A Guide To Help Missouri Residents Find Flood Insurance

Based in Saint Charles, MO, Nieroda Insurance Agency assists the community by offering residents different types of insurance coverage. We are committed to helping our clients through every step of the process, so that they can find insurance coverage that fits their individual needs.

Flood Insurance

Several areas in Missouri are prone to high-risk flooding. Severe flooding has the potential to cause serious damage. As a Saint Charles, MO resident, consider the benefits of flood insurance. Flood insurance protects your property if it is damaged due to severe flooding. The policy also covers your personal items if they are damaged as a result of severe flooding. Flood insurance provides a safety net if a disaster should arise.

If you have any luxury items such as antiques in your home, you may have to amend your policy in order to fully cover those items. Also, make sure that your home has been appraised before you research different policies. This will give you an accurate projection of the true value of your home. That should benefit you while you are searching for the right policy.

If you plan to renovate your home and install new carpeting or a new sink, make sure that you have amended your policy to cover these projects. Do not assume that flood insurance will cover these new items. You can also add extra coverage to protect you if any outdoor structures are seriously damaged due to flooding. This is helpful is your garage suffers extensive damage. You may have to add extra coverage to protect you if your outdoor fence or patio is impacted.

Consult With Nieroda Insurance Agency

We will use our extensive knowledge of the NFIP to help you find coverage. Visit our website today to learn more information.  

3 Reasons to Upgrade Your Saint Charles MO Condo

If you love your condo, you’ll want to make it the best it can be. By upgrading your abode, you can make it a special place for you and your family. Before remodeling your Saint Charles, MO condo, talk to an agent from Nieroda Insurance Agency to see how upgrades will affect your condo insurance. If you own an older condo, here are a few good reasons to upgrade.

Improve Its Appearance

Upgrading your condo can improve its appearance, making it a more inspiring place to live. It also gives you a chance to create an ambiance that reflects your personality. Even small home improvements like new carpeting, modern light fixtures, or a fresh coat of paint on the walls can transform a condo, making it a more personal and unique living space for your family.  

Improve Home Safety, Security and Function

Upgrading your condo’s windows and exterior doors will not only enhance curb appeal, but it will also improve your condo’s safety and security. If you live in an area where crime is a risk, this is a worthy investment to protect your family. By investing in new appliances, you can enhance the function of your condo to make it a more comfortable place to live.

Increase Condo Value  

Major upgrades like a kitchen or bathroom remodel, adding a new guest room, or increasing storage space can increase the value of your Saint Charles, MO condo. If you decide to sell in the future, these upgrades will enable you to get a better price. Modernizing your condo will give it greater appeal to buyers and make it a more marketable property.

Once you’ve completed your projects, don’t forget to update your condo insurance to add these upgrades to your coverage. For quality condo coverage at affordable costs, contact Nieroda Insurance Agency.

An Overview Of Warehouse And Logistics Insurance

Nieroda Insurance Agency assists the Saint Charles, MO community through helping residents find coverage. We have partnered with a large network of Missouri carriers to make sure that our clients find the insurance coverage that they need regardless of their situation.

Warehouse and Logistics Insurance

If you are a business owner who relies on a warehouse as part of your operation, warehouse and logistics insurance can be a major asset. The policy covers warehouse storage operations. The policy recognizes that one business assists another business by managing the property of the other one. The business that stores and transports the cargo is covered in the event that any issues arise regarding storage, labeling, or packing. The coverage helps prevent businesses from being held liable for any issues with the cargo while it’s in transit. You can also add liability coverage to cover you in the event that property inside the warehouse is stolen or vandalized.

The policy covers damage to physical tools, such as forklifts, trucks, and computers while they are being transported. Businesses have protection in the event that any of their important data is destroyed or compromised while in transit. The policy also covers any physical issues related to lighting or damage to the warehouse. You can amend the policy to cover the removal of excess debris in the warehouse. If the warehouse suffers an equipment failure that causes damage to the stored property, you will also be covered. Warehouse and logistics insurance ensures that your business, as well as the other business, is covered through the entire transportation process.

Nieroda Insurance Agency Will Help You Find Coverage

For more information on warehouse and logistics insurance policies, stop by our office in Saint Charles, MO. We will assist you.

Benefits of Life Insurance

When faced with the task of purchasing life insurance policies many people will struggle to decide if the benefits of the policy are worth paying the premiums every month.  Nieroda Insurance Agency can help people in the Saint Charles, MO area to better understand the basics and benefits of a life insurance policy. Their agents will assist in making the right decision for you and your intended beneficiary.  There are two basic types of life insurance and each has its own benefits. There are whole life insurance policies that cover you for your entire life whether you live to be 40 or 115; while term life insurance policies only cover you for the term of the policy which can range from one year to twenty.  

