Happy New Year

Thank you all for a great 2011 and seeing us through our transformation to an independent agency. We look forward to a new opportunities in 2012.

We've all been there--pulled off on the side of the road, staring at the back bumper with the huge, fresh dent, wondering who's at fault (them, of course) and if the car insurance company will honor your claim. Filing a car insurance claim doesn't have to be intimidating, and with these tips, you'll get the claims process started quickly and easily.

Get the Ball Rolling
After a car accident, call your car insurance company and/or agent as soon as possible. The quicker you report an auto insurance claim, the quicker the process can get started. And the faster the claims process gets going, the sooner your car will get repaired, and you will have it back. Think about it--most of us can't go without our car for even a week, let alone two or three. If having your car back quickly isn't incentive enough, know that your insurer could deny payment of your claim if the accident isn't reported within a reasonable period. Read your policy for more details.

Car Insurance Claim Tips
My sister, Heidi, worked as an insurance claims rep for a major car insurance company. As a good sister should, she gave me some car insurance claims tips. These may seem like common sense, but can easily be forgotten when staring at a crumpled car.

1. Remember as many details as possible. The claims process will go much smoother if your insurance company has all the pieces of the puzzle. Write down:

• Names and addresses of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident
• Insurance information
• License plate numbers
• Make and model of each car
• Driver's license numbers
• Names and addresses of witnesses
• Names and badge numbers of police officers or other emergency personnel

2. Keep an accident preparedness kit in your car. Whether you keep them in your glove compartment or trunk, keep these items handy, just in case:

• Disposable camera
• Cell phone
• Paper and pencil/pen
• Contact numbers
• Warning triangles or emergency flares

Having these simple items on hand can make the claims process easier because you will be able to take pictures of damage caused by the accident, take notes, as well as call for help.

3. Stay Calm. People are more likely to share their insurance and other information if you stay calm and mature. If the others are uncooperative, call the police--most people are much more willing to give their information to a cop.

4. Don't lie. Remember what happened to Pinocchio when he told a lie? Well, your nose may not grow, but your bank account may shrink. Auto insurance fraud forces the price of car insurance to rise--even for the honest people.
for a free quote  http://www.lehninsurance.com/

Florida Insurance: Welcome to Lehn Insurance

We've all been there--pulled off on the side of the road, staring at the back bumper with the huge, fresh dent, wondering who's at fault (them, of course) and if the car insurance company will honor your claim. Filing a car insurance claim doesn't have to be intimidating, and with these tips, you'll get the claims process started quickly and easily.

Get the Ball Rolling
After a car accident, call your car insurance company and/or agent as soon as possible. The quicker you report an auto insurance claim, the quicker the process can get started. And the faster the claims process gets going, the sooner your car will get repaired, and you will have it back. Think about it--most of us can't go without our car for even a week, let alone two or three. If having your car back quickly isn't incentive enough, know that your insurer could deny payment of your claim if the accident isn't reported within a reasonable period. Read your policy for more details.

Car Insurance Claim Tips
My sister, Heidi, worked as an insurance claims rep for a major car insurance company. As a good sister should, she gave me some car insurance claims tips. These may seem like common sense, but can easily be forgotten when staring at a crumpled car.

1. Remember as many details as possible. The claims process will go much smoother if your insurance company has all the pieces of the puzzle. Write down:

• Names and addresses of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident
• Insurance information
• License plate numbers
• Make and model of each car
• Driver's license numbers
• Names and addresses of witnesses
• Names and badge numbers of police officers or other emergency personnel

2. Keep an accident preparedness kit in your car. Whether you keep them in your glove compartment or trunk, keep these items handy, just in case:

• Disposable camera
• Cell phone
• Paper and pencil/pen
• Contact numbers
• Warning triangles or emergency flares

Having these simple items on hand can make the claims process easier because you will be able to take pictures of damage caused by the accident, take notes, as well as call for help.

3. Stay Calm. People are more likely to share their insurance and other information if you stay calm and mature. If the others are uncooperative, call the police--most people are much more willing to give their information to a cop.

4. Don't lie. Remember what happened to Pinocchio when he told a lie? Well, your nose may not grow, but your bank account may shrink. Auto insurance fraud forces the price of car insurance to rise--even for the honest people.

Why my home is insured for more than its worth

Why is my home insured for more than it's worth?.............. This is the #1 question we get.
Most of us have a home market value that is much less than the cost to re-build the home thanks in part to declining real estate values and foreclosures. Insurance carriers do not consider market value when establishing the insurance valuation at all. Why you ask? Well, insurance companies have to make sure that, in case of a total loss, there is enough coverage to rebuild the home exactly as it was prior to the loss. Most responsible insurance carriers have a replacement cost calculator that allow their agents to adequately value and insure homes but in many cases, clients feel this amount is too high based on their purchase price or their taxable value. So why is REPLACEMENT COST more expensive than purchase prices or taxable values? Here are 3 reasons that immediately come to mind;

1. The insurance company must clean up the site and remove any debris from the destroyed home.
2. The insurance company will rebuild only one home so any economies of scale in building multiple homes are completely gone.
3. The insurance company must also account for any increase in labor and materials cost. After a big catastrophe, materials and labor are in high demand and, as we all learned in business 101, if demand goes up you can expect costs to go up.

But what if you don’t care and want less coverage? Some insurance carriers will allow you to insure your home on an actual cash value basis, otherwise known as depreciated insurance coverage. Many insurance companies today will not sell you a policy that has a value less than the cost to replace your dwelling. However, if you shop around enough, you may find one that will. Buying a $100,000 value policy on a $200,000 house can be a short trip to financial disaster. After a loss (partial loss that is) your insurance company will appraise the “replacement value” of your home on the date of loss and will then apply the co-insurance penalty. The penalty is the coverage I had, divided by what I should have had, then multiplied by the loss. The % of replacement cost value you insured your home for will be multiplied by the newly appraised Replacement Cost value of your policy. Then you can subtract your deductible to find out the value of your claim and what you will receive. So, if you insure your $200,000 home for $100,000, and let’s say you have a $100,000 loss, simply multiply $100k by 50% and you will receive $50k, less your deductible. That is a recipe to financial disaster.

In summary, the current market value, purchase price or tax assessment HAVE NOTHING TO DO with, nor has any relationship to REPLACEMENT COST. The only number that insurance companies will use for insurance purposes is the Replacement Cost Value.

Welcome to Lehn Insurance

 Lehn Insurance
Independent solutions for you and your family. After years as a Captive Agent, I found the one size fits all approach to insurance doesnt't work.  The property insurance climate is always changing.  Being able to partner with A- rated, national and regionally known carriers is important.  Dufferent companies have different options for our customers. No longer will rate increases and non renewals be the norm. We are now able to shop your insurance and find the best fit for you and your needs.