We've been talking a lot about topics that have been focused on and around homeowners insurance. This inspired us to dedicate a whole blog to the topic because we wanted to dive in a little deeper into what it is and what you need to know about it!
Hello, Charleston insurance holders and buyers! Welcome back to the Abri Insurance blog! We are a full-service, independent insurance agency representing you, the client, not the insurance company. With every policy under one roof, we customize the perfect insurance package for you while striving to deliver the highest level of customer service. In our last few blogs, we've been talking a lot about homeowners insurance, so we wanted to dedicate a whole blog to the topic and dig a little deeper into this very important coverage. Your home is one of the biggest purchases you will ever make, so it only makes sense to protect it. This insurance protects your home from damages to the home itself as well as protecting the possessions inside. With the springtime weather warming up, and the potentially dangerous storms that have already begun to appear in the Lowcountry, now is the time to make sure your homeowner's insurance is up to date and will cover everything you need when disaster strikes. Spend the time now to review your coverage, and if it's not what you need in times of disaster, come and speak with us! It is better to be fully prepared before disaster strikes than having poor coverage when it does! Let's learn a little more about homeowner's insurance so you know the ins and outs of what it truly is, what it covers, and some very common misconceptions to avoid! What Is Homeowners Insurance? Also called home insurance, this policy provides financial protection when your home or your belongings are damaged. Homeowner's insurance also covers damage or harm that comes to other individuals or their belongings. While it isn't required by law to have homeowners insurance, there are many reasons why you should have it, on top of what we have already mentioned. If you are planning to have a mortgage on your home, lenders will require you to have homeowners insurance up until the entire loan is paid back. Lending companies can demand that homeowners carry insurance to cover the exact amount of the mortgage they owe. What Does My Homeowners Insurance Cover? When heading into a particularly storm-heavy season in the Lowcountry, anything could happen at any time. That's why it is so important to know and understand what exactly your homeowner's insurance covers. A homeowner's insurance policy is split up into four different categories of what it will cover; your dwelling, your personal property, structures on your property, and the liability for damage or injury done to others or their belongings. When it comes to the coverage on your dwelling, it will cover to pay to repair the damage done by lightning, hail, hurricanes, wind, fire, and other natural disasters. Many standard policies will also cover damage done to detached buildings on your property like a gazebo, shed, and garages. Coverage of your personal belongings includes damage done to your sports equipment, furniture, clothing, and other personal items by fire, hurricanes, other natural disasters, and if they are stolen. It also covers items that are stored away from your home. Your landscaping and precious items like collectibles and jewelry are protected, but only to an extent. Your collectibles and special items are usually protected up to a certain dollar limit, and your landscaping items like trees and plants are covered for up to $500 per item. Liability covers lawsuits from harm or damage caused by you or your family to others, and also covers damage caused by your pets. What Doesn't My Homeowners Insurance Cover? While your homeowner's insurance covers quite a bit, you mustn't assume that it covers everything. Some items that homeowner's insurance doesn't cover are obvious, while some are still a little tricky. While you can add on extras to create a policy that covers you for exactly what you need, you might need to invest a little bit more into your coverage than what you think you do. A word to the wise, we would recommend going a little above your policy, at least have a policy that will cover you if you need to completely rebuild your home. What else should you know?
Myths About Homeowners Insurance While it's great that there is a lot of information out there about homeowners insurance, there is also quite a bit of misinformation out there. We wanted to clear up these misconceptions so you know when you come across some bad information. If you question or thought your policy covered these misconceptions listed below, it's time to evaluate your policy and come speak with us at Abri!
You spend so much time in your home creating amazing memories, staying safe, and relaxing. A home is one of the largest and most important purchases you'll ever make, and one that many work for years to own. Keep your home properly covered so you and your family and the life you've built together can be protected and restored even after the worst. We encourage you to review your policy now, it is the perfect time to do so! You have three months until hurricane season begins, and while that might seem like a long way off, it will be here before you know it! If you would like to sit down and talk about your policy or if you would like to add more coverage, we are always here for you! We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry!
