How We Protect You

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How does IBRG Protect You?

Question: What are the advantages to using an independent agent to purchase insurance?

Answer: An independent agent with whom there is direct contact is a great asset when purchasing a product, and can be an important advocate when filing a claim. A local, independent agent is able to deliver quality insurance with competitive pricing and local personalized service by shopping the best options WITHOUT being held captive to one carrier.

At IBRG, we help you protect:

  • what you do
  • what you have, &
  • who you love.

Insurance is just the vehicle to do that. It is our way of taking care of YOUR world.

Review below how IBRG helps Protect YOU!

Business Protection

Whether your business is large or small, IBRG has the products to meet your needs. Every business and industry is unique; we identify ways to properly insure the unique hazards of your business.

Business Protection

Whether your business is large or small, we have the products to meet your needs. Every business and industry is unique; we identify ways to properly insure the unique hazards of your business. As business owners ourselves, we understand the special protection businesses need to prosper. Businesses face a growing number of insurance challenges and increasingly complex risks these days.  Successfully managing these exposures is vital to protecting your organization’s assets while capitalizing on future market opportunities.  The following is a partial list of insurance coverage in which we are proficient. We provide tailor made, affordable protection for our customers.

Business Coverages

• Commercial Property & Liability
• Trucking/Transportaion/Fleet Specialty
• Business Automobile
• Worker’s Compensation
• Builders Risk
• Inland Marine
• Fidelity & Surety Bonds
• Commercial Excess Liability
• Employment Practice Liability
• Employee Benefits Liability
• Professional Liability/E&O/D&O

Loss Control Programs
With our insurance company partners, we can evaluate your business’s current conditions and recommend ways to lower property, auto, workers’ compensation or liability losses. Lower losses will not only lower your insurance costs, but also increase your productivity by avoiding downtime.

Quick Claim Response
When you do have a claim, you need fast, fair service. As independent agents we work to make that happen. That’s why we only represent companies with excellent records for settling claims fairly and promptly.

Competitive Rates
Many of the insurance companies we represent specialize in insuring specific types of businesses or industries, offering special coverage and pricing. To see if your business qualifies for one of these special programs, contact us for more information.

Carrying proper insurance coverage is only half the battle. The real victory comes when you understand and manage the complexities of your risk and the costs associated with exposure and loss. Reducing risk, can dramatically decrease down time, minimize claims and lower your cost of your insurance.

Contact IBRG at 224-333-0550

Business Solutions

Don’t make your business life more complicated.

Let the professionals at IBRG review all your business and employee benefits to ensure that:

  1. You are protected and at the least amount of risk.
  2. That as a business owner, you, and all employees have answers to protection and insurance coverages.
  3. There’s a clear understanding of coverages, companies and products that fit your specific needs and people.

In addition to the categories listed in our menu for people: GROUP LIFE, GROUP HEALTH, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, please call us IBRG for specific IDENTITY PROTECTION. With information moving mostly in electronic forms, IDENTITY PROTECTION can be essential to reducing exposure and risk in and out of business.

Call one of IBRG specialists at 224-333-0550 to go over the safe guidelines and ways we can help you REDUCE COSTS if a breach of information should occur.

Liability Insurance

IBRG will help navigate your needs in liability insurance requirements.

What is liability insurance? It is coverage that protects you against some of the following items. We are happy to discuss your specific needs with you by phone, by virtual meeting, or in person.

List of Coverages include:

  • General liability
  • Professional liability
  • Product liability
  • Cyber liability
  • Employment practices
  • Employee benefits liability

For a business risk assessment and review, please contact IBRG at 224-333-0550

Employee Benefits

Benefits to Strengthen your Business
Employees are the most valuable asset a business has. Our broad array of income protection options provides the flexibility needed to create a benefits offering that works for each company we serve.

We are dedicated to helping businesses attract, retain, and protect employees with our growing portfolio of the latest industry-leading employee benefits products and services.

Call IBRG 224-333-0550 to discuss the many ways we can customize a plan that fits for your business:

• Group Health and Disability Coverage
• Group Life Insurance
• Group Dental and Vision
• Voluntary Benefits

Group Health

Helping an employer find the right group health insurance plan can be complicated. Simplify the process with our associates at IBRG. We provide access to group health insurance quotes, enrollment and application scrubbing services as well as dedicated sales teams. Give your clients the option to select a group insurance plan from the top carriers in the nation utilizing various group products, including:

  • HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations)
  • PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations)
  • HDHPs (High-Deductible Health Plans)

What are the Most Common Types of Group Health Insurance Plans?

