Ho Ho Ho – How December Can Impact Your Insurance

Tis the season for gifts and family celebrations – bonfires and feasts!  In between all the festivities, please keep the following in mind:

December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month (www.samhsa.gov). If you are impaired while celebrating, don’t get behind the wheel to drive.  An automobile crash is costly because you will have higher insurance cost, you will be inconvenienced while your auto is being repaired, and even worse, someone could be hurt or killed.  Use a Designated Driver or an Uber to get you safely to your destination.

 

Prevent Blindness America has declared December as Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month.  Your health insurance may require that you first pay a deductible for treatment, and you will waste hours of your precious holiday sitting in an emergency room if a child or family member is injured by an unsafe toy.  Balloons can choke or suffocate a child so discard any burst balloons right away.  Toys with small parts could cause choking for young children.  Be sure to review the age appropriateness of the gifts.  Riding toys such as bikes and skates can result in falls with concussions, abrasions and worse.  Ensure that proper safety helmets and other gear is worn.  Discarded wrapping paper, boxes, and plastic should be disposed right away. 

 

Expensive gifts may require that you alert your insurance agent so you are properly covered.  Beautiful jewelry or art, vehicles, ATV’s and more require insurance protection for their value and any liability exposure.  An appraisal or invoice may be required to add fine art or jewelry to your policy, and stand alone coverage may also be available.

 

With all the great parties and plentiful foods, be certain to keep up your exercise routine and medications, so you do not have to use your health insurance due to illness.  Large events that you may host at your home or business with adult beverages served may increase your liability exposure, so for a large event, you should consider Event Insurance for your protection.

 

December brings colder weather in most areas and also brings dangers to your home and business with possible burst water pipes and for your auto with freezing ice or roads. There are more home fires during December, from kitchen fires due to more cooking, to holiday decorations catching fire, or candle fires, fireplace issues, or brittle Christmas trees. Take precautions to avoid having to file insurance claims.  Confirm that your smoke alarms are functioning and that you have your escape plan in place and that all family members know what to do.

 

Be safe and enjoy your holidays!  Merry Christmas!

 

Angelyn Treutel Zeringue is President of SouthGroup Insurance Services, a CPA, PWCAM, CBIA, and a licensed Trusted Choice Insurance Agent.  Reach Angelyn at www.southgroupgulfcoast.com, (228) 385-1177, or azeringue@southgroup.net.

 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

Smart Insurance Considerations for Your Business

 

If you are starting a new business or expanding, it is good idea to review your risks and exposures.  Some risks, such as theft, you can address with a good security system, but acts of nature may be out of your control and are best covered with insurance.

Act of Nature Exposures:

Property Insurance provides building, and business personal property protection.  This includes office equipment, computers, inventory or tools and pays claims for 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.  Commercial Auto Insurance protects a company’s vehicles and any vehicles that carry employees, products or equipment.

Human Exposures:

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.  Worker's Compensation coverage provides wage replacement and medical benefits payments to employees who are injured on the job. Professional Liability Insurance offers defense and damages for failure to or improperly render professional services.  This protection is critical for any professionals such as lawyers, accountants, consultants, agents, and any profession providing services. Directors and Officers Insurance covers the directors and officers of a company against their actions that may affect the profitability or operations of the company. Umbrella Insurance extends an already existing insurance policy and covers beyond the regular policies. Employee Benefits are ancillary coverages that provide benefits for your working staff and their families.  There are many options: Health, dental, vision, cancer, accident, disability, and life insurance for your team.

External Exposures:

Data Breach Coverage/Cyber Liability 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.  With all of the spam and phishing schemes prevalent today, this coverage protects you and your customers.

A less costly insurance option when you are starting out may be a Business Owner's Policy (BOP).  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.

Be aware that coverage for your business will not protect your personal use, and your personal policies will not protect business use, so consult your agent to be sure you are properly protected.

Angelyn Treutel Zeringue is President of SouthGroup Insurance Services, a CPA, PWCAM, CBIA, and licensed Trusted Choice Insurance Agent.  Reach Angelyn at www.southgroupgulfcoast.com, (228) 385-1177, or azeringue@southgroup.net.

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,Alexa Weldon,  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

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