Why Do You Need Motorhome Insurance

Owning a motorhome can be very thrilling as you enjoy the excitement of the open road in front of you and the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want. However, owning a motorhome is a substantial financial commitment. As such, you need the proper motorhome insurance to protect your interest. For the residents of Laguna Hills, CA, Friant Insurance Agency is always available to handle your motorhome insurance needs.

The Necessity of Motorhome Insurance

As unlikely as this may sound, some people with motorhomes never insure their investment. Such an endeavor is risky to your health and your finances as, without the proper coverage, you could end up spending a lot of money you don’t have to fix damages.

This is why it is necessary to have the right motorhome insurance coverage. Purchasing an average policy just won’t cut it, unfortunately. You also need to find a policy that fully covers your needs and belongings. Apart from making sure your coverage is the best available for your needs, you also need to make sure that you get it for the best price possible.

What to Consider

Before you set out to get motorhome insurance, you need to consider a couple of things. The first is where you plan to use the motorhome. Is it within the state, cross country, or are you traveling abroad with it? Make sure you get motorhome insurance that covers all the places you plan to visit.

The second thing worth considering is who will be driving. If you are the sole driver, the insurance will be cheaper than when you list your family members as drivers. Your plan also needs to be able to cover the motorhome if you intend to lend or rent it out to family, friends, or strangers.

Before you sign off on any policy, make sure that you’ve received all the information you need and that you understand everything that is covered by the policy. If you’re looking for a reputable insurance agency in Laguna Hills, CA, then you can contact Friant Insurance Agency for more details and information.

 

RV Insurance Facts

If you are planning to buy a Recreational Vehicle (RV) in the Laguna Hills, CA area, you may not be clear on how RV insurance coverage may be different from other types of insurance. An RV can include camper vans, bus conversions, and a range of motorhomes. We at Friant Insurance Agency want you to understand RV insurance. Here are the basic facts:

  • RV’s fall into different classes – A, B, or C, and the class of RV will play a role in your RV insurance coverage. Class relates to the RV size, with A being the largest model, B the smallest, and C includes fifth wheels and other alternative campers.
  • RV insurance coverage will depend on the class, the amount of use, if it’s a full-time residence, and more.
  • Coverage is much like auto insurance – including collision, comprehensive coverage, and liability. Additional coverage can include protection for personal belongings, equipment, attached accessories like awnings or satellite dishes. It may provide total loss replacement, campsite and vacation coverage, emergency expenses, uninsured, underinsured, and full-time residence coverage needs.
  • RV insurance protects you from financial losses in the event you are found at fault in an accident, and it can limit the amount of out of pocket expense you pay for with a roadside breakdown. It can also help you if you collide with another driver that is underinsured or uninsured.  It can also compensate you if the RV is stolen or damaged.
  • Like other vehicles and trailers, RV insurance is required in every state.  How much you need beyond the minimum required liability can vary depending on your unique situation.

Friant Insurance Agency

We provide insurance to those in the Laguna Hills, CA area and beyond. Contact a professional and friendly Friant insurance agent today to discuss your RV insurance needs.

What Protective Gear to Wear When Riding

Riding your motorcycle down the roads of Laguna Hills, CA is an invigorating feeling. However, no matter how good of a rider you are, accidents happen. You need to protect yourself in the event you get into an accident with another motorized vehicle or even by yourself. At Friant Insurance Agency, serving Laguna Hills, CA and the surrounding area, we have a few suggestions about the protective gear you should wear while riding. 

1. A Helmet

A helmet is an essential piece of protective gear to wear on a motorcycle, as noted by the Motorcycle Safety Association (MSA). The MSA documented research that analyzes 3,600 police reports regarding highway motorcycle crashes. The researchers concluded helmets save lives by preventing head injuries in the event of a crash. Helmets have no adverse effects in terms of reducing a person’s senses when on a motorcycle. In the state of California, you must wear a helmet, or you risk getting a fine. Keep in mind with helmets, you get what you pay for; therefore, it doesn’t pay to opt for a cheaper brand. You’re protecting one of the most vital components of your body–your brain, so spend the extra money and buy a DOT-approved helmet.  