Most people see the biggest benefit of whole life insurance as the fact that these policies last the insured person’s entire life.  Whole life policy premiums don’t increase during the life of the insured.  This means that premiums, the amount of money you pay each month to keep the policy in effect, will be higher than a term life policy when you first start to pay on it. The extra premium money becomes the cash value for the policy.  The insured can borrow this money or withdraw it early.  Of course, you must repay the loan and continue to make premium payments as well.  Your beneficiary will not pay tax on the death benefit money when they receive it.  However, the beneficiary is only paid the amount of the policy.  They will not receive any cash value money there may be.  

The benefit of term life policies is that premiums are lower at the beginning of the policy.  If the insured dies within the term of the policy then their beneficiary will receive a tax free cash payout. Most insurance companies require that the potential policyholder be examined by a doctor to make sure they do not have any serious health problems.  It can be seen as a benefit that the doctor’s exam is only required in the first term.  Premiums often increase every time the policy is renewed and as the policyholder ages.  The death benefit does not increase, however, unless the policy is changed.  The higher the death benefit the higher the premiums usually.

Understanding the benefits of each type of life insurance will help you decide which is best for you and your beneficiary.  In the Saint Charles, MO area please visit the website for Nieroda Insurance Agency to begin your search for the right life insurance. 

AUTO INSURANCE TIPS FOR NEW CAR BUYERS IN SAINT CHARLES MO.

Did you know that almost every single state legally requires you to carry car insurance? It’s illegal to drive a motor vehicle in Missouri without an automobile liability insurance. Though your state probably requires a minimum amount of liability insurance, keep in mind the legal requirements they set are typically not enough to cover serious damages to a vehicle or more serious injuries. We as Nieroda Insurance Agency in Saint Charles we always embark on advising new buyers to acquire the best car insurance.

Auto insurance tips for new car buyers

Ensure you have the minimum liability coverage: Most states require you to have this coverage to pay for damages or injuries to others you may be responsible for when driving.

Undertake a driving course: Sometimes insurance companies will provide a discount for those who have completed an approved defensive driving course.

opt for voluntary deductibles: It’s a good way to lower your car insurance premiums. With this option, you agree to share the cost of repair in case of any claim resulting in lower premiums for an insurance plan.

Have comprehensive insurance cover: This caters for damages in an accident apart from collision. These include vagaries of nature like floods, tornadoes, fire as well as theft and vandalism.

Review the policy: When you have done your research and zeroed on a company read the policy carefully. If it contains the coverage that you had requested and priced, go for it.

Research additional discounts: Insurer provides a variety of discounts like allowing you to pay premiums at once for the entire coverage period.

If you purchase a car in Saint Charles, MO, we highly advise you to acquire an auto insurance policy of your choice. For any help visit our Nieroda Insurance Agency website and start your insurance experience with us!

Three important commercial insurance coverage

Commercial insurance is not just one insurance. It is many different insurance protections. The type of commercial insurance that you need to cover your business should be tailored to your particular business. At Nieroda Insurance Agency in Saint Charles, MO our experienced agents know the questions to ask in order to determine which types of commercial insurance would be a benefit to your business and which ones would not. 

Some commercial insurance is more generally beneficial to many different types of businesses in many different locations. Others are specialized to fit particular types of business. These are three important commercial insurance coverages. 

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance is something that almost every business needs whether you own your property, rent, or work from home. It covers the physical assets of your business. This includes things like machinery, office equipment, inventory, and even the sign outside your business. Common hazards covered are fire, explosion, vandalism. bursting pipes and theft. Exclusions include floods and earthquakes which may be covered under separate policies. 

Workers’ Compensation

In Missouri, employers are mandated to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Most businesses must have 5 or more employees to be required to carry the insurance but in the construction industry, only one employee is necessary. 

Commercial Liability

Commercial liability insurance can be the difference between staying in business and closing your doors. In the event that a lawsuit is brought against you and a judgment won, it will help to pay that judgment up to the amount on your policy. Having to pay this out of pocket could cost you your business. 

At Nieroda Insurance Agency in Saint Charles, MO we think that every business should have a commercial insurance policy that fits their business. Come in or give us a call to make an appointment to sit down with a knowledgable member of our team to discuss your needs. 

Saint Charles, MO Homeowners: Dealing with Termites

Termites are one of the top destructive forces that homeowners have to deal with each year. The bugs cause costly damage to structures. In some cases, the damage is so bad that the structure has to be torn down a rebuilt simply to make it safe again. But if the termites are taken care of, they will just come back a second time looking for more food. And it may surprise you that termite damage is not covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy is Saint Charles, MO.

Preventing Termite Damage

Termite damage is not covered by your policy because the insurance company views the bug as preventable. As the owner, you have the responsibility to fix all damages and exterminate the bug. If termites are caught early on, the damage that you will have to repair will be minimal. In order to stop the termites from damaging your home here are some ways to treat them.

  • Termites digest the cellulose in plants and organic material. To keep them from finding your home store food sources away from the main structure. Termites love to eat firewood, mulch, plants, and other like sources. 
  • Termites love moisture. The termite will usually show up around areas that are easy for them to penetrate. Areas that are prone to water leaks such as bad gutters or dripping faucets will be an easy target for the termite. 
  • Keep them out of the home by sealing off all entry points around cracks and service lