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GuardianInsurance • Mar 21, 2020

Being involved in an accident can be one of the most nerve wrecking things as well as traumatizing depending on the seriousness of the accident. The first thing that you need to do is BREATHE. If you are found AT FAULT meaning you caused the accident, you will need to exchange driver license info along with your insurance ID card info. Make sure no matter what, you get this info from the other party as well. It is very important to make sure both parties have valid drivers license and in force insurance.

If in a reverse situation, you will want to make sure you gather this info from the party at fault. With this, you can then go on to file a claim with THEIR insurance company to fix the damages. If the party doesn’t have insurance or is way underinsured, then you will have to file the claim through both your carrier and theirs. When dealing with someone that doesn’t have insurance, make sure to get every bit of info you can from them (DL#, License plate, Make/model of car, etc.) in case something comes up, never hurts to have more info then you need.

In some cases, you might have to submit pictures of the damages, prove injuries caused, and some other details a claims adjuster might ask. Therefore, a police report can help greatly in explaining the details of the accident.

If any doubt, contact your agent!

GuardianInsurance • Mar 21, 2020

Auto insurance has transitioned into a commodity these days and less about proper coverage and service. So for those of you that are all about price, then this is a blog for you! Some of these big discounts are great to consider as you are shopping your rates. Although, every carrier is different, many have a lot of discounts all based around the same concepts.

• Bundle discount is where you combine 2 or more products with the same carrier. Example being Auto combined with Home or Renters insurance.
• Early quoting is a discount that is applied when you initiate a quote one day for the purpose of obtaining the insurance sometime in the future. NOT SAME DAY.
• Accident Free is exactly what it means. If you’ve had no accident involvement over that past few years you will receive this (depending on carrier).
• Good Student applies to yourself if you’re in school or if you have a child in school. Typically need to hold a 3.0GPA or higher to be eligible.
• Low Mileage discount not every carrier offers, but the ones that do will offer this discount for any cars owned that are driven less then approximately 7000 miles a year.
• Full Pay and EFT monthly drafts are based off how you pay your premium. Full Pay rewards the highest discount when it comes to paying.
• Your occupation as well as if you hold a college degree will trigger certain discounts within the quote. Make sure to always provide the most accurate info.
• DRIVING APP (each carrier has a different name for it) discount is where you allow the carrier to monitor your driving over the course of 90 days. As long as you’re moderately to safe driving sometimes this can yield the biggest discount on your policy. It will then remain for the life of the policy.

There are plenty more discounts out there. Make sure to speak with someone who is able to answer any questions regarding them. Its all to get you the best rate!

GuardianInsurance • Feb 15, 2020

Liability limits for an auto insurance policy are probably one of the most important aspects to the auto policy. The limits refer to the pay outs on a PER PERSON/PER OCCURRENCE/PROPERTY DAMAGE basis when involved in an accident. Some of the most common limits are 25/50/25, 100/300/100, and 250/500/250. BY LAW in Ohio, the state minimum to be allowed to drive a vehicle is 25/50/25 limits.

For example, if someone is driving around with 25/50/25 limits gets involved in an accident and is found at fault, then this person’s insurance company will pay up to $25,000 to each person involved to cover all damages that came about. However, the insurance company will not pay any more than $50,000 total for this accident and if any property damage were to be involved as well then that must stay within the $50,000 threshold in order to be covered as well, but can’t exceed $25,000 on its own.

Liability limits are not too expensive to make sure you have proper coverage. A good rule of thumb is to at bare minimum hold 100/300/100 limits on your own personal policy. Make sure to talk with your agent about what they believe to be proper coverage for you (they will know the right questions to ask). And it never hurts to have multiple scenarios. Sometimes you’re looking at a difference of $10-20 a month between the different limits.

GuardianInsurance • Feb 15, 2020

This topic is one that many don’t fully understand when it comes to auto insurance. Let’s start by first defining the two.

Full coverage is defined as having BOTH Comprehension and Collision deductibles (out of pocket expense if involved in an at fault accident) on your vehicles whereas Liability is having neither Comp or Collision thus making insurance much cheaper to afford. If you carry a loan/lease on your vehicle you MUST have BOTH comp and collision for the bank to be satisfied. If the vehicle is paid off, then you have the flexibility to choose what you believe is best for your situation.

In most cases, vehicles older than 7-8 years with NO loans are good candidates for liability only especially if you’re the type of person to just get a new vehicle if something happens. Sometimes just adding Comp to your auto policy and not collision can give you a great benefit while keeping the price low. Comp is typically much cheaper than collision. The best thing you can do though is consult with your agent and do some research. Ask questions and truly understand what your auto policy means if you get involved in an accident.

And remember cheaper is NOT always better. Insurance protects a risk and most importantly protects you!