The first few months of the year are a great time to start prepping your boat for the water. Whether you’ve had the boat in storage during the winter or you’ve put it out on the water, it needs a maintenance check to ensure it’s safe out on the water for the rest of the year. Here at The Policy Source, we serve the Austin, TX region and surrounding areas, and we’d like to share two quick tips for getting the boat ready for fun in the sun this upcoming spring and summer.

Develop an Emergency Float Plan

With a float plan, you leave a document outlining characteristics of your boat, the name of all passengers on board including yourself, and a somewhat detailed itinerary of your trip. This way, if you were to go missing out on the water, the document can be presented to the appropriate personnel, and they will find it much easier to investigate your case. This is usually ideal when using the boat to go out on extremely large bodies of water in which you might not have access to any nearby help. You will, of course, need to update the document any time you take out new passengers or go out on a new watercraft.

Get Your Boat Inspected

One of the easiest ways to get your boat inspected for safety is to have the U.S. Coast Guard conduct the inspection. Did you know they will provide free assessments and even come to you to perform it? That’s right! It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Contact The Policy Source today serving the Austin, TX region and surrounding areas.

If you own a business renting out cabins to tourists and visitors, you need special insurance to protect you from personal liability or any accidents that may occur at the property. Traditionally, umbrella insurance is designed to protect a homeowner from personal liability. If you own a cabin rental business a different type of insurance is required.

Umbrella Protection vs. Vacation Rental Insurance

If you are shopping for insurance to cover a cabin for rental purposes, you need vacation rental insurance as opposed to umbrella insurance. Umbrella is for home use and vacation rental insurance covers a business venture renting a home or cabin to visitors. This type of coverage is designed to protect the business from liability and losses if there is an injury or accident on the property. To find what level of coverage is necessary, consult a licensed insurance agent with experience dealing with this type of policy. 

Working With An Agent

If you are considering renting a cabin, then you should find a top insurance agency with agents who are trained to work on policies such as this. If you have a cabin in or near Austin, TX, consult with The Policy Source to find out what options are available and what level of coverage is the best option for your needs. Their friendly agents are able to work with you closely to help outline current and future needs to give you peace of mind. 

Owning a cabin and renting to the public is considered a business venture and this requires special insurance coverage. Those who are planning to rent a cabin around the Austin, TX area should call or stop by The Police Source office to find out more about coverage. 

Umbrella policies are one type of insurance provided by The Policy Source in Austin, TX. Generally, an umbrella policy is liability coverage that is used when your underlying insurance policy’s liability limit is reached. It is designed to protect you from catastrophic claims that would be financially devastating. You can purchase umbrella insurance for your home or vehicle. 

What Does Umbrella Insurance Cover?

Umbrella insurance typically covers bodily and personal injury, property damage, and landlord liability. If you are in an accident and there’s a large amount of property damage or injury, you may be liable for the damage. If your auto policy has a property damage limit of $250,000 and the damage is $500,000, without an umbrella policy you would have to pay the other $250,000.

If you have assets, including a home, they could be seized to help cover the payment. Your wages could be garnished. 

Who Needs Umbrella Insurance?

If your assets exceed the liability limits on your home and auto policies, umbrella insurance is a good financial decision. You are more likely to be sued for large amounts if you have the financial resources to make it beneficial to the other party. However, even if you don’t have high-value assets you may want to consider an umbrella policy.

There are many incidents that could result in a judgment against you, and in many cases, the damages are left up to the judge’s discretion. Umbrella insurance is very affordable, so it’s a good idea for everyone to carry an umbrella policy. 

If you are wondering if you could benefit from the extra protection of an umbrella policy, contact The Policy Source in Austin, TX today. We will help you make an informed decision regarding an umbrella policy based on your unique situation. 

Flood insurance makes sense for homeowners in the greater Austin, TX area and the team at The Policy Source is here to help you find the policy that is most appropriate for your needs. If you are uncertain why you may need to have a separate flood insurance policy, keep reading! It is always unfortunate to hear about a neighbor who has flood damage, and they don’t realize that their primary homeowner policy doesn’t provide the protection they need until it’s too late. Don’t let this happen to you!

Find Out More About Flood Insurance Today

Flood insurance is required for many residents in our areas, but it is also helpful for those who live outside of the major flood zones. Insurance policy coverage often comes down to the cause of the damage when the company is determining if there is a covered event. There are a number of different water damage causes that are covered by typical homeowner’s policies, but in general, flood damage is not covered. If you want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your family home is protected from damage caused by flooding and floodwaters, it’s time to look into a separate flood insurance policy. Don’t wait until it’s too late to discover that you don’t have the insurance you need! Our team is here to review your protection needs and help you find an appropriate insurance policy.

