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Royal Oak, MI 48067

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Confused About Home Insurance? Here’s Your Guide

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You are a busy person. Understanding the nitty-gritty of policies like home insurance may be too much to ask of you. We understand because insurance can be a challenging topic for most people. Luckily, if you partner with a knowledgeable insurance agent like Atlas Insurance Agency of Southeast Michigan, we can make home insurance a simple topic to digest.

Here is what you need to know about home insurance:

Home insurance covers more than your building

Most people know that home insurance covers the building structure. While this is true, home insurance covers more than your building. Standard home insurance covers the assets inside your home. It also protects you against liability claims and covers loss of use if your home has been rendered unlivable by a peril listed in your policy.

Home insurance has exclusions

Like most insurance policies, home insurance has limitations and exclusions. Your standard home insurance won’t cover damage arising from:

  • Floods
  • Earthquakes
  • Pest and mold infestation
  • Intentional damage
  • Government actions
  • Sewer back-up

If you want to protect your home against the above risks, it doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Talk to your insurance agent about “add-ons” to boost your home insurance.

Update your home insurance

Most things in life aren’t static — home insurance isn’t an exception. Ensure that you update your home insurance at least once a year. This ensures you are paying the right premium and that your current insurance needs are covered.

Also, update your home insurance if you undertake significant renovations, add a dog, or start a home-based business.

Buy sufficient home insurance

Do not underinsure your home because disasters can strike when you don’t have enough cash to repair your home. Always consult with your insurance agent to buy enough insurance.

Want to learn more about home insurance in Southeast Michigan? Please get in touch with Atlas Insurance Agency for more information.

 

Why Does Your Business Need Umbrella Insurance?

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Umbrella coverage is not a standalone insurance policy. Instead, it acts as additional insurance to cover when your regular business insurance stops! Though most people think about needing umbrella insurance when you have expensive jewelry or artwork, you may want to consider getting some for your business. 

Here are some reasons why you should have umbrella insurance for your business. 

Your business could easily go bankrupt if you get sued. There are many businesses that deal with situations that put them in jeopardy regularly, such as lawyers, doctors, and other businesses. 

If you have a business that is dangerous, you are going to need to have extra insurance. Whether you are dealing with hazardous materials or your employees are in danger daily, you should have the extra protection that you need. 

You may work with other businesses that require you to have extra insurance. They may want to protect themselves before they go into business with you. 

If your employees drive, you are going to want the extra liability insurance, just in case. You need to protect your employees, their vehicles, and yours if your employees spend time on the road. 

You may even want to get umbrella insurance if you have customers come into your business. It doesn’t take much to go through your regular business policy. One fall could cost you thousands of dollars. If you don’t have extra money lying around, you should think about getting umbrella insurance. 

Atlas Insurance Agency in Southeast Michigan is here to serve you.

If you want to make sure that your business is protected, you need to contact us today at Atlas Insurance Agency in Southeast Michigan. We would be glad to talk to you about your business to make sure that you have enough insurance to keep your doors open! 

What you need to know about insuring your recreational vehicle

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Atlas Insurance Agency is here to serve the insurance needs of the Southeast Michigan community. If you wonder if your recreational vehicle needs insurance, we can help!

Why insuring your recreational vehicle is a great idea

Insurance can be a confusing subject when it comes to recreational vehicles like ATVs and 4x4s. This is especially true for people who only use such vehicles on private land. Even if you never take your recreational vehicle out on the road or public land, you may still need insurance.

Think about how rough the terrain can be that you ride on. When you have friends and family members over to enjoy riding recreational vehicles, you are also increasing your level of liability. No one wants to even think about what could happen if an accident or mishap should occur when a family member or friend is riding one of your vehicles.

Riding on private land won’t shield you from liability should an accident occur. When you opt for a robust recreational vehicle policy, you are protecting yourself and your riders. Make sure that you won’t have financial responsibility for an accident on your property.

Liability can make any situation more serious. If you are operating recreational vehicles on your land, ensure that you have the protection you need! With a recreational vehicle insurance policy, you can ensure that you have the protection you need.

Give us a call today!

The team at Atlas Insurance Agency is here for the greater Southeast Michigan area. If you have any questions about insurance, including recreational vehicle policies, call or stop by our office today!

Is life insurance necessary for burial expenses?

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The Atlas Insurance Agency is here to serve the insurance needs of the Southeast Michigan community, including your family. If you would like to learn more about life insurance and how it can help defray the cost of burial expenses, give us a call today.

Benefits of using life insurance for burial expenses

Losing a spouse can be a traumatic experience, no matter when it happens. Many people think about life insurance as an effective tool to protect young families, but it can be helpful for people of all ages.

