Are Your Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Covered?

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New England winters are like no others. They are long, bitter cold and tremendously costly. That’s why many homeowners turn to wood stoves and fireplaces to offset energy bills. But installing a wood stove or activating a fireplace must be done correctly. If not, you could be vulnerable of having a claim denied. At ALLConnecticut Insurance, our professionals are committed to helping members of the West Hartford, CT community stay properly insured. Please consider these things about open flame that might put you at risk.

Wood Stoves

Wood burning stoves are wonderful ways to heat a home and lower energy bills. You can even cook a few meals on them. Many Connecticut homes already have viable chimneys in place to tap into. However, national and state fire code regulations must be followed. To ensure that your policy will cover a loss due to fire, a wood stove may need to be inspected and approved. You’ll need to follow up with your insurance professional to make sure your carrier knows about the installation.

Fireplaces

It’s fairly common for people to purchase a home with an inactive fireplace. But considering it’s there, why not get it up and running? Few things are as appealing as warm cozy nights in front of the fire. But like wood stoves, a fireplace needs to meet strict fire and building code regulations. You’ll need to have an activated one inspected and update your homeowners policy as well. Insurance companies base premiums on potential risk of loss factors. Open flame can significantly change those calculations.

It’s important to update a policy any time you make noteworthy alterations and upgrades to your property. At ALLConnecticut Insurance, we are available to help members of the West Hartford, CT revise and renew homeowners policies that ensure continuous coverage.

A Quick Guide to West Hartford Home Insurance

Posted on by AgentInsure

The homes of West Hartford, CT are definitely worth protecting, and home insurance can be a key factor in keeping them in great condition. ALLConnecticut Insurance wants you to find out more about how it can help you be a better property owner with this quick guide. 

Protecting Your Investment 

Working to afford a piece of property can take years, and practically everything you have. Risking your investment by buying the bare amount of coverage really shouldn’t be an option. When you look at home insurance as a means to take care of your long-term future, it can make the cost of your monthly premium much easier to bear. 

Protecting Your Family 

If something happens to your house and you’re unable to live there anymore, do you know exactly where you would go? Home insurance can give you a plan to handle practically any adverse consequences of weather or unexpected events, and give you the means to take care of the many miscellaneous matters that may arise along the way. 

Protecting Your Neighborhood 

Homes that are given the attention they need are homes that sell well on the market. They’re also homes that don’t tend to attract as much attention from criminals. If a broken window only stays broken for a day, they’ll know that people are both watching and interested in what’s happening on the street, making them much less likely to take a risk on your block. 

ALLConnecticut Insurance serves West Hartford, CT, and wants to help you get a handle on the right policy for you. If you think you need more coverage or are just shopping around for different rates, call us today to get a quote or to ask us any questions you may have about your property. 

Who Can be On Your Auto Insurance Policy?

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Auto insurance policies are a bit different than any other type of insurance for the simple fact that they can have multiple people on the policy that are insured. For those that live in the West Hartford, CT area, the agents with ALLConnecticut Insurance can help answer the question a bit more in depth.

You can add a few different people to your policy. For starters, spouses can be added, children can be added, and people that you live with that you have an interest in can be added. This means that you can add children, dependent or not, to your auto policy. A good example is a child that does not have a car of their own, but that does drive the car that is insured. These children can be easily added.

You can also add a spouse or someone that is living with you if you have a vested interest in the car that is being insured. It is important to remember that you cannot simply add any car to your policy or any driver. When it comes to cars, you can only add cars that you have your name on the title or that the driver is a dependent of you. This is to help prevent people from adding random cars that they have no interest in so that they can get discounts on their insurance policies.

You can find out more about who can be added to your policy by taking the time to talk with an agent. Insurance is something difficult to understand, but with the right agent, you can quickly and easily understand who you can legally add to your policy. For those in the West Hartford, CT area you can speak with the agents at ALLConnecticut Insurance to find out more.  

Have You Winterized Your Automobile?

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Cold days full of snow and ice are common this time of year in West Hartford, CT. Does your automobile give you trouble during the winter?  If so, you may need to take measures to winterize it. At ALLConnecticut Insurance, we want all our customers to be safe and warm while traveling to work, school, out of town, or anywhere else you go. That is why we recommend that you winterize your vehicle if you have not done so already.

How Do You Winterize Your Vehicle?

The first step to winterizing your car is to either have a mechanic inspect it, or do so yourself. You want to make sure it is running smoothly and can keep you comfortable while handling cold and sometimes dangerous road conditions. Some of the things you should check include:

  • Make sure that your tires have plenty of tread. If not, you should replace them with either winter tires or all-weather tires.
  • Test the thermostat and defroster to ensure they work well. You don’t want to get stranded in the cold and these fail you.
  • Check levels of antifreeze. As its name indicates, this fluid keeps your car from freezing.

