How Good Credit Affects Your Auto Insurance

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Many Brandon, FL residents have come to us at Runnels Insurance confused by the ways that their insurance premiums can be affected by their credit score. The truth is, your credit score can affect your insurance rates, and having a good credit score is one of the best ways to ensure that your rates don’t end up too high.

Credit Scores Will Affect Your Insurance

While it is not a national practice in all insurance companies, up to 92 percent of all auto insurance companies use credit to assess premiums. Why? The belief here is that your credit indicates a chance of insurance losses. For example, those with bad credit may not be able to afford to maintain their vehicle, leading to an increased risk of breakdowns.

How Good Credit Helps

Improving your credits helps increase your premiums by showing a decreased risk of insurance loss. Good credit showcases that you have paid your bills on time, worked hard to avoid excessive debt, and are a reliable person. Insurance companies believe that this indicates a lower chance of suffering from a serious car accident.

Improving Your Credit

The best way to keep your credit at a suitable level is to make your payments on time. Don’t skip payments, pay everything on time, and work hard to pay off everything you owe. In this way, you can create a solid credit score that will decrease your premium.

And if your identity gets stolen and your credit is affected, don’t be afraid to talk to a credit tracking company. They can help sort through the confusion and avoid this situation causing too much damage to your credit.

At Runnels Insurance, we can help you and anyone else from Brandon, FL get the help they need to get high-quality insurance at low prices. We can help walk you through the difficult credit assessment process and give you a leg up on cheaper premiums.

Is Extra Insurance Necessary When Renting Out a Room?

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Renting out a portion of your home is easier than ever, thanks to roommate-finding websites and smartphone apps. Whether leasing a room or a finished basement, having roommates is a great financial practice. Some homeowners profit from it.

Renting is usually a pleasant experience as long as the proper precautions are taken insurance-wise. The average rental price in Florida is $1,002 per month. This is something Brandon, FL homeowners enjoy taking advantage of.

You already have typical home insurance, but do you need to supplement that for roommates? Runnels insurance offers various coverage options that boost typical property insurance. Their representatives can find the ideal insurance policy to fit your lifestyle.

If you rent out a room in your house, you might not be properly covered in the following instances.

– A tenant causes significant damage to your home

– An injury is suffered by a tenant

– A neighboring home sustains damage as a result of the actions of a tenant

Before choosing your homeowner’s insurance, check if there are any provisions to protect you in any of these instances. It is possible there are none. Even if you don’t plan on renting your home now, it could happen in the future. The perplexing nature of a homeowner’s policies is exactly why the representatives of Runnels Insurance exist. They can consult with you to design the ideal policy for you as a landlord.

Property insurance only covers the home and the property of the owner. The tenant’s valuable property is covered through renters insurance. If you are not properly covered, Runnels Insurance can help you design a policy that fits you perfectly.  Do this even if you are renting your property out short-term on websites like Air BnB. Remember, there is no such thing as being over-prepared when it comes to protecting your valuable property.

Homeowners Insurance in Brandon, FL

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Homeowners insurance protects an owner from property damages and guest accidents with compensation for repair, replacement, and medical costs.

Florida homeowners can protect their home and their finances from unexpected risk incidences, with an insurance policy. Homeowners insurance agreements cover a residence, personal contents, as a well as visiting guests during a disaster, accident, or theft event.

When natural disaster strikes, homeowners insurance coverage compensates an owner for repairs to the structure of a building, as well as replacement of its contents.

If a guest slips and falls on a property, the owner is responsible for liability stemming from injury, treatment expenses, and legal fees. Sign on to a homeowners insurance policy, and protect yourself from extenuating medical and lost wage expenses associated with a negligence claim.

Avoid the hassle of paying out-of-pocket expenses for property repairs or bodily injury of a guest, with a homeowners insurance policy. Homeowners insurance policies are indemnity agreements that protect an owner from liability and other costly obligations.

Standard Homeowners insurance policy offerings include:

Comprehensive Coverage – protects a homeowner from repair and replacement of property after a risk event.

Individual Coverage – insures against debt obligations so that beneficiaries do not assume responsibility for a property mortgage or other outstanding monies owed in case of a serious accident or death.

Packaged Indemnity Agreements – real and personal property coverage against theft or damage of value.

Combined Life Coverage – comprehensive life and homeowners insurance covers expenses associated with costs arising from property and personal property losses, or liability.

A home is a valuable investment property. Protect yourself and your property from disaster and liability with homeowners insurance.

Request the details to homeowners insurance products offered by your insurance broker. Insurance coverage deductibles, claims processing schedules, grace periods, and terms and conditions to homeowners insurance agreements may vary.

To find out more about homeowners insurance in Brandon, FL, and obtain a quote, contact Runnels Insurance.

Are Florida’s Highways Really That Dangerous?