The amount of the cost of burial expenses can vary from situation to situation. However, it is an expense that can be unexpected if there is an untimely death in the family. When someone dies, in addition to the grief that accompanies your loss, you may also be dealing with the stress of medical bills.

When you are able to use life insurance to cover burial expenses, it can be a relief during a very trying time. Life insurance can be paid out immediately upon receipt of a death certificate. This means that you won’t have to scramble for the funds. Accessing savings during this time can also increase your stress.

Having a life insurance policy in place for burial and other end-of-life expenses can help your family during a very difficult time. Financial concerns can become a serious source of stress when there is an extended illness that includes a lot of medical expenses. When a death is unexpected, you may not have funds available.

Find out more about covering burial expenses today

If you are in the greater Southeast Michigan community and have questions about life insurance, you can turn to the Atlas Insurance Agency. Call or stop by our office today!

Will A Speeding Ticket Increase My Auto Insurance?

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Receiving a speeding ticket is never fun and to top it all off – your insurance is also likely to increase. Insurance companies use a complicated algorithm to determine your risk factor. Excessive speeding as evidenced by tickets, frequent claims due to accidents, your age, and much more all factor into how much your auto insurance premium is. To keep your insurance costs as low as possible, you’ll want to avoid doing anything that could put yourself, your passengers, or other people at risk. 

If you’ve received a speeding ticket, then it is all but guaranteed that your insurance will increase. Although it can vary from state to state, insurance typically increases about 25% in the period immediately following the ticket being reported. If you do receive a ticket, you’ve got a few options to avoid it increasing your auto insurance premium. One option may be to fight the ticket in court if you believe it was given to you erroneously or you have a valid and justifiable reason that a judge believes for why you were speeding. 

At the end of the day, the best way to maintain an affordable auto insurance policy is to operate your vehicle safely. While you can’t control what other drivers are doing on the road, you are in control of what you do and doing simple things like following the speed limit, avoiding being on your phone and obeying all traffic signs will keep you safe while also keeping your insurance premium at an affordable rate. 

For your insurance needs in Southeast Michigan, give Atlas Insurance Agency a call today to learn how we can help you. 

Commercial Liability Insurance: An Introduction

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As a business owner in Southeast Michigan, one of your main priorities should be protecting what you have worked so hard for. This is where the commercial liability insurance that Atlas Insurance Agency offers comes in. This kind of business insurance protects you and your company as you do business. Let’s get familiar with what commercial liability insurance is.

What Is Commercial Liability Insurance?

Immediately after opening the doors, a business owner will be responsible for the products and/or services offered. Any kind of mishap could lead to a potential lawsuit, resulting in significant out-of-pocket expenses.

Commercial liability insurance reduces the overall chance that you will lose personal assets or your business in the event of legal action. There are several different kinds of liability coverage that can extend this kind of protection to you.

General Liability Coverage

This type of insurance coverage from individuals outside of your operation, such as a customer pursuing a lawsuit due to slipping and falling on the property.

Professional Liability Coverage

Also commonly referred to as errors and omissions insurance, this type of coverage will cover legal-related issues that come from errors in the business, missed deadlines, or poor-quality workmanship.

Workers’ Compensation Coverage

While some states do not require it, workers’ compensation can protect the financial interests of your company in the event an employee suffers an injury while on the job and decides to pursue legal action.

What Are the Benefits of Commercial Liability Insurance?

Commercial liability insurance helps to ensure that you and your business aren’t held liable for legal-related expenses that result from business-related lawsuits. These expenses generally include costs associated with settling and litigating cases, as well as injury and accident damages.

When it comes to workers’ compensation coverage, you have the benefit of knowing that your staff members are protected and will receive the medical attention they need for any work-related injuries without having to worry about losing their position at your company or suing you. This is beneficial for both you as well as your employees.

When your Southeast Michigan business is in need of commercial insurance, you can rely on the team at Atlas Insurance Agency to help you obtain the coverage you need.

When is the best time to review your home policy?

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Home insurance is something that needs to be reviewed regularly. Your life doesn’t stay the same and your home insurance shouldn’t either, it needs to be updated. At Atlas Insurance Agency in Southeast Michigan, we take your insurance needs seriously and as independent insurance agents, we can do the work of finding the right carrier and policy for you. 

Most home insurance policies renew yearly. At the very least, you should review your policy yearly. When you get the new policy, it has a declaration page on the front. This is a synopsis of your policy all on one page. How much your replacement cost for your home is, your liability coverage, your deductible, and any endorsements you have added. It also lists your content coverage and with some digging, you should be able to figure out exactly what type of content coverage you have. 

Do the amounts of coverage that you have make sense with what you know about your home and your neighborhood? Does the liability coverage protect you with enough coverage? If you have added a dog to your family or have a pool, you may want to increase your liability coverage. Do you have teens who may make bad decisions? Extra liability is a good idea and maybe even an umbrella policy. 