Also, try to keep your gas tank full. A full gas tank helps prevent the fuel line from freezing during the extreme cold. And keep an emergency kit of supplies such as a flashlight, batteries, warm clothes, food and water on hand in case you become stranded.

Stay Safe This Winter

At ALLConnecticut Insurance, we believe that by performing these maintenance steps, your vehicle will be safe to drive throughout the winter in West Hartford, CT and anywhere else. If you are stalled, involved in an accident, or otherwise need assistance, give us a call. We are here to help.

Is Your Insurance Inventory Up to Date?

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Whether you’ve been living in your West Hartford, CT home for many years or have simply carried your home insurance with ALLConnecticut Insurance from house to house, have you updated your inventory for personal possessions recently?  While it’s easy to say that you have coverage in case of loss due to fire or theft, what was sufficient all those years ago when you first sat down with your agent may not provide the protection you need now. It’s time to make sure you valuables will be properly documented is the worst comes to pass.

Jewelry and Fine Collectibles Should Be Itemized

Unless you have stipulated full replacement in the personal possession segment of your home insurance policy, it is likely that almost every item in your house would be covered at a fraction of the real cost to buy it new.  Whether you have collected an assortment of gold watches or enjoy giving gems to your spouse, typical procedures would reduce their value for insurance purposes over time.  However, you know that quality items hold their value or increase over the years. By specifying full replacement for particular items in your home inventory, the things that are most precious to you will be compensated for at a more appropriate rate.

Don’t Forget Designer Shoes and Clothing

Your closets may contain a variety of shoes, coats, handbags and suits that cost more than you might normally spend for such common items. It pays off to add name brand apparel to the inventory, so your hard earned cash doesn’t vanish after they suffer from fire or smoke damage. Every unique item should be accounted for.

If you have any questions about your West Hartford, CT home insurance policy, reach out to use at ALLConnecticut Insurance. We look forward to hearing from you.

Why Home Insurance Might Go Up

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When you live in West Hartford, CT, it’s important to know what goes into your home insurance premiums. The last thing you want to do is spend more than what’s necessary. Unfortunately, premiums do go up from time to time. However, our goal at ALLConnecticut Insurance is to help keep premiums affordable throughout the year.

Changes to the Home

Throughout the time you live in your home, you may make changes periodically. For example, you may decide to add in in-ground pool. While this provides value to your home, it also as potential liability, which means that it may cost you more on your home insurance policy. The same goes for anything else that will add value for potential liability, such as a shed, detached garage, or various other structures.

Changes in Regulations

The Connecticut Insurance Department is in charge of regulating all of the insurance that takes place throughout the state. This includes identifying what can be charged to consumers as well as the laws and regulations that insurance companies have to operate within. Occasionally, there are regulations that could cause home insurance to go up, which means that it would go up across the board, regardless of which company you work with.

Claims

Unfortunately, things happen throughout life. There may be a storm, a break-in, a fire, or something else that would require you to file a home insurance claim in West Hartford, CT. When this happens, it may be inevitable that the insurance company raises your rates. This is because they now need to make up for the claim and will charge you more financially. As for how much your premium will go up, it is typically dependent upon how much the company had to pay out for your last claim.

Learn more about home insurance and how to keep premiums affordable by contacting an independent insurance agent at ALLConnecticut Insurance today.

 

 

The Importance of Notifying Your Insurance Company Immediately After Your Car is Stolen

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If your car is missing, the first thing you will want to do is file a police report. Once you have made this report, you will want to notify your insurance company that your car is stolen. However, if you have never been in this situation before, you may wonder why it is so important to notify your insurance company right away. After all, it may seem like a hassle, especially if your car turns up a couple days later. Here are a couple of the reasons why it is important to notify your auto insurance company as soon as possible in regards to a missing car.

You May Be On the Hook for Damages if You Don’t Notify Your Insurance Company

If your car has been stolen, it is important to notify your insurance company right away, or you may be liable for the damage the thief does in your car. Notifying the insurance company won’t prevent the thief from causing damage, but it can help you prove that you didn’t authorize your car to be taken, and thus, you should not be held responsible.

You Start the Process for Recouping Money From Your Stolen Car

The other reason to notify your insurance company right away if your car was stolen is because this starts the clock for recouping money for a stolen car. Most companies have a waiting period that you have to wait out until they will pay for a stolen car. Unfortunately, this period may start from the time you notify the insurance company, not the time that the car was stolen. As such, it’s important to notify your company right away to start this clock.

