving Tuesday at the Austin Runners Club 5k in downtown Austin! The event is FREE, and you can find us there wearing neon G L O W S T I C K S! We’ll be easy to spot! Click the link above for event details!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram so you don’t miss our colorful content!

Donate!

The Marathon Kids program is free for any school or organization interested in participating which is why they need our help! Interested in helping us contribute to this important cause?

Visit our Fundraising Page. HBI will match all donations made through November 29^th, 2022.

At Heaton Bennett Insurance, one of our core values is to Put Family First. This not only means we put our own families first, but the families of our community. We ask that you consider helping us support the families and the children of our community any way you can by either donating, spreading the word about Marathon Kids, or joining us at a Marathon Kids event! We’d love to see you there!

Insurance premiums are calculated based on how much it will cost to replace or repair your home or vehicle as well as your overall risk. Your overall risk is broken up by several factors that can impact your auto insurance such as your driving record, claim history, age, credit score, zip code, the make and model of your car, and the type of insurance coverage limits & deductible you choose. Your home insurance premium factors can be based on the age of your home & condition, your zip code, credit score, home safety features, the coverage limits & deductible you choose, claim history, and more.

We are seeing a trend that many customers continue seeing an increase in auto and home insurance premiums at renewal, even if their overall risk has not changed.

Home insurance has increased because construction costs have gone up due to a shortage of building materials and labor. Not only has there been a shortage in materials and labor, but the cost of materials and labor wages have also increased. Lastly, there has been an increase in home insurance claims due to natural disasters. Anytime an insurance carrier experiences an increase in insurance claims, they will increase their future premiums for customers. This can even extend across state lines.

Car insurance has also gone up for several reasons such as more accidents occurring, a shortage of skilled labor, and car parts have increased in price. All these factors make insurance premiums more expensive.

If your home or auto insurance policy premium increased significantly at renewal, don’t panic & give us a call. We represent the top insurance carriers, which means we work for you. We have the ability to shop your current coverage with all of our carriers & provide you with several quotes. This gives you the option to have competitive prices, as well as several choices.

We can also provide you with professional insurance advice. We always want you to have plenty of insurance coverage to ensure you are protected in the event you have to file a claim.

Here are some things to consider when it comes to lowering your premium: 

1.) Bundle your home or renters insurance policy with your car insurance.

2.) Stay on top of home maintenance to lower your risk of a claim. A few areas to assess are your roof, plumbing and electrical. Insurance claims can impact your future insurance premium so if there is a way to prevent a claim, this is crucial.

3.) Talk to your agent about an insurance review. When you increase your deductible, your premium gets lowered. Please note if you do experience a home insurance claim, out-of-pocket expenses would be increased due to a higher deductible.

4.) Ask for a re-quote with other carriers. This is a big advantage of working with a local, independent insurance agency. We have many choices for insurance!

Contact our agency today with any questions or concerns you have about your insurance policy.

October is Fire Prevention Month. In this blog, we’ll talk about some of the most common ways a fire can start and we’ll provide you with some tips on how to prevent them from starting.

Smoke Alarms

The number one defense against fires is having a working smoke alarm, so it is crucial that you regularly check to make sure that your alarms are working. Replace your batteries whenever they get low.

If your smoke alarm begins to make an annoying beeping sound, that is your alarm telling you that its batteries are running low on power. It is also a good idea to test your smoke alarm every six months.

It varies from unit to unit, but many times there is a button you can press that will trigger a test alarm. If you try testing it and nothing happens, then that is your sign to buy a new one.

Candles

Candles are a popular item to use this time of year. Candles can easily become a fire hazard if they are left too close to other flammable items, such as drapes or a blanket, or if they happen to tip over.

If you plan on using a candle, make sure you use one that has a wide base, so it doesn’t tip over easily, and you place it away from anything that could be flammable. Also, if you have to leave the room, make sure to always extinguish the candle. Alternatively, the safest option is to use an electric candle since they have an almost zero chance of starting a fire but still produces the same light and fragrance that normal ones do.

Chimney

With the temperature beginning to drop, you might be wanting to start using your chimney soon. It is important you take some precautions first. You should get your chimney inspected annually to prevent any leftover debris or soot that could potentially start a fire.

A good reminder when using your fireplace is to always make sure your fire is completely out when you are done using it. Any leftover embers can start another fire, and if you aren’t around, it’s possible for that fire to get out of control. To avoid this from happening, use a shovel to break up the burnt firewood and spread them out in your fireplace. Then, use sand, ash from the fire, or even baking soda to smother the remaining burning embers so oxygen can’t reach them. Water, however, should never be used since the steam can end up pushing out embers and fire particles from the fireplace into your home.

Appliances

The kitchen is where half of all house fires start according to the National Fire Protection Agency. There are several appliances in a house or apartment that if not used properly or safely can easily become a fire hazard.

One simple tip when using your kitchen: never leave your kitchen unattended if you are cooking.

Many fires in the kitchen start not from the food or oil being cooked, but also by simply leaving flammable items too close to what you are cooking. Examples such as oven mitts, towels, etc. can easily catch fire if left too close to the stove.

Dryers in laundry rooms are an additional appliance that you should be cautious of when you use them. The buildup of lint is one of the biggest reasons a fire can break out in your laundry room. Lint is flammable, and if it is not cleaned out regularly, it will continuously build up and the risk of a fire will grow larger.

Extension cords and power hubs are a convenient way to charge or power all of your electronics, but you need to always make sure you are not overloading them, otherwise, you can risk starting an electrical fire. Before using it, you should read the instructions (if provided) of your extension cord so you’re aware of its limits and how not to exceed them.

If you are using the cord to power a larger appliance, make sure the extension cord can handle the electrical load and don’t overload it by adding additional appliances. You should also purchase cords that have been tested by independent testing labs to help verify its safety; You should see a sticker displaying this on the extension cord and/or its packaging.

We hope these tips have given you better insight into how to prevent fires in your home. If you would like to learn more about fire prevention, or what your homeowners insurance covers in a fire, contact our agency today.