2. Eye Protection

Eye protection can prevent you from getting something in your eye that could potentially cause you to get into an accident. You may want to wear a helmet that has built-in eye protection. 

3. Long Pants

Far too often, bikers forget to protect their legs and wear a regular pair of sweatpants or shorts. However, you need more than standard pants to protect your legs if you should get into an accident. Find true riding pants. You don’t have to worry about looking silly either because today’s styles for riders are much more stylish. 

4. Boots

Your ankles and legs are susceptible to injury. Wear a pair of boots that cover your ankles and part of your shins. 

Protection while riding doesn’t just consist of your gear. Get protection from Friant Insurance Agency, serving Laguna Hills, CA and the surrounding area, that covers your bike, you, other drivers, and bikers alike. Contact us today for a quote by calling 800-486-5108 or visiting our office. 

 

5 Reasons You Need Umbrella Insurance

You’d be surprised by the reasons our Laguna Hills, CA customers find they need umbrella coverage. Simply put, an umbrella policy is a supplement to your standard home or auto insurance. It helps protect your assets when a liability claim exhausts the coverage of your basic insurance. The kinds of things you could be sued over aren’t always obvious like a personal injury! Friant Insurance Agency has put together a list of some surprising risk factors that you could need an umbrella policy to cover!

Recreational Equipment and Activities

Did you know that your home’s pool, decorative ponds, or even the kid’s trampoline are all considered liability risks? What’s more surprising is that a good deal of injuries that stem from these recreational activities might not be covered by your standard policy!

Vacant Land

If someone is injured on property you own, you could be held liable even if that property is considered vacant. Even if the person was not permitted to be on that land, was trespassing, or was a guest of someone renting the property, you could still be found at fault.

Home Renovations

Construction is exciting, but it also increases the chance of injury at home, especially during long projects. Consider an umbrella policy specifically tailored for risks during home renovation and construction!

Hosting Parties

The more people that are at your home or other properties you own, the more chance there is for something to go wrong. An umbrella policy is a good idea if you do a lot of entertaining, or plan to host major social events such as weddings. 

Social Media

Getting sued over something you said on social media is a very real risk these days. Basic insurance typically doesn’t protect your assets in cases of slander or libel, but an umbrella policy can!

There are plenty more situations where an umbrella policy can feel like your financial safety net. Friant Insurance Agency encourages all of our Laguna Hills, CA customers to contact us today to discover more surprising benefits of umbrella coverage today!

What is Federal Flood Insurance?

In 1968, the federal government introduced an innovative concept to the real estate and insurance marketplaces – The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP was designed to mitigate a flood’s impact. 


The National Flood Insurance Program meets their objectives by:

  • Delivering reasonably priced flood insurance policies
  • Encouraging communities to enforce floodplain regulations set forth by FEMA

So, how did this begin?

National Flood Insurance Act

A year before the Woodstock Festival, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program to provide needed insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners; provided their community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. When participating, communities agree, they must enforce the floodplain ordinances that meet/exceed the FEMA’s standards.

Flood Insurance Rate Maps (Firms)

FEMA’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and planning tool (MAP), identifies flood risks, flood hazards, and works in unison with communities to provide accurate risk data as guidance for future mitigation efforts and planning. Flood hazard mapping creates the database upon which the NFIP regulations are formed.

FEMA maintains flood map data throughout their proprietary database – Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). A FIRM includes statistical data gathered regarding tides, rainfall, and hydraulic analyses. 

