http://www.eci-agency.com/blog/View ECI Agency Inc's Website Blogen-uspostmaster@www.eci-agency.comInsurance Website Builder - www.insurancewebsitebuilder.comurn:uuid:2e785207-5f32-478c-a456-128a82476231urn:uuid:9af7decd-50ec-4945-aad9-4ea0d32e56e9<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000013843783Small.jpg' align='left' />One of the benefits offered by most home insurance policies is debris removal. This benefit isn&rsquo;t for the indiscriminate removal of items, branches and leaves lying around your property at any time of the year; it is about seeing debris as part...Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:03:48 -0600<img style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;border: 0px solid;" alt="Oklahoma City Home Insurance" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000013843783Small.jpg" />One of the benefits offered by most home insurance policies is debris removal. This benefit isn&rsquo;t for the indiscriminate removal of items, branches and leaves lying around your property at any time of the year; it is about seeing debris as part of the damage caused by an insurable incident and helping to put you back into the position you were in before the incident caused the debris. <br /> <br /> Here is some basic information you should know about your policy&rsquo;s debris removal benefit:&nbsp; <ol> <li>Debris must generally be caused by a covered event: If the event that causes the debris is one that your policy covers you for, then you can expect for debris removal to be included, up to the limits of your policy. In some cases, policies will allow for an additional percentage above the limits for debris removal&mdash;usually no more than 5 percent. </li> <li>Covered debris may be generated by certain other events, even if they do not directly damage the covered property: For example, a volcanic eruption and subsequent lava may not damage your home but if the ash from the eruption damages your property, then your policy may pay for the debris removal. Some policies will also cover the removal of hazardous materials, while others exclude it. </li> <li>Fallen trees may be covered: In certain circumstances, a policy may cover the cost of felled tree removal if it blocks a driveway or ramp, or has fallen on your structure. It may cover a tree that has fallen due to natural events such as hail or windstorm. This may carry a separate limit. </li> <li>Reasonable expenses: It is important to get a few quotes for debris removal and to go with a quote that offers a reasonable price. Your insurance policy likely limits the expenses covered to those considered reasonable. </li> </ol> If you aren&rsquo;t sure what your&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/homeowners-insurance/" title="Oklahoma City Home Insurance" target="_self">Oklahoma City Home Insurance</a> policy protects in terms of debris removal, or you want to add additional coverage, give us a call at <strong>ECI Agency</strong> today. We can work with you to create a policy that suits your family and your budget.urn:uuid:87e2fe27-6c21-4b49-aded-336598752ce6<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000000442579XSmall.jpg' align='left' />There is no question that Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS) offer an attractive, flexible and affordable way to insulate and protect the outside of a home. While the materials themselves cannot be permeated by water, that doesn&rsquo;t mean t...Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:47:22 -0600<img style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;border: 0px solid;" alt="Oklahoma City EIFS Coverage" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000000442579XSmall.jpg" />There is no question that Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS) offer an attractive, flexible and affordable way to insulate and protect the outside of a home. While the materials themselves cannot be permeated by water, that doesn&rsquo;t mean they actually create a waterproof exterior for your client&rsquo;s home. <br /> <br /> <em>Post-Application Woes</em><br /> <br /> When EIFS is installed properly, the system itself is waterproof. If improvements are made to a home later, they can cause cracks in or around the EIFS which will allow water to get between the building structure and the layers of finish system. EIFS repels water so well, it doesn&rsquo;t allow for moisture to escape and that can lead to mold and rot. This mold and rot is often excluded from coverage in home insurance policies. Additionally, when an inexperienced or uncertified contractor installs it improperly, it can result in cracks that collect and hold water. This can result in the same mold and rot. <br /> <br /> This combination of improper installation and post-installation damage has resulted in a lot of litigation surrounding EIFS, and is something that all contractors should ensure they have proper liability insurance protection against. <br /> <br /> <em>What to Look for in a Policy</em><br /> <br /> Some general liability policies exclude coverage for EIFS application because of the number of recent claims, which has led many contractors to stop using it. Even if you are a certified, experienced installer with no history of complaints, you may find that insurers are reluctant to cover you. If you&rsquo;re a certified installer whose general liability policy excludes coverage for these materials or places a steep limit on claims then you need an agent who can help you get a policy created specifically for EIFS. <br /> <br /> <em>Preventing Claims</em><br /> <br /> One of the best ways to ensure that you never face a liability lawsuit regarding the installation of EIFS is to install a water management system to collect and divert any water that can get inside. It&rsquo;s also important to let your clients know that any modifications they make to the home, doors, windows and roof can affect the effectiveness of EIFS. Follow this discussion up with the suggestion that they have a licensed and insured contractor complete all additional work done on the home. <br /> <br /> Even with the implementation of water management systems and disclaimers, you can&rsquo;t leave yourself exposed to potential liability. Contact us today and make sure your&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/eifs/insurance.aspx" title="Oklahoma City EIFS Coverage" target="_blank">Oklahoma City Insurance</a> agent at <strong>ECI Agency</strong> has you properly covered.urn:uuid:ab7d8a5e-b5aa-4486-90de-2b0af18b8b8bTypes of Auto Insurance Discounts There are very few people on the planet who aren&rsquo;t interested in getting a bargain, and that goes for insurance shoppers as well as other types of bargain hunters. Since we are a Trust Choice Independent Agent...Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:15:29 -0600<span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Types of Auto Insurance Discounts</strong><br /> <br /> There are very few people on the planet who aren&rsquo;t interested in getting a bargain, and that goes for insurance shoppers as well as other types of bargain hunters. Since we are a Trust Choice Independent Agent, we do the shopping for you.&nbsp; We represent multiple companies including Hartford,&nbsp;Travelers, Mercury, Hanover, Progressive and Safeco.&nbsp;If you are ready to shop around for auto insurance, there are a few discount opportunities you should be aware of.</span> <span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /> </span> <ol> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Multi-policy discounts:</strong> The multi-policy discounts can work a few ways. First, if you have multiple cars and people to insure with a single insurance company, you may be able to get a discount when you do. Second, if you have a home and an automobile, or an automobile and a recreational vehicle to insure and you do so with one company, you may be eligible for discounts. </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Safe driving courses:</strong> Being a safe driver is important to you and your family because it limits your risk of accident&mdash;but it&rsquo;s also important to your insurance company for the same reason. When you take a safe driving course you not only show your insurance company that you are serious about being a safe driver, but you also gain the skills that allow you to actually become one. This reduces the amount of claims you are likely to have and makes you a less expensive risk for auto insurance companies. How do they reward you? With a discount. </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Good student discounts:</strong> Insurance companies love to reward good behavior&mdash;because those clients who behave in that manner generally present less risk from an insurer&rsquo;s perspective. High school students with good grades may find that their auto insurance company offers small discounts when they keep their GPA above a certain level. </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Paid-in-full discounts:</strong> Insurance policy premiums can be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually. Because insurance companies can earn more money on an annual premium paid-in-full at the start of the term, they often offer financial incentives for you to do so. </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>EFT discounts:</strong> The transfer of your insurance premiums directly from your bank account to your insurance company isn&rsquo;t just an easy way to get your insurance policy paid, it&rsquo;s a cost-effective way. You will have one less check to write each month, one less stamp to buy, and your insurance company may offer you a discount for doing so. </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Home Ownership: </strong>Because you own your home, the insurance companies will give you a better price. </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Level of Education:&nbsp; </strong>Some companies will give a discount based on your level of education or occupation. </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Higher Limits of Liability: </strong>Sometimes you can have more coverage for less money.&nbsp; Ask about higher limits and see what happens to your premium.&nbsp; </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Multiple Car Discounts: </strong>If you have more car, make sure you include them on the same policy.&nbsp; </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Multiple Policy Discount: </strong>Try to get your home and autos with the same company.&nbsp; It could save you up to 15% on both your home and auto. </span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-family: georgia;">When talking to&nbsp;ECI Agency&nbsp;about insurance policy options, make sure to discuss all of the relevant discount opportunities. Ask Patti or&nbsp;Amanda&nbsp;if&nbsp;they know of any other discounts that you may be able to take advantage of&mdash;after all, any discount is a good discount.</span></p>urn:uuid:aba97a19-cd26-4782-9b11-89c8672f562b<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/life%5B2%5D.jpg' align='left' />Permanent insurance is different from term insurance in that it&rsquo;s a bit more binding. For example: term life may have a decreasing premium while permanent insurance generally has a fixed premium. Also, the death benefit on a term insurance poli...Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:59:26 -0600<img style="margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;border: 0px solid;" alt="Oklahoma City Life Insurance" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/life%5B2%5D.jpg" />Permanent insurance is different from term insurance in that it&rsquo;s a bit more binding. For example: term life may have a decreasing premium while permanent insurance generally has a fixed premium. Also, the death benefit on a term insurance policy may increase or decrease and a permanent policy generally has a fixed death benefit&hellip;at least until universal life insurance enters the picture. Universal life insurance offers more options than most other permanent policies. Here are a few to discuss with your life insurance agent. <br /> <br /> <strong>Flexible Premium</strong><br /> <br /> Your universal life policy will spell out a range of premiums that you can pay. The minimum will cover only the cost of your insurance while the maximum will allow you to contribute the most possible toward cash value accumulation. <br /> <br /> <strong>Flexible Death Benefit</strong><br /> <br /> Universal policies are built to accommodate death benefit changes you might want to incorporate in future years. As long as your health permits it, you may be able to increase your death benefit as your needs change. Of course, you should also expect changes to your premium if you do. Death benefits are guaranteed as long as the minimum payments are made, on time. <br /> <br /> You also have the option to reduce your death benefit. So if you pay off your debt, get your kids through college or otherwise reduce your need for insurance death benefit proceeds, you can adjust the benefit accordingly, also reducing the necessary premium you must pay.<br /> <br /> <strong>Flexible Sub-Accounts</strong><br /> <br /> Universal life insurance policies offer either fixed or variable sub-accounts that you can use to help grow your cash values. You can generally adjust them as needed. You can also change them according to your satisfaction with their performance. <br /> <br /> When it comes to <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/life-insurance/default.aspx" target="_blank">Oklahoma City insurance</a>, there is no single type of policy that fits every individual. Give <strong>ECI Agency</strong> a call and we can discuss all the different options available to you and help determine the coverage to best fit your needs.urn:uuid:f232245b-224d-415a-b265-b1bb9525d84dThe two large earthquakes centered near Oklahoma City over the past few weeks have left many policy holders wondering if their home insurance policies would cover them in the aftermath of a major tremor. The short answer is that property damage cause...Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:47:06 -0600<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">The two large earthquakes centered near Oklahoma City over the past few weeks have left many policy holders wondering if their home insurance policies would cover them in the aftermath of a major tremor.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">The short answer is that property damage caused by the shaking movement of the earth is not covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy, although some subsequent damage may be eligible for coverage.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">However, you can still buy earthquake insurance. In some cases, you may be able to add an earthquake endorsement to your home insurance policy. However, you need to know not every insurance company offers earthquake coverage.&nbsp; If that is the case with your particular insurance carrier, there might be separate, standalone earthquake policies that could be available.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">Unlike flood insurance, which is underwritten by the Federal Government, earthquake insurance is offered by private insurance companies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">Earthquake insurance covers both the structure and the contents of a home. Earthquake policies and endorsements have deductibles that usually are set as a percentage of the home's replacement value from 1 percent to 15 percent. &nbsp;In the case of an endorsement, the earthquake deductible is separate from and in addition to the deductible on the home insurance policy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">If your car is damaged or destroyed by an earthquake, that damage is covered by your comprehensive coverage in your auto insurance policy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">If you would like for us to look into options on your particular insurance policy you can call us at 405-373-2977.&nbsp; We will look at options that make the most sense in your particular situation.&nbsp; Please do not hesitate to call if you have questions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;"><strong>&nbsp;Scott Cornelius CIC</strong></span></p>urn:uuid:411ce6b2-4d96-41e6-8378-7bbd8bfec4de<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/iStock_000004333849XSmall.jpg' align='left' />Benefits for the Terminally Ill Depending on how you structure it, a life insurance policy can be a pretty cut and dried product. On a most basic level, the policy guarantees that a death benefit will be paid out to the named beneficiaries after the ...Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:02:20 -0500<h2>Benefits for the Terminally Ill</h2> <img alt="" style="height: 300px; float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;" src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/iStock_000004333849XSmall.jpg" />Depending on how you structure it, a <a target="_self" href="http://www.eciagency.com/life-insurance/default.aspx">life insurance policy</a> can be a pretty cut and dried product. On a most basic level, the policy guarantees that a death benefit will be paid out to the named beneficiaries after the death of the insured, provided the premiums have been paid on time and the death occurs within the term of the policy and not after an excluded incident. But life insurance policies are like blank canvases with many different coverage options in the form of riders, and these riders can create a unique work of financial protection for your family. <br /> <br /> One helpful rider available on many life insurance policies is the accelerated benefit rider, sometimes called a terminal illness benefit. When your policy has an accelerated benefit rider, you pay a slightly higher premium (unless your insurer provides this rider at no cost) and in exchange you can access a percentage of your death benefit before you pass away, provided you&rsquo;ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Some accelerated benefit riders may even provide access to a portion of the death benefits without the terminal illness diagnoses as long as you&rsquo;ve suffered a medically incapacitating illness or injury or require long-term care&mdash;but you should talk to your agent to see if the insurers you are considering offer these benefits as well. <br /> <br /> Before adding this valuable rider to your policy, find out how the benefit is paid, what the specific requirements for access are and what the additional premium cost is. In order to make the process easier for your family if they need to access the benefit that the rider provides, be sure to have the instructions for benefit payments somewhere that they can easily find them, should you someday become unable to explain them. <br /> <br /> <strong>Check with your agent at ECI Agency to speak about your options for <a target="_self" href="http://www.eciagency.com">Oklahoma City Life Insurance</a>.</strong>urn:uuid:c22b7e01-62b6-46f3-a5cc-7ed3f57279a9 Insuring Your Desktop or Laptop Computer You have a computer. So who doesn&rsquo;t? According to the latest reports, the vast majority of Americans have at lest one personal computer at home. And many count themselves among the &ldquo;multi-wir...Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:00:14 -0500<div class="ia-LibraryTitle" id="iaLibraryTitle"> <h3> Insuring Your Desktop or Laptop Computer </h3> </div> <div class="ia-LibrarySubTitle" id="iaLibrarySubTitle"> </div> <p>You have a computer. So who doesn&rsquo;t? According to the latest reports, the vast majority of Americans have at lest one personal computer at home. And many count themselves among the &ldquo;multi-wired&rdquo; households, with one or more PCs, handhelds (such as Palms or pocket PCs), set-top boxes, Internet access, and a fast-growing minority have enough equipment to have installed home networks to tie everything together. Add in a few beepers and cell phones and we are talking significant value!</p> <p>With this much money tied up in such items, can you count on your <a href="http://www.trustedchoice.com/Content/Home-Apartments/Home-Apartments.aspx">homeowners insurance</a>&nbsp;to step in if you suffer a loss?</p> <p>Looking at a standard policy, the answer is affected by several factors.</p> <p>Perhaps the major question is how much do you use these devices for business purposes? A typical homeowners policy limits coverage to $2,500 total for items used primarily for business purposes. Note the key word is &ldquo;primarily.&rdquo; </p> <p>Doing your taxes or bringing home some work is not enough to make your PC subject to the business property limit. But for the many people that have set up a home-based office, either for regular telecommuting or for an in-home business, the $2,500 limit will kick in. And also note the limit applies to all such property. Include your filing cabinets, office furniture, printer, fax machine, bookshelves or whatever else makes up your business at home and the $2,500 limit is usually met rather easily.</p> <p>But here&rsquo;s the real kicker &ndash; if you use that business notebook (or &ldquo;laptop&rdquo;) computer while away from your home, the business property limit drops to $1,500 (if you have a car accessory to power the device). That limit also includes any accessories to be used with the computer, such as a portable printer, projector, external drive or zip disks. <br /> <br /> Read The full article <a href="http://www.trustedchoice.com/Content/Articles/Computer-Insurance.aspx" target="_self">here.</a></p>urn:uuid:830c4e79-0c77-466a-969e-8e502a2bc5fb<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000002258909XSmall-Disability.jpg' align='left' />In the business world employees generally get paid when they work, when they take vacation or sick time, or when they have&nbsp;disability insurance coverage and a qualifying disability. If you want to secure disability insurance to ensure that your ...Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:43:10 -0500<p><img alt="" style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000002258909XSmall-Disability.jpg" />In the business world employees generally get paid when they work, when they take vacation or sick time, or when they have&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/health/disability_insurance_quote.aspx">disability insurance coverage</a> and a qualifying disability. If you want to secure disability insurance to ensure that your family still has an income to rely on should you become disabled, then you first need to get a handle on the many disability insurance choices out there so you can create a policy with options that suit you and the needs of your family. </p> <p><strong>Percentage of monthly income</strong>: Disability insurance policies generally pay out a percentage of your pre-disability income. Look at your family&rsquo;s income needs and budget in order to get a good idea of how low a percentage you can survive on. The lower the percentage of your income they pay, the lower your premiums will be.</p> <p><strong>Definition of Disability</strong>: In some policies, the definition of disability is very specific and meets that of the Social Security Administration, which means you won&rsquo;t have access to benefits unless you are totally disabled and unable to do the work of your career OR any other. Other policies offer broader definitions that allow more situations to meet the requirements including partial disabilities. </p> <p><strong>Waiting period</strong>: Disability policies have varying options for the waiting time between the date your disability occurs and the date you can begin receiving payments. If you have sufficient savings, you may opt for a longer waiting period. If your family has few resources to help replace lost income, then a shorter waiting period could be a better, albeit more expensive, option.</p> <p><strong>Benefit term</strong>: Disability insurance can have a benefit term that is short&mdash;six month to a few years&mdash;or can stretch all the way to retirement. The longer your benefit term, the more protection you have and the higher your premiums are likely to be.</p> <p><strong>Inflation protection</strong>: What $10 buys today, $10 might not buy next year. Inflation is a very real concern among those with a long-term disability because they can&rsquo;t expect to get cost of living increases like a working employee. That is why some disability policies come with inflation protection benefits that increase disability income by a certain percentage each year. </p> <p>No one can predict whether a disability is in their future. When you have a disability insurance policy structured to complement your family&rsquo;s financial situation and needs, you don&rsquo;t have to have a crystal ball because you can be confident that your way of life is protected, no matter what. </p> <p>In the event that you ever need disability insurance coverage, make sure you're covered with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/" target="_self">Oklahoma City Insurance</a> from ECI Agency today.</p>urn:uuid:3e717f78-92b5-4ea5-95c4-57b04b133833<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/bcbs_banner_4.png' align='left' /> ECI Agency offers health insurance for Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Edmond and surrounding areas in Oklahoma. One of the carriers we write with is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma. We have created extensive pages of information on the following subjects...Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:03:10 -0500<a href="https://osc.hscil.com/OK/ShopForInsurance.aspx?ExpressLinkedAgentId=13140" target="_blank" title="Get an Instant Health Quote"><img alt="" src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/bcbs_banner_4.png" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" /></a><br /> <br /> ECI Agency offers health insurance for Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Edmond and surrounding areas in Oklahoma. One of the carriers we write with is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma. We have created extensive pages of information on the following subjects:<br /> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blue-cross-blue-shield/default.aspx" title="Overview">Blue Cross Blue Shield Overview</a> - the advantages of getting coverage, and information on BlueCare Dental&reg;.</li> <li><a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blue-cross-blue-shield/temporary-health-insurance.aspx" title="Temporary Health Insurance">Blue Transitions</a> - Temporary Health Insurance coverage for when you are waiting for your employer coverage to begin or are in between jobs.</li> <li><a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blue-cross-blue-shield/health-plan-comparison.aspx" title="Health Plan Comparison">Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Plan Comparison</a> - compare Simply Blue,&nbsp; Health Check Select, Health Check Basic and Health Check HSA to figure out the right plan for you.</li> </ul> ECI Agency is also part of Dave Ramsey's network of Endorsed Local Providers (ELP). Read to find out more about <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/dave-ramsey/7-baby-steps.aspx" title="Dave Ramsey's Seven Baby Steps">Dave Ramsey's Seven Baby Steps</a> to get out of debt.urn:uuid:b0c36222-a0ec-45f7-a485-a50d6aa11e01<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000004174930XSmall.jpg' align='left' />Insurance is a valuable product to have and, in some cases, you might not be able to get enough for the actual potential expenses and risks you face. For instance, personal property and bodily injury liability limits in auto insurance policies might ...Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:16:40 -0500<img style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;" alt="Insurance" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000004174930XSmall.jpg" />Insurance is a valuable product to have and, in some cases, you might not be able to get enough for the actual potential expenses and risks you face. For instance, personal property and bodily injury liability limits in auto insurance policies might not be high enough to make you feel comfortable that your risk is adequately covered, and that may prompt you to look at an umbrella policy. But there are instances in which you can be over-insured if you aren&rsquo;t careful to watch your policies. <br /> <br /> Home insurance limits: Your&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/homeowners-insurance/default.aspx">home insurance policy</a> pays for contents that are damaged or stolen as long as the events surrounding that are insurable incidents. But if the limits of your policy exceed the actual or replacement value of your property, then you are paying of insurance that you don&rsquo;t need. Find out whether your home insurance policy pays for actual or replacement value, and then re-evaluate the number to ensure that it works with the corresponding value of your property.<br /> <br /> As for the structure of your home, the insurance benefits you pay for are to defray the cost of rebuilding your home. They do not reimburse your for the value of your property, which is comprised of the structure along with land that you still own and that still has value after an insurable incident. If the limit on the dwelling coverage of your home insurance policy exceeds rebuilding costs, you need to re-evaluate your policy. <br /> <br /> Auto insurance: Many portions of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/automobile-insurance/default.aspx">auto insurance policies</a> are immune to over insurance, but there is one place that you might be putting too much value. Your comprehensive limits should never exceed the actual (or replacement, depending on your policy) value of your vehicle. If they do, then you aren&rsquo;t going to get a check for the extra amount if your car is totaled, so you should adjust that. <br /> <br /> Business insurance: Your business owns property and that property has a value. If your&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/business-insurance/default.aspx">business insurance policy</a> limits are set higher than the actual or replacement values of your business property then you are likely over-insured. <br /> <br /> The purpose of insurance is to make you whole after an insurable incident, not to make you profit. Any time the limits of your insurance policies exceed the dollar values actually at risk of loss, you should talk to your insurance agent about possible readjustments. <br /> <br /> Contact us at ECI Agency today to find out your best options for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/" target="_self">Oklahoma City Insurance</a> policies!urn:uuid:71909650-0a6f-4c3f-9554-e9a99f6690e8Customers who bundle their home and auto policies with the same insurance company are more satisfied with their price. Five factors were measured: interaction, price, policy offerings, billing, payment and claims. According to a J.D. Power and Associ...Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:19:38 -0500<p>Customers who bundle their home and auto policies with the same insurance company are more satisfied with their price. Five factors were measured: interaction, price, policy offerings, billing, payment and claims. According to a J.D. Power and Associates survey, there was some increased satisfaction for customers who have their homeowners and auto policy to be bundled. The client base I deal with wants all their insurance in one place, if possible. </p> <p>To bundle or not to bundle is the question now. 85% of our customers bundle their auto and homeowners policies with the same insurance company. Bundling additional products with auto insurance has also been on the rise this year, causing discounts for multiple policies to be viewed as most prevalent discounts among customers, along with discounts for safe drivers.&nbsp; </p> <p>ECI has direct contracts with 5 insurance companies that will bundle your home and auto policies.&nbsp; Please <a href="/contact.aspx" title="Contact us">call us</a> for a quote to find if we can save you some extra money on your insurance. </p>urn:uuid:d0153313-53bc-4547-b02e-3ec7fd7cc7e6<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000003174859XSmall.jpg' align='left' />Disability insurance&nbsp;is an important insurance product for everyone&mdash;both self-employed and traditionally employed individuals can benefit greatly from its coverage. In the event that you have a disability that inhibits your ability to work...Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:10:19 -0500<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/health/disability_insurance_quote.aspx">Disability insurance</a>&nbsp;is an important insurance product for everyone&mdash;both self-employed and traditionally employed individuals can benefit greatly from its coverage. In the event that you have a disability that inhibits your ability to work according to the scope necessitated by the policy (which can range from total to partial disability for your job and all jobs), you can get a percentage of your former salary paid to you through the policy for a predetermined time limit. <br /> <br /> <img alt="" style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000003174859XSmall.jpg" />If you are a self-employed individual, disability insurance is a vital protection to provide yourself with. As a self-employed person, you are responsible for creating and paying for your own benefits. If you want to give yourself maternity or sick leave, but still need to pay yourself a paycheck during the leave, then you need to have sufficient funds saved in order to do so. And because your business may suffer from your limited or non-accessibility, you also need to have enough funds saved to continue to pay payroll while you are back in the office drumming up business again. With disability insurance, you can receive payment through your policy and leave your business savings untouched. <br /> <br /> But disability insurance for the self-employed isn&rsquo;t just about ensuring that you get a paycheck without depleting business savings while you are ill or recovering from surgery, it is also about getting benefits for things like maternity leave or taking time off to care for a family member who is ill. And the impact of disability insurance for the self-employed can be even wider spread than that. Imagine if you were diagnosed with a chronic illness that had no cure, or were in an accident that impacted your ability to do your work and you actually had to close your business.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/health-insurance/default.aspx">Disability insurance</a> can provide continuous benefits that keep you and your family afloat if you become unable to work or run your business on a permanent basis. <br /> <br /> There are a lot of different responsibilities that you must face as a self-employed individual, but one of the most important is planning and implementing the current and future financial security of your family. As you grow your business and create more income, you are well on your way of doing that; disability insurance can step in to act as your safety net in the event that an accident or illness impacts your ability to continue to grow your business and get your family&rsquo;s finances where you want them. <br /> <br /> <strong>Let ECI Agency help you better understand&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/">Oklahoma City Health Insurance</a> and ensure you're getting the best coverage posible!</strong>urn:uuid:b6c9774d-bf11-45a7-a722-053c2fdca6d4<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000000067699Small.jpg' align='left' />If you are considering the purchase of a&nbsp;commercial auto insurance policy, then you may be concerned about how your premiums are going to be calculated. While there are many different factors that go into premium creation, here are a few of the ...Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:41:54 -0500<p><img style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;" alt="Commercial Auto Insurance" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000000067699Small.jpg" />If you are considering the purchase of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/business-insurance/default.aspx" target="_self">commercial auto insurance</a> policy, then you may be concerned about how your premiums are going to be calculated. While there are many different factors that go into premium creation, here are a few of the more prominent:</p> <p><strong>Type of car</strong>: The type of car(s) you are insuring has a big effect on your insurance premium. Models that are expensive to repair and often targeted by thieves generally have a higher price tag attached to them when it comes to insurance. </p> <p><strong>Amount of weekly driving</strong>: The more you drive your company automobile, the more exposed you are to insurable risks. Your insurance company will ask for an approximate mileage each week, and that number will be integral in determining your rates.</p> <p><strong>Location</strong>: The location of your business can affect your premiums in terms of both crime rates and weather risks. Areas prone to flooding and hurricanes are likely to have higher premiums. </p> <p><strong>Storage</strong>: The location where you keep or park your vehicle when it isn&rsquo;t in use will factor into your insurance rates. Parking the vehicle on the street offers more exposure to risk than garage or parking lot parking, and so on. </p> <p><strong>Deductibles</strong>: The higher your deductibles, the lower your car insurance premiums. Of course, the higher your deductibles, the more you must pay out of pocket when there is an incident. And remember&mdash;auto insurance deductibles are per incident, not per policy year.</p> <p><strong>Limits</strong>: The less money your insurer potentially must pay in claims, the lower your premiums will be. But if you choose a policy with limits that are extremely low, you could be underinsured and at risk for liabilities.</p> <p><strong>Antitheft devices</strong>: Commercial auto insurance premiums can be lowered if your automobile has antitheft devices in place as they reduce the risks that your insurance company will take on when insuring your vehicle. </p> <p><strong>The number of employees who drive</strong>: The more employees you have driving your vehicle for business purposes, the more your premiums are likely to be. Employees with poor driving records may send rates even higher.</p> <p>While <strong>commercial auto insurance</strong> policies guard against different risks than personal policies, the factors affecting their premiums are not that different. Keep that in mind as you are shopping and don&rsquo;t forget to ask for discounts that apply to <strong>personal auto insurance</strong>, since many of them apply to commercial insurance as well.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.eciagency.com/contact.aspx" target="_self">Contact us</a>&nbsp;at ECI Agency today for your free quote on <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/" target="_self">Oklahoma City Insurance</a> coverage for your commercial vehicle.</em><strong></strong></strong></p>urn:uuid:0979934b-a944-4d3f-9f8b-054bae3c2bf7<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/lying.jpg' align='left' />In the insurance world, you truly get what you pay for. Companies that specialize in providing low-cost insurance policies have grown in number and popularity in the last few years. Online services and build-your-own-policy features have convinced mi...Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:03:06 -0500<h2>In the insurance world, you truly get what you pay for.</h2> <p><img src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/lying.jpg" style="float: right; margin-left: 7px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" alt="Lying" />Companies that specialize in providing low-cost insurance policies have grown in number and popularity in the last few years. Online services and build-your-own-policy features have convinced millions of customers they're getting a good deal.</p> <p>But it doesn't take long for some customers to find out the deal might not have been as great as they thought.</p> <strong>You Do Get What You Pay For</strong> <p>"My husband and I switched to [a popular online insurance company] because of their apparent low rates," an anonymous customer posted on AutomobileInsuranceReview.com. "On our first renewal, they raised our premiums over 10%. When I called to ask why, I was told you get a discount the first time you sign up, but then every renewal is increased."</p> <p>It's true that every insurance company gets complaints, and you have to take anonymous, online posts with a grain of salt. But <strong>you can't expect to get superior coverage and full service at a discounted rate</strong>. In fact, that's the biggest danger of doing business with low-cost insurance providers. Most customers aren't aware of the gaps in their coverage until they file a claim and are denied coverage.</p> <strong>Is It Better To Pay More?</strong> <p>But doing business with a large insurance company isn't always the answer either.</p> <p>"I had [a major insurance provider's] auto insurance for 25 years with a perfect driving record," David Martin posted on a corporate complaint site. "Yet they kept raising my rates, and when asked, refused to lower them. Also had a homeowner's policy with the same company until recently. Found that <strong>they had been charging me 40% more</strong> than other comparable major carriers, and my agent never caught the mistake after six years."</p> <p>David probably had great coverage, but as he pointed out, he was paying too much. And his agent was no help since his loyalties were with the insurance company rather than the customer.</p> <strong>So What's The Answer?</strong> <p><strong>Independent insurance brokers work with many insurance providers</strong> and can shop for the best coverage at the best prices to find a real deal for their customers. And, instead of being loyal to the insurance company, a broker looks out for his customers and lets them know when a better policy or a better price is available.</p> <p>ECI Agency is a part of Dave's insurance Endorsed Local Providers (ELPs). We are an independent insurance agent who can find home, auto, health, and even long-term care and personal liability insurance coverage that fits your budget.&nbsp;<a href="/contact.aspx">Contact us today!</a><br /> <br /> Source: <a title="Dave Ramsey" target="_blank" href="http://www.daveramsey.com/article/the-dangers-of-low-cost-insurance/lifeandmoney_insurance/lm4/">DaveRamsey.com</a></p>urn:uuid:9014ccb6-72c8-427d-8b8b-e060df7f74b6<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000001582666XSmall.jpg' align='left' />Term life insurance policies&nbsp;offer insurance customers the coverage they need only during the years that they need it. Because term life insurance policies do not guarantee coverage for life, but for a little slice out of the life of the insured...Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:36:01 -0500<a href="/life-insurance/default.aspx" target="_self">Term life insurance policies</a>&nbsp;offer insurance customers the coverage they need only during the years that they need it. Because term life insurance policies do not guarantee coverage for life, but for a little slice out of the life of the insured, they are generally priced affordably. In addition, term life policyholders are paying only the cost of insurance with their premiums, rather than paying an additional amount to help cash values accrue.<br /> <br /> <img style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;" alt="Insurance" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000001582666XSmall.jpg" />One of the most challenging aspects of buying a&nbsp;<a href="/life/term_insurance_quote.aspx" target="_self">term life insurance</a> policy is determining what term is right for you. Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself to help decide what policy term to buy.<br /> <br /> <strong>1. When do you expect your debt to be paid off?</strong> Life insurance death benefit proceeds are often used by heirs to pay off the debt left behind when a household wage earner dies. If you expect your debt to be paid off in the next ten to fifteen years then you can choose a term that just covers you for that length of time. <br /> <br /> <strong>2. How old are your children?</strong> Life insurance death benefit proceeds are often used to help give children a head start in life. They can be used to help your children pay for a wedding, adjust to the addition of a child in their own family, and buy their own home. But these head starts might not be as vital to you as making sure your young children have adequate resources for college tuition, the ability to seek counseling if dealing with your death as youngsters, and access to medical and other services for any special needs. The age of your children, and their respective needs for the next few years, can help you narrow down an appropriate term.<br /> <br /> <strong>3. What are the special needs of your spouse?</strong> Not every family has two wage earners. When you have young children, you may have one spouse who stays home to raise the children; this can make the death of the wage earning spouse especially devastating. Additionally, if a non wage earning spouse passes, then the working spouse must hire someone to take care of the kids and household duties that they don&rsquo;t have time to do. These special needs may only be temporary, but they should be considered when buying term life insurance.<br /> <br /> Remember, the term of your policy is meant to help you focus your coverage on your most important and vulnerable financial years. You don&rsquo;t have to use the above guidelines as your only rules of thumb for choosing the term; you can use anything that makes sense to you. <br /> <br /> <strong>Make sure you're you have the best&nbsp;</strong><a href="/get_a_quote/default.aspx" target="_self"><strong>Oklahoma City Insurance</strong></a><strong> that&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://www.eciagency.com" target="_self"><strong>ECI Agency</strong></a><strong> has to offer!</strong>urn:uuid:c4a23a65-9e3b-47dc-9dd8-33153b130770 Do Consumers Understand the Difference Between Personal Insurance and Groceries? Develop a robust website that offers customers the self-selection they inherently crave. Consumers across the U.S. found themselves in grocery s last week picking ...Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:48:46 -0500<div class="ia-LibraryTitle" id="iaLibraryTitle"> <h3> Do Consumers Understand the Difference Between Personal Insurance and Groceries? </h3> </div> <div class="ia-LibrarySubTitle" id="iaLibrarySubTitle"> Develop a robust website that offers customers the self-selection they inherently crave. </div> <p>Consumers across the U.S. found themselves in grocery s last week picking out items for the Memorial Day holiday. While shoppers may take the convenience of self-selection for granted, the modern grocery store was a uniquely American idea invented by entrepreneur Clarence Saunders, founder of Piggly Wiggly stores.&nbsp; His first store opened in Memphis, Tenn., in 1916. In fact, Saunders was awarded a number of patents for the ideas he incorporated into his stores. The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&amp;P) was another successful early grocery store chain operating in Canada and the U.S.&nbsp; In terms of the first true supermarket, it was opened by Michael Cullen in 1930 in Queens, N.Y., and was named King Kullen, inspired by the fictional character King Kong.</p> <p>In England, the first &ldquo;self-service&rdquo; store was started in 1949, when the British government announced that it would license 100 companies to try out self-service shops. Until these innovations, shoppers would wait in line until the clerk waited on them and selected the items the shopper asked for, which took longer and became impractical as more food items were added. With the advent of technology, &ldquo;direct&rdquo; selling insurance companies like GEICO have spent billions convincing consumers that personal insurance is analogous to a supermarket; the consumer&rsquo;s needs are fairly narrow and the product, once sold, does not require an ongoing relationship with an advocate to help the customer as their needs evolve.<br /> <br /> Aside from the obvious difference that insurance is more complicated than buying pickles, there is another important distinction:<br /> <br /> For the full article read <a href="http://www.iamagazine.com/NewsViews/2011/June_02/L-H-Leads.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;</p>urn:uuid:50b1a993-2cfd-4916-a194-10d3d593b855<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/iStock_000002395315XSmall.jpg' align='left' />This week, the end of the discussion with Scott Cornelius of Earnie Cornelius Agency, Inc., Dave Ramsey&rsquo;s ELP for home and auto insurance in the Oklahoma City area. You can contact ECI at (405) 373-2977, or get a quote from their website at www...Mon, 09 May 2011 09:35:12 -0500<img src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/iStock_000002395315XSmall.jpg" style="float: left; width: 200px; height: 133px; margin-right: 7px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" alt="Business Insurance" />This week, the end of the discussion with Scott Cornelius of Earnie Cornelius Agency, Inc., Dave Ramsey&rsquo;s ELP for <a href="http://www.eciagency.com" title="Oklahoma City home and auto insurance">home and auto insurance in the Oklahoma City</a> area. You can contact ECI at <strong>(405) 373-2977</strong>, or get a quote from their website at <a href="http://www.eciagency.com" title="Oklahoma City Insurance">www.eciagency.com</a>. Click to read Parts <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_Earnie_Cornelius_Insurance_Agency.aspx" title="Part 1">one</a>, <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_2.aspx" title="Part 2">two</a>, <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_3.aspx" title="Part 3">three</a> and <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_4.aspx" title="Part 4">four</a>.<br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Michael:</span> Last week we talked a little about <a title="Business Insurance" href="http://www.eciagency.com/category.aspx?id=MISC7">business insurance</a>. Do you have anything to add to that?</strong> <br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Scott:</span></strong> A couple other kinds of commercial insurance that are really important now are EPLI&mdash;employment practice and liability insurance. That covers wrongful dismissal, sexual harassment, discrimination, and what you&rsquo;re really buying there is defense costs, because there are a lot of fraudulent claims, but you still have to hire a lawyer and go defend yourself. Most businesses don&rsquo;t think about that! Even if they do everything right, they still have to defend themselves if someone files a claim against them.<br /> <br /> Click to read the <a title="Part 4" target="_blank" href="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/Vol%203%20Issue%2013.pdf">full story</a>.urn:uuid:0975112f-7fe9-48a1-abee-8e552c21ecb9<img src='http://www.eciagency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000008203399XSmall.jpg' align='left' />When you think about the personal property coverage in your home insurance policy, you probably conjure images of your furniture, clothing and electronics. But did you know that many policies also consider your digital data to be personal property? W...Fri, 06 May 2011 09:02:35 -0500<p><img alt="Property Insurance" style="width: 300px; float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;" src="http://www.eciagency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000008203399XSmall.jpg" />When you think about the personal property coverage in your home insurance policy, you probably conjure images of your furniture, clothing and electronics. But did you know that many policies also consider your digital data to be personal property?</p> <p>While this might have been unheard of 20 years ago, these days many people have digital data that costs money to buy and has value that can be reimbursed when lost in an insurable incident. This includes:</p> <p><strong>Downloaded Software -</strong> After buying the software your home insurance policy will likely consider its value as part of your claim against the personal property coverage in your policy. In order to prove purchase, be sure to keep all paper and electronic receipts in a place that will be protected from fire, water and other hazards. Examples of downloaded software include games, tax and accounting programs and word processing programs. And the software needn&rsquo;t just be on your computer; items stored on discs, external hard drives or thumb drives can also be included as long as you have proof of the value. </p> <p><strong>MP3s -</strong> Many people purchase digital music files in the form of MP3s and download them directly to their computer, laptop or music player. While intangible as downloaded software, MP3s still have value and, since you paid for them, are still considered a possession. As with downloaded software, make sure that you retain some receipts for your MP3 purchases so that you can include them in insurance claims.</p> <p><strong>Software on discs -</strong> Not all software that is purchased is downloaded. Some of it is still bought in a store and has a tangible disc for installation. Be sure to keep records of these purchases as well so that you can include them in claims. </p> <p>It&rsquo;s a new day and age in digital purchasing, but the old fashioned advice to save your receipts still rings true. Luckily, many online companies are able to send you copies of receipts after an insurable incident. However, it&rsquo;s never a bad idea to reach out now and start gathering these receipts together so that you don&rsquo;t have the additional burden of tracking them down when you make a claim. Also, be sure to consider their value carefully as it might cause you to increase your limits. </p> <p><strong>Be sure you know what's covered with your&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/" target="_self">Oklahoma City Insurance</a> from ECI Agency today!</strong></p>urn:uuid:f8f2d97e-cc61-4625-934a-2bbbe56f6d49<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/scott_profile_pic.jpg' align='left' />This week,&nbsp; the continuing discussion with Scott Cornelius of Earnie Cornelius Agency, Inc., Dave Ramsey&rsquo;s ELP for home and auto insurance in the Oklahoma City area (they sell other types of insurance as well). You&nbsp; can contact ECI at...Mon, 02 May 2011 09:36:04 -0500<img src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/scott_profile_pic.jpg" style="float: left; margin-right: 7px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" alt="Scott Cornelius" />This week,&nbsp; the continuing discussion with Scott Cornelius of Earnie Cornelius Agency, Inc., Dave Ramsey&rsquo;s ELP for <a href="http://www.eciagency.com" title="Oklahoma City home &amp; auto insurance">home and auto insurance in the Oklahoma City</a> area (they sell other types of insurance as well). You&nbsp; can contact ECI at <strong>(405) 373-2977</strong>, or get a quote from their website at <a href="http://www.eciagency.com">www.eciagency.com</a>. Click to read Parts <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_Earnie_Cornelius_Insurance_Agency.aspx" title="Part 1">one</a>, <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_2.aspx" title="Part 2">two</a>, <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_3.aspx" title="Part 3">three</a> and <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_5.aspx" title="Part 5">five</a>.<br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Michael:</span> What about <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/health/long_term_care_insurance_quote.aspx" target="_blank" title="Long Term Care Insurance Quote">long-term care insurance</a>? Is that important? </strong><br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Scott:</span></strong> It certainly is, but that is probably one of the least popular types of insurance, again because people don&rsquo;t want to think about it until they need it, and then it&rsquo;s too late. The chance of getting Alzheimer&rsquo;s or dementia is relatively high anymore, and people are living longer now too&mdash;I think the stats are if you live to age 65, you can expect to live at least another 19 years. But, the chances of dementia are a lot higher at that point, so many people are having to go into a nursing home for that care. So, you would buy a long-term care policy based on how long you want those benefits to last, and how much you want to be paid each month. You could eat up your savings really fast in a long-term care facility if you don&rsquo;t have insurance.<br /> <br /> Click to read the <a href="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/Vol%203%20Issue%2012.pdf" target="_blank" title="Pax Penuniaria Newsletter - Part 4">full article</a>.urn:uuid:ef0f87e9-103d-49e7-9e11-4f058f410dc2<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/money_newsletter.jpg' align='left' />This week, the continuing discussion with Scott Cornelius of Earnie Cornelius Agency, Inc., Dave Ramsey&rsquo;s ELP for home and auto insurance in the Oklahoma City area (they sell other types of insurance as well). You can contact ECI at (405) 373- ...Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:06:43 -0500<img alt="" src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/money_newsletter.jpg" style="float: right; width: 200px; height: 154px; margin-left: 7px;" />This week, the continuing discussion with Scott Cornelius of Earnie Cornelius Agency, Inc., Dave Ramsey&rsquo;s ELP for <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/" title="Home and Auto Insurance in Oklahoma City">home and auto insurance in the Oklahoma City</a> area (they sell other types of insurance as well). You can contact ECI at (405) 373- 2977, or get a quote from their website at <a title="ECI Agency Website" href="http://www.eciagency.com">www.eciagency.com</a>. Click to read Parts <a title="Part 1" href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_Earnie_Cornelius_Insurance_Agency.aspx">one</a>, <a title="Part 2" href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_2.aspx">two</a>, <a title="Part 4" href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_4.aspx">four</a> and <a title="Part 5" href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_5.aspx">five</a>.<br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Michael:</span> Let&rsquo;s talk briefly about <a title="Life Insurance Quote" target="_blank" href="http://www.eciagency.com/life/insurance_quote.aspx">life insurance</a>. You sell all types of life insurance from various companies. What are some misconceptions you commonly hear from people regarding life insurance? Reasons people don&rsquo;t have life insurance, or don&rsquo;t think they need it? </strong><br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Scott:</span></strong> Well, the two types of life insurance are &ldquo;permanent&rdquo; insurance and &ldquo;term&rdquo; insurance. Term insurance is the equivalent of renting a house. You pay your money, you get the policy for a period of time, then when the policy term ends your coverage ends. Permanent insurance is like buying a house. You pay on it, and you know that no matter when you die, you&rsquo;ll have a death benefit. There are several kinds of permanent insurance, and in some cases those permanent insurance policies will build up a small cash value, so if you decide at some point you don&rsquo;t want the death benefit any longer, you can cash it out. It&rsquo;s not a replacement for saving for retirement, but it&rsquo;s a way to build up some value in lieu of taking the death benefit.<br /> <br /> Click to read the <a href="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/Vol%203%20Issue%2011.pdf" title="Part 3">full article</a>.urn:uuid:c61b870e-bc2e-4f85-af9c-0a0dfc0e5f07<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/lighthouse2_newsletter.jpg' align='left' />This week, the continuing discussion with Scott Cornelius of Earnie Cornelius Agency, Inc., Dave Ramsey&rsquo;s ELP for home and auto insurance in the Oklahoma City area (they sell other types of insurance as well). You can contact ECI at (405) 373-2...Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:19:11 -0500<img alt="" src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/lighthouse2_newsletter.jpg" style="float: left; width: 175px; margin-right: 7px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; height: 150px; margin-bottom: 5px;" />This week, the continuing discussion with Scott Cornelius of Earnie Cornelius Agency, Inc., Dave Ramsey&rsquo;s ELP for home and auto insurance in the Oklahoma City area (they sell other types of insurance as well). You can contact ECI at <strong>(405) 373-2977</strong>. Click to read Parts <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_Earnie_Cornelius_Insurance_Agency.aspx" title="Part 1">one</a>, <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_3.aspx" title="Part 3">three</a>, <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_4.aspx" title="Part 4">four</a> and <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_5.aspx" title="Part 5">five</a>.<br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Michael:</span> What are some common misconceptions that people have about <a href="http://corscoeci0c.qa.insurancewebsitebuilder.com/health/insurance_quote.aspx" target="_blank" title="Health Insurance Quote">health insurance</a>? Especially people that might not be covered under an employer&rsquo;s health plan. </strong><br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Scott:</span></strong> For the most part, if you&rsquo;re a healthy person, individual coverage is less expensive than group coverage that you would get through an employer. Most people can be covered for less on an individual plan than they would be on a group plan, unless they&rsquo;re older. Another misconception, a simple illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, anything that&rsquo;s happened in the last five years would be not covered on an individual policy, so sometimes getting a skin cancer taken off your head might keep you from having coverage for any type of skin cancer, on an individual type policy. That&rsquo;s where a group policy would be better because they have to take everyone under their plan, and they can&rsquo;t exclude anything.<br /> <br /> Click to read the <a title="Pax Pecuniaria Newsletter" target="_blank" href="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/Vol%203%20Issue%2010.pdf">full article</a>.urn:uuid:32530097-870b-4dc7-8e93-748cb0f3957f<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/lighthouse_newsletter.jpg' align='left' />Over the next few weeks, we will be publishing a conversation with Scott Cornelius, President of Earnie Cornelius Insurance Agency (ECI) in Piedmont, OK. ECI is a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider. Click to read Parts two, three, four and five. Ma...Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:58:26 -0500<img alt="Lighthouse" src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/lighthouse_newsletter.jpg" style="width: 175px; float: right; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; height: 263px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" />Over the next few weeks, we will be publishing a conversation with Scott Cornelius, President of Earnie Cornelius Insurance Agency (ECI) in Piedmont, OK. ECI is a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider. Click to read Parts <a title="Part One of Scott's Interview" href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecniaria_-_Earnie_Cornelius_Insurance_Agency_-_Part_2.aspx">two</a>, <a title="Part 3" href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_3.aspx">three</a>, <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_4.aspx">four</a> and <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Pax_Pecuniaria_-_ECI_Agency_-_Pt_5.aspx" title="Part 5">five</a>.<br /> <br /> Many clients have been referred to ECI, and without exception they have gotten great service. They are highly recommend for any of your insurance needs.<br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Michael:</span> Briefly tell us a little about your business, how you got into the insurance business, and so on.</strong><br /> <br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;">Scott:</span></strong> My dad started the agency in 1964 and then my sister came on board in about 1996. In 2006&mdash;at that point my dad was 70&mdash;I was working for a company called Golf USA doing franchise operations, traveling all over the world, and my dad saw me after I got back from a trip to Korea and said &ldquo;You know what, you don&rsquo;t look to good. Why don&rsquo;t you come in, I&rsquo;ll<br /> teach you the business, you can buy me out, and it&rsquo;ll be a great opportunity.&rdquo; And so I did! In fact, my dad and I had breakfast this morning and we were talking about it. He said &ldquo;You know, I don&rsquo;t know if I would have done it any differently!&rdquo; Both of us sort of agreed this morning that we wouldn&rsquo;t have changed anything about the agreement that we made, it just worked out really well.<br /> <br /> Click to read the <a title="Pax Pecuniaria Newsletter" target="_blank" href="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/Vol%203%20Issue%2009.pdf">full article</a>.urn:uuid:e7e203c8-a37e-46b2-b772-eedc09f54df0Home Insurance&mdash;The Basics Not a day goes by that there isn&rsquo;t a new story about home insurance on the Internet, in your local or national newspaper, or on television. And while we all hear about home insurance on a daily basis, how much do...Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:47:19 -0500<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>Home Insurance&mdash;The Basics</b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Not a day goes by that there isn&rsquo;t a new story about home insurance on the Internet, in your local or national newspaper, or on television. And while we all hear about home insurance on a daily basis, how much do we actually know about this important coverage? Let&rsquo;s take a look at some of the basic questions consumers have about home insurance.</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>Who needs home insurance?</b></p> <p>Every homeowner who can&rsquo;t afford to pay, or doesn&rsquo;t want the financial burden of paying the high cost of replacing a home that has been devastated by fire, hurricane, tornado, or other insurable event, needs home insurance. If you have a mortgage on your home, you will be required to have a home insurance policy because the financial liability of a potential loss lies with your lender. If you do not have a mortgage, then no one will force you to have home insurance, but without this important coverage you will have no protection against the financial loss that a natural or man-made disaster can cause. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Imagine having to tap into your retirement savings and facing potential tax and early withdrawal penalties in order to rebuild and refurnish a home lost to fire. While you might have the savings to do so, do you really want to risk your comfortable retirement? Instead, with a home insurance policy, you can look to your insurance company to carry the costs above your deductible and below your limit.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>What does home insurance cover?</b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Home insurance covers many different situations, and you have to look at your individual policy to find out the details of your coverage. In general, some of the coverages you can expect with your policy include:</p> <ul style="list-style-type: disc; margin-top: 0in;"> <li style="color: black;">Loss of the main structure.</li> <li style="color: black;">Loss of use.</li> <li style="color: black;">Loss of outer buildings.</li> <li style="color: black;">Loss of contents/ personal possessions.</li> <li style="color: black;">Liability coverage.</li> <li style="color: black;">Damages to the outer building, contents or main structure.</li> </ul> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">There are many different classes of home insurance, and many different coverage options to choose from. If you live in a condominium or townhouse, you will have coverage that focuses on the internal walls and contents rather than exterior areas.</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>What doesn&rsquo;t home insurance cover?</b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Depending on the choices you make when applying for home insurance, your individual policy may not cover certain events that your friends, neighbors&rsquo; and family members&rsquo; policies do. But no home insurance policy will cover things like:</p> <ul style="list-style-type: disc; margin-top: 0in;"> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; color: black;">Flood damage.</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; color: black;">Mold removal or damage.</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; color: black;">Bed bugs.</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; color: black;">Everyday wear and tear.</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; color: black;">Acts of war.</li> </ul> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Again, it is important not to over-generalize coverage restrictions. To find out what your policy does and does not cover, you should read your actual policy pages.</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b>What are limits?</b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">One way to control the cost of your home insurance policy is to adjust the limits on the policy. Limits are the maximums that an insurer will pay toward damages caused by an insurable incident. In home insurance policies, there may be several different limits set for different coverages. For instance, your contents may have a limit of $50,000 while your structure is insured up to $150,000.</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">While lower limits create a less expensive home insurance policy, they also expose you to additional risk because if your actual damages exceed the amount of your limits, you must pay the difference out-of-pocket. On the other hand, if you choose limits that exceed the actual value of your contents or rebuilding costs, then you will not be paid that excess if you suffer a total loss because the goal of insurance is to make you whole, not to give a profit.</p> <p><b>What are deductibles?<br /> <br /> </b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Another way to control the cost of your policy is by agreeing to take on part of the financial burden that an insurable loss involves. You do this through having a deductible. The deductible is the amount that you must pay out of your own pocket for damages. Any financial liability above that amount, but below the limit, is handled by the insurance company.&nbsp; </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">For example, let&rsquo;s say that during a hurricane, your roof is damaged. The insurance company assesses the damage and says that they will cover it, and the total of the damages is $5,000. If your deductible is $1,000, then you will be responsible for paying $1,000 toward the repair while your insurer will pay the remaining $4,000, provided that does not exceed your limit. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Home insurance policies can sometimes have more than one deductible. A common example of this is in certain East Coast states with annual hurricane exposure. Many home insurance policies issued in those states have a special hurricane deductible that is higher than the standard deductible and applies any time damage occurs due to a hurricane. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">While home insurance may technically be an optional policy for some home owners, the reality is that few investments have such an affordable source of financial protection against loss. And not only can home insurance help you protect your future financial goals, it can also give your family the means to ensure their comfort quickly after a disaster. </p>urn:uuid:dd93bd29-1222-4430-a130-17ef89334fabThere has been a dramatic rise in e-business in the past 5 years. The estimated number of persons using the Internet in 2010 is 1.7 billion (230 million users in the USA, 235 million in China). And the number is steadily growing. Charlie Sheen got mo...Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:48:48 -0600<p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;">There has been a dramatic rise in e-business in the past 5 years. The estimated number of persons using the Internet in 2010 is 1.7 billion (230 million users in the USA, 235 million in China). And the number is steadily growing. Charlie Sheen got more that a million followers on Twitter in 25 hours. Imagine that!</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Online sales are estimated to be in the $150 billion range with the holiday sales to be 40% - 50% of that. The average projected transaction revenue per online customer ranges from $475 in 2002 to $1350 in 2010. The leading online purchases by selected retail categories ranges from travel to computer parts to flowers and jewelry. Our privacy has become more difficult to maintain. Data breach has become more difficult to protect and is the major driver of the purchase of "E-Business" Insurance. Oklahoma has passed a state law to protect state residents regarding data breach notification. Federal law mandates notice to all persons whose information has been breached. The calculated cost is considered to be about $8 per notice. The numbers are growing. </span></p> <ul> <ul> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">Of 83 corporate IT managers, 28 acknowledged having to cope with a data breach </span> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> </li> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">The costs of a data breach vary widely ranging $90 to $305 per customer record, depending on whether the breach is "low-profile" or "high-profile" and the company is in a non-regulated or highly regulated area, such as banking. </span> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> </li> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">In counting up costs, Forrester estimated the cost at $50 for the discovery, notification and response that brings in unexpected expenses associated with legal counsel, call centers and mail notification. It also noted a lost employee productivity that would range from $20 to $30 per customer record. </span></li> </ul> </ul> <dir><dir><dir> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.idtheftcenter.org/workplace_facts.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Workplace Facts and Statistics</span></a></p> </dir></dir></dir> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Businesses are finding it more and more imperative to find insurance coverage for Data Breach issues. There are many companies that are now offering various levels of Data Breach coverage for small or large business. Many personal lines companies are offering endorsements for Identity Theft etc. As we continue our internet quest with social media it is expected that this will be a growing issue.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> </span><a href="http://www.cna.com/portal/site/cna/menuitem.4937ffd9e296769bc9828081a86631a0/?vgnextoid=17a30687e8b40110VgnVCM100000ef7a130aRCRD" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 16px;">CNA Introduces NetProtect Essential</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;for your small business, and Travelers is&nbsp;a company that has </span><a href="http://www.travelers.com/personal-insurance/identity-theft-protection/index.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Identity Theft insurance </span></a><span style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;for the individual.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> If you feel this is a real concern and would like to learn more about what these companies&nbsp;offer,&nbsp;give us a call and&nbsp;and let one&nbsp;of our&nbsp;agents find you the&nbsp;coverage needed for your home or business.</span></p>urn:uuid:54ede3ea-404d-4545-9c2f-f938e8f99d14Did you known that as many as 10 millions Americans were victims of identity theft in 2009? 38-48% of victims find out about the identity theft within 3 months of it starting 9-18% of victims take 4 years or longer to discov...Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:02:42 -0600<p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Did you known that as many as 10 millions Americans were victims of identity theft in 2009? </span></p> <ul> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">38-48% of victims find out about the identity theft within 3 months of it starting </span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">9-18% of victims take 4 years or longer to discover that they are victims of identity theft</span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">Victims spend from 3 to 5,840 hours repairing damage done by identity theft</span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">70% of victims have trouble getting rid of (or never get rid of) negative information in their records </span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">47% of victims have trouble getting credit or a loan as a result of identity theft </span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">19% of victims have higher credit rates and 16% have higher insurance rates because of identity theft </span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">11% of victims say identity theft has a negative impact on their abilities to get jobs </span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> </ul> <b> <p style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Protect&nbsp;your identity and MORE with CNA's <i>NetProtect Essential </i>Policy. </span></p> </b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;">COVERAGES INCLUDE:</span></p> <ul></ul> </span> <ul> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">Privacy injury</span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">Identity theft</span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">Network damage</span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">Theft of others' information in their care, including trade secrets</span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">Infection of others' networks or dataCosts to comply with applicable laws requiring clients to notify their customers or users if a security breach could potentially compromise private information</span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <li><span style="font-size: 16px;">Cost to remedy privacy law compliance deficiencies if so notified by a regulator</span></li> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> </ul> <span style="font-size: 16px;">Give us a call and we will&nbsp;find the coverage that&nbsp;will be the best fit for the&nbsp;protection you need.</span>urn:uuid:cbf473b1-191a-4959-a9b4-e3fd9bda1737<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000003397879XSmall.jpg' align='left' />There is no way any driver can completely protect him or herself from accidents. After all, you can&rsquo;t control all the actions and reactions of the other drivers out there and many times they are responsible for accidents you are involved in. Bu...Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:51:39 -0600<p><img alt="" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000003397879XSmall.jpg" style="float: left;" />There is no way any driver can completely protect him or herself from accidents. After all, you can&rsquo;t control all the actions and reactions of the other drivers out there and many times they are responsible for accidents you are involved in. But one thing we do have within our control is our inner-car driving environment and with that control, we have the responsibility of creating a distraction-free zone.&nbsp;<br /> The following tips will help you keep your driving environment free of unnecessary distractions so you can focus on the road.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> 1. Do not eat while driving: You know those mornings when you are running late and you grab something to eat behind the wheel? Well according to a 2009 article on NYDailyNews.com, that little maneuver is responsible for causing 80 percent of all the accidents on the road. Can you imagine how much cheaper auto insurance rates would be if there were 80 percent fewer accidents?<br /> <br /> 2. Don&rsquo;t apply makeup or shave: At one time or another, on a busy Monday morning, we&rsquo;ve all been behind the person who thinks their rear view mirror is a substitute for their bathroom mirror and, naturally, uses it for makeup application or shaving with an electric razor. Unfortunately, this kind of intense and inappropriate facial scrutiny is very distracting and can easily result in an accident, even when you are only driving at low speeds.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> 3. Don&rsquo;t read&mdash;even while stopped in traffic: Yeah, you have so much on your plate that you need to make every moment of your day count. So that&rsquo;s why you read the newspaper while stuck in traffic on the interstate. But to really make every moment count, you should spend every moment being responsible and paying attention to what you are doing&mdash;especially when you are doing something as important as driving.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> 4. Put your phone in the glove compartment and ignore it until the car is parked: 20 years ago, very few individuals were able to talk on the phone while driving, and none were able to text. While we now have the ability to do both while we drive, the truth is that we shouldn&rsquo;t. And if you look at it objectively, you&rsquo;ll probably agree that there is nothing that can&rsquo;t wait to be said (or typed) until the car is parked.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> 5. Leave the radio station alone: If you drive with the radio on, at some point you will be faced with a commercial or song that you hate and want to change the station to avoid. But messing around with the radio can distract you for vital seconds that you could have used to avoid getting into a car accident. Deal with the song or laser hair removal commercial instead and be patient&mdash;it will be over soon.<br /> In life there are things we can control, and there are things we can&rsquo;t. Take advantage of setting up your driving environment and exercise control over this small piece of your day.<br /> <br /> <span style="line-height: 16px;">Learn more about<strong> </strong></span><a href="http://www.eciagency.com/automobile-insurance/default.aspx"><strong><span style="line-height: 16px;">Oklahoma City&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 16px;">auto insurance</span></strong></a><strong style="line-height: 16px;"></strong><span style="line-height: 16px;">&nbsp;including types of coverage and factors that affect your insurance premium.&nbsp;</span><strong style="line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.eciagency.com/contact.aspx">Contact</a></strong><span style="line-height: 16px;">&nbsp;us to get free auto insurance quote at&nbsp;(405) 373-2977.</span></p> <p><br /> </p>urn:uuid:b1c11a6c-ecaa-4893-b071-d5de35128276<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/DRre_min_email_hdr.png' align='left' /> February 24, 2011 61% of Homeowners Overpay the IRS! The Tip ...Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:08:38 -0600<p ><br /> <img alt="" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/DRre_min_email_hdr.png" /><br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="border-left: #4e5358 4px solid; padding-bottom: 20px; line-height: 26px; background-color: #fff; padding-left: 20px; font-size: 12px; border-right: #4e5358 4px solid; padding-top: 20px;"><strong>February 24, 2011</strong><br /> 61% of Homeowners Overpay the IRS!</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-left: #4e5358 4px solid; padding-bottom: 20px; line-height: 18px; background-color: #fff; padding-left: 20px; font-size: 12px; border-right: #4e5358 4px solid;"> <table style="width: 674px; height: 434px;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="674" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="line-height: 18px; width: 449px; font-size: 12px;"> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong><em>The Tip</em></strong><br /> <em>Homeowners should always plan for tax season and seek expert advice. Failure to do so can cost you thousands of dollars.</em><br /> <br /> We recently came across a tax statistic that blew us away. In 2002 (the only year the study was conducted), 61% of homeowners did not claim their homeowner's tax deductions on their income taxes. <br /> <br /> Let's make that really clear. It doesn't mean that 61% of homeowners didn't pay enough in mortgage interest and property taxes to take the deductions. It means that 61% of homeowners who were eligible to take the deductions and would have saved on their income taxes took the standard deduction (and paid a higher tax bill) instead.<br /> <br /> That's right! Those folks said "No thanks" when Uncle Sam tried to give them back some of their own money&mdash;on a silver platter!<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/newsletters/online/edition/real-estate-newsletter-february11?ectid=1102elprenl_online" target="_blank">Read more</a>&nbsp;to learn how <strong>A Few Minutes Could Save Hundreds</strong><br /> <br /> &nbsp; <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/ELP_small.jpg" /></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </p>urn:uuid:6cd6d890-d365-4478-993e-de126ead2798&nbsp; What is an Ice Dam you may ask. With weather changing so much these days we are faced with problems we've never had before. Here is some great&nbsp;advice on Ice Dams put together by Red River Roofing. Historically ice dams in Oklahoma have ...Fri, 04 Feb 2011 12:27:04 -0600<p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: 13px;">What is an Ice Dam you may ask. With weather changing so much these days we are faced with problems we've never had before. <strong>Here is some great&nbsp;advice on Ice Dams put together by Red River Roofing. </strong><br /> <br /> </span></strong>Historically ice dams in Oklahoma have not been a problem.&nbsp; However, over the last several years the weather patterns in Oklahoma have made many of us all too familiar with ice dams.&nbsp; Below you will find information that will offer some insight to the ice dams, what causes them, how to prevent them and how to deal with them when they already exist.&nbsp; </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Three things are required for an ice dam to form: snow, heat to melt the snow and cold to refreeze the melted snow into solid ice. Ice dams develop as snow on the upper part of the roof melts.&nbsp; Heat from the building&rsquo;s interior rises to cause the melt, poorly insulated building are most prone to this problem. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">&nbsp;Water runs down the roof slope under the blanket of snow and refreezes into a band of ice at the roof&rsquo;s edge creating a &ldquo;dam&rdquo;. Additional snow-melt pools against the dam and eventually leaks into the building through the roof or roof trim. The worst ice dams usually occur when a deep snow is followed by very cold weather, like we are presently seeing.</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Keep in mind that steep slope roof applications are not waterproof.&nbsp; They are comprised of overlapping shingles designed to shed water.&nbsp; When ice and water go backward or up the slope of the roof, because of pooling, these steep slope applications can leak. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Once snow and ice build up on the roof it is difficult to remove.&nbsp; There are several potential solutions that are discussed, each of which comes with its own set of unique risks.&nbsp; We will discuss the solutions and their risk below.&nbsp; </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">&nbsp;</p> <p>&Oslash;&nbsp; The Hammer:&nbsp; Some people have reported climbing a ladder and beating the ice and snow off the eve of the house with a hammer, 2X4 or other device to break it up and remove it. The Risk: ladders and snow do not mix see bullet one.&nbsp; Any time you strike a roof with any device there is a real risk of damaging the roof surface.</p> <p>&Oslash;&nbsp; Hot Water Treatment: A person can hook a hose up to the hot water heater in their home and spray hot water on the roof to melt the snow and ice. The Risk: the distance from the water heater to the roof will probably require more than one hose.&nbsp; Anyone who waters in the summer knows that hoses tend to leak, especially at the joints.&nbsp; This could result in scalding hot water causing interior damage to your floors and wood work.&nbsp; There is also a risk of being burned when dealing with hot water in a hose.&nbsp; </p> <p>&Oslash;&nbsp; The Snow Rake:&nbsp; many people suggest fashioning a long handled rake to remove the bulk of the snow from the roof. Without the heavy blanket of snow many roof surfaces will heat up enough under sunlight to melt the remaining ice.&nbsp; The Risk: If using a snow rake form the ground (recommended) the homeowner still faces the hazards of sub-freezing temperatures, slip and fall risk from ice on the ground and the risk of the ice and snow suddenly breaking free from the roof and crashing into them.&nbsp; Keep in mind that when using a roof rake you are bringing ice and snow toward your body with nothing to stop it from hitting you.&nbsp; This method also tends to damage the roof by removing the protective granules from the surface of the shingles and or breaking the shingles as they are brittle in cold temperatures.&nbsp; </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">&Oslash;&nbsp; The Melt Sock:&nbsp; This method involves placing ice melt (calcium chloride) in a thin sock or panty hose and placing it on the base of the dam thus freeing up an area for water to drain from the structure.&nbsp; The Risk:&nbsp; Placing anything on your roof always presents some hazards but in conditions where ice damming exists those hazards are magnified. A person is exposed to brutally cold temperatures for a period of time.&nbsp; In order to reach the roof a ladder must be erected and placed against the roof.&nbsp; Normally this is not an issue but when you add ice and snow on the ground, the roof, your boots and the ladder the process becomes quite risky. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">A brief safety note on commercial buildings during icy weather: Many commercial structures have metal roof systems, especially to create overhangs.&nbsp;&nbsp; This kind of roof heats up quickly in direct sunlight and will often shed large amounts of ice and snow at once because there is no aggregate or friction on the roof surface.&nbsp; A good tip is to park your car back from the roof line of these buildings and take extra care when walking near them. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">In summary there is no simple solution for ice dams once they occur.&nbsp; Our advice is to manage the leak immediately and complete repairs and take preventative measures after the snow has melted; assess your ventilation, insulation and &ldquo;hot spots&rdquo; in the roof.&nbsp; Material that fully seals the roof can be added to prevent leaking caused by ice dams in leak prone areas. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">If you find a leak in your house drive a small nail through the drywall in the center of the leak and attach a string from the nail into a bucket.&nbsp; This will minimize damage to drywall and flooring making the repair smaller and less costly.</p> <p>Please call a local contractor to help you deal with existing ice dams and create a prevention plan for the future.&nbsp; It is extremely dangerous to climb on your roof when it is covered with ice and snow.&nbsp; Snow removal from a roof surface can be tricky and if done improperly it can cause damage to the roof surface.&nbsp; </p> Clint Rayburn<br /> Marketing Manager <br /> Red River Roofing &amp; Construction Inc.urn:uuid:c0016dc1-7d97-46b9-bf8c-8b53e9257c5eIn 1666, the Great Fire of London was responsible for the destruction of over 13,000 homes and 87 churches. This massive blaze also caused the displacement of over 70,000 residents.&nbsp; Since the death of the poor was not well documented at this ti...Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:06:18 -0600<p>In 1666, the Great Fire of London was responsible for the destruction of over 13,000 homes and 87 churches. This massive blaze also caused the displacement of over 70,000 residents.&nbsp; Since the death of the poor was not well documented at this time, the fate of an unknown number of individuals remains uncertain. And while it was mostly poverty stricken residents who were affected by the fire itself, the disaster had some major fall out that affected the entire country economically. After the fire, the number of homeless people climbed exponentially, businesses lost both workers and customers, and disputes arose over whose responsibility it was to pay for damages and rebuilding.</p> <p>The Great Fire of London pointed out the need for some insurance to be made available to individuals to help recover from this type of disaster, and many different fire insurance schemes were attempted in the years that followed. They weren&rsquo;t particularly well thought out and eventually, they failed. Marine insurance was the only real functioning type of insurance at this time, and it was used as a model to develop a successful and functional fire insurance company in England in 1681.</p> <p>It wasn&rsquo;t until 1732 that an insurance company in the United States issued a fire insurance policy&mdash;and it still didn&rsquo;t really catch on. Benjamin Franklin was a huge proponent of fire insurance and, in 1752 he created Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire, a company that refused to offer fire insurance to owners of buildings that were high risk. Unfortunately, that included wooden houses, which left a huge portion of the population&mdash;those with the most risk and who actually needed the insurance&mdash;without protection.</p> <p>Things changed in the 1820s when Aetna wrote fire insurance policies by area rather than construction type, and spread their risk out by limiting the number of policies they wrote and making sure they wrote them for both high and low risk properties. This followed the more modern form of underwriting that is still in use today. </p> <p>Eventually, as regulation of the insurance industry grew, and safety standards in both residential and commercial buildings improved, the risks of fire decreased while the amount of policies that could be issued increased. As fire departments became increasingly less voluntary and their services more dependable, risks fell even more allowing rates to stabilize until fire insurance became a standard part of a <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/homeowners-insurance/default.aspx">homeowners insurance policy</a>.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Contact us at <strong>405-373-2977</strong> for a free home insurance quote.&nbsp;</p>urn:uuid:8b4b91cb-ab2b-468d-996f-2c9d78d1cefdAccording to the National Fire Protection Association, space heaters are the leading cause of home fires during December, January and February. When used improperly, space heaters that are gas-fueled, kerosene-fueled, electric, fixed or portable; woo...Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:02:10 -0600<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">According to the National Fire Protection Association, space heaters are the leading cause of </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">home fires during December, January and February. When used improperly, space heaters that </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">are gas-fueled, kerosene-fueled, electric, fixed or portable; wood stoves and fireplaces all can </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">lead to serious injury or death. Such disasters can be prevented by utilizing the following safety </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">tips: <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">1. When buying a space heater, make sure it carries the mark of a nationally-recognized </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">testing laboratory. Follow manufacturer&rsquo;s instructions for use.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">2. Have your fireplace, wood or coal stove professionally inspected each year and clean </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">as recommended by the professional.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">3. Keep portable space heaters at least 3 feet from anything that can burn.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">4. When buying space heaters, make sure they include an automatic shutoff feature in </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">case the unit becomes overheated or tips over.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">5. Be sure any gas-fueled heating device is properly ventilated to protect from carbon </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;">monoxide poisoning.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13px;"><strong>Please contact your local Fire Department with&nbsp;any&nbsp;questions.</strong></span></p>urn:uuid:132748b8-24a8-4f01-bcdd-522deddbcf37<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/logo.jpg' align='left' />&nbsp;Group Health Care 2011 What are your options? Employers will be making some changes to their health-insurance plans for 2011 because of health-care reform -- such as offering coverage to children up to age 26 -- and as a way to help control ri...Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:40:51 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;Group Health Care 2011</span></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 16px;">What are your options?</span></b></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Employers will be making some changes to their health-insurance plans for 2011 because of health-care reform -- such as </span><a href="http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/ask/archive/keeping-adult-children-insured.html"><span style="font-size: 16px;">offering coverage to children up to age 26</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px;"> -- and as a way to help control rising health-care costs. A recent survey of large companies by the National Business Group on Health found that employers estimate their health-care-benefit costs will increase by an average of 8.9% in 2011, compared with an average increase of 7% this past year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 16px;">What can you do?</span></b></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Higher co-pays - </b>If you have a choice of several plans, factor your potential out-of-pocket costs into the equation rather than looking just at premiums. Evaluate the new rules for co-payments carefully when deciding which type of care to use throughout the year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><b>More high-deductible health plans and health savings accounts - </b>These extra incentives may make a high-deductible plan worthwhile, even if you aren&rsquo;t in perfect health. Also, most high-deductible plans now cover preventive care without cost sharing before you reach the deductible. Look carefully at the high-deductible plan option this year and consider adding some of your own money to an HSA (if you&rsquo;re eligible). Contributing to an HSA lowers your taxable income</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">, and your money grows tax-deferred for the future and can be used tax-free for medical expenses in any year -- even after you switch to a new job. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Better deals for primary-care and wellness programs - </b>Employers realized that they needed to provide workers with better incentives to sign up for wellness programs. So if participating in one seemed like a hassle in the past, it may be worth a second look this year. Also, get a list of free preventive-care services and make the most of them throughout the year.<br /> <br /> <b>Extra charges for brand-name drugs - </b>If you take medications regularly look carefully at how the drugs are covered and your potential out-of-pocket cost. Switching to generics, when possible, will always save you money, and the cost savings becomes even more pronounced if your employer charges a lower co-pay for the lowest-cost drug. Also reconsider where you buy your medications if your employer provides a higher level of coverage for mail-order pharmacies. And find out about any prior authorization or step-therapy requirements before using a new medication so you don&rsquo;t get hit with surprise charges if you don&rsquo;t follow the rules.<br /> <br /> <br /> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 16px;">If you are not satisfied with your current health insurance or agent, give Scott a call.&nbsp; We represent, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Humana, and United Health Care.&nbsp; We would love to have the opportunity to earn your business.</span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /> <br /> <img alt="" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/logo.jpg" /><br /> <br /> <br /> PO BOX 600</span></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 16px;">Piedmont, OK 73078</span></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 16px;">405-373-2977</span></b></p>urn:uuid:002b21c0-ee62-4280-851a-7c49bfa26a48<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/ELP%20Badge%20P&amp;C%20LG.jpg' align='left' /> Insurance is an important part of any financial plan. It transfers risk away from the individual in exchange for a premium payment. It is very valuable in some key areas to help avoid financial devastation but can also be a drag on your ability to...Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:12:51 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/ELP%20Badge%20P&amp;C%20LG.jpg" /></p> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 13px;">Insurance is an important part of any financial plan. It transfers risk away from the individual in exchange for a premium payment. It is very valuable in some key areas to help avoid financial devastation but can also be a drag on your ability to get out of debt and grow wealth if the wrong plans are purchased.<br /> <br /> <a href="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/DavesDosDonts-crop.pdf" target="_blank">Read more</a> <span style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;for a brief review of strategies that Dave Ramsey recommends as an overall approach to purchasing insurance in a way that will maximize your protection and minimize your costs. <br /> <br /> (Source: <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/elp/insurance/" target="_blank">DaveRamsey.com</a>)<br /> </span><br /> </span>urn:uuid:c9995bfe-2b61-43b8-8475-d56b517dfe05<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000004370173XSmall.jpg' align='left' />The internet has created a world of opportunities for consumers who are interested in becoming educated about keeping their family safe. However, at times, it can be overwhelming to try and figure out which sources to listen to and which to disregard...Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:04:18 -0600<p>The internet has created a world of opportunities for consumers who are interested in becoming educated about keeping their family safe. However, at times, it can be overwhelming to try and figure out which sources to listen to and which to disregard.</p> <p><a href="http://www.iihs.org/" target="_blank">The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety</a>, is an independent, non-profit group that researches data that can help reduce highway accidents, injuries and crash deaths. The group is funded by auto insurers and provides a wealth of educational materials and videos to better educate consumers. </p> <p>Today, I am going to discuss one of their videos, <i><a href="http://www.iihs.org/video.aspx/info/sfsc" target="_blank">Shopping for a Safer Car</a></i>. This video gives an overview of all the safety features that you should look for when you go to buy a new car.</p> <p><strong><img style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;" alt="Car Insurance" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000004370173XSmall.jpg" />1. Crash Avoidance Technologies</strong><br /> Certain vehicles are built with special crash avoidance technologies. &nbsp;The first of these technologies is &lsquo;Daytime Running Lights (DRL)&rsquo;.&nbsp; DRL can help others see your car from further away which lessens the chance of them running into you.&nbsp; Another crash avoidance technology is called &lsquo;Electronic Stability Control (ESC)&rsquo;.&nbsp; ESC auto engages to control your vehicle if you lose control after turning to sharply. Buying a vehicle with these technologies could be a great step to take in reducing your risk of accident. </p> <p><strong>2. Vehicle Size and Weight</strong><br /> Large, heavy vehicles offer more protection in crash because they have more structure with which to absorb the crash energy around you.&nbsp; With that in mind, extra-large vehicle offer little additional protection and can actually will actually cause more harm to other vehicles when involved in an accident. Finding a happy medium in terms of size and weight will keep your family safe while not increasing the potential damage you could cause others. </p> <p><strong>3. Structure and Restraint Systems</strong><br /> Vehicles with a strong safety cage and crumple zones are safer for you and your family. Vehicles with lap belts in addition to side and front airbags will do more to protect your body from injury. &nbsp;It is also good to consider adjustable head restraints for whiplash prevention. </p> <p><strong>4. Crash Test Ratings</strong><br /> The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crash test ratings on their website for tests they have conducted. In addition, the government website, <a href="http://www.safercar.gov/">Safercar.gov</a> has crash test ratings from its own tests. Compare the vehicles you are considering on each of these sites and stick with those automobiles that have a high rating from both.&nbsp; </p> <p>Taking the extra time to learn about the safety features and ratings of the vehicles you may buy is well worth it. After all, insurance can assist you financially after an accident but it can&rsquo;t repair you physically or emotionally. A vehicle with the right safety features could prevent you from enduring permanent damage to your body and psyche. </p>urn:uuid:de8ff870-3dd5-4697-aaee-3b63ee24ec20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A lawyer in Charlotte, NC purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against fire among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having m...Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:11:44 -0600&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A lawyer in Charlotte, NC purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against fire among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed a claim with the insurance company.<br /> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyer sued....and won! In delivering the ruling the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be "unacceptable fire," and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000.00 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars lost in the "fires."<br /> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;But... After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000.00 fine.<br />urn:uuid:914218fe-0b70-456f-bb3f-8e50c2109d6c&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; State of Oklahoma Construction Industries Board Nathan Powell&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp...Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:00:11 -0600<span style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">State of Oklahoma Construction Industries Board <br /> </span></strong></span><br /> <br /> Nathan Powell&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Brad Henry <br /> Administrator&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Governor<br /> <br /> <br /> September 27, 2010 <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>For Immediate Release <br /> </strong>Contact Nathan Powell, Administrator <br /> Oklahoma Construction Industries Board <br /> 405-271-2771 <br /> <br /> ROOFING CONTRACTORS TO BE REGISTERED BY STATE IN ORDER TO DO BUSINESS IN <br /> OKLAHOMA <br /> <br /> Roofing contractors in Oklahoma will soon be required to be registered with the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB) to perform roofing work in the state. <br /> <br /> According to CIB Administrator Nathan Powell, the agency expects to begin accepting applications for registration on December 7, 2010 and to issue registrations to contractors effective January 1, 2011. Contractors will be required to renew their registration by June 30, 2011. <br /> <br /> Powell stressed that the roofing program is not a licensing program like the CIB administers for electricians and plumbers. &ldquo;This program operates principally by providing information to the consumer regarding the roofing contractors who register legally with the state and provide proof of <br /> the required insurance coverage,&rdquo; Powell said. <br /> <br /> The Roofing Contractor Registration Act (RCRA) was signed into law by Governor Henry on June 10, 2010. The RCRA Act is available for viewing and download on the CIB website <a href="http://www.ok.gov/cib">www.ok.gov/cib</a>. Information regarding implementation of RCRA will be posted there as it becomes available. <br /> <br /> The bill creates a procedure whereby resident and nonresident roofing contractors are required to obtain a valid registration from the CIB in order to act as a roofing contractor in the State of Oklahoma. While the registration is administered by the CIB, failure to register is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, which would be initiated by the appropriate district attorney&rsquo;s office having jurisdiction. <br /> <br /> To obtain the registration, the contractor must submit their qualifications, show evidence of liability insurance of no less than $500,000.00, show evidence of workers&rsquo; compensation insurance coverage or exemption from coverage, provide certain information and meet other criteria as specified in the <br /> RCRA. The business must register annually. <br /> <br /> Fees for contractor registration will not exceed $300 for an annual registration. Registrations issued between January and April of 2011 will be processed with reduced fees since the initial registrations will only be valid until June 30, 2011. All Contractors, except those which are granted initial registrations in May or June of 2011, will be required to renew their registration by June 30, 2011. Contractors issued initial registrations in May or June of 2011 will pay the full registration fee, but those registrations will expire on June 30, 2012. <br /> <br /> The CIB will maintain a publicly available Registry of Qualified Roofing Contractors containing all legally registered roofing contractors. The Registry will be a record of all roofing contractor registrations and information maintained on individual roofing contractors. The registry will be open to inspection by the public, available on the CIB website and will include a record of convictions or adjudications against a registered contractor for violations of the RCRA. <br /> <br /> Certain acts by a roofing contractor may lead to revocation, suspension or denial of the contractor&rsquo;s registration. Under RCRA, verified complaints are filed to the CIB alleging such actions or omissions. Upon receiving a complaint, the CIB will provide the contractor with an opportunity to respond in writing to the complaint. A copy of the complaint and the response are then referred to the district attorney for action. The prohibited acts and omissions include:&nbsp;<br /> <br /> &bull; Abandonment of a roofing contract without a legal excuse after a deposit of money or other consideration has been paid; <br /> <br /> &bull; Diversion of funds or property entrusted to a roofing contractor; <br /> <br /> &bull; Engaging in fraudulent or deceptive acts or practices; <br /> <br /> &bull; Making false or misleading statements in a registration application, renewal application or in solicitation for contract; <br /> <br /> &bull; Adjudication by a court for a violation of the act; <br /> <br /> &bull; Engaging in work without a valid registration or performing roofing services while their registration is suspended or revoked; <br /> <br /> &bull; Engaging in work without a proper permit; <br /> <br /> &bull; Failure to comply with Oklahoma tax laws; and, <br /> <br /> &bull; Failure to carry adequate insurance to cover injuries and damages. <br /> Upon any judgment against the roofing contractor for violation of the RCRA, the CIB may suspend, revoke or deny registrations when so ordered by the court and update the Registry of Qualified Roofing Contractors accordingly. <br /> <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 2401 NW 23rd Street, Suite 5, Oklahoma City, OK 73107 <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Phone 405-271-5217 Fax 405-271-5254&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.cib.state.ok.us">www.cib.state.ok.us</a> <br /> <br /> </span>urn:uuid:738323d6-8574-46bc-899d-ab66df086114<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000002276216Small.jpg' align='left' />Insurance is a valuable asset within any financial plan, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean that the premiums can&rsquo;t hurt your budget if you aren&rsquo;t careful. Fortunately, there are several ways to save money on insurance premiums. Here are five su...Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:14:44 -0600<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong><img style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; margin-left: 10px;" alt="Insurance" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000002276216Small.jpg" />Insurance is a valuable asset</strong> within any financial plan, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean that the premiums can&rsquo;t hurt your budget if you aren&rsquo;t careful. Fortunately, there are <strong>several ways to save money on insurance premiums</strong>. Here are five suggestions to help you <strong>get the coverage you need at a price you can afford:</strong> </p> <ol> <li> <p style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;"><strong>Stick with the same company:</strong> Everyday, insurance companies send out messages and commercials to vie for your business. To encourage customers to purchase all of their insurance in the same place, they will often provide discounts for people who hold multiple policies with them. Be sure to let your agent know of any existing coverage you have while you shop so he or she can help you take advantage of these multi-policy discounts. </p> </li> <li> <p style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;"><strong>Have your current policy on-hand:</strong> When switching insurance carriers, know what your current insurance limits, deductibles, coverage options and premiums are. This will help you avoid becoming over or under-insured with your new policy and will help you determine an appropriate premium for your budget.</p> </li> <li> <p style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;"><strong>Discuss deductibles:</strong> A higher deductible generally means a lower insurance premium because it shows that you are accepting some of the potential risk of a claim. But remember, only choose a deductible that you can afford&mdash;otherwise, you might not be able to carry the cost when an insurable event actually occurs.</p> </li> <li> <p style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;"><strong>Choose appropriate limits:</strong> Limits on your insurance policies represent the maximum amounts that an insurer might need to pay if you have a qualifying insurable event. When you over insure your car, home or life, you create limits that are higher than necessary that bring on a premium expense that is wasteful. Instead, be sure to choose appropriate limits that will help make you whole after an event.</p> </li> <li> <p style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;"><strong>Make use of riders:</strong> Riders are additional benefits that can be added to certain insurance contracts. For instance, in life insurance&mdash;instead of buying separate policies for your spouse or children&mdash;you can add riders that provide a death benefit in the event that they pass away before you do. Riders are generally less expensive than individual policies but be sure you understand how they work before you add them to your policy.</p> </li> </ol> <p style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The best way to get an accurate and affordable insurance quote is to <strong>work with your agent</strong> and offer him or her <strong>full disclosure on your life and needs</strong>. An agent is your <strong>best resource in finding the premiums you can afford</strong> in a policy that doesn&rsquo;t compromise benefits.</p>urn:uuid:8d2b9cb2-7250-4a2c-b542-923480d34e9dTravelers Wedding&nbsp;or Special Event Insurance!! For as little as $160, your&nbsp;Special Event&nbsp;insurance policy can cover you for a variety of unforeseen situations, such as: *Special attire *Lost deposits *Severe weather *Transportation s...Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:46:52 -0600<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 18px;">Travelers Wedding&nbsp;or Special Event Insurance!! For as little as $160, your&nbsp;Special Event&nbsp;insurance policy can cover you for a variety of unforeseen situations, such as: <br /> <br /> *Special attire<br /> *Lost deposits<br /> *Severe weather<br /> *Transportation shutdown<br /> *Ruined photos<br /> *Call to duty<br /> *Damaged gifts<br /> *Sudden illness<br /> *Venue requires insurance<br /> *Liquor liability<br /> *Additional expenses<br /> <br /> If you&nbsp;are planning&nbsp;a Special event, please <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/contact/Patti_Edwards.aspx"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 18px;">call Patti for inquiries and details</span></a>.&nbsp; Don't let an unforeseen catastrophe ruin your big day.</span>urn:uuid:0a4c3465-8680-4fc5-a30d-e9e88c541ee5Read through our recent posting from around the web: The difference between cancellations &amp; non-renewals New laws to reduce teen driving fatalities Why teens aren't well prepped for driving Learn about Teen Driving Safety Week...Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:03:39 -0500<h3>Read through our recent posting from around the web:</h3> <ul> <li style="padding-bottom: 5px;">The difference between <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Difference_between_Policy_Cancellation_Non-Renewal.aspx" title="Homeowners Insurance" target="_self">cancellations &amp; non-renewals</a> </li> <li style="padding-bottom: 5px;">New laws to <a href="http://eciagency.blogspot.com/2010/10/laws-reduce-teen-traffic-fatalities.html" title="Auto Insurance" target="_blank">reduce teen driving fatalities</a> </li> <li style="padding-bottom: 5px;">Why teens aren't well <a href="http://esccornelius.typepad.com/blog/2010/10/teens-driving.html" title="Teen Driving" target="_blank">prepped for driving</a> </li> <li style="padding-bottom: 5px;">Learn about <a href="http://eciagency.livejournal.com/1698.html" title="Teen Driving" target="_blank">Teen Driving Safety Week</a> </li> <li style="padding-bottom: 5px;"><a href="http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&amp;friendId=539998628&amp;blogId=540242970" title="DWI Offender" target="_blank">DWI offender sentenced</a>&nbsp;to life in prison </li> <li>Tips to save money on <a href="http://eciagency.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/saving-money-on-homeowners-insurance/" title="Homeowners Insurance" target="_blank">homeowners insurance</a> </li> </ul> <p>Be sure to check back with us for more stories!</p>urn:uuid:fb9386bd-c926-4ffe-a9a3-1a568f5228a9<img src='http://www.insurancewebsitebuilder.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000008437831XSmall.jpg' align='left' />Insurance is not a gift or a right, it is a product that you buy and that protects you against all the insurable incidents that can put your financial present and future at risk. As such, insurance is also a contract that can be cancelled or that eit...Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:53:08 -0500<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Insurance is not a gift or a right, it is a product that you buy and that <strong>protects you against all the insurable incidents</strong> that can put your financial present and future at risk. As such, insurance is also a contract that can be cancelled or that either you or the insurance company can choose not to renew. </p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Insurance cancellation and non-renewal are two completely different actions. </p> <ol style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-top: 0in;"> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">In a cancellation,<strong> your insurance company is the catalyst</strong> and the cancellation can occur any time during the policy term&mdash;not just upon renewal. An insurance company can cancel a policy for many reasons, including: <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha; margin-top: 0in;"> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong>You don&rsquo;t pay your premium</strong> by the end of the grace period. </li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">It is found that <strong>you committed fraud</strong> with material misrepresentation on the application. </li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">You are <strong>convicted of a crime</strong> which is the result of an activity that would have increased your risk to the insurer. </li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">You<strong> purposefully increase the risk you pose to the insurance company</strong> or engage in acts that are purposefully dangerous in terms of claims. </li> </ol> </li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">In non-renewal, either you or your insurance company <strong>purposefully choose not to renew your policy after its expiration</strong>. This may happen because your lifestyle or circumstances have changed and the insurer no longer sees you as an insurable risk; it can happen because an insurance company stops providing a certain line of insurance coverage; it can also happen because you decide to get a policy with another company instead of renewing your existing policy either because premiums are less expensive or you find a company with a better A.M. Best rating, or any number of other reasons. </li> </ol> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><img style="width: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; height: 215px; margin-left: 10px;" alt="Home Insurance" src="http://www.insurancewebsitebuilder.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000008437831XSmall.jpg" />If you choose not to renew your own policy, there isn&rsquo;t much you need to do except not pay the premium. If you are on an auto-renewal plan that automatically debts your bank account, remember to call the insurance company and stop the payment before it goes through and triggers the renewal. <br /> <br /> If your insurer chooses not to renew the policy, they are required to give you 20 days notice before it is not renewed. If they choose to cancel the policy, they must only give 10 days notice before it is cancelled.</p> Whether your policy is non-renewed or cancelled at the insurer&rsquo;s behest, <strong>you have the right to fight it or get a written explanation</strong>. To exercise this right, you need to contact the consumer affairs division of your insurer. If you are still unsatisfied you can contact the Department of Insurance.urn:uuid:9bc0c61f-0ac4-498b-9b76-8f22330dd701Check out our recent blog postings from around the web: Saving Money on Homeowners Insurance Health care reform to be challenged Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma to Consolidate Downtown Facilities Why Oklahoma City Could Represent the Future o...Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:39:09 -0500Check out our recent blog postings from around the web:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/blog/Saving_Money_on_Homeowners_Insurance.aspx" id="BlogEntries_ctl00_ctl04_lnk_main_title" title="Oklahoma City Home Insurance">Saving Money on Homeowners Insurance</a><br /> <a href="http://eciagency.blogspot.com/2010/09/health-care-reform-to-be-challenged.html" title="Oklahoma City Health Insurance" target="_blank">Health care reform to be challenged</a><br /> <a href="http://esccornelius.typepad.com/blog/2010/09/blue-cross-blue-shield-oklahoma-to-consolidate.html" title="Oklahoma City Health Insurance" target="_blank">Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma to Consolidate Downtown Facilities</a><br /> <div style="text-align: left; background-color: transparent; color: #000000; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none;border: medium none;"><a href="http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&amp;friendId=539998628&amp;blogId=539560363" title="Oklahoma City Insurance" target="_blank"><label id="pBlogSubject_539560363">Why Oklahoma City Could Represent the Future of America</label></a><br /> <a href="http://eciagency.livejournal.com/1291.html" class="subj-link">How the Health Care Law Will Affect Oklahomans</a><br /> <br /> Be sure to keep checking back for more posts and get your own&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/category.aspx?id=QUOTE" style="color: #000; text-decoration: none;" title="Free Quote">free quote</a> for <a href="http://www.eciagency.com" style="color: #000; text-decoration: none;" title="Oklahoma City Home Insurance">Oklahoma City Home Insurance<br /> </a></div>urn:uuid:258ebfbc-0faf-48a1-bf42-6e5a168d4678<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000008476243XSmall.jpg' align='left' />Whether you have a mortgage or not,&nbsp;homeowners insurance is an important necessity. After all, bearing the replacement or rebuilding costs of your home without insurance may be a fiscal impossibility&mdash;and being homeless is certainly not an ...Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:10:57 -0500<p><img style="width: 250px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; height: 201px; margin-left: 10px;" alt="House Insurance" src="/img/~www.eciagency.com/iStock_000008476243XSmall.jpg" />Whether you have a mortgage or not,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/homeowners-insurance/default.aspx" style="color: #000;" title="Oklahoma City Home Insurance">homeowners insurance</a> is an important necessity. After all, bearing the replacement or rebuilding costs of your home <strong>without insurance may be a fiscal impossibility</strong>&mdash;and being homeless is certainly not an option. And you may not think your contents are valuable enough to merit coverage, but think about how much you would have to spend in order to<strong> refurnish your home</strong>,<strong> re-clothe yourself and your children</strong>, and <strong>replace valuable electronics and family antiques</strong>.</p> <p>But not every budget allows for insurance coverage that <strong>suits all your needs</strong> based on the risks you are exposed to daily. If your budget is tight, then consider some of these money saving ideas rather than going without insurance.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #006ec3;">Choose a higher deductible:</span></strong> The deductible of your policy is the amount that you must pay out of your own pocket when you have a claim. For example, if you have a $5,000 deductible and the amount of damage after an insurable incident is $15,000, then you will pay for $5,000 worth of the damage out of your own funds and the insurance company will pay the remaining $10,000. Because this amount reduces the overall amount of money that the insurance company must pay, it also reduces your premium. Before you pick a higher deductible, make sure that you can actually afford to pay it and, if you have a mortgage, check with your mortgage company to make sure they permit that high a deductible.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #006ec3;">Install a monitored anti-theft alarm system:</span></strong> If you have a monitored alarm system&mdash;the kind that has a live crew of representatives available 24/7 to alert the police if something happens in your home that trips the alarm&mdash;then your homeowners insurance company <strong>may offer additional discounts</strong> to you.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #006ec3;">Lower your limits:</span></strong> As rebuilding expenses decline and housing prices go down, you may be able to <strong>reduce the limits</strong> on your homeowners insurance policy. Limits are the maximum amounts the insurance company will pay if you were to suffer a total loss of your property. If you have a mortgage, you will need to keep limits that guarantee the mortgage lender full repayment, so be sure to give your lender a call before you make any decisions.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #006ec3;">Pay your premium annually:</span></strong> If you pay your premium monthly, your insurance company may be adding an additional service charge to your premiums. Instead, change your premium payment method to annual payments and you will avoid any extra service or billing charges.</p> <p><span style="color: #006ec3;">So get your own quote on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eciagency.com/framed.aspx?ref=900" style="color: #006ec3;" title="Oklahoma City Home Insurance Quote">Oklahoma City Home Insurance</a> right now!</span></p>urn:uuid:275e0f81-197f-448d-b66e-ab9d7996141d<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/denise_johnson_small.jpg' align='left' />Something New Denise Johnson, the association&rsquo;s first woman to be chairman, has goals for this year that focus on technology, growth and quality service. by Kathryn Jenson White Managing Editor of Policy - Fall 2010 While each previous year...Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:14:16 -0500<h1>Something New</h1> <em>Denise Johnson, the association&rsquo;s first woman to be chairman, has goals for this year that focus on technology, growth and quality service.</em><br /> <br /> by <strong>Kathryn Jenson White</strong> Managing Editor of Policy - Fall 2010<br /> <br /> <img alt="" src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/denise_johnson_small.jpg" /><br /> <br /> <p>While each previous year&rsquo;s Policy discussion with the newly elected chairman introduced a unique individual with his own thoughts about the <a href="http://iiaok.com/" title="IIAO">Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma</a>, independent agents as businesspeople and the insurance industry in which they work, this iteration of that standard column is different in a different way: the chairman is, for the first time in the more than 100-year existence of IIAO, actually a chairwoman: <a title="Denise Johnson's profile" href="http://www.eciagency.com/profile/Denise_Johnson.aspx">Denise Johnson</a> of Piedmont&rsquo;s ECI Agency, which Earnie Cornelius, Johnson&rsquo;s father, began 45 years ago. She and her brother, <a title="Scott Cornelius' profile" href="http://www.eciagency.com/profile/Scott_Cornelius.aspx">Scott Cornelius</a>, are now the agency principals. Johnson talked with Policy about being the first woman to serve as chair of IIAO in its 103-year history and what she wants to focus on in her one-year tenure.</p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-size: 18px; color: #006ec3;">Q. </span><strong>First, welcome to your new position. Second, how does it feel to join the long list of women who are what we call, &ldquo;first to&rsquo;s,&rdquo; as in first woman to swim the English Channel, first woman to be elected as a governor in the United States, first woman to serve as chair of the Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma? That&rsquo;s a pretty exciting description to have attached to your name isn&rsquo;t it? </strong></p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-size: 18px; color: #006ec3;">A. </span>It is exciting, and thank you. I&rsquo;m excited about the year ahead. I&rsquo;ve been giving the guys a hard time. I said, &lsquo;It takes you men 103 years to figure this out?&rsquo; But honestly, they have all been just incredibly respectful. It&rsquo;s been such a huge joy to undertake this. I was in another state at a conference, and someone asked me, &lsquo;Did you feel as if you were scratching your way to the top?&rsquo; I started laughing. I have never felt like I&rsquo;ve had to scratch my way to anything because I&rsquo;ve felt that there was such incredible mutual respect with every person I have served with on the board from the beginning of this process. I do think that they felt it was time. I&rsquo;ve jokingly asked, &lsquo;This isn&rsquo;t just the girl factor, is it?&rsquo; The board took that seriously. They seemed shocked I would even say such a thing. The board members made it clear they thought I could do a good job in this position. But, that said, in 2010 it was time, and even past time, to &nbsp;have a woman leading our association. </p> <p><a href="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/DeniseJohnson.pdf" target="_blank" title="Full Interview with Denise Johnson">Click to read the full interview</a></p>urn:uuid:893ec417-7be4-44f9-88b1-cbe9e7bc69ec<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/iStock_000005407500XSmall.jpg' align='left' /> Boat owners know the freedom that floating in a boat in a body of water offers. Whether you float in an inland lake or the wide open ocean, it feels as though your choices, future and possibilities are endless. This freedom does not mean, however, t...Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:46:38 -0500<p><img alt="" src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/iStock_000005407500XSmall.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-left: 10px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; width: 300px;" /></p> <p>Boat owners know the freedom that floating in a boat in a body of water offers. Whether you float in an inland lake or the wide open ocean, it feels as though your choices, future and possibilities are endless. This freedom does not mean, however, that you can go without <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/boat/default.aspx" title="boat insurance">boat insurance</a>. You have an obligation to your family and to other boaters to carry insurance that protects you and them from financial liabilities. </p> <p>When you decide to buy boat insurance, there are a few coverage options and policy distinctions you should consider. </p> <p><strong>Coverage Options</strong></p> <p>The first thing you need to consider are your coverage options. Not every boat insurance policy must be created the same way or carry the same coverages. Some things to consider include:</p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; list-style-type: disc;"> <li>The navigational area you need your insurance to cover. </li> <li>Whether or not to get fuel spill coverage for accidental spills your vessel might cause. If your vessel sinks or spills oil you are responsible for the cleanup costs whether you have coverage or not. </li> <li>Whether personal effects coverage (for all the personal items on board) will be useful to you.</li> <li>If unattached equipment coverage for things like anchors, water skis and other unattached tools and recreational toys will be useful for your boating style.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Value of the Vessel</strong></p> <p>Next you need to determine what you want covered in terms of value. There are two choices here, agreed value&mdash;which is the value you agree to in the insurance policy, or actual value which is the actual value of your boat and may not be enough to replace it if there has been some wear and tear. </p> <p><strong>Keeping Your Boat Insurance Policy Affordable</strong></p> <p>Lastly, you should consider ways in which you can lower the cost of your boat insurance. If you&rsquo;ve had any training in official boat safety programs and received certificates for the training, this can be very useful in reducing your boat insurance premiums. Likewise, boat safety checks from the coast guard can help reduce costs. Installing safety devices like a GPS and choosing a proper marina for boat docking are other actions you can take to reduce premiums. </p> <p>Your boat insurance policy ensures that you and your family will remain financially secure even after an expensive claim. It will also help to keep you on the water after a natural disaster or other insurable incident. Having the right policy will help you feel even freer as you enjoy your time boating.</p> <p>Call us today for comprehensive boat &amp; water coverage at <strong>(405) 373-2977</strong> or complete our <a href="http://www.eciagency.com/boat/watercraft_insurance_quote.aspx" title="Watercraft Insurance Quote">online quote form</a>.</p>urn:uuid:a4845f4f-6aa4-443a-808e-c0277611b7f0<img src='http://www.eci-agency.com/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/home_inventory.png' align='left' />If a disaster strikes, the last thing you want to worry about is sitting down and trying to create a list of all of your property.&nbsp; Creating a home inventory beforehand can save you a tremendous amount of stress, help you determine the correct a...Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:04:31 -0500<p><img alt="" style="float: left;" src="/img/%7Ewww.eciagency.com/home_inventory.png" />If a disaster strikes, the last thing you want to worry about is sitting down and trying to create a list of all of your property.&nbsp; Creating a home inventory beforehand can save you a tremendous amount of stress, help you determine the correct amount of insurance to carry, and will help to get a claim settled faster.</p> <p></p> <p>It can appear to be a daunting task, documenting everything you own, but there are several tools out there that can ease the process.&nbsp; Some choose to write everything down in a notebook, room by room.&nbsp; Other options include taking photos or videotaping your property.&nbsp; If you choose any of these methods, just be sure to store the list somewhere other than your home.&nbsp; Another option is to download the free home inventory software at <a target="blank" href="http://www.knowyourstuff.org/">www.KnowYourStuff.org</a>.</p> <p></p> <p>Always be sure to remember to update your home inventory from time to time, especially if you make a significant purchase.&nbsp; Certain items such as collections, jewelry, and artwork may need to be insured separately, so have your home inventory handy when discussing your insurance needs with your agent.</p>urn:uuid:86524f7a-f004-44b6-8442-913b9d41fea0There are many ways to connect with me, so click on the links below and join me! Facebook Twitter Linked In Blogspot Wordpress Typepad Live Journal MySpace Live Spaces Yahoo Pulse Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:11:30 -0500There are many ways to connect with me, so click on the links below and join me!<br /> <br /> <ul> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/eciagency">Facebook</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/eciagency">Twitter</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.linkedin.com/companies/eci-agency-inc.">Linked In</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://eciagency.blogspot.com">Blogspot</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://eciagency.wordpress.com">Wordpress</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://esccornelius.typepad.com/blog/">Typepad</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://eciagency.livejournal.com/">Live Journal</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.myspace.com/eciagency">MySpace</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://eciagency.spaces.live.com/ ">Live Spaces</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://pulse.yahoo.com/esccornelius">Yahoo Pulse</a></li> </ul>urn:uuid:3e89e16e-01c7-440e-b80b-db21924cb702May people blindly shop for their home and auto insurance without knowing what questions to ask.&nbsp; Price is not the only consideration when buying insurance.&nbsp; Sometimes it is nice to know that your home and automobile are properly covered in...Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:55:58 -0500May people blindly shop for their home and auto insurance without knowing what questions to ask.&nbsp; Price is not the only consideration when buying insurance.&nbsp; Sometimes it is nice to know that your home and automobile are properly covered in case you need the insurance.&nbsp; In the final interview with Michael Freeman, he and Patti discuss what questions you should ask your agent and why you don't just want to buy "Cheap Insurance".&nbsp; <br /> <br /> <a href="/img/~www.eciagency.com/Newsletter/Vol 2 Issue 16.pdf">Vol 2 Issue 16.pdf</a>urn:uuid:2f2363dd-5992-4e9b-a343-41c8b021c7a6As a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Licensed Provider (ELP) for property and casualty insurance, we are asked to make sure that our clients are given all of the options when they are shopping for home and auto insurance.&nbsp; Below are question and answer ses...Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:38:36 -0500As a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Licensed Provider (ELP) for property and casualty insurance, we are asked to make sure that our clients are given all of the options when they are shopping for home and auto insurance.&nbsp; Below are question and answer sessions with Patti Edwards, our personal lines producer, explaining many of the common questions that customers ask.<br /> <br /> <a href="/img/~www.eciagency.com/Newsletter/Vol2Issue13.pdf" target="_blank">Vol 2 Issue 13</a><br /> <a href="/img/~www.eciagency.com/Newsletter/Vol2Issue14.pdf" target="_blank">Vol 2 Issue 14</a><br /> <a href="/img/~www.eciagency.com/Newsletter/Vol2Issue15.pdf" target="_blank">Vol 2 Issue 15</a>urn:uuid:84143456-2240-4004-9b3a-08e1cda324f8Check out our new Twitter profile where you will find everything you need to know about Oklahoma City Home Insurance. Follow us at http://twitter.com/ECIAgencyWed, 09 Jun 2010 10:04:02 -0500Check out our new Twitter profile where you will find everything you need to know about Oklahoma City Home Insurance. Follow us at <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/ECIAgency">http://twitter.com/ECIAgency</a>