What Umbrella Insurance Covers That a General Policy Won’t

Umbrella insurance is separate from a general insurance policy and helps to cover liability and damages- picking up the slack where a general insurance policy stops- or covering what that policy won’t. An umbrella policy is an important part of protecting yourself, home or business from unforeseen circumstances that can negatively and financially impact your life, including: lawsuits, injuries, theft, natural disasters and much more.

If you are interested in getting an umbrella policy, 1st American Insurance Agency in Longmont, CO is here to walk you through the process. So, let’s consider what exactly is covered in an umbrella policy and why it is important to have in addition to a basic policy.   

What Will an Umbrella Policy Cover?

Remember, an umbrella policy is separate, additional liability coverage and can be for your home, automobile, boat, business or other property. Coverage includes legal situations- including fees and damages if you are found liable-rental property coverage, injuries and other, unexpected situations that may arise.

How do I Know if my General Policy isn’t Enough?

As an umbrella policy provides additional coverage, it is a back up to your general policy to cover what it won’t. In example, if you have $200,000 worth of liability coverage on your general policy and you are sued and found liable to pay $300,000, your general policy won’t cover that.  General insurance policies will only cover your own property damage or physical injuries- not others’. This is where you can avoid going bankrupt having to come up with the money out-of-pocket. Umbrella insurance includes at-fault damages and will keep you protected.

Having an umbrella policy is that added reassurance that your property is safe and that you are protecting your family and business from future potential losses. Avoid the headache of working with the unknown and protect yourself in advance with an umbrella insurance policy. 

Am I responsible if a burglar is hurt committing a crime on my property?

When you invite someone onto your property or into your home, you legally owe them a duty of care. If you don’t maintain your property so visitors can be safe, they may be able to sue you for their injuries.

You should understand premises liability laws when deciding how much coverage to get from Cross Creek Insurance serving Hope Hills, NC.  But what if the person who was injured was not there at your invitation, but came to commit a crime?

As a General Rule, No

The law does not protect trespassers from injury, so someone who comes to commit a crime, such as burglary, cannot normally recover for any injuries. However, this is not a punishment.

The reason the law does not protect trespassers is because property owners will normally have no way of predicting when trespassers will be there. Also, they will have no way to warn trespassers of specific hazards like loose floorboards or water.

Willful and Wanton Conduct

A normal trespasser may be able to sue you and win if he can prove that you should have been able to predict the trespass, such as when your place is commonly used as a shortcut. On the opposite end of the scale, you may be able to shoot a burglar if you felt the person was a danger to you or your family.

On the other hand, if you have something valuable and want to protect it, you cannot set a trap for the burglar. You will be responsible for the injuries of the burglar. You can also never use deadly force to protect property. You can consider all these issues when choosing a policy from Cross Creek Insurance serving Hope Hills, NC.

Commercial Property Insurance for Your Home Based Business

Working from home comes with many unique challenges. One of them is finding the right combination of insurance policies to cover your residential and commercial interests. What policies should a small business owner have for their home-based operation?

The Limits of Your Homeowner’s Policy

Your homeowner’s policy covers everything under your roof, right? Not exactly. Your personal property is covered. If you lose equipment that legally belonged to an incorporated business entity, your insurance company might refuse to pay.

Also, your insurance payout may not be enough to cover any costly equipment or inventory. Repairs or replacements would have to come out of your pockets. Insufficient cash flow is the number one killer of small businesses.

Renter’s insurance policies may not cover property that is stored outside of the building. If you use your yard as a work or storage space, you will need additional coverage.

Home-based business owners need separate policies to protect their business and personal assets. If you’re in the Hope Hills, NC area, the insurance experts at Cross Creek Insurance can help you find the right combination of policies to cover all your important property.

Coverage for Your Business Interests

Some common policies that home-based business owners may need include:

  • Business property coverage to protect your computers, machinery, and inventory.
  • General liability coverage covers your legal costs if your business is found liable for an injury, accident, or other loss.
  • Business interruption coverage pays you when you can’t work your business due to catastrophic loss.
  • Commercial auto coverage ensures your work vehicles.

Depending on the nature of your business, you may need additional policies or endorsements. Cross Creek Insurance serves the insurance needs of Hope Hills, NC area. Our agents can help you customize a combination of policies to protect your life, business, and property.

The Differences Between Whole and Term Life Insurance

When it comes to life insurance, there are many different types of policies available for you to choose from. At the very basic level, there are two different categories that life insurance can fall under: whole and term life. Before you purchase a life insurance policy in Hope Hills, NC it is important to know the difference between the two from Cross Creek Insurance so you can make the right decision. 

Whole Life Insurance

Whole life insurance is designed to last for your entire life. You can sign up for a policy that you will pay for over a set number of years and then you will cease payments. However, this life insurance is designed to stay with you until you die and is better suited for people who are looking at more of a long term goal. Some policies even have a cash value associated with them and you can earn money on the policy over time. This policy tends to be more expensive.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance is designed to only last until a certain age. However, one of the benefits of this type of insurance policy is that it is less expensive. Since it does not last for life though, it is more of a short term policy that will expire when you stop making payments or until you reach a certain age. These policies also do not have a cash value associated with them in the majority of cases. 

Now that you know the difference between whole and term life insurance, you can better decide which is the better option for your current situation. If you are interested in learning more about your options and getting a quote to fit within your budget, be sure to contact Cross Creek Insurance serving Hope Hills, NC today. 

Does A Farm Qualify For Commercial Insurance?

At Cross Creek Insurance, we provide great commercial insurance that is designed to suit a wide variety of needs. For example, we can provide those in Hope Hills, NC with insurance for their farm. Does a farm qualify for commercial insurance or does it require a different type?

Does It Qualify As A Farm?

The most important thing you need to do when insuring your farm is to ensure that it qualifies for commercial farm insurance. For example, it needs buildings that are used in farming operations, crops and livestock, equipment used to manage a farm, boarding houses for workers, people who work on the property, and the capacity to sell products for profit.

As a result, a farm, even if you live on the property, will then qualify for commercial insurance. However, the farm home will need to be covered with a home policy, rather than a commercial policy. A commercial policy for a farm will only cover the property that you use to do your farm work, though some policies may cover certain aspects if your home is damaged.

Policy Types Will Vary

A commercial insurance policy for a farm will cover a wide range of farm aspects. It will cover your property and protect it from the weather, fire, and other serious disasters. However, it also includes liability policies in case that somebody gets injured, medical coverage if somebody gets hurt, living expenses if your living area is damaged, and more. Typically, you are going to need to get specific coverage for livestock, such as cows, chickens, and pigs.

Cover Your Farm Successfully

If you need to get your Hope Hills, NC farm covered by high-quality commercial insurance, contact us at Cross Creek Insurance. We can pinpoint a great policy that works for you and fully cover your business.

Does Auto Insurance Cover the Cost of Pets in your car?

Our pets are like family and for many, it is a gamble to get them into the car. There are some that worry that their pets are not covered it the event of an accident. For those in the Hope Hills, NC area, the agents with Cross Creek Insurance can help you to understand just what your pets are covered for.

For the most part, pets are covered to a certain extent on all auto policies without your having to buy any extra coverage. What this means is that injury to pets is covered up to $1,000 for bills to the vet but this is not going to cover the cost of all the bills in the event of very serious injury. If your pet is just in need of a check up after an accident, the built in coverage will be enough to serve your needs. If your pet is seriously injured you are going to have to pay the remainder of the bill out of pocket.

Overall, if you have pets that travel with you in the car once or twice every few months, you are likely not going to need a huge policy to cover them. If they ride with you often, however, your risk of them being injured in an accident is much higher and you likely need more coverage. For those that have their pets in the car often, it may be beneficial to take out an extra umbrella of coverage to take care of them. You can purchase extra coverage through your auto policy or you can purchase a separate pet policy that covers your pet both in the car and at home. For those in the Hope Hills, NC area, the agents with Cross Creek Insurance can help you to cover your pets.

Why get life insurance coverage with Hope Hills, NC, Cross Creek Insurance

While many people are adopting the idea of buying life insurance policy to secure the future of their dependents, it is recommended to buy the cover from a good company. You should find a company that will handle your dependents’ money with care as well as one that treats people with dignity and respect.
Hope Hills, NC, Cross Creek Insurance is one such firm that serves. North Carolina. Some of the reasons many people are turning to this place to look for life insurance include:

Good reviews and customer care
The first thing a person does before buying any product is research about that product and learn what people think about it to See how well it solves a problem or meets a specific need. Same applies to life insurance; it is barely enough to just settle for a company just because their premium rates are friendly. Doing research will help you understand how such a firm handles its customers. Hope Hills has won the hearts of many people through their good reputation and exceptional customer care. The staff is highly professional and attentive, solving the problems of every client perfectly well.

They offer living benefits
Even if life insurance is mainly for dependents, as a policyholder, you can enjoy certain advantages too. When one falls seriously sick and is rendered immobile or unable to do basic things like bathing, you are allowed to benefit from your savings to get medical attention and all that pertains to your health.

Good premium rates and reliability
Some may think that finding a place to purchase affordable term life insurance or universal cover in North Carolina is hard, well it is not that hard. At Hope Hills, they provide a range of affordable policies that every person can purchase depending on your income. They are also very reliable as they have been serving the people of Carolina for a while.

Visiting our offices or website will give you a clearer picture of the fantastic terms that Hope Hills offers. Feel free to give Cross Creek Insurance a call in case of any questions.

 

 

 

 

Insurance options to consider based on your commercial property

With dozens of different commercial insurance add-ons, you as a business owner can tailor from your insurance protection in order to make sure you have the right coverage for your unique needs. At Cross Creek Insurance, we want to make sure your Hope Hills NC business has the right protection not only for your needs but for your budget. That is why you need to take into consideration these different insurance options based on your commercial property needs. 

Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance protects what is inside of your property. While you may have coverage for the building itself, property insurance covers the equipment, stock, and other goods within your properly in the event of a storm, fire or theft. Just make sure to consult your insurance provider to see if the property insurance covers flooding. If not, you may need to invest in a secondary form of coverage regarding flooding. 

Business Owner’s Policy

Also known as a BOP, this is an umbrella coverage that provides added protection for vehicle coverage, liability insurance, and crime insurance. Different BOP insurance policies have different forms of protection and cover different elements of the business. 

Data Breach Insurance

Whether you store your company files on a hard drive, server or you maintain paper records, if the information is stolen you may be liable for any of your customer’s information used. Data Breach Insurance protection ensures you are covered in this event. 

At Cross Creek Insurance, we understand your business is unique. As no two businesses have the exact same needs you will need insurance coverage specific to your needs. Whether you are located in Hope Hill NC or somewhere in the surrounding area, we are here to assist you every step of the way. 

Choosing whole or term life insurance

The basic difference between term and whole life insurance is, term insurance is life insurance for a set period of time, while whole life insurance has many other benefits like cash value at the end. That may make whole life seem like a better deal, but a lot depends on your situation and what your needs are.

Both policies provide basic life insurance, a death benefit for the person named on the policy, and that death benefit is normally tax free.  Term insurance is often recommended for younger people, or people who need coverage for a specific amount of time. Whole life is more aimed at the long term, and can be considered part of a long range financial strategy. At the end of the whole life policy there will be a cash benefit available. You may re-invest that in a new policy, or you can borrow against it in a partial surrender.

Initially the term life policy costs less, and the price stays the same for  the entire term, usually a fixed number of years. At the end of that term the policy expires. If you renew the policy it will usually be at a higher price, and it will go higher as you age. There are some policies now that allow you to convert the policy to a permanent policy that can build some cash value.

The whole life policy costs more to start with but it does not increase. Your policy could be for 10 or 20 years and will not change. However, it will expire at some point. At that time you can take the cash value or reinvest it in the policy.  There is also the possibility of cash value growing through dividends in some policies.

Come by, or call our agents at Cross Creek insurance to discuss your life insurance needs.

Do I need commercial insurance for my service-based business?

When people think of commercial insurance, they often tend to think about a policy that covers a store or restaurant.  The truth is that service-based businesses are the companies most in need of commercial insurance policies.  If any of the following conditions apply to your business, then it’s time to invest in a policy.

  1. You travel to you clients.  Even if you’re using a personal vehicle, your personal auto insurance coverage may not cover an accident if you are using the vehicle primarily for business.  A commercial auto policy would cover all of the vehicles that you use for your business.
  2. You have business-related equipment.  Computers, cameras, power, tools, and anything else you use for work should be insured against loss and damage.  Criminal acts and natural disasters are next to impossible to avoid, but they can completely destroy your equipment and your only way of making a living. Make sure you talk to your agent about the type and value of the equipment you have, as well as where it is typically stored.
  3. You need coverage against lawsuits.  Commercial umbrella policies are strongly recommended for service-based companies because of the high number of individual clients that they work with.  Umbrella insurance will help you to pay for a lawyer and deal with the other costs involved in a lawsuit.  These policies can also help your business to be protected from a variety of other legal issues.

If you’re thinking about investing in a commercial insurance policy, call the agents at Cross Creek Insurance.  They can help you to find a policy that meets your needs without breaking your budget.