HMOs
A traditional HMO offers comprehensive coverage through a network of doctors, hospitals, clinics, specialists and other care providers. When a participant selects an HMO, they must also select a Primary Care Physician (PCP), and will need to request referrals for all specialist doctor visits. These plans typically carry a higher premium price tag, and require co-payments for all doctor office visits.

PPOs
A PPO offers the added flexibility of being able to select any doctor or specialist without the need for referrals. A traditional PPO offers in-network and out-of-network rates for all doctors, hospitals, clinics, specialists and other care providers. Premiums typically cost more than consumer-driven health care plan options, and participants will be responsible for meeting a deductible and paying co-insurance on services rendered.

HDHPs
High-deductible health plans are full coverage health plans that offer significant premium relief, in exchange for a higher deductible. These consumer-driven health care plans are available in conjunction with a tax-free Health Savings Account (HSA).

Contact the IBRG health professionals at 224-333-0550

Property Protection

Do you know your liabilities and responsibilities?

Does your current agent take the time to explain them?

IBRG offers lines of property protection to help reduce risk.
Property insurance alone is seldom enough, however. It should be but one part of an overall risk management and disaster recovery plan. On average, businesses that devote resources to risk reduction and risk control have fewer insurance claims. Firms with a good record on claims generally have more insurers competing for their business, so that they are able to find coverage more easily and often at a lower price than companies that have more losses.

We cover here, in a general way, many of the more common types of property coverage. You can obtain full information about your particular policy by reading the policy itself and discussing your coverage needs with your agent or insurance company.

PROPERTY INSURANCE POLICIES
Insurers offer small business owners a huge variety of property insurance policies. There are policies that cover only a single peril, or cause of loss, such as a fire insurance policy, a crime policy or an electronic equipment policy. The particulars of the policies vary from insurer to insurer.

WHAT ABOUT A BUSINESS THAT LEASES OR RENTS?
If your business rents or leases its premises, your lease should describe your obligations with respect to insurance. If you are the sole tenant, you may be responsible for insuring the building. You may be responsible for continuing to pay rent even if the building is destroyed. Should a fire destroy the building, will the landlord or the tenant be responsible for debris removal? You may want to review your lease with us to discuss options and be covered properly.

COVERED CAUSES OF LOSS
Insurance contracts always describe in some way the perils being insured against.

CAUSES OF LOSS THAT AREN’T COVERED
A number of events that can cause property loss are not covered. Some, such as employee dishonesty or breakdown of a steam boiler, are excluded from your plan.

PROPERTY THAT ISN’T COVERED
Excluded property usually includes:

  • Any vehicles subject to motor vehicle registration, including aircraft, autos and trucks
  • Bullion, money or securities
  • Land, water, growing crops, lawns, trees, shrubs or plants
  • Outdoor fences and signs not attached to the building

You should discuss with your agent what property is and isn’t covered by your policy, as well as whether you may need to purchase additional coverage for some types of property.

IS THERE ANY COVERAGE FOR POLLUTION?
Coverage for pollution is limited to cleaning up pollution that was caused by a covered cause of loss occurring during the policy period.

BUSINESS INCOME AND EXTRA EXPENSE COVERAGE
If your main business premises are destroyed along with much of the property you used to operate, this loss, though devastating, may be only just one part of the total. You should consider purchasing Business Income and Extra Expense Insurance (also known as Business Interruption Insurance).

SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN VALUE
Your business may be one of the many that experience seasonal variations in the value of inventory, raw materials and other items. A complete loss at the height of the summer if you sell ice cream or during the winter holiday season if you have a retail operation may be several times larger than during the rest of the year. To protect against a loss in the busy season, certain protection provisions provide for an automatic 25 percent increase in your policy limit for business personal property. The seasonal escalator applies only if you have insured your business personal property to at least 100 percent of your average monthly values during either the 12 months preceding the loss or the period of time you have been in business as of the date of the loss, whichever is less.

