Auto Insurance 101 - Key Concepts You Need to Know

 There are several coverages included in auto insurance, each of which covers a different aspect of your risk as a driver. Here is a brief overview of the most common coverages:

• Liability: Liability coverage will pay for repairs, property damage, and medical costs for injuries suffered by others in the vehicle, plus other expenses related to an at-fault accident such as legal fees. 
• Collision: If you hit another vehicle or an object, your collision coverage will pay for to repair the damage to your vehicle after you pay a deductible. 
• Comprehensive: Also known as "other than collision," this pays for losses to your vehicle if it suffers damage from something other than an accident, such as a tree falling on your vehicle.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist: Pays for injuries and property damage you suffer in an accident when the driver at fault either is uninsured or does not have enough insurance to cover your injuries and damage. 

Additional coverages can be purchased to cover things like medical expenses, rental vehicles, and roadside assistance. 

How Does Auto Insurance Work?

Auto insurance helps you to recover from damage, injuries, and expenses related to a collision or other incident. When you purchase a policy, you'll have a deductible that must be paid before benefits kick in. 

In the event of an accident, you would pay your deductible and then receive financial coverage or reimbursement up to your policy limits. Each type of coverage you purchase will have its own limits, and every state has minimum limits that they require of drivers.

Why Is Auto Insurance Important?

Whether you're on the road or your vehicle is parked outside your home, there's a risk of an accident that can result in damage for you and your vehicle. Auto insurance provides a safety net when drivers make mistakes or unexpected things happen.

As a driver you're responsible for any injuries or damage you cause to others when driving your vehicle. If you're in an accident with an uninsured driver you'll be responsible for your own injury and damages as well. These costs can add up, and the lower the amount of auto insurance coverage you have, the more you have to pay out of pocket.

Is Auto Insurance Required?

Forty-seven states require vehicles to have some level of insurance coverage before they can be on the road. Failure to have insurance can mean a fine and/or jail time in these states, not to mention suspension or revocation of your driver’s license. 

In most of these states, the minimum required coverage is liability insurance to cover damage and injuries you may cause, though a handful of states require additional coverage, such as collision and comprehensive.

How Expensive Is Auto Insurance?

The national average cost for auto insurance is $1,311. While rates vary from state to state and take into account a variety of factors, car insurance is usually fairly affordable. 

The factors that affect your costs include whether your vehicle is new or used, the overall safety rating of the car, your driving record, your age and gender, and even your ZIP code, as certain areas tend to have a higher occurrence of accidents and claims than others.

The discounts you may qualify for include:

• Good student discount: This may apply if a young driver in your family has good grades.
• Good driver discount: This may apply if you’ve been accident-free for a certain amount of time.
• Multi-car discount: This may apply if you insure more than one of your vehicles with the same company.
• Multi-policy discount: This may apply when you insure both your home and vehicle with the same company.

Your local agent can also talk with you about these discounts and determine the ones that would benefit you and save you the most money on your policy.

Is Auto Insurance Tax Deductible?

If you are self-employed and use your personal vehicle for business, you can take a tax deduction for your car insurance on the actual mileage used for business travel.  

If you drive a vehicle 15,000 miles for business and 15,000 for personal use, your deduction will cover half of your overall use.

Your Trusted Choice Insurance Agent, SouthGroup Insurance Gulf Coast wants you to know you can call on us with your questions or concerns seeking more helpful advice or answers to your pressing insurance questions. A full insurance review is always your best bet to make sure you have all of the adequate coverage for your personal insurance needs. Remember, we offer a personalized insurance review to anyone who is interested at no charge – just visit any one of our convenient locations!

To help you through the maze of coverages, carriers, premiums, and find ways to save money on your insurance, if you are on the Gulf Coast, contact your Trusted Choice agent, SouthGroup-Gulf Coast http://www.southgroupgulfcoast.com/ , SERVICE TEAM: Angelyn Treutel Zeringue, Tammy Garfield, Tammy Hogue, Melissa Dunn, Alex Treutel,  Anne Gillam, Mark Strickland, Joseph Eagle, Michael Scardino, Melinda Teaford, Wendy Butler, Gabriella Scardino and Brittany Eagle at SouthGroup Gulf Coast. You can reach us by snail-mail: 412 Hwy 90, Suite 6, Bay St Louis MS 39520, email: info@southgroupgulfcoast.com, phone or text:228-466-4498 or 228-385-1177, fax:888-415-8922, FaceBook www.facebook.com/southgroup.gulfcoast , or Twitter www.twitter.com/atreutel ! We now have more locations to serve you - 2505 Pass Road - Biloxi and 412 Hwy 90 Ste 6-Bay Saint Louis, MS.

