 Image by WikiImages from Pixabay As a newly licensed agent years ago, I learned the definition of Insurance is “shared risk.” This was never more demonstrated than when Hurricane Rita hit in 2005. I remember that time like it happened yesterday. The stress of evacuating with a husband only weeks out of the hospital from having a defibrillator installed to keep his impaired heart working. Coming home to damages to my house, loss of food and electricity, no one to fully assess our loss (remember my husband couldn’t climb a ladder or anything). Thankfully when I called our insurance company at the time, and explained our situation, they sent someone out right away and we were treated very well. Then there was the delight of returning to work and having to hop from one desk to another because the office was inundated with claims agents. They worked long hours in the office and in the field, checkbook in hand, anxious to help our valued clients get through one of the biggest and meanest hurricanes to hit the Lake Area in nearly fifty years.
 Back in Feb. 2021 we announced that we were no longer selling Home, Mobile Home or Dwelling (Landlords) policies due to changes in staff at our office. We did, however, promise to continue to service the policies we maintained.
Recently it has come to our attention that two of our Home Insurance Companies, Lighthouse Excalibur AND Southern Fidelity have been forced into liquidation by the Insurance Commissioner of Louisiana and Florida. Lighthouse policies expired at 12:01 am today (June 21st, 2022) and Southern Fidelity policies will expire at 12:01 am July 15th, 2022. In an effort to keep our promise of service to you, we suggest you contact the agent of your choice IMMEDIATELY, so they have time to shop for the best policy to fit your individual needs. If you haven't already replaced your Lighthouse policy, get your coverage in place before a storm develops and they are under binding restrictions! OR Contact one of the following Independent Insurance Agents and mention us! Horace Mann Insurance Co (Ask for Stephanie) Address: 226 W Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: (337) 439-1346 Kelly Lee Insurance Address: 3205 Ryan St, Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: (337) 656-2890 Advanced Protection Insurance Agency Address: 1435 Sam Houston Jones Pkwy, Lake Charles, LA 70611 Phone: (337) 905-8585 If we are your agent for Lighthouse OR Southern Fidelity and your new agent needs anything from us (ex: a prior dec page or claim information) have them reach out to us. *Please remember Home or Dwelling insurance does NOT cover flood! That is a separate policy.* Wishing you the best in finding new coverage. Tommy Curtis and Staff  The National Hurricane Center is considering changing Hurricane Season from June 1 to May 15th. You’ve got to be kidding me – Right!?! Let’s face it, many of us haven’t fully recovered from 2020 hurricanes and now, as if we don’t have enough to fret about, the powers that be in the Weather Center want to add 2 more weeks of hurricane worry upon us. RELAX.
Regardless of when the National Hurricane Center states hurricane season starts or ends, there is no need to panic or fear. Being prepared and having a plan, however, is imperative. We may not be able to control Mother Nature, but here are some things you can do… Have an Evacuation Plan. No matter if the storm hits east or west of us, having an evacuation plan in place helps alleviates the stress of leaving. Review Your Home or Renters and Flood Insurance Policy ahead of time. Understanding your policy coverage, deductibles and limitations makes you a responsible homeowner/renter. Take pictures or a video of your home, contents, sheds or outbuildings, and yard helps you be more organized if you have to file a claim. Include pictures of closets and drawers, dishes, pots, silverware – everything! Many folks lose out on valuable reimbursement without proper documentation of what you own – especially those who have total or near-total losses. Have items in storage? Have pictures and an inventory list of those too as a percentage of your contents coverage extends to these things. It is especially important to record any existing damage on your home! If you happen to get caught with a new claim, this will help you and your insurance company from butting heads over details between claims. Keep a travel kit ready. A single suitcase or tote or briefcase with policies (including life, health and auto), Vet Records, Kid’s immunization records, Medications and/or a list of medications (include dosage!), Allergies, legal documents that may be important if you or a family member becomes ill or dies during evacuation, etc. saves you from having to think about these things when preparing to evacuate. Find more ideas on what to bring with you or have on hand if you decide not to evacuate in this post. Other important things we learned during 2020 hurricanes can be found HERE and more tips for travelling smart are listed in THIS blog post. Hopefully we’ve provided you enough information in this and other posts to help ease the stress of travelling or evacuating. Until next time, take care and remember…. Preparation is the key to success. Tommy Curtis and Staff  We've hardly had a chance to catch our breath after Hurricane Laura and here we are, facing Delta.
We've shared with you tips on Hurricane Preparedness, travelling and moving but here are a few more tips we've learned since evacuating August 26th..... Even if you were lucky enough to not have a claim due to Laura, take your home and flood insurance policies with you should you evacuate for Delta! Many folks were left unprepared to file their claim because they didn't think to grab that insurance policy when packing to evacuate. Your policy gives important details about your coverage as well as phone numbers you need in the instance of a claim. Make sure your auto policy is with you also, especially if you have Comprehensive and Collision coverage and be sure you have a current ID card on hand. If you evacuate and end up in the hospital - Do NOT allow anyone to change your Medicare plan! We've had this happen and the results are not always what is best for you. Your Medicare Supplement travels with you and your Medicare Advantage plan pays for emergency services whether you are in your network or not. Only in the instance of a permanent move outside your network area should you change your plan. Please be careful allowing someone to "help" you by changing "part" of your Medicare plan. A Medicare Advantage plan usually includes RX so someone changing "only the drug portion" - changes your entire plan! You may end up with only basic Medicare and a drug plan leaving YOU to pay the 20% Medicare does not pay on covered charges and perhaps even more. This is especially important if you're on Medicare AND Medicaid! Hope these tips help. Take care of your health and protect home as well as possible from further damage. I know, this isn't always easy, especially now, but do your best. We are praying with and for you. Tommy Curtis and Staff Life and Medicare Products marketed through Curtis & Associates Financial Services, Inc. {A Life and Health Agency}  We’re in our second month of Hurricane season and I am forever amazed at some of the phone calls we receive for home insurance. Although we have discussed understanding home insurance in detail, binding restrictions, riders and endorsements, have FAQ’s and have covered policy discounts, many people aren’t aware of the guidelines and regulations regarding a home insurance policy.
Here are a few things to consider before calling us, or anyone, for a home insurance quote….  Due to the stay-home orders which have been in place for months now, insurance companies are receiving several claims from not unusual, but uncommon, damages. This led to some important information you need to know to help keep your home safe.
Although Fire Safety was covered in our Jan. 2018 blog post, we need to reiterate some of that information here, mainly, keeping the batteries changed in your smoke detectors. One of the biggest sources of fires outside of winter months are candles. Therefore, it is imperative you do not leave candles burning unattended! Also, keep candles away from drapes, towels, rugs, and other flammable items. Another cause of fire claims lately – Dryer Vents. Dust and Lint are fire hazards so keeping your dryer vent clean and clog-free will help alleviate heat build-up which could result in a fire.  As we move into the second month of 2020, there are so many things to consider when thinking about your insurance. We're going to take a moment and direct you back to some of our most important and most informative posts throughout the past couple of years.  *Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay Bet the title of this post has you wondering what that old adage about the weather has to do with Insurance.
Lots! Brought on by Spring storms, March winds can mean anything from a gentle breeze to huge gusts to tornadoes. April showers sometimes mean flooding and those May flowers for June brides lend to thoughts of insuring your love. |
Tommy Curtis
Is an insurance agent with integrity and your best interest in mind. Call to speak directly to him. Contact us Phone: 337-433-1683 Address: 509 7th Street Lake Charles, LA 70601 Office Hours: M-F 9a - 5p (CST) Follow Us
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