OTHER LOSSES AND EXPENSE COVERAGES AVAILABLE:

  • Actions of Civil Authorities
  • Bogus Money Orders and Counterfeit Money
  • Contingent Business Interruption
  • Computer Operations Interruption
  • Debris Removal
  • Electronic Data Loss
  • Expense to Preserve the Value of Property
  • Fire Extinguisher Recharge
  • Forgery or Alteration
  • Fungi, Rot and Bacteria
  • Window Glass Breakage Expenses

ADDITIONAL COVERAGES YOU MAY NEED:

  • Accounts Receivable – As part of your risk management plan, to the extent feasible, you should keep backup copies of your accounts receivable in a separate location.
  • Adding Additional Insureds – Such parties typically include managers or lessors of a rented or leased premises and mortgage holders.
  • Burglary and Robbery – If your business has high-value goods that are attractive to criminals, loss control will go a long way to reducing the threat of theft or burglary. Optional burglary and robbery coverage, however, may be a wise part of the risk management plan.
  • Computer Fraud and Funds Transfer Fraud – Your business may run the risk that someone will cause an unauthorized transfer of funds from your bank account, whether through electronic or written instructions. The Endorsement for Computer Fraud and Funds Transfer Fraud covers this risk.
  • Electronic Commerce – If your business relies on e-commerce—that is, business activity conducted over the
  • Internet—you may want to add the Endorsement for Electronic Commerce to your BOP. The insurer covers your lost income and extra expenses in the event your ability to conduct e-commerce is slowed down or stopped due to the causes of loss covered by the BOP. The endorsement also provides coverage for the cost of reconstructing electronic data if it is lost due to a covered cause of loss or if it is stolen by someone other than an employee, volunteer worker or contractor.
  • Employee Dishonesty – Burglary and robbery insurance does not cover losses caused by employees or authorized representatives who commit dishonest acts. Employee Dishonesty Insurance provides this coverage.
  • Food Contamination – If you are involved in a food business, there is always some risk that food you sell could cause food poisoning or transmit a communicable disease from an employee of your business. This risk can, of course, be reduced and controlled by following a good risk management plan, but it can never be totally eliminated.
  • Mechanical Breakdown – This option provides coverage for mechanical or electrical breakdown to your boilers, pressure vessels, refrigeration systems, piping, and mechanical and electrical machines or apparatus that generate, transmit or simply use mechanical or electrical power. For many businesses that depend on such equipment, a breakdown means the inability to operate and loss of income.
  • Money and Securities – You have the option to add coverage for money and securities to your policy. The insurer covers the property on the business premises, while it is at a bank or savings institution, when it is in the custody of any employee or business owner in his or her living quarters or while it is in transit between any of these places.
  • Newly Acquired or Constructed Property – If your policy covers buildings, you may extend the coverage to newly acquired buildings intended for similar use as the insured building or as a warehouse. This coverage also applies to new buildings while being constructed on the premises described in your policy. Any newly acquired business personal property is also covered. This is temporary coverage that provides time to report the new property to your insurer. The coverage expires 30 days after you acquire the property or begin construction.
  • Outdoor Property and Outdoor Signs
  • Personal Effects and Personal Property Off Premises
  • Spoilage Coverage
  • Utility Services—Direct Damage
  • Valuable Papers and Records
  • Water Back-up and Sump Overflow

Contact IBRG at 224-333-0550

Specialty Protection

IBRG specializes in business protection including transportation/trucking, business fleets, professional services, sole owner businesses, manufacturing/industrial, store front businesses, not-for-profits and more.

Specialties

IBRG specializes in business protection:

  • Transportation/Trucking
  • Business Fleets
  • Professional Services
  • High-Risk Companies
  • Sole Owner Businesses
  • Partnerships
  • Manufacturing and Industrial
  • Store Front Businesses
  • Multi-site businesses
  • Not-for-profits, and all unique needs businesses

IBRG is a best practices agency - a member of independent insurance agents of Illinois.