If you are in the greater Austin, TX area and want to learn more about the available flood insurance options, we are here to help! The team at The Policy Source has the information you need to make an appropriate decision about the right flood insurance policy for your needs. Call or stop by today to learn more!

Sharing Your Condo With Another Family? What You Need To Know

Thinking about sharing your vacation condo with another family? This can be a great way to save money and make sure you’re getting the most out of your condo. If you’re sharing your condo with another family, check out these tips to ensure that the process goes smoothly for both parties. 

– Create a schedule. It can be tempting to leave things as an informal agreement, but this can lead to problems when both of you show up at the condo at the same time. There are plenty of apps and virtual calendar options you can use to keep everyone updated on the schedule. 

– Consider making it official. After you come up with a payment agreement for how you’ll share the costs of the condo, create an official agreement. It can’t hurt to have a lawyer take a look at what you’ve drawn up to alert you to any areas that need attention. After you have a payment agreement, you may want to talk to your lender about getting the other family on the mortgage as well, so you’re not the only one held responsible if they fail to keep up their end of the agreement. 

– Check your insurance policy. Make sure you have a solid insurance policy on your condo that will cover you no matter who is staying there if/ when an issue arises that necessitates the use of insurance. 

Call The Policy Source, Serving Austin, TX

If you’re looking to update your condo insurance policy, or need to purchase a new policy, The Policy Source, serving Austin, TX, is here to help. Stop in today to talk about your condo insurance needs with one of our agents.

Protecting yourself, family, business, and property using insurance is quite critical in Austin, TX. Everyone wants to ensure that they get enough coverage in every aspect of life. One of the most valuable policies to consider when buying insurance is umbrella insurance. 

Umbrella insurance is a generalized type of liability policy that offers additional coverage on top of your auto, home or boat insurance. When you purchase this type of coverage at The Policy Source, our insurance specialists will ensure that they get you only the policies that best fit your needs. 

Loss or damage that exceeds the liability coverage

When you are involved in an accident, two unfortunate things are likely to happen; the damage costs may get very high beyond your insurance limits, or you may get sued. In this case, if you are at fault and are found guilty of that unfortunate accident, there is a good possibility that the legal fees will exhaust your primary insurance policies. However, if you have umbrella insurance, it will take care of the rest of the legal fees.

When specific liability is not covered

The standard policies are quite general and may not cover every part of your needs. For instance, slander or libel is always left out in the primary policies, but they are covered under umbrella insurance.

When the primary policy’s limit is reached

Every time you are involved in an incident whereby the basic policy isn’t adequate to take care of the damage costs or the losses incurred, umbrella insurance will kick in and clear the rest.

Umbrella insurance is an excellent way to cover you in case of emergencies. Let The Policy Source help you get this extra coverage today. Visit us at our local offices in Austin, TX, and we will help you with the options available.

If you are renting in Austin, TX, it’s important to note that your landlord’s policy won’t cover certain things and you will need renters insurance to cover your belongings and your own liability. There are a few reasons why renters insurance is important.

It Will Cover Personal Property: Even if you don’t think you own much, you may be surprised to find out how much your belongings add up. A standard renters policy will protect against a long list of perils. Some of these include explosion, damage by aircraft, fire, smoke, theft, vandalism, or windstorm. Losses from earthquakes and floods won’t be covered under a standard policy. This will also include your belongings when you are traveling. Check with an agent at The Policy Source to see what is and isn’t covered in your policy. If you have expensive items in your home, such as artwork, you may need to get additional coverage. 

Your Landlord May Require It: The state doesn’t require renters insurance, but your landlord may require it. A number of landlords are requiring insurance and won’t rent to you until they see proof, because with insurance, some of the responsibility can be shifted away from them.

It Gives Liability Coverage: Liability coverage will protect you if someone is injured in your home or you accidentally injure someone else. It will cover any payments, as well as legal expenses. While many policies will cover $100,000 of coverage, you can also pay for more coverage.

It Can Cover Additional Living Expenses: If you aren’t able to live in your rented home due to a covered peril, then your policy may cover additional living expenses. This can cover the cost of living somewhere else, food, and more.

Contact The Policy Source, serving Austin, TX, to get a quote on renters insurance.