When you live in the Altamonte Springs, FL area, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the nice outdoor weather. One way that you can have as much fun as possible is by getting a boat and using a local waterway. If you do purchase a boat in this area, it would be a good idea to get into a policy that provides appropriate coverage as it can come in handy in several ways.

After Causing an Accident

One situation when having a boat insurance policy will be handy is when you cause an accident. If you cause an accident with your boat, you are going to be required to pay for all damages that are caused. In some situations, these damages can be significant. To ensure it is not too much of a financial burden, you should get a boat insurance policy with an appropriate level of liability insurance coverage.

When in Required by Stakeholders

Another situation when it can be helpful to have a boat insurance policy is when it is required for you to have it by your various stakeholders. There is a range of parties that could require you to carry this insurance coverage. This can include boat lenders or local waterway associations. Both of these parties will want to make sure that you have coverage to pay for damages to either your own boat or another party’s boat.

As you are shopping for a boat insurance policy in the Altamonte Springs, FL area, you should reach out to the team at Blanchard Insurance. Picking out an appropriate boat insurance policy is a big decision. When you work with Blanchard Insurance you are going to receive the personalized care and guidance that you need to choose a policy that provides you with the right type and level of boat coverage. 

Buying a condo is different from buying a house in a number of ways. First of all, you may well wind up having two separate insurance policies. This is because your condo association is, collectively, responsible for the exterior of the structure. Yes, you own a part of it, but it’s difficult to divide the exterior of a building up among a dozen insurance companies, so insuring the building itself will typically be handled through your association. And then you’ll also likely be carrying condo insurance to cover your own possessions and liability in your home, sort of like renters insurance.

Your condo association can recommend certain insurers to you, and it may be easy to go with whoever’s already covering the building, but in Altamonte Springs FL you are free to go with whatever insurance provider you like.

Different insurance companies will evaluate how much condo insurance you’re carrying on the building by different methods. Typically this involves measuring square footage and evaluating risk. Fortunately, you don’t need to break out the tape measure or anything, as this is the part of your insurance that your association takes care of. Your job is to consider how much insurance you want to carry for your own possessions and liability.

So we have a couple of rules of thumb here:

• For possessions: Take an inventory of all your valuables, or assume $40,000 in belongings for the first thousand square feet and $10 for each additional square foot
• For liability: Add the value of your assets to five times what you earn in a year. This buys you a cushion to keep from being bankrupted by liability claims.

If you’re still shopping for insurance for your Altamonte Springs, FL condo, call Blanchard Insurance, or visit the Blanchard Insurance website for the protection you need.

Umbrella liability coverage protects your finances from unforeseen events that cause personal injury or property damage. If you are held accountable for the damages, your umbrella insurance policy kicks in when your regular auto, home, or other insurance runs out. To determine how much umbrella insurance you need, consider the total value of your assets and the likely risk that you may face. Contact your Blanchard Insurance agent in Altamonte Springs, FL for assistance setting up your policy.

Why Is Umbrella Insurance Important?

Just as an umbrella protects you from the rain, your umbrella policy acts as another layer of coverage. In order to purchase umbrella insurance, you must first have an underlying insurance policy. This could be auto, homeowners, or other types of coverage. 

What Umbrella Insurance Covers

Every policy varies slightly, so it’s important to verify your coverage with your agent. However, umbrella insurance breaks down into three categories: bodily injury, property damage, and personal liability. 

Bodily injury umbrella coverage pays for medical and related expenses. Examples include medical bills for injuries sustained by another driver if you cause an accident. If your pet bites or injures someone and the medical bills exceed your homeowner’s insurance limit, umbrella insurance kick in to make up the difference.

Property damage umbrella insurance covers losses to tangible property. This could include another driver’s vehicle if you cause an accident. It may also pay for accidental damage your child causes at school.

Other personal liability umbrella insurance provides additional coverage for court-ordered settlements for slander, libel, false arrest, malicious prosecution, and mental anguish.

Umbrella Insurance in Altamonte Springs, FL 

Blanchard Insurance provides umbrella insurance to our clients in Altamonte Springs, FL. Contact us today to set up an appointment for a free quote and consultation on how umbrella insurance can protect your financial assets.

Flood insurance is must-have for all homeowners, especially for those who live in the areas susceptible to flood events. Unfortunately, certain misconceptions about this type of insurance can leave homeowners at risk of substantial loss. Blanchard Insurance agency serving Altamonte Springs, FL prepared for you the list of the most common myths about flood insurance with the facts to debunk them: 

Myth 1: To Be Qualified For Flood Insurance You Have To Live in Flood-Prone Area

The truth is that anyone can purchase flood insurance for the home regardless of the location. In fact, even a property located in a low- or moderate-risk area is 5 times more likely to be flooded than be destroyed by fire in a 30-year period of time. 

Myth 2: Flood Insurance is For Homeowners Only

If you think that you need to own a house to be qualified for flood insurance, you are wrong. Flood insurance is available to everyone, including renters, who want to protect their possessions in a rented property, and even commercial property owners.

Myth 3: Flood Insurance Covers Everything

Flood insurance covers a lot of damage, but it still has its limitations. There are certain things that will not be covered: 

• The damage caused by mold, mildew or moisture;
• Unattached structures outside of an insured building, including patios, fences, decks, gazebos, swimming pools, and others;
• Most motorized vehicles

It is highly recommended to discuss the limitations with an insurance agency before purchasing an insurance plan. 

