Get Ready For Summer With These 5 Insurance Policies

Summer has now unofficially started, as busy beaches, lifeguards and businesses alike can attest to. But while we may all be looking forward to taking a break from work during a summer vacation, it’s important to take a moment to ask ourselves: what are my summer insurance needs this year? 

While insurance is the last thing we want to think about before heading out for some summertime relaxation, consider this: ignoring our seasonal insurance needs could become even more costly than our vacation expenses. And who wants to deal with that scenario?

So before you head out for your summer adventures, make sure you’ve checked off this season’s insurance to do list:

Pool Insurance: Pools can quickly transform from fun areas to danger zones, at which point you may have to pay for your or even a guest’s medical bills. Take the time to prevent this by making sure your pool is properly insured, as well as checking to find out if it needs any repairs and if it meets local standards and codes for safety equipment such as fences and locks. Never assume swimming pool related work and accidents are fully covered under your homeowners insurance – especially since some policies exclude swimming pools from their coverage entirely.

-Car Insurance: Car shows and summer go hand-in-hand, but as we’ve discussed before, antique and classic cars usually require a separate insurance policy than your everyday set of wheels. Insurers offer both agreed-value or stated-value policies for antique and classic cars, so you can select the coverage that’s best for you; you’ll also want to make sure that you have liability insurance before taking your car to any show this summer.

-Watercraft Insurance: Boats are one of the most enjoyable parts of the summer season, but they also come with major risks that owners need to take into consideration. Some boats are covered under homeowners or renters insurance policies. Others, like personal watercraft-like Jet Skis and larger boats, require a separate marine insurance policy. So before you head to the helm and out to open water, make sure that you have proper boat insurance that will help you in a number of scenarios, like:

*Your boat getting lost or damaged

*Your guests accidentally injuring themselves during a day on the water

*You having to go to court if someone takes your boat for a joy ride without permission

-Motorcycle Insurance: Open roads during a beautiful summer day are a motorcyclist’s dream. Of course, riding a motorcycle carries risks; that’s why all motorcyclists are required to have liability coverage for property damage and bodily injury that you may cause to other people in an accident. A comprehensive policy also covers non-accident damage, such as from fire, vandalism and theft.

-Rental Car Insurance: Are you renting a car at all this summer? Some people don’t bother purchasing additional insurance when renting a car because of the coverage they have through their credit card and current auto policies. However, if you plan on renting a car this summer, ask yourself: if my rental is damaged, will I have to pay out of my pocket for repairs and wait for any reimbursement, or will my insurance cover the cost of the damage right away? Use the answer to this question, and how much better or worse off you’d be in either scenario, to evaluate whether or not you need to purchase rental insurance during your trip this summer.

These are five major insurance policies you should definitely review before you throw yourself into your summer plans. Even if you feel ready for some summer fun, if your insurance isn’t able to handle the risks associated with the season, then it’s too early to jump into summer just yet. Still, we understand that you’re ready to start enjoying yourself out there; that’s why we’re offering to help you evaluate your current insurance policies to get you ready for your summer adventures.

Go ahead and contact us today to set up your appointment. Everyone on our staff at the Fisher Widmann Flick Insurance Agency is a specially trained insurance expert who can make sure your insurance policies cover exactly what they need to cover, all at a reasonable cost. So go ahead and get in touch, central Pennsylvanians – we’re all that stands between you and a wonderful summer!

 

*Image Sources:

Swimming Pool: Courtesy of Flickr user dno1967b 

Red Car: Courtesy of commons.wikipedia.org

Sailing Boat: Courtesy of Pixabay

Motorcycle: Courtesy of commons.wikipedia.org

Silver Car: Image courtesy of Flickr user rp72

Sail Smoothly Through The Winter With The Right Boat Insurance

As the air grows chillier and the holidays are approaching, most of Pennsylvania’s proud boat owners have already placed their beloved watercraft into storage for the winter. With these vessels set to sit indoors for several more months, we urge any and all local boat owners to make sure that in addition to being properly stored, their vessels are properly insured.

Whether you have a bass or fishing boat, a cabin cruiser, a ski boat, a sailboat or pontoon, any boat owner should have a separate policy fully covering their boating needs. Don’t assume that your boat already has coverage through your auto or homeowners policies; this is often not the case, which is why a separate policy for your watercraft is incredibly important. Additionally, with about 20% of all boat claims occurring during the fall and winter months – when boats and watercraft are most susceptible to fire, theft, vandalism, transportation damage, and sometimes even liability issues – having insurance that provides year round, on- and off-water coverage for your watercraft is an absolute necessity.

Our staff at the Johnstown-based the Fisher Widmann Flick Insurance Agency (F.W.F Insurance Agency) believes that if you’re a boat owner, both your time on the water during wonderful weather and your time off during the chilly months should be relaxing and worry free. We understand the importance of having a solid boat insurance coverage plan that ensures you’re protected at all times, not just during the summer months when you and your friends are enjoying a water-side vacation.

Our partner, Safeco Insurance (a Liberty Mutual-owned company), understands this as well. That’s why we’re working together to help you buy the perfect policy to ensure that your vessel, and even some of your boating-related personal effects, will be covered and protected year-round. Work with our staff, and we promise that you’ll be able to find an inexpensive plan for your boat that ensures your vessel, your boating gear, and even your friends and family are covered both on land and in the water, year round; in fact, SafeCo offers high-quality coverage that lasts an entire year, as well as roadside assistance coverage that ensures your boat will also be covered in the event of an emergency tow.

Don’t look at the winter as a time-out from protecting your treasured boat; talk to one our representatives today for personalized advice based on what kind of water vessel and gear you own. Whether you’re located in Blaire County, Cambria County, Somerset, Latrobe, or in any other nearby counties, we’re ready to work with you so that you can plan your next summer by the water knowing that you’ll be covered when you’re ready to set sail, no matter what happens during the off-season.

Contact us now to set up a meeting with one of our local representatives in central Pennsylvania! Our representatives will use their connections to 15 other major insurance companies, including SafeCo, to ensure that your boat’s policy is as comprehensive as possible.