If you have a fire or burglary in your home you would expect the insurance company to repair and or replace your lost and damaged items. Would you be able to remember every item you have accumulated over the years if they were all gone? If your home is damaged, or totally lost due to a fire or other event, having a home inventory will help you recover all your personal property with the least amount of time and stress. Having a home inventory is the easiest and best way to manage insurance claims after a disaster or loss. This also expedites the claim process, making it easier to be paid.
Creating a personal home inventory helps in calculating how much your personal property is worth. Knowing this ensures you have an accurate value. If you have too little coverage, you would not have enough funds to replace lost property; and if you have too much coverage, you are paying higher premiums than you need to. Here are a few more reasons to develop a home inventory:
• It helps settle claims accurately and promptly
• It provides required documentation of ownership and value
• It helps with estate documentation
• It preserves your heritage
Documenting important valuables such as rings, watches, jewelry, guns, and cameras should be part of your plan. In most cases some high end valuables are subject to limitations unless they are scheduled. Scheduling these items insured you will have the correct value in the event of a loss.
Additional Tips:
The best way to start your home inventory list is to go room by room. Take on three rooms per day, and you will be done in no time. Send a copy of your personal home inventory to our office; we would be happy to keep the written records as back-up for you.
The rain, snow and cold weather has arrived. It time to shop for new winter clothes, time to consider how to protect your home from the winter conditions that are fast approaching. PlatinumOne Insurance Agency offers these ideas for your review. With temperatures falling and meteorologists predicting a colder than normal winter, the easiest and most cost efficient way to keep your home’s heat inside, while keeping your heating bill respectable, is to add fresh insulation to your attic, ceilings, basement, and walls.
Time For Home Insurance Check Up
Let PlatinumOne Insurance Agency provide you with an insurance check-up to make sure you have the best possible coverage. We have many ways to save you money on your homeowners insurance. We can also determine if you have the right homeonwers insurance for your individual needs.
Prepare For Winter
Have an emergency kit ready; an emergency kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. Include the following: water, flash lights and batteries, first aid kit, whistles to signal for help, basic tools, manual can opener, small supply of food, radio, candles, lighter, blankets and rope.
The following is a checklist for what homeowners ought to be doing when prepping for the cold season. Stick to it, and you’re sure to have a warmer and more relaxed winter experience (scraping and digging out your car notwithstanding).
Reverse ceiling fan rotation
Inspect your furnace and replace filters
Insulate water pipes
Turn off all outside water and sprinklers
Clean wood stoves and chimney’s
Install window insulators
Store summer tools and prep winter ones
Get a programmable thermostat
Make sure you caulk or repair and replace any siding that is failing
Stock up on emergency supplies
It’s always wise to provide an outside air supply for combustion appliances like gas stoves and furnaces. You may need a professional to check this for you
Make sure your recreation vehicles get the same care as your home
Seal cracks in windows, doors, foundations, and ducts
Cyber risk is a topic that keeps evolving. At this point, we believe that every business needs to have cyber liability insurance. The methods that the cyber criminal’s use is always changing and we are constantly researching the latest prevention trends.
Cyber Risks Are Growing
Russian hackers recently stole over 2 billion online names and passwords. Home Depot had millions of customer credit cards stolen. A local restaurant recently had 1200 customer credit card numbers stolen, and finally a medical clinic had a lap top stolen that contained 5,000 patient’s names and confidential information. Every company is at risk for cyber theft and loss.
Cyber Insurance
We can provide your firm with the right combination of pricing and coverage. Cyber risk insurance is available at very reasonable premiums. Many of our companies offer coverage to help protect your business from loss.
Cyber Risk Prevention for Small Business
Here are some of the latest prevention trends from computer *experts:
Outsource credit card handling with a reputable vendor.
Use more complex passwords with a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Here is an example (MP#09xT28S%).
Don’t save passwords on your computer.
Question your internet security at every level, including email. It may be time to encrypt all emails.
Use the latest security software.
Do not allow laptops to leave the office without proper security.
Train your employees on cyber security.
Do not use an open network.
*Source PC360.com
If you have a standard business policy you may not have the right kind of coverage. Let us work with you to provide the right coverage. Cyber liability coverage (for data breaches) has evolved from just insurance for information technology companies to coverage that nearly every kind of business should have – if they don’t already.
We are locally owned and operated out of Overland Park, Kansas and are strongly represented in all areas of the Kansas City metropolitan area including not only Kansas City, but also Olathe, Leawood, Lenexa & Shawnee. We primarily write business in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas but are licensed in the entire State. We primarily write business in Jackson, Cass and Platt County in Missouri but again are licensed in the entire State to write business. We offer preferred coverage that qualifies for all mortgage companies and strive to be the premier Kansas City Independent Insurance Agency.
Did you know that Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas? Did you also know that children are more likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year? Kids love to dress up, get together with friends, and go door-to-door hoping to find the full size candy bar, so keep them safe by doing a little pre-planning. Here are some pointers for ensuring your house is a safe place for trick-or-treaters on October 31.
Keep Kids Safe
Never go into a strangers home
Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision
Don’t eat homemade candy unless you know the family
Wear reflective clothing
Have a flash light
Look at all wrapped candy, if it has been opened toss it out
Develop a route with your parents
Go in a group of kids
Set a curfew
Safety For Pets
Make sure your pet is in a safe and comfortable space or take them to a secure, relaxing location for the evening.
Home Safety
Clean up your yard
Make a clear well illuminated path to your door
Remember that a lot of Halloween decorations like dried flowers, straw and crepe paper are highly flammable. Make sure to keep your decorations away from all open flames
Make sure all outside lights are in good working order
If you have a large display make sure electric cords are taped or secure to prevent tripping
Practice indoor fire safety by checking all smoke detectors. Make sure candles are placed in a secure area
Make sure windows and doors are locked at all times
It’s never a good idea to answer the door after a certain time
We are locally owned and operated out of Overland Park, Kansas and are strongly represented in all areas of the Kansas City metropolitan area including not only Kansas City, but also Olathe, Leawood, Lenexa & Shawnee. We primarily write business in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas but are licensed in the entire State. We primarily write business in Jackson, Cass and Platt County in Missouri but again are licensed in the entire State to write business. We offer preferred coverage that qualifies for all mortgage companies and strive to be the premier Kansas City Independent Insurance Agency.
The credit card industry is growing at an unprecedented rate. According to a recent survey, the average American household has 2.6 credit cards. People should take note that one of the most prevalent credit card scams in society today is identity theft. In fact, $16 billion was stolen from 12.7 million U.S. consumers through identity theft in 2014. What people do not realize is that having numerous credit cards can also put them at risk for identity theft. Fraudulent activities are very prevalent in the industry and the best targets of the culprits are those who have numerous credit cards. Becoming a victim of identity theft can be costly, time consuming, and wreak havoc on your life.
Identity Theft Prevention Tips
Never give out any personal data or information over the phone; even if the caller says he is from the bank that issued your credit card and that the information gathering is just some sort of verification.
If you are offered a promotion requiring you to give some personal information, then, it would be better not to enter the promotion at all.
Do not carry all of your credit cards with you; take only the one or two that you will need. You will never know what will happen while you are in a public place, where identity theft could just be lurking around, waiting for its next victim.
With over 40 years of experience in the industry, Brad Runnebaum and Jeff Hartman established PlatinumOne Insurance Agency in 2008. We have established relationships with some of the top carriers in the industry including Travelers, Allied, Kemper, Encompass, Progressive and many others.
We are a full service insurance agency representing individuals, families and businesses in the Kansas City area. We are licensed professionals who are not limited to placing your insurance with just one carrier. We have the flexibility to choose the insurance company that best serves your individual needs. Having choices is our advantage and it benefits our customers.
Our business success depends on how effectively we serve our customers. As a designated Trusted Choice agency, we are dedicated to providing the best service in the industry. Experience the difference by giving us a call today. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are here to assist you in any way possible.
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According to most experts identity theft is on the increase. Your identity is one of your most important assists. Violation of your identity is frightening and can be costly, but most consumers tell themselves it cannot happen to them. PlatinumOne Insurance can provide you with insurance solutions for your identity theft risks. There are a number of ways to provide the protection you need.
Ben Weitzenkorn, a contributor to TechNewsDaily, reports, “Identity theft in the United States rose to a three-year high in 2012, with more than 5 percent of the adult population, or 12.6 million people, falling victim to such crimes, says a new survey. That’s up from 4.9 percent in 2011 and 4.35 percent in 2010.” Here is another interesting fact. Over 24% of identity thefts occur from people you know.
Here are a few recent headlines that should catch your attention:
Miami Man Charged in $12 Million Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme Involving Thousands of Fraudulently Obtained U.S. checks. http://www.fbi.gov
New luxury red shiny compact car parked in modern showroom. Car dealership office. Car retail shop. Electric car technology and business concept. Automobile rental concept. Automotive industry.
We are always searching for ways to help our clients save money on their auto insurance. Saving money on car insurance is a relatively quick way to lower the cost of operating your car, and can be accomplished with a quick phone call to PlatinumOne Insurance. There are many ways to lower your insurance costs without eliminating needed coverage. Here are a few ideas to consider:
Use an independent agent to provide a quote. PlatinumOne Insurance is independent and has access to many markets that provide competitive premiums.
Many insurers offer discounts if you have some of the following features on your car:
Anti-lock brakes, Airbags (driver/passenger, driver/passenger/rear seat, side impact, etc.), Automatic seat belts, Anti-theft device (active or passive) and Daytime running lights
Multi-vehicle discount (if you have more than one vehicle on the policy).
You can receive discounts if you combine your home and auto with the same carrier.
Good student discount.
Good driver discounts.
Consider raising your collision and comprehensive deductibles if your vehicles are older.
Customer loyalty- if you stay with a company for a period of time, you can receive discounts each year.
Maintain good credit. Credit scores have an impact on your premiums.
Drive safely and don’t get tickets.
Consider insurance when making your car purchase. Some vehicles are more expensive to insure.
As your independent agent, PlatinumOne Insurance is here to help you find the best possible combination of price and coverage.
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We know choosing the right Commercial Insurance for your new business is an important decision. PlatinumOne Insurance has the experience to market your Commercial Insurance and provide you with options for your new business. Whether you’re a store owner, distributor, office professional, or wholesaler, you need Commercial Insurance to protect you and your new business against the unique risks and exposures you face. Here are the types of Commercial Insurance you should consider when selecting and designing your business insurance program:
Commercial General Liability: Covers third party liability claims, namely claims against you from a customer or visitor on your premises, or who may be injured by your business activity or product.
Example: A customer slips on your driveway, trips on your steps, or injures himself on your premises, or customer is injured as a result of your product or service.
Commercial Business Property Insurance: Insures your building and contents both on and off premises.
Example: A fire destroys your entire building and equipment.
Employee Dishonesty Coverage: Protects your company from financial loss resulting from employee theft of money, securities, or property.
Example: An employee steals money from your company.
Workers Compensation: Provides compensation for your employees for medical care in the event they are injured on the job, including medical benefits, income benefits, death benefits, and rehabilitation benefits.
Example: You own a delivery company, and an employee is injured while making a delivery.
Business Auto: Provides insurance coverage for your company’s cars, trucks, trailers, vans, or other vehicles.
Example: You’re a beverage distributor making a delivery in the company van when another vehicle runs a stop sign and hits you.
Professional Liability: Covers you for the failure to perform professional services. If you design something or perform work which does not meet standards or expectations, you could be sued for the cost of the contract, damages, or lost business revenues by your customer.
Example: You are an architect and one of your buildings has developed a mold issue due to poor roof design.
Business Interruption Insurance: Provides protection from loss of income and extra expense if your business suffered a loss and you were unable to operate for a period of time.
Example: A major storm hits and your restaurant is completely flooded. You have to close for a month to repair all of the damage.
Equipment Breakdown Insurance: Provides coverage for the accidental breakdown of equipment.
Example: A power surge damages your computer network.
Call PlatinumOne Insurance today for more information. We have access to many markets that will allow us to provide the right combination of coverage and pricing.
The category of artisan contractors, also known as casual contractors, includes many occupations that involve skilled work with tools at the customer’s premises. Carpenters, plumbers, electricians, roofers, and tree surgeons are some of them. Also included are diverse other skilled service providers, such as interior decorators, piano tuners, and exterminators.
