Do I need extra insurance to deliver food?

At C. Edward Lovins Insurance Agency, Inc. we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This text message privacy statement explains how we collect, use, and safeguard the information you provide when communicating with us via text message. Information We Collect : When you communicate with us via text message, we may collect personal information such as your name, contact information, policy number, and any other details necessary to address your inquiries or provide assistance. How We Use Your Information: We use the information collected through text messages for the following purposes: 1. To respond to your inquiries and provide customer support. 2. To process transactions related to your insurance policies. 3. To send you important updates, notifications, and reminders related to your policies or our services. 4. To improve our products, services, and customer experience. Sharing Your Information: We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties without your consent, except as required by law or as necessary to provide you with the services you've requested. SMS: No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/ promotional purposes. All other categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties. Security Measures: We employ industry-standard security measures to protect the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information transmitted via text message. However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Opting Out: If you no longer wish to receive text messages from us, you can opt out by replying "STOP" to any message you receive from us. You may also contact our customer service team to update your communication preferences. Changes to this Privacy Statement: We reserve the right to update or modify this text message privacy statement at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the revised statement on our website or notifying you via text message. Contact Us: If you have any questions or concerns about our text message privacy practices, please contact us at lovins@lovins-ins.com. By communicating with us via text message, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this privacy statement. Thank you for choosing C. Edward Lovins Insurance Agency Inc.

You’ve probably heard this horror story before — someone loses a home due to a flood and learns after the fact that standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. At Lovins Insurance we want you to be educated about all of the risks you may face – before a loss occurs – so you can determine what insurance coverage is appropriate. Our area has had so much rain recently, so now is a good time to review your options. Because very few companies offer flood insurance, the U.S. government created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 1968. Available to homeowners, renters and business owners, this insurance often is required to obtain a mortgage in areas at high risk of flooding. But you might want to look into a policy just for peace of mind, even if you don’t live in high risk area. According to the NFIP, nearly 25% of the program’s claims occur in moderate- to low-risk areas. Check out the questions and answers below to help determine if flood insurance is right for you. Is flood insurance available in my area? To participate in the NFIP, a community must adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance with rules regarding construction in certain flood-prone areas. In exchange, the government makes flood insurance available within that community. We’re happy to help you find out if you’re eligible for flood insurance. Just give us a call at 513-831-7900. You can also visit http://www.fema.gov/fema/csb.shtm . What does it cover? The NFIP provides coverage for both the structure and its contents. Coverage for contents is optional in some cases, so you may want to give us a call to discuss other coverage for your personal property. Keep in mind that you typically can’t purchase flood insurance and have it take effect the next day. There is usually a 30-day waiting period. (Exceptions to this rule apply, however, particularly when the insurance is required by a lender and is purchased during the process of securing a mortgage.) If you think you need flood insurance, don’t wait to buy a policy! What doesn’t it cover? Generally, government-issued flood insurance will not cover the following: Buildings entirely over water or principally below ground, gas and liquid storage tanks, animals, aircraft, wharves, piers, bulkheads, growing crops, shrubbery, land, roads, machinery or equipment in the open and most motor vehicles. How much does it cost? As with all insurance policies, the cost of flood insurance varies depending on your situation. If your home or business is in a high-risk area, such as a “special flood hazard area,” your premium naturally will be higher than those in low- or moderate-risk zones. Premiums are based on how old the building is, how many floors it has, the location of its contents, your deductible and more. Renters insurance is typically less expensive, as renters generally insure their belongings and not the building. Where can I find more information? As always, we are happy to help you determine your insurance needs. Stop by our office at 122 Water Street in Milford or give us a call at 513-831-7900. The NFIP website, at http://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program , has plenty of answers as well.

