Personal Connections

Personal
Connections
www.andersongroup.us
volume 3 • issue 2
Planting and Pruning Hazards
pring is a great time for planting and sprucing up the yard,
but digging and pruning trees can present hazards that you
should anticipate.
S
In This Issue:
• A Horse Is a Horse, Of
Course, He Needs
Insurance
• Insuring Your Finer
Things
• Spring Cleaning Is
Inventory Time
• Plan Vacations with
Home Security in
Mind
• Who’s Covering Your
Handyman?
®®
When digging, you could hit
utility lines, including gas pipes
and buried electricity and communications cables. Many local
utilities will mark areas where
pipes and cables are buried if
asked. Just one cut or spark could
send someone to the emergency
room or worse.
Some properties have drainage
problems that owners desire to
solve with French drains. Those
underground gullies are fabulous
at directing water away from
soggy areas, but the water
must go somewhere.
If you
do your own drainage system,
check that you engineer it
correctly so you don’t pump water
into your basement or your neighbor’s.
Tree branches that scuff the side
of the house are not only a nuisance, but they also can damage
your home. Trimming those tree
boughs is probably recommended,
but trimming them yourself may
be risky. Nearby power lines can be an electrocution hazard. Also, the branches you
cut, if not managed precisely, can do significant damage to gutters and other structures
on your property, such as gazebos, sheds
and play equipment, as well as to cars on
and off your property.
Don’t sacrifice safety for curb appeal.
Make sure to practice the highest level of
safety as you spruce up this spring. •
A Horse Is a
Horse, Of
Course, He
Needs Insurance
Insuring Your Finer Things
F
ine home decorations and collectibles can be found at the
mall or on the Web, on TV or at garage sales; they surely are
popular today.
A homeowner with such fine things should take caution, for these valuables are not
as easily replaceable as the otherwise ordinary things in the home. A standard homeowners policy places limits on things such as jewelry, art and other collectibles.
You may need to take special steps to ensure that your finer possessions are covered adequately. First, you may request that coverage be added to the policy to insure
such items. If this is not available, you may need to fill out a schedule of your finer
items and have their values insured through a separate policy. It is wise to have photos and receipts for claims purposes, as well.
For more information on insuring the finer things in your home, give us a call. •
nderson Insurance knows that
owning a horse is a huge
commitment. Horses are an
expensive investment, and keeping them healthy and safe is a big
undertaking. There are many risks
to be considered: theft, injury to
others, illness and equine injury
and mortality.
Even under optimal circumstances, horses get sick and
injured. But what if your horse
were stolen, became seriously
ill or worse? Anderson offers a
comprehensive Flat Rate All-Risk
Mortality policy to which a surgical
and major medical rider can be
added.
Your personal liability insurance
needs to be considered, too, especially if you allow others to ride
your horse. And if you own a farm,
our equine farm package may be
just right for you. It protects your
buildings and home and provides
specialized liability coverage for
your equine operations.
If you are considering expanding
your stable or breeding or studding, contact us to determine what
kind of coverage is best suited to
your needs. •
A
Spring Cleaning Is Inventory Time
hat plasma screen TV you
hung on the wall a few
weeks ago may be fresh in your
memory, but what about all the
stuff in your attic that you use
only once a year? The shed?
How about the storage room in
the basement and the new bar
fridge, computer, game system
and other electronic goodies
and furniture your college kid is
bringing home?
Spring cleaning time is a
great time to photograph and make a
list of all the stuff you forgot you had
and all the stuff that’s coming to reside
with you for the rest of the summer.
These items might outpace your water
heater and dishwasher in terms of
replacement cost, but in the event of a
total loss, they won’t be looked at the
same way.
Your homeowners insurance policy
includes a separate limit for personal
property—items that are not considered part of the structure itself. If a loss
occurs, it is important that the insurance
company know what you had in order
to give you the best chance at an ade-
T
quate replacement.
Think of the items in your home.
