Tag: California

Will My Auto Insurance Cover a Cracked Windshield?

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

What should you do when a rock hits and cracks your windshield?

It’ll happen to everyone at least once in their driving life. You’re driving behind a construction truck and a pebble will fall and hit your windshield like it knew exactly where you were going to be. Or, perhaps, you are parked under a tree and a branch falls off and it leaves a sizable crack on your windshield. What are you to do, and who’s going to pay for the damages?  Know if your insurance will cover you, and what you should do when a pebble or other rogue object hits your windshield.

What to Do, What to Do?

Rather than ignore it, you should inspect the crack to determine the severity of it. Will you need to get it repaired or go the whole 9 yards and get it replaced? If it’s a small crack, it usually just needs to get repaired and you can move on. If it’s too big, it may become life-threatening and you may need to get the entire window replaced.

The dollar bill comparison is a good way to tell what you’ll need: if a dollar bill is bigger than the crack, then a repair is the likely option. Anything bigger, and you should expect to get the replacement.

Does My Auto Insurance Cover the Crack?

If you have comprehensive coverage, then you are more than likely going to be covered. You’re probably going to have to pay a deductible for the following procedure. Meaning if your repair costs $499, and your deductible is $500, you’re going to have to pay for the repair out of pocket.

Your windshield is a crucial part of your car which protects you from the dangerous elements that lurk just beyond. For all of your auto insurance needs in California, including coverage for your windshield, contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency.

The Three Hidden Costs of Owning a Small Business in Murrieta, CA

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Are you aware of these three things which you may not have planned for when it comes to running a small business?

When opening a new business, you already know you will encounter expenses. You have probably already made a list of the things you need to get started, or even done an analysis of the revenue compared to your expenses. This is something that successful business owners do early, but there are some common expenses that are very often overlooked when it comes to small businesses. Below, we have listed some hidden costs that many small business owners fail to consider, which could hinder them greatly.

  1. Replacing Equipment. Inevitably it will happen, the motherboard will fry on your recently purchased computer, or manufacturing machine(s). Allocate the appropriate funds to cope with these unavoidable expenses in your budget now, and you won’t be sorry later.
  1. Web Designer Costs. If you are planning to do business online, or simply want an online presence to tell people about your goods/services, understand now how expensive paying a web designer is going to be. When you need to add content, you can expect to pay around $100 per hour, or more. There are other 3rd party resources which will help you combat these expenses.
  1. The Little Things. A lot of times it’s the details that make the difference. Things like desks, copiers, paper, pens, computers, accessories, electrical cords, etc. Even for the smallest of things like hand soap or window cleaner. Make sure that these things get fit into your budget.

When it comes to protecting your California business, having the right team of insurance experts behind you can give you the peace of mind that you deserve. Contact the experts at Stromsoe Insurance Agency for all of your commercial insurance coverage needs. We will work with you to ensure you have the right amount of protection, all at the right price to fit your budget.

May: National Stroke Awareness Month

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Strokes can affect people of all ages, classes, and backgrounds. Learn how to best safeguard yourself against stroke.

Every forty seconds, someone in the US suffers from a stroke. In 2008, more than 133,000 Americans died from a stroke—that’s one person every four minutes—making it the fourth leading cause of death in the US.

Strokes usually occur when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked, or a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts. And many people believe that those at risk from getting a stroke are older folks, but this simply is not true. Strokes can occur to people of all ages. In fact, nearly one-quarter of strokes occur in people aged sixty-five or younger.

Each year, nearly 800,000 strokes occur and often lead to serious, life-changing complications that include things like:

  • Depression.
  • Problems understanding or forming speech.
  • Difficulty controlling or expressing emotions.
  • Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body.
  • Numbness or strange sensations.
  • Pain in the hands and feet.
  • Problems with thinking, awareness, attention, learning, judgment, and memory.

Know how to protect yourself and others by acting FAST. By calling 911 as soon as possible, you can make the difference between life and death, or between full recovery or permanent disability.