There are so many people out there that do not carry renters insurance and to me that is just terrifying! One incident could end up costing you everything, unless you have the protection of an insurance policy. The policies are very affordable, especially if you bundle it with your car insurance. We offer policies that start as low as $125 a year and many companies have monthly payment options. Let’s use a hypothetical situation with a hypothetical person. We will call him Frank. Frank lives on the second floor of an apartment building. He decided not to get renters insurance; he didn’t have much, an old couch, a tv, a cheap dining room table. He didn’t have a lot of extra money and he certainly didn’t want to spend it on something he wasn’t required to have. One cold winter night Frank was using a small electric heater to warm up his apartment. As he left that evening for his third-shift job, he forgot to turn the heater off. When he returned home early the next morning, there were fire trucks surrounding the building and all the tenants were outside. Turns out Frank’s heater caught fire after running so long unattended. Since Frank wasn’t home and the neighbors were sleeping, the fire was out of control and spreading before anyone realized it. When the fire was out, everything Frank had in his apartment was ruined and there was severe damage to surrounding apartments. Since he didn’t have a renter’s policy, all expenses will be out of his pocket. First of all Frank needs to find a place to stay. He doesn’t have family living nearby so he has to check into a motel until he can find someplace new to live. The only thing he has is the work uniform and boots he is wearing. He has to buy everything new; clothes, shoes, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc., etc. All of which is adding up very quickly. Frank struggles finding a new apartment because he can’t afford the deposit to move in. After a few months of paying for the motel, Frank has saved enough money to move in somewhere new, but now he has no furniture, not even a pillow and blanket to sleep with. Even just the basics to get started are too much to pay for right now. Over time he begins to start putting the pieces back together and although he’s broke and has very little to his name, he is starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Then the doorbell rings….. Frank opens the door and is served papers. He is being sued by a tenant that was injured in the fire. This tenant spent some time in the hospital after suffering from burns and smoke inhalation which led to a mountain of medical bills and lost wages while he was being treated. The lawsuit states that Frank was responsible to pay a sum of $250,000 to the injured tenant because leaving the heater on for a long period of time unattended was negligent. Now Frank needs an attorney, which will cost even more. Depending on what happens in court, Frank could be ordered to pay for everything and his wages could be garnished to cover the expenses. Had he spent a couple hundred dollars to purchase renters insurance, the policy would have paid towards Frank’s hotel stay, his items that were lost in the fire, any injuries or damage to others he was found liable for and the cost to defend him for the lawsuit. The moral of the story? Don’t be Frank. (and don’t leave heaters running unattended) If you don’t have renter’s insurance contact our office today for a free quote!

When talking to people about insurance I am always surprised to learn when someone doesn’t understand what an independent insurance agency does. But when I think about it, how could they know? All the big advertisers are selling you insurance direct and there is nothing out there highlighting the local independent agent. Unless you have a friend or relative in the business, there’s a good chance that you don’t know the difference between us and those companies you always see on TV. When it comes to property and casualty insurance companies, there are those who sell direct and those who sell through independent agents. Direct companies do sometimes have local agents but they only represent that company. An independent agent is just that; independent from the insurance company. They are free to choose what insurance companies they represent and they can represent many. On average, they usually have 5 to 8 different companies, although some have more and some have less. There are a lot of great insurance companies out there that you may not have heard of; you just have to know where to find them! What is the benefit of having an independent agent? My opinion is a bit biased, but there are many benefits! The biggest one being that we do the leg work for you. If you are shopping your policy and getting quotes direct, you would need to call the various places or go to their websites and provide your information each time. Going to an independent agent, you give the information once, and then we quote it through the various companies, so you don’t have to. Another benefit is that we are monitoring your policy throughout each term. If something changes or if you get an unexpected renewal increase, we are contacting the company to figure out what is going on and why. If the company just decided to increase their rates, we will get comparison quotes with our other carriers to see if we can do better. I could go on forever about this topic but I will only list one more major benefit and that is claims. When it comes to claims you do work closely with a representative from the insurance company but we are here to have your back. If you feel things aren’t being handled properly or if the company is denying the claim, we will be on your side to make sure things go the way they should. When buying direct from a company, who can you go to if they aren’t handling things to your satisfaction? A call center? As agents our goal is to build a trusting relationship with our clients so you can rely on us to handle your policies and deal with the companies on your behalf. Again, my comparison is biased, but as with most things there are pros and cons. Bottom line is that you have to find what’s best for you, but don’t forget about your friendly neighborhood independent agent! There are many companies that have been around for 150 plus years that simply do not advertise with big budget commercials. Don’t miss out; one call will get you multiple quotes! Check out the page Our Carriers to learn more about the companies we represent. Give us a call or email for more information or to discuss getting insurance quotes for your home, car or business!