Safechoice Insurance Agency

Minnesota Commercial Vehicle Insurance

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If you need a vehicle to help maintain your business, then you will have to acquire commercial vehicle insurance. In Minnesota, like many other states, it is necessary for you to have insurance on your business cars and trucks.

Who Needs Commercial Vehicle Insurance?

You will need insurance if you are using a vehicle for any reason that is related to your business. If your company requires you to have several employees to drive, then you will need insurance to cover them and your company vehicles. For example, if your employees deliver pizza or other goods daily, they will need to be covered in case there is an accident.

Types of Commercial Auto Insurance

  • Bodily Injury Liability – covers you if your employees hurt someone during an accident.
  • Property Damage Liability – helps prevent you from paying for property or vehicles that are damaged.
  • Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist – gives you coverage if you are involved in an accident with a person who does not have enough insurance to cover the damage.
  • Medical Payments – allows you to pay for your medical bills if you are injured during an auto accident.
  • Collision Coverage – covers damage to your business vehicle if it is involved in an accident with another car or object, such as a building or telephone pole.
  • Comprehensive Coverage – offers you coverage if your business vehicle is damaged due to something other than a collision, like vandalism, fire, or storm.
  • Other Options – roadside assistance and rental reimbursement are options that you may consider when thinking about buying commercial auto insurance.

Get assistance and information from the independent insurance agents at Safechoice Insurance Agency. Located in Rochester, Minnesota, they can help you with your commercial auto insurance as well as providing options for home, life, health, and other insurance needs.

Why Homeowners Insurance is So Important

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Homeowners insurance is a property-based insurance that covers private residences. While it is a common insurance, there are many that don’t understand the importance- and necessity- on having this coverage. Below, find a breakdown on why homeowners insurance is so important- and why you need it.

Investing in Your Home is Investing in your Future- Homes are one of the few commodities on the market that will still appreciate in value over time. Unlike a brand new car, which depreciates in value when you drive it off the lot, your home is an investment that will grow. While it is true that there are ups and downs in the real estate market, more often than not, a home that has been cared for will be valued much higher than its original purchase price. Thus, having insurance on your home is a protection to your biggest investment.

You May Not Receive your Loan- Lenders require homeowners insurance from prospective buyers. Often times, they will allocate a certain time frame in which they want you to secure a policy and if that isn’t done, you may have your deal canceled. They also may purchase the policy for you and tack on the premiums to your monthly mortgage payment. Taking the process into your own hands ensures that you are in control.

Home Insurance Protects your Home from Damages, Natural Disasters and Theft- This is probably one of the most important aspects of having a policy to cover your home. Homeowners insurance will cover theft, damages from fire and other natural disasters as well as destruction of your property.

If you’re thinking twice about why you have to invest in a policy to cover your home, these points should clear up any confusion. Life can bring about unexpected twists and turns, but some of them can be proactively dealt with. Homeowners insurance will essentially bring you peace of mind, because you know that you’re covered in the most unexpected of events. Contact Safechoice Insurance Agency today to find out how to get started on insuring your biggest investment.

 

An explanation of motorcycle insurance coverages

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Motorcycle insurance provides the motorcycle owner with financial coverage in cases where he or she is involved in an accident. It not only covers their injuries, but provides coverage when damage is done to their or another person’s property. If you decide to purchase a motorcycle you are required by law in all states to purchase some type of motorcycle insurance, although the amounts of motorcycle insurance you are required to purchase may vary.

Types of motorcycle insurance

Every kind of motorcycle insurance has the same purpose, to financially protect the motorcycle rider and person harmed by the motorcycle rider, and their property. But not every kind of coverage insures the same scenarios. Some of the more popular coverages are:

  • Property damage liability motorcycle insurance– This type of insurance helps you cover the damage to the other vehicle and property owned by the victim when you are at fault in a traffic accident.
  • Medical Payment Insurance- This insurance covers the medical needs that regular liability does not cover, such as health insurance deductibles, dental care, funeral costs, prescription drugs, etc.
  • Uninsured Motorist Coverage– This motorcycle insurance covers you, if you happen to be in an accident with an uninsured motorist.

Motorcycle coverage required in Rochester MN

In Minnesota motorcycle owners are not only required to purchase liability insurance, but are also required by law to carry underinsured and non-insured coverage as well.

Contact a Motorcycle insurance provider

Obtaining the right coverages, and the right amount of coverage, for your motorcycle in the Rochester, Minnesota area can be a complicated decision. It is important that you speak with a knowledgeable motorcycle insurance agent to assist you. Call the insurance agents at Safechoice Insurance Agency today for a no-obligation quote.

 

 

 

5 Reasons to Consider Life Insurance in Parkersburg

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There’s nothing worse in life than feeling like you’re entirely unprepared for a situation, and life insurance is just one more way for you to put your fears to rest about leaving the future completely to chance. When you have important people in your life, you need to be willing to take the extra steps for their well-being. Here are five reasons to consider life insurance in Rochester. 

1. Family 

It’s likely that costs will become exorbitant after too long for your family. Having comprehensive life insurance for them can ease the burden when they have the right support.

2. A Safety Net 

Permanent insurance can be somewhat of a safety net for those who take out policies. If you need to, you can generally borrow from your accumulated fund with permanent policies if you absolutely have to. 

3. Piece of Mind 

It can be nice to know that not only will your family be taken care of but also that you have an easily accessible stash of funds for emergencies. Using the savings from life insurance is usually quick so when you need money fast, you have that option. Taking these precautions is what can make everyone’s life easier when the worst occurs. 

4. Locking Rates Down

Rates tend to go up as you get older, but buying life insurance now can save you from having to pay the extra costs should something change in your  health situation. 

5. Having a Place to Go for Help 

Knowing a place to turn to is half the battle when it comes to finding a life insurance policy. Safechoice Insurance Agency serves Rochester, MN, and we’re here to help you decide on a policy that’s right for you. Whether you’re looking for new coverage or you’re reviewing your current policy, give us a call today!

Organizing Hacks You Never Thought Of

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Everyone loves a neat and tidy space but sometimes organizing can be a bit overwhelming and can take up a great deal of time. With the right tips however you can have a neat and tidy space that rivals those you see in magazines.

The key to great organization is to create a space for the things you need to organize, if its shoes, only put shoes there, if it is books do the same, there is no way to properly organize if you are putting everything you own in one space. The first step is to take the time and really think about where you want things to go. Think about where you are when you use them most often, where you are when you put them away, and other factors like that.

A great example is shoes when you enter or exit your home. A shoe rack is great but it can be unsightly. Using totes, shelves, or hidden storage is a great way to keep shoes up off the floor and put away. Try using a coat pegs about four inches off the floor as a place to hang your shoes to get them up and out of the way.

Another great organizing tip is to take your time. Taking your time is going to give you the chance to make logical decisions that are going to help with the organizing process. Take your closet for example, if you wear t-shirts, it is only logical that they be easy to access. Take the time to think out your organization. A great way to organize your closet and make more space is to use shower curtain rings on the necks of your hangers so that you can hang multiple hangers in one space.

Safechoice Insurance Agency wishes you happy organizing.

Rules to set up for your teen driver

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The more experience you have, the better you will become. That is a general truth for just about anything, including driving. Due to the extreme lack of experience, your teen driver will slowly learn more and more as they spend more time on the road. While allowing your teen to drive is important, as it builds up their skill sets, you also need to set boundaries and rules to keep your child safe, whether driving in Rochester, MN or anywhere else, for that matter. At Safechoice Insurance Agency, we do everything in our power to keep your child safe while driving. It is why we have a few rule recommendations to set up regarding your teenager. 

No Texting or Calling

Texting is a major distraction. Whether texting, using an app or just about anything else on the phone, even an experienced driver can struggle using a phone and driving at the same time. Due to this, you need to set up a no texting or calling rule while driving. How do you enforce this though? There are applications available, including from your mobile service provider, that prevents texting and calling while the GPS detects driving movement. Consider installing one of these apps. 

Who They Can Drive With

Limiting the number of distractions your teen driver faces is important. This is also true with their passengers. You need to know who they drive with and, almost more importantly, the number of people in the car. Limit their driving to just friends you know and also keep the number of passengers they are driving around to a minimum. 

Curfew

Set a curfew for when they need to be back with the car. Nighttime driving brings about all sorts of new problems and distractions, so you need to make sure to monitor this. 

How To Find Your Next Used Family Car

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The safety of your family is very important, which is why many people spend some time looking for their family car. Unfortunately, your family car will not last forever and at some point, you will need to look for another one. Many families want to look for a quality used family car so that they can save some money. This is a great idea as long as you use some precautions while shopping. Before you go out and buy the first one you find, use these tips to find the best one to fit your needs and budget. 

  • It is easy to find a cheap family car when it is several years old. However, just because it is cheap does not mean that it is a good idea. Before you buy it because the price is low, be sure to measure the age against the price. You want to find a common ground where both the age and the price makes sense for your plans. 
  • Get an independent mechanic to take a look at the car before your purchase. Take it to someone of your choosing, not of the dealer’s choosing. You may be able to get the inspection done for free but be expected to pay around $100 if not. It is $100 well spent because you will get an unbiased opinion of the vehicle. If they say no to the vehicle, then you probably should too. 
  • Keep your emotions out of the decision. You can get emotional about a vehicle after you purchase it but do not make a decision based off of emotions alone. Use your logic during this type of transaction. 

Once you get your next great family vehicle, protect yourself and your family with a great auto insurance policy. Contact us at Safechoice Insurance Agency today to get started. 

Springtime Safety Tips for your Home

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After a long hard winter, most families look forward to spring when flowers begin blooming once more, and the songs and sounds of birds grow louder each new day of spring. This could be a very exciting time for home owners as they look forward to tree and shrub plantings, and gardening activities.

End of winter hibernation 

 Many home owners are also happy to emerge from what may appear like hibernation from their homes and start venturing outside once more. In the midst of this enthusiasm, there are certain important spring safety tips that every home owners should consider. This article discusses spring safety tips for your home.

Safety of Your home is paramount

Change of season oftentimes requires periodic physical checkups for your home.  Here is a list of things to check in your home to make sure they are in optimal condition.

  • Check all the smoke detectors to make sure they are all in great working condition. Change batteries if need be.
  • Check all door locks both from inside and outside the home.
  • Check your garage locks; consider installing deadbolts with outside access on all doors.
  • Install motion sensors. It not only increases security of your family it also deters criminals from attempting to break into your home.
  • Are your shrubs trimmed? This is the time to trim and cut them to size, so they don’t shield burglars when they attempt to break into your home.
  • Clean your garage. Collect all important paper documents and file and store them in fire resistant safes. This will keep your documents safe and reduce fire hazards in your home.
  • Install a security system in your home. If you don’t have one, and you have often procrastinated in doing this, this spring is a great time to get this done. Security systems can lower your Home Insurance premiums

 Securing your Home Insurance

This is the most important tip of all. Home or property insurance is vital to every homeowner. If you live in the Rochester MN area contact a reliable home insurance provider – Safechoice Insurance Agency to discuss your insurance needs. 

How to Talk to your Landlord about Doing some Kitchen DIY Projects

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At times, living in a rental house can be frustrating. You may feel as though you have no control over what can be done in the space where you are living. While this is true to a certain extent, there are some landlords who would be more than willing to help out with a few small changes to enhance the home. They key to getting the go ahead with changes to your Rochester, MN rental can be found here.

Be honest

Don’t try to make the changes and then tell the landlord what is going on. Even if they are for the better, if they are not approved by the landlord, in writing, it may cost you. There are laws in place, in some areas that will put all the liability on the person who made the changes, if they were not approved. Chances are, if it is a reasonable request, your landlord will say yes.

Discuss added value

If the landlord seems hesitant to give you the go ahead to make these changes, talk to them about how much value this update could add to the property. In most cases, this will encourage them  to say yes to the changes.

Always get it in writing

Even if you have a great relationship with your landlord, you never know what is going to happen down the road. This is why you should get any approved changes in writing. This will help protect you in the long run.

Regardless of if you make changes to the space or not, ensuring your belongings are protected is a must. Contact the Safechoice Insurance Agency in Rochester, MN to learn more about the coverage you need.

 

 

Disaster Preparedness Tips For Your House

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When you live in Rochester, Minnesota, it’s always a good idea to prepare your house for any kind of disaster. This includes fires, snowstorms, and anything else where you could be potentially stuck inside your home for several days, or even evacuated. A few tips can go a long way to making sure you are ready.

Have Food

It may sound obvious, but you want to have food in the house. 3-5 days’ worth can make a difference if you are ever stuck inside and cannot get out to the store. You should also have nonperishable items that can be eaten without being heated. Great items include peanut butter, protein bars, MREs, and trail mixes.

Buy Lighting

Buy sufficient lighting for all rooms of the house that isn’t dependent on electricity. This can include flashlights as well as wind-up lanterns. Avoid candles and such as the open flame can end up causing a fire.

Know About Fire Safety

Teach everyone about fire safety and have fire extinguishers in the house. Also ensure you have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in the house that are in working order.

Light Up Your Front Entry

Keep your front entry well-lit and properly locked so you can deter burglaries and break-ins.

Have Extra Batteries

Extra batteries are a good idea not only for flashlights and a radio, but also for toys for the kids. If you lose power, they are going to want their toys and you want to make sure they have a way of keeping themselves busy.

Call Safechoice Insurance Agency today and find out how you can protect your home with a good homeowner’s insurance policy. Our agents can get quotes from some of the top companies in Minnesota and answer any questions you have along the way.