What do you stand to lose? Do you
have pictures, receipts and serial numbers from larger ticket items in a safe
place? Consider a safe deposit box,
since any such information kept in your
home is likely to be lost along with your
other personal property in any major
loss such as fire, flood or windstorm.
Collecting valuable information such
as receipts, serial numbers and pictures
of the items in your home and storing
them in a safe place will help get you
reimbursed by the insurance company
as quickly and accurately as possible. •
Plan Vacations with Home Security in Mind
avvy thieves often monitor a home for months before deciding how to steal property.
Some might watch from a distance, others might frequent your home in the form of
salesmen or pollsters.
S
Vacation time increases vulnerability to burglary. Many homeowners
cannot afford a sophisticated alarm
system for maximum protection.
Following are a few simple and
affordable tips you can use to minimize the chances of theft:
• Use light timers on lamps and
televisions, keep curtains closed, and
secure the house with deadbolts.
• If you leave town, have a trusted
person stop by each day to make
sure lights are on and doors are
locked. Ask the person to check the
mail, remove newspapers, move your
trash cans on trash day and watch
for signs of prowlers.
as jewelry and laptops.
• Keep all paperwork that could
be used to steal your identity in a
locked and hidden case. Today’s
thieves often will steal you blind
even after they’ve burglarized your
home.
• Make sure you have adequate
personal property coverage for the
contents of your home because, if
thieves do hit, you want to know
that your losses are covered.
• If possible, keep a vehicle parked
in plain view, preferably right in
front of the home.
• Conceal easy-to-steal items such
If you have any questions about
your property coverage or want to
check that your coverage limits are
up to date, give your Anderson agent
a call. •
Who’s Covering Your Handyman?
he first step in hiring a
handyman to come into
your home is to check his
insurance and yours. It isn’t
always easy to tell if workers who enter your home
to do improvement work
are adequately insured.
Here are some guidelines:
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• Handymen, painters, gardeners
and other workers who provide minor
repairs or maintenance are usually covered under your homeowners policy
for small injuries. If, however, this type
of worker suffers a disabling injury or
worse, you may not have enough
insurance. Check with your agent to
see that you have adequate limits.
• Contractors who are hired to do a
larger project, such as an
addition or major landscaping job, are usually
working under contract
with you. They should be
licensed and carry their
own insurance to cover
injuries, disabilities and
professional liability. They
also should possess insurance for any subcontractors they bring to your job
site. Don’t be shy about
asking to see a contractor’s
insurance information.
A typical homeowners basic policy
carries $100,000 in liability and $25,000
in property damage. You may need
more than that based on the value of
your home and its contents, the value of
the tools a worker will bring to and
leave on your property, and the poten-
tial for serious injury that exists for your
hired workers.
Your Anderson agent can help you
secure the appropriate coverage for
your property and lifestyle. Let us
know if you have questions about covering workers who come to your
home. •
Anderson Insurance Services, Inc.
933 Webster Street
Marshfield, MA 02050-3423
www.andersongroup.us
®®
Personal
Portable Garages
C onnec ti ons
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volume 3 • issue 2
ow that spring has sprung and summer is blooming, it’s time for graduation parties and weddings. Many beautiful events will be held in yards
and homes! But will homeowners policies cover the people and the paraphernalia that accompany the festivities?
A host’s liability may extend to illness or injury incurred from the food
served, the libations poured, the physical grounds or even rowdy partygoers.
Additional considerations include borrowed or rented property such as tables,
trellises, lights and the like.
Check your homeowners and umbrella policies to see if your current coverage meets your special events insurance needs. If additional coverage is need-
www.andersongroup.us
ed or you aren’t sure, give our service team a call.
•
For more information about
your personal insurance
needs, call us or fill out
this form and fax it in today!
Fax: (781) 837-3756
Thank you for your referrals.
If you’re pleased with us,
spread the word! We’ll be
happy to give the same great
service to all of your friends and
business associates.
Please call me about:
o My home insurance protection
o Car insurance
o Boat insurance
o Insuring my in-home business
o Personal umbrella policy
o Life insurance
My name and phone number:
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E-mail address:
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