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5 Home Insurance Mistakes to Avoid

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Your Ft. Worth, TX home is a safe haven to you, your family, and your pets. However, if left unprotected, it can become vulnerable to risks like fire, theft, and natural disasters. Many people usually think that danger is always far until it strikes close to home. With this in mind, you better stay ahead of risks by investing in home insurance from Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. And when getting coverage from us, here are five blunders to avoid.

Buying inadequate coverage

Whether by mistake or design, buying insufficient home insurance coverage is a recipe for disaster. In case of a major event, you will receive less compensation for your damaged home. Not sure how much home insurance you need? Consult with your insurance agent.

Thinking home insurance covers everything

While your home insurance policy is pivotal in covering you against various risks, it has exceptions and exclusions. Typical home insurance doesn’t cover damage from floods, earthquakes, intentional damage, and nuclear war. That said, knowing what your home insurance covers is integral in purchasing “riders” to boost your policy.

Setting a too low deductible

If you set a deductible that is too low, you will pay higher premiums. While choosing a low deductible isn’t a bad thing, it just means high premiums that you could have difficulties keeping up with.

Failing to update your insurance policy

We usually recommend homeowners review their home insurance at least once every year. But sometimes, you don’t need to wait for a year to lapse to update your policy. If you incur significant renovations, introduce a dangerous pet, or start a home-based business, you should inform your insurer immediately.

Getting it wrong with an insurance agent

An insurance agent is a lifelong financial partner. In light of this, you should opt for a knowledgeable and trusted insurance agent that has your interests at heart.

Learn more about home insurance

Need to learn more about home insurance? Please get in touch with Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. You can also visit our offices in Ft. Worth, TX to chat with one of our agents in person.

Is Commercial Insurance Required in Texas?

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Owning your own business offers a certain amount of freedom and to fully enjoy it, you should have the proper commercial insurance in place to protect your business.

There are many commercial insurance coverage options that are available to Texas business owners that you can choose to obtain. The commercial insurance agents at Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. in Ft. Worth, TX tout the importance of having a commercial insurance policy in place for your business.

Worker’s Compensation

While most states in the United States require that all business owners have worker’s compensation in place, Texas does not require it but it’s a good idea to have it anyway. This type of commercial insurance will help pay the wages and medical bills of anyone who works for you and becomes injured on the job.

Liability Insurance

It is very important for all business owners to have commercial auto liability insurance in place for all vehicles that are driven for use by the business or are owned by the business. This will protect you in the event that a car accident occurs while the vehicle is in use for business purposes. You should also have a liability policy in place that will protect customers or others that could be injured at your business or because of an incident that occurs involving your business.

Property Insurance

It is important to have business insurance that covers the property where your business is located as well as your merchandise and other equipment and items that are part of your business. This will help you in the event that a fire, natural disaster, vandalism, or burglary occurs.

Other Options

You can also obtain other commercial insurance coverage options including cyber liability. This would help you in the that your client’s personal information is stolen due to a breach of security through your website or computer programs. You can also obtain insurance that will help protect you from slander and other legal issues that can happen that involve your business.

To determine what types of commercial insurance coverage you need for your particular business, contact the trusted and experienced commercial insurance agents at Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. in Ft. Worth, TX to get your policy started.

What Are the Risks of Not Having Home Insurance?

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There are a lot of expenses associated with owning a home besides your monthly mortgage payments. One of them is home insurance that covers costs of damage to homes and personal belongings of homeowners. If you are uncertain about getting home insurance and do not want to spend money on it, keep on reading to find out what are the risks of not carrying this type of insurance:

You Will Have Problems Selling Your Home

Most realtors will not accept a home without proper home insurance. And that is because if something happens to the property during the selling process, the home will not be sold and a creator will not get any commission. 

You May Not Be Able to Afford to Fix Your Home

If you do not have enough money in your bank account to cover the costs of your home and belongings, then having home insurance is extremely important to you. A standard home insurance policy pays for most repairs and rebuilding costs, as well as the costs of personal belongings. 

You May Get Sued

If your guest or visitor gets injured in your home, you will be liable for it. You will definitely regret not having home insurance because one of its purposes is to defend a homeowner in court against lawsuits and provides financial coverage if a homeowner is found responsible for someone’s injuries or property damage. 

Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. serving Ft. Worth, TX – Our Mission Is To Help You Find  Your Perfect Insurance

If you own a property in Ft. Worth, TX and you want to protect it with the help of home insurance, Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. is ready to help you. We have helped hundreds of clients to find their perfect insurance policies, and we are looking forward to helping you. If you have any questions, or you want to know more about the available policies, feel free to contact us. 

Why safety features of a car matter

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If you have never thought about it, the smaller things such as buckling your seatbelt save thousands of lives every day. Apart from safety belts, there exist many safety features in cars to help prevent road accidents or injuries.  Every day, cars are fitted with new technologies to improve safety, such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and backup cameras. If it’s your first time buying a car in Ft. Worth, TX or looking to buy a safety-enhanced car for your teenager, here are a few benefits of different safety features.

Save lives

The main reason manufacturers work so hard to improve safety features in cars is to save lives. It doesn’t matter if it’s yours, your passengers or other motorists. Every safety feature is designed to save a life somewhere. The last thing you want is to deal with a series of lawsuits for deaths you caused to other people. The entire process is not only financially overwhelming but also emotionally draining. Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc., however, recommends having enough auto insurance to cover such incidents.

Prevent severity of injuries

If you’re involved in an accident, the chances are that you will escape with bruises, fractured legs or arms, or severe head injuries, depending on the nature of the accident. Most cars in Ft. Worth, TX have basic features that help prevent or reduce injury severity, such as airbags that protect the head from hitting the windshield or the dashboard.

Prevent crashes or collisions

Safety features like a forward-collision warning (FCW), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) brake assist, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning are all great features that help prevent collisions. They help stop or slow the car down whenever you exceed the required speed or get too close to another car.

 At Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc., we care about your safety, and that’s why we recommend checking and learning how each safety feature in your car works to use it properly when the need arises. Please feel free to check out our website or call to book an appointment with us today.

Prevent Texas Slip and Fall Accidents at Your Business

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You’re running your business and living your dream, and we’re so happy for you. Here at Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc., serving the beautiful people of Texas, we love working with business owners to find different ways to help you thrive and stay as protected as possible. Having an employee or a customer slip and fall can almost always be detrimental to your business’s bottom line. Here are some ways you can prevent slip and fall accidents at your Texas place of business. 

Preventing Slip and Fall Accidents in Texas

  • Make sure your flooring should be free from debris, holes, uneven slants, and cracks.  
  • Fix, replace, or install handrails on all staircases. Each should have materials that support an adult human body that’s rigidly attached to the building or the ground with weight-bearing bolts.
  • Clean up spills promptly and avoid using or pouring liquids of any kind near entrances, walkways, or exits. 
  • Forbid employees from wearing shoes with a slippery sole or high heel. 
  • Place non-slip rubber mats or non-hooked carpets at entrances. Ensure they don’t slip, move, or bunch.
  • Ensure all lightbulbs work and considering installing more lights around the property to add more light.

There are many more things you might want to consider when it comes to protecting your business interests. A proper commercial insurance policy can provide you with the peace of mind you need to focus on building and expanding your business.

Contact Your Trusted Texas Commercial Insurance Agency

We never want to see any community member suffer a slip and fall accident or have a costly insurance claim because of one. If you’re in Ft. Worth, TX, or the greater surrounding area, we at Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies, Inc. would love to help you examine your current commercial coverage to ensure you have everything you need. Contact us today for a free quote.

Benefits of Getting Home Insurance

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Buying a home will no doubt be one of the huge investments you make, but like most people, home insurance will be the last thing on your mind. While getting coverage seems like an unnecessary cost for events that may not happen, it is still worth considering signing up for a policy. The benefits outweigh the cons of not having it, with Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. explaining the advantages of getting home insurance within Ft. Worth, TX.

It Provides Compensation for the Loss of Your Property

When disasters such as fire, theft, or vandalism occur, you are likely to pay for the replacement and rebuilding costs out of pocket. This means parting with a significant amount of your savings, costs that would have gone a long way to helping out with your family’s daily needs. Home insurance can protect you from this, as it provides compensation for the loss of your property and your personal belongings.

Protects You From Lawsuits

When your guests get injured or their property gets damaged and they sue you for harm caused, home insurance provides liability coverage to protect you from such incidences. It will help you pay your legal fees and damages awarded when you are found liable. This allows your guests to replace their property and pay for medical expenses as needed.

Offers Protection to Your Family

The policyholder is just one of the parties covered by home insurance, with this coverage also extending to family members. If, for instance, your spouse, children or parents cause accidental harm to your guests, home insurance protects them from lawsuits arising from such an event. In addition to this, treatment costs are paid for along with damage costs for any destruction caused.

If you are looking for home insurance tailored to the above benefits, call Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. today. Our Ft. Worth, TX agents will customize home insurance designed with your property’s needs in mind.

Types of Auto Insurance Fraud And How They Affect You

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Insurance fraud causes insurance companies a significant amount of money. However, the ripple effect is that insurance customers are affected as policy costs can be increased. At one point or another, Ft. Worth, TX residents have fallen victim to an insurance fraud crime. Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. takes you through the different types of insurance fraud that happen.

Staged Accidents

Some drivers intentionally cause a collision with another vehicle to receive a fraudulent insurance payout. In such cases, you will find the other unsuspecting driver being faulted for an accident they had no hand in. If you ever suspect that you are being set up, document the accident and the extent of the damage. Also, be careful of people too eager to help and even offer towing services.

Vehicle Dumping

A driver will dispose of their vehicle in such a case, whether it is dumping it in a lake or burning it. On certain occasions, some drivers have sold their cars and claimed they were stolen. When this happens, an insurance company is expected to pay the driver through an insurance settlement to replace the vehicle stolen.

Exaggerated Costs of Repair After an Accident

Dishonest mechanics usually do this type of fraud. Some mechanics will use used parts to repair your car when you take it to the repair shop after an accident. However, they would send a bill to an insurance company suggesting they use new parts and the job took longer than it did. This type of fraud is committed for financial gain.

Faulty Airbag Replacement

This type of fraud occurs when a mechanic does not replace airbags after an accident. At times, repair shops will use salvaged airbags instead of replacing them with new ones. The mechanics will then bill the insurance company for new airbags to benefit them financially.

If you reside in Ft. Worth, TX, and want to learn more about auto insurance fraud, contact Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. We are ready to help you avoid becoming a victim of insurance fraud.

4 Main Areas Protected By Home Insurance

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Your home is, without a doubt, one of your most valuable assets. You’ve probably spent many years saving for that dream home. With all the beautiful interior, comfort, and sweet memories in your home, the best you can do is fully securing it. How so? Home insurance.

Think of an unlikely situation that can occur to your home, like a theft or fire. How many more years would you save to build your dream home again? If your answer is many, then it’s time to think about home insurance. If you don’t know where to start, worry not. At Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. located in Ft. Worth, TX, we got you.

Four main areas protected by home insurance

Your home insurance generally protects your home and possessions from a variety of insured perils. Some areas include:

  • Personal belongings: The policy covers all your personal belongings that may be stolen, damaged by fire, or any other insured disaster. Personal stuff you can cover includes electronics, furniture, clothing, firearms, jewelry, and sporting equipment.
  • The home structure: Dealing with a total loss due to a hurricane or fire is unbearable. Dwelling coverage policy protects against physical damage in the main home and other structures attached to it. 
  • Liability coverage: liability coverage is another main reason why home insurance is crucial. It could cost you an arm and a leg if someone got injured in your home, such as a dog bite. Talk of medical bills and the legal fees that may await you, but with home insurance, you are safe.
  • Additional living expense: If your home gets damaged and becomes uninhabitable, home insurance will pay for your cost of staying elsewhere. Other expenses, like hotel meals and laundry, if you are staying in a hotel, are also covered. 

If you are a homeowner and haven’t thought much about home insurance, perhaps it’s time you did. If you consider all the benefits the policy comes with, you should get excited about it and call our offices for that policy. At Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. situated in Ft. Worth, TX, it’s our job to help you make that informed decision.

Is commercial insurance required in Texas

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Commercial insurance is something every business should consider. It is not just one type of coverage: several lines can be combined into a policy tailored to your needs. Talking to an insurance agent can help you to access your risk level and determine the right kind of commercial insurance for your particular business. .At Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. in Ft. Worth, TX, we provide the finest customer service and as independent agents, we offer some top carriers in the business. 

When it comes to commercial insurance, the only requirement by the state of Texas is for commercial auto insurance. Commercial auto insurance is a necessity for any vehicles owned by your business. The required coverage is 30/60/25. What that means is $30,000 for injuries for each person in an accident with up to $60,000 for an individual accident. $25,000 coverage for damage to property. Many personal auto insurance policies will not pay for an accident that happens while on business use. 

Texas does not require employers to have workers’ compensation coverage but that doesn’t mean that it is a good idea not to have it. Workers’ Compensation is good for employees and employers, and it is worth considering for every business. 

Two other types of commercial insurance are also essential to the health of your business even though they are not required by the state of Texas, Commercial property and liability insurance. 

  • Commercial property insurance protects your business location from damage from a covered peril. It covers more than the building it covers the things you need to do business like machinery, equipment, electronics, and inventory. 
  • Commercial liability covers you from legal action against your business from customers, clients, and even employees. It also covers legal expenses to defend your business. 

 Contact Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. in Ft. Worth, TX for all your commercial insurance needs. 

Questions To Ask Your Insurance Agent When You Are Shopping For Auto Insurance

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When it comes to choosing the right auto insurance policy, many people get confused and do not know how to make the right choice. However, when you have the right information, it is easier than you think. The best and most valuable source of the information you need is an insurance agent. Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. serving Ft. Worth, TX prepared a list of questions you should ask an insurance agent when you are shopping for auto insurance:

What Is Covered If I Get Involved in a Car Accident and My Vehicle Is Damaged?

One of the most common misconceptions is that car insurance automatically covers the repair and replacement of a car. However, you may not have these benefits without the right coverage. If you want the repair and replacement of your car to be covered, you need collision coverage or comprehensive coverage. Make sure you ask an insurance agent about it before buying a certain policy. 

Will My Policy Cover Other Drivers of My Car?

Usually, your auto insurance will cover you while you are driving your own car. However, there may be other situations. For example, your family member may drive a car too, or your friend will borrow your vehicle. Will they be covered if they are involved in an accident while driving your car? It is another question you should always ask an insurance representative. 

What Factors Are Having Impact on the Cost of Insurance?

If you feel your premiums are too high, you should ask an insurance agent to give you specific reasons and explain what is the reasons for the price you have to pay. 

There are many other questions to ask and you should not hesitate to ask them. The more questions you ask, the more information you get that will help you make the right choice and purchase the insurance policy you really need. If you have any questions or you want to learn more about the insurance options available, feel free to contact Main Street Independent Insurance Agencies Inc. serving Ft. Worth, TX – our insurance agents will be glad to answer all your questions.