If you are thinking of getting flood insurance for your house or the rented property, Blanchard Insurance serving Altamonte Springs, FL is ready to help you to make the right choice. Give us a call today to receive the answers to all your questions and the information you need. 

The one consistent aspect of life is that things are always in flux. We’ve got to expect change as we go through each season– from teenage years, to advanced education or full-time work, and then on to marriage and family. Altamonte Springs, FL residents know and expect this change, as their city has changed many times since it was founded 100 years ago.

Once you’ve decided to expand your family, change is already on the way. Infants coo and squirm in delightful ways, warming your heart and reminding you of what a miracle it is to beget the next generation.

But a growing family requires a change in more than one area. Consider your existing life insurance policy. You may have a certain payout amount listed in the event of your untimely demise. However, you may wish to increase this amount with the newest addition to your family.

After all, your little one may hope to attend a college, university, or trade school. You may want to create a fund to help them get started in life. Family expansions are a great time to consider altering your life insurance policy to ensure your entire family is taken care of, if the worst should happen.

Consider acquiring a policy for both parents. Whether one parent plans to stay home or both will continue to work, it’s important to take steps to protect the child’s interests no matter what could happen.

None of us likes to consider the need for life insurance, but the best way to take care of your loved ones is to expect the unexpected and take action before anything unfortunate occurs. Blanchard Insurance agents in Altamonte Springs, FL want to talk with you about life insurance as your family size increases. Make sure you can cover your child’s education and living expenses for years to come.

Contact Blanchard Insurance today to talk about your growing family and your life insurance policy needs.

Building a new business takes time, patience, and a lot of investment.  Every day you get working on building your business because you know the value of the product or service that you offer to the community.  As your business grows, protect it with commercial insurance.  The team at Blanchard Insurance works with business owners in the Altamonte Springs, FL area to get the coverage that they need.  We work closely with our clients to understand their business’ needs so that we can recommend to best products to protect them. 

Commercial policies are unique in that they are not one set policy.  They are actually several policies tied together.  This lets a business tailor their coverage to meet their needs.  Liability coverage goes into effect if someone is injured at the business or by their products.  Any buildings a company owns are protected with property insurance.  This also covers any materials or inventory inside the building.  For injured workers, there is coverage from worker’s compensation.  Additional available coverage includes commercial auto insurance and professional liability coverage.  Some owners opt for business continuity insurance that protects following a disaster when they are unable to operate their business. 

The team at Blanchard Insurance works with business owners of the Altamonte Springs, FL area to provide the best insurance options available.  We strive to help you make smart choices for your business’ protection. You’ve worked hard to build your business. Let us help you protect it. Visit our website for general information but then come in a talk with one of our agents to get coverage designed for your business. Don’t wait until the unthinkable happens. Explore the best options in commercial insurance to protect your business. Contact us today to get the coverage that your business needs!

Home insurance can cover a tool shed, but it doesn’t need to. When you call Blanchard Insurance to insure your Altamonte Springs, FL, be clear about what you want to insure and what you don’t.

Other structures on your home that you might want to consider covering or excluding would be:

• Dog houses
• Carports
• Freestanding garages
• Guest homes
• Trailers
• Playhouses and treehouses

The question to consider: If a tree falls on it, are you going to make a claim? If the answer is no, then it might not be worth paying the extra in premiums to get it covered. Some examples, like guest homes, are no-brainers. Of course you want to protect a guest home or a free-standing garage. But a dog house that cost you fifty dollars in lumber and an hour in labor, maybe not.

The only thing your home insurance really needs to cover is your home. You don’t even need to cover all of your possessions if you don’t want to. It comes down to what you’re willing to cover yourself should something happen, and what you’ll need a little help with. That’s why we generally make sure that our TVs and appliances and jewelry are covered on our home insurance, but we’re not so worried about that ten dollar pair of slippers or the twelve dollar bathrobe we got from Wal-Mart.

If you’re looking to get your Altamonte Springs, FL home covered with a good insurance policy, give Blanchard Insurance a call and see what they can do for you. You don’t have to cover every tool shed and dog house on your property, but you do want to cover your home and your most valuable possessions.

Mobile homes are popular housing options, but a lot of people who plan to buy them don’t realize that they need a special kind of insurance policy. Since they’re not the same as a site-built house, there are policy specifications that must be met to cover them the right way. But you don’t have to worry about wading through confusing insurance options for your new place. At Blanchard Insurance we can help you find a mobile home insurance policy that works for your Altamonte Springs, FL area location and the kind of mobile home you want to buy. We’re here to answer your questions and locate the best policy for your needs.

While many mobile homes today look almost identical to a home that was built on-site, the reality is that the construction is different and the home’s ability to handle specific events (such as windstorms) may be affected. Today’s mobile homes are safe, high-quality options, though, and can have insurance policies that are very similar to standard homeowner’s options. Just be sure to let your agent know that you’re insuring a mobile home because the way the policy is created and underwritten will be different. You want to be sure you have the proper coverage, to protect you in case of an accident or other problem.

By contacting us today at Blanchard Insurance, you can get the mobile home insurance policy that’s right for you and covers you correctly. We serve clients all throughout the Altamonte Springs, FL area, and you can give us a call or stop by to get the help you need. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have, whether you’re thinking about buying a mobile home or you have one that needs a policy renewal. Don’t hesitate to let us help.