Freeman & Sherburne Insurance Company in Gainesville VA

Daylight Savings Time

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 17:44:14 -0700

Don’t Just Fall Back...Look Ahead! As an insurance agent, I feel fortunate to receive the “insider tips” from my corporate partners. Here are a few tips from Allstate that remind us to think about home and office safety as we turn the clocks back.

AT HOME

Change Batteries in the Smoke Detector
Flip the Mattress
Wash Pillows
Restock the Medicine Cabinet (throw away expired items) Clean Refrigerator Coils
Clean Dryer Vents and hoses
Replace Air Filters
Clean Oven
Check Emergency kits for home and auto Turn Off Outside Water Taps
Replace HVAC Filters Reverse Ceiling Fans Prepare Trees for Winter Inspect the Furnace
Seal Air Leaks
Inspect the Chimney
Drain the Hot Water Heater

AT WORK

Change Batteries in Smoke Detectors
Check Exits-Working signage, doors that open properly, clear pathways
Schedule a Deep Clean Before Cold and Flu Season
Clean the Break Room and/or Kitchen items (Refrigerator coils, contents, etc.)
Restock First Aid and Emergency kits in office, on fleet vehicles
Inventory Office supplies, restock as needed
Turn Off Outside Water Taps/Inspect Taps Used During Cold Weather Replace HVAC Filters
Review Sick Leave Policies
Inspect Buildings & Grounds, note maintenance items and schedule repairs

Let’s Talk About Carbon Monoxide Detectors

A client of mine recently told me about an experience that happened to her several years ago. Her children were youngsters, asleep on the second floor. Her bedroom was on the third floor. She wakened to the faint sound of a “smoke alarm” going off on the first floor. She was disoriented and believed she was just having difficulty waking from a dream but made her way to the children and roused them up. They, too, were struggling to get to their feet...Read More

What’s the Difference Between a “Captive” Insurance Agency and an “Independent” Insurance Agency?

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 13:47:17 -0700

When shopping around for insurance, a couple of terms probably came up that you may not have even noticed: “Captive” and “Independent.” The reason they may have passed you by is because they’re more well-known within the insurance community itself. So what do these words mean in regard to insurance? And more importantly, how do they affect you? That is what today’s article is all about. You may be surprised to learn that it’s one of the defining traits of our insurance company versus others.

What is a Captive Insurance Agency?

Captive insurance agencies are insurance agents are contracted to work for a single insurance company and sell only that carrier’s policies (with a few exceptions). There’s not much shopping around for the best price (if at all), because they represent only one insurance market. The Captive agent benefits by selling policies, but there’s not a whole lot of benefits to the consumer - in this case, you. When you contact a captive agency about a policy, they mostly have only one option.

What is an Independent Insurance Agency?

Unlike with captive insurance agents, independent insurance agents are not forced to work with only one company. They can sell policies from multiple insurance companies, offering you a wide range of choices to best fit your needs. They can even sell specific lines of insurance coverage from many different companies on a non-exclusive basis. With such a wide range of access to many different companies and insurance types, they can be a tremendous provider of “one-stop-shopping.”

Why is an Independent Insurance Agency Better?

With connections and knowledge of the market, independent agents can usually find a better value for your money than you might find searching on your own. But most importantly, at Freeman & Sherburne, we’re able to offer our clients policies from multiple insurance providers, giving you the freedom of choice...Read More

The Worries of New Driver Parents Part 2: Moving Violations, Penalties, and Insurance Rates

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 14:54:46 -0700

In our last article, we posted some serious and valid safety concerns parents should have for their new teen drivers. In today's blog, we'll be discussing the financial aspects. Beyond the risks to bodily harm and physical safety, there are major penalties associated with disobeying traffic laws and causing accidents.

What Are Moving Violations?

Moving violations are breaches of state traffic laws, rules, or statutes that occur specifically while a vehicle is in motion. Speeding, texting and driving, and driving under the influence (DUI) are all considered moving violations.

A non-moving violation, by contrast, is usually related to parking or faulty equipment. Examples include parking in front of a fire hydrant, parking in a no-parking zone, parking in front of an expired meter, and in many states, excessive muffler noise.

What is the Difference Between a Minor Moving Violation and a Major Moving Violation?

While there is no set definition of what counts as a "minor" moving violation since the rules are different in each state, as a general rule, moving violations that don't carry the possibility of jail time are considered minor. Here are some common examples of minor moving violations:

Not wearing your seatbelt
Making improper turns or failing to use turn signals
Disobeying traffic lights and signs
Speeding
Illegal U-turns

Conversely, major violations are serious traffic crimes that can be prosecuted through criminal courts. Each state has a unique definition of major moving violations. DUI, DWI, hit-and-run, and vehicular manslaughter rank among the most serious major moving violations.

How do Moving Violations Affect Your Insurance?

