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Pomona, CA 91766

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Protect Your Business With These Commercial insurance Options

It doesn’t matter if you run a restaurant or a manufacturing plant, having the right commercial insurance is essential. It can protect you in an assortment of potential situations, yet you can also tailor from your commercial insurance to opt into coverage you need without paying for features your business doesn’t require. THINK Insurance & Financial Services is able to provide you with the assistance your Pomona, CA business needs.

Property Insurance

If you own the property, investing in property insurance is a must. However, even if you don’t own the physical plot of land or building, it does cover your tools, computers, and inventory, so depending on the kind of business you run, property insurance is important.

General Liability Insurance

If your goods or services cause any kind of harm or bodily damage to a customer, they can come after you. With general liability insurance you’ll have the additional coverage to pay for defense attorneys and damages, should it come to this.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Whether you use a large fleet or have a single vehicle used for work, you’ll need commercial auto insurance. Even if you use your own vehicle part-time, if you’re driving the vehicle for business you may need to look towards this insurance addition.

Worker’s Compensation

If you have employees you need to look towards worker’s compensation as a way of protecting both you and them in the event of an injury at work.

Regardless of the kind of company you run, you need to have the right kind of insurance. This can be difficult to select, which is why THINK Insurance & Financial Services is here to help every step of the way. Whether you’re in Pomona, CA or somewhere else in the region, contact THINK for your commercial insurance needs.

Is Homeowners Insurance Required?

When you own and operate an automobile, in Pomona, CA as well as throughout the United States, insurance is mandatory, so is the same true when you own a home? The short answer: no. 

Legally speaking, homeowners insurance is not required, however in many cases, the lender (most likely the bank from which you are getting the mortgage to purchase your new home) will require a policy to cover unforeseen situations (fire, theft, natural disaster). Be sure to speak to an agent at THINK Insurance & Financial Services, serving the needs of Pomona, CA to discuss the requirements of individual lenders.

For areas that are susceptible to specific problems, such as earthquakes or floods, it will most likely be mandatory that an additional policy is procured that deals with that specific issue (earthquake insurance and flood insurance coverage is separate from homeowners insurance).

When your home has been paid off, and a lender is no longer necessary, insurance is not a requirement by law. Talk to an agent at THINK Insurance & Financial Services to find out more about the importance of maintaining your home insurance policy, however, after your house has been paid off. After all, you will want to protect your investment!

If you have chosen to buy a condominium or co-op, you must follow the Home Owner’s Association (HOA) or the board’s rules. The chances are that they will insist that those purchasing in the community acquire homeowners (or condo) insurance. It is vital then, as the buyer of a condo or co-op, that you find out from the board exactly what kind of coverage is required.

In the case of a townhouse, the association may or may not have a master policy- covering the structure and the common areas- if they do, you will need to additionally purchase renters insurance. If they do not, then you will get homeowners insurance.

 

Buying A Car That Won’t Increase Your Insurance

Are you looking to buy a new car in Pomona, CA and want to avoid paying too much for your insurance? That is understandable, and we at THINK Insurance & Financial Services can help. Here are tips for buying a car that won’t increase your car insurance rates.

Vehicle Value Is Crucial

The value of your vehicle will affect the insurance rate in a simple fashion: cars that are worth more require higher insurance rates. However, cars with very low values may also cost more to insure due to their more breakdown-prone nature. Try to strike a middle ground here.

Consider Vehicle Size

Do you want a huge beast of a vehicle to haul goods or work supplies? Then be prepared to pay a little more for your insurance. Large vehicles cost more to insure because they usually have lower safety ratings than smaller cars. Make sure to investigate which vehicle of this type has the best safety rating to avoid paying too much.

Buy As New As You Can

Older cars will cost more to insure because they are more prone to breakdowns than newer cars. So try to find a car that is as new as possible and which fits into your personal budget. It may cost a little more initially, but it will save you a bundle on your insurance premiums.

Limit The Car’s Power

One odd thing about high-performance vehicles is that they often cost more to insure than cars with lower powered engines. Why is that? High-powered engines are more expensive to repair and may be prone to the kinds of breakdowns that are difficult to perform. So don’t buy a car with high horsepower unless you need it.

These tips will help anyone in Pomona, CA avoid paying too much for insurance when buying a car. If you need any more help here, please don’t hesitate to contact us at THINK Insurance & Financial Services today.

Can You Have Multipel Cars on One Policy?

Auto insurance can be very difficult to understand if you do not know the basics. Having some basic information on your side can help make any insurance process easier. For those in the Pomona, CA area, the agents with THINK Insurance & Financial Services can help you find the right policy for you.

One question that is often asked is if you can have more than one car on a single policy. The answer is a bit complicated. You can have more than one car on a policy, but this means having coverage that is unique to each car and each driver. So though they may be on the same policy being paid by the same person, in many ways, they have their own policy that is unique to the car that is being insured.

In many ways this can be hard to understand, but in all reality, it simply means that they are on the same policy but that each car has coverage that is specific and unique to the car and to the driver. You can have as many cars as you want on a policy but they have to belong to people that live in your home and are related to you, someone that is your dependent, or you have to have your name on the title of the car.

These are all factors that enable you to add someone to your auto insurance policy. If you live in the Pomona, CA area, it might be beneficial to talk with the agents at THINK Insurance & Financial Services to learn more about multi-car policies, how you go about getting them, and any discounts that may be associated with having more than one car on a single named policy.

How Often Should You Update Your Home Insurance Policy?

Updating your home insurance policy should be second nature to most people, but unfortunately, the reality is much different than what should be. If you haven’t looked at your policy for a while, perhaps it’s time to dust it off to find out if there are some holes in your coverage. 

When You Care  

THINK Insurance & Financial Services has seen too many people in Pomona, CA do everything they can to improve their homes without taking the time to insure it all. When you care about your home, you make the updates and additions to increase its value. Anytime you do this is the time to pull out your home insurance policy. It could be a simple as changing your lighting to recessed in your kitchen and living room. These changes may not mean that you have to update your policy, but based on the terms and conditions, you may not get financial help on any damage that happens to the new parts of your house if your insurance carrier wasn’t notified. 

THINK Insurance & Financial Services

If you haven’t done anything major to your house, you should probably consider looking at your policy every year or so. Our agency is here to walk you through anything that may have happened that would require you to update your policy. For example, you may have made a few smaller purchases (e.g., several pieces of jewelry) that move you out of the limits for your coverage. Whether you need to make changes or not, we’re here to prompt you to remember it all so that you have everything covered in the event of a severe storm or criminal break-in. Call us for more information and a quote if you live in Pomona, CA.  

Why House Maintenance Matters

We often move into a house thinking it will be our “forever home”, but plans change all the time.  Sometimes people think they will enjoy life in a suburb, like Pomona, CA only to find out they want to be closer to Los Angeles.  Whatever the reason, THINK Insurance & Financial Services knows that house maintenance is something that should not be overlooked.  Taking the time to fix things before you place your house on the market will save you money in the long run.  

The Cost of a House in Pomona

It has been said that the median price of a house listed for sale in Pomona, CA is $379,894 and the value of houses is predicted to increase 1.4% over the next year.  What we get on a house when it is listed depends heavily on the condition of the house.  

What to Fix Before Moving

         Flooring

  • Floors:  If you have hardwood floors keep it.  If they aren’t new you might get more if you get the floors refinished. 
  • Carpet:  If you have carpeting the bedroom or other areas of the house make sure it is clean.  Tan or neutral carpets work best when selling a house.

        Paint Ceiling and Walls 

  • Wallpaper:  That wallpaper that you loved is not something that buyers will like.  Paying to take it down could be the difference between your house selling or not.
  • Painting:  Paint wood paneling.  Get rid of “popcorn ceilings” to make it sale better.

Kitchen

       Kitchen remodels might be the most expensive thing when listing a house and resurfacing cabinets and countertops may be the cheaper option. 

THINK Insurance& Financial Services wants you to get the best value for the house, so taking time to get these repairs done will save you when you if and when you decide to move. 

 

New California road laws for 2017

If you drive in Pomona, CA, there are some new traffic laws that you’re going to want to be aware of. Fortunately, none of them have a major impact on insurance law, so you don’t need to call your people at THINK Insurance & Financial Services to get a new policy just yet. Here’s what you need to know:

The GPS Defense

For a time, it was possible to contest a ticket for using your phone while driving by claiming that you were actually using your GPS. The new law is going into effect on the argument that you don’t actually need to hold the phone to use GPS. The safest way to do GPS now is hands-free, mounting it on the dashboard and checking directions at stoplights or listening to audio directions. And you’re only allowed to use one finger at a time when using your phone for GPS.

Your Phone Cannot Obstruct Your Windshield

Speaking of phone mounts, make sure that yours does not obstruct your windshield.