Special insurance needs of this group include coverage for equipment and tools that are often moved around and for the value of work done for a customer until it is finished.
For many artisan contractors, the most cost-effective and efficient way to obtain property and liability coverage is with a Business owners Policy (BOP) especially tailored to their needs. Although marketed under a variety of names, these policies will typically have provisions similar to the BOP’s.
Property Insurance
The BOP covers real estate and other property that your business owns that is located at the described business premises. If your business rents or leases its premises, the BOP provides coverage for tenants’ improvements and betterments. These are fixtures, alterations, installations or additions that you have put into the space that cannot legally be removed from the landlord’s premises.
Your biggest personal property loss exposures, however, may involve valuable machinery and equipment that moves around from job to job and is not covered by the standard property insurance. Such movable property is insured by contracts that insurers call “floaters.”
An installer’s floater covers all kinds of machinery and equipment during transit, installation, and testing at a customer’s premises. Even building materials may be covered, but the more usual coverage is for equipment or machinery that only contractors install, such as heating or air conditioning. The policy can be written to cover a single job or on a reporting form, meaning that you provide the insurer with information about each new contract you undertake.
A tools and equipment floater covers the insured property wherever it is used and may include such items as hand tools, power drills, hoisting machines and power pumps.
Liability Insurance
Given the possibility of a lawsuit should someone claim to have been harmed by your work, you will almost certainly need liability insurance.
If working as a subcontractor, your customer may require you to have Owners and Contractors Protective Liability (OCP) coverage. This protects either a property/business owner or a general contractor from possible liability arising from the negligent acts of an independent contractor or subcontractor hired to perform work on behalf of the insured. The actual purchaser of the policy is the independent contractor or subcontractor, but the protection is for the benefit of the property/business owner or general contractor for whom the work is being done.
Business Vehicle Insurance
Your personal auto policy probably provides coverage for some business use of your truck, van, or another vehicle. A personal auto policy is unlikely to provide coverage; however, if the vehicle in question is used primarily in business. It will not provide coverage for any vehicle owned by a business. For those vehicles, you must have a business auto policy.
If you’re driving a truck you own personally for a business purpose and get into an accident for which you are liable; an injured person could sue you personally. Will your personal auto policy have enough coverage to pay all the damages? If not, a lawsuit may be filed against your business. If you use personal vehicles for business, you want to be sure you have high enough limits to protect your business. You should discuss this with your insurance agent.
Workers Compensation Insurance
States have varying rules about when an employer must provide workers compensation insurance. If you have three or more employees, you should check with your state department of worker’s compensation to see if you are required to provide workers comp insurance.
Single family house with water damage after flooding (3D Rendering)
Human caused disasters and natural disasters occur in every state. California has earthquakes and wildfires, Colorado has flooding and wildfires, the Northeast has winter storms and high winds, Florida has flooding and hurricanes, and the Midwest has flooding and tornados.
Insurance And Disasters
It is safe to say that most business and homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover the risks associated with disasters. The only exception would be damage caused by wildfires. Let’s look at how insurance might apply to other disasters.
Floods— Only 13% of U.S. homeowners had flood-insurance policies last year according to the Insurance Information Institute, a trade group. Flood insurance must be purchased through the National Flood Insurance Program. We can help you if you need the coverage.
Earthquake— While earthquakes occur mainly in certain areas, there are registered earthquakes in every state, every year. Earthquake insurance also must be added or purchased under a separate policy.
Tornadoes— Damage from tornadoes typically is covered, since it usually is considered wind damage.
Mudslides— A standard home insurance policy does not protect your home against damage caused by a mudslide. Mudslides are usually defined as ground movement. Heavy rains that cause a mudflow would typically be covered.
Heavy Snow and Winter Storms— Winter storms and snow damage is covered under a typical homeowner’s policy. If flooding occurs, then the flood damage would be covered.
Hail–Most homeowner’s insurance policies provide coverage for losses resulting from hail.
Wildfires— It can be safe to say that all homeowner’s insurance covers loss resulting from a fire. Wildfires are considered a fire and would be covered.
Coverage disclaimer–the information provided here is for general purposes only. It is not our intent to change or modify insurance coverage. Each insurance policy is different and your individual coverage will be determined by the terms of your insurance policy.