  • F – Face drooping
  • A – Arm weakness
  • S – Speech difficulty, confusion
  • T – Time to call 911

Raising awareness for strokes is important so further research can be conducted and figure out a way to end strokes. Do you have the correct health insurance plan for your needs? Contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency for a tailored policy to suit you in California.

What You Can Do to Be More Eco-Friendly for Earth Day

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April 22nd is Earth Day: Learn how you can reduce your carbon footprint.

Earth is a lovely place. It sits at comfy in its orbit at 93 million miles from the sun, water can be liquid, our atmosphere has enough oxygen, and plenty of other things that make Earth great and habitable. Nature, for the most part, is always in perfect balance. So when there’s an external force acting upon nature, disruptions are bound to happen which can have an effect on species as small as plankton all the way up to the food chain to us humans.

For over 100 years, humans have been pumping greenhouse gases into our atmosphere without a care, and for over 30 of those years, scientists have been warning these corporations about the very real effect it’s having on the planet. Only recently have we seen strong efforts to reduce our emissions, and some have hope that if we keep our efforts the point of no return will be kept at bay. Here is what you can do to help our planet remain sustainable for human this Earth Day (and every day).

  1. Walk or Bike

If you’re going to be travelling to the grocery store or somewhere that’s within 5 to 10 miles, ride your bike to that place. Not only will it get your heart-rate going, but it will also keep CO2 emissions down. You won’t be the only one to ride your bike this day, so this effect will be multiplied world wide.

  1. Meatless in the Heat

Believe it or not, cows are actually among the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions as a direct result to our obsession with eating meat; their methane byproduct actually retains more heat than CO2. On Earth Day, make dinner that includes no meat products, and maybe make a permanent switch in your diet to go from eating meat 7 times a week, to only 6 times a week.

  1. Don’t Go With the Flow

If you absolutely need to take a shower in the morning, make sure it’s a short one! Play a song on your phone and try to finish before the song finishes—14 minute LCD Soundsystem songs are not encouraged. Water running uses a lot of precious water and even more fossil fuels to keep it running and to keep it hot.

No matter if you are looking to make your home, vehicle, or business more environmentally friendly, working with the right insurance professionals will help to ensure that you are receiving any discounts you qualify for. To learn more about the different ways your insurance policies are protecting you, contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency in California.

Sharing the Road: How to Best Avoid Hitting Animals

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Sharing the road with our furry friends is something that we have to get used to.

Some roads are built right by forests where many deer, elk, and moose have roamed for millions of years. There was an estimated 1.25 million claims reported last year from such collisions, which shows no indication of a decrease—so we’re going to have to learn how to drive with them on the road. Here are some tips on how you can avoid hitting our mammalian friends and keeping your car deer-free.

  • Brighten the road. Using your high-beams could end up saving your car’s life, along with an elk or deer’s. Flicker the lights to spook the deer as they tend to stay fixated on your headlights.
  • Brake if possible. If you see the deer with plenty of time to brake, lightly tap on the brakes and honk your horn to alert drivers behind you and to possibly startle the deer. If there are no cars behind you, and you’re approaching quickly, slam the brakes.
  • Stay alert. Pay attention to “deer crossing” signs. If you see one deer, there are probably more around that area. And be vigilant during mating and hunting seasons. These seasons force animals to wander into the roads more frequently.
  • Avoid swerving. If a collision seems inevitable, it’s important to remember not to swerve. You could swerve onto oncoming traffic, or end up in a ditch.

If you have questions about the California car insurance or your growing number of drivers requires, don’t wait to contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency. We know that you already have enough to worry about with your new teen driver, and are here to making getting him or her covered easy! Protect your family, your vehicles, and your liability by calling us today.

4 Gardening Tips to Beautify Your Garden

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Love to garden, or going to do it for the first time? These tips will help you be faster, cleaner, and more efficient.