  • Focus on customer service and satisfaction.
  • Understand customer perceptions through formal and informal surveys and informal inquiries.
  • Agencies ask if they are meeting their expectations and how it might improve service.
  • Frequent customer contact, educate the client, build the account, explain new products.
  • Serve as a consultant and problem solver and making each contact pleasant and productive.
  • Valued staff - Employees are given the education, training and tools they need to do their jobs.
  • Participatory management - Top managers are involved in day-to-day operations.
  • Employees have authority to exercise their responsibilities and have input in planning.
  • The agency has a clear mission statement that focuses on the customer.
  • The mission statement is shared with and understood by every member of the staff.

The IBRG team specializes in contractors/construction protection and risk management
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We offer a Contractor Business owners insurance policy that works for you.  Whether you’re an electrical, painting, lawn care, plumbing or HVAC specialist, you know accidents can happen. Protect yourself and your business with our broad property and liability coverage.

Who Needs It?
Contractors insurance is important for any business that works in construction, such as building construction or home improvement.  Our Contractor Business owners policy can help protect you from the risks that come with your job.

One And Done
We like to keep things simple when it comes to great coverage. A single basic policy with built-in flexibility eliminates the need for multiple policies because property and liability are included. After all, your company’s success depends on you to tackle complex, high-stakes projects while balancing income, expenses and expecting the unexpected.

Affordable Coverage
For solid, broad coverage, you’ll find the protection you need at the right price. IBRG can produce a quote in minutes, and we can help you customize a package of coverage for your contracting business.

For example, ask your agent about our Business Income Coverage, which is included in your Contractors policy. We include it because we know it’s important to be able to pay your team – especially if your business experiences a loss.

  • Commercial General Liability Insurance: Including: Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability, Contractual Liability, Product and Completed Operations Liability.
  • Workers’ Compensation and Employers Liability Coverage
  • Automobile Liability: Includes private passenger vehicles up to 18 wheelers. Specific Automobile Liability in amounts to cover for specific bodily injury and property damage, including owned, hired and non-owned vehicle coverage.

Other Insurance Coverage That May Be Required:

  • Umbrella or Excess Liability Coverage: This coverage typically sits above the underlying General Liability, Automobile Liability and Professional Liability policies. Depending upon the scope and work to be performed in the proposed agreement, this policy may be required in order for the vendor to be able to meet the minimum insurance requirements.
  • Cyber Risk Insurance: This insurance requirement applies when a third party will be using, storing or accessing private, confidential or protected information.
  • Environmental Liability: IBRG can discuss this special type of coverage. This insurance requirement applies when a vendor will be performing environmental clean-up work (decontamination/remediation), will be working with hazardous substance or waste, or may have similar such exposures while performing work under the proposed agreement. Higher limits of environmental liability coverage may be required depending upon the scope of work.

contractor

Many aspects of liability are opened up when you provide services to a company. Call IBRG at 224-333-0550 and we will discuss your general coverage needs and riders requested by your client.

Manufacturing / Distribution Businesses

Manufacturing and Distribution Require Special Attention
Making goods and supplying them to the public exposes manufacturers and distributors to a high number of potential risks. Whether you operate as a sole trader, ltd company or plc, IBRG can arrange comprehensive manufacturing insurance for your business, designed to combine various coverages, according to your specific requirements.

Some of the key areas of manufacturers’ insurance include the business contents, loss of profits, as well as public, and product, liability to help provide protection in the event that your company, or its products, should cause harm to a member of the public. Employers’ liability coverage, on the other hand will help protect your business should one of your employees suffer an accident or injury at work.

We can also arrange warehouse insurance and distribution insurance to ensure your business’s goods are properly protected while in storage and in transit. Haulers, couriers and carriers often only insure the goods they are transporting by weight – rather than their full replacement value – so it’s well worth talking through your specific requirements with one of our professionals, to make sure the level of risk reduction in place is enough to protect you if things go wrong.

To ensure that all your business essentials are properly protected, contact IBRG at 224-333-0550 for more information.

Professional Service Businesses

Who Needs Professional Liability Insurance?
Many types of businesses need professional liability insurance, which is also known as errors & omissions, or E&O insurance. If you work directly with customers by providing services, you should definitely consider a professional liability insurance policy.

  • Technology Professionals: Technology is integral to the operation of most businesses today. When technology fails, the financial impact to a business can be significant, and the companies affected often sue their technology product or service providers over errors. Unfortunately, most traditional liability insurance policies are not designed to respond to pure financial claims.
  • Real Estate Professionals
  • Attorneys
  • Accountants and Tax Preparers
  • Home Inspectors
  • Consultants and other Professionals

What is Management Liability insurance?
This coverage is designed to help protect directors and partners from financially devastating lawsuits. For most small business owners, professional liability coverage is available as part of a business owner’s policy.

As with each business when contractors are going into their clients place of business proper risk management must be part of your business protection.

Call IBRG at 224-333-0550 for a FREE assessment of your current coverage to make sure you aren’t missing some key coverages. 

Transportation / Trucking / Fleets

Is Your Truck Fleet Fully Protected?

As a professional transportation company, you’re concerned about time and money. Managing a fleet of vehicles is not always easy and these two important concerns may suffer without the right coverage. The pro’s at IBRG are ready to provide customized fleet trucking insurance solutions.

Comprehensive Coverage for Your Fleet
Protection for your fleet depends on a wide variety of factors.  IBRG is ready to get to know your needs. This way, we will be able to provide you with a customized insurance package. Your policy may include the following areas of protection:

  • Truck Liability
  • Physical Damage
  • Motor Truck Cargo
  • General Liability
  • Workers Compensation
  • Warehouse Liability
  • Specialty Needs
  • And much more…

Seasoned Agents to Keep your Fleet Covered
We are not only here to provide insurance solutions, but also to keep you informed about the intricacies of your particular risk. If you have any questions about our fleet insurance program, please contact IBRG.

Fast Service for Your Fleet Starts with Your Call
At IBRG Insurance, YOUR safety is OUR priority. Accidents are a part of life, and we get that. And when you’re on the road, we want to help you be certain that if an accident does happen, you have the protection you need. How can we do that?  With commercial truck insurance packages that are customized to your unique risks and needs.

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Keep Employees Safe On the Road
Success depends on the time your drivers spend on the road. When your employees can’t be on the road, your company is losing valuable time and money. IBRG wants to help you  do everything you can to keep your truckers and fleet safe in all situations. It’s also important have to comprehensive workers compensation that can provide benefits such as:

  • Medical Care
  • Temporary and Permanent Disability Benefits
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
  • Job Displacement Benefits
  • Death and Final Expense Benefits

The law mandates that workers compensation be provided to all employees (in many states) . If any of your truckers becomes injured or ill on the job, you’ve got to be sure they’re taken care of. Let the IBRG professionals help you construct the perfect plan.

Personal Protection

IBRG will help you make educated decisions, in protecting you and your family - for today, and into the future. We offer several benefits that agents representing a single insurance company cannot give you.

IBRG - people who care about you and your family

IBRG will help you make educated decisions, in protecting you and your family; for today, and into the future.

You can certainly get good insurance products from most insurance companies, independent insurance agencies like IBRG offer several benefits that agents representing a single insurance company cannot give you. Here are a few of those benefits:

More Choices

We represent many insurance companies, allowing us to give you more options. We can compare prices and coverage options to find the best insurance solution for you. Plus, we can often offer specialized insurance products that may be offered only through certain insurance providers.

Flexibility

As your life changes, we can adjust your insurance coverage to meet the new needs, even if this means changing your insurance carrier. You get the coverage you need without having to start all over with a new agent.

We are Local

We know the community well and understand the local nuances that need to be taken into consideration when it comes to purchasing insurance. Plus, there is a benefit in having a local agent that you can meet with face-to-face.

Added-Value Services

We provide extra services above beyond selling insurance and processing claims. Our agents work with businesses to help them prepare for insurance audits and to regularly evaluate their insurance needs.

For customers who need to make a claim, they know that they can call their agent or come to the office rather than struggling through an automated system. After the claim, our agents follow up with the customer to ensure that the claim was handled properly. These are just a few of the personal services we are able to offer as an independent insurance agent.

Auto and Other Vehicles

Automobile
For some people, a car expresses the essence of their being. To others, it’s an object to get from point A to point B. We offer a variety of coverages and companies to choose from, based on your specific needs.