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Anyone who’s driven in Florida knows that the twisty, winding highways can get a bit confusing and that there are plenty of very, very bad drivers in the state. But, is Florida as dangerous as it’s said to be? Let’s look at the facts:

  • Your chances of dying in a car accident in FL are about one in eight thousand if you are in a moving vehicle

2013 saw 2,407 accident-related fatalities for just under twenty million residents. This puts the odds at around one in eight thousand if you are in a car. This places Florida as the 20th most dangerous state for drivers, right between Kansas and Missouri.

  • Pedestrians run a one in thirty thousand risks of being killed in an accident

That number sounds favorite in comparison to the above-listed statistic, right? Only 660 fatalities compared to 2,407? However, this is where Florida ranks absolute worst in the nation. Pedestrians are more likely to be killed in an accident in Florida than in any other state, by far.

So the rumors are true, not so much in that you are likely to be killed behind the wheel in a city like Brandon, FL, but rather, that you are more likely in FL than anywhere else to be involved in an accident that kills or seriously injures a pedestrian.

If you drive in Brandon, it’s especially important to make sure that you have adequate liability coverage. No matter how good a driver you may be, you cannot possibly account for every risk you will meet out on the road. With a solid insurance policy, you’ll be ready come what may.

Is Extra Insurance Necessary When Renting Out a Room?

Posted on by AgentInsure

Renting out a portion of your home is easier than ever, thanks to roommate-finding websites and smartphone apps. Whether leasing a room or a finished basement, having roommates is a great financial practice. Some homeowners profit from it.

Renting is usually a pleasant experience as long as the proper precautions are taken insurance-wise. The average rental price in Florida is $1,002 per month. This is something Brandon, FL homeowners enjoy taking advantage of.

You already have typical home insurance, but do you need to supplement that for roommates? Runnels insurance offers various coverage options that boost typical property insurance. Their representatives can find the ideal insurance policy to fit your lifestyle.

If you rent out a room in your house you might not be properly covered in the following instances.

– A tenant causes significant damage to your home

– An injury is suffered by a tenant

– A neighboring home sustains damage as a result of the actions of a tenant

Before choosing your homeowner’s insurance, check if there are any provisions to protect you in any of these instances. It is possible there are none. Even if you don’t plan on renting your home now, it could happen in the future. The perplexing nature of a homeowner’s policies is exactly why the representatives of Runnels Insurance exist. They can consult with you to design the ideal policy for you as a landlord.

Property insurance only covers the home and the property of the owner. The tenant’s valuable property is covered through renters insurance. If you are not properly covered, Runnels Insurance can help you design a policy that fits you perfectly.  Do this even if you are renting your property out short-term on websites like Air BnB. Remember, there is no such thing as being over-prepared when it comes to protecting your valuable property.

Why Home Insurance Is Cheaper Than Not Having It

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Most households maintain a budget these days. They keep a close eye on where their money goes so that they will have enough at the end of the month. In many of these households, home insurance isn’t included in the budget because they don’t have it. If your household in Brandon, FL doesn’t have home insurance, you are setting yourself up for a financial letdown.

Avoid Costly Repairs with Home Insurance

Although home insurance increases your monthly expenses, you can budget for it. However, the cost of making repairs following a hurricane or other disaster can cost you thousands of dollars. Between 2010 and 2014, the average cost for a fire, lightning, and debris removal claim was $39,791. When you compare that to the average annual cost of home insurance in Florida, $1,991, it’s easy to see that not having home insurance costs more.

Home Insurance Covers Liabilities

Another protection offered by home insurance is liabilities. If a guest visits your home and sustains an injury on your property, it’s possible you will be responsible for making them whole. Without home insurance, you must cover these costs alone. If you are fighting to maintain your budget, an injury on your property could be the budget-breaker that prevents you from providing for your family.

Home Insurance Prevents You from Replacing Personal Assets

When you experience a loss, odds are, you will experience a loss of personal property as well. Items like computers, TVs, and furniture are expensive to replace. Imagine if you had to replace all the personal belongings you own in one room. How much would it cost? What if you had to replace all of your personal belongings? Fortunately, you may not have to do that if you have home insurance.

In Brandon, FL, home insurance is a necessity. If you don’t have it, contact us to get it now by contacting us on our website. Budgets are great, but they can’t help you avoid a financial catastrophe due to repairing your home or replacing your property following a loss.

How To Choose the Right Home Insurance

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Home insurance is something that should be specific to each and every policy holder and as such, finding the right policy is going to be different for every person. What might work for some may not work for others making it necessary to learn how to choose the right policy. For those in the Brandon, FL area, Runnels Insurance can help you find your perfect policy.

Where to Start

You should first start by determining how much you home and its contents are worth. This is going to help your agent determine how much they need to insure your home for and how much it would cost to replace the contents of your home and rebuild in the current economy. You then need to speak with an agent about how much you need to take out.

The Next Steps

After your initial consultation and finding out how much your home is worth, you also need to take the time to see what supplemental policies you might benefit from. For instance, if you live in an area where flooding is common, where hurricanes happen, or where an earthquake is likely, you might want to add those policies to make sure you are covered.

Checking Coverage

Even after you get your coverage taken care of and your policy is in place, it is beneficial to check coverage often and to update it to reflect changes that have been made to your home and value changes in rebuild costs. Your agent will work with you to make sure your policy is up to date through the duration of the time that you are with the agency and that you hold that particular policy.

For those that want more information and live in the Brandon, FL area, contact the agents at Runnels Insurance today.

Why Everybody Needs to Have Auto Insurance

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Most jurisdictions in the United States require car insurance. But why? Is it really necessary? These are questions that many people have asked since laws requiring car insurance became commonplace. A little research results in the conclusion that yes, car insurance is really necessary. Laws requiring auto insurance have been passed nearly everywhere in the Unites States for good reason. Such laws protect people from financial difficulties caused by an accident with an uninsured driver. Of course, such accidents still happen. However, they have become much less common since laws requiring car insurance were passed.

Auto insurance laws

Auto insurance laws vary from state to state, and can be quite complex. However, you don’t have to figure them out all on your own. Your insurance agent, such as Runnels Insurance of Brandon, FL, can help you get a policy which follows all applicable regulations. Thankfully, there are some similarities between the car insurance laws of most states. For example, most states require liability coverage. Liability coverage ensures that you (or at least your insurance) are able to pay for any damages to property or injuries caused by an accident in which you are involved. Some states require that your insurance also include coverage for your own injuries. States that require this kind of coverage are often referred to as “no-fault” states. The failure to buy the appropriate auto insurance can result in fines, your car getting impounded, and even imprisonment.

Auto Insurance is required by lenders

Not only do state governments require auto insurance, all banks that do car loans require auto insurance as well. This is because their loan is essentially an investment, and they want insurance protecting that investment. While state governments require liability and sometimes personal injury protection insurance, banks require insurance that covers damages to the vehicle.

4 Ways To Improve Your Home Insurance In Brandon

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When you live in Brandon, it is important that you take the time to explore your homeowner’s insurance policy. There may be various ways for you to make improvements on the policy. This can deliver greater peace of mind throughout the entire year. All it takes is working with the right insurance professional.

Compare Rates

Once a year, you should take the time to compare rates with different insurance companies. There may be a more affordable premium available to you. By getting quotes, you can explore coverage, company reputation, as well as annual premiums to determine whether you have the best policy in place.

Explore the Add-Ons

There are various forms of home insurance add-ons that you may be able to add to your current policy. This can provide you with additional protection in the event that something happens to your home. Such things include additional liability, higher valuation on your belongings, as well as flood insurance.

Learn About Common Claims

It’s important to know about some of the most common claims that occur in Florida. This way, you can ensure that you have the coverage in all areas. Otherwise, you could be in a situation where you file a claim and have denied because you didn’t have sufficient coverage against whatever took place in or around your home.

Work with an Agent

A lot can be said about working with an independent insurance agent. You can learn more about your options and how to get the coverage you need for your home when you work with an insurance professional. This way, you can eliminate the guesswork that you have been dealing with in the past.

Learn more about home insurance and the best way to protect your house and family by contacting an independent insurance agent at Runnels Insurance today.

 

Rainy Day Protections: Umbrella Coverage

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When most people think about insurance, they usually think of car insurance and, if they own a house, homeowners. Some many think of life insurance as a possible option if their job offers it; however, not many people realize that there are additional insurance options beyond the state required minimums. When disaster strikes, it is a common occurrence that people who opted for the minimum insurance coverage possible can find themselves, their property, and their family in danger because of that lack of coverage. Furthermore, even people who opted for larger coverage can sometimes find themselves in that same dangerous situation because of insurance running out or a particular situation not being covered.

Umbrella insurance serves to provide that needed kind of overlapping coverage. Having an umbrella policy may provide coverage during situations that other policies may not cover and is specifically designed to kick in when those first policies have been exhausted. For example, an umbrella insurance policy may protect you against certain types of lawsuits or personal liability situations. Since insurance laws can vary from state to state, it is vital to speak with your local insurance agent to make sure that you are getting the coverage you need to feel safe and secure in case an emergency or life altering event occurs. 

Located in Brandon, FL, Runnels Insurance offers a variety of ways to explore your insurance options through face to face meetings with agents, phone calls, and email. Within minutes, you can have the information you need to make sure you have an umbrella for when those rainy days come. After all, no one wants to get caught in a bad situation without coverage.