Gardening can be fun if you know the proper techniques to see your garden blossom from tiny green leaves sticking out of the ground to full flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables ready to impress everyone on the block. Here are four great gardening tips that are sure to help your garden be the best garden on the block.

Create a non-stick shovel

Picking dirt off shovels is something no wants to do. Spray your shovel with a silicone or Teflon lubricant to make shoveling way easier. A good coating will make any kind of soil slip right off without a hassle.

Heavy pots don’t have to be heavy

Filling half of the pot with packing peanuts will significantly reduce the weight of your big pots. Just remember to put some landscape fabric to keep the soil from sinking to the bottom.

Blemish-free roses

When you plant roses, pruning is a must to keep the roses as open and as beautiful as possible. Pruning increases the amount of light that reaches the roses which will inhibit proper growth. Careful pruning will keep the moisture out, and will prevent black spots and other blemishes from ruining the petals of the flower.

Assist root-bound plants

The problem with potted plants is that the roots will eventually run out of room to grow, so they will begin to form tight circles in the pot. This can prevent water and essential nutrients from reach all parts of the plant—especially the leaves. To fix this, gently guide roots outward using your fingers. If they are especially tough, make cautious vertical cuts in the roots with a knife.

Contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency for all of your California insurance needs. Whether you are looking to insure garden or other parts of your landscape, we will be your one stop shop for everything insurance related! Allow us to provide you with summer insurance in California that allows you to enjoy your fun in the sun without a worry in the world.

Why We Personally Recommend a Personal Umbrella Insurance Policy

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Here’s a closer look at what umbrella insurance can do for you.

You’ve worked your whole life and have done quite well for yourself. You have a home, a car, support a family, and maybe even have a boat or a vacation property. But your security is something you shouldn’t take for granted. All of these things could be at risk under the unfortunate situation that you get into a lawsuit.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

Car accidents are an upsetting reality. They do happen and there can be major damages. If you cause an auto accident, you need to be covered. Your auto policy could possibly not cover all of the property damage, injuries, and subsequent lawsuits. An umbrella policy will cover you for these things once you max out the limits of your auto policy.

Lawsuits happen.

Someone may have an accident on your property or sue you for the injury. It’s not at all uncommon when someone trips on a loose step or slips by the pool. When you hit the liability limits of your homeowners insurance, an umbrella policy gives you extra coverage for just this sort of event.

How does it work?

Many people don’t know how an umbrella policy actually works. Well, it’s simple. Something happens. An auto accident, you are sued, etc. Your umbrella policy is protection that kicks in after your home or car insurance when the amount you must pay exceeds what your policy covers. It can cover a wide variety of liability situations. The typical policy covers anywhere from an $1 million to $10 million. Umbrella coverage is also very affordable!

Don’t take it for granted.

Be sure and take a look at your umbrella policy from time to time to see to what extent and under what circumstances you are covered. It may surprise you. It’s better to be surprised now so you can update your policy than when it’s too late.

For all of your umbrella insurance needs throughout California, contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency.

How To: Teach Your Teen to Drive

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If you’ve got a teen driver on your hands, here’s what you need to know.

Like all children, teens desire independence. The thought of being able to drive themselves is an exciting thing that all teens want. But in reality, car accidents are the leading cause of death for this age group and safety must be a huge part of what they learn before getting behind the wheel.

As a parent, you have the power to get through to them. They may have daydreams of cruising to the beach with their friend without a care in the world, but you must bring them back to earth about what the realities of driving.

