How To Properly Insure a Truck

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Did you just buy your first truck? If you did, there are some things to consider about your latest purchase that you probably didn’t have to think about with your vehicles of the past, namely insurance, namely insurance. Truck have a lot of uses that cars don’t have, the primary reason that insuring them is a little bit trickier. The follow are some aspects you should consider before purchasing insurance for your truck. 

It’s use – Is this a personal vehicle, or a bigger truck like a box truck you are using for business? Work vehicles should have commercial insurance because of their increased use and safety concerns. You should be fully covered in the event that there is an accident that causes harm to another person. You should consider increased coverage if you have a pickup truck. You probably bought it for a reason, and that’s to transport stuff. Otherwise, why get a truck? 

Cost – Many car shoppers make the mistake of purchasing a vehicle without first considering the cost of the car note plus the added insurance costs. Trucks can have higher premiums, making it vital that you check the total monthly cost of the vehicle before taking it off of the lot. If you don’t, you could severely hamper your budget in the future, making your truck a constant reminder of your financial difficulties. 

Those with questions about insuring their truck should contact an insurance representative at HighPointe Insurance Services LLC, an insurance provider in Overland Park, KS. They can help you make the right decision going forward about how to insure your truck. The key is to finding the right level of coverage at a price that fits your budget and this is something that should be factored before you make the purchase. 

Spring Cleaning Tips

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One of the most common things to do during the spring is to take some time to do some spring cleaning. If you have gotten the fever or simply want some tips on how to make the most of the spring cleaning in Overland Park, KS, you have come to the right place. Use these tips from HighPointe Insurance Services LLC to get started. 

  • Dust everything. The first place you want to start is by dusting all around your home. If you have not dusted in a while, you may be surprised by how much has built up over the past few months. Get that out and you will start to breathe better inside. 
  • Decide on your spring cleaning project. While you may want to tackle everything inside your home, you need to be reasonable with your time and figure out what needs to happen the most. Decide what spring cleaning project you want to take on and if you find that you have more time later, then you can always take on more. 
  • Get some help. You do not have to do this all on your own. Get some friends or family to help you with some of the bigger projects. Not only will it take less time but you will also have more fun during the process. Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore unless you make it one. Make it more of a get together by inviting people you trust over to help you and offer to do the same for them in return. 

Even after you have a clean and organized house, you still need a great home insurance policy to protect it. If you do not already have one, be sure to reach out to HighPointe Insurance Services LLC, serving Overland Park, KS, to get a quote for a home insurance policy that meets your needs and your budget. 

3 Things Home Insurance Does Not Cover

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When you have a home in Overland Park, KS, it’s important to have the protection in place. That’s why you buy a home insurance policy. However, you want to know what home insurance might not cover so you can get the coverage elsewhere.

Our insurance agents at HighPointe Insurance Services LLC can recommend policies that will provide you with the missing coverage and even explore insurance companies that offer add-ons. This way, you have protection for everything that might happen.

DIY Gone Wrong

Unfortunately, there are dangers with the DIY approach. Even though you may think you are saving money doing it yourself, you may not be pulling the necessary permits. Additionally, you don’t know what you are doing; you could end up causing more damage. A flood that occurs because you didn’t handle plumbing repair properly won’t be covered by home insurance.

Flood Coverage

All it takes is one storm, and your neighborhood may experience a significant amount of flooding. FEMA will determine if you are in a flood zone. If you are, flood insurance may be required, and this is above and beyond the home insurance that is required by your mortgage company.

Various Liability Issues

An array of liability issues may not be covered as well. All home insurance policies will cover at least the basics, such as damage your family would do to other people’s property as well as any injuries that may occur on your property. However, there are always “scenarios” that are within the fine print of what’s not covered – and knowing what these are is critical.

By knowing more about what is and isn’t included in home insurance, you can better protect your home in Overland Park, KS. For more information about policies and to get quotes, contact HighPointe Insurance Services LLC today.

 

What You Need to Know About Tornadoes and Homeowner’s Insurance

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The last thing that you need to discover after a terrible tornado is that you do not have the right stipulations in your homeowner’s insurance policy. Overland Park, KS is known for natural disasters, and you need to prepare for the inevitable. Here are three things that you should be aware of concerning property coverage before tragedy strikes. 

Property Coverage insures Certain, Not All, Perils

A peril is an event that causes severe damage to property. Such occurrences can be destruction caused by anything from wildfires to windstorms. In these instances, payment is made for damaged property and medical expenses for personal injuries incurred as a result of the disaster. There is also an option of personal liability coverage that pays for bodily injury and property damage that inferred on others by your negligence. 