If you have done repairs to your home that have increased its value or if you have added extra square footage, be sure that your insurance agent is aware of these changes. Some changes you make can save you money like adding a new roof, a home security system, or wired smoked detectors. Talking to your independent insurance agent about your home and your coverage will allow you to make necessary adjustments. 

Contact Atlas Insurance Agency in Southeast Michigan when you are ready to review your home insurance coverage. 

Do I need to have a recreational insurance plan in Michigan?

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Those that are in the Southeast Michigan area will find that there are a lot of recreational parks, trails, and other active areas that will allow you to enjoy the great outdoors for much of the year. A way that you can enjoy these areas as much as possible is by investing in your own recreational toys. If you are going to get a recreational toy here, having the right insurance is important. You should consider recreational insurance a necessity for several reasons.

Insurance will Protect Asset

An important reason to have recreational insurance is so you can protect your core assets. Any recreational toy owner will want to know they can enjoy their asset for a long time. With the right coverage, you can ensure that this happens. A recreational insurance plan will give support if you incur many forms of loss including theft, accidental damage, or vandalism. 

Insurance Offers Liability Support

While you should be safe and cautious when using any recreational toy, there are still situations in which you can cause an accident. If this happens, you could be found liable for any bodily injury or property damage that you cause. Fortunately, you can mitigate this risk by getting recreational insurance as it will offer liability insurance. This type of coverage could be required to use your recreational toy and asset in certain areas.

Having a recreational toy in the Southeast Michigan area can be a great investment for anyone. Those who are looking to purchase one should make sure that they call the Atlas Insurance Agency to discuss their insurance needs. The Atlas Insurance Agency can continue to provide the support you need to assess your insurance options and build a recreational insurance plan that meets your needs.

What Is Umbrella Insurance?

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A unique kind of insurance, umbrella insurance helps you to have more liability coverage for other policies. It’s a great way to have better protection against a wide range of accidents. If you’re interested in umbrella insurance, give us a call at Atlas Insurance Agency in Southeast Michigan.

Protection for Home Liability

If you own a home, you likely have a home insurance policy. That policy includes coverage for your liability in your home. If a third party were to come into your home and have an accident there, you could be held responsible for the medical bills. Your home insurance policy has coverage for your liability in these cases, but it’s usually a fairly low amount. With umbrella insurance, you get extra liability protection that is added to the amount in your home insurance policy.

Protection for Automotive Liability

Umbrella insurance works with your auto insurance just as it does with your home insurance. You are legally required in Michigan to have liability coverage in your auto insurance, but is it enough? Medical bills and property damage costs are at an all-time high. Medical bills can be especially steep. If you don’t have enough liability coverage in your auto insurance, you’re simply responsible for paying the overage. When you have umbrella insurance, there is liability insurance added to your auto policy.

How It Works

When someone has an accident with your vehicle or in your home, your auto or home insurance will pay for the resulting costs, but only up to its stated maximum. After that, your umbrella insurance steps in and takes care of the rest up to its own, very high maximum. This can save you from paying thousands for bills that result from an accident. 

Umbrella Insurance Policies

If you want to know more about umbrella insurance, give us a call at Atlas Insurance Agency in Southeast Michigan.

Do Pre-Existing Conditions Affect Life Insurance?

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At Atlas Insurance Agency, we serve Southeast Michigan with many types of insurance. For example, we provide life insurance for many people, including those with pre-existing conditions. But how can these diseases impact your policy and its execution? Would you please read on to learn more about what kind of conditions may affect your policy and how you can prepare for this issue?

How Pre-Existing Conditions Affect Life Insurance 

If you have any health troubles before you get a life insurance policy, it is essential to let your policy provider know. They’ll adjust your policy accordingly or ask you to get a medical screening before giving you a policy. In addition, you may have some limitations on your policy, though this fact is rarer now than it was in the past. Just a few pre-existing conditions to watch for include: 

  • Heart-related problems, like high cholesterol or blood pressure 
  • Obesity as defined by your insurance provider 
  • Specific mental health problems, like depression or anxiety 
  • GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease
  • AIDS or other auto-immune conditions 
  • Cancers of just about any type 

When buying your policy, you’ll have to understand that your pre-existing conditions may affect the length of your insurance term and much more. So make sure that you work directly with your provider to find the type of policy option that seems to make the most sense for your current health needs.

Getting a Policy You Can Trust 

If you have a pre-existing condition in Southeast Michigan and want a life insurance policy that makes sense for your needs, please reach out to us at Atlas Insurance Agency right away to learn more. Our team will sit down with you and figure out what kind of policy makes sense. And we’ll do what we can to adjust our coverage to suit your pre-existing conditions and their unique impact.