Here are some little things you can do to improve the chance that they stay safe and learn how to be responsible drivers:

  • “Passenger seat” supervision is a great way to give your teen support and also guide them while they are actually driving.
  • Build confidence with small trips of 5-10 miles in areas that are familiar.
  • Make sure they are driving a safe car with good brakes, good steering, and airbags.
  • Check that your criticism is gentle and constructive. Creating a stressful environment for your teen to learn driving can be just as damaging as no help at all since it teaches your teen to associate driving with being on edge.
  • Make sure your teen knows what to do if there is an accident.
  • The average teen has 3 accidents between the ages of 16-20. Make a contract with them to lessen these odds. Your contract should include:
    • A stipulation that good grades earn driving privileges.
    • No texting or phone while driving
    • Zero tolerance regarding alcohol/drugs and driving
    • Observing curfew
    • Observing rules about passengers
    • Obeying the traffic laws. Traffic tickets should have major consequences like suspension of privileges.

Your teen’s safety is in your hands. If you take the time to show them how important their well being is to you, they will eventually listen.

Is your teen covered out on the road? For all of your auto insurance needs in California, including coverage for your teen driver, contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency.

Free Apps That Will Save You Money

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Working on your budget? Download these free apps to make saving easier.

Here’s a list of apps that will make saving money a snap.

  1. Hopper: This app helps you get low airfares by predicting when the prices will be high and low. It first predicts when the cheapest time to fly will be and then shows you the cheapest time to buy the ticket. It also alerts you when ticket prices drop.
  2. Raise: Bid your unused gift cards with this app. Card goes to the highest bidder.
  3. OneReceipt: This app helps keep track of your receipts all in one place so you don’t have to worry. It’s great for tax write-off time.
  4. Goodbudget: Create a budget and stick to it with this app. Save up for a trip or a new couch. This app will help you stay on track!
  5. BestParking: This app is a revolution. It will tell you the location and price of the best parking around.
  6. GasBuddy: Use this app to find the best gas prices in your area.
  7. WiFi Finder: Guess what this app does! It also helps you find locations where you can use wifi for free.
  8. Hotel Tonight: Find cheap deals on hotels for tonight with this app. Many of these rooms are very upscale and beautiful.
  9. Roomer: Find someone to take over your hotel reservation if you have to suddenly leave.
  10. Campus Special: Find deals on food and stores near your school when you’re a college student strapped for cash.
  11. RepairPal: Protect against getting overcharged for your car repair with this app that helps you estimate costs for your car damage.
  12. Apples2Oranges: Use this simple and effective app to price compare at the grocery store.
  13. Goldstar: This app helps you find half-price tickets to great shows all over the world.

If you want to save even more money, contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency. We can help you get the best California insurance coverage at the best price!

Surprising Ways You Might Be Insured

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Did you know you could have insurance in these surprising areas?

Everyone knows the basics. We need health and car insurance. If you own a home, you need homeowners insurance too. You’ve put a lot of thought into buying coverage for your business. There are some pretty hefty consequences for not being properly insured.

But these policies are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many things you can get insured for your home and business, though they may surprise you. You may even already be insured and not know it!

Hurricane Insurance, Insurance

As you may know, hurricane insurance is already a supplemental policy. It’s not covered on regular homeowners insurance. Now, you can get Hurricane PM insurance, which covers costs that your hurricane insurance may not be big enough to cover. So it’s insurance for your insurance.

Ransom

If you are a high profile person, or just travel a lot, you may consider ransom insurance being added to your professional liability insurance. It can cover ransom money asked for by your kidnappers.

Rotten Veggies

If you own a business with perishable goods like flowers, food, tobacco, etc., you may want to get Spoilage Coverage. You can add it to your Commercial Property Insurance to replace spoiled goods if your fridge goes out due to a power outage or malfunction. Be careful, because you may have to prove that you didn’t neglect to take care of or replace the fridge.

Your homeowners insurance likely already offers about $500 of coverage for food spoiled in your fridge during an extended power outage!

Losing a Big Player

You own a business, and one of your employees is worth more than just what their job description entails. They are a key player and losing them could mean a severe loss of knowledge, expertise, and great support. You can have your business covered if that person should become ill or pass away to cover losses your business might incur because of their absence.

To learn more about the different ways your insurance policies are protecting you, contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency in California.