Insurance coverage and car theft in Bremerton, Washington

Car Theft – Am I Covered?

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Insurance coverage and car theft in Bremerton, WashingtonWhen a person thinks about car theft, there are a few scenarios to imagine such as personal property items stolen out of your vehicle, car parts stolen from your vehicle, or your car was physically stolen and couldn’t be recovered.

So, the question is, are you covered if you experience any of the following theft scenarios? The answer varies based on what type of auto insurance coverage you purchased.

Comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy typically provides coverage if your car was stolen (and was never recovered) or if you had car parts stolen out of your vehicle. If you do not have this coverage on your auto insurance policy, your insurance carrier cannot offer you any assistance.

Common Car Parts Targeted in Vehicles Recently

The past few years, thieves have been targeting catalytic converters in vehicles. This car part not only has precious metals that makes it valuable to re-sell, but catalytic converters can be easy to steal due to its location in a vehicle. Also, some vehicles tend to be easier to target this parts than others along with some being more valuable parts than others. The best tip here would be to park your car in a well-lit area.

If you had your catalytic converter stolen from your vehicle and you had comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy, you should be covered by your insurance policy.

My Car was Stolen – But It Has Been Recovered Vandalized

Vandalism is included with comprehensive coverage and should pay for the damages up to your policy limits, less your deductible.

I had personal valuables stolen out of my vehicle – am I covered?

Your auto insurance policy does not offer coverage for stolen personal property items that were taken from inside your car. However, you could file a claim under your home or renters insurance policy.

Thinking of investing in a car alarm system? Talk to your insurance agent to see if you qualify for a discount. Not only do car alarms offer some peace of mind, but you could be rewarded with an insurance discount too.

How to Prevent Car Break-ins

There is only one way to prevent personal property theft out of your vehicle – never leave anything in your vehicle!

Sometimes this is easier said than done.

If you do have to store valuables inside your vehicle, be sure they are out of sight. Investing a car alarm can also bring some peace of mind. It’s also important to know the area where you are parking your vehicle. If it is known for break-ins, always plan on bring your valuables along with you.

Looking to Add Comprehensive Coverage to Your Current Auto Insurance Policy?

Call our agency for a free quote. We can review your current auto insurance coverage or provide you with a new quote that includes comprehensive coverage. We’ll quote our top carriers and help you find the best policy for your needs.

Insurance Options For Boat Owners in Bremerton, Washington

Insurance Options for Boat Owners + Theft Prevention Tips

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Insurance Options For Boat Owners in Bremerton, WashingtonIf you’re a boat owner, you wait all year for boating season. Whether you take your boat out for a joy ride, take it out every weekend with friends or enjoy fishing trip, boats bring a lot of joy.

If you are a new boat owner, you may be wondering what insurance coverage you may need for your boat.

It’s also important to note that people who have owned a boat for years should still review their insurance policy every few years. Our agency can help determine if your coverage is still sufficient for your needs or if you need to make any changes to your existing policy. An insurance review is free, so work with your agent to ensure you are still properly protected.

Boat insurance isn’t required in every state, but we still feel it is important to have it as there are risks to being a boat owner. Boat insurance is affordable, so we feel it is imperative to have the extra layer of protection. Your home insurance policy may provide you with some coverage if you add it there, but it will be limited in comparison to a boat insurance policy.

Liability insurance:

All boat insurance polices include liability coverage. Liability coverage protects you if you cause damage to something or someone while driving your boat up to your policy limits. We can explain your options for policy limits.

Comprehensive insurance: if you are worried about your boat ever being stolen or vandalized, you will want to add comprehensive insurance to your boat insurance policy. Comprehensive coverage may also pay for damage to your boat from weather related storms or vandalism. If you are financing your boat, you most likely will need this coverage.

Precautions to Take to Avoid Your Boat from Being Stolen

  • Like any vehicle you own, you will want to ensure your boat is being stored in a secured location.
  • Invest in an alarm system. Motion detector spotlights can also scare off a thief.
  • Install a GPS tracking device. If your boat is stolen, this can help track it down.
  • Always lock everything valuable up or remove them from your boat while it is docked.
  • Keep a lock on your trailer. Trailers are insurable too, but require being added.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage: if you get into an accident with another boater who doesn’t have insurance, this coverage can help pay for your passengers injuries or damages to your boat.

Collision insurance: offers coverage for your own boat if you hit another boat or object.

Does boat insurance cover maintenance? Not typically. You are responsible for maintaining your boat.

Equipment – if you use special equipment on your boat, talk to us about insurance coverage. This could include fishing gear or other property. This is not generally included automatically.

Save money on your boat insurance policy

Our agents can help you find insurance discounts for your boat insurance policy. We always shop for all discounts available to you as well as explain your coverage details. Contact us for a free boat insurance quote.

Auto and Home Insurance Discounts in Bremerton, Washington

Spring Season is Here – Insurance Updates to Know

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Auto and Home Insurance Discounts in Bremerton, WashingtonHere are some updates on insurance or common questions we hear from customers.

Do I Need to Purchase Insurance When Renting a Car?

If you are planning on taking a trip this spring break, you may be renting a car. At the time of checking in or even during the process of getting a rental car reservation, every rental car company will ask if you want to purchase insurance.

Your personal auto insurance policy does provide you with coverage for a rental car, but it is always important to understand what your personal auto insurance policy covers. Even if you have full auto insurance coverage, your rental car is still not 100% covered.

If you get into a car accident in your rental car and the car needs to be repaired, the rental car agency will charge you for downtime since they cannot rent the car out again until it is fixed. It is also possible that the rental agency may claim diminished value if you damage the car. Purchasing this specific coverage from the rental agency would help cover the cost of these claims.

How Inflation is Impacting Insurance Policy Premiums

You may have noticed your home or auto insurance policy increased at renewal, but you didn’t have any tickets or claims. Inflation has caused rates to increase across the country. Not only are insurance carriers receiving more insurance claims than before, but it is also costing insurance carriers more with settling claims.

Anytime insurance carriers see an increase in claims, they will raise their premiums to all customers.

Inflation is also impacting your insurance coverage. For instance, if you have a homeowners loss, the cost to repair your home has increased substantially since inflation began. The cost of materials and labor is up.

If your insurance policy has increased significantly, reach out to us. We can re-quote you with other insurance carriers we represent to see if we can find you a more affordable policy.

Best insurance discounts

One of the best insurance discounts you can receive is bundling your auto and home/renters insurance together with the same insurance carrier. Paying your insurance policy in full or participating in a driver’s safety course/telematics program through your insurance carrier also provides you with additional discounts.

If you are looking for additional discounts, reach out to our agency.

Update Your Insurance Policy Every Few Years

Since inflation has increased, it may be time to review your current home insurance policy, specifically your replacement cost. If your home has increased in value over the past few years or if you have done major renovations that improved your home value, it is important your home insurance policy reflects those changes.

If your home value increased, but you didn’t make any changes to your policy & had to settle a claim, it is possible your home has become underinsured.

If you have expensive jewelry insured, it is advised to get it appraised every few years to ensure it is properly insured. If it has, be sure to let us know of the new value.

Insurance Coverage for Boats, RVs, ATVs, Motorcycles and more.

It’s that time of year when we start thinking about our powersport vehicles. Whether you are shopping for a new toy or need to review your current existing policy, our agents are here to help. We can explain your coverage options or provide you with a new insurance quote.