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![]() While the idea of natural disasters isn't one we want anyone to spend much time thinking about, the reality is that it is still a possibility that we all have to face. Like everything, it's always best to be prepared, which is why we are going to be talking about disaster and catastrophe insurance today! As we have officially hit the one-year marker of living with Covid-19, the realities of dealing with natural disasters have become all too clear. It's very obvious now that we never really know what might happen and it is best to be prepared for anything and everything. Living in the Lowcountry, we aren't strangers to the fact that hurricanes, tropical storms, and their dangerous aftermath can bring disaster right to our front doors. With that in mind and after this past year, considering natural disaster and catastrophe insurance might be needed in your life sooner than you might think. It might not be on your radar now, but it might need to be. While we don't want you to sit and think about the possibilities of a natural disaster constantly, having natural disaster insurance allows you to ease that burden. It's our job to think about it, help guide you through it, and be here for you if a disaster ever does strike. We hope it never does, but just in case, we wanted to share some of the ins and outs of it all!
Why should you be considering this kind of coverage now? When disaster strikes, you're left in a dire situation worrying about how to keep a roof over your head and your family safe and fed. Having to call around to make inquiries during this time can be difficult and next to impossible if you're one of many trying to contact the same insurance company during the aftermath of a disaster. Having this extra coverage in place will give you peace of mind at all times, and comfort if disaster does appear. You will know who to call and what will be taken care of right away, and be able to get back to your normal life in no time. Think ahead and give yourself and your family the gift of being completely covered no matter what's to come. We are here for all your questions, policy needs, and more. Never hesitate to reach out and call! We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry! ![]() While it might not be the best time to be out on the water in this damp and cool weather, it is the perfect time to prepare for when you can be! Today we are going to be talking about the truth behind your boat insurance! Dreaming of warmer days and spending hours back on your boat? Or have you not stopped spending days on your boat regardless of the weather? Nothing a few layers can't help with, right? Regardless if your boat is currently tucked gently away in storage or hasn't missed a Saturday out, having the proper coverage and insurance is incredibly important. It is so important that we want to dedicate a whole blog about how to have the best boat insurance to enjoy life in the Lowcountry, and to help keep you safe on and off land! What Do You Need To Know About Boat Insurance?
What Does Boat Insurance Cover? Basic boat insurance will offer its owner a certain amount of protection, but adding on more coverage can be your best route of action. Let's begin by talking about what your basic boat insurance policies will cover.
What Are Some Common Boat Insurance Myths?
Owning a boat is a huge responsibility but it will provide hours of fun and entertainment, and for all of our fishermen and shrimpers, a boat can help your business be very lucrative. We hope this information clears up any confusion or concern you have about your boating insurance. If you are still confused or have any more questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are here to provide the best boat insurance in Charleston! We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry! ![]() It's the new year, and it's time to start fresh. To make the most out of your insurance plans this year, here is our insurance checklist for 2021! Hello readers, and welcome back to the blog! Goodness, it's 2021 already! As much as we were happy to see 2020 go, it's a little wild to think how quickly last year seemed to fly by! From all of us at Abri, we want to wish you a very happy and healthy new year! A new year is so exciting, it means growth, change, and adventure. You might buy a new home, a new car, get married, retire, or finally get the opportunity to take that trip you've been planning for years! We will be here for all of your insurance needs, changes, and upgrades to help support and care for you and your loved ones this year. A new year, in its harsh reality, also means that there is the opportunity to face bad weather, unexpected illness and injury, accidents, and much more. We will also be here to help you with all of your insurance needs to cover and care for all of these situations to keep you and your family as safe and protected as possible! A new year also means making the most out of each of your insurance plans, and we want to make sure you're getting the most out of what you're paying for every month. To do that, we've created our very own insurance checklist for 2021. We ended 2020 with an end of the year checklist, and now we are kicking off 2021 with a checklist to make this the best year yet!
