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Features is the place to find stories from select neighborhood sources.
With the recent hail and severe storms that we have seen in the Dallas area, I wanted to warn you that our State Farm office is getting calls from people who say that roof salesmen are knocking on doors to solicit business.
As a State Farm agent, I cannot stress to you more that good roofers don't need to do this. They get business from referrals. Highland Park, University Park, Lake Highlands, Lakewood and other surrounding neighborhoods, are top targets for business solicitation and you need to be aware!
Before installing a new roof or having repairs made, consider the following when choosing your contractor:
Brent Cooper, AgentState Farm Insurance214 987-1995brent@brentcooper.net
Serving the Insurance needs of the Dallas Neighborhoods of University Park, Highland Park, Lake Highlands, Preston Hollow, Oakcliff, and Coppell.
Consumers can take more control of health-care expenses By State Farm® Agent Brent Cooper
Are you looking for a way to trim your health-care costs, reduce your federal income tax liability and potentially save more for your future? You can contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA) which, when used in conjunction with a high deductible health plan (HDHP), helps individuals save for qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-free basis.
Anyone may contribute to an HSA on behalf of an eligible individual – you, your employer or anyone. Your contributions and the contributions of others are tax deductible and, if your employer chooses to contribute, those contributions will be deductible by your employer and not included in your income.
All earnings in an HSA are tax deferred and distributions are tax free if used for qualified medical expenses, including long-term care premiums. This allows you the opportunity to pay for your medical expenses with pre-tax dollars. In addition, any unused HSA funds may be withdrawn after you turn age 65 with no penalty. The funds will be taxed as ordinary income.
HSAs are portable, with rollover provisions, allowing you the opportunity to move funds from one HSA to another. If you obtained an HSA through your employer and change jobs, you can roll over your HSA into a new HSA and take the funds with you.
HSAs are important, particularly for those who are under or uninsured, small business owners or anyone facing the challenge of affording quality health insurance coverage. But the advantages don’t stop there; even if you’re adequately insured, but want to reduce the cost for health care, HSAs may apply to you as well. Talk with an insurance professional for more information on HSAs.
What is the value of my home? By State Farm® Agent Brent Cooper
Some of you may be asking yourself, “Does my insurance coverage fit my needs?” “Do I have enough coverage to replace my home in the event of a serious loss?” “What affects my premium?”
These questions create a need for you to regularly review your homeowners insurance and to consider other questions such as: “Have you recently remodeled or improved your home?” “Has the rate of inflation risen since your last appraisal?” “What influences the building construction costs in your area?”
As you consider these issues, it is important to understand that real estate values measure the market value or selling price for a home. For insurance purposes, it is important to estimate the current replacement cost which is the amount needed to hire a contractor to repair the damage or to rebuild the home to its pre-loss condition. Dwelling replacement costs used by insurance companies do not include the value of the land. Market conditions in your area may impact the amount it will cost to rebuild your home if you experience a loss.
Building contractors or professional replacement cost appraisers are a good source for obtaining an estimated replacement cost for your home. Estimates from these sources should reflect your home’s specific features and details. If you are unable to obtain a detailed estimate from these sources, I can help provide an estimate.
Once you know the estimated cost to replace your home, you can decide how much insurance coverage fits your needs. You should also consider other policy endorsements such as back up of sewer and drain coverage, or additional coverage for personal articles with high values such as jewelry, fine arts, and collectibles. You may want to consider higher personal liability coverage or the need for flood insurance which is provided by a separate policy.
In addition to the amount of coverage you decide to purchase, your premium is impacted by optional endorsements you select, your claim history, the amount of your deductible, company longevity and multiple policy discounts such as home/auto. Finally, remember to periodically review your insurance coverage with your agent. That will ensure you have the coverage you need.
Life insurance is a practical way to protect your family’s financial hopes and dreams. The death of a family member can be devastating to survivors both emotionally and financially. Life insurance can provide cash to help with your family’s immediate and long-term needs.
Life insurance is not for the people who die, but for people who live. It's wise to explore options while you are still healthy; health problems can make life insurance expensive or unavailable. Three forms of life insurance are most common today
Term life insurance - this is temporary life insurance for a specific time period (one, five, 10 or more years). It can provide short-term coverage on a limited budget. Term insurance, however, costs more to buy as you get older.
