KIS - Insurance Buying Tips.

Welcome to Susan's - Buy Insurance like a CEO - PRO of an insurance agency.

Many items to consider - monthly premium, deductible, exclusions, do I qualify for discounts, what is and is not covered under what circumstances and of the items not covered, how can I cover them with another policy at a reasonable cost?

But 1st, can we make this process of decision making less like going to the dentist? - YES

Single Carrier Insurance Agency

1st, lets understand why I left a single carrier company 25+ yrs. ago -

No options other than the single plan for my customers compared to an independent insurance agency with many competitive carriers with a variety of quality insurance plans to select from to benifit my customers.

Multi-Carrier Independent Insurance Agency

With us, you get personal, local access to fully licensed agents that will spend whatever time needs to be spent for you to be comfortable with your insurance product buying decisions as we shop together multiple highly rated insurance carriers.

Whether you would prefer to stop by our building, by phone or email, we are completely focused on what works best for you.

Single Carrier Agency vs Multi-Carrier Independent Agency

Does it really Matter? - YES IT DOES!

What can you do?

Unfortunately, it is a given that rates can change from 1 yr to the next by no fault of your own.

Market forces - unusually high number of claims, state insurance rate increases and competition all combine to create fluctuations in what you pay for your insurance.

Comparisons - be careful. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples.

  • Some Auto policies are 6 months, some are for a year.
  • Some Homeowners policies now include Equipment Breakdown Coverage - EBC.
  • No standard homeowners policy covers everything. One very important example of this is flood insurance.
  • Texas HO-A, HO-A+, HO-B & HO-C.
  • Actual vs Replacement cost.

Your Goal

Take Control. It is to your advantage to be in a position to select from many insurance carriers to constantly; year after year, acquire the best insurance package at the best price that meets your specific needs. Even as your needs change -

  • Add a Vehicle
  • Increase Family size
  • Add a Home
  • Change career that now adds a discount

Plus, the constant fluctuations in the insurance market.

The easiest way to achieve this goal is with an independent, multi-carrier insurance agency whose only focus is YOU, welcome to, KIS!

You can roll the dice and HOPE you find an insurance company you can trust to have your best interest in mind year after year.

We like hope, however hope is NOT a plan that involves protecting your most important assets in the most cost efficient manner possible.

We like Cost, Coverage & Customize with KIS!

YES, we will to earn your business, your trust day after day, month after month.......We have been earning our customers trust for over 2 decades.

 

Auto Insurance

Please keep in mind we can answer any of your questions or concerns you may have, please give us a call -

281-293-7744 Toll Free 1-877-260-0808

Reasons to use

At this time, a dash camera car insurance discount is not offered in the U.S.

However, there are indirect benefits that can affect your premium, which in turn helps keep your car insurance rates down. While merely owning a dash cam may not lower your car insurance rates, the footage that the camera provides may turn out to be invaluable in certain situations -

  • Have a record of your accident
  • Drivers often have completely different memories and descriptions of an accident. With video proof that you weren’t the driver responsible for a car crash you can save yourself from being found at fault by a car insurance company -- and receiving the higher auto insurance rates that go with that finding.

    Your dash cam footage can also expedite your claim, as it may prevent you from having drawn-out discussions with insurance companies about who was at fault.

  • Get out of a ticket
  • If you’re stopped for a traffic violation you didn’t commit, offer up your dash cam footage to the law enforcement officer before the ticket is written. If the officer won’t watch it, bring the footage to court to contest the ticket.

  • Help fight insurance fraud
  • If you have a feeling the accident you were in, or just witnessed, may have been a “crash for cash,” turn over your dash cam footage to the insurance companies involved, or to the state insurance fraud unit, to investigate. Catching a fraudster in a staged accident, can indirectly lower your rates.

  • Make you a better driver
  • Dancers look in the mirror to correct their technique, athletes watch video of their previous games to improve their play, and you can review your daily driving footage to become a better driver. Reviewing how you drove in the last week can help you see ways to correct driving mistakes, such as braking too hard or switching lanes abruptly.

    Being a better driver should lead to a good driving record, which should lead to you obtaining (or keeping) a good driver discount. A good driver discount is one of the best car insurance discounts to have since it can be up to 25 percent and typically extends to most of your auto coverages.

  • Review your teenager’s driving skills
  • Drivers under the age of 25 have some of the highest car insurance rates due to their lack of experience behind the wheel and tendency to crash and cause claims. Anything you can do to keep your young driver from getting in an accident or from getting a ticket -- either of which is bound to raise your already high rates into the stratosphere -- is well worth the effort.

