June 28th is National Insurance Awareness Day

Have you ever noticed how many "National ..... Days" exist?   While it is fun to celebrate National Ballpoint Pen Day, National Pop Goes the Weasel Day, National Catfish Day, and National Donut Day (all in June by the way), there is one that we focus on here at our agency - June 28 is National Insurance Awareness Day.  (Okay, we did celebrate National Donut Day here at the office too).

National Insurance Awareness Day is just a reminder to review your insurance coverage and see if any changes need to be made.

Some things to keep in mind:

• Is there a special item that you received for Christmas, birthday, or anniversary that might need specific coverage?  A piece of special jewelry?  An expensive guitar?  That road bike you have been eyeing?  
• Do you have a student going off to college in the fall?  This might affect your auto rates depending on where they go to school, and if they are taking a vehicle to school or not.  
• Did the value of your home change?  Does the coverage on your policy need to be adjusted as well?  
• Have you done any updates to the home?  New roof?  New Heater?  New Plumbing?

Our agents at Absolute Insurance work with customers throughout the year to review existing coverages, but if you haven't revisited your policies in a couple years or you have had a big change in your life, this might be a good time.  Give your Absolute Insurance agent a call at 515-279-2722 today to set-up a time to review your insurance policies.

Tips for Traveling with Kids

Do you have a trip planned this summer?  Here are 10 tips to make your trip a little less stressful:

• Set reasonable expectations - know the limits of your children.  For example, will your kids be able stay engaged for a 3 hour architecture tour, or would a shorter version be a better fit?
• Bring plenty of food - bring a variety of treats, space them out throughout your trip, hide a couple “extra special” treats for when it gets a little crazy.
• If you are flying with a baby, make sure to bring an extra outfit for you and baby in your carry-on in case of a diaper issue or throw up.
• Most airlines allow for family boarding, but if you have an assigned seat I will sometimes wait to board so my kids can run some energy out.
• If you are flying solo with kids, you can ask at the ticket counter if you can get a “gate pass” for someone to assist you through security and to the gate.
• If you are driving, plan a picnic or take food to a park/playground instead of sitting down at a restaurant.  This way your kids can run around and wear themselves out.
• Pack some new activities for when the kids get bored - a new book, raid the Target dollar area, a new app on the tablet, etc.
• Have your kids pick out an activity they want to do or a place they want to visit along the way or at the destination.  Kids love getting to pick things out
• Have a photo contest - post a picture taken by each person on social media and have people vote on their favorite. Winner gets to choose an activity or restaurant
• At the end of a long travel day, have a glass of wine, read this description of another mom’s disastrous flight with her child, and maybe your long day won't seem so bad :) 

When do you have to stop for a school bus?

As kids head back to school, drivers need pay extra attention to the rules of the roads and be on the look-out for school buses, pedestrians, and students riding their bikes to and from school.

1.  Make sure to slow down in school zones - know the times of day that the reduced speed limits are in effect.  If you will be driving through a school zone on your commute, give yourself a few extra minutes because there will likely be extra traffic in addition to the reduced speed limit.  Speeding tickets are double what you would normally pay in some school zones.
2.  Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all crosswalks and intersections - be on the look-out for kids crossing at unmarked crosswalks as well.  Not every school has a crossing guard to help students and parents cross the street.
3.  Make sure to slow down or stop for school buses.  If you encounter a school bus with its yellow lights flashing, you must slow down and go no faster than 20 mph.  If the red lights are flashing or the stop arm is out, you must stop at least 15 feet from the school bus.  You must remain stopped while the lights are flashing and the stop arm is out.  After a school bus has stopped to let students off, watch for children on the side of the road.  

When do you have to stop for a school bus?  

SCENARIO 1: YOU ARE TRAVELING ON A TWO- OR THREE-LANE ROAD
If you are approaching the bus from the rear: When you see flashing red or yellow warning lights, you are not permitted to pass the school bus and you should be prepared to stop.  You should stop behind the school bus when the school bus stops and the stop arm is extended. Stop no closer than 15 feet from the rear of the bus, and remain stopped until the stop arm is retracted and school bus starts moving again. Proceed with caution.
If you are meeting the bus from the front: When you see yellow warning lights flashing you must slow your vehicle to no more than 20 mph and be prepared to stop. You should stop in front of the school bus when the school bus stops and its stop arm is extended. Your vehicle needs to remain stopped until the stop arm is retracted. You should proceed with caution.




SCENARIO 2: YOU ARE TRAVELING ON A ROAD WITH TWO OR MORE LANES IN EACH DIRECTION
If you are approaching the bus from the rear: When approaching from the rear, the rules are the same as for a two- or three- lane road. When you see flashing red or yellow warning lights, you are not permitted to pass the school bus and you should be prepared to stop. You should stop behind the school bus when the school bus stops and its stop arm is extended. You need to stop no closer than 15 feet from the rear of the bus, and remain stopped until the stop arm is retracted and school bus starts moving again. Proceed with caution.
If you are meeting the bus from the front: When you are meeting the bus in one of the opposite two lanes (or more), you do not need to stop, even if the bus has stopped with lights flashing and stop arm out. The bus is not permitted to load or unload children who must cross this type of roadway, unless there are official traffic control devices or law enforcement present. This is the only time you may pass a school bus that is stopped and has its stop arm extended.

Spring Fever & Toys

Spring is here and the toys are coming out of storage and going to be used again. Everyone loves their classic cars, motorcycles, boats, RV’s, & other ATV’s. They are fun and exciting, especially on a nice sunny day! Let’s be honest, once the weather is nice we are ready to go. Before heading out, here are a few tips.

Tip number one is maintenance. Maintaining your toys will help them perform better and last longer. Some basics to remember are replacing spark plugs, changing fluids, cleaning or replacing filters along with your wash and wax. Lastly, before operating any vehicle you should conduct a thorough inspection!

Tip number two is insurance. Making sure you have insurance in force and being adequately insured will help prevent unnecessary cost and headache! Some basics to remember are discount’s do add up, not all home policies cover your toys, not all coverage is the same & don’t be afraid to ask your agent questions. Your insurance agent is only a phone call or email away! 

www.insaia.com

515-279-2722

Absolute Insurance Agency, LLC

7400 University Ave, Ste A

Clive, IA 50325

Flood Map Changes- Now Is The Time To Act!!!

If you live in Clive and are affected by the recent flood map changes, then you should call Absolute Insurance at 515-279-2722 to help you understand your situation. If you'd prefer to read, then below is information for your consideration, and then call Absolute Insurance at 515-279-2722. There is also helpful information at FloodSmart.gov- the official site of the National Flood Insurance Program.

Last Saturday, the City of Clive hosted an event at the Indian Hills Middle School auditorium to help address questions relating to flood map changes that have been completed by FEMA. There were FEMA representative on hand as well as city council members, the mayor, and representatives of our federally elected officials of Congressman Young and Congresswoman Joni Ernest plus Senator Chuck Grassley.

Absolute Insurance sent a representative (Dan Bell) to attend this meeting as well to better understand the changes that are forthcoming and to better assist clients and homeowners that are affected.

The mapping changes have changed the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) for the area surrounding the Walnut Creek Watershed area which includes hundreds of homes and business in the Clive area. However, 2/3's of the entire state of Iowa have had remapping conducted as well meaning the impact of these changes will be widespread. With that said though, Clive and other areas of Polk county will begin the implementation of these changes with initial procedures beginning January 2016 and with a anticipated date of January 2017 for the maps to become effective.

The purpose of this meeting was to help homeowners understand that a flood risk is present and has increased since the last mapping that was at least 20 years ago. With that, the meeting was held to also help homeowners understand flood insurance and how they could purchase it and the impact it would have on a "going-forward" basis.

There are essentially 3 different situations that have occurred from the remapping:

1. Homeowner is currently in the high-risk flood zone of A or AE and currently has a flood insurance requirement if there is a loan with federal backing. These homeowners will not experience anything new from this change (other laws may impact them with regards to the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and in conjunction with the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014).
2. Homeowner was previously in the high-risk flood zone of A or AE and had a Letter Of Map Amendment (LOMA) done through the use of a hired engineer or land surveyor that has demonstrated to FEMA that the the Lowest Adjacent Grade (LAG) of the property (as defined by FEMA based on the structure characteristics) is above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). This would have removed the property from flood insurance requirements on the previous maps. This homeowner that has a LOMA should contact the City to see what the new BFE is per the new maps to see if their LAG is still above BFE. If so, then they will NOT be required to purchase flood insurance. However, if the LAG is now below or at BFE, then this homeowner will now be required to purchase flood insurance for federally backed loans.
3. Homeowner was previously in the low risk zone of X and will now be in the high risk zone of A or AE. This homeowner will now be required to purchase flood insurance should they have or need to secure a federally backed loan.

This Is Your Call To Action: Here is what YOU can do to help mitigate the cost of the newly required flood insurance for federally backed loans:

• Should the homeowner be either the 2nd type with a LAG either at or below BFE or being mapped into the A or AE zone, there are things that be accomplished now to help with rates:They can purchase the coverage at the current low risk zone (X) in the Preferred Flood Insurance Program at a very reasonable cost and keep that rate for 1 year after the inception of the new flood maps. 
• After the expiration of that renewal, the insured will then keep the X zone classification but be moved from the Preferred Flood Insurance Program to the Standard Program. These rates will be capped at a maximum of 18% increases per year until the policy reaches the fully earned rate of "X" in the Standard Program. These rates will be considerably less than the alternative of having to purchase flood insurance at the A or AE zones in the Standard Program.

From what was disclosed at the meeting, these maps will take effect on January 1st 2017 with a few exceptions being made through an appeals process. However, if you are a homeowner that is being adversely affected by these changes, NOW is the time to act. Contact Absolute Insurance at 515-279-2722 or go to FloodSmart.gov for further information.

Turn Around; Don't Drown

Last week was about as wet and wild of a week as we can handle. In particular, Wednesday night was rather insane. It is not all that common to get over 7 inches of rain in a single night, but for many areas of central Iowa, this and more happened.

The pictures for this article are actually directly in front of our office. Luckily, we suffered no damage but others were not so lucky. In fact, while the office was safe and dry, many of us did get water in the basement, as did I. Remarkably, the water that came into my basement did not get there from the lack or malfunction of a sump pump. My damage was a result of tiny cracks in the basement floor. Seepage from those cracks left for a wet and smelly mess in my basement.

"But, Dan, you are an insurance agent and you have coverage for this type of situation" is probably what a lot of you are thinking. Unfortunately, since the water did NOT come through the sump pump NOR the drain, I have no coverage for this type of event. I must find a way to fix this problem without the help of insurance money. Fortunately for me, this is not the 1st time this has happened and I don't suffer any financial consequences in terms of property. I have everything that is of value on shelves and in plastic sealed tubs. However, for others, there was damage done from this. Some of the situations did merit coverage as pumps did fail. Others are like me: looking at gutter extensions and sloping dirt at more aggressive angles from the house- anything to push the water from the foundation. Then we can get to actually filling the cracks.

After a night like Wednesday night, we all experience the crash course in water tables 101 (and not the fun kind that kids play with under shade trees in the summer breezes) and what happens when the earth simply cannot handle any more water. The flash floods endangered lives and property and strangled commutes for days and weeks later. If you'd like to see what flood insurance would cost you, please feel free to contact your Absolute Agent. Keep in mind that flood policies have a 30 day waiting period before coverage becomes effective, so it is definitely something to purchase in advance. However, not even flood insurance would cover seepage.

Please remember, when you see water over the road to "TURN AROUND; DON'T DROWN." This is completely unsafe! We simply don't know where the road ends and the ditch begins and can't see any other hazards that are possibly in the road. Secondly, this will TOTAL YOUR VEHICLE as the motor will suck in water. Thirdly, do not underestimate how powerful the water is. It can easily pick the up the vehicle and carry it away. There is nothing worth risking yours and your family's lives for on the other side of that flooded road. Turn around; Don't Drown. 

Stay safe and dry, Friends!

Rainy Days Ahead! Time To Grab Your Umbrella...Policy!!!

"Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other day"

This was a verse I heard over and over and over and over again this past weekend. You see, I have a 4 year old daughter and a 2 year old son and these types of songs are sang ad nauseam! As the clouds settled over our neighborhood and started pouring; we were outside playing (working) in the yard. For adults, this is an obvious break period. For children, the fun only ramps up!

The kids dashed down the sidewalk, trying to dodge the rain drops. They found puddles forming and made sure to jump in. They did all the amazingly fun things kids do that remind us that we all need to tilt our perspectives at times and keep life playful.

Then, as the rain started to up-tick, my wonderful daughter ran up to me- completely soaked at this point- and asked for her yellow umbrella. Sure, this was frivolous, but her and her brother truly enjoyed playing in the driveway underneath the protection of the umbrella.

As a father, I will never outgrow this... I can never have enough of these wonderful moments. They are truly beautiful. As an insurance agent, these moments are a reminder of the good that can be accomplished from a little extra protection. In this instance, with the rain pouring down, with that yellow umbrella held above their little heads, they giggled, they sang, they kept doing the things that children do despite the weather.

An umbrella policy does this for adults! I personally carry one. It is dollar-for-dollar the cheapest liability coverage I have ever bought. This policy, like an actual umbrella, covers over my home and cars. If I was brave enough, it would cover over any other vehicles I had as well- like a boat, motorcycle, ATV, or RV.

Much like my children, I can feel confident with my umbrella that the negative consequences of a liability claim will be mitigated by this wonderfully inexpensive and broad policy. Granted, I don't purposefully put myself in bad situations in order to utilize this coverage, but I have the peace of mind that if something happened- if I was the cause of a tragic accident- I would have the shelter of my primary policies liability limits in addition to the extra liability limits afforded to me via my umbrella.

Don't let the rainy days of life ruin your livelihood. Protect yourself. Take all your normal and necessary precautions and add to those an umbrella policy. You never know when the storms will come and that is exactly what makes life so exciting and frustrating. Help put yourself in a position to keep singing in the rain, contact your Absolute Agent today at 515-279-2722 or go to www.insaia.com and send an email to your agent. We would love to help you.