8 Important Things to Know About Your Car

You want the peace of mind in knowing you are protected in the event of an auto accident. In today litigious society, you need insurance to protect you from the financial burdens of possible law suits when you are at fault. While we all know accidents happen, we also know the consequences can be rather costly.



1) Collision insurance provides the peace of mind of repairing or replacing your vehicle in the event it is damaged or totaled in an accident. Other valuable auto insurance coverages available are comprehensive insurance, medical payments, towing reimbursement, uninsured motorists and more.



What we wish we could provide, however, is the peace of mind in knowing you won’t experience an accident. Unfortunately, that is not possible. But you can use preventative measures that will increase your chances of avoiding an at-fault accident just by proper vehicle maintenance.



2) Did you know that an improperly inflated tire can cause loss of control while driving? An under or over inflated tire will wear irregularly and become stressed. An under inflated tired may loose up to half it’s air pressure and not appear to be flat. It is important to check your air pressure on a scheduled regimen. Find your regimen by checking your tires weekly until you see a difference and measure the time frame.

3) Pot holes, speed bumps and curbs are all culprits in damaging your vehicles alignment as well as damaging your tires. Should you ever find your vehicle pulling toward one direction, be sure to have both your tires and your alignment checked. Also have your tires checked for “eggs”. “Eggs” on a tire are bubbles formed usually caused by rubbing a curb or a manufacturing issue. “Eggs” will also cause your vehicle to pull in a certain direction. Problems like this that are not tended to in a timely manner put you at risk of an accident while driving this vehicle. Any time your vehicle has this problem, visit your auto service center for a check up.

4) Regularly rotating your vehicle’s tires will help you achieve more uniform wear. Advanced and unusual wear reduces the ability of the tread to grip the road which can quickly result in loss of control. When you find your scheduled regimen for checking your air pressure, also check your tires for uneven wear, unusually smooth areas and damage.

5) Tires must be replaced when the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch in order to prevent skidding and hydroplaning. An easy test is to place a penny into a tread groove. If part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread, you're driving with the proper amount of tread. If you can see all of his head, you should buy a new tire.

6) Always replace burned out or damaged exterior lights on your vehicle as quickly as possible and be sure to use lights and signals whenever necessary to keep other drivers aware of your next action and avoid accidents.

7) Proper vehicle maintenance can give you the peace of mind in knowing you can prevent an at-fault accident.

8) Your Trusted Choice Insurance Agent will handle the rest. We help you through the maze of auto insurance coverages, carriers, and premiums, and we find the best personal coverage for you at affordable rates. Remember, when it comes to insurance one size does not fit all.



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, Dawn Garza, Tammy Hogue, Brittany Jones, Wendy Johnson, Denise Russell, Melissa Moran, Alex Treutel, Susan Monti, Kayleigh Davis, Anne Gillam, Ashlie Moody, and Whitney Zimmerman at SouthGroup Gulf Coast. You can reach us by snail-mail: 412 Hwy 90, Suite 6, Bay St Louis MS 39520, email: atreutel@southgroup.net , phone:228-466-4498, fax:888-415-8922,

FaceBook www.facebook.com/southgroup.gulfcoast , or Twitter www.twitter.com/atreutel ! We now have 3 locations to serve you - 2505 Pass Road - Biloxi, 5400 Indian Hill-Diamondhead, and 412 Hwy 90 Ste 6-Bay Saint Louis, MS.



Thanks to Susan Monti for her WORDS OF WISDOM!!

Mortgage Companies and Insurance Companies Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

 

Mortgage Companies & Insurance Companies go together like peanut butter and jelly…you usually can’t have one without the other. They rely on each other, and when a good line of communication is formed between the two, it’s smooth sailing for their mutual customers, but if some things get lost in translation then the customer suffers. L

Here are some useful tips for the consumer who has a home mortgage.

