WHY FINGAR INSURANCE

I am tired of hearing folks say "I'm with Geico so you probably can't beat their price". Fact of the matter is, sometimes we can, sometimes we can't. Don't believe all you hear in advertising. So what is the advantage of doing business with a locally owned independant agency? Here's a few actual events we have handled in our office that a Direct Writer insurance company would brush you off quicker than you could dial 1-800...

FROM THE DESK OF DOROTHY LaBOUNTY


1. Calvin and Virginia K - Client just had an Allstate auto policy with us and came in as rates went up. Re-quoted auto and rewrote with New York Central. They asked about a defensive driver class that didn’t cost $40.00. I told them I just had to cancel my class. I called the instructor and got them registered for the class at a cost of $10.00. Also, they had their homeowners with National Grange with another agent. I rewrote that with NYCM with Coupler Discount.

2. Driver insured with GEICO struck porch of our insured’s house. GEICO advised our insured he should collect under his homeowners policy as they don’t have property adjustors. Our insured did not want to use his homeowners insurance- I called GEICO several times, faxed papers, etc and followed up with the until they finally paid the claim.


Client lives on Worth Ave- can’t remember the name.

WHY FINGAR INSURANCE?

I am tired of hearing folks say "I'm with Geico so you probably can't beat their price". Fact of the matter is, sometimes we can, sometimes we can't. Don't believe all you hear in advertising. So what is the advantage of doing business with a locally owned independant agency? Here's a few actual events we have handled in our office that a Direct Writer insurance company would brush you off quicker than you could dial 1-800...



FROM THE DESK OF TAMMY VINCENT:

1. William G. - rewrote his auto due to Allstate rate increase.
    Erin H. - rewrote her home due to Allstate rate increase

Now keep in mind neither one of them called me- I was pro-active in making sure they rec’d the best rate. Both thanked me for being so pro-active and have referred people to me. They left here with smiles on their faces knowing their agent was looking out for them. ( okay I might be exaggerating a bit, but you get the point)

Of course one of our biggest selling points is being an independent agency where we have several companies. Do you think Geico could have done this? NO, they are exclusive.

2. William B. - got into an accident out of state- other party at fault. The other company was dragging their feet, so I made several calls to get this handled correctly.

3. Mike B. - NYCM was making us increase the liab on sons auto to meet U/W guidelines, plus added the son to the PUP which would have been an increase of $191.00. Mike was highly upset about this…called Leigh @ NYCM to see of we could up-tier them due to being a client for so long- they allowed DP tier 1 on renewal which was an annual savings of $464, less the $191 inc, he still saved $273.00- and I came out looking like a hero :)

4. Caroline F. - NYCM wanted off the house due to conditions- got the insured to do some of the work - forwarded photos to NYCM- they agreed to stay on with some changes to the policy form, ded’s etc.

5. Client couldn’t come in for photo inspection within 5 days. I stopped by their house on my way home and took care of it for them.

6. I just wanted to comment on what a wonderful job one of your staff members is doing.  Last week we ran into a insurance issue and Tammy Vincent took care of it within two hours. She was fast,friendly, and very easy to work with.  I wish their were more people in the world like her!


Thank you

Vanessa S.

(AGENCY OWNER'S NOTE - WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING TAMMY CLONED AFTER THIS COMMENT)

WHY FINGAR INSURANCE?

I am tired of hearing folks say "I'm with Geico so you probably can't beat their price".  Fact of the matter is, sometimes we can, sometimes we can't.  Don't believe all you hear in advertising.  So what is the advantage of doing business with a locally owned independant agency?  Here's a few actual events we have handled in our office that a Direct Writer insurance company would brush you off quicker than you could dial 1-800...

FROM THE DESK OF DENISE SPERL:

1. Insured went to pick up their car from the body shop. The body panels painted were a different color blue than the rest of the vehicle. The body shop said they had problems with the paint and the Insurance Company will not pay for another paint job so she has to take vehicle as is. The insured refused and left the vehicle at the body shop and called us for help. We called the insurance company and had a representative call the body shop. We were on the other line & resolved the problem stating the body shop's a certified Insurance Company shop and they had to re-paint the car. The insured was VERY happy with the service we provided.


2. Insured’s son was in the hospital for many months. The insured has all business and personal insurance with us. Doesn’t remember what bills are due for which company and when. I totaled all 10 bills due and was able to allow the insured to make one lump sum payment at our office. I then disbursed the payment among all the bills due for the insured.

3. Insured was hit by another vehicle. Insured didn’t have collision coverage & didn’t have another vehicle to use while his car was being repaired. The insured needed to rent a car. Insured had a police report so I called other driver’s Insurance Company and reported the claim. While on the phone, I was able to approve rental vehicle for the insured at Enterprise- gave insd reservation #.

4. Activity for Therese LASTNAME:  Insured parked in wrong spot and vehicle was towed however towing company towed vehicle incorrectly causing damage- advised insured no comprehensive coverage so her insurance company will not get involved but if she wants to bring in estimate for damages & name of towing company I will send letter on her behalf- told her her only recourse is small claims court.

Stay tuned for more stories next week from thje desk of Tammy Vincent!!!

Babysitter Checklist

Where I will be: ______________________________


I will be home by: _____________________________

Number(s) to contact me on:_____________________

___________________________________________

If I am not reachable call: ________________________

at: _________________________________________

In Case of an Emergency:

Police: _________________________________________

Fire dept.: ______________________________________

This address:____________________________________

______________________________________________

This phone number:________________________________

If you cannot reach me in an emergency the following contacts

can be trusted to help you.



Contact 1

Name: _______________________________________

Number: ______________________________________

Address: _____________________________________



Contact 2:

Name: ________________________________________

Number: ______________________________________

Address: ______________________________________



Insurance company: ______________________________

Policy number: __________________________________

About the Children:

Names: _______________________________________

______________________________________________

Ages: _________________________________________



Bed time(s): ____________________________________

______________________________________________



Allergies: ______________________________________

______________________________________________



Medication(s): __________________________________

_____________________________________________



Additional information: _____________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

 
______________________________________________
 
______________________________________________
 
* PERMISSION IS GRANTED: Any licensed physician,
dentist, or hospital may givenecessary emergency medical
service to my child at the request of the person bearing this
 form with note to the allergies, medications and other information
listed above.

Signed (parent/guardian): _____________________Date: _________

Are you insured for Flood?

Fingar Tips - Insurance News You Can Use

Two types of water damage: Your standard homeowners’ insurance policy will cover losses caused by water that accumulates in your home because of the accidental discharge of a system or appliance, such as a broken hose or valve. However, this same policy will NOT cover losses caused by water that collects as a result of the overflow of a body of water or surface water runoff.

Just a few inches of water from a flood can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage. During the past decade, the average flood claim has amounted to more than $33,000. Flood insurance is the best way to protect yourself from this devastating financial loss. Please contact Fingar Insurance at 518-828-4500 or mark@fingarinsurance.com today to make sure you are covered. As a reminder, flood insurance must be purchased before flooding occurs and has a 30-day waiting period from the date of the application (unless purchased in conjunction with a loan closing).

If you live in a moderate-to-low risk flood area, you can purchase a preferred risk flood policy for as little as $129 per year. Remember – about 25 percent of all flood insurance claims come from areas with moderate-to-low flood risk. In addition to investing in flood insurance, you can also protect yourself and your property by developing a family communications plan, creating an emergency kit, and keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place away from your home.

Even if you are renting an apartment or condominium, it’s important to have flood insurance. Coverage for your home’s contents (like clothing, furniture and electronics) can be purchased separately from building coverage.

If your business suffers a flood and you don’t have flood insurance, you’ll only have three options: pay recovery costs out of your pocket, take out a loan or close your doors. Avoid becoming one of the 25 percent of businesses that never reopen because of a disaster by learning about the value of flood insurance from Fingar Insurance at 518-828-4500 or mark@fingarinsurance.com.

The Golden Rule of Insurance

Our philosophy is simple. We follow the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Sounds too simple. How does this play out? We care about insuring you properly. We return phone calls. We get the best coverage at the best available price. Prompt, Curteous and Professional Customer Service. That is what we expect from others...that is what our customers receive from us

Insurance Tip for Secondary Homeowners re: Cold Weather

Fingar Tips – Insurance News You Can Use

ATTENTION SECONDARY HOMEOWNERS – the cold is coming!!!

As a secondary homeowner, you should know that most of the claims we see in our office are cold weather related and most include either pipes freezing and bursting or water damming up from the gutters and entering the house through the shingles.

In regard to the pipes freezing up, secondary homeowners typically leave their homes unattended for several days a week and that is when the problem arises. The furnace will shut off for a number of reasons, the house goes cold, the pipes freeze. So far, there has been no damage. The damage happens when the house heats up and the pipes thaw. The cold caused the pipes to crack. Water then escapes the piping and damages the walls, floors, rugs, furnishings. Moisture from the water can then destroy furniture, pianos, paintings, etc.

As for the water freeze-up claims, there is a solution!!! You can purchase low temperature devices that work several ways. When the temperature in the house falls below a certain temperature (we recommend you set it to 50 degrees), some devices will turn on a light for your neighbor to see (make it a red bulb) or some will dial a phone number to alert you or a caretaker the temp has dropped. These devices are relatively inexpensive…but can save you thousands of dollars and many months of hard work repairing or replacing damaged items. No matter how painless an insurance claim looks on a TV commercial, I can tell you that you do not want to have a water claim like this…it is messy.

The way to prevent water dam claims is to get a roof rake (sold at hardware stores) and remove the snow on your roof. Not all the snow, but rather just the first 3 to 4 feet of snow starting at the edge of the roof. This allows the water to run freely down the shingles where most of it will evaporate. The snow in the gutters typically will prevent the water from leaving the roof. The water then freezers over the eves where there is no heat escaping. The ensuing water then backs its way up the roof and under the shingles and into your attic.

Mark W. Fingar, Vice President
Certified Insurance Counselor
mark@fingarinsurance.com
518) 828-4500