There are two common types of term life insurance:
Whole life insurance - premiums are generally level with cash value growth throughout the life of the policy.
Universal life insurance - this offers many traditional advantages of whole life insurance (such as protection for life), but also offers flexibility. Coverage amounts and premium payments are flexible to help meet changing needs during an insured person’s lifetime (subject to certain conditions).
When you buy life insurance, you buy a promise of protection against financial loss caused by death. The promise is only as good as the company that stands behind it. In today's marketplace, life insurance buyers should be concerned about:
Contact an insurance professional for information about life insurance.
After a storm hits, some roofing companies move into town and target neighborhoods looking for business. They tend to use aggressive and misleading tactics in order to gain business, many times not knowing if there is any damage at all. Some things to consider: Be careful of any company that uses door-to-door sales or leaves a flier on your doorknob or in your mailbox, promising insurance compensation for repairs. Phrases to watch out for: "insurance companies are compensating" and "most homeowners are unaware of the storm damage on their roof". Make sure to get verification of a hailstorm in your neighborhood. the National Weather Service is a good independent source. If there was a strom, find out how large the hailstones were. It usually takes hail at least 1 1/4 inches in diameter to cause damage, with golf ball size or larger causing serious damage. Look around your property before climbing on your roof. is there hail damage to vehicles, siding, air conditioning units, or shrubbery? If not, damage to your roof is unlikely. Hail damage is random. Unscrupulous repair companies may use a teaspoon, small rocks or hammers to fabricate damage. A legitimate roofing company should be able to provide the following: Local references and roofing testimonials, a business license, and proof of liability insurance. Don't hesitate to call your insurance agent for advice and direction before letting anyone climb on your roof or signing any kind of contract.
Something about today makes me think of Flood Insurance. OK, I need more to think about. Given that a helicopter traffic reporter this afternoon made the comment that Greenville Avenue around Royal Oaks Country Club reminded him of his days of flying over rice paddies in Viet Nam, I thought of the potential flooding that might occur to homes, businesses, and cars. Homeowners insurance does not cover flooding. Flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program. Call your agent for details. If you have Comprehensive Coverage on your car insurance, you are covered for flood damage. Now might be a good time to review all your coverages.
HAIL HAIL,
Appears that the the Park Cities avoided the big storm Thursday night relatively unscathed by Hail, High Winds, and Tornados. Might be a wake-up call to check your home and car insurance though. Many of us have to park at least one car outside the comfy safety of a garage.
Check you Comprehensive (other than collision) Deductible, Do you have Rental Reimbursement coverage while that damaged vehicle is in the shop? Local body shops are running 10 to 14 days to repair hail damage. If a tree in your yard falls on your neighbor's fence, house or car, do you know who's insurance pays? Not yours. That can sometimes create a little tension between neighbors, but that's how it works.
Have your trees trimmed away from the roof. All this wind can cause tree limbs to scratch across the roof over and over until it creates a real problem for you. If we have any substantial hail in the area, avoid the door to door roofing salesman.
Find a reputable company that has been in business a long time. They don't need door to door salesman. They keep busy just off of referrals. We need the rain, so let's hope Mother Nature is in a good mood and distributes some in a kindly fashion.
Dear BubbleLife Neighbors,
Seldom a day goes by that someone I meet or run into doesn't ask me an insurance question, tells me about a claim that they are currently dealing with, or ask how much it’s going to cost them to insure their 16-year-old driver.
I'm starting this forum to provide information and answer the questions that many of my neighbors might find interesting and helpful regarding insurance. I will be discussing topics such as:
I will also provide similar information and answer questions regarding Homeowners, Life, and Health insurance. I have 24 years experience as an insurance agent so there isn’t much that I haven’t been exposed to. Be mindful that my statements and opinions are mine and mine alone and not to be considered representative of the company that I represent.
I look forward to answering your questions and helping you with insurance related issues. Feel free to post questions on this forum and I will respond as quickly as I can. I will also be posting information sporadically so make sure to check in and see if anything pertains to you.
Sincerely,
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