Each Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM,) provides data identifying:

  • Major roadways, secondary street and tertiary roads, rivers, waterfront property and mass transit, like railroads
  • Special Flood Hazard Areas
  • Base Flood Elevation or depths
  • Flood Insurance risk zones
  • Areas subject to inundation by a ‘500-year’ flood

If you live in and around the Laguna Hills, CA, contact the experienced agents at the Friant Insurance Agency. They are available to help with all of your insurance needs.

Is Condo Living Right for You?

If you’re considering purchasing a condominium in the Laguna Hills, CA area, you may want to consider if condo living will suit you. There are benefits to condo living, such as an instant social life due to close neighbors. 

Some items can be a benefit or a problem depending on your perception, such as the condominium bylaws designed to govern the residents. Financially, purchasing a condo can be a good investment, or it can be a financial strain, depending on your situation. Here are some things to consider if condo living is the right choice for you.

Considering a Condo

If this is your first property purchase, you want to keep in mind the condo association fees and homeowner’s insurance. The condo association fees go towards the condo insurance for the entire property, not just your condo, and helps to pay for fixing things in the community like a broken parking garage gate. Be aware that these fees do not cover your personal property from theft or damage. You will need a homeowner’s policy for your coverage.

Because condos are part of a complex, it brings with it close neighbors and a natural social setting for the person living there. It’s important to find out what type of community there is in the condo complex to know if you will fit in. For example, some have more young people that enjoy parties, and some have more retirees that enjoy peace and quiet. Introduce yourself to few residents as a potential buyer before you make the leap. Not only can you find out what the neighbors are like, but if they enjoy living in the complex. 

Contact Friant Insurance Agency

Contact the Friant Insurance Agency to explore your condo insurance policy options in the Laguna Hills, CA area today. Our agents can help answer questions or start a policy.

The Importance of Scheduling Personal Property Items

Did you know that your Laguna Hills, CA homeowner’s insurance policy may have a limit on the amount of coverage available to you on certain high-end items in the event of a claim? Our Friant Insurance Agency team has put together this post on the importance of scheduling personal property items.

What Items Are Usually Best to Schedule and Why Should You Schedule Them?

In most cases, homeowner’s insurance policies put a cap on the total reimbursement amount for certain personal property items. These often include jewelry, furs, guns, artwork, computers, and some other electronics. For many policy contracts, the limit can be as low as $1500, which often doesn’t go very far when you’re talking about these types of belongings.

Scheduling them means that you are listing them specifically on the policy with a particular value amount, which lets the insurance company know that they exist and that you’ll be expecting full value in the event of theft, fire, or other claims.

How Do You Schedule Items on Your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy?

Recording personal property items aren’t usually that difficult of a process. If the item is new, a sales receipt and photos of the item are usually sufficient. If it is an antique or one-of-a-kind, such as artwork, jewelry, or guns, a professional appraisal certificate may be required. Then all you have to do is turn this documentation into your agent, who will then help you work through the necessary steps of adding the items to the policy. Coverage usually takes effect almost immediately but can depend on the insurance carrier’s exact regulations.

Learn more about how the personal property scheduling process works. Contact our Friant Insurance Agency team in Laguna Hills, CA to discuss your coverage needs in California.

Who Needs Renters Insurance

Many people believe that because they don’t own a home they do not need insurance. Contrary to what some may think, landlords are not responsible for your personal property in a disaster. The independent agents at Friant Insurance Agency service the Laguna Hills, CA area and would like you to understand that everyone who is renting a home or apartment should have renters insurance.

Renters Insurance Coverage

  • Personal Property – If you suddenly had to replace your entire wardrobe, jewelry, furniture, and small appliances, you may not have that amount of money on hand. With renters insurance, your policy could allow you to replace your items at little or no cost.
  • Liability – Depending on your policy limits, liability coverage can offer you security if an accident causes injury to another person resulting in damages and medical expenses.