If you have questions about auto insurance and stolen cars, or want to make sure you are fully covered in case your car is stolen in the greater West Hartford, CT area, contact AllConnecticut Insurance.

Your Vehicle is Damaged by Water – Who Pays?

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The recent disaster caused by Hurricane Matthew reminds us all that water is a powerful force, which can cause major damage. For those who own vehicles that could be damaged by severe rains, mud slides, flood, or hurricanes, insurance coverage needs to be in place to cover this risk. The staff at All Connecticut Insurance in West Hartford, CT recommend that everyone check their insurance policies for the proper type of insurance to cover water damage to vehicles caused by severe weather.

Imagine these scenarios:

  1. High winds cause a tree branch to break, which lands on your vehicle’s windshield breaking the glass and allowing rain water to fill up the interior.
  2. You are driving across a small bridge and the river water washes the bridge away taking your vehicle with it.
  3. Your house is not in a flood zone; however being the careful person you are, you were smart enough to get flood insurance anyway. A "one-hundred year" event happens, which means the area floods for the first time in over one-hundred years. The house becomes flooded and your car is completely under water.
  4. You go away for vacation and we you get back your car is buried under a mud slide.
  5. You park on the street near a lake, river, or beach. The water rises and covers your car.

These are just a few of the common scenarios, which may cause water damage to your car. Whether you have insurance coverage depends on the type of insurance you have. Luckily, you do not have to figure this out alone. The risk you have depends on many factors and how close any major water source is to where you keep the vehicle most of the time. Severe weather is something to take very seriously because it is increasing. Check with your agent at All Connecticut Insurance in West Hartford, CT  to make sure you have adequate coverage for weather and water damage.

5 Things That Might Bring Your Insurance Rates Down

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There are quite a few variables when it comes to what you’re going to pay each month for your car insurance. Different insurers offer different discounts for different things, and you might not qualify for this or that discount based on certain factors. But, there are a number of things that you can do that will, generally speaking, bring your rates down no matter who you’re buying from, be it ALLConnecticut Insurance or some national brand:

Take Advanced Driving Courses

Attendance of advanced driving courses is often used as an alternative to paying the full price of a traffic ticket, or even doing some jail time. If you agree to advanced driving courses as part of a deal with the judge, it might not help your insurance rates all that much. But, if you complete advanced courses voluntarily, it looks very good on your record.

Bring Your Grades Up

Insurance tends to be a little pricier for young drivers simply because you haven’t had much time to prove yourself a safe driver yet. But, if you’re still in high school or college, you may be able to get a better deal by keeping a good GPA, proving that you’re a responsible person.

Ask About Their Discounts

Just ask, see what you qualify for, or what you could easily qualify for with a little effort.

Buy The Right Car

A Ferrari is going to raise a lot of red flags with most insurers. There are specialty insurers who will cut you a break on flashier autos, but modest, low-profile cars are usually cheaper to cover.

Maintain Good Credit

As with keeping your grades up, you’re simply showing that you’re a responsible person.

Discover the Benefits of a Good Home Insurance Policy

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When you purchase a home in West Hartford, CT, you want to make sure your investment is protected. Your home is the biggest investment you’ll ever make, and if you have to pay to repair damages to your home, it could be devastating financially. This means you need to ensure that you and your home are protected with a good home insurance policy. Here’s a look at a few of the benefits you can enjoy when you have a quality homeowner’s insurance policy in place.

Benefit #1 – Protection for Interior Damage – Unfortunately, accidents and disasters happen indoors and can cause serious interior damage to your home. You could deal with water damage from frozen pipes or you may end up dealing with interior damage due to a robbery. While policies can vary, most will cover many types of damage to the interior of your home.

Benefit #2 – Coverage for Exterior Damage – Acts of nature, such as wind, lightning, and hail can all result in devastating damage to the exterior of your home. Repairs could cost you thousands of dollars if you don’t have good homeowner’s insurance. However, depending on your policy, many types of exterior damage will be covered.

Benefit #3 – Personal Property is Protected – Coverage varies, but a good home insurance policy often covers personal property within your home. Personal property includes jewelry, furniture, clothing, computer equipment, and more. If these items are damaged or stolen, your policy may cover their replacement or repair.

Of course, while a good home insurance policy offers many benefits, it’s important to understand that these policies have exclusions as well. It’s important to find out what exactly is covered by a policy before you make a purchase. If you want to learn more about homeowner’s insurance or you’re ready to purchase a new policy, contact ALLConnecticut Insurance today.