DOT Sets New Hours-of-Service Limits

DOT Sets New Hours-of-Service Limits

On December 27, 2011, the Department of Transportation, through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, issued its final rule limiting the hours of service for commercial truck drivers. The rule will be enforced beginning on July 1, 2013. The final hours-of-service rule reduces the maximum number of hours a truck driver can work within a week and imposes break and rest requirements for drivers.

For A Commercial Insurance Quote Please Contact Jason Shroot At 714-988-3325 or Jason@diversifiedinsurancequotes.com.  Please Also Visit Jason Shroot At www.JasonSellsInsurance.Com

Are Your Automobile Tires Old & Tired?

The Problem with Tired Tires

Addressing Loose Regulations & Auto Accident Liability...

Back in the day, tires typically would wear out before they got too old. Thinning treads is the consumer indicator that a tire needed to be replaced and, 30 to 40 years ago, that was probably around the 20,000 to 30,000-mile usage marker.

Nowadays, tires are more durable and can last upwards of 60,000 to 100,000 miles. The downside, as Jason Shroot has read is that consumers are unaware that steel-belted radial ply tires, despite their toughness, face aging challenges because they are made of rubber, a product that oxidizes and hardens over time.
Older tires are vulnerable to catastrophic failures since excessive brittleness from oxidation can trigger tread and belt separations. Should those tires be attached to vehicles that travel roads in hot, dry climates, then those tires will deteriorate even faster.
The challenge with aging tires is they can hide their decrepitude, unlike a mature actor relying on injectables and plastic surgery for youthfulness. Unused new tires may be stored for years before installation and look pristine, but climate, handling, and storage can exact a toll indiscernible to visual examination.

Jason Shroot recently found out that currently there is no U.S. industry standard for when tires should be removed from service. To compound matters, manufacturers do not plan to stamp expiration dates on their wares. European countries recommend 6 years of usage. In contrast, U.S. tire manufacturers either do not offer guidance as to tire shelf life or simply suggest removal or regular inspections of 6 to 10-year-old tires. As long as a tire does not show signs of checking or cracking (the only visual traces of tire aging) and was kept in climate-controlled storage, then it may be okay to use despite its age.
Enterprising policyholders can, however, decipher a date code marked on the tire’s sidewall to determine a tire’s age. That date code is contained within the tire’s serial number and is commonly imprinted on the inward-facing side of the tire, but chances are the figures noted will be somewhat cryptic. Unfortunately, as many retail tire shop employees do not know how to read date codes, consumer ignorance is not altogether unexpected as well.

For More Information on Risk Management Pratices For Your Home / Auto / Business Please Contact

Jason Shroot

714-988-3325

www.JasonSellsInsurance.com



Did You Change Lately?

Changes in home ownership and occupancy can affect insurance coverage. You must find the right policy for the property and its use— in effect, the round peg for the round hole.

 Here are the basic property insurance policies and what they cover, along with some changing circumstances we often discover that no longer work for these policies.


A homeowner’s policy will cover 1-4 family units and/or contents owned by an individual or a trust, and occupied by the owner, trustees or beneficiaries. It will cover both the property and the liability for stated perils. The home must be occupied and furnished within 60 days of the effective date— sometimes 30 days, if the insurance company’s guidelines require.
A business owner’s policy will cover property units owned by an individual, partnership, corporation or any combination of those. It will cover both the property and the liability for stated perils. The property must be occupied and furnished within 30 days of the effective date.
A dwelling fire policy is designed to cover the structure of a building owned by an individual or a trust which is occupied, but not by the owner. It will cover liability for the premises only.  The home must be occupied and furnished within 60 days of the effective date— sometimes 30 days if company’s guidelines require.

Obviously, the family with a primary home or a rental property occupied by a year-round tenant are the round pegs. But what happens when there are different circumstances than those mentioned above— in essence square pegs? Unusual circumstances seem to be growing more rapidly than the insurance industry can accommodate. Here are some common ones that I am seeing:
For health reasons, a person has to permanently move to a care-giving facility—leaving their home unoccupied.

The home is being foreclosed-on, and the owners have left the home.

For legal or tax purposes, the home ownership shifts to an LLC, LLP or corporation.

You purchase a new home, but want to do work on it before moving in, and it will take longer than 30 days.

You purchase a home with the intention to renovate and resell.

If you do not communicate these changes or intentions to your local insurance agent, Jason Shroot, it can jeopardizes your coverage for claims even though you continue to pay premiums. In some circumstances, homes will be covered until the existing policy period ends, as in the case of a deceased homeowner. In other cases, coverage may extend to your changing circumstances for 30 or 60 days before the insurance contract or specific coverage voids, as in the case of a vacant home. Or at claim time, you could find that you have no coverage since you’re no longer adhering to the insurance contract you signed.
A good example occurs when a primary home becomes a rental home. The remedy is to find a policy that fits the changed circumstances; coverage may be different and more expensive especially in the instance of vacant-home policies. An appropriate policy is a necessity.
These days, Jason Shroot is seeing that the Insurance companies are taking a very hard line with changed circumstances, most likely due to the huge increase in vacancies, foreclosures and arms-length liability transactions— all spurred by these difficult economic times.   Insurance Companies have even increased the scope and frequency of inspections to help manage the situation. In essence, insurance companies no longer allow square pegs in round holes.

