Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Welcome to the Shield Insurance Agency Blog. 

Here you will find a ton of articles on each of these topics: Auto Insurance, Boat/Watercraft Insurance, Business Insurance, Flood Insurance, Health Insurance, Home Insurance, Insurance, Life Insurance, Michigan Auto Insurance Reform, Recreational Insurance, Renters Insurance, RV Insurance, Things To Do At Home, Umbrella Insurance, and even a list of the Shield Agency Weekly Gift Card Winners,

If you have any suggestions for content, please drop us an email.

New Jewelry? Insure Those Valuable Gifts! – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

New jewelry? Insure those valuable gifts!

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

New jewelry | Shield Insurance Blog |

The holidays provide us with good reasons for presenting special – and often valuable – gifts to our loved ones. In the excitement of surprising someone with a gift that makes a big impression, remember that properly insuring expensive gifts can bring you peace and joy long after the holiday season is over.

Follow some easy tips for insuring new jewelry and valuables:

  • Consider taking advantage of a store or manufacturer’s warranties or guarantees, but don’t mistake them for insurance. For example, some major jewelry chains offer limited guarantees on gemstone and diamond replacement or repairs. This is a wonderful perk so long as the store is in business and you comply with regular inspections and the terms of the guarantee agreement. But in the event that your jewelry is lost or stolen, it is unlikely that the store will be able to help you. Talk with your insurance agent about your valuables and the best options to protect them.
  • Be sure to insure your expensive purchases to value, not just what you paid for them. Door buster specials during the holiday season may enable you to get a remarkable price on an item, but if you only insure for the price paid, you may not be able to get that same deal if you have to replace it later. The value of precious metals and gemstones fluctuates, so getting an appraisal can help you and your agent determine the appropriate amount of insurance. (And, don’t hesitate to ask your jeweler to provide an appraisal gratis as a way to close the deal. It never hurts to ask, and the cost of an appraisal may be worth it to the jeweler to make the sale.)
  • Take a photo of new, valuable items, and have it ready – along with any copies of the receipt, serial number, appraisal or certificate – when you talk to your agent about the right coverage for your items.
  • Get to know your policy’s limits. Coverage for expensive electronics differs from the protection for a diamond bracelet. Your agent can help you understand your policy and customize it to make sure it protects all of your valuables, whether the item is something you watch, listen to or wear.
  • It’s natural to want to bask in the warm feelings generated by giving someone special a present that wows, so consider insuring the gift as soon as you purchase it and before you present it. That way, you’re giving an extra gift that lets the recipient know, “It’s already taken care of.”

You may be thinking, “Most homeowner policies have built-in limits that cover high ticket items, right?” But depending on what you are fortunate enough to already own, you may have reached those limits. So, be sure you’re covered by talking to your agent about the coverage that will work best for your new valuables.

With a little planning, you can make sure that your holidays – and future – will be merry and bright.

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Wood Burning Stove Family Safety – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Wood Burning Stove Family Safety

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Wood Burning Stove Family Safety

Shield Insurance Blog | Wood Burning Stove | Home Insurance | Start A Quote Today!

We can replace your property, but we can’t replace you or your family.

Wood-burning stoves are great for ambiance and pocketbooks. There is also a greater risk of a home fire.

Use these handy reminders to stay on top of maintenance and safety items for wood-burning stoves.

  • Frequently check the unit and chimney flues.
  • Inspect the chimney from the roof, using a flashlight to look for obstructions or damage.
  • Check stovepipes for creosote build-up; have the chimney and stove professionally cleaned as needed.
  • Burn only seasoned wood, preferably at least 2 years old.
  • Keep children away from the stove to prevent burns or risk of clothing ignition.
  • Keep combustible materials away to avoid risk of ignition.
  • Maintain a multi-purpose fire extinguisher near the stove; check the date on the extinguisher and keep it up to date.
  • Check and maintain smoke detectors.

For more information on home insurance, contact our Shield Agents to see if you are on the right track for being insured.

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Umbrella Protection – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Umbrella Protection

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Shield Insurance Blog | Umbrella Protection

Why an umbrella protection policy? Higher limits, broader coverages.

You want to keep your hard-earned assets and lifestyle. We want to help. Monetary damage awards from lawsuits are a reality in today’s litigious society.

While all your primary Fremont Insurance policies contain liability protection, if a judgment is levied against you for serious damages to someone else’s property or reputation, personal injuries, or even death, your liability limits can be exhausted quickly, leaving you to make up the difference. Your investments, your home, and even your personal property could be seized to satisfy a judgment. Umbrella insurance is the answer.

Not just for the wealthy anymore

  • Do you have high-profile or vital professional, community, or corporate responsibilities?
  • Do you conduct business activities in your home or take your business to people?
  • Do you have a trampoline or swimming pool or live on the water where someone could be injured?
  • Do you have pets/animals that might injure someone?
  • Do you engage in high-risk recreational activities such as ATVing, snowmobiling, flying, or hunting?
  • Do you have a teenage driver, who is statistically more likely to cause an accident?
  • Do you entertain a lot?

For as little as $90 for $1 million protection, Fremont Insurance Umbrella Policies are low-cost peace of mind, picking up where your primary policies leave off. If you think you might need one, contact a Shield Insurance Agent today.

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Car Seat Safety For Snow – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Car Seat Safety for Snow

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Car Seat Safety For Snow

Apparently, I fell off the face of the planet when it comes to car seat safety. Despite reading all the NHTSA tips for car seats, doing the safety checks, and experiencing Michigan winters my whole life, I have never, ever heard of winter car seat safety. If have a bundled-up little one, this is a must-read and must-share on your Facebook page to educate other parents.

The rule to remember: No bulky coats on children in car seats.

First, let me divulge a few of the (brutally honest) thoughts that came to mind when I heard this:

  1. This article must be written by a person from a mild weather state. There’s no way in zero degree weather I’d let my kids go without a coat!
  2. But I wear a coat with my seatbelt and I’m fine…
  3. So I’m supposed to get my kids out of the car and bundle them up in the…parking lot?? This sounds like such a hassle to me.

A child may be buckled in tightly with their winter coat on, but in an accident, the impact of pressure would compact the bulk of the coat making the harness too loose to keep the child safe.

While I quickly thought of every reason why this was a bad idea, I landed on the one reason why this was a good idea: safety always comes first. The fact is, a child may be buckled in tightly with their winter coat on, but in an accident, the impact of pressure would compact the bulk of the coat making the harness too loose to keep the child safe. So, I called my local fire department and got these important tips that are pretty simple and much more do-able than I imagined.

Here’s a simple way to test the bulk of your child’s coat:

  1. Put the coat on your child and buckle them up, tightening the straps until you can’t pinch the harness with your fingers.
  2. Undo the straps without loosening them and remove your child from the seat.
  3. Take your child’s coat off, put them back in the seat and fasten the harness.
  4. If you can pinch the straps, then the coat is too bulky to wear in the car seat.

The winter coat rule applies to children in car seats and for children in boosters if the seat belt system in the car does not automatically lock when the brakes are applied.

Keep them warm, and safe.

If you find your child’s coat is too bulky to buckle them in safely, here are some alternate options to keep your child warm:

  • Put their coat on backward, like a blanket.
  • Use an actual blanket.
  • Use a thinner coat for car rides. Or if your child has layers in their coat, use the thinner layer for car rides and add the other layer when you go outdoors.
  • Heat your car up ahead of time and let them ride comfortably without a coat.

For all the other snow-state mommies and daddies like me who didn’t know this…now you do! So, test the bulk of your child’s coat and keep them safe in their car seat this winter. Foremost encourages all parents to be safe while driving, especially with a child passenger.

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Winter Wise Protection – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Winter-Wise Protection

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Is your home insurance winter-wise? Protect your home from the ravages of winter.

Michigan winter can bring burst pipes, leaky roofs, and costly structural damage. Is your home at risk? Ice dams and frozen water pipes are the main culprits.

Ice Dams

  • Keep gutters and downspouts clear of debris, snow, and ice to facilitate the flow of runoff. Use a roof rake to keep buildup to a minimum.
  • Evaluate your attic’s insulation and ventilation. Use R-38 value insulation in northern climates. Vents promote airflow under eaves and soffits; a cool, dry attic in turn curbs the formation of ice dams.

Frozen Water Pipes

If you think turning the heat down low while you’re away will save money, think burst water pipes and thousands of dollars in repair and replacement costs.

  • Insulate pipes susceptible to freezing.
  • Shut off and drain water from the garden hose and pipes leading to outside faucets.
  • Show everyone how to shut off the water in case pipes burst; when going away, drain and shut off the main water supply to your home or business.
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Don’t Hit The Deer In The Headlights – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Don’t Hit the Deer in the Headlights

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Deer in the Headlights

Just picture it — you’re driving on a winding road blasting some music, enjoying your time with family and friends, when something pops out in front of you. Do you brake? Do you try to swerve around the thing? Animals seem to have other things on their mind near the roads, and can often jump out at us while we drive, which can cause major safety issues. These moments need a quick response but it can be challenging to think through what to do and then do it on the fly. That’s why we’re providing some guidelines to help prevent a collision between your car and an animal during this season!

  • Fasten your seatbelt. While this will not help you avoid hitting an animal, it is the best way to help ensure safety for you and the passengers in your car. Buckle up during every auto trip!
  • Pay attention to animal-crossing signs. These yellow, diamond-shaped signs on the side of the road with an animal picture on them (deer, moose, bear) warn you about areas where the pictured animal is known to cross the road.
  • Use your high beams whenever possible (as long as there is not oncoming traffic) during this time of the year. The extra light does a great job of revealing your surroundings, and is especially good at lighting up animal eyes along the side of the road, where deer and other wildlife are most likely to congregate.
  • Honk your horn in short bursts (for deer)If you are in an environment with a high likelihood for deer crossings, honk your horn in short spurts throughout the drive to scare away any deer that may have been near the road. However, honking your horn too much may confuse the deer and lead them closer to the road, so make sure you are rationing out those honks throughout the trip.
  • Be especially alert at dawn and dusk. Animals are most likely to be roaming at dawn and dusk, so stay especially alert during these times to avoid collision.

If a Deer in the Headlights appears on the road…

  • Never swerve! Don’t do it. The instinctual action of swerving can actually cause more harm than good because you may swerve into the other lane with oncoming traffic, a tree, a fence, or road sign, which can increase your chance of injury.
  • Drive towards where the animal came from. Roaming wildlife are most likely to either stand where they are discovered in fear or will run onward in the continual direction from whence they came. If you feel you can safely maneuver your car, your best option to miss the animal is to drive towards the direction where the animal came from (this will not work for deer).
  • Brake firmly. Unless there is a car directly behind you, brake firmly and safely slow your vehicle. If there is a car close by, slow down, but make sure to honk your horn to signal to the other driver that there is a problem ahead. By the way, Mythbusters busted the myth that speeding up will decrease your chances of injury — so don’t do that!
  • Lean towards a door pillar. In the event of an unavoidable crash, leaning towards a door pillar will give an extra layer of protection between you and the approaching impact. In most instances of a severe collision between man and animal, the center of the car is crushed, so lean towards the door pillar to benefit from the added protection of the pillar.

Under every circumstance, you should also always make sure you are driving at a safe speed — those speed limits are more than a suggestion! Following the posted speed for a specific stretch of road gives you the benefit of being under control regardless of twists and turns and unexpected visitors!

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Thanksgiving Fires, Turkey Fryers And Safety – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Thanksgiving Fires, Turkey Fryers and Safety

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Thanksgiving Fires, Turkey Fryers and Safety

I am feverishly preparing for what I consider to be a rite of passage: I’m hosting Thanksgiving for the first time. While I love to cook and host my family from time to time, there’s something extra intimidating about preparing the quintessential meal of the year. How do I manage to prepare a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and vegetables at the same time? In one oven? Without a Thanksgiving Fire!? At this point, I have a spreadsheet listing what I need to do on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and the baking times and temperatures broken down in chronological order. (Thank goodness my mom is bringing the pumpkin pie.)

While I was researching ways to prevent the turkey from drying out, I stumbled upon this fact. According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), Thanksgiving is the peak day for cooking-related home fires. Add another thing to worry about to the list.

It’s pretty clear to see why 69% of all home fires on Thanksgiving are cooking fires. People are stressed and busy, which can lead to carelessness and inattention in the kitchen. Let me join the chorus and reiterate the NFPA’s tips regarding cooking safety:

  • Make sure your stovetop is clear of anything that could catch fire, like oven mitts, towels, hot pads, wooden utensils and food packaging.
  • If you are frying, grilling, or broiling, stay in the kitchen. If you have to leave the kitchen, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
  • If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling, check on your food regularly and remain in your home. Use a timer help remind you that you are cooking.
  • Only cook when you are alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove.

Then there’s the use of turkey fryers, which the NFPA actually discourages. So does Underwriters Laboratory (UL), which will not certify any turkey fryers with their UL Mark. This video explains why UL finds those appliances dangerous.

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Preventing Wildfires – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Preventing Wildfires

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Preventing Wildfires and Staying Safe from the Risk

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 63,546 human-caused wildfires burned nearly 5 million acres in 2017. To put this into perspective, consider the size of New York City. At 92,781 acres, New York City could have burned 54 times over with that amount of acreage!

That’s 5 million acres that didn’t have to burn if the ‘you’ part of the wildfire equation had followed proper burning protocol.

Warm weather increases the wildfire threat to many parts of the country. That warmth and dryness entice many people to clean up their yards and burn the debris. If not properly controlled, these fires will grow to become uncontrollable. Fortunately, most human-caused fires are preventable when proper precautions are taken. Here are just a few things you can do to avoid starting a wildfire:

Staying Safe from the Risk

  • Follow the law. The community you live in may have burning regulations, like requiring permits, restrictions on the times and places for open burning, and restrictions on the items that can be burned. Check with your local officials before burning anything.
  • Watch the weather. Don’t attempt to burn on windy days or during periods of drought. Check with your local fire official to make sure the weather conditions are safe for burning.
  • Choose the right site. The burn site should be surrounded by gravel or dirt for at least ten feet in all directions and kept wet to prevent the fire from spreading.
  • Never leave a fire unattended. Sparks could blow into leaves or grass and spread quickly.
  • Keep water nearby. Keep a garden hose or bucket of water close to help control the fire in an emergency.
  • Extinguish the fire properly. Use water to extinguish the fire completely by dousing the site and stirring until everything is drowned and not emitting any heat whatsoever. Any remaining coals should also be scooped up with a shovel and dunked into cold water. When you are done, everything in the fire pit should be cold to the touch.
  • Consider alternatives to burning. Yard waste can be made into mulch or composted, while newspapers and many other items can be recycled.

Every year, many families lose their homes and possessions to wildfires caused by humans. Don’t be a part of the statistics. Show your commitment to wildfire prevention, because your safety is number one to us!

To help educate your children on preventing wildfires, check out Smokey the Bear, he’s a pretty smart fellow.

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9 Steps to Winterizing Your Collector Vehicle - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

9 Steps to Winterizing Your Collector Vehicle

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Shield Insurance Agency Blog | Winterizing Your Collector Vehicle | Start A Quote Today!

Winterizing Your Collector Vehicle?

In most of the country, cold weather is here to stay, so it’s likely time to prepare your ride for hibernation. And because collector cars don’t live the same life as a vehicle that’s driven every day, it’s important to follow a winterization process thoroughly, to ensure your car survives the cold months.

9 steps to Winterizing Your Collector Vehicle

  1. Fuel stabilizer is the engine’s best friend. As fuel sits, it degrades and coats the inside of the tank and engine parts. Stabilizer in the tank prevents that. Run the engine a little to get the treatment into the carburetor or injectors.
  2. Top off the fuel. This prevents condensation build-up in the tank.
  3. Top off the oil. Make sure the oil level is full. Once spring comes around, you will want to start the car, warm the engine up to operating temperature to burn out the moisture, and then change the oil so you are ready for show season.
  4. Test and top off anti-freeze. Testing the antifreeze is extremely important to preventing freeze damage to the inside of the engine block. Antifreeze testers are available at most auto parts stores.
  5. Clean the car before storage. Cleaning and waxing the exterior before putting a breathable car cover on, will help maintain the quality of the paint, and prevent moisture, that can cause corrosion and mildew.
  6. Tires. Inflate tires properly, and treat them with a good tire gel, both inside and outside walls.  You can also put the car on jack stands to get the weight off of the tires.  This will help prevent flat spots.
  7. Reduce moisture.The interior and exterior of the car need to be protected from moisture.   A damp garage will corrode all bare metals, damage paint, and cause mildew and mold in the interior. A small fan or a shop light with a candescent light bulb under the car will help eliminate moisture. For the interior, DampRid or some sort of moisture absorbing material will keep things clean and dry.
  8. Battery. Use a battery tender that monitors the battery and charges it when needed.
  9. Insurance. Last but not least, check your car’s insurance policy or talk with your insurance agent. Even if you’re storing your ride indoors, it’s still at risk of theft, vandalism, or physical damage.

For informational purposes only and may not be applicable to all situations.

Coverage is subject to policy terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, underwriting review, and approval, and may not be available for all risks or in all states. Rates and discounts vary, are determined by many factors, and are subject to change. Policies are written by one of the licensed insurers of American Modern Insurance Group, Inc., including American Modern Home Insurance Company d/b/a in CA American Modern Insurance Company (Lic. No 2222-8).

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From Accident to Reimbursement in 3 Hours - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

From Accident to Reimbursement in 3 Hours!

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Accident to Reimbursement | Shield Insurance Agency Blog | Start A Quote Today!

QUICK CARE SAVES THE DAY: Accident to Reimbursement

The morning commute is never fun, and being rear-ended by another car can quickly take you to the worst-day-ever level.

But recently, for a State Auto customer, a day that began with a fender-bender on the way to work ended with their claim being filed, processed, and paid within 3.5 hours!

How is this possible? When our customer’s car was hit, their State Auto Safety 360® telematics device notified State Auto and initiated our Quick CARE process.

Their claim was set up at 1:04 p.m. EST. We secured photos of the damage and our Auto Physical Damage team wrote a virtual estimate by 4:30 p.m. EST. The electronic payment was then issued to our customer — all in record time.

This is just one example of how we combine technology, great customer service, and urgency to handle our claims!

What You Need to Know

State Auto Safety 360 Connect customers — who have activated their telematics device — automatically receive the Quick CARE benefit.*


If your customer is in an accident — and it registers on their telematics device — it will alert our Claims and Risk Engineering (CARE) team.**​​


When we receive the accident alert into our claims system, we quickly review the crash information (i.e. severity, location, vehicle, insured, etc.) and then call the customer. If the customer is in need of a car rental or tow truck, we can help arrange those for them, if towing service is included in their auto policy.


A claim will only be filed once the customer requests to do so. If they would simply like advice on what to do or if they’re going through the other driver’s carrier, we note it and let them know to contact us if they need anything.
​
*State Auto Safety 360 is available for new auto policies written on our Connect platform. It is not available for legacy policyholders. Availability and discounts vary by state.

**Accident notifications won’t transmit to our CARE team unless registered by the telematics device. The inability to register an event can be caused by a low GPS signal, a minor impact, the vehicle was turned off when hit, or your vehicle was sideswiped.

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