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Four Common Renters Insurance Mistakes in Kingwood, WV and How to Avoid Them

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Renters insurance in Kingwood, WV protects your personal belongings and liability. However, there are many mistakes people make when it comes to renters insurance that we here at Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia would like you to be aware of.

1. Not Obtaining Renters Insurance

We believe that if you rent in any capacity, you should consider renters insurance essential. You can consider renters insurance as a form of homeowners insurance for people who rent. The property owner likely has insurance, but never assume that insurance covers your personal belongings or liability. It typically doesn’t.

2. Waiting Too Long to Obtain Renters Insurance

You don’t need anyone’s permission to obtain renters insurance. The sooner you have coverage, the better. Accidents can occur at any time and for a variety of reasons. You’ll want that peace of mind that comes with coverage instead of the stress that can come from not knowing if you’ll be able to replace your belongings or pay for an accident that occurred on the property.

3. Not Counting All Your Property for Renters Insurance

Renters insurance often requires you to estimate the value of all your belongings. Don’t skip this step. Take a detailed inventory and keep it updated. You can avoid being underinsured if you need to use your insurance coverage.

4. Not Using Your Renters Insurance When You Can

Even if your loss is a few articles of clothing, you can contact your insurance company to make a claim. Protecting your belongings is what renters insurance is all about. Contact your insurer if someone expects you to pay for damage or even a minor injury.

Also, pay attention to what your renter’s insurance policy covers. Not all insurers offer the same exact policy. Your insurance may cover things beyond the bare minimum, and knowing precisely what your policy entails is a good idea.

If you want to learn more about renters insurance in Kingwood, WV, how it works, and what it can do for you, contact us at Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia.

Umbrella Insurance: When Pretty Sure Isn’t Sure Enough

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Insurance is a proven form of security and protection for people and businesses across the greater Morgantown and Kingwood, WV area. One of the most common questions policyholders have, however, regards what is and isn’t covered. That is also where the expertise and help of agencies like the Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia can help.

Regarding insurance coverage, it isn’t sure enough for many home and business owners. That is also where umbrella insurance policies can bridge the gap and help ensure coverage for policyholders.

Additional Coverage Where You Need It

One of the most helpful features of umbrella insurance is its flexibility to extend coverage limits across various liability situations. That includes protection against potential liabilities such as injuries, property damage, lawsuits, and other scenarios.

If you have questions about what your insurance policy does and doesn’t cover an experienced and professional insurance agency can help. At the Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia, we help people from in and around Kingwood, WV, with all their insurance coverage needs. 

That means that when pretty sure isn’t good enough, umbrella insurance is often the solution by providing the coverage you need. Additionally, umbrella insurance functions like a supplement to current policies, so policyholders can choose which umbrella policies work best.

Umbrella Insurance for Morgantown and Kingwood, WV

If you live in or near Morgantown or Kingwood, WV, and want to learn more about umbrella insurance or if it could benefit you, we can help. Contact us at the Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia to learn more and to ensure you have the coverage you want, need, and deserve.

Do You Need Flood Insurance for Your West Virginia Home?

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Our agents at the Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia serving the Kingwood, WV area want you to know and understand why flood insurance is an important policy for homeowners.

West Virginia is a state that experiences a variety of different types of weather each year, and some weather events can cause flooding, even in areas that are not prone to flooding. Nothing is worse than watching the water rise inside your home and feeling helpless to stop it. With proper flood insurance, at least you can take solace in knowing that you can quickly replace and repair many of your items after the water recedes.

Do You Need Flood Insurance for Your West Virginia Home?

With as many unusual weather events that have happened lately, it is a good idea to have flood insurance. Flood insurance will help you replace items lost due to flooding from a storm or if the flooding is caused by sewer backup that directly results from flooding.

Flood insurance will help you recoup items lost in a flood, such as your furnace, central air, clothing, and even your water heater and other items. You never know when a flood may occur in your home, so it is imperative that you have a policy in place to be on the safe side.

Contact the Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia

Our Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia agents, serving the Kingwood, WV area, are ready to assist you with all your insurance needs, including your flood insurance coverage. Call today for an appointment and get your flood insurance policy in place before the next storm.

Can my small business benefit from commercial insurance?

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As a business owner, you have many assets to protect. However, small business owners may question how much they need to do to protect their businesses. All businesses need protection regardless of their size. Our Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia team is committed to helping Kingwood, WV businesses of all sizes get the insurance coverage they need.

What is commercial insurance?

Commercial insurance is insurance designed to protect your business, employees, and assets. It’s often referred to as business insurance. Commercial insurance provides liability protection against lawsuits and claims, employee protection, as well as damage and property theft. Commercial insurance protects your employees, place of business, and company vehicles. Even if you have an online business, commercial insurance can also protect your online business. Similar to homeowner’s insurance, commercial insurance is a good investment because many business owners would be unprepared to handle an unexpected emergency or circumstance. The benefits of commercial insurance also include protection from slander and libel.

Can my small business benefit from commercial insurance?

Yes. Commercial insurance can be financially beneficial if you’re a business owner who can’t pay for an unexpected event out of pocket or for other reasons. It also covers property damage, personal injury, liability, and other business-related situations, including financial loss. These benefits also help small business owners, even if they don’t have any employees. If you have questions about commercial insurance, call us. We’d be happy to help you explore the benefits.

Road Tripping This Summer? Make Sure You Have Adequate Auto Insurance

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Is the scenic beauty of West Virginia calling to you this summer? There’s nothing like a road trip to spice up your summer holidays! As you plan to hit the road, don’t forget to review your auto insurance coverage to ensure you’ve got adequate protection for your travels. At Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia in Kingwood, WV, we can help adjust your coverage to meet your summer driving needs.

Types of Auto Coverage

Various factors come into play when deciding on an auto policy, such as your driving habits, the type of vehicle you drive, the value of your car, your age and driving experience, etc. At Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia, we can help personalize your auto policy to ensure you’re protected from any eventuality.  

Bodily injury and property damage liability coverage is mandatory in West Virginia to protect other drivers from accidents you cause. For summer travels, you should also consider the following additional coverage:

  • Collision – to help cover your vehicle repair costs if it’s damaged in a collision
  • Comprehensive – to protect your vehicle from weather damage, vandalism, non-collision incidents, and theft during your travels
  • Uninsured Motorist – to help pay for your damages if you’re hit by a driver with poor or no insurance coverage
  • Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – to help cover your medical expenses if you’re injured in an accident
  • Roadside Assist – to provide assistance if your vehicle breaks down unexpectedly. This assistance may include towing your vehicle to a mechanic, jump-starting a dead battery, changing a flat tire, and more.   

Update Your Auto Coverage 

To learn more about auto coverage options or to update your auto policy, contact Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia in Kingwood, WV.

When should you review your home insurance policy

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Life changes, your situation changes, and your home may change. Your home insurance needs to keep up with the changes. It is easy to get complacent and just let your insurance roll over from year to year. This is not necessarily the best thing for you or your finances. At Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia in Kingwood, WV, our team of experienced insurance experts is here to help you review your home policy. 

The ideal time to review your home insurance is when your policy renews. Whether you get your policy through the mail or online, the first page will be the declaration page. It lists all your coverage amounts and what you are paying for them. If you have any endorsements, they will also be listed. It will also show any discounts that you are eligible for. Please look at the amount of coverage you have and whether it makes sense. 

Another reason to review your home insurance is if you get a sudden increase in the premium. Compare the declaration page to last year’s declaration page and see where the increase is. Call your insurance agent and ask for an explanation. It may be time to consider changing to another carrier. 

You should let your insurance agent know if you have renovated your house. These are things like adding extra living space or another bathroom that increases the value. Adding safety equipment to your home, like an alarm system or wired smoke detectors, may save you money. 

Don’t ever assume that your home insurance is correct. Question everything.

Contact Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia in Kingwood, WV, for all your home insurance needs. Give our office a call or reach out through our website. 

My landlord already has insurance. Do I need renters insurance as well?

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Renters’ insurance is always a good idea here in the Kingwood, WV area, even if your landlord already has insurance. While it’s true that the landlord’s policy covers the physical structure of your home, such as the building itself and any permanent fixtures, it usually won’t cover the personal property you bring into the home or provide liability protection. At Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia, we can help you understand renters insurance and how it can help you.

Renters insurance (also called tenant insurance) helps protect your belongings from theft, fire, or other types of damage. It also provides coverage if someone gets injured on your property and sues you for damages. It’s usually pretty affordable, too, especially when compared to what you might pay out of pocket for repairs or medical bills in the event of an incident.  

Ultimately, deciding whether to get renters insurance is a personal choice. But considering how much it can help protect you and your assets, getting some extra coverage may be worth looking into! We understand the importance of adequate protection against potential harm at Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia.

We can help you decide on the correct type of insurance for your needs and budget. We’ll also provide information about standard terms and conditions affecting your coverage. So don’t hesitate to contact us today if you want the right insurance policy to protect your home and belongings! We proudly serve the Kingwood, WV area and look forward to hearing from you.  

Why Every Family Should Have Umbrella Insurance

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The right insurance policies can protect people from many different things. That said, any given insurance plan often has gaps and limitations. Fortunately, with the right umbrella insurance, it may be possible to close and seal those gaps. Contact Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia, serving Kingwood, WV, and beyond, to explore umbrella insurance plans.

We’re going to examine insurance policies and coverage in a second closely. However, it’s essential to read the fine print with a given insurance policy as there are many nuances, and not all plans provide the same coverage.

A Closer Look at Umbrella Insurance

Car insurance covers vehicles, as you likely already know. Meanwhile, homeowner’s insurance covers homes, personal property, and perhaps even personal injuries incurred by guests on your property. So why do you need an umbrella insurance policy?

First, insurance policies usually don’t provide complete protection from different types of damages. Second, even with events covered, there is often an upper limit on how much the plan will pay.

Understanding what is covered and how much is covered is crucial. Many people use umbrella insurance to expand coverage to mitigate more events and liabilities. Folks also often want to increase payout and liability limits.

Standard homeowners’ insurance may not cover certain events that destroy or damage your home. For example, flood damage often isn’t covered by standard home insurance. Likewise, many plans fail to cover damage from termites and other pests. Some policies will cover bills from dog bites, and some won’t.

With umbrella insurance, extending coverage for termites, dog bites, and the like may be possible. This way, your family can mitigate risks and improve financial security.

Contact Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia, serving Kingwood, WV, and other areas nearby, to discuss umbrella insurance options.

Should I Get Flood Insurance Even If I Have Home Insurance?

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When you already have home insurance through our office at Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia in Kingwood, WV, it might seem redundant to get a flood insurance policy on top of that. You might think your home insurance policy provides all the damage coverage you could need. Through our years of experience as an insurance company, we’ve seen how underestimating the amount of coverage you need for your home can have devastating results. 

What does flood insurance cover?

Flood insurance covers damage from higher-than-normal amounts of water on typically dry land. Flooding can happen due to excessive rainfall after a dry spell, long stretches of rainy days in a row, or water from a body of water spilling over riverbanks and dams. When these disasters occur, flood insurance covers repair costs. In some cases, flood insurance can also cover replacing flood-damaged items. The specifics vary from policy to policy, so it’s always important to discuss what your policy covers with your insurance agent or company before making assumptions.

Why is flood insurance important to have in addition to home insurance?

Since many home insurance policies do not cover flooding-related expenses, flood insurance is essential to acquire even if you have home insurance. Flooding might not be a qualifying event for your home insurance policy. When you live in a “flood zone” or an area impacted heavily by flooding, your mortgage lender or other parties might require flood insurance. In these cases, home insurance isn’t enough to protect your property or valuables from flooding.

To avoid scrambling in an emergency, call our office at Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia in Kingwood, WV for a flood insurance quote.

The different types of commercial insurance

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Commercial insurance is an integral part of any business. It helps protect businesses in the Kingwood, WV area from potential risks and losses, allowing them to stay afloat despite unforeseen events. Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia offers several commercial insurance types, each tailored to particular needs and industries. 

General Liability Insurance protects against claims due to bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury caused by products or services of the business. This type of policy is essential for businesses that interact with customers directly or provide products or services.

Property Insurance protects against damage to buildings, equipment, furniture, inventory, and other assets owned by the business if there is a natural disaster or other covered peril. It also provides financial protection if there is theft of valuable items from the premises as well as coverage for lost data due to computer viruses or hacking attacks. 

Business Interruption Insurance provides financial assistance if a business temporarily closes its doors due to a natural disaster or other covered events. This type of policy helps companies keep their operations going during a time when their usual sources of income become unavailable. 

Umbrella Insurance covers additional damages not typically included in other policies, such as advertising injury liability (which covers libel and slander) and employee practices liability (which covers workplace harassment). This extra layer of protection can help businesses avoid significant out-of-pocket expenses if faced with legal action or expensive claims. 

Having the right commercial insurance plan in place can be invaluable for any business. By speaking to an agent at the Smith Insurance Agency of West Virginia, businesses can ensure they have adequate protection and peace of mind in all circumstances. We serve the Kingwood, WV area.