National Boater Safety Week is Here!!

Make sure to visit out Facebook page to read about National Boater Safety Week! There is a lot of great information to pass onto your clients that are gearing up for the summer boating season!

Click HERE for Our Facebook Page (and don't forget to "Like" Tague Alliance!)

30 Day Glove Box Challenge! Tague Alliance is taking the challenge

JOIN US IN THE 30 DAY GLOVE BOX CHALLENGE!

Join the 30 Day Glovebox Challenge!

It’s NOT Worth Your Life  #itsnotworthyourlife

Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on America’s roadways. Hundreds of thousands of lives are lost in distracted driving crashes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is leading the effort to stop texting and cell phone use behind the wheel. We want to do our part and are launching a 30 Day Glovebox Challenge to raise public awareness about the issue and inspire us all to make a change.

Join us in The Glovebox Challenge! Here’s how it works:

1. Make a short video of yourself – Getting into your car, putting your phone in the glovebox and starting the ignition. (30 sconds or less)
2. Post it on Social Media (FB, Twitter) and tag a friend to join the challenge.
3. Register to win a free T-Shirt or Cap at  www.distracteddriversbusted.com

www.DistractedDriversBusted.com

- Source: www.DistractedDriversBusted.com

Tague Alliance - Insurance Agents Valued By Small Business Owners According To New PIA Study But They Want Insurance Agents With Good Web Capabilities

Small Businesses Want Their Insurance Agents AND the Internet: PIA Research

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August 10, 2015

Commercial lines customers – particularly small business owners – still prefer working with independent insurance agents in the Internet age, new industry research has found.

At the same time, agents can’t rest on their laurels and must show their value online as well as person-to-person, according to the results. In other words, the person-to-person interaction still matters, but agents must also embrace doing business through the Internet to keep pace with their customers.

“Our results affirm that while small business owners continue to greatly value the professional advice and personal service of an independent agent, there is an expectation that their agent will be more capable of online interaction concerning their accounts and that the agency will have a fully credible online presence,” PIA National Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Becker said in prepared remarks.

The findings come from a survey conducted by the agency-company council of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) and other groups, as part of the PIA Partnership. Data comes, in part from a random national sampling of 1,000 small business owners whose companies employ 50 or fewer people.

Becker said the results are both an “affirmation” that insurance agents still matter and “wake-up call” for them to boost their efficiency through use of the Internet and other high-tech tools.

The PIA Partnership encompasses insurance companies that work with PIA’s national division to pursue research and develop tools that help independent agents do their job better. P/C members of the group include Progressive Insurance, State Auto Group, The Hanover Insurance Group, The Hartford and The Motorists Insurance Group.

Research findings determined that agents offered great value to small business clients, who sought relationships with those who understood their business, offered quick service responses, personal attention, and could reassure them that they were making the right insurance decisions.

Other results indicated that even when small business clients started their insurance process online, they wanted to interact with an agent to make sure of their decisions but also ask questions.

PIA Partnership Chairman John Petrucci said the results show that agents – even though their personal interaction is valued, should make use of the Internet part of their daily jobs.

“The Internet is here to stay,” Petrucci said in prepared remarks. “It is not the opponent of agents. But while it can be a source for competition, it can also provide an opportunity for agents when they use it to their own advantage … but the one thing that is not an option for independent agents is inaction.”

Source: National Association of Professional Insurance Agents

Tague Alliance End of Summer BBQ

The Tague Alliance staff had a great time with some of our members and partner insurance companies last Friday!  Thanks to everyone who showed!

Here is a link to our Facebook page so you can check out some of the photos:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tague-Alliance-Insurance-Services-Inc/157544370966

Or check out our Google+ photo page:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/106526333406563306309/albums/5926877271664455649

Snowmobile Safety

Do you have any clients that take winter trips to the snow? If you clients have snowmobiles, here is a good article to share with them. It's a great lead in to get the opportunity to quote the business!

Bounding over trails through woods, over fields and across frozen ponds or lakes with cold blasts of air whipping around are all part of the fun that thousands and thousands of people enjoy during winter in their snowmobiles. Snowmobiling’s fun should not mask the fact that it still involves the use of fast, heavy vehicles that, in collisions, can cause severe injuries and damage to property. Some models of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles operate at speeds that rival automobiles. Unlike autos, they are open vehicles, lacking the structural protection of even the smallest auto; therefore the danger to snowmobile users is far higher.

The danger of being injured while operating snowmobiles is compounded by some important factors. Snowmobiles are operated over rough terrain with obstacles that are often hidden by snow. They are operated in areas where the drivers are not familiar with paths or trails. Novices and older operators with poorer reflexes are attracted to recreational snowmobiling and these vehicles are often used very late at night, in remote areas. Another consideration regarding use of snowmobiles is that operators also combine driving with drinking and alcohol intensifies the other dangers.
Naturally there are practices that can help lower the chances of being in a serious accident. Snowmobile operators should:

Avoid solo snowmobiling - having another person around in case of an accident is probably the greatest safety practice.

Properly maintain the snowmobile to insure safer operation

Dress in appropriate safety gear and clothing, including water-repellant apparel

Operate snowmobile at speeds that are appropriate for conditions and terrain

Do not drink alcohol while operating a snowmobile

Use marked trails and don’t stray off of them

Carry a first aid kit, as well as other emergency equipment, especially tools, flashlights, compass, matches, etc.

Avoid crossing bodies of water as breaking through ice is a major peril (drowning is a chief source of snowmobile accident fatalities).

If you've got your own snowmobile, make sure it's insured! We can provide you with the best snowmobile policy available. And our companies don't require that you have a homeowners or renters policy.

Contact Tague Alliance with any questions about placing stand alone snowmobile business!

COPYRIGHT: Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 2010

Umbrella Coverage – Part 2

Here is Part 2 about Umbrella Insurance - I'm sure your clients were on the edges of their seats learning about everything we had posted in Part 1!! Remember you can always direct your questions about coverage to the personal lines department at Tague Alliance! In part 2, we continue our discussion of how umbrella policies work. Umbrella vs. Excess Coverage A traditional umbrella offers broader protection, covering primary policies as well as a variety of, typically, uncovered exposures. For instance, you may have to go to court after being accused of slandering another person. The liability section of your homeowners policy may not cover this type of loss, called personal injury. An umbrella policy might include coverage for personal injury, so the loss is covered. You may also need a traditional umbrella to handle odd situations such as hobbies or activities that may increase the likelihood of facing liability losses. For example: • • you have an in-home hobby of training guard dogs and a neighbor's child is attacked • • you publish a newsletter on the Internet covering local or state politicians and one issue wrongly accuses a state senator of committing a crime • • You collect rare instruments and, as a part of the hobby, you also repair and restore such property for other people. One day you drop an antique mandolin which shatters when it hits your garage's concrete floor Generally, umbrellas provide coverage for any amount of a loss that exceeds the primary policy's deductible. However, when handling a loss that is not covered by primary insurance, a special kind of deductible called a self-insured retention (SIR) may apply. An SIR is the dollar amount you have to pay before the umbrella coverage is triggered. Of course, umbrellas don't always work as named. Your policy may just provide additional amounts of coverage to supplement existing protection. This is how an excess policy performs. Excess policies respond the same way as a primary policy. In such cases, an umbrella may "follow the underlying coverage." This means that the umbrella covers ONLY the situations handled by its underlying coverage. Only a careful evaluation of the actual policy wording will reveal the extent of the additional protection. The best way to find out if extra coverage is necessary is to discuss your coverage needs with a professional insurance agent. See Part 1 for other basic information about umbrella coverage. COPYRIGHT: Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 1998, 2002, 2008

The Scoop on Umbrella Insurance (Part 1)

Tague Alliance would like to provide the article below to help you provide detailed information about umbrella policies to your clients. If you have any questions about the items discussed in this article, please call Tague Alliance at (760) 729-1143!

Let’s say you have a policy for your home and the cars driven by your family. You have just the right policy for the apartment you rent out to others as well as special coverage for your boating excursions. Your homeowner's policy even has a special, added coverage to handle the business that your spouse runs out of your home. Yes, it looks like you can be confident that you have all the coverage you need. But let’s take another look. Maybe you need an umbrella. An umbrella is the term for a liability policy that fits over your primary policies. Besides providing an additional (excess) level of coverage, it sometimes provides protection that is not available under your primary coverage.

Umbrellas are designed to be carried over a person's primary (also known as underlying) liability coverage. Primary refers to the fact that in the event of a loss, the liability portion of your auto or homeowner coverage is the first to respond. Umbrellas or excess liability policies respond to an eligible loss only after the primary insurance has paid its limit.

It's quite possible that your primary insurance limits provide more coverage than you'll ever need. However, circumstances could involve a type of loss that is not completely covered by a primary policy. For instance, your newly licensed child is driving the family car and slides on an icy highway. He ends up causing a chain collision damaging several cars and injuring a dozen drivers and their passengers. Or maybe you often volunteer to help transport members of your son's first grade class on field trips and you have an accident because you tried to beat a yellow light. If you don't have enough primary coverage, any shortage may have to come out of your personal assets.

Umbrellas generally provide additional liability coverage for the following underlying policies:

• Personal Automobile
• Homeowners / Farmowners
• Recreational Vehicles
• Watercraft
• Personal Liability

The additional coverage may often extend to providing for related expenses, also on an excess basis, such as the cost of providing a court defense. Part 2 for Umbrella Insurance will be posted in the next week or so!

COPYRIGHT: Insurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 1998, 2002, 2008