Marshall Insurance 2013 Referral Program

Who will be the next winner of $100 CASH in the Marshall Insurance Referral Round Up? 

Refer your friends and family to get an insurance quote at our agency and receive a FREE pizza and a chance to win $100 cash!

 

 

 

 

10 Tips to Prevent Chimney Fires in North Carolina

This is the time of year when the nip of Old Jack Frost has many of us imagining a cozy night snuggled up in front of the fire. Wood burning fireplaces can feel like a luxury in the winter providing additional warmth and heat in the home. What most of us don’t think about is the possibility of a chimney fire. 

By following a few simple safety tips, you can enjoy your next fire without the fear of disaster.
 

1. Have your wood stove or chimney inspected by a certified chimney specialist each year and check monthly for damage or obstructions.

2. Never burn trash, paper, green wood or Christmas trees.

3. Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials. Combustible material too close to the fireplace or a wood stove can easily catch fire.

4. Keep chimneys clear and capped. Make sure tree branches and leaves are at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney. Contagious flames or sparks can jump from the fire source, quickly igniting other close objects. Installing a chimney cap can help prevent debris and animals from blocking the opening.

5. Use a fireplace screen heavy enough to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks.

6. Close the damper and doors tightly when you are done. A fire may appear completely dead, but a midnight draft can reignite embers and a slight breeze can blow them into your living room.

7. Store cooled ashes in a tightly sealed metal container outside the home.

8. Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries once a year.

9. Make sure everyone in the family respects the fire. Remind everyone not to get too close and to move carefully when in the vicinity. A fireplace screen to establish a safe perimeter is a good idea if you have small children or pets.

10. Have an escape plan in place in case of fire and review it regularly with your family members.

If you do have a chimney fire, close the damper and doors tightly if possible. Then leave the house and call 911. With the right home maintenance practices you can avoid chimney fires and enjoy the cozy, ambiance of your fireplace on cold mountain nights. We are available to answer any questions you have regarding coverage and your homeowners policy.

>>Find a Certified Chimney Sweep in Your Area:  The National Chimney Sweep Guild &
The Chimney Safety Institute of America

Boat Insurance

Boat Protector Policy

So what can we do for you?  Erie Insurance’s Boat Protector Policy safeguards your boat, boating equipment and accessories. It also protects you with liability and medical payments coverage.

ERIE offers:
•Comprehensive coverage that covers many types of losses. (Some of which you might not even have thought of.)
•No additional cost up to $500 for boating equipment and accessories.
•Coverage for bodily injury caused to others such as swimmers, jet skiers or other boaters. •Payments up to $250 per occurrence for emergency towing to the nearest marina.
•Award winning claims service that ensures you will be contacted promptly after reporting a loss. (Really, why should you have to wait?)

Contact us today to get your boat protector quote!

Understanding Life Insurance

Get a Quote

Life insurance products are not all the same. While some provide coverage for your lifetime, others provide coverage for a specific number of years.   Determining the right product depends on a number of factors.

ERIE’s life insurance calculator can help determine the amount of life insurance you may need. To learn more about the different types of life insurance, talk to us. They can help you decide what products and options best meet your needs.  There are two basic type of life insurance: term life and cash value life.*

Term life insurance

Term insurance provides coverage for a term of one or more years. The 20-year plan is the most popular version. Term insurance pays a death benefit if death occurs during the policy term. However, it does not include a cash value that can be used in the future.

Some term insurance policies are renewable for one or more terms, even if your health changes, though the premium usually increases with each renewal. Inquire about renewal premiums before you buy. Also ask if there is an age when you can no longer renew the policy.

Most term policies also include an option to convert to a cash value policy without having to provide evidence of insurability. Make sure you understand how the convertibility option works. The annual premium for term life insurance is usually less during the early years than the premium for a cash value insurance product. Be sure to compare the long term cost of each product before you buy.
Erie Family Life’s term life insurance policy provides coverage to age 95. The face amount of the policy remains level until then and the policy owner can choose from a 10, 15, 20 or 30-year guaranteed level premium period. After the level premium period, the premium increases on an annual basis.

Cash value life insurance

Cash value life insurance is designed to last an entire lifetime. Most products provide coverage until age 100 or later. The premium for this type of insurance is higher than term insurance during the early years of the contract when compared to term life insurance. The premium that is not used to cover expense or the cost of insurance is invested by the insurance company. That investment builds a cash value that increases with time. That cash value can be borrowed to:

• Fund a business or investment opportunity.
• Pay education expenses, such as college.
• Enhance your retirement income.
• Pay emergency medical expenses.

There are several types of cash value life insurance, including whole life, universal life and variable life.

• Whole life insurance provides coverage for as long as you live. The annual premium is usually payable for a period of time such as 20 years or to age 65. Some are payable forever. The premium amount never changes unless there is a change in benefits. The cash value is guaranteed as shown in the policy.
• Universal life insurance is a flexible premium adjustable life insurance product that allows you to vary the premium payment within certain limits as defined by the insurer and the tax code. The death benefit can be increased or decreased as defined in the policy without having to buy a new contract. The cash value earns interest at a rate determined by the insurer and that rate is subject to fluctuation based on market conditions. Like whole life, the cash value can be borrowed. Additionally, the cash value can simply be withdrawn, thereby avoiding interest expense charges, subject to policy limits.
• Variable life insurance can be structured as whole life insurance or as universal life insurance. The distinguishing feature of variable life is that the cash value is dependent on the investment performance of one or more separate accounts. In other words, the policy owner is subject to financial risk and the loss of their cash value. Be sure to read and study the prospectus before buying this type of policy. Erie Family Life does not offer variable life insurance products.

For information on your life insurance policy or the features and benefits of other products that we offer, contact us or fill out out our quote form.

The Advantages Of An Independent Insurance Agent

When choosing an insurance plan, there are so many important decisions to make, and you seldom feel as if you're informed well enough to make them. Many insurance customers end up buying insurance based on price, hoping the money they're paying will provide them with all the coverage they need, or that they're saving themselves money in the long run with the cheapest plan.

The process of protecting your family can quickly become complicated, frustrating, and worrisome. But an independent agent can lift those loads in several ways. You may actually know your independent agent. He could be the father of your son's classmate. She could be the girl's little league coach.

Independent agents usually live right within your community, support it, and are available for help without the long telephone or online hold times. An independent agent stays in business by keeping customers happy. You'll soon be used to receiving follow-up calls and even visits to be sure you're satisfied with your coverage or the resolution of a claim. Unlike larger, national companies, when you benefit from your insurance coverage, your agent benefits.

You'll have more choices than you knew were available. Because independent agents are not bound to any particular insurance provider, you'll have the luxury of choosing from several different companies. And because your agent is working for your benefit, the confusion so many choices can cause is eliminated. Your agent has done all the research, and is willing to educate you about every viable option. There's no need to change agencies to suit your circumstances.

The lack of ties to a single provider keeps your agency flexible enough to offer you coverage choices that make sense each time your life changes. There’s an advantage of staying with the same independent agent for the long haul. You can actually build real relationships with agents local to your community who know you by name. Insurance can be complicated to navigate, and the lack of trust most people have for the industry is not made better by the impersonal service many large insurance companies provide.

Independent insurance agents can reduce guesswork, save you money, and create community-building relationships national companies simply can't. Call us and ask about how you can put an agent to work for you.

Insurance Coverage for NC Apartment Buildings, Condo Associations and Building Owners

As a building owner, you have special insurance coverage needs. Protect your building and business personal property with an Ultrapack Plus^SM Policy.*

Property and Liability Coverages

ERIE offers coverage for:

• Your buildings
• Business personal property – both yours and others’
• Income protection
• Crime
• Liability needs

Coverage Details

Learn more about the coverage details:

• Buildings and Business Personal Property
• Rental Income Protection
• Mechanical and Electrical Breakdown
• Liability Coverage
• Additional Property Protection
• Optional Coverage Enhancements
• Employment Practices Liability

Erie Insurance also offers many optional insurance coverage's to allow you to customize your insurance to fit your unique needs.  Call us today for a quote at 704-684-0082.

Auto Insurance from Erie Insurance

Since 1925, people have been choosing ERIE to insure their cars and other vehicles because of our fair and competitive prices, but ERIE’s much more. We also provide:

• Highest levels of customer service for auto Policyholders
• Over 30 extra car insurance policy features
• Flexibility to customize your car insurance policy
• Stability that ranks at the top of the auto insurance industry

Auto Insurance Discounts

At Erie Insurance, we live by the same purpose our Founder, H.O. Hirt, did:
To provide our Policyholders with as near perfect protection, as near perfect service as is humanly possible, and to do so at the lowest possible cost.
We’re committed to keeping auto insurance rates as low as possible through disciplined underwriting. Erie Insurance further reduces your auto insurance premium by offering numerous discounts:

• Safe Driver
• Multi-Car
• Age 55 or Over
• Passive Restraints
• Anti-Theft Devices
• Anti-Lock Brakes
• Multi-Policy
• Longevity
• Payment Plan
• Life Multi-Policy
• College Student
• Driver Training
• Reduced Usage

Watch a video to learn more about ways to save with ERIE (video transcript).

Auto Insurance Agents

ERIE’s independent insurance Agents (like Marshall Insurance) will help you make important decisions about your North Carolina auto, home, life and business insurance. They’re experienced, hard-working insurance professionals — as interested in you as they are in providing you with car insurance coverage.

Erie Insurance realizes each auto insurance policy sold is a promise of service. We use our own trained auto claims adjusters, ensuring that your car insurance claim will be settled quickly and fairly by ERIE personnel who know our ERIE auto insurance policy and understand how important service is to us — and to you.

Auto Insurance Coverage

ERIE’s auto insurance policy protects you against financial loss if you have a car accident. General types of auto insurance coverage include property, liability, medical, uninsured and underinsured motorists, comprehensive and collision coverage.

Get a 12-month auto insurance quote online or contact Marshall Insurance for more information about ERIE’s car insurance options.

Auto Accident Checklist

If you are involved in an accident:

• Remain calm and polite.
• Turn on your hazard lights.
• If safe to do so, move your vehicle away from traffic.
• Do not discuss who is at fault or your insurance limits.
• Do not leave the scene of the accident.

* Contact emergency personnel

• If anyone is injured, call 911 for medical assistance.
• Do not move an injured person.
• Give police your version of what happened.
• Obtain the police officer's name, department and incident number.

* Exchange information

• Vehicle owner's name, address, telephone and/or email address
• Insurance information (company and policy number)
• Other vehicle information (year, make, model and registration plate)
• Driver's name, address, telephone and/or email address (if different from the vehicle owner's information)
• Obtain contact information from passengers and/or witnesses.
• Note the accident location.

* Take photos/video if safe to do so

• Accident scene
• Traffic controls
• Street names
• Road conditions
• Vehicles and other property damage

*  Contact your insurance agent or insurance company!

* Download Auto Accident Checklist Form