Depending on the company you choose, you can get discounts for:

  • Being a Good Driver
  • Being a Good Student
  • Driving a Safe Car
  • Having a Homeowner’s Policy with your auto insurance carrier
  • Have 2 or more vehicles>/li>

Other advantages you could enjoy:

  • Free Windshield Repair
  • 24-Hour Claims Hotline
  • Guarantee on Repairs
  • Flexible Payment Options
  • Roadside Services
  • Rental cars when your car needs repair after a collision
  • Other Vehicles
  • Motorcycle Insurance – Ride to live….live to ride.
  • ATV and Motorsport Insurance – Insurance policies that cover all your toys.
  • Classic Car Insurance – Your classic car is an icon. Keep it properly insured.
  • RV and Mobile Home Insurance – Peace of mind for your home-on-the-road.
  • Boat and Watercraft Insurance – Protection while on the waterways.

Advantages vary from company to company, and some require the purchase of certain coverages. We’ll review your options with you to find the company and coverage that are right for you. CALL US at 224-333-0550

Health Coverage

It’s NEVER been more important to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together in healthcare. (NOTE! you only have 45 days from November 1st until December 15th to complete individual healthcare policies)

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Finding the right solution in today’s marketplace, while procuring enough coverage to help you and your family, is our greatest value to you. If an unexpected illness, injury and/or the need to manage chronic health conditions comes up, you’ll need a solution without undue financial hardship. We guide you to the right protection. Don’t go at it alone, or rely on inexperienced advise.

It’s about comparing deductibles, co-pays, benefit limits and reimbursement rates, and costs that you could be responsible for; then any portion of services that would fall to you, such as hospital stays and ongoing services. Helping you by asking the right questions helps you get the answers you need to make the appropriate choices.

Do you qualify for the Affordable Care Act? (ACA)
We love helping people understand the policies available since the enactment of The ACA, or Affordable Care Act, (sometimes referred to as Obamacare). There are many questions about how the impact of the new rules and regulations may have an impact on you, and your family. EVEN if you don’t qualify for a premium tax credit, most policies we’re affected by the ACA, in some manner. This is VERY important to understand, especially if you are switching from a group plan to an individual policy.

We can walk you through the process of:

  • Defining if you qualify for marketplace (ACA) insurance options
  • How to choose appropriate policies EVEN if not utilizing the ACA
  • Discussing the companies we work with (those we don’t), and differences in coverage
  • How to prepare for changes in your current policy and options for renewal
  • Friendly, informative and dedicated customer service – we go the extra mile

Don’t short change your most important asset – YOUR HEALTH. A “one size fits all” may not be the best option for you and your family.

Dental and Vision plans are available with options to fit your needs. These can be added when you choose your healthcare plan, or, purchased separately, depending on many factors.

If you qualify for GROUP PLANS check our group insurance page Why? Because there are many more options in group plans choices, than for individual policies. Call the professionals at IBRG at 224-233-0550, it’s worth taking the time to be informed and guided through the maze of todays complex healthcare options.

PRIVACY NOTICE
WE ARE AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII) FROM YOU BY INSURANCE BENEFITS RESOURCE GROUP AND IT’S AGENTS. ANY PII WE COLLECT IS USED TO HELP YOU OBTAIN HEALTH INSURANCE.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO GIVE US PII, WE MAY SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH ANY INSURANCE CARRIER DISCUSSED FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING A QUOTE FOR COVERAGE. PII IS USED TO DISCLOSE ONLY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES: FOR HELPING OBTAIN AN HEALTH INSURANCE PROPOSAL FOR COVERAGE.

THE REQUEST FOR PII IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO PROVIDE US WITH PII REQUESTED, OR NOT TO RESPOND TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS PERTINENT TO HELP YOU OBTAIN INSURANCE BASED ON THE NEEDS REQUIRED BY CARRIER, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE OUR ROLE IN HELPING YOU GET HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE.

Home Protection Considerations

The cost to rebuild your home is its replacement value. This can be very different from the estimated market value or actual purchase price. In most cases, it costs more to rebuild the home you own than to buy a new one. This is an important insight into why your Dwelling (Coverage A) limit is so important.

Deciding How Much Insurance is Enough
We’ll work with you to estimate the replacement cost for your home and to adjust your policy limits from time to time as needed.

It is critical that you provide us with accurate, updated information about your home and contents. If your dwelling limit accurately reflects your home’s true replacement cost, some companies will pay more than the limit if a covered loss is greater than the limit on your policy. Ask us if Home Replacement Guarantee or Extended Dwelling Coverage, is available in your state.