    Set up a regular time to review the dash cam footage and see what your child can do better and take your teen out to practice those skills.

  • Have an eye on your unattended vehicle
  • Most dash cameras have an option that allows you to turn it on standby that permits the camera only to turn on if it feels motion in or around the car. So, if someone breaks into your car or hits your parked car and takes off, you may be able to review the dash cam footage and find the individual responsible.

    If you can’t find the person on your own, then you can hand the footage over to your insurance company to prove how the damage was done (again might keep your rates low by keeping you from being found at fault for an incident) and also to the police to see if the culprit can be located and held accountable.

  • Capture unexpected events
  • You may not catch something as astonishing as meteors raining down like Russian dash cam owners captured a few years back; however, you may catch a deer darting out in the road causing your accident, a rockslide that damages your car, or neighbor’s tree that falls on your car during a storm. With that footage in hand, you can show your car insurance company what brought about your claim and may save yourself from a surcharge.

What can they do?

Use GPS to instantly locate anything that matters to you. Get the instant answers and peace of mind you need -- all in real time.

GPS vehicle trackers are designed to allow vehicle owners to track the location of your property over a cellular network, ensuring that the updates are accurate and frequent. These GPS vehicle trackers provide real-time car tracking for individual vehicles.

Various features offered by these devices include to-the-minute speed and location details, programmable text and email alerts about your vehicles, and customizable programming to suit your individual needs.

Types & Sources

In addition to GPS tracking devices you can purchase, there are insurance companies that offer Trackers as part of their safe driving programs and they can lower your rates for auto insurance.

Homeowners Insurance

Please keep in mind we can answer any of your questions or concerns you may have, please give us a call -

281-293-7744 Toll Free 1-877-260-0808

The market now has Equipment Breakdown Coverage - EBC as an added benifit.

Texans always do things their own way. Home insurance is no exception. While most of the country uses policy forms HO1, HO2, HO3, HO5 and HO8, Texas uses its own home insurance policy forms; the HO - A, HO - A+, HO - B, and HO - C (Although most commonly used in Texas, a few other states have adopted these home policy forms as well.)

All types of home insurance policies can be found in Texas, so it is important to know which policies are the best for you.

Plus, know the differance between Actual & Replacement Cost.

Such an important topic that it has it's own EBC Page.

Not all cost are the same

Replacement cost coverage pays to repair your home or replace your property at current costs. For instance, say you bought a couch 10 years ago and paid $1,000 for it. If it’s destroyed in a fire, a replacement cost policy will pay you enough to buy a new couch like your old one, even if the cost is more than what you originally paid.

Actual cash value coverage pays replacement cost minus depreciation. Depreciation is a decrease in value because of wear and tear or age. For example, if your 10-year-old couch is destroyed in a fire, an actual cash value policy will pay you the value of a 10-year-old, used couch. It won’t pay to replace it with a new couch like the one you had.

HO - A, Basic Named Perils Policy

The HO - A Home Policy is the most basic and simple home insurance protection. It is the equivalent to the HO1 policy outside of Texas. The HOA policy will only protect you from 10 specific perils. (A peril is an event or disaster that causes a loss or damage to your home or property. A few of the most common perils are fire, theft, wind, and hail.) If something happens to your home other than these ten perils, you are not covered under the HO - A. The ten perils are:

  • Fire or Lightning
  • Windstorm or Hail
  • Explosion
  • Riot or Civil Commotion
  • Aircraft
  • Vehicles (unless caused by the insured)
  • Smoke
  • Vandalism or Malicious Mischief
  • Theft (limit of liability on HOA is usually $1,000)
  • Volcanic Eruption

HO - A+, Broad Named Perils Policy

The HOA+ Home Policy provides broader coverage than the HO -A policy. It is equivalent to the HO2 policy in most states. Like the HO -A, the HO -A+ still lists every peril you are protected from, but the list adds six more perils. This protection covers your dwelling and your personal property. The sixteen perils are:

  • Fire or Lightning
  • Windstorm or Hail
  • Explosion
  • Riot or Civil Commotion
  • Aircraft
  • Vehicles (unless caused by the insured)
  • Smoke
  • Vandalism or Malicious Mischief
  • Theft (limit of liability on HOA is usually $1,000)
  • Volcanic Eruption
  • Falling Objects
  • Weight of Ice, Snow, or Sleet
  • Accidental Discharge or Overflow of Water or Stream
  • Sudden & Accidental Tearing Apart, Cracking, Burning, or Bulging
  • Freezing
  • Sudden & Accidental Damage from Artificially Generated Electric Current

