You can protect your pipes from freezing by insulating outside walls and unheated areas of your home; wrap pipes nearest the exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape; try to keep your home warmer to prevent pipe freezing if possible; or, allow your faucets to drip lukewarm water to minimize freezing during severe outside temperatures.

The Importance of Planning

Recently my Brother passed away after a fight with cancer. Unfortunately he did no life insurance planning which ended up in a horrible nightmare for his wife. Please take the time and review what your family needs to survive if you are gone. Regardless of who you buy the life insurance from, get it done. I wouldn't wish the results of not planning on my worst enemy.

Allstate Fighting Fraud

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Allstate Insurance Company Files $2.9 Million Fraud Case Against Fraudulent Medical Corporations

Allstate Insurance Company Files $2.9 Million Fraud Case Against Fraudulent Medical Corporations. Allstate Insurance Company filed a $2.9 million medical fraud case against fraudulent medical corporations. The lawsuit is the company’s sixth this year in New York, for a total of nearly $10M in damage

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Maximizing Discounts

Maximizing discounts when you purchase insurance is consumer wise. For instance, having your home and auto together garners a 25% discount on your home insurance and a substantial discount on your auto insurance at Allstate. Did you know you could get a discount in some cases for receiving your bills by email versus paper? Did you know paying your bill electronically can earn another discount? Annual Reviews with your agent are important.

Correcting Fire Protection Class

Insurance companies are beginning to subscribe to ISO to properly determine the correct Fire Protection Class for the property insured. Each property (home or rental) has a specific contractually-obligated Fire Department that is it's primary responder. The property owner may have believed that XYZ FD was the department handling them at the time they bought their property insurance. Now, with the correction, they may find that another department handles them and this may cause an increase in premium because the correct Fire Department may not have the equipment or rating of the department formerly believed to be the correct department. Insurance companies are taking action and adjusting premiums. You need to know.

GEICO versus Allstate

I had the staff all shop GEICO to get the GEICO EXPERIENCE. Some of the observations are:

1) While all times they asked if we knew liability limits, they did not ask about any other coverage.
2) They attempted to close three times on the average and one Rep became annoyed when he couldn't close my wife.
3) The quote was given as a 6 MONTH PAID-IN-FULL PRICE without ANY discussion of what coverage was being quoted.
4) No Motor Vehicle Reports or SS numbers were given so we were told this was the ABSOLUTE best rate.
5) When we received the email follow up it included a link to the quote which was for MANDATORY PIP, $500 deductible for Comprehensive and Collision. The Uninsured did match the liability limits.

While it is easy to find fault with a company we have all been with for years the bottom line is that GEICO versus Allstate was $379.30 versus $386.10, respectively, WITHOUT A MULTI-POLICY DISCOUNT ON THE ALLSTATE. Other staff quotes actually had BETTER rates than GEICO.

Flood Insurance

Damage to your home from flooding is not covered under homeowners policies.Flood Insurance is through the NFIP and sold through companies like Allstate as a separate policy. Depending on where your property is located as to the zone (zone A is expensive whereas zone c or x would not be)will determine the premium. We handle Flood Insurance at my agency.

When do I need Boat Insurance?

When the craft exceeds $1000 value under a homeowners policy you should obtain boat insurance. Liability coverage under a homeowners covers the boat UNLESS: 1) it has inboard or inboard-outboard exceeding 50 hp; 2) it is a sailing craft 26 feet or longer; 3) powered by one or more outboard motors with more than 25hp; it is an airboat or derivative; or 4)jet-propulsion type (jet ski).

Are temporary Canadian ID cards for auto necessary?

After investigation and consultation with the Allstate Canada legal department, it has been determined that the temporary insurance ID card is not necessary. As all Provinces within Canada accept the U.S. Allstate Insurance ID card as sufficient evidence of liability, a temporary insurance ID card is not required.

What is Identity Theft Coverage?