These are just ten easy steps and ideas to put on your 2021 new year's checklist. They don't even include trips to the gym or cutting carbs! You can even schedule an appointment with us at Abri to make sure all of your insurance policies for your life here in Charleston, South Carolina are all in perfect order. All of us here at Abri want to make sure you have the healthiest and safest new year. So please take this checklist to heart, and please reach out to us right away if you need to change or update your policy in any way. It's better to be prepared now at the beginning of the year before anything happens over the next 12 months ahead of us. We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry! ![]() It has been an incredibly challenging year, but with everything organized and in its place, one last thing you'll have to worry about at the end of this year and the beginning of next year are your insurance plans! Hello readers, and welcome back to the blog! Can we all just sit back and relax and acknowledge that we did it? We made it through this year, we made it through another open enrollment period, and we are just about to step into a bright and fresh new year! We did it! We have so much to be thankful for, and we are so grateful for all of your support. We are happy to have helped so many of our returning customers find insurance plans that fit them perfectly for yet another year, and we are excited to have helped our new customers find the perfect insurance plans for their needs! Welcome to the Abri family! We are honored to help you, be here to support you, and keep you and your family safe and protected! While our last blog was all about rushing to use up your benefits now that you may or may not have hit your deductible, this blog is going to be a little extra holiday gift from us you. There is so much to wrap up at the end of the year, and so much to prepare for when the ball drops at midnight and we all step into the new year. To really make the last few days of 2020 count and to get the best foot forward for 2021, we wanted to give you a checklist of sorts. In this blog, we are going to be talking about important end of the year things to do and not forget about when it comes to your insurance plans. We are also going to be talking about some of the best things to think about and do with your brand new insurance plans for your brand new year! You've purchased all your gifts, sent out your holiday cards, decorated, baked, cooked, and planned. Your holidays are ready to go, but what about the rest of your end of the year affairs? Have you wrapped up everything you needed to with your insurance for 2020? Well, let's go through this list together, and let's see if your hard work has paid off or if there are a few last minute things to do with your insurance plans before we start toasting to 2021!
There you have it! What a list, and what an impressive amount of things to think about and get done before January 1st! We know that it might be difficult to make time to go through a checklist like this, but we promise that each of these bullet points is extremely important. If you are unsure about your insurance policies, have questions concerning life changes 2020 has brought you, or you are interested in upgrading your plans or finding a new provider, Abri is here for you! From all of us at Abri, we wish you and yours a very safe holiday and an even safer new year! While traveling might look a little differently this year, it's always smart to be prepared.
Traveling throughout 2020 has been such a strange and unique experience, and hasn't looked like anything we've ever seen before. For most, traveling has become something we've put on the back burner and will come back to once it's safe to do so again. However, even with that in mind, the most important thing to remember is that traveling as we've always known it will be back again. We will be able to enjoy every aspect of traveling again someday soon and will be enjoying our regularly scheduled vacation plans again. For now, it's just on pause. Until then, since we all have a little time on our hands, it's a great time to learn a little bit more about the many ways to keep you and your family safe the next time you're on your dream vacations. While you're dreaming about packing up your favorite overnight bag and the stack of books you want to read by the pool, we encourage you to start adding travel insurance to those thoughts and considerations. One of our favorite topics is, of course, insurance, and it applies to every aspect of your life. In the spirit of celebrating the joy of travel and counting down the days until your next (safe) big trip, we wanted to chat about the truths and misconceptions of travel insurance. Myths and misconceptions on any topic are a dangerous road to go down. They can, sadly, cause hundreds of well-meaning people and travelers to make some not so smart decisions. Thanks to these myths floating around out there, travel insurance has gotten a pretty bad reputation that it's not needed and that it's a waste of time and money. Please know that these myths and misconceptions are called that for a reason and have been getting in the way of guaranteeing safe and fantastic trips for millions of people every year. Also keep in mind that if you are planning on traveling internationally, travel insurance is a necessity, and we wouldn't ever recommend getting on a plane without it. Myth: My credit card offers plenty of protection while I'm traveling, and I won't need any more protection than that! Fact: First and foremost, your travel credit cards only cover a few basic things, and in almost every situation they won't cover much if any healthcare if