Bikers Splitting Lanes

You often see bikers going in-between lanes in order to get ahead of slow traffic. The legality of this has always been questionable with few states having clear laws on the matter, leaving it up to the discretion of the officer and the judge, really. California is the first state to officially declare this legal, but with certain provisions for what counts as safe lane-splitting. For instance, a biker is not allowed to go 50-60 mph when traffic is at a standstill.

Child Seats

Any child under two absolutely must ride in a rear-facing child seat, unless they’re more than forty inches tall, and weigh over forty pounds.

Driving in Pomona, CA presents some dangers, but stay up on the laws and THINK Insurance & Financial Services will take care of the rest.

 

5 Reasons to Care More About Auto Insurance

The moment you buy auto insurance is the moment you likely forget about it. It’s just another responsibility to check off a list. But auto insurance is a major purchase, and one THINK Insurance & Financial Services knows you should pay more attention to.

1. It Protects You

If an uninsured motorist hits you, insurance may be the only thing that helps you pay for the damages. It’s a safety net that keeps your finances from being sucked away, and there are a variety of events it helps you with.

2. You May Not Have the Right Policy

If you’ve chosen the bare minimum of coverage, there’s likely a few scenarios that will end up costing you more than you can afford. For example, California has its limits when it comes to bodily and property damage, and everything else you pay will be out of pocket.

3. Insurance Can Be the Best Source of Advice

Knowing who to can be just as important as the research you may do on your own. If you live in Pomona, CA, you’re going to want to work with someone who can help you and answer your questions as honestly as possible.

4. It’s Not Just About You

Insurance helps every driver on the road, not just you. The roads cannot stay safe if people don’t practice security in their daily lives, and insurance is an exceptionally large part of that.

5. The Company You Keep Is Important

THINK Insurance & Financial Services serves the people of Pomona, CA, and we’re here to make it easy to both obtain and understand insurance. We can help the new and the seasoned drivers alike. If you’re looking for information or a new quote, then give us a call today!

Re-Evaluating the Value of Your Home

After the economic crisis brought on by the real estate market collapse in America that started in 2006, the prices of homes in the Pomona, CA area plummeted, just like they did in many other parts of the country. The good news is that the home values in Pomona, CA have returned to match or exceed what they were before the crisis hit.

There are different types of home insurance. Some set the maximum value of the insurance coverage to a certain value amount. Other insurance policies have an annual escalation clause to take into account the replacement value of the home. The more sophisticated insurance policies that insure the replacement value are, in general, superior. The replacement calculation should be renewed each year and taken into consideration when setting the home insurance values.

This is a good point for consideration. Pay attention to anything significant things that may have changed in the home over the previous year.

All of these improvements create the need for a new re-evaluation of the replacement cost of a home. This is a good reason why it is a great idea to conduct a home replacement valuation each year. The total figure from this analysis is very useful to make sure you have adequate insurance coverage.

This is how to make sure you have the proper level of home insurance to cover the costs to rebuild your home if necessary because of a disaster.

Be sure to check with your agent at Think Insurance & Financial Services in Pomona, CA for any questions about your home insurance and to make sure you have adequate coverage for replacement value.

It is always better to been prepared in the case of a serious disaster emergency and to have proper home insurance coverage for the replacement value of your home.

Why Auto Insurance Should Go Above State Minimums

When you buy auto insurance, it’s important to look at what you’re getting. You want to get a policy you can rely on in Pomona, CA. This means not only adhering to the state minimums for liability, but going above and beyond these as well.

Why Go Above?

The state dictates the minimum level of coverage you must have an auto insurance policy. This means an insurance company won’t allow you to go below these levels. Although it costs more to add more coverage, it’s not a lot in most instances.

Your goal should be to reduce the amount of money you have to pay out of pocket in an accident. Most of the time, you will pay your deductible, and that’s it. However, there will be instances where you have to pay for an accident beyond what the liability coverage on your policy covers. For example, if you have $25,000 worth of property coverage and you cause $40,000 worth of damage, you might be held financially responsible for the remaining $15,000.

How Much Above?

The amount you decide to go above the state minimums is up to you. Not only do you want to consider increasing the liability levels, but also adding coverage that the state doesn’t require. This includes comprehensive coverage, so you are covered against things that don’t involve driving.

Our agents at THINK Insurance & Financial Services will be able to help you determine how much above state minimums you should go. This will depend on your budget as well as the kinds of accidents you have been involved in throughout the past few years.

Contact us at THINK Insurance & Financial Services today to find out more about auto insurance. Our independent agents will be able to get quotes from multiple companies and help to find an affordable policy.

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