Do I Need Renter's Insurance?

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.

Thanks to apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub, the options for food delivered right to your door are so much more than just your favorite pizza! The convenience & flexible hours make it a great choice for both consumers and drivers alike but insurance can get a little tricky when you use your personal vehicle in a business operation. Since auto insurance policies can vary from one company to the next, there is no clear answer on exactly what to do. What we can do is help point you in the right direction to arm yourself with the understanding of how it all works so you aren't left paying damages out of your own pocket. The first step when taking a delivery job, is to talk to your employer. Some employers will offer business auto liability coverage while you are on an active delivery but may not provide coverage for damage to your vehicle. Some employers may carry what's called hired and non-owned auto liability to protect themselves if you cause an accident, but they will expect your liability to be primary. Others may not carry anything at all so you are completely on your own. You have to ask them directly or request a copy of their terms to review. Once you figure out what they are providing (if any), the next step is to check your insurance policy to see if you have or can get the coverage you need. If you are having difficulty understanding all these coverages, turn to a local independent insurance agent for guidance. We can help you understand what all these things mean and we represent plenty of carriers to fill in the coverage gaps and protect yourself. The really tricky part with this is that the employer will ask the new driver for proof of their insurance. Typically the driver provides a copy of their personal auto insurance ID card and that's it. As far as the employer is concerned they are ready to drive. What they don't know and what you likely won't know is that some insurance policies will specifically exclude all coverage if the vehicle is being used for business purposes. I've seen it happen before, a client gets a personal auto policy and three months later they start a job as a delivery driver. They provide proof of coverage to the new employer and our agency has no clue the change in job has been made. Unfortunately the driver doesn't think that he needs to make any changes since he has shown proof of insurance to his employer and they have accepted it. A few weeks later the driver has an accident causing damage to another vehicle as well as their own. When a claim is filed the insurance company denies coverage because the vehicle was being used for to deliver goods, a.k.a business purposes. This is stated very clearly in the policy form but who reads an insurance policy right? So the insurance company says they won't pay, the employer says they won't pay and the driver is responsible for paying the damages for everyone involved out of pocket. This adds up quickly and if there are also injuries, that's an awful lot to be responsible for. If you are our client, we want your policy to pay, so we will do whatever we can to make sure that proper coverage is in place. Don't make assumptions about your policy, ask someone you trust! It’s up to you to reach out to employers and your insurance carrier or agent to prevent being stuck holding the bag in an auto claim!

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.

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!