Once a review of your home and possessions indicates you are properly insured, it’s a good idea to reexamine your coverages and limits from time to time, especially whenever you make additions or improvements.

Be Sure You Have Enough Insurance
Here are some steps you can take to reduce the danger of being seriously underinsured:

Call us: if you have questions or concerns about the limits in your policy, ask us to show you how those amounts were calculated. This will also give you an opportunity to make us aware of any overlooked information.

Read your policy: Certain property, such as jewelry, and certain perils, such as earthquake or flood, is better insured separately. Knowing what is covered and for how much will help you insure properly. If there is anything in your policy you don’t understand, contact your agent and ask for an explanation.

At each annual renewal of your policy, you receive a new Policy Declarations page showing limits of coverage and optional coverages. Review this information. If you do any significant remodeling or add a family room, extra bedroom or bathroom, etc., tell us about these changes so your coverage limits can be adjusted to cover the improvement.

Consider carefully whether your policy provides all the protection you need: Does it provide coverage for extra costs resulting from building code changes? Does it automatically increase coverage limits annually to keep pace with inflation? Does it provide additional funds if the cost of rebuilding your home exceeds the policy limits?

Find out whether your insurance company will stand behind agreed upon repairs after a claim. Some companies are willing to put this guarantee in writing.

Does your policy include replacement cost coverage for contents (clothing, furniture, appliances, and other personal property inside your home)? If not, you can add it by endorsement. The cost is small, the protection valuable. Replacement Cost Coverage pays for losses to your possessions at the cost of brand new items. Without this option, a covered loss to your personal possessions would be depreciated by their age and condition, reducing the size of your claim settlement.

If you have an art collection, antique furniture, jewelry, or other valuable possessions, talk to your agent about supplemental coverages, such as fine arts or scheduled property endorsements, to adequately protect your investment in these items. The cost is modest for the extra protection, and often the deductible is waived.

Consider whether you should have more coverage for personal property (contents) than your policy provides. Personal property coverage is usually 70% of the coverage limit for the structure. Your limit may be lower than 70%. Supplemental protection is available for a small additional premium.

Prepare an inventory of personal property items, update it periodically, and keep it in a safe place outside your home, such as a safe deposit box at your bank. It will save you hours of time trying to list everything damaged or destroyed if you need to make a claim. It will also help ensure you don’t forget some items. We can advise you on ways to simplify the job of preparing a personal property inventory such as videotaping each room with descriptive information on the sound track.

Besides making sure you have enough protection to cover possible damage to your own home and contents, you should also evaluate your exposure to liability risks. These result from damage to the property of another, or injury to a person, not a member of your household, for which you can be responsible. In recent years it’s become common for homeowners to be sued for injuries or damages to others, even when there is no evidence of negligence by the homeowner. The reality today is if you have any appreciable assets, you are exposed to the risk of being sued. Even if you ultimately prevail in court, your legal fees and the months or years of worry and uncertainty can be a terrible burden on you and your family.

The Personal Liability coverage provided by your Homeowners Policy usually provides a limit of $100,000 or $300,000. We recommend increasing this protection with a personal umbrella policy. Not only will it increase your personal liability, but also your auto liability. Limits are available from $1 million to $10 million and beyond. The cost of this coverage is usually very reasonable.

Home / Real Estate / Property

Your home is probably your most valuable asset!

When your home is damaged or destroyed, you need your claim settled by an insurance company that understands this simple fact. Coverage availability and prices may vary by company. We can help you determine which of several companies we represent will best meet your needs and provide the most valuable combination of tailored coverage, quality service and fair pricing.

Depending on the company you choose, you can get discounts for:

  • Having a burglar alarm
  • Having a newer home
  • Being claim free in the past
  • Insuring your vehicles with the same company

Other advantages you could enjoy include:

  • Repair Guarantees
  • 24-Hour Claims Hotline
  • Flexible billing -including coordinating with your mortgage company
  • Living expense if your home becomes uninhabitable due to a claim

Your vacation home needs special attention!

Depending on your usage and needs there are many alternatives to discuss: Your unique needs have to be taken into when getting the proper protection and reducing risk. Don’t hesitate to call us and discuss why it’s important to go through a series of questions to get you - the best value, and the proper coverage and the right risk protection.