Please Contact Jason Shroot at 714-988-3325 and let's please review your insurance policy situations.

Please also contact Jason Shroot at www.JasonSellsInsurance.com or jason@diversifiedinsurancequotes.com

The #1 Reason You Enjoy Wasting Money on Insuance

The #1 Reason You Enjoy Wasting Money on Insurance

November 21, 2011 By Ryan Hanley

 
I hear it all the time.
“Insurance is a waste of money…”

Sometimes people say it tongue in cheek, a sarcastic jest just to get a rise out of me.  Then there are others where I can almost taste the venomous belief behind the words.

Regardless of whether the person truly believes what they are saying or not the TRUTH is that Insurance most definitely is a waste of money if you allow it to be.

The #1 Reason You Enjoy Wasting Money on Insurance is simple, you’re lazy.  I could probably list about 30 reasons you enjoy wasting money on insurance but I’d say after selling personal and commercial insurance for last four years the number one reason is very simple,  YOU the consumer ARE LAZY.

Jason Shroot agrees with Ryan Hanley, that there is nothing more frustrating to me than a person that can’t be bothered to understand what they are purchasing.  Honestly this applies to purchasing anything, but it’s especially frustrating when it comes to insurance because insurance is really important.  Whether you believe it or not the decisions that you make about your insurance program (i.e. coverages, limits, polcies, etc) could have a life altering effect when your WORST DAY happens.

Let’s get serious for a minute.  If you buy crap insurance coverage, say anything less than:

• $100,000 in at-fault auto insurance coverage
• $300,000 in personal liability from a renter, home, condo policy.

Or you are silly enough to purchase a property policy with a loss valuation at Actual Cash Value and not Replacement Cost you are legitimately wasting your money.  In your head you rationalize the decision as being a smart cost benefit analysis, but really you are being lazy and naive.

Why have a policy?
If you not going to take the time to be properly informed on coverages, if you aren’t going to listen to your local insurance professional, Jason Shroot,  or if you are so gosh-darn cheap that you won’t properly insure their self and/or family then you are wasting money on insurance.

There Is Hope
However, there is hope for you yet.  You want to know how I know that?  Because you’re reading this blog.  If you read this blog then you know I’m very demanding of you as an insurance consumer.  I expect you to educate yourself on insurance.  And if you don’t want to educate yourself I expect you to partner with an insurance professional who values you and your family and your business and will always look out for you.
Insurance is NOT a waste of money if you take the time and you put in the effort to build a proper insurance program no matter if its for your personal life or your professional life (or health insurance we do that too!).

Like work, like life, like golf, like being a spouse, like being a parent, like reffing basketball, like blogging, like everything, insurance is not easy.  You have to make tough decisions and you have to willing to sacrifice a small amount of cash flow today for the trust that you will be made financially whole in the future.

The Rub
I don’t want you to think that insurance is a waste of money, because it is not.  I do insurance every day of my life and if you’ve read this blog for even a week you know I’m an honest guy.  Insurance done correctly is NEVER a waste of money.  Unless you let it become so…


Please Call Jason Shroot
714-988-3325
Ensuring Proper Insurance Coverages With Low Costs

JasonSellsInsurance - Call 714-988-3325

In October of 2007, a series of wildfires burned throughout Southern California. The fires caused the largest evacuation in California's history. More than 1,000,000 people were forced from their homes as the fires charred over 500,000 acres from Santa Barbara County to the Mexico border. By the time the flames were extinguished 3,300 homes and other structures had been destroyed and nine lives were lost. Even people not directly impacted by the fires felt their effect as they contended with massive power outages, road closures and the general disruption of their daily routine.

According to AIR Worldwide, the fires resulted in more than $2 billion of insured losses.

When events of this magnitude unfold, the time for planning has passed. Your Local Insurance Agents needs to be prepared with a disaster plan and an insurance company that is ready to react with help. At JasonSellsInsurance, customer service is our top priority.  My goal is to exceed the expectations of our policyholders and assist them as quickly as possible."
When disaster strikes, JAson Shroot and JasonSELLSInsurance is prepared to assist you our, friends and clients efficienty and immediately.   My team of support staff can assist you with your insurance claim needs from accidents, death, fire, liability, wildfires, flood, windstorm, leak, dog bite and much more.


Please Contact Jason Shroot at 714-988-3325 For More Than Just an Insurance Quote.  Contact JasonSellsInsurance To Have Your Assets Properly Protected and Ensure The Proper Coverages Are Provided On Your Insurance Policies.  We're Prepared Before A Disaster Strikes.