R&R Insurance Blog

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...

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!

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!

Insurance companies benefit when drivers don't have accidents and don't make claims. Conversely, they lose money when their customers have accidents and make claims. The insurance company wants to rate a driver as accurately as possible so they can correctly predict your driving patterns and how likely it is you will make a claim. If you are a higher risk for the insurance company, they will charge you more premium.

The following are reasons you could be charged more for your auto insurance:

• Buying a new car - it's worth more than your old car and will cost more to replace. Don't assume higher premiums are only associated with sports cars. If the new vehicle is more likely to be a stolen model, you could be getting charged more!
• Commuting Long Distances - The risk is greater for the insurance company that you have an accident if you are on the road more frequently, especially during rush hour traffic!
• Moving - Risk is determined by the zip code you live in and city residents typically have more people; more people mean more accidents.
• Marriage Status/Age - You are in a higher risk category if you are a younger driver and again when you are a seasoned driver. The same thing is true if you're unmarried.
• Broke up with Your Auto Insurance - If you've gone without insurance in an effort to save money, your premiums will be higher when you seek out insurance again. Insurance goes up even if you've been without insurance for just over a month.
• Law Breakers - if you've gotten a ticket or had an accident, your insurance premiums most likely will be higher. Insurance companies typically check your record whether you are a new or an existing customer. So the cleaner your record the less they will charge you!

Wisconsin residents, insurance rates are going to change based on certain factors, so if you' d like a free review of your current coverage, please contact knowledgebroker Kori Cumley.

Anything that diverts your attention away from the main task of driving is a distraction. Basically, anything that takes your eyes/mind off the road or your hands off the wheel. This includes cell phone usage, eating, talking, listening to disruptive music, applying make-up, tending to children and navigation systems.

Not Just Texting – Any Cell Phone Usage Can be Deadly

Research has shown that the distraction caused by a phone conversation is the same for hands-free or hand-held cell phones. Even more distracting is the act of text messaging. Now illegal in most states (including Wisconsin), texting takes a driver’s eyes off the road an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds. At 55 mph, this translates into 120 yards without looking at the road.

Manage Your Distractions

• Recognize that driving requires your full attention.
• Ask a passenger to place a call for you and, if possible, speak in your place.
• Do not compose, send or read text messages while driving. In Wisconsin, texting while driving is illegal.
• Ask passengers to help with directions or adjust dashboard controls.
• Secure loose items in the vehicle so they don’t become projectiles or distractions in a sudden stop or crash.
• Avoid intense, complicated or emotional conversations when driving.
• Pull over to care for children.
• Stop to eat or drink, rather than trying to eat or drink while driving.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Program your GPS prior to starting your trip.
• Allow plenty of time for your trip.

R&R offers a free Stop The Distraction Campaign Kit for Wisconsin Schools and families in an effort to help prevent distracted driving. Contact us for your free kit if you are located in Wisconsin. 800-566-7007.

As an independent insurance agency servicing dozens of public and private schools, and tens of thousands of families in Southeastern Wisconsin, we know first-hand how life can change in an instant. For 2013, we've put some muscle behind our campaign to help schools and families prevent distracted driving.

R&R Insurance Services is offering a free Prevent Distracted Driving Campaign Kit to any school, business or family in Southeastern Wisconsin. Our kit includes a poster, two window clings and a pledge card.

Unfortunately, many accidents occur and lives are lost due to something that can be prevented - Distracted Driving! Let's stay focused behind the wheel and focused towards a common goal to prevent distracted driving.

Request your FREE Stop The Distraction Campaign Kit today and help spread the word. We can work together to Stop The Distraction and Save A Life!

You may think the reason you pay for homeowner's insuranceis so that you can take advantage of it whenever you need it. But, it's not that simple! According to a CBS Moneywatch article, it's not only the fact that on renewal your homeowner's premiums will likely go up, but instead you could be non-renewed and may have a hard time finding replacement coverage with another carrier. Insurance companies use a database called Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange or CLUE which makes claim information available to most insurance companies.

According to J.D. Howard, an executive director of the Insurance Consumer Advocate Network, “We always counsel people not to make a claim unless the cost of the repair is three times their deductible.” So for example, if you have hail damage to your roof that can be repaired for $1,000, and the deductible on your policy is $500, it’s probably better to pay for the repairs out of pocket. “The insurance company sees too many small claims as a homeowner using his insurance policy to pay for upkeep on his house,” Howard says.

Ultimately, if you need to use your insurance and submit a claim, do it. Also, consider a home deductible that matches the amount you'd be willing to pay out of pocket at the time of a claim because it could save you some money. Why carry a $250 deductible if your not going to make a claim for anything less than $5,000?? You can save some premium up front by adjusting your deductible to a higher amount, and by talking to an independent agent.