While responsible drivers with a longer clean-driving history may be unaffected by a minor traffic violation, inexperienced teen drivers may see an increase in their insurance premiums after just a single...Read More

The Worries of New Driver Parents

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 09:13:00 -0700

There’s nothing quite like that special moment when your child brings home their drivers license for the first time. It’s both a proud and worrisome time for all parents. And both of those feelings are normal and quite right. In part one of our ongoing series on teen driver safety, we’ll try to help alleviate some of the latter. Nothing will ever rid a parent of all worry, but we can do everything we can to help you - and your child - prepare for the road ahead.

Drivers’ Parent Worry #1: Texting and Driving

It may surprise you to find this at the very top of the list. But in 2019, texting and driving absolutely should be the biggest worry of any parent with a new teen driver. Texting alone accounts for an average of 11 teen deaths per day. Texting while driving is six times more likely to cause an accident than driving under the influence of alcohol. With stats like these, it’s small wonder why texting should be moved to the very top of the worry list.

Please, have a serious talk with your children about texting. You can’t exactly take their phone away from them, because they need it for emergencies, especially while on the road. So it will ultimately fall on their shoulders to be responsible. Make them aware of that fact. Guilt them. Do whatever you have to in order to make them understand the severity of this issue.

Drivers’ Parent Worry #2: Phone Apps and Driving

Are you seeing a pattern here? The New York Times cited smartphone apps as a leading reason for the biggest spike in traffic deaths in 50 years, thanks to an increase of distracted driving. For example, Waze is an incredibly useful and powerful navigation app for drivers, but it “rewards” said drivers for reporting traffic conditions in real time. Then, there...Read More

Don’t Let a Car Accident Take You By Surprise

Thu, 16 May 2019 18:12:27 -0700

A traffic accident wrecks more than just your car, truck or other vehicle. An accident can wreck your nerves, too. It’s not something you necessarily want to think about, but absolutely everyone needs to. The average number of car accidents in the U.S. every year is 6 million, and more than 90 people die in car accidents every day. Because of those statistics, you most likely are going to experience an accident at least once in your lifetime, even if it’s minor. When it happens, you need to be ready. Try to keep a cool head and follow this checklist, step-by-step.

Check for Injuries

Hopefully, you have your phone with you, or you are with someone who does. If you or anyone else in the vehicle is injured even slightly, call 911 immediately. Even if it’s something that seems minor at first, you could be far more hurt than you realize. Do NOT take any chances with your own or someone else’s physical health. If you experience even just a little pain, report it.

Move to Safety

Can your vehicle still move? If so, try to pull it over to the side of the road, even if your steering wheel offers resistance. This is especially imperative if the accident took place along a busy highway. The last thing you want is to be an obstruction to oncoming cars that could hit you again, risking even further injury and damage. If you’re not in the way of traffic, take a breath and check yourself again for injury. If you’re physically able to move, carefully exit your vehicle while checking for cars before opening your door. If you carry flares, safety cones, or other road safety gear, now is the time to deploy them, if you’re able to.

Call the Police

At this point, even if you’re uninjured, you should still get the police involved. A police accident report is extremely useful when dealing with your car insurance company and other...Read More

Contractor Research May Put You to Sleep, but Without it, You’ll Have a Nightmare Part II

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 12:39:12 -0700

If you’ve been following our series on avoiding contractor headaches, you know that we’ve been talking about how imperative it is to do your research beforehand. Today we’ll be taking a closer look at two more of the most important aspects of hiring a contractor: payment options, and the absolute necessity of a clearly worded contract.

Understand Your Payment Options BEFORE Hiring a Contractor

Now that we’re finally on the subject of price, this is the part that can really come back to haunt you if you’re not careful. NEVER pay with cash! Always pay by either check or credit card - something that’s traceable and leaves a paper trail. This is an important part of protecting yourself from not only scams, but also from any possible future financial disputes.

If it’s a larger project, you should arrange financing for it. Try to limit your down payment as much as possible. The reasons for this should be obvious, and not only that, many states’ laws limit how much a contractor can ask up front. Contact your local or state consumer agency to find out what the down payment limit is in your state before even having this conversation with the contractor.

If possible, come to a written agreement where you only make a payment after each specific segment of work is completed. If the workers can’t keep up with the assigned schedule, payment is also delayed.

Get a Written Contract BEFORE Hiring a Contractor

Like with the payment plan, EVERYTHING should be in writing. There should be no fancy wordplay, and you should be able to understand everything fully. If you don’t understand it, don’t sign it. And if your state doesn’t require a written contract, ask for one anyway. You’re the customer, and you don’t have to agree to anything you’re not comfortable with.

Before you sign it, the Federal Trade Commission...Read More

Contractor Research May Put You to Sleep, but Without it,You’ll Have a Nightmare Part I

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 12:18:05 -0700

Hiring a contractor and wondering about things like insurance? Contractors can save you time and money, OR, they can turn any project—especially a larger one—into an absolute nightmare. How things turn out depend on how well you’ve done your due diligence beforehand. In today’s article, part one of a series, we’ll be guiding you step-by-step on how to avoid very costly mistakes...and know how to spot a scam when you see one.

Much of this information comes directly from the Federal Trade Commission, and its advice that’s well-worth heeding.

Do Your Research BEFORE Hiring a Contractor

It may sound simple and even a little silly, but seriously, ask your friends, neighbors, and even your coworkers if they’ve ever used a contractor before. Ask them how their experience was and if they would recommend the same person to you. BUT. Don’t just stop there.