What to Consider When Buying Renters Insurance

Everyone renting an apartment, condo, or house should consider renters insurance because your items could be replaced quickly after you pay the deductible. There are two types of replacement coverage:

  • Actual Cash Value – can allow you to have “fair market value” for your property. With this type of coverage, the insurance provider takes into account the depreciation of your item. If you had a 4-year old smartphone that was stolen in a burglary, you could receive the cost of that phone minus its depreciation value.
  • Replacement Cost – could give you the cost of an item that is similar to the one that you lost. Your premiums may be a little higher, but you could get an amount that could replace your item at today’s rates. For example, if you had a 5-year old gaming system, you could be compensated for one being sold now.

In the Laguna Hills, CA area, the independent agents at Friant Insurance Agency are available and waiting for your call. We can help get you get started with a renters policy that is right for your needs. Contact us or visit our offices today!

Five ways to Drive More Defensively to Avoid any Auto Accident

You need to drive defensively now more than ever because of how many people that are distracted by mobile phones and electronic devices while driving their cars. Defensive driving has always been an important part of the driving process because not everyone is very experienced with driving. It is important to be ready for any unusual driving that you may encounter within your driving experience. Our agents at the Friant Insurance Agency in Laguna Hills, CA can assist you with your auto coverage to help you find the correct amount to protect you if you were to experience an auto accident at the hands of an inexperienced or distracted driver.

You also need to be aware of pedestrians and other people spending more time in the outdoors during the warmer seasons. Many people on their phones and with headphones in might not see or hear your car coming. It is your responsibility to be vigilant for pedestrians that may stray in the path of your car.

On our nation’s highways, attempt to avoid driving in the road lanes next to larger semi trucks. The drivers for these vehicles will not always be able to see you if you happen to be in a blind spot. This could cause a potential hazard for you and your vehicle if they merge into your lane without knowledge of you being there.

Ensure that you also drive far enough behind other vehicles in the case of a sudden stop. If the driver in front of you should slow down or stop quickly, you may have a hard time avoiding an accident.

Be very careful regarding your hand position on the steering wheel because it could improve your response time if you were to encounter any unusual incidents on your drive. You can discuss any questions you might have regarding your auto insurance or an accident with one of our agents at Friant Insurance Agency in Laguna Hills, CA. Give us a call or stop by our office to learn more about how defensive driving is important for your policy and well being.

 

Home Maintenance Tasks that Improve Home Safety

Preventative maintenance is essential to preventing accidents and maintaining a safe home environment. Although home insurance from Friant Insurance Agency offers protection against accidents, you should do your part to make your Laguna Hills, CA home as safe as possible. The following home maintenance tasks can help accomplish this purpose.  

Roof Repairs

Your home’s roof offers protection and security against the elements. Wear and tear could result in water leaks that can cause accidents due to slipping and falling. Excess moisture can also promote the growth of mold or mildew within your structure. A moldy environment can contribute to a number of health problems to include nasal congestion, eye irritations, cough, wheezing, and more.

Carpet Replacement or Repairs

Old, frayed carpeting can increase the risk of tripping and falling, especially on stairways. By repairing or replacing old carpeting, you create a safer home environment. Purchasing area rugs and runners with anti-slip backings keep them from slipping and sliding on tile floors. By having carpets professionally cleaned on an annual basis, you can minimize problems with asthma and allergies.

Decluttering

Keeping your home free from clutter makes it easier and safer to get around. Excess clutter such as old newspapers and magazines, old clothing, books, and knickknacks not only detract from the visual appeal of your home but can be a fire hazard.  

Repair Cracks on Walkways and Driveways

Cracked mortar on stone walkways or cracks in your driveway increases the risk of an accident as family and friends enter your property. By having these repaired, you make for a safer outside environment. Regular upkeep of exterior landscaping will also reduce the risk of accidents while enhancing your home’s curb appeal.

For protection against accidental injury to visitors on your property, make sure you have ample liability coverage from Friant Insurance Agency, Laguna Hills, CA to protect your assets. For more answers to your home insurance needs, visit our office or try our online rating tool to get quotes on your home and car insurance.