Either one of these policies can provide financial stability when tragedy strikes. It is, however, important to make sure that natural disasters such as tornadoes are included in the plan as some insurance agencies exclude earthquakes and other calamities caused by the elements. 

Additional Expenses May Not Be Covered

You may have a policy that pays to rebuild the structure of your home but does not provide coverage for debris removal and damaged trees. Such incentives are essential after a tornado sweeps through town since rubbish is a given and some trees present hazards. Rebuilding efforts will be impossible without first removing chaff and making the area safe. Ask your local insurance agent if additional expenses are included with replacement coverage to ensure security.

Exclusions Apply

Many homeowners insurance plans in Overland Park, KS include property coverage with several exclusions. Injured animals and damaged motor vehicles, for instance, are not typically financially secured through a homeowners policy. Only an experienced agent who is familiar with the area can ensure that you have the right insurance for a tornado or other natural disaster. 

Preventing Water Damage in Your Home

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Water damage in your home in Overland Park, KS can be very costly and time-consuming. Whether it is a little bit of water damage or a lot, you still have to move quickly in order to get it fixed and prevent other things from happening as a result. While there is no way to prevent water damage from happening completely, you can take steps to prevent it from happening in some situations. Use these tips from HighPointe Insurance Services LLC.

  • Watch where you plant outside. While it may not be a problem now, it could be in the future as roots start to grow. When you are planting trees and other things, be sure to put them where they cannot come into contact with pipes and plumbing. The roots will not stop otherwise and you will have a water issue on your hands.
  • Never pour grease down the sink. You may have heard this before but you should never do it even if you use cold or hot water to wash it down. It could create a blockage later that can burst your pipes.
  • Watch your water bill. Unless there is a reason for a higher water bill such as using your sprinklers more in a drought, you should take not of any increases. This could mean there are leaks somewhere in your piping system that you should get checked out before they get any worse.

Using these tips can help you prevent water damage in some instances but you should still have a good home insurance policy to protect you in case something does happen. Your home insurance policy should include water damage. For more information or to get a free quote, be sure to contact HighPointe Insurance Services LLC in Overland Park, KS.

Settling Into a New Home the Right Way

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If you have recently purchased a new home, you need to make sure it is covered with the proper type of home insurance. You will also want to make sure you get settled in smoothly. Thankfully, there are several tips you can follow to help ensure you get settled in both quickly and effectively. Here’s a quick look at three of those tips. 

1) Unpack as soon as possible

If you move boxes into your new home and leave them sitting around without unpacking them, you are likely to just leave them sitting there. The longer they remain unpacked, the less likely you are to ever unpack them. Instead, you’ll just find a way to live in the home without unpacking the boxes. This is why it is so important to unpack them as soon as you put them in the new home. 

2) Don’t keep what you don’t need

Do you have a lot of boxes with stuff in them that you don’t need? If so, you should consider selling the items or giving them away. Don’t just throw them away because what you don’t want any longer is probably something somebody else would love to have. 

3) Have your family and friends help

Moving into a new home all by yourself can be challenging as well as time-consuming. Instead of tackling this task all by yourself, you can always ask friends and family members to help you. Having a few extra sets of hands can greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to get settled into your new home. 

To learn more about getting settled into your new home and protecting it with the right type of insurance coverage, contact Overland Park, KS HighPointe Insurance Services LLC today. 

3 Ways to Protect Your Home During the Winter Months

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The winter months can get extremely cold in Overland Park, KS, especially in January. With the potential for severe weather, it’s important that homeowners take measures to protect their home so that they avoid home insurance claims. At High Point Insurance Services, we’ve put together a list that includes three ways you can protect your home during the winter months.  

Take Measures to Protect Your Pipes  

One of the most common problems for owners during the winter is frozen water pipes. Many homeowners fail to take measure to ensure their pipes don’t freeze. A frozen pipe can be expensive to contend with in Overland Park, KS, so it’s best to avoid them. While the temperatures are still mild, you should have your pipes insulated so that they can stave off cold weather. Additionally, when temperatures drop below freezing in January, leave one or two faucets dripping to continue the flow of water.  

Winterize Your Home  

Winterizing your home is another measure you can take to protect your home from winter problems. The process of winterizing your home includes weatherstripping your windows and doors, cleaning gutters and spouts, and insulating your water heater from the cold. Although this list is a good start, it doesn’t cover every aspect of winterizing. If you need more tips, don’t hesitate to ask one of our staff members at High Point Insurance Services.  