If they’ve suggested someone to you, look for the person online. How long have they been in business? Do they have good ratings? Do those ratings come from reputable sources? Google their name along with words like “scam,” “complaint,” and “rip-off.” Google is a powerful utility, and if there are complaints posted anywhere, it’s quite likely to find them.

The final bit of online research you need to perform is whether or not they’re actually qualified to work in your state. Different states have their own licensing laws, and believe it or not, YOU could end up footing the bill for any penalties if improperly licensed work is done. Check with the Consumer Protection Agency to find out what the license requirements are for your town. You can also go the DPOR website to search for a contractor’s license. This is important to make sure they’ve met the minimum requirements to be licensed.

Ask Questions and Get Estimates BEFORE...Read More

Life Insurance: Rejected or Protected?

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 14:32:33 -0800

We’ve been talking a lot about the importance of life insurance in our recent blog articles – how it’s vital to have for the sake of your loved ones, especially if you live in an area like Northern Virginia, where the cost of living requires solid financial planning. However, the unfortunate truth about life insurance is, many people wait too long to get it. When we urge you to get life insurance sooner rather than later, we’re not saying that to try to make a sale. It’s regrettable, but the longer you wait, the more likely you may be ineligible or financially unable to obtain it. In today’s blog, we explain why.
Life Insurance Application: Three Possible Outcomes
When you apply for life insurance, one of three possible things will happen: You’ll be approved as proposed, denied, or expensively rated. If you’ve already been approved as proposed, then great! No need to read further. And if it’s expensively rated, the carrier may approve you with a much higher price/rate and/or ask for more information to underwrite further on what you need to do next in order to qualify and get the policy you want. If you’re denied, however, there are several reasons that could be behind that decision. More often than not, these are issues that tend to crop up later in life, as we get older. When you are already insured, you become “locked in” and don’t have to worry about developing medical conditions that would make you ineligible for life insurance. And once insured, you stay insured, which is precisely the reason why we urge you to get coverage as soon as you’re able…before medical conditions may develop.
Your Cholesterol Levels May Disqualify You from Getting Life Insurance
Believe it or not, high cholesterol can disqualify you from getting...Read More

The Facts of Life Insurance

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 09:47:42 -0800

In our last blog, we talked about why it is so important for you to have life insurance. While it wasn’t our intention to scare you, not having all the information can be even more frightening. And so, in today’s blog, we’re going to break the topic up into more manageable pieces. You’ll find that when you truly understand something, it’s not nearly as scary anymore. By the time you finish reading this article, your anxiety about life insurance should be put to rest. (No pun intended.)
Let’s talk about the two main types: “term” and “permanent.”
What is “Term” Life Insurance?
Term life insurance is what is sounds like. You literally buy a policy where the payment is guaranteed to stay the same for a specific “term,” or rather, a length of time. This term can be anywhere from one year to twenty years (sometimes even 30 years). After that “term” is over, the price goes up every year (like a stair step) and eventual becomes unaffordable. That's because you're getting to an age where death is more and more likely and the cost to insure that risk goes up. Of course, If you pass away within that “term” timeframe, your loved ones will receive the full amount.
While the downside is that you may outlive that “term” and the cost now goes up every year to a point you can no longer afford to keep the policy in place, this term cost is much lower than permanent life insurance, and it is often more appealing for that fact alone. So, the question then becomes, how long of a term should you sign up for? You need to ask yourself, “How long do I plan to live? What if I live longer than expected? What is my plan…long or short? How many years should my term life insurance cover?
Here’s where the tricky part can...Read More

Life Insurance: The Absolute Necessity We Absolutely Hate Thinking About

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:04:49 -0800

It’s true. Life insurance is something we tend to push as far back into the corner of our mind as possible. After all, financial issues can be stressful enough without throwing death into the mix. When you have family and loved ones however, not having coverage or being underinsured is an even scarier prospect. You need it to be able to pay for things like funeral costs, supporting your children, assisting your spouse, paying debts and more after you’re gone. Sounds pretty awful, doesn’t it? It’s not if you have the right life insurance.

Life Insurance and Funeral Costs
It might sound odd, but let’s talk about funerals. Whether you like it or not - whether you wanted one or not - chances are, your loved ones are likely going to have some kind of a service for you. Funerals are expensive. They can easily run tens of thousands of dollars. You don’t want your family feeling a financial burden when they already have the emotional burden of missing you. The solution? A life insurance policy - and some clear communications with the family.

Life Insurance: Support Your Children After You’re Gone
If you are a parent, you need to consider what might happen to your children if something were to happen to you. Assuming you have life insurance, once the extensive cost of the funeral is taken care of, will you have enough left over to support your children? If they are young, will all their care be provided for? Do you want them to go to college? Life insurance can make all the difference in your child’s life, even after they have graduated from high school. So when thinking about life insurance, it’s important to think about your children’s long-term welfare.

Life Insurance and Your Spouse’s Income
For those who are married or living together, a sudden loss can be a...Read More