Groninger Insurance

When you get into a car accident, the last thing you want to think of is the fact that you don’t have car insurance. It’s so important that most states legally mandate you to have it to operate your vehicle. Picking the optimal one for you can be difficult, though. Should you prioritize the best possible or the cheapest? This article will help you find the car insurance plan that is best for you.

When looking to purchase car insurance, get advice from people you know. You might find out that others have done research and they will give you what they found. Feel free then, to contact every referral that is given to you and reference the person who gave it to you. This could help you find someone with a good rate.

Do not add features to your car that will increase its value if you want to keep your car insurance rates down. To a car insurance company, making your car worthwhile means that it is more likely to be stolen by a thief, which causes insurance companies to increase your rates.

Make sure your auto insurance covers car theft, vandalism, hail damage, fire or damage due to hitting an animal, if those things are important to you. Damages from any of those issues will not be covered if you do not have comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive covers damage resulting from other things outside of a car accident.

A good way to save a significant amount of money on your car insurance is to install a security device like a car alarm, satellite tracker or an immobilizer. Your coverage is also based on whether or not your car is at high risk for theft. If you can lessen the chances of theft, you’ll see that reflected in lower insurance costs.

Select liability limits appropriate to your needs and personal financial situation. Most states require relatively low minimum limits. However, if you are found at fault for an accident, you could be liable for damages beyond your insurance limits. Carrying higher limits based on your personal asset situation may make more sense to provide adequate protection in case of an at-fault claim.

Make sure you understand all of the perks associated with a new vehicle and how it may impact your insurance needs. For example, many new vehicle purchases include roadside assistance during the warranty period. If so, you can drop roadside assistance, towing or other similar coverages from your auto policy without reducing your total protection.

Be aware of any medical coverage that is included with your auto insurance policy. There can be a section on medical payments. This coverage pays for injuries to you and any occupants of your car. In some states, this is optional. In the”no-fault” states, personal injury protection will replace medical payments as part of the regular coverage.

Don’t drive without car insurance. It can be a big gamble, and it’s also illegal. This article should have pointed you in the direction you need to figure out what car insurance is best for you. While your financial situation may force you to pick something less than optimal, the tips given here will help you understand your policy and select the plan that’s right for you.

We call them “company cars,” but in reality they’re a lot more than that. Life happens, and that company car suddenly becomes the “get-the-kids-to-soccer-practice-mobile” or the “running-to-the-store-for-bread-and-milk car.” But what happens when a company car has an accident while on personal business?

ERIE business products are developed with a complete view of your life. That’s why our products are best in class. With an ERIE business auto policy, you’re covered even if the business vehicle was being used for personal matters at the time of the accident.

In fact, you’re covered if you have an accident while dropping your son off at football practice or stopping at the convenience store for a gallon of milk on your way home from work.

So make the most of your commercial vehicles, whether it’s for making deliveries from your business, or running errands.

Not all companies are licensed or operate in all states.  Not all products are offered in all states.  Go to www.erieinsurance.com for company licensure and territory info.

May Newsletter

April is Financial Literacy Month and a reminder that major life milestones, as well as significant purchases and home alternations, can affect your insurance needs, according to the Insurance Information Institute(I.I.I.).

Writing a check for car insurance isn’t your favorite thing in the world.  We get it. . You’d much rather be spending the money on a fancier car, a nice vacation, or that pony the kids keep begging for. Spending your hard-earned money on auto insurance is necessary, but you’re always looking for ways to save some of it for the fun stuff. Here are a few tips to help you get great coverage—while paying less:

ñ  Drive Safely. Seems obvious, but it’s true. If you get into fewer accidents, your premiums are lower. We also offer First Accident Forgiveness so one little mishap won’t send your payments through the roof. Talk to us for details.

ñ  Bundle: When you insure more with ERIE, we’re able to cut you a break on your premiums to thank you for your loyalty. Whether that means insuring multiple cars with us or buying life insurance or property/ casualty insurance with us, buying in bulk saves you money, just like in one of those big warehouse clubs.

ñ  Discounts: Ask us about what discounts you qualify  for—you might be surprised! From discounts for college students and drivers 55+ to safe driver discounts, you can save in so many ways.

At Erie Insurance, it’s our job to keep you safe and covered—but great coverage doesn’t have to break the bank. Call us to find out how we can help you reduce your premiums while keeping the level of protection you have learned to expect from ERIE.

When you are planning to start a new business, there are so many different things to consider. Your start-up costs will include everything from the office space or storefront to supplies and marketing ideas. This new business is not only a labor of love, but also a major financial investment. Therefore, high on your to-do list must be obtaining Pennsylvania small business insurance to protect this important investment.

Business insurance is designed to protect your investment in the event of unforeseen crises such as a natural disaster, the death of a partner, an injured employee, or a lawsuit. If your business has employees, you are required to pay for workman’s compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, and possibly state disability insurance.

Workman’s compensation insurance covers medical costs, rehabilitation costs, death benefits, and lost wages for employees that are injured at work. Small businesses established as sole proprietorships or partnerships aren’t required to purchase workman’s compensation insurance as long as all of the business’s employees are owners of the company. In this case, the purchase of liability insurance is left to the discretion of the owners.

Unemployment insurance is a federal program whereby eligible unemployed people will receive cash payments for a specified period of time. These benefits are paid from funds which are the result of employer, employee and government contributions. Once again, if your employees are also owners of the business, you are not required by law to carry unemployment insurance.

Types of Business Insurance

There are insurance policies available for almost every conceivable business issue, but they vary widely in cost and coverage. Because of the many options available, it is important to talk over your specific needs with your insurance agent.

Some commonly available policies are:

General Liability Insurance

This liability insurance is purchased by business owners in order to protect them from lawsuits related to accidents, injuries, and claims of negligence. These policies protect small businesses against claims resulting from bodily injuries, property damage, medical expenses, libel, slander, defending lawsuits, appeals costs, and other legal issues.

Product Liability Insurance

Companies may be liable for a product’s safety if they are involved in its manufacture, wholesale, distribution, or retail sale. Product liability insurance protects the small business against financial loss as a result of a defective product that causes injury or bodily harm. The amount of insurance that you purchase will depend on the type of products you sell or manufacture. For example, a furniture store would have far more risk than a card shop.

Professional Liability Insurance

It is important that business owners providing services, such as a hair salon, should consider having professional liability insurance. This coverage, also known as errors and omissions insurance, is liability insurance that protects your business against malpractice, errors, and negligence when providing services to your customers. Some states require you to carry this type of policy, depending on your profession. Most states require physicians to carry malpractice insurance in order for them to practice medicine in their state.

Commercial Property Insurance

For a small business that operates a store-front or otherwise occupies a building, property insurance will cover everything related to the loss and damage of company property. The loss may be due to a wide variety of events such as fire, smoke, wind storms, hail storms, civil disobedience and vandalism. The definition of “property” is broad, and includes lost income, business interruption, buildings, computers, company papers and money.

As with homeowners’ and renters’ insurance, property insurance policies come in two basic forms:

All-risk policies cover a wide range of perils, except for those specifically excluded in the policy. They are usually more expensive and generally cover risks faced by the average small business.

 Peril-specific policies are exactly the opposite and only cover losses that are specifically listed in the policy. Peril-specific policies usually include fire, flood, crime and business interruption insurance.

Home-based Business Insurance

In spite of what you may believe, homeowners’ insurance policies do not usually cover home-based business losses. It is possible that you may be able to add riders to your pennsylvania homeowners‘ policy that will cover normal business risks, such as property damage. You will need to investigate the limits of coverage that will include your business, especially concerning general, product, and professional liability coverage. You may need to purchase additional policies to cover these risks.

April News Letter

Life insurance is not easy to shop for. There are so many providers and so many options that it is all too easy to get lost. A little research can equip you to find your way. This post will present a few handy tips to keep you on the right track to good life insurance deals.

Review your life insurance policy yearly. You should look over your life insurance policy once a year. If you have had a major change in your life you need to contact your insurance agent, as it may have an impact on your insurance needs. Examples of this include the birth of a child, marriage or divorce, or a change in the health of your partner.

To keep your life insurance premiums reasonable, be careful with your driving record. Not only does this help your auto insurance, it is also a factor used for many life insurance companies. Risky driving behavior makes you a higher risk for a fatal car accident and the added risk appears in your policy premium. Drive safely and benefit on both your life insurance and auto insurance premiums.

When buying life insurance, keep in mind that your hobbies can have a significant impact on the size of your premiums. If high risk sports like scuba diving, race-car driving or parachute jumping are activities you frequently engage in, then you will likely pay higher rates to get insurance coverage. While many are tempted to hide their activities, be aware that accident claims can be denied when participation in such sports is not disclosed.

When purchasing a life insurance policy, you should refrain from purchasing expensive riders unless you really understand and need them. Your adviser may tell you that you should add certain types of riders, but most of the time, you don’t need them. Typically, riders do not give you any benefits except under certain circumstances.

Be sure to do a great deal of research before deciding upon a life insurance policy. There are many things that can be hidden in the fine print of a policy that are not covered that one might assume would be. Also, there are many different types of life insurance, so know what you are buying.

There is almost always a better deal out there when it comes to life insurance. Educating yourself on the different types of life insurance available is the key to zeroing in on the best deals. Hopefully you are a little better informed after reading this post so that your search for the best life insurance policy will be a lot simpler.

Any questions or would like a little guidance please contact us!

Many people believe sailboats or powerboats are covered under their auto or homeowners policies.  But, for most insurers, that isn’t the case.  Consider this:

• Typically, an auto policy won’t provide liability or physical damage coverage for a boat.
• Most homeowners policies provide a limited amount of coverage for physical damage to boats.  They also restrict automatic liability coverage to low-powered boats.

Large, fast motorboats, yachts and personal watercrafts such as jet skis and wave runners require a separate boat insurance policy.  Boat insurance offers coverage for things like:

• Bodily injury – for injuries caused to others, such as swimmers, jet skiers or other boaters.
• Property damage – for damage caused to someone else’s property
• Theft and vandalism – that can occur on land or in the water
• Medical payments – for injuries to the boat owner, family members and others who are injured

ERIE’S Boat Protector Policy

With a policy from Erie Insurance, you’ll get comprehensive coverage that covers many types of losses.  It will cover, for example, damages resulting from a collision, fire or lightening.  ERIE offers:

• Up to $500 in coverage for boating equipment and accessories at no additional cost
• Payments up to $250 per occurrence for emergency towing to the nearest marina, if your boat is disabled or stranded on the water
• $1,000 coverage of  non-owned property
• $500 fire extinguisher recharge

For an additional premium or fee, ERIE also offers optional coverage such as uninsured boater protection.  This coverage protects you should you be involved in a boating accident cuased by a hit-and-run boater or a boater who has no insurance.  Credits are available, too, for things like radars, built-in fire extinguishing systems and ship-to-shore radios.  Be sure to ask about a discount for taking a Coast Guard or navigation course.

Not all companies are licensed or operate in all states. Not all products are offered in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for ompany licensure and territory information.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Insurance Coverage,Safety andLaws 

The weather is warm, clear, and beautiful; it’s a perfect day to take your motorcycle out for a ride. There aren’t many vehicles that give you that feeling of freedom and the thrill of the open air. But while you are loving the sense of adventure, you should also be protecting yourself as much as possible. Motorcycles come with a great deal of risk – to yourself as well as your passengers.

Accident statistics

According to the CDC, the statistics aren’t pretty:

• Between 2001 and 2008 more than 34,000 motorcyclists were killed.
• Approximately 1,222,000 motorcyclists were treated for injuries in hospital emergency rooms for motorcycle-related injuries.
• Most of the drivers treated were between 20 and 24 years old.
• More people in theU. S.are riding motorcycles than ever before, and the number of fatal accidents is higher than ever.
• Fatal accidents have more than doubled between 1999 and 2008.
• Per vehicle mile, motorcycle riders are 35 times more likely to die in a crash than people riding in cars.
• The fatality rate for motorcyclists 5.5 times higher than car riders.

Training and responsible driving

PA has a motorcycle safety program that offers free motorcycle training courses for all PA residents that have a valid motorcycle driver’s license or motorcycle learner’s permit. These include in-class programs, and on-bike instruction. There are 3 different courses available – the basic rider course, basic rider course 2, and 3-wheeled basic rider course. The basic rider course provides new drivers with the fundamentals of responsible and safe motorcycle operation. The basic rider course 2 is for experienced riders to refine their abilities and develop critical skills and knowledge necessary for safe motorcycle operation. The 3-wheeled basic rider course addresses the unique handling and safety characteristics of popular 3-wheeled motorcycles.

Helmets

InPennsylvania, anyone operating or riding a motorcycle must wear a helmet unless:

• He or she is 21 years of age or older AND
• Has been licensed to operate a motorcycle for at least 2 years OR
• Has completed a motorcycle safety course operated by PennDOT.
• The holder of a learner’s permit must wear a helmet, regardless of age.
• Rider with an exempted driver can opt out of a helmet if he or she is at least 21 years old.
• All motorcycle riders must wear eye-protective devices.

Insurance

The state of Pennsylvania  requires that all motorcycle drivers carry minimum liability coverage. The minimum for bodily injury is $15,000, for each accident is $30,000, and for property damage is $5,000. However, in case of an accident, motorcyclists are much more likely to suffer injuries than car riders. It is recommended that motorcycle riders carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage as well as higher levels of personal injury protection insurance. This will ensure that high medical bills will be covered in the event of a serious accident.