HO - B, Basic Open Perils Policy

The HO - B, Home Policy is referred to as an open perils policy. That means instead of specifically listing the only perils you are protected from like the HO - A or the HO - A+, the HO - B lists the perils your policy will not cover. If a peril isn't listed as being excluded, your home is protected. HO - B home protection is much broader than HO - A or HO - A+ coverage. This open perils coverage only applies to the home. The HO - B is most similar to the HO 3 policy, but is slightly better because it typically includes additional water damage protection that an HO3 doesn't. With the HO - B, your contents are protected from the same 16 perils that are listed in the HO - A+ policy. The exclusions to the dwelling protection are listed below:

  • Earth Movement
  • Ordinance or Law (some coverage may be provided in your policy)
  • Water Damage (some coverage provided in your HOB policy)
  • Power Failure
  • Neglect
  • War
  • Nuclear Hazard
  • Intentional Loss
  • Government Action
  • Mechanical Breakdown
  • Collapse (some coverage may be provided in your policy)
  • Mold, Fungus, or Wet Rot (some coverage may be provided in your policy)
  • Smog, Rust, & Corrosion
  • Smoke from Agricultural Smudging & Industrial Operations
  • Dispersal, Discharge, Seepage of Pollutants
  • Animals own by Insured
  • Birds, Vermin, Rodents, Insects
  • Wear & Tear, Deterioration
  • Settling, Shrinking, Bulging, or Expanding (of bulkheads, foundations, pavement, patios, footings, floors, roofs, ceilings)

If something happens to your home that is not specifically listed as one of the above exclusions, it is covered under the HOB policy. The HOA+ and the HOB are the two most common Texas home insurance policies.

HO - C, Full Open Perils Policy

The HO - C Home Policy is full open perils on both the dwelling and contents. This means that your home is covered for anything and everything that could possibly happen to it, minus the same exclusions listed above in the HO - B policy. The only significant difference between the HO - C and the HO - B is that the HO - C will cover your contents for open perils, while the HO - B covers your contents for the 16 perils listed above in the HO - A+ policy.

It may be tempting

Be careful, some homeowners who have paid off their mortgages choose to drop their homeowners insurance to save some money. Saving money is Good. Suffering a major loss to your paid-off home and not having insurance to cover your loss is Bad. Taking on another mortgage to cover your loss could also be Bad.

When does it make sense to bundle?

The short answer to that question - Almost always. Most insurance providers offer more than one type of insurance. Many of them offer home, auto, boat and many other types, including life insurance.

Substantial discounts – and some other benefits – await policyholders who buy more than one type of coverage from these providers.

What kind of discounts are we talking about? The amount varies widely by provider and by the types of coverage you bundle, but you can often get a discount of up to 20% for combining home and auto coverage.

Don't own a home? You also can get a price break for buying renters and car insurance from the same provider, though it's usually smaller than the home & auto package. Do you own more than one car? Some providers offer discounts of up to 20% for covering multiple vehicles.

Why you should like bundling

Saving money upfront on policies is a strong motivator, of course, but it's not the only reason for bundling.

One advantage for buying multiple policies with one company is gaining familiarity with that provider. But you also could benefit from paying only one deductible on a claim that otherwise would involve multiple carriers.

What's a deductible? That's the amount you agree to pay out of pocket when you file a home or auto claim. For example, if your home suffers $5,000 worth of damage from a hailstorm and you have a $1,000 deductible, you'd pay the deductible and then receive $4,000.

But what if, under the same scenario, your car is damaged by the same hailstorm? If you don't bundle, you might have to pay the $1,000 home insurance deductible and a $500 auto insurance deductible before you received help from your policies. Some providers, when you bundle coverages, have a single deductible requirement – though usually you have to pay the larger of the two deductibles.

Give us a call so we can start working on a bundle package to save you money, 281-293-7744 Toll Free 1-877-260-0808.

We are an Independent Insurance Agency

KIS is proud to be associated with, Home Insurance Solutions of Texas - HISOT. HISOT is a multi-carrier independent insurance agency and has been in business over 25 years and counting.

Multi-Carrier Independent Insurance Agency - With us, you get personal, local access to fully licensed agents that will spend whatever time needs to be spent for you to be comfortable with your insurance product buying decisions as we shop together, multiple highly rated insurance carriers.

Whether you would prefer to stop by our building, by phone or email, we are completely focused on what works best for you..