We offer the following Lines of Coverage: Workers Compensation, Auto, Home, Life, Health, Disability, Motorcycle, Boat, Wind, Flood, Commercial Property, General Liability, Directors and Officers Liability, Bonds, Group and Individual Life/Health/Dental/Disability/ Vision/Long Term Care, Business Owners, Builders Risk, Commercial Crime, Errors and Omissions, Dwelling Fire, Commercial Flood, Group Accident, Garage Dealers, Inland Marine, Law Enforcement Liability, Pollution Liability, Professional Liability, Personal Umbrella, Commercial Fire, Commercial Umbrella, Excess Flood, Identity Theft, more…

We serve Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and many other states. We specialize in coastal exposures.
Insurance is stressful, but we make saving easy.  We help you save money on insurance!
#trustedchoice #southgroup
#southgroup   @stateauto  @libertymutual @TRV_insurance @safecoinsurance @progressive #savemoney @atreutel

Business Insurance 101 - Insurance Terms You Need to Know

 Blood, sweat, and tears go into a new business startup.  You have enough to worry about with establishing your corporate structure, your accounting system, your location, your office layout, your stock, your inventory, and more --- but you also need to protect your investment -- and you need HELP!

This is where a good Trusted Choice Insurance Adviser comes in (www.southgroupgulfcoast.com).  Your Independent Insurance Agent will conduct a thorough Risk Assessment and will offer suggestions for mitigating or eliminating your risks.  If the risks cannot be eliminated, your Trusted Adviser will provide you with options to insure your exposure.

Forbes (www.forbes.com) provided a good outline of some coverages you will want to consider for protecting your assets and your investment.

1) General Liability Insurance - provides both defense and damages if you, your employees or your products or services cause or are alleged to have caused Bodily Injury or Property Damage to a third party
2) Property Insurance -  provides building, and business personal property, including office equipment, computers, inventory or tools protection from fire, vandalism, theft, smoke damage etc.  You may also want to consider business interruption/loss of earnings insurance coverage to protect your earnings if the business is unable to operate.
3) Business Owner's Policy - Often, BOP’s will include business interruption insurance, property insurance, vehicle coverage, liability insurance, and crime insurance- and you can tailor it to your specific needs.
4) Commercial Auto Insurance - protects a company’s vehicles and vehicles that carry employees, products or equipment.
5) Worker's Compensation -  provides wage replacement and medical benefits payments to employees who are injured on the job.
6) Professional Liability Insurance -  provides defense and damages for failure to or improperly rendering professional services, and is critical for any professionals such as lawyers, accountants, consultants, agents, and any profession providing services.
7) Directors and Officers Insurance - protects the directors and officers of a company against their actions that affect the profitability or operations of the company.
8) Data Breach Coverage -  provides protection in the event of data loss of sensitive or non-public information and all of the compliance requirements and legal action necessary following a breach.
9) Homeowner's Insurance - protect against damage to your home and against damage to items inside the home, and protects you for accidents for which you are deemed personally liable.
10) Renter's Insurance - protects against damage to the physical property, contents of the property, and personal injury within the rented dwelling.
11) Life Insurance - provides funds to your family or beneficiary in the event of your death.
12) Personal Automobile Insurance - protects against both physical damage and bodily injury resulting from a crash, and also any liability that might rise from the collision.
13) Personal Umbrella Insurance -  an extension to an already existing insurance policy and covers beyond the regular policies.

Your Trusted Choice Insurance Agent, SouthGroup Insurance Gulf Coast wants you to know you can call on us with your questions or concerns seeking more helpful advice or answers to your pressing insurance questions. A full insurance review is always your best bet to make sure you have all of the adequate coverage for your personal insurance needs. Remember, we offer a personalized insurance review to anyone who is interested at no charge – just visit any one of our convenient locations!

To help you through the maze of coverages, carriers, premiums, and find ways to save money on your insurance, if you are on the Gulf Coast, contact your Trusted Choice agent, SouthGroup-Gulf Coast http://www.southgroupgulfcoast.com/ , SERVICE TEAM: Angelyn Treutel, Tammy Garfield, Tammy Hogue, Melissa Dunn, Alex Treutel,  Anne Gillam, Mark Strickland, Joseph Eagle, Michael Scardino, Melinda Teaford, Wendy Butler, and Brittany Eagle at SouthGroup Gulf Coast. You can reach us by snail-mail: 412 Hwy 90, Suite 6, Bay St Louis MS 39520, email: info@southgroupgulfcoast.com, phone or text:228-466-4498 or 228-385-1177, fax:888-415-8922, FaceBook www.facebook.com/southgroup.gulfcoast , or Twitter www.twitter.com/atreutel ! We now have more locations to serve you - 2505 Pass Road - Biloxi and 412 Hwy 90 Ste 6-Bay Saint Louis, MS.

We offer the following Lines of Coverage: Workers Compensation, Auto, Home, Life, Health, Disability, Motorcycle, Boat, Wind, Flood, Commercial Property, General Liability, Directors and Officers Liability, Bonds, Group and Individual Life/Health/Dental/Disability/ Vision/Long Term Care, Business Owners, Builders Risk, Commercial Crime, Errors and Omissions, Dwelling Fire, Commercial Flood, Group Accident, Garage Dealers, Inland Marine, Law Enforcement Liability, Pollution Liability, Professional Liability, Personal Umbrella, Commercial Fire, Commercial Umbrella, Excess Flood, Identity Theft, more…

We serve Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and many other states. We specialize in coastal exposures.
Insurance is stressful, but we make saving easy.  We help you save money on insurance!
#trustedchoice #southgroup
#southgroup   @stateauto  @libertymutual @TRV_insurance @safecoinsurance @progressive #savemoney @atreutel

Home Insurance 101 - Definitions You Need to Know

Have you ever wondered how your insurance company determines how it will reimburse you for homeowners insurance claims? What if you had a total loss? Would you be able to rebuild? The answers to these questions depend on the type of home insurance policy you have and whether the value of your home is based on its replacement cost or its actual cash  value.

Insurance companies provide coverage for your home and possessions based on either their actual cash value or their replacement cost. Actual cash value home insurance policies provide coverage for what your home is worth at the time of loss. Replacement cost policies will reimburse you for what it would cost to rebuild your home using all of the same materials at today’s prices.

It is important to remember that your home’s replacement cost is not the same as its market value, or how much you could sell it for. A home’s replacement cost for insurance purposes is based on a number of variables that determine what it would cost to rebuild your home with similar materials at today’s costs. The variables that make up your home’s replacement cost will fluctuate over time, so the number is not set in stone. You will need to review your policy at least annually to make sure that your replacement cost figure is keeping up with the times.

How should you determine your home’s proper replacement cost? Your insurance company will likely ask you a series of questions about your home and your responses will be plugged into a model that determines its replacement cost. Your job is to have some idea of whether or not the figure is accurate so you can be assured that your home is properly protected or that you are not over-insured. Consider talking to some home builders in your area as well as visiting some home improvement stores to help figure out what it would cost to replace your home’s interior and exterior finishes (including labor) at today’s prices. Together we can make sure that your home is properly insured and its replacement cost is accurate.

Don’t forget to evaluate your personal property coverage as well. Personal property coverage in a homeowners insurance policy typically starts out at a percentage of your home’s dwelling coverage, but if you feel you need more coverage because of certain valuable items, don’t be afraid to increase your personal property coverage limit or add special riders or endorsements to protect your valuables. Preparing a home inventory is extremely helpful in determining if you have sufficient coverage for the contents of your home.

Once you have settled on a replacement cost figure, remember that it will need to be re-evaluated every year to account for changes in building materials and labor as they fluctuate over time. We will work closely with you to determine the replacement cost of your home and belongings, and we can help you with auto insurance, personal umbrella insurance and any other personal insurance needs that you may have.

Have you reviewed your homeowners insurance policy lately? Are you satisfied that your replacement cost figure is accurate? Do you need to upgrade your actual cash value policy to a replacement cost policy?

Home Insurance Policy - Terms Defined
http://www.rmiia.org/homeowners/Walking_Through_Your_Policy/Glossary.asp  

Actual Cash Value The cost of repairing or replacing damaged property with property of the same kind and quality, less depreciation (i.e., in the same physical condition as the original property prior to damage). Additional Coverages Extra coverage that can be purchased to provide protection above and beyond that provided in the homeowners policy (e.g., a higher amount of coverage against the theft of jewelry). When such additional coverage is purchased, it becomes an Endorsement or Rider to the original policy. Additional Living Expense The part of homeowners insurance that provides reimbursement for motel rooms, meals and other expenses when loss of property by a covered peril forces you to maintain temporary residence elsewhere. Also called loss of use coverage. Adjuster An insurance company representative who seeks to determine the extent of the insurer's liability for loss when a claim is submitted. Agency An insurance sales office that is directed by a general agent, manager. independent agent or company manager. Agent A person licensed by a state insurance department who solicits, negotiates or effects insurance contracts on behalf of one or more insurers. Captive Agent An agent who sells insurance for one company. Catastrophe To insurers, a catastrophe is a single incident, or series of related incidents, causing insured property losses totaling more than $25 million. Insurance actuaries calculate the probability of catastrophic loss on a state-by-state basis, using a formula based on the total number of catastrophes in each state over a 40-year period. This catastrophe factor, calculated annually, is included in the price of insurance. Claim A demand made by an insured, or an insured's beneficiary, for payment of benefits provided by an insurance policy. Condominium Owners Insurance Though similar in personal property and liability coverage to homeowners insurance, structurally the condo owner's policy is from the "walls in" and does not cover the building itself. Coverage The scope of protection provided under an insurance contract. Depreciation A decrease in the value of property over a period of time resulting from use, obsolescence or wear and tear. Dwelling Policy Though similar in personal property and structural coverage to a homeowners policy, a dwelling policy excludes liability coverage. Emergency Measures Those repairs or other actions taken to protect the insured and the insured's property from further loss when damaged or destroyed by a covered peril. Endorsement An attachment to an insurance policy that amends and alters the coverage provided in the policy. Also called a Rider. Exclusion Specific situations, conditions or circumstances that are listed in the insurance policy as not being covered. Floater Property insurance for items that are moved from location to location, covering losses wherever they occur. It is typically bought to cover jewelry, furs and other items whose full value may not be covered in standard homeowners policies. Homeowners Insurance A "package" policy providing coverage against property and liability perils facing homeowners. Independent Agent An agent who represents more than one insurer. Insurance A formal device for reducing the chance of loss by transferring the risks of several individual entities to insurance companies. Insurance Commissioner The head of a state's insurance regulatory agency. Also known as the Director or the Superintendent in some states. Insurance Fraud Intentional lying or concealment by policyholders to obtain payment of an insurance claim that would otherwise not be paid. Insured The party covered by an insurance arrangement, to whom an insurer agrees to indemnify for losses, provide benefits or render services. Liability Individual responsibility for causing, through negligence, injury to another person or damage to another person's property. Also called Personal Liability. Liability Insurance Insurance that pays and renders services on behalf of a policyholder who is unintentionally, but legally responsible for bodily injury or property damage that is caused to another person and covered in the policy. Loss of Use See Additional Living Expense. Market Value The price for which something would sell under current market conditions. Ordinance or Law Exclusion Homeowners policies may exclude situations where repair or replacement of damaged property must be done in conformance with building codes requiring upgraded materials. A standard homeowners policy may cover only the cost of replacing or repairing with the original grade of materials. The difference in cost between the old materials and the new materials required by ordinance or law is excluded or limited, unless the homeowner has purchased additional coverage. Package Policy A single insurance policy that combines several coverages available separately. For example, homeowners insurance is a package policy, combining property, liability and theft coverages. Peril A property insurance term referring to the possible cause of loss such as a fire or a windstorm. Personal Liability See Liability. Personal Property All tangible property not classified as real property. Policy A written contract for insurance between the insurance company and the policyholder, stating which perils and damages are covered and which are not. Premium The amount of money an insurance company charges, based on a given rate, to provide the coverage described in the policy, or, simply stated, the price of insurance protection for a specified risk for a specified period of time. Typical homeowners insurance premiums are charged annually. Property Coverages Insurance that covers damage to or loss of the policyholder's property. Rates The cost of a unit of insurance as determined by insurance companies and state regulators. The rate serves as the basis for the premium. Real Property Land and most things attached to the land such as buildings and vegetation. Regulation Insurance is a state-regulated business. State insurance laws are administered by insurance departments, whose job includes approval of rates and policy forms, investigation of company practices, review of annual financial statements, periodic examination of books and liquidation of insolvent insurers. Renters Insurance A form of homeowners insurance offering coverage for personal property and liability, but excluding real property. Replacement Value The cost of replacing property without deducting for depreciation. Rider See Endorsement. Risk This word has two meanings for insurers: (1) the chance of loss, such as from a peril; and (2) the person or entity that is insured by a policy. Underwriter A company representative who reviews applications for insurance coverage to ensure that they are acceptable and appropriately priced.

Your Trusted Choice Insurance Agent, SouthGroup Insurance Gulf Coast wants you to know you can call on us with your questions or concerns seeking more helpful advice or answers to your pressing insurance questions. A full insurance review is always your best bet to make sure you have all of the adequate coverage for your personal insurance needs. Remember, we offer a personalized insurance review to anyone who is interested at no charge – just visit any one of our convenient locations!

To help you through the maze of coverages, carriers, premiums, and find ways to save money on your insurance, if you are on the Gulf Coast, contact your Trusted Choice agent, SouthGroup-Gulf Coast http://www.southgroupgulfcoast.com/ , SERVICE TEAM: Angelyn Treutel, Tammy Garfield, Tammy Hogue, Melissa Dunn, Alex Treutel,  Anne Gillam, Mark Strickland, Joseph Eagle, Michael Scardino, Melinda Teaford, Wendy Butler, and Brittany Eagle at SouthGroup Gulf Coast. You can reach us by snail-mail: 412 Hwy 90, Suite 6, Bay St Louis MS 39520, email: info@southgroupgulfcoast.com, phone or text:228-466-4498 or 228-385-1177, fax:888-415-8922, FaceBook www.facebook.com/southgroup.gulfcoast , or Twitter www.twitter.com/atreutel ! We now have more locations to serve you - 2505 Pass Road - Biloxi and 412 Hwy 90 Ste 6-Bay Saint Louis, MS.

We offer the following Lines of Coverage: Workers Compensation, Auto, Home, Life, Health, Disability, Motorcycle, Boat, Wind, Flood, Commercial Property, General Liability, Directors and Officers Liability, Bonds, Group and Individual Life/Health/Dental/Disability/ Vision/Long Term Care, Business Owners, Builders Risk, Commercial Crime, Errors and Omissions, Dwelling Fire, Commercial Flood, Group Accident, Garage Dealers, Inland Marine, Law Enforcement Liability, Pollution Liability, Professional Liability, Personal Umbrella, Commercial Fire, Commercial Umbrella, Excess Flood, Identity Theft, more…

We serve Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and many other states. We specialize in coastal exposures.
Insurance is stressful, but we make saving easy.  We help you save money on insurance!
#trustedchoice #southgroup
#southgroup   @stateauto  @libertymutual @TRV_insurance @safecoinsurance @progressive #savemoney @atreutel

Errors & Omissions Insurance to Protect Your Professional Advice

If your professional advice or service costs your client money and you’re sued, E&O insurance will cover you. Full article here: https://www.trustedchoice.com/business-insurance/liability/errors-omissions/ 

Many people pay experienced professionals to give them trustworthy advice on things such as buying a home, legal issues, tax preparation, investing, and more. Most of the time, these professionals give sound advice that can help them with their goals. But what happens if they give inaccurate or faulty information to a client? 

Besides potentially costing money, this could result in a lawsuit. Fortunately, for professionals who are brought into those lawsuits, there is insurance that can cover them. This type of insurance is called errors & omissions, or E&O, insurance. It’s also sometimes referred to as professional liability insurance. E&O insurance is always a separate insurance policy that’s bought in addition to a standard general liability insurance policy. 

Businesses that offer any type of professional advice or provide services to clients are good candidates for E&O insurance. To help determine if your business needs errors and omissions insurance, it’s important to understand what your standard commercial general liability insurance doesn’t cover you for. 

General liability is the type of liability that almost all businesses have if they have business insurance. It covers your business for lawsuits if you’re found negligent for somebody else’s injuries or property damage, such as a slip-and-fall injury or having a faulty product that caused somebody injury. General liability specifically does not cover (excludes in insurance-speak) professional advice and services. 

Typically, insurance companies have specific errors and omissions coverage forms that apply to each industry. 

Common professions that use errors and omissions coverage include:

• Lawyers
• Accountants
• Financial advisers
• Barbers and beauticians
• Cemetery professionals
• Contractors
• Architects
• Engineers
• Social services
• Teachers or tutors

• Funeral directors
• Wedding planners
• Fitness trainers
• Veterinarians
• Doctors
• Dentists
• Insurance agents
• Counselors
• IT services
• Marketing firms

If your business is based on your professional expertise and you’re providing advice and recommendations to clients, then be sure to speak with an independent insurance agent about errors and omissions insurance coverage. 

To help you through the maze of coverages, carriers, premiums, and find ways to save money on your insurance, contact your Trusted Choice agent, SouthGroup-Gulf Coast http://www.southgroupgulfcoast.com/ , SERVICE TEAM: Angelyn Treutel Zeringue, Tammy Garfield, Tammy Hogue, Denise Russell, Melissa Moran, Alex Treutel, Mark Strickland,  Anne Gillam, Michael Scardino, Joey Eagle, Cody Barnes, Wendy Butler and Melinda Teaford at SouthGroup Gulf Coast. You can reach us by snail-mail: 412 Hwy 90, Suite 6, Bay St Louis MS 39520 or 2505 Pass Road, Biloxi MS 39531;  email: info@southgroupgulfcoast.com, phone or text:228-466-4498 or 228-385-1177, fax:888-415-8922, FaceBook www.facebook.com/southgroup.gulfcoast. We have 2 Gulf Coast locations to serve you - 2505 Pass Road - Biloxi and 412 Hwy 90 Ste 6-Bay Saint Louis, MS.

We offer the following Lines of Coverage: Workers Compensation, Auto, Home, Life, Health, Disability, Motorcycle, Boat, Wind, Flood, Commercial Property, General Liability, Directors and Officers Liability, Bonds, Group and Individual Life/Health/Dental/Disability/ Vision/Long Term Care, Business Owners, Builders Risk, Commercial Crime, Errors and Omissions, Dwelling Fire, Commercial Flood, Group Accident, Garage Dealers, Inland Marine, Law Enforcement Liability, Pollution Liability, Professional Liability, Personal Umbrella, Commercial Fire, Commercial Umbrella, Excess Flood, Identity Theft, more…

We serve Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and many other states. We specialize in coastal exposures.
Insurance is stressful, but we make saving easy.  We help you save money on insurance!
#trustedchoice #southgroup
#southgroup   @stateauto  @libertymutual @TRV_insurance @safecoinsurance @progressive #savemoney @atreutel #savemoneyoninsurance

Annuities - How Do they Work and Are They A Good Idea?

You purchase an annuity by paying a single lump sum, or in some cases, by making periodic payments over time, such as through payroll withholding. The insurance company then invests your payment so the annuity earns interest. Depending on the type of annuity you choose, that interest may or may not change the payments you receive or the length of time the annuity pays.

You buy an annuity because you want a predictable, guaranteed source of income in the future that isn’t subject to market fluctuations. 

The primary advantage annuities have over other investments such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds is the predictability and guaranteed income they provide. With a simple annuity, the only way your payments will ever go down or stop early is if the issuing company were to become completely insolvent.

Annuities are typically purchased by retirees and those planning for retirement. They’re also sometimes purchased by people who come into a sudden windfall, such as winning the lottery or receiving a large legal settlement, and by people when making wills. 

You probably wouldn’t want to leave children a large sum of money with no restrictions, so an annuity would provide a good way to give them a safe, guaranteed income for many years.

Annuities are neither better nor worse than stocks, bonds and mutual funds; they serve different roles. 

Annuities provide a safe, predictable future income. They aren’t usually purchased with the expectation that they will gain value like stocks and mutual funds are. They are somewhat similar to bonds, but bonds can be traded on the open market at any time while annuities cannot.

Many annuities offer optional riders that provide a death benefit that allows a spouse to continue receiving payments if the owner dies, or even to accelerate payments if the owner is diagnosed with a terminal illness. This is something you should carefully consider and discuss with your insurance agent when buying an annuity.

The full article is available through Trusted Choice here https://www.trustedchoice.com/best-annuities/ 

To help you through the maze of coverages, carriers, premiums, and find ways to save money on your insurance, contact your Trusted Choice agent, SouthGroup-Gulf Coast http://www.southgroupgulfcoast.com/ , SERVICE TEAM: Angelyn Treutel Zeringue, Tammy Garfield, Tammy Hogue, Denise Russell, Melissa Moran, Alex Treutel, Mark Strickland,  Anne Gillam, Michael Scardino, Joey Eagle, Cody Barnes, Wendy Butler and Melinda Teaford at SouthGroup Gulf Coast. You can reach us by snail-mail: 412 Hwy 90, Suite 6, Bay St Louis MS 39520 or 2505 Pass Road, Biloxi MS 39531;  email: info@southgroupgulfcoast.com, phone or text:228-466-4498 or 228-385-1177, fax:888-415-8922, FaceBook www.facebook.com/southgroup.gulfcoast. We have 2 Gulf Coast locations to serve you - 2505 Pass Road - Biloxi and 412 Hwy 90 Ste 6-Bay Saint Louis, MS.

We offer the following Lines of Coverage: Workers Compensation, Auto, Home, Life, Health, Disability, Motorcycle, Boat, Wind, Flood, Commercial Property, General Liability, Directors and Officers Liability, Bonds, Group and Individual Life/Health/Dental/Disability/ Vision/Long Term Care, Business Owners, Builders Risk, Commercial Crime, Errors and Omissions, Dwelling Fire, Commercial Flood, Group Accident, Garage Dealers, Inland Marine, Law Enforcement Liability, Pollution Liability, Professional Liability, Personal Umbrella, Commercial Fire, Commercial Umbrella, Excess Flood, Identity Theft, more…

We serve Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and many other states. We specialize in coastal exposures.
Insurance is stressful, but we make saving easy.  We help you save money on insurance!
#trustedchoice #southgroup
#southgroup   @stateauto  @libertymutual @TRV_insurance @safecoinsurance @progressive #savemoney @atreutel #savemoneyoninsurance

Commercial Umbrella Insurance for Liability Protection for Your Business

Your business insurance provides critical legal protection, but in certain cases, it might not be enough. If a particularly costly lawsuit gets filed against your company, you could easily be in need of extra coverage. Fortunately business umbrella insurance is designed to provide this important protection.

This article is courtesy of SouthGroup Insurance and Trusted Choice.  You may view the entire article here: https://www.trustedchoice.com/business-insurance/coverage-types/umbrella/

Business umbrella insurance is an extension of the general liability coverage provided by a business insurance or businessowners insurance (BOP) policy. Umbrella policies often start with coverage limits of $1 million. You can even stack more business umbrella insurance on top of that, if necessary.

Basically, business umbrella insurance complements your existing liability coverage. If your company gets slapped with a hefty lawsuit and you exhaust your general liability coverage limit, your umbrella insurance would kick in to help cover the remaining costs, up to the policy's limit.

Businesses that buy umbrella insurance typically:

• Need to extend their liability coverage with an additional policy, or more
• Already have insurance in place but need to bridge the gap on $2 million or higher coverage requirements
• Are at an increased liability risk, such as businesses that get a lot of traffic or have risky operations

Business umbrella insurance covers the following:

• Excess liability: Business umbrella insurance extends the liability coverage limits of underlying policies like business insurance or commercial auto insurance. Umbrella insurance kicks in only once the underlying policy has been exhausted.
• Coverage gaps: Umbrella policies can also be used to cover additional liabilities not covered by regular business insurance or other policy. Libel and slander are common examples.
• Additional limits: Umbrella insurance's limits are based on the limits of the underlying policies. Your business umbrella insurance can include coverage up to its full limit, exclude coverage for sublimited events, or double the sublimit.

To help you through the maze of coverages, carriers, premiums, and find ways to save money on your insurance, contact your Trusted Choice agent, SouthGroup-Gulf Coast http://www.southgroupgulfcoast.com/ , SERVICE TEAM: Angelyn Treutel Zeringue, Tammy Garfield, Tammy Hogue, Denise Russell, Melissa Moran, Alex Treutel, Mark Strickland,  Anne Gillam, Michael Scardino, Joey Eagle, Cody Barnes, Wendy Butler and Melinda Teaford at SouthGroup Gulf Coast. You can reach us by snail-mail: 412 Hwy 90, Suite 6, Bay St Louis MS 39520 or 2505 Pass Road, Biloxi MS 39531;  email: info@southgroupgulfcoast.com, phone or text:228-466-4498 or 228-385-1177, fax:888-415-8922, FaceBook www.facebook.com/southgroup.gulfcoast. We have 2 Gulf Coast locations to serve you - 2505 Pass Road - Biloxi and 412 Hwy 90 Ste 6-Bay Saint Louis, MS.

We offer the following Lines of Coverage: Workers Compensation, Auto, Home, Life, Health, Disability, Motorcycle, Boat, Wind, Flood, Commercial Property, General Liability, Directors and Officers Liability, Bonds, Group and Individual Life/Health/Dental/Disability/ Vision/Long Term Care, Business Owners, Builders Risk, Commercial Crime, Errors and Omissions, Dwelling Fire, Commercial Flood, Group Accident, Garage Dealers, Inland Marine, Law Enforcement Liability, Pollution Liability, Professional Liability, Personal Umbrella, Commercial Fire, Commercial Umbrella, Excess Flood, Identity Theft, more…

We serve Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and many other states. We specialize in coastal exposures.
Insurance is stressful, but we make saving easy.  We help you save money on insurance!
#trustedchoice #southgroup
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Special Event Insurance Coverage to Protect Your Wedding or Fundraiser

 A special event can be as simple as a birthday party or as complex as a month-long state fair. If you are planning a special event, you need to check with a professional insurance agent to determine what coverage, if any, may be provided by your existing insurance and what additional special event insurance you will need to carry. 

You should obtain insurance for events well before the time it is needed, because the process to underwrite this kind of coverage can be complicated and lengthy.

This article is courtesy of SouthGroup Insurance and Trusted Choice.  You may view the full article here: https://www.trustedchoice.com/business-insurance/liability/special-event.

Special events can involve a many different exposures:

• Automobile liability
• Liquor liability
• Aircraft liability
• Spectator liability
• Products liability
• General premises liability
• Animal liability
• Liability for rented or loaned property
• Damage to owned property
• Medical malpractice if you have a first aid station

Standard personal or commercial policies will not cover all these exposures. In most cases you will find that you are better off having event liability insurance that is specifically tailored to cover your situation.

Here is the kind of information an insurance agent will want to have available in order to price your special event insurance:

• The nature of the event
• The length of the event
• The location of the event
• A list of all activities planned
• The number of participants expected
• What are the provisions for crowd control?
• Will liquor be served or sold?
• Are there any amusement rides?
• Are there activities that can involve injury to spectators?
• Are vehicles or other motorized equipment involved?
• Is food to be provided or sold?
• Are outside vendors involved and will they provide proof of their own insurance?
• Who is running the event and what experience have they had?
• Are there any prior claims if the same event has been held previously?
• What limits of liability are requested?

If you are planning to rent a facility for the event, the owner may require that you purchase special event coverage as a condition of the rental. In many cases, the owner will want to be an additional named insured on the policy.

Weddings and concerts are two of the most common special events. A private wedding in a church with a reception on the grounds will not normally require special event insurance. 

However, if your wedding is a more elaborate event in a rented facility, you may have to purchase a special events insurance policy. You should take extra caution if your event involves alcohol. Liquor liability laws vary from state to state. 

However, it is very possible that if you provide alcohol to a guest or participant at your wedding and that person later is responsible for an accident, you could have some legal responsibility. If you do provide alcohol, the safest thing to do is to be sure your special event insurance includes this exposure.

Concerts can vary from small, one-time events to large, elaborate affairs involving thousands of spectators. Some concerts involve fireworks, which can and have caused serious injuries and large legal claims. Large events can also involve issues having to do with crowd control. 

Crowd control is a challenging issue for concert organizers to deal with. Too little crowd control can cause injuries to spectators and potential liability risks, but too much crowd control can be just as problematic and could also cause you to face a lawsuit if a patron was handled roughly by a bouncer, for example.

A festival can be anything from a bake sale in your church parking lot to a large music festival like Lollapalooza. The longer the event, the more activities, and the more participants involved, the more likely it is that you'll need private event insurance. 

One-day events, like a 5K run or a food truck festival, still take a lot of effort to organize.  Depending on the events you plan and the vendors you use, you may still have a lot of insurance risk to juggle. 

If you have vendors at your event, make sure you know if they have proof of insurance to operate at the site. Similar to a wedding or a concert, be sure that you have insurance to cover your exposure, like liquor liability insurance.

To help you through the maze of coverages, carriers, premiums, and find ways to save money on your insurance, contact your Trusted Choice agent, SouthGroup-Gulf Coast http://www.southgroupgulfcoast.com/ , SERVICE TEAM: Angelyn Treutel Zeringue, Tammy Garfield, Tammy Hogue, Denise Russell, Melissa Moran, Alex Treutel, Mark Strickland,  Anne Gillam, Michael Scardino, Joey Eagle, Cody Barnes, Wendy Butler and Melinda Teaford at SouthGroup Gulf Coast. You can reach us by snail-mail: 412 Hwy 90, Suite 6, Bay St Louis MS 39520 or 2505 Pass Road, Biloxi MS 39531;  email: info@southgroupgulfcoast.com, phone or text:228-466-4498 or 228-385-1177, fax:888-415-8922, FaceBook www.facebook.com/southgroup.gulfcoast. We have 2 Gulf Coast locations to serve you - 2505 Pass Road - Biloxi and 412 Hwy 90 Ste 6-Bay Saint Louis, MS.

We offer the following Lines of Coverage: Workers Compensation, Auto, Home, Life, Health, Disability, Motorcycle, Boat, Wind, Flood, Commercial Property, General Liability, Directors and Officers Liability, Bonds, Group and Individual Life/Health/Dental/Disability/ Vision/Long Term Care, Business Owners, Builders Risk, Commercial Crime, Errors and Omissions, Dwelling Fire, Commercial Flood, Group Accident, Garage Dealers, Inland Marine, Law Enforcement Liability, Pollution Liability, Professional Liability, Personal Umbrella, Commercial Fire, Commercial Umbrella, Excess Flood, Identity Theft, more…

We serve Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and many other states. We specialize in coastal exposures.
Insurance is stressful, but we make saving easy.  We help you save money on insurance!
#trustedchoice #southgroup
#southgroup   @stateauto  @libertymutual @TRV_insurance @safecoinsurance @progressive #savemoney @atreutel #savemoneyoninsurance