R&R Insurance Blog

A reminder from our friends at Kelman Restoration - certain things should never be put in the dishwasher. As the photo shows us, never put a wooden spoon in your dishwasher. In the case of this insured, the spoon fell between the cracks and landed on top of the heat coil, resulting in a fire.

Other items to avoid putting in your dishwasher:

• Acrylic
• Adhesive-joined pieces all aluminum
• Antiques
• Blown glass
• Bronze
• Cast iron
• China with metallic decoration
• Crystal
• Disposable plastics NOT labeled "dishwasher-safe"
• Flatware with bone, plastic, or wood inlays or handles
• Gold-plated flatware
• Iron
• Knives
• Many nonstick pots and pans
• Milk glass
• Pewter
• Rubber tools
• Tin

Remember, dishwashers can catch on fire. Wisconsin residents, contact a R&R knowledgebroker to ensure all aspects of your home are properly covered.

Within a month of your policy renewing, you'll receive a declaration page along with policy information. We've come up with 5 "P's" to remember what to do when you receive this - It makes it easy!

• Preview your policy - Look for changes you've made, i.e.:
  • Did you pay off your car or your home?
  • Did you switch jobs/change your commute?
  • Does your new teen driver qualify for the “good student discount”?
• Packaged? You can save money if you have your items packaged together...home, autos, recreational vehicles, life insurance)
• Proof – Put your new proof of insurance or auto identification cards in the glove box of your vehicle. You are required to have auto insurance in the state of Wisconsin and this way you'll have it if you need it!
• Payment – making your payment lets the insurance company know that you'll be continuing coverage. The grace periods for late payments are different with each insurance company and some do not allow for a grace periods so it’s important make the payment on time. This is a good time to look at the billing options: monthly, quarterly, or annually by automatic withdrawls or invoices.
• Phone – if you have any question at all, please call us.

Wisconsin residents, if you'd like us to evaluate your policy, please contact us. We appreciate the trust you place in R&R Insurance and our staff!

You have a drawer full of paperwork and you keep adding to it - why? Because you aren't quite sure what you need to keep and what you can shred.

Here are some general rules for record retention:

Keep for 7 Years:

• Home deed and closing statement
• Home improvement records
• Property taxes
• Federal, state and local income tax returns, gift tax and/or estate tax returns with supporting documents
• Checks and checkbook records - 7 years if tax deductible, 2 years if not tax deductible; and the same is true for credit card statements, receipts, and paid bills

Keep 1-3 Years:

• Bank statements - 1 year
• Rent receipts - 2 years
• Home mortgage, title insurance, property appraisals - 3 years after paid off
• Loan payment records (non-mortgage)

Keep While You Own or In Force:

• Vehicle paperwork - sales contracts, maintenance records, ownership papers, lease agreements, license information
• Receipts and appraisal for personal property, artwork, and valuables
• Home/Apartment Lease Agreements
• Owners Manuals
• Receipts for Warranties and Warranties and Extended Service Agreements
• Insurance papers - life insurance, health insurance, long term care insurance, homeowners, auto insurance

Wisconsin residents, we'd love the opportunity to be your one stop insurance agency, please contact us.

From 2000-2011, 349 people were killed in tip-overs, 84 percent were younger than nine years old. In 2011 there were 41 deaths from this hazard. Televisions were the main cause of the deaths. Schools should make sure that televisions on carts are strapped down. With the advent of Smart Boards there are fewer televisions used in classrooms, but every school we have visited still has TV’s on the premises. Parents need to be aware of hazards in the home. Check the stability of your televisions. Schools and parents should also be aware of other tip-over exposures. Bookshelf’s, dressers, filing cabinets and mobile tool boxes should be checked for stability. Avoid an accident for someone you love, you will never regret your efforts.

More information on school safety...

I found a great article about disaster planning for physician practices, and an even better comment at the bottom of the article I felt worth sharing. It's from Bear Rock Electric located in Maryland. They sum up some concerns that practice managers should think about in a nice, concise way. I am also including a link to the whole article from MDNews.com about power outages and it's affect on practice management: Small practices and clinics have to prepare, too. This really applies to all health care facilities - not just small physician practices. Assisted Living, Nursing homes, Urgent Care Centers, CBRF.

Here's the comment from Bear Rock Electric:

Bear Rock Electric services the Maryland community for emergency preparedness and power outages and we thank you for such an insightful article. Medical processionals do face very unique situations during storms and power outages and we couldn't agree more that a plan should be in place. Not only do they have the same problems as anyone else, but they also face the tremendous disruptions caused by hours or even days of long nuisance outages.

We ask them to think about the following questions:
•What if you're in the middle of an office procedure?
•What happens to the day's schedule and the rest of the week?
•What about your refrigerated supplies?
•Where will your patients go? Does the ER have your specialty or dental facilities?

Standby power solves all these problems and if they own their building, it also protects that building from a devastating mold infection that could render it uninhabitable or require expensive remediation. It only takes 72 hours for black mold to get started behind sheet rock.

Over half of Americans do not carry life insurance. Why is this? Do they not care about the future of the people they are leaving behind? We find this hard to believe. So with 93% of Americans agreeing it's important to have, why are people not carrying adequate protection in the event something would happen?

1. "I haven't had time." Buying a life insurance policy is easy and quick! It's really just determining how much protection you need and how long you'd like the protection. When your surviving spouse walks into our office and is grieving - think of how much peace of mind they will have that you have planned for their future, so they don't have to be scared too.

2. "Too pricey." What are you comparing it to? The big screen TV or the other bills you have? Life insurance isn't a luxury; it's a necessity for the people you care about most and life insurance is affordable.

3. "I have other financial issues to deal with." If you or your partner were to pass away, would the survivor be able to support their current lifestyle? Life insurance should be a priority.

4. "I don't know enough about what to buy." That's what we're here for! We will make it easy and you'll find out the process is not painful.

Wisconsin residents, R&R Insurance wants to make sure that you have sufficient so what you care about most is protected, please contact us.

Texting and driving according to distraction.gov is most distracting because it involves manual, visual, and cognitive distraction simultaneously. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted drivers are responsible for an estimated 25 to 30% of all vehicle collisions which amounts to 1.2 million crashes per year.

At any given moment during daylight hours, over 800,000 vehicles are being driven by someone who is using a hand-held cell phone. Drivers using hand held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. They also are increasing their crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not being distracted.

Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds.  At 55mph it is the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.

R&R Insurance offers a free Stop The Distraction Campaign kit for Wisconsin schools and families. Contact us for your free kit!

Texting and driving according to distraction.gov is most distracting because it involves manual, visual, and cognitive distraction simultaneously. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted drivers are responsible for an estimated 25 to 30% of all vehicle collisions which amounts to 1.2 million crashes per year.

At any given moment during daylight hours, over 800,000 vehicles are being driven by someone who is using a hand-held cell phone. Drivers using hand held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. They also are increasing their crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not being distracted.

Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55mph it is the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.

R&R Insurance offers a free Stop The Distraction Campaign kit for Wisconsin schools and families. Contact us for your free kit!

One of our clients was driving home from work when another driver hit her 2009 Acura TSX 4-door sedan. Our insured and her older daughter were injured. Her newborn baby daughter was unharmed (thank goodness for the child safety seat). After a visit to the hospital, I am happy to report that the family will be fine. I wish I could say more for her car - her 2009 Acura was totaled. You can see from the picture that the front end sustained enough damage that it could not be repaired. The accident was so severe that several of the airbags went off.

So, when does $60 = $13,000? Recently, some insurance companies started offering 'Car Damage Replacement Coverage' on new cars. The cost for the endorsement is around $20-$35 a year. Our insured owned this car for 3 years and her cost to have this on her policy would have been $60 over 3 years. Our insured declined this coverage when she bought the car. She probably thought, "I’m a good driver”. Problem is, we don’t know about the drivers around us.

When the dust settled, our client will receive what the value of her car was worth (fancy insurance term is 'Actual Cash Value') right before the accident. This is how typical claims are settled. Had she added the Car Damage Replacement Cost endorsement, she would be driving in a brand new Acura TSX. The difference between the value of her car and a new Acura is around $13,000. This is when $60 = $13,000! Not all insurance companies offer this endorsement so please check with us when you add a new car to your policy.

Wisconsin residents, now is a great time to contact us about any questions you might have on your auto, home, or life insurance!