Did you know that items that are not secure in a vehicle become a projectile in the event of an impact collision? We want to ensure that you and your passengers are protected this holiday season as you’re packing your vehicles for your holiday travel. Please ensure that all items, packages, luggage, and groceries are stored in the cargo area of your vehicle or in your trunks. This will help prevent them from becoming projectiles and injuring you and your passengers this holiday season, or really anytime of the year. As the holiday season approaches, we also would like to extend our warmest holiday greetings to you this holiday season. We want to take the time to thank each and every one of you for your continued business with Insurance Connection. We truly care about you and your financial security and want to ensure that you are protected for all the years to come. From our Insurance Connection family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Fall is here and that means shorter days, colorful foliage, football season, and shaking of our heads in disbelief that stores put up their Christmas displays in October. It’s hard to think about Christmas when the temperatures are staying in the 60s and 70s here in Nebraska when it’s November. Well, with the change in seasons, comes the changes in driving conditions. Temperatures will drop and we will start to see an increase in rain, ice, and snow on our roads. Here are three ways to make sure that your car is ready for the fall. Number one, check your wiper blades. Two, check and freshen your fluids. Three, be sure to check your tire tread, pressure, and balance. As always, here at Insurance Connection, we’re all about connecting people in insurance with care. Be sure to continue to follow us on Facebook and let us know if there’s anything that we can answer for you. Have a great day.

Hi, I’m Jamie with Insurance Connection, and my topic for this month is to talk to guys about Agents of Change and what does the Agents of Change Program mean? Well, here at Insurance Connection, we are Agents of Change. We’re banning together to help financially support an organization or a family in need. And we kind of have a soft spot in our hearts for families battling cancer, and so we have some flyers that we have at the Insurance Connection offices that the talk about what the Agents of Change means. And so for this quarter, we are actually supporting The GRACE Foundation. The GRACE Foundation is in Grand Island, Nebraska, and they financially support families with cancer, effects going on and they need help with medical bills, or gas cards, or food, or different things while their families are going through the treatment or their loved one is going through a treatment. We are asking for all of our customers to band together and help us support The GRACE Foundation. What that means is that you can go to our website at ins-connect.net and you could submit on our referral program to give us names and email addresses or phone numbers of your family and friends. And for every name that you give us and we provide a no obligation quote, we will donate $10 to The GRACE Foundation in your name, so that’s really cool. It’s an awesome thing that you don’t have to actually give us any money for it and your friends don’t have to give us any money for it, and we actually will give $10 to this awesome foundation in Grand Island to support local families in need. If you have any more questions, let us know. And we look forward to hearing from you guys and getting your referrals. Have a great day.

Call Insurance Connection inc. in Kearney NE at (308) 237-0914

Hi, this is Jon Sostad, and I just have been taking some classes recently and realized for our clients, what we like to do is educate them so that they can make a good decision on their insurance package. Instead of telling you what you need, we actually help you decide and give you examples, real life examples, as to why, what, when and where. So, I just wanted to touch base with you guys and say, Hey, if you have any questions about insurance or anything regarding it, we’d be glad to help you, even if you don’t write it with us, that’s great. Just so we can educate you because I feel like an agency needs to educate and that’s how we are different from the other others, is we yeah explain coverages and give you an idea of what’s what. So, if you have any questions on your insurance, sure, give us a call and we will do our best to help you with any questions.

Hi, I’m Jamie with Insurance Connection. Let’s talk about why life insurance is important. Life insurance is important because it leaves your family non-taxable money when you are gone. It can be used to help pay for student loans for your children. It can be used to pay off your mortgage or even car loans. It is really important to have life insurance for your family to continue to live the life that they’ve always lived, even if you are gone. Another important reason to get life insurance outside of the workplace is because it follows you. It’s with you forever. And if you quit the job, you may no longer be able to qualify for that life insurance through your workplace. But if you get life insurance independently through an insurance agent, such as ourselves, then that will follow with you and carry with you even if you are no longer employed. I hope that helps answer your question about why life insurance is important. We hope to see you soon. Thanks.

Hi, this is Jon with Insurance Connection. September’s life insurance awareness month. And I wanted to touch base with you to tell you why it’s important to get insurance on your children. The reason I do it is for their insureability. The death benefit really doesn’t make any difference. To make sure that they can have insurance throughout their lifetime, you get it when they’re young. If they were to get any heart murmur or childhood cancer, this policy would take care of it and continue on throughout their life. That’s the reason we want to get life insurance on children, just to protect their insureability. Have a great day. Thanks.

Hi, I’m Jamie with Insurance Connection. I have had a lot of people ask me, how much homeowners insurance should I get? I would love to share that answer with you. As insurance agents, we take the square footage and shape of your home and place it into a program that tells us how much it would cost to build your house from the ground up, in the event of a total loss. This is called a replacement cost estimator. It accounts for the number of bathrooms in your home, the square footage, the basement, if it’s finished or not, what type of construction you have, if you have an attached garage, what type of roof you have, and all of those other things that distinguish your home from others. We would then insure your home for the value that is calculated in the replacement cost estimator. So that, in the event of a total loss, your home would be able to be rebuilt back to the place that you were, prior to the loss. I hope that answers your question, and as always, if you have any other questions for us, let us know, and we would be happy to answer them for you.

Things you should do right after an accident. Stop. It’s never a good idea to drive away. Make sure everyone is okay, and the scene is protected. If you can, and it’s safe to do so, take pictures of the vehicle before moving it. Make sure to call the police and report the accident, they will generate a police report for you with the other driver’s information, and then call your insurance agent to talk to them about the claims process. It is always important to remember to submit the motor vehicle accident report to the State of Nebraska within 10 days, following your accident, especially if it exceeds property damages over $1,000 or there’s any bodily injuries or death. Your insurance agent can also help you with this.

Hi, this is Jon Sostad with Insurance Connection. I just wanted to visit with you a little bit about life insurance today, and the importance of that. Life insurance, you’ve got to consider what you want it to do for your family in the event that you were to pass early. My personal is to pay off debt, but it could be paying off debt, pay final expenses, weddings, put a down payment on your kids’ home. It could do that. By purchasing life insurance, you take the guesswork out of things, and you just make sure that they’re taken care of the way you’d want them to be taken care of, so they can stay in the same house, keep the same standard of living in most cases. By planning ahead and making sure that your family’s taken care of, life insurance is a good tool for that. You work hard for your money, so if something were to happen, you’d want to make sure your family is taken care of.

Hi. I’m Jamie with Insurance Connection. I’ve had several people call the office and ask if they have coverage for tree removal. It’s been pretty windy here in central Nebraska, and it’s been causing a lot of damage to our trees and lots of limbs down and things like that. The question again, is is that going to be a paid as a covered loss? What has to happen is that the tree has to fall due to a covered peril such as wind, or even the weight the snow and ice can be a covered peril as well. And then the next thing that has to happen is that it has to cause damage to a structure or personal property or block the access to the home. For example, if a tree does fall on your garage or fence or blocks your driveway, there likely is to be coverage under your homeowners policy for the debris and cleanup removal of the tree. But if it just falls into your backyard and does no structural damage or any damage to any personal property, there would likely not be any coverage for that, and you as the homeowner would be responsible for the cleanup and debris removal of the tree at that point. I hope this answers your question. Submit your questions to us on Facebook and we would be happy to answer them. Thanks for being part of Insurance Connection, and we sure appreciate you. Have a great day.

Hi, this is Jon Sostad with Insurance Connection in Kearney, Nebraska. We’ve had a question posed from a few people asking if homeowners insurance claims are taxable. When you get a payment for repairs to your roof, or any storm damage, or if something gets stolen as far as personal property and then you get a claim settlement, that’s great that your insurance works like you expected it to. But a lot of people wonder if they have to keep out some of the proceeds in order to pay taxes on that. Since you’re not profiting from the insurance payout, then you don’t [inaudible 00:00:39] it to any taxable income. Your benefits are reimbursement expenses in lieu of income. So you don’t need to report it to the IRS. I hope this helps, have a great day. Thank you.

General Insurance Liability is not required by law, but in most cases the contractor that hired you will require you to show proof of insurance before they pay you for your work. General Liability Insurance policies typically cover you and your company for claims involving bodily injuries and property damage resulting from your products, services or operations.

Do you have any questions about homeowners insurance coverages? We’d be happy to help!

Did you know that there is a solution to rising healthcare costs that can save both employees and employers money?

Hi. I’m Jamie with Insurance Connection. I’ve had several customers call in and ask if there’s going to be any credits available for them for payments in these unprecedented times. There certainly are. Our companies are stepping into action and working for you. The Apron Relief Program that Progressive has implemented is providing a 20% credit to all auto customers for the months of April and May. You can see that credit automatically on your accounts, and there’s nothing that you need to do. They are also going a step further and donating to charities across the country that support health, homelessness, and hunger. Thank you, Progressive, for going above and beyond and helping our communities. The Safe at Home Refund with Auto-Owners and the Stay at Home Refund with Travelers are providing 15% premium credits to all auto customers for, again, the months of April and May. Northstar is going a step further and they’re implementing a one-year stay at home discount on all personal and commercial auto policies. Customers will automatically receive the 10% premium discount on all policies renewing for June 1, 2020, through May 31, 2021. How cool is that? If you guys are experiencing some turmoil and a hard time paying your premiums, these are solutions for you. If you need additional assistance, don’t hesitate to call our office and we may be able to assist you further. Thank you for insuring with Insurance Connection. We appreciate your business. Stay well.

Finding the best service providers in town can be frustrating. That no longer needs to be the case, because Insurance Connection Inc. has a listing of other local businesses that have been highly recommended by our valued customers!

Hi, I’m Jamie with Insurance Connection. I get lots of questions as an insurance agent, and one of those is, can my auto insurance be dropped? The answer is, yes. Your auto insurance can be dropped due to nonpayment of premiums, filing several claims in a short amount of time, or your driving record, such as if you get a DUI or reckless driving. The great news is that here at Insurance Connection, we may have other options and we’ll do our best to fit your insurance needs. Thanks and have a great day.

At Insurance Connection Inc., we believe you deserve top quality service… Period. That’s why we’re committed to giving you the best of us. We’ll always make sure you have the right coverage, the right discounts, and can take comfort in knowing the things that matter most to you are protected. We also believe in giving back! As Agents of Change in our community, we’re dedicated to helping others live well and thrive!

Hi friends. I’m coming to you today as an Agent of Change. I’m sporting my Agents of Change t-shirt today and I am asking for your help. We have a local grandmother who is battling cancer and she is a dear friend to many of you. She’s a sister, she’s a mother, she’s a grandmother, she’s a wife, she’s a friend and her name is Lorie Stahl. So Lorie Stahl is from Carney and again she is going through cancer and we would like to help support her and her family and need you to assist us with that. So what we can do together, team up and you send us your referrals. For each name that you give us a business, a friend, a family or yourself, we’re going to donate $10 in your name to the Stahl family. So what you could do is send us 10 names. All you have to do is go to our website, Facebook page, shoot me an email, call the office and every name that you give us, we’re going to give again $10 to the Stahl family. So for 10 names it’s 100 bucks in your name going to that family in needs. So please, please, please, I’m begging for your help. Send us your names and we will get some donations going to the Stahl family. Thank you guys and have a great day.

Speaker 1: Hi guys. I wanted to talk to you today about a new product that was recently launched by Auto Owners. It’s called inland flood. Why do you need inland flood coverage? What is it for? And what’s covered? So let’s talk about that. The inland flood coverage endorsement is designed specifically for policy holders in low to moderate flood zones. Previously, coverage with the National Flood Insurance Program was extremely costly for these areas due to the high limits, surcharges and exclusions for common expenses and exposures that you may have had. Why do you need this coverage? It provides a broader definition for the flood coverage and contains less restrictions than the National Flood Insurance Program had. It covers personal property in the basement, and loss of use that it was previously excluded by the National Flood Insurance Program. What is an inland flood? Well, let’s talk about that. We recently had these disasters in our area in March and July. When inland waters such as streams or rivers overflow and partially or completely cover normally dry land, that would be considered an inland flood. Unusual or rapid rain accumulations, or runoff or snow melt that doesn’t drain away or soak into the ground can also lead to inland flood. What’s covered? Your buildings, your contents, including those things in the basement, additional living expenses so you can go to a rental while your home is being repaired, debris removal and property relocation to a safe area. How do you get inland flood? Just give us a call. We would be happy to quote that on your existing Auto Owners home or renter’s policy. The best thing for you is we will be giving away this Auto Owners umbrella to keep you safe from the waters. Give us a call, like us on Facebook, share and we will be doing the drawing. Thank you. Have a good day.

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Do you have any questions about homeowners insurance coverages? We’d be happy to help!

Hi this is Jon, and I just wanted to get together with you today regarding the most Googled question saying, “Why do I need full coverage insurance on my auto?” Well, liability only is considered bodily injury, property damage, uninsured, and under insured motorists, and medical payments. And full coverage is really not a coverage but I know when somebody comes in and they ask for full coverage they want liability plus comp and collision because comp and collision covers your vehicle. Comprehensive covers wind, hail, deer, things like that. Collision is anything that you collide with or somebody that collides with you. So, basically one of the main reasons you want want to get comp and collision on your vehicle is if you have a loan on it. So, the lien holder will require that you get comp and collision and they are listed on your policy as a lien holder. So, if something were to happen and a check was cut from the company they would be on it so it would guarantee that the repairs would be made and their interests would be protected. So, and that would happen until you get the car paid off and you have the title. Now, you can continue to carry comp and collision coverages even though you don’t have a loan if you want to protect your interests if something were to happen to the vehicle, it gets stolen, has hail damage, you want to get the repair done all you’d have to do is come up with your deductible if you had full coverage on it, comp and collision. So, my rule of thumb is anything over 10 to 15 years old you want to kind of look at your comp and collision coverages because sometimes you’re paying more premium than the car is worth. So, you want to check that out. If you have any questions about that we can sure help you out. Give us a call at the office. Thank you.

Hi, I’m Jamie with Insurance Connection. I’m here to talk to you today about why it is important to get homeowner’s insurance. Getting homeowner’s insurance makes people feel secure, protects them against lawsuits, and is necessary to provide the financial resources to help do repairs, or replace the home or belongings in the event of a loss. Homeowner’s insurance could be the best thing that you’ll buy with the hope that you’ll never have to use it. You may also need it because, let’s face it, your mortgage company requires it. Mortgage lenders require that homeowners obtain adequate insurance before funding a loan. Because banks and other lending institutions typically put up 80% of a home’s value in cash, they insist that those receiving the money insure the investment. Insurance experts inspect properties for general upkeep before issuing policies and also help to determine the level of coverage needed. If you are one of those lucky individuals that no longer has a mortgage, it is still important for you to protect your home in the event of a loss while ensuring you and your family’s financial security is being protected. Basic homeowners policies cover damage to the home caused by fire, vandalism, lightening and other specifically covered events. They also cover loss or damage of personal property due to the theft or other covered events. Expensive collections of jewelry or firearms might need to be scheduled on a policy with additional coverage to ensure that they are covered in the event of loss. Policies also cover liability up to certain limits protecting you in case someone injures him or herself on your property or if someone sues you. I am here to talk to you about protecting what you have worked so hard to provide. Let’s talk today about insuring your home to ensure that you are protected.

Finding the best service providers in town can be frustrating. That no longer needs to be the case, because Insurance Connection Inc. has a listing of other local businesses that have been highly recommended by our valued customers!

At Insurance Connection Inc., we believe you deserve top quality service… Period. That’s why we’re committed to giving you the best of us. We’ll always make sure you have the right coverage, the right discounts, and can take comfort in knowing the things that matter most to you are protected. We also believe in giving back! As Agents of Change in our community, we’re dedicated to helping others live well and thrive!