Auto Insurance: Smart phones make showing proof of insurance more convenient.

   There are many among us who are familiar with needing to show proof of our automobile insurance, but for one reason or another we cannot find our ID card when needed. Yet today we all carry our smart phones or tablets wherever we go, and in most states an electronic version of your proof of auto insurance will satisfy the requirements for a proof of auto insurance coverage. It seems like such a trivial detail to remember to put our proof of insurance in an accessible location, but it is a detail that is often overlooked.

 

   New smart phones and insurance company apps have made keeping your necessary insurance documents conveniently accessible. Now whether you have been pulled over in a traffic stop or you are going to register a car, you can pull up a saved PDF of your proof of coverage and show proof instantly. We receive requests for duplicate auto insurance cards all the time. With the expansion of electronic forms becoming an acceptable proof of auto insurance; it has allowed us to better serve our clients by getting any necessary information passed to the correct party in a much more time efficient manner.
   I would recommend that in addition to your physical proof of insurance that is sent by your auto insurance carrier. You might want to request an electronic version to sent to your phone in order to have fall back in the event your insurance card gets misplaced or damaged.





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Homeowners Insurance: Adding an alarm system is a cost effective way to provide basic home protection.

   As insurance agents we are always looking for ways to add protection for clients. An alarm system installed in the home is a basic way to add some front line protection against burglary and fires, while also adding an overlooked discount on the homeowner's insurance policy. Most companies offer a discount on the homeowner's policy if a local or central station alarm system is installed. The discount for an active alarm system can vary depending on the insurance carrier and other discounts already in place, but in some cases the discount is substantial enough that it greatly underwrites the cost of the system.
   An alarm system can help mitigate some losses that could potentially be much worse. If a home break-in was to happen and an alarm system is in place, you might be able to limit the damage caused by the break-in, while removing the potential loss to your personal property inside the home. They are also helpful in alerting your fire protection service in the event that your home catches fire. Like a lot of things in life, if a home fire is caught early, the damage can be limited and may not result in a total loss to the home.
   There are many types of home alarms available to consumers today. They can range from local systems where a physical alarm is sounded if someone attempts entry or if a fire starts, to central station alarms where your local emergency responders are alerted in the event of a break-in, smoke, or fire.
    Please contact your insurance agent today to begin the discussion of how a home alarm system might be added, while learning about all the benefits available to you on your homeowner's insurance policy.

Kevin Butz
www.crawfordbutz.com