Life Insurance 

Life insurance is a crucial step in planning for your future and the future of your loved ones. It can fulfill promises made to your family if you are no longer around by providing a death benefit to your beneficiaries in return for premiums paid to the insurance company.

Life insurance can also provide benefits while you are living.

Advantages of the Death Benefit

  • Provides income tax-free money to your named beneficiary(s) that can be used to pay funeral expenses, debt, tuition, estate taxes or virtually any financial need you leave behind.
  • Can provide business security by enabling partners to buy out the interests of a deceased partner and prevent a forced liquidation.

Advantages of Living Benefits

  • The cash value growth of a permanent life insurance policy is tax-deferred, which means you do not pay taxes on the growth of the cash value unless the money is withdrawn.
  • Loans or withdrawals can be taken against the cash value of a permanent life insurance policy to help with expenses, such as college tuition or the down payment on a home.

There are several different types of life insurance available. The most common include:

Term Life Insurance: Term provides life insurance protection for a specified period of time. If you do not currently have life insurance, term can be a good place to start. It’s generally less expensive than permanent life insurance, and is available in varying term periods with fixed premiums from a one- (annual renewable term) to 20-year period (level term). Furthermore, term insurance is sometimes convertible to permanent coverage, providing you with flexibility as your needs change.

Whole Life Insurance: Whole life is a form of permanent life insurance that remains in force during the insured person’s lifetime, provided premiums are paid as specified in the policy. Whole life insurance can build cash value.

Universal Life Insurance: Universal life is a form of permanent life insurance characterized by its flexible premiums, flexible face amounts and unbundled pricing structure. Universal life can build cash value, which earns an interest rate that may adjust periodically, but is usually guaranteed not to fall below a certain percentage.

We are all living longer today.  Living longer, however, carries concerns for you about how you will pay for your care when you can no longer care for yourself.  Your chances of living longer presents concerns for you as to whether your family and loved ones will be burdened by your care needs.  Government studies show you have a 70% chance of needing care at some point in your life.  And contrary to what you might believe, private health insurance and Medicare will not cover your costs.

Currently, the 2016 nationwide average cost for a private room in a nursing facility is $240.00 day or $87,600 per year.  The average costs increase with inflation by approximately 4% per year.

Securing your future with planning will allow you to protect your retirement assets, enable you to receive your care with dignity in the setting of your choice, and most importantly will guarantee you will not burden your loved ones with caregiving.

The need for long-term care will most likely become a need in your life.  Talk to us at IBRG to go over the MANY OPTIONS.  Coverage may be needed now to avoid a catastrophic event.

Below is information about long-term care coverage provided:

Medicare:

  • Limited coverage for nursing home care following a hospital stay and home health if you require a nurse or other skilled provider
  • Nursing Home Care - Pays in full for days 1–20 if you are in a Skilled Nursing Facility following a recent 3-day hospital stay. If your need for skilled care continues, may pay for the difference between the total daily cost and your copayment of $137.50 per day for days 21-100. After day 100 does not pay
  • Assisted Living Facility - does not pay
  • Continuing Care Retirement Community - does not pay
  • Adult Day Services - does not cover
  • Home Health and Personal Care -  Limited to reasonable, necessary part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care and home health aide services, some therapies if a doctor orders them, and a Medicare-certified home health agency provides them. Does not pay for on-going personal care or only help with Activities of Daily Living (also called “custodial care”)

Private Medigap Insurance

  • Insurance purchased to cover Medicare cost sharing
  • Nursing Home Care - May cover the $137.50 per day copayment if your nursing home stay meets all other Medicare requirements
  • Assisted Living Facility - does not pay
  • Continuing Care Retirement Community - does not pay
  • Adult Day Services - does not cover
  • Home Health and Personal Care - may not cover

Private Health Insurance

  • Varies, but generally only covers services for a short time following a hospital stay, surgery or while recovering from an injury
  • Nursing Home Care - Varies, but limited
  • Assisted Living Facility - does not pay
  • Continuing Care Retirement Community - does not pay
  • Adult Day Services - does not cover
  • Home Health and Personal Care - may not cover

Having the right plan is critical call IBRG today – 224-333-0550