you get sick or injured while you're out of the country. If you're traveling inside of the United States, it still is very much the same. While your healthcare will be out of network while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home, most likely, it will still be better than traveling globally without any health insurance. If you choose to rely on your travel credit card as your travel insurance while you're away from home, please call and speak with your credit card company first, just so you know exactly what protection you'll have, if any! Even the best travel credit cards out there offer little more than protection for stolen items, loss of baggage, or a canceled trip. While some medical expenses could be covered, the coverage limit will be very low. The amount you could be spending out of pocket could be huge, and much more than you would be paying for a travel insurance plan. We urge you to speak with us or your insurance provider about some travel insurance on top of the protection your credit card offers. This way your medical needs, if by chance something does happen when you're away, can be taken care of much more affordably. Myth: Travel insurance doesn't cover pre-existing conditions. Fact: This is a moment where we need to pause and have you read the fine print on any travel insurance package. If you have a pre-existing condition, and you were healthy and stable before the start of your trip, travel insurance will help cover you for things you might need if something happens due to your pre-existing condition while you're traveling. If you need more medication or need to see a doctor because of it, travel insurance will help taking care of you with ease. When planning out a trip and you choose to sit down and talk with us at Abri or with your current insurance provider, make sure you pick an appropriate travel insurance plan with your specific needs and with your condition in mind. According to AAA, they encourage people to remember that the term "pre-existing" can be much broader than many people realize. Don't just dismiss the idea that your condition isn't included under the pre-existing bubble. Make sure to do your research! Also, please don't wait to get coverage for your pre-existing condition added to your travel insurance plan. You will need to apply for it between 10 days and a month of booking your trip, according to AAA. Myth: Travel insurance is too expensive! Fact: Remember, as we've mentioned before, if you get sick or injured 100 miles or more away from your home or when you're outside of the country, it can cost you much more than what you'll end up paying out of pocket for your travel insurance policy. According to AAA, travel insurance will cost 5-8% of your trips overall cost. So, yes, the more your trip costs the more you will be paying for insurance. However, if you can't pay the out-of-pocket expenses if your trip is canceled, if you have to rebook your flight or hotel last minute, then travel insurance is the way to go. In any of these last-minute situations, your travel insurance will be able to give you the protection you need financially and for your mental well being. Myth: I have great health insurance already, so that will cover me on my trip! Travel insurance and health insurance are the same things, anyway. Fact: This is a very big issue that's found across the board, and it is also a very false statement. Your personal health insurance won't provide protection or support with trip interruption, trip cancellation, damaged possessions, stolen items, lost items, emergency evacuation, or if there is a natural disaster where you've chosen to vacation and you're now dealing with the situation as an expatriate. Travel insurance, on the other hand, does. Also, while your health insurance might cover "customary" and "reasonable" expenses when you're abroad, most of your other costs won't be covered, according to AAA. This can happen when you're simply out of network when you're traveling in the US, too. Also, Medicare does not cover chargers that happen outside of the United States. So, if you have to be moved to a different doctor or specialist while you're traveling abroad (also called medical evacuation) it will not be covered under Medicare and nor will your other medical related issues. Also, if you're using insurance through your employer while traveling, you might be the only one it covers during your trip. While your spouse or child might be covered under this insurance while you're at home, this might not be the cause while you're traveling. This could put your loved ones at serious risk while traveling if all you have is your normal health insurance with you during your trip and not travel insurance. Myth: I'm incredibly healthy and I'm a very safe person. Nothing will happen to me or my belongings while I'm traveling! Fact: While you might be healthy and safe, there is so much about life and other people that you cannot control when it comes to traveling and what could happen. So much of what could happen during a trip that could put you in danger or cause you to leave and head back home because of an emergency has nothing to do with how healthy you are or how safe you live your life. You don't have control over the weather, over a canceled flight, or if someone chooses to steal your belongings or passport. Don't assume either, that even if you're just traveling over a short period that you're safe from these disasters. One bad day, one bad storm, or the loss of all your luggage in a matter of one flight can happen when you least expect it. There is no amount of specific time between when a disaster can and cannot happen! We hope we've put your traveling plans in a new perspective after reading this blog! During these unknown times where traveling is already a gamble, travel insurance shouldn't be a question. Be prepared, travel safely, and make sure to put travel insurance at the top of your to-do list when making plans for your next trip. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out and chat with us! We are here for all of your insurance needs and questions! We are excited to work with you and love being a part of the Summerville community! ![]() The dawning of November means the beginning of open enrollment. If you are new to the process or you're looking to make it a much easier process than you've experienced, that is what this blog is all about! While the idea of turkey and stuffing is on the minds of most of our readers, November is an incredibly busy month for us and it has nothing to do with picking out what sides to match our turkey or the perfect pumpkin pie. While these are things we still make time for and hope you get a ton of enjoyment out of, November for all of us at Abri means one thing; Open Enrollment! While we want you to enjoy the most out of your Thanksgiving and the last bit of fall here in Summerville, if your insurance plan is expiring and you will be needing new health insurance coverage, we hope you make open enrollment one of your priorities over the next month. We are here to help you through every step of this process and want to make it an extremely pain-free experience. That is why we wanted to dedicate this blog to multiple ways on how you can make it a pain-free process and what some of the best ways to handle open enrollment are. Don't stress, you've got this! Open enrollment for 2021 began on November 1st and it ends on December 15th. Every year you only have a little over a month to search for, research, and choose your next best healthcare plan. Just a tad overwhelming. For our readers new to the blog and the insurance world, you might be curious about what open enrollment actually is. According to the dictionary, open enrollment is "a period of time during which one may freely enroll in or change one's selection of health insurance plan or other benefit programs that is ordinarily subject to restrictions." The short version is that your health insurance plan is expiring and it's time to get a new one. Sounds relatively easy, right? Well, we are here to make it as simple and as easy for our clients as we possibly can. Sadly, this is not the case for everyone. Enrollment is a short period that pushes people to pick their plans very rapidly and has also been created to limit adverse selection. What makes it hard, even when you know all year that you have a short period to buy your plan, getting information about what your options are and what's available to you can be difficult to find or very confusing. That's where we can come in. If you are looking for an independent plan on the marketplace and outside of what your employers may or may not be offering, we can search the whole market with you and your family's needs and best intentions in mind. This can help you save time, save stress, save money, and help guarantee that all of you and your family's needs will be taken care of. While you begin your journey and begin the search for health insurance, we wanted to provide you with a list of tips and suggestions on what to be thinking about and what to avoid while you're searching in the market.
Now that you've read through this blog, are you feeling better about open enrollment? Regardless if you are or not, please remember that we are here to help. We know that you have many difficult questions to ask yourself to make sure you and your family are covered and cared for. We are here to do the rest of the heavy lifting once those decisions are made. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to us now before open enrollment closes! We are excited to work with you and love being a part of the Summerville community! ![]() The joy of fall can be tainted by the threat that hurricane season is still with us until November 1st. Make sure your home and your family are prepared and insured for anything that could happen. Hurricanes and the Lowcountry go together like a day at the beach and a potential sunburn. No matter how much we love living here, there are just a few things that come with the territory. Hurricanes, flooding, and tropical storms are just some of the potentially dangerous, scary, and everyday threats we have to live with. It's the price to pay for living in one of the most beautiful places in the southeast. No matter if you're new to Lowcountry or not, you always need to make sure you're prepared for anything. Your home needs to be safe and secured, your evacuation plan needs to be established, and your insurance needs to be ready to support your home and property through what ever damage these storms could bring. According to Forbes, NOAA updated its 2020 storm prediction to upwards of 13 to 19 storms, already reaching 9 named storms by August of this year. In the past that many storms didn't appear until October. Over 60 million people are living right in the hot spot for these storms, and South Carolina is apart of that. Even if you aren't currently insured for the damages a hurricane can bring there is no better time than now to get started.
How does your insurance plan stand up to all of these requirements, needs, and reminders? Are you ready for hurricane season and what's left of it? If not, please don't panic. We are just a phone call away and are here to help you get protected and covered. We are excited to work with you and love being a part of the Summerville community! |
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