I needed a new background. Do you need new insurance?

I switched the background for this blog due to some constructive criticism from my marketing manager. I liked the "rainy day" theme and thought it would relay to the insurance industry and how your policy comes through for you when things go wrong. I was told, however, that it was just depressing. So, a little more basic. I was going to go a full 180 degrees and make it bright sunny yellow. But, baby steps.

Do you know your agent? Do they know you?

Nothing beats the personal touch. We all love it when someone asks how our kids are, or remembers that we just took a vacation to Florida. It makes us feel special when someone cares enough to treat us as an actual person with a family and a life, rather than just another anonymous number in a huge machine.

That’s where your personal agent comes in. I'm the guy you see at the grocery store, or who you bump into on the sidewalk. You can keep up with me on facebook and twitter. And I genuinely want to know how the kids are doing, what you did on your vacation, and that your house repairs went off without a hitch. I want to know that you’re happy, and all is well.

But there are some advantages to having a big company behind you, too. Erie Insurance is a financially stable Fortune 500 company with more than four million policies in force. There’s strength in numbers.

With our agency, you get the best of both worlds. You get the hands-on interaction with an ERIE agent who knows your name, your policy, and your situation. And you get the comfort of knowing that standing behind every ERIE agent is a company that has the resources you need.

It's the most wonderful time of the year (for some)

Summer is winding down and you can almost feel a chill in the air. The nights are cool and breezy, the air is much drier and our Wisconsin sports teams are ready to win.

I have been a Brewers fan for my entire life and have thoroughly enjoyed the last 5 or 6 years of baseball in Milwaukee. I am very excited for this season and honestly think the Crew has a decent chance at going far in the playoffs. GO BREWERS!

Packers pre-season has started! The entire state is anxiously waiting for our Super Bowl Champion team to return to the tundra and prove that they are the team to beat this year.

Badgers football will be kicking off their 2011 season soon after an excellent season and Rose Bowl appearance last year.

What does this have to do with insurance? Not much, really. But I could tie it in by saying something about how you should have a "winning team" on your side to protect your finances. And with the Burdick Insurance Agency you will get just that. Superior service and the best policies and products available from only the best companies in the industry. Call me to find out more, or visit the website.

If you are not already a client, I invite you to be part of our team and help me to cheer on our Brewers, Packers and Badgers! ON WISCONSIN!

Let me be your guide

Have you ever gotten a hard sell? One of my least favorite things to do is car shopping. The next is probably furniture shopping. It’s not a good feeling, and I never want you feel that way when it comes to your insurance.

Think of me as your guide and advocate in all things insurance. I'm here to steer you to the policies that are right for you, not to pressure you into coverage you don’t need. I'm here to make sure that you get the money that you’re owed when you make a claim, not to bury you in mounds of red tape.

It’s because I take my job as your guide so seriously that Erie Insurance is consistently rated the number one auto insurer for new buyer customer satisfaction. Let us help you blaze a trail to the insurance services that are right for you. We promise not to lead you astray.

For more information, visit our website.

Making Waves? Protect Your Boat

Many people believe sailboats or powerboats are covered under their auto or homeowners policies. But, for most insurers, that isn't the case. Consider this:

• Typically, an auto policy won’t provide liability or physical damage coverage for a boat.
• Most homeowners policies provide a limited amount of coverage for physical damage to boats. They also restrict automatic liability coverage to low-powered boats.

Large, fast motorboats, yachts and personal watercrafts such as jet skis and wave runners require a separate boat insurance policy. Boat insurance offers coverage for things like:
• Bodily injury - for injuries caused to others, such as swimmers, jet skiers or other boaters
• Property damage - for damage caused to someone else's property
• Theft and vandalism – that can occur on land or in the water
• Medical payments - for injuries to the boat owner, family members and others who are injured.

Erie Insurance Boat Protector Policy

With a policy from Erie Insurance, you’ll get comprehensive coverage that covers many types of losses. It will cover, for example, damages resulting from a collision, fire or lightening. ERIE offers:
• Up to $500 in coverage for boating equipment and accessories at no additional cost
• Payments up to $250 per occurrence for emergency towing to the nearest marina, if your boat is disabled or stranded on the water
• $1,000 coverage of non-owned property
• $500 fire extinguisher recharge

For an additional premium or fee, ERIE also offers optional coverage such as uninsured boater protection. This coverage protects you should you be involved in a boating accident caused by a hit-and-run boater or a boater who has no insurance. Credits are available, too, for things like radars, built-in fire extinguishing systems and ship-to-shore radios.

So, if you have a boat or are thinking about getting one, give me a call. I will review your coverage and help ensure that your boat is properly insured. Call 920-261-3255.

You’ve Got Mail! You’ve Got Mail! You’ve Got Mail!

Have you ever gotten onto one of those e-mail lists that you just can’t seem to get off? Maybe you’d even like to hear from the company every now and then, but not the hourly barrage of e-mails updating you to every new thought they have.

Yeah. I hate that too. That’s why I make sure that you set the ground rules for how often you want to talk to me. If you really like to be kept in the loop, I love talking to you and keeping you up to date with every change in your policy, every new blog post, and everything else I think you should know.

But if you’d rather have a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” kind of relationship? No problem. Just let me know, and I won’t bother you. I’ll still be keeping an eye out for you, of course, making sure that everything’s still going smoothly with your policy and claims. But you call the shots.

You also have a choice of how to be contacted. Prefer e-mail? Great (though I’ll keep the private stuff offline, to keep you safe). Like phone calls? Perfect. Still like good old-fashioned postal mail? I'm happy to oblige. Just let me know. Any questions about Identity Recovery Coverage available on your homeowner's insurance policy? Check out this overview of why you might want to insure with Erie.

Reduce Basement Flood Risks

Rain showers might be dandy for your garden but not for your basement.

Wet basement problems may be solved simply by repairing an obvious gutter or downspout leak, but other water problems may have causes that are difficult to identify or expensive to fix.

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety offers three steps to help you reduce the risk of repeated basement flooding. If you cannot determine the source of the problem yourself, contact a professional.

Step 1 - Evaluate the risk by considering these questions:

• Does the basement flood every year at approximately the same time?
• Does the basement flood during random intervals?
• Where is the basement flooding?
o Is it at the top of the basement wall?
o At the bottom of the wall?
o Through a floor drain?

Step 2 - Inspect the location where water is entering and consider these solutions:

• Reshape the landscaping around the foundation of the building or home. If water is entering near the top of the wall in one location, an improperly sloped landscape angled toward the building could be the cause.
• Extend and re-direct the downspouts away from the foundation wall.
• Caulk any cracks on the exterior and interior of the wall around where the water is entering.
• Consider hiring a licensed contractor to install a waterproofing membrane. If the entire wall is damp or water is entering through multiple wall surfaces, this may be a sign of a faulty or missing exterior water proofing membrane.
• For an unfinished basement, consider applying an internal sealant that can be painted on interior surface of basement walls. These products typically require constant maintenance or they will stop working.

Step 3 – Try other location-based solutions:

If the water appears to be entering the home or building near the foundation or through a floor drain, consider installing a French drain or a sump pump.

The French drain could be installed around the perimeter of the building, diverting the water away from the foundation. A sump pump should be installed in the basement floor with a battery backup system. Before you begin, consider hiring a licensed contractor for help.

Check your insurance coverage

As with any type of insurance, it's important to know what your policy does and doesn't cover. All basic homeowners insurance policies exclude flood and certain types of water-related damages. Only flood insurance will cover losses in the event of a flood.

Flood insurance can be purchased from the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program, and from some private insurers. Erie Insurance works with American Bankers Insurance to offer flood coverage. There is a 30-day waiting period for the policy to go into effect, so it’s important to start the process before severe weather strikes.

Contact me to determine what is covered under your insurance policy and learn more about flood insurance coverage. I can help you review your current coverage and help customize a policy that’s right for you. Call (920) 261-3255.