This optional endorsement provides reimbursement for covered expenses
incurred in reporting and addressing identity theft for insured and spouse.
Occupant information must be completed for insured and if applicable, the
spouse. In addition to expense reimbursement, at the sole discretion of
Allstate and for no additional charge, Allstate may decide to refer you to
the services of a firm that can assist you in reporting and addressing
identity theft.

The aggregate coverage limit is $25,000.

What is the optional Building Code coverage under Landlord Package

This optional coverage will pay for increased costs due to the enforcement
of any building codes, ordinances or laws regulating the construction,
reconstruction, maintenance, repair or demolition of the dwelling. The policy
will pay up to a maximum of 10% of the Dwelling Protection Limit.

What is an EGR Factor?

When a new automobile model comes out it has no "history" as to crash-worthiness, likelihood of being stolen, or the likelihood of occupants' injuries exceeding the norm. As the vehicle develops a history within the insurance industry that results in a factor. Let's say that 1.00 is the norm and the 2008 Anycar is experiencing a 5% larger occurrence in occupant injuries and a 5% higher level of damage when compared to similar vehicles. You may the see an EGR Factor adjustment to Bodily Injury, Personal Injury and other coverage and an adjustment to the physical damage coverage (collision). You could experience a 5% rate increase while keeping the exact same vehicle. Good to know.

Tips for cutting insurance costs

Sample Tips for Cutting Insurance Costs
1) Have you retired and not told us?
2) Are you covering an older vehicle with Comprehensive and Collision Coverage?
3) Do you have a young driver that can be spun off onto their own policy with Allstate? (sometimes this is cheaper than having them on yours EVEN IF you still have to pay for it)
4) Have you and I done a valuation on your home in the last 3 years?
5) Have you done renovations on your home in the last 10 years?
6) Are you driving less than 7,500 miles per year?
7) Are you getting ALL your discounts? (we give discounts for having auto/home for example)
8) Have you installed alarms or security systems in your home or vehicles?
9) Have you considered revising your deductibles?
10) Can you switch to a payment plan that gives discounts such as Full Pay and/or EZPay (electronic withdrawal)?
11) Have you taken an Accident Prevention Course (6 hours) and not told us? (these are also on-line now)
12) Have you been spoken to about Allstate Property and Casualty Auto Insurance if you have Allstate Insurance Company Auto Insurance?

New Commercial Auto Discount

You can now receive a 10% discount on your Allstate Commercial Auto Insurance by becoming a member of the Building Trades Association. To become a member contact them at 800-326-7800

Harry Bowers Allstate

Auto, home, renters, snowmobiles, ATV, motorcycle, commercial, life, investments, workplace benefits and more are avaulable from Harry A. Bowers Agency Inc. Call 607-796-9113 or toll-free 888-808-8321 or email bowersagency@gmail.com. (see full description)

The Hatfield Difference

Connected.

Hatfield belongs to the Elmira-Corning Board of Realtors. More exposure to more agents and agencies means faster home sales.

Hatfield participates with www.realtor.com and the National Association of Realtors to get your property seen.

Our web site, www.hatfieldre.com , is fast and efficient and seen by thousands of buyers.


You are the boss.

We treat every client like they were our only client.

We will develop a marketing plan based on your wants and needs, not just a blanket one-size-fits-all plan.

Creativity means looking at any and all avenues to sell your property, such as staging, media selection, Open Houses and Broker Open Houses, to name a few possibilities.


Technology

As people become more adept at the internet you need to have an agency that is savvy to the exposure you need. What other web sites should your property be advertised on at no additional cost to you?

Reports about the people visiting your property, demographics on local and regional sales and how they pertain to your property and other market information are a must for you.


Financing and Insurance

You need to know the availability of financing for someone to acquire your property and current climbing or declining market trends that may accelerate or slow your sale.

You need to know the availability of insurance and costs that will impact your sale.

We have on-site affinity partnerships to help with both these areas.