Tag: Insurance Education

The 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes were an intense intraplate earthquake series felt over roughly 130,000 square miles. They began with an initial earthquake of moment magnitude 7.5–7.9 on December 16, 1811 which was followed by a moment magnitude 7.4  aftershock on the same day. They remain the most powerful earthquakes to hit the contiguous United States east of the Rocky Mountains in recorded history.

Less severe earthquakes in this region have happened periodically ever since. Even though the U.S. Geological Survey’s annual earthquake forecast in 2017 pinpoints Oklahoma and central California’s coast as highest risks for damaging shaking, it makes perfect sense to be prepared for an earthquake or any other natural or man-made disaster.

Recent Quakes
2016 New Madrid Earthquakes

5/1/16 –  3.514km NNW of La Center, Kentucky  Magnitude 5

4/2/16 –  52km N of Blytheville, Arkansas  Magnitude 2.5

3/20/16 –  69km SW of Caruthersville, Missouri  Magnitude 2.6

3/1/16 –  519km ENE of Hardy, Arkansas  Magnitude 2.5

1/29/16 –  510km E of Malden, Missouri  Magnitude 2.5

1/15/16 –  53km SSW of Caruthersville, Missouri  Magnitude 2.5

It’s important to have a plan for when disaster strikes. Here at Meramec Valley insurance, we want to help you ensure that your family and your home are safe even through the worst. Check back with us next week as we go over key questions you should be asking about your preparedness for a disaster.

For more information on why insuring your home is the safest call, click here: FEMA – Insure your property

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Be safe out there!

For more information about Meramec Valley,
or to find an agent near you, visit
https://mymutual.net/for-an-agent-near-you

Power strips are not typically designed to have high amperage items like hair dryers and space heaters plugged into them.  This is what could happen and if you are asleep or away from home, you could lose your home, your life; you could lose everything. Don’t take chances!

Be safe out there!

For more information about Meramec Valley,
or to find an agent near you, visit
https://mymutual.net//for-an-agent-near-you

 

1. Polite Disagreements – Who hasn’t participated in (or at least read) a string of violent or vitriolic comments on a blog, Facebook, or YouTube? It appears having an opinion with a spirited debate has devolved into name calling and hateful, pointless anger.
2. Punctuality – Why bother being on time, when you can just text ahead that you’re going to be late?
3. Telephone Directories – Remember that big book that used to show up once a year?
4. Music Stores – Since the introduction of iTunes in 2003, music sales have plummeted from $11.8 Billion to $7.1 Billion in 2012. Music sales peaked in 2000 when Americans bought 943 million CD albums and digital sales weren’t even a blip on the radar.
5. Letter Writing – Pen Pals – Remember stamps and envelopes and what it was like finding a hand written letter in your mailbox?
6. Memory – Any fact, no matter how obscure, can be dug up within seconds through Google and Wikipedia. There is less value attached to the “mere” storage and retrieval of knowledge. What becomes important is how you use it – the internet age rewards creativity.
7. Dead Time or Down Time – When was the last time you spent an hour mulling the world looking out a window, or rereading a favorite book?
8. Photo albums and slide shows – Facebook, Flickr and printing sites like Snapfish are how we share our photos instead of family albums with notes on the back of the photo.
9. Watching television together – On-demand television has undermined what was one of the medium’s most attractive cultural appeals – the shared experience.
10. Authoritative reference works – We want reliable information but just aren’t willing to pay for it. Who wants to buy the World Book or Encyclopedia Britannica when you can just browse Wikipedia?
11. Privacy – We may attack governments for the spread of surveillance culture, but users of social media websites make more information about themselves available than Big Brother could ever hoped to obtain by covert means.
12. The Insurance Industry – The insurance industry is unfortunately undergoing a quiet revolution in which more and more insurance is being marketed to the buying public with little or no consultation or professional guidance. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.   A Trusted Choice Insurance Agent is always ready to help you tailor a program to meet your specific insurance needs.

For more information about Meramec Valley,
or to find an agent near you, visit
https://mymutual.net//for-an-agent-near-you

https://youtu.be/5HawdJ2P1Zk

Buying a house is a huge investment. Homeowners insurance will protect your home and your investment against sudden and accidental events that threaten the home.

You, the homeowner, are still responsible to the day to day maintenance and upkeep of the property; which is why not everything is covered. It’s much the same as why tires, batteries, and oil are not covered under your auto policy.

There are six types of home insurance coverage built into a policy:

1. Coverage A — Residence: Protects against damage to your home due to natural disaster such as hurricane, hail, lightning, or fire.

2. Coverage B — Related Private Structures: Coverage for other structures on your property such as detached garages and other non-business and non-farm related structures.

3. Coverage C — Personal Property: Protects personal items and household contents from covered events or perils.

4. Coverage D — Loss of Use: Provides living expenses if you are unable to live in your home due to a covered claim.

5. Coverage L — Personal Liability Protection: Protects you if there is a lawsuit for bodily injury or property damage.

6. Coverage M — Medical Payments: Covers medical expenses for injury to someone other than an insured person or resident on your property. Sometimes called ‘Good Will’ coverage.

Standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover everything. There are a few things not typically covered by homeowners insurance such as:

• Flood damage
• Earthquakes or Earth Movement
• Vermin
• Basic wear and tear
• Valuable personal property such as fine jewelry and art

Remember, an insurance policy is a legal contract between you and the insurance company and as such, it is your responsibility to read and understand it. If there is anything you do NOT understand, talk to your agent. They are paid a commission to understand, explain, and help you maintain your policy of coverage. 

For more information about Meramec Valley,
or to find an agent near you, visit
https://mymutual.net//for-an-agent-near-you

 

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?

For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path.

Matthew 2:1–12

 

 

 

 

 

 

“SECRET” AND ILLEGAL GIFTING SCAM
The ‘secret sisters’ gift exchange is popping up on Social Media. Invitees are told to send a $10 give to the next person on the list and invite 6 friends to join. THIS IS A SCAM!

CHIP CARD SCAM
Scammers are telling people that they must provide personal data or money to obtain a new card with the new EMV chip in it. This is not true. THIS IS A SCAM

FAKE SHIPPING NOTICES
Scammers send a fake-email (that looks VERY authentic) and claims a package was  sent to you or is to be delivered to you. Again, this is just another way for these scammers to get your personal data. Delete without responding. THIS IS A SCAM.

FAKE E-COMMERCE WEBSITES
Fraudulent websites are TOO common. They look real.  You always have to look at the actual URL (address) of the site to check. Remember that if it looks too good to be real, it probably is. THIS TOO IS A SCAM

We hope this helps keep you just a little bit safer this holiday season!

Be safe out there!

For more information about Meramec Valley,
or to find an agent near you, visit
https://mymutual.net/for-an-agent-near-you/

It’s not too early to be thinking about that Winter Checklist is it?

• Disconnect, wind up those garden hoses and put an insulated cover over the spigots to prevent freezing.
• Crawl space and other vents need to be closed or covered to prevent cold air.
• Have your heating system checked by qualified HVAC contractor.
• Make sure your gutters are cleaned out.
• Prune back any branches that may cause a problem.
• Stock up on Ice Melt now before the rush.
• Service your generators and stabilize the fuel or just get some fresh fuel.
• Check all water pipes near any exterior walls. Insulate, insulate, insulate.
• If you use a fireplace or woodstove, get that chimney or flue checked out to avoid a chimney/flue fire.

Be safe out there!

For more information about Meramec Valley,
or to find an agent near you, visit
https://mymutual.net/for-an-agent-near-you/

For the purposes of insurance which values homes on what they would cost to REBUILD rather than their market/selling value, 60 percent of homes in the U.S.are  undervalued by an average of 17 percent.

Yes you heard right!  17%

That can mean a $200,000 home may be underinsured by $34,000.

Changes in building codes, increasing labor costs and costs for building materials can make homes far more expensive to replace.

Don’t find out your home is underinsured AFTER the fact. Then it’s too late. If your agent is taking proper care of you, they are advising you to keep your values up to date. That’s what they get paid to do!

If you’d like a second opinion, please feel free to contact one of our professional agents for a no-cost, no-obligation cost and coverage comparison that could save you thousands!

For more information about Meramec Valley, or to find an agent near you, visit 
https://mymutual.net/for-an-agent-near-you/

Have you ever noticed all the insurance companies that promise to save you HUNDREDS if you just switch to their company? Then, next year suddenly there is a BIG rate increase?

It seems that outrageous promises and less than honorable marketing tactics are the now considered the normal way to do business. They hire outrageous, gimmicky personalities to represent their company.

Not Meramec Valley.

We’ve been quietly providing solid coverage at fair and stable prices with personalized attention to our members for nearly 130 years. You’ll also be glad to know that we are a local company, owned BY its policyholders, operated BY policyholders for the exclusive benefit OF its policyholders. We have no stockholders, no corporate jets, no multi-million dollar high-rises.

Check with one of our many agents for a no-cost, no-obligation price and coverage comparison today. We hope you’ll give us the opportunity to serve you.

For more information about Meramec Valley, or to find an agent near you, visit
https://mymutual.net/for-an-agent-near-you/

Why MYmutual?

Because Meramec Valley Mutual Insurance Company is a policyholder-owned insurance company. OWNED by our policyholders and OPERATED by policyholders for the exclusive benefit
OF our policyholders.

 

 

For more information about Meramec Valley, or to find an agent near you, visit
https://mymutual.net/for-an-agent-near-you/