Prevent Ice Dam Damage to Your Roof  

Another common problem many homeowners face during the winter months is ice dams. Ice dams can lead to significant roof damage, which may result in an insurance claim. To prevent ice dams, make sure your roof is in tip-top shape before the winter weather begins. You should also ensure that your gutters don’t interfere with ice, snow, or sleet running off your roof.  

The winter months are just around the corner, and our team at High Point Insurance Services wants to make sure you are protected. You can protect your home by purchasing home insurance and by taking steps to protect your home from severe winter weather. If you are in the market for home insurance, give us a call today.  

 

5 Ways to Prepare Your Home this Fall

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As the air transitions from summer days to fall nights here in HighPointe Insurance Services LLC, it’s easy to think about corn mazes, caramel apples, and hay rides. But did you know that autumn is the opportunity to prevent damage in your home? Prepare for winter now to make the most of your home insurance coverage. We’ll show you five ways you can take care of your home in Overland Park, KS during the fall.

1. How’s the roof looking? Check the roof for any worn-out shingles and flashing. Replace them now before the snow settles on your roof since home insurance doesn’t cover normal wear and tear. If you’re afraid of heights, call a professional.

2. Unclog your home. Cleaning out your home’s gutters and furnace filters is like unclogging your arteries and prevents future problems. Have a professional examine your furnace since you’ll want it ship-shape for the winter.

3. Get your ‘winter coat’ on. Seal up any cracks and gaps in the house with caulk and weather stripping. It not only lowers your electric bill, it helps protect your home from moisture damage.

4. Pay attention to the hot stuff. If you have a wood-burning or gas fireplace, have a professional come inspect it and clean it out. Fire damage is covered by home insurance, but you’ll want to stay diligent with the residue. 

5. Go for a stroll. Inspect your steps, driveway and sidewalks to ensure the prevention of guest injuries. Home insurance does cover personal liability, but who needs the headache this year?

Want to learn about other things home insurance covers? We’re happy to answer your questions at HighPointe Insurance Services LLC in Overland Park, KS. We look forward to hearing from you!

Getting the Specialty Commercial Insurance You Need

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There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all commercial insurance policy. If you want to get the most out of your HighPointe Insurance Services LLC package, then you need to take the time to talk with an agent and work out precisely what it is that you need from your insurance plan before you’ll have peace of mind.

If you’re buying car insurance, you can walk into the agency and say "Give me whatever policy will ensure that I don’t get in trouble if I’m pulled over by the cops." You have to be a little more hands on than that when it comes to building a commercial policy that works for you. An insurance company will tend to keep experts on hand who understand the industries with which they’re dealing, but nobody knows your field better than you do. If you need to make sure that you have a robust workers compensation policy, if you want to insure a fleet of delivery vehicles, then you need to talk with the agent about that in order to get a policy that is specially built to your needs. Put simply: If you know the risks you’re taking, then your insurance provider will know which policies will cover them.

Here are three key points to getting the insurance policy that you need:

  1. The most important question you can ask is "Do you have something to cover that?"
  2. Make sure that your provider knows what kind of equipment you’re using and what kind of work you’re doing, down to the fine details.
  3. If there’s something that you’re worried might bump your rates up, then that’s something that you’d much rather have covered by your insurance provider than out of your own pocket.

As long as you’re thorough in making your needs clear to your insurance provider, then they should be able to walk you through the process of building the package that you need.

Uninsured Motorists and RV Insurance

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RV insurance for accidents works very much like regular vehicle insurance. There are different types of policies available, and the coverage an RV owner chooses to put in place will often dictate the amount of recovery and type of help that will be provided.

A strict liability coverage will only address the require minimum liability coverage an RV owner has for others harmed or whose property is damaged by the RV. It usually does nothing for the RV owner in terms of repair or replacement. While these polices tend to be cheaper, they pose a real problem when the accident involves an uninsured motorist. Generally, the uninsured motorist has no coverage or personal funds to claim against, which means the RV owner is up a creek for his own recovery.

A comprehensive policy, on the other hand, will include provisions that address injury to others as well as personal injury and property damage to the policy holder. While a comprehensive policy tends to be more expensive, it is a real blessing when the accident involves an uninsured motorist. Instead of having to worry about trying to get some semblance of coverage out of the other party, the RV owner can look to his own coverage for recovery up to the limits stated in the agreement. In most cases, that tends to be sufficient to repair and RV as well as take care of most injury costs the RV owner and his guest or family might receive in the accident. The insurance provider then determines whether to go after the uninsured motorist or not for its recovery.

To get a detailed look on how an Overland, KS area policy would work, connect with HighPointe Insurance Services LLC. They can walk a customer through all the options and point out the best coverage for one’s needs and budget with an RV.