1.Tis the Season for re-financing
Mortgage Companies want Insurance Companies to provide proof of insurance listing this new mortgage prior to the closing of the financing. It is a logical request in some ways, but what if the financing falls through for some reason or another? It is not the mortgage company’s (who didn’t get your business) responsibility to contact the insurance company, it then becomes the consumer’s responsibility.

BAD NEWS: If your mortgage clause is changed on your policy, and your refinance does not go through, and you do not notify your insurance company, then your insurance billing will be misdirected if your policy is paid via escrow, and this puts your policy in danger of lapsing for non-payment. L

GOOD NEWS: If your loan refinance does not go through, notify your Trusted Choice insurance agent so the policy can be corrected. J

2. Economic blues have many mortgage companies selling your mortgage to another entity.
BAD NEWS: If your insurance is escrow paid, and your insurance company is not aware your mortgage has been sold, invoices will be mailed to the wrong payer and could result in lapsed coverage. L

GOOD NEWS: It’s good practice these days to check the status of your mortgage regularly, including any changes in mailing address, and always report any changes to your Trusted Choice insurance agent to keep your policy accurate. J

3. A mortgage company is not comparable to an Insurance company, even if they do go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Mortgage Companies profit from interest earned while Insurance Companies profit from sales. Interest is accrued and sometimes paying your bills via escrow reduces the accrued interest, which cuts mortgage profits. This may cause some mortgage companies to pay for escrowed items later than the due dates.

BAD NEWS: Unfortunately, unlike some of these items, due dates for insurance policies do not have grace periods. If your mortgage company doesn’t pay your insurance on time, you may be without coverage. Some people feel secure under the impression the escrow account is taking care of things, but assuming this without checking with your insurance company can result in lapsed coverage also. L

GOOD NEWS: Check with your mortgage holder to be sure the premium has been paid, and check with your Trusted Choice insurance agent to be sure your coverage has been placed. J

4.Life is full of changeMaybe you have made changes as simple as your mailing address or phone number, but didn’t think to contact your mortgage holder or insurance provider. Changes can be stressful and things as simple as this are easily overlooked in times of stress.

BAD NEWS: Misdirected mail may keep you from getting important notices that could jeopardize your mortgage or your coverages. L

GOOD NEWS: If you’ve made changes to your contact information, be sure to inform both companies to avoid issues. J

5. It’s always best to be pro-active
BAD NEWS: Once a policy has lapsed, you are at risk in the event of a claim and you also have to repeat the application and approval process which can extend your time without coverage. L

GOOD NEWS: The best way to be pro-active with your insurance and mortgage companies is to check in with both prior to your insurance renewal date by at least 2 weeks. No two companies are alike, and some updates may take up to 2 weeks to process. J

How to be Pro-active:

Contact your insurance company to check payment and/or billing status:
Has the renewal been paid yet? If not, verify the amount due and due date and contact your mortgage company.


Contact your mortgage company and verify their mortgage clause and your loan number. Verify this information against your documents to be sure nothing has changed. If something has changed, contact your insurance company to update your account. Your Trusted Choice Insurance Agent stands ready to assist!

To help you through the maze of insurance 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, Dawn Garza, Tammy Hogue, Brittany Jones, Wendy Johnson, Denise Russell, Melissa Moran, Alex Treutel, Susan Monti, Kayleigh Davis, Anne Gillam, Ashlie Moody, and Whitney Zimmerman at SouthGroup Gulf Coast. You can reach us by snail-mail: 412 Hwy 90, Suite 6, Bay St Louis MS 39520, email: atreutel@southgroup.net , phone:228-466-4498, fax:888-415-8922,
FaceBook www.facebook.com/southgroup.gulfcoast , or Twitter www.twitter.com/atreutel ! We now have 3 locations to serve you - 2505 Pass Road - Biloxi, 5400 Indian Hill-Diamondhead, 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, and many other states. We specialize in coastal exposures.

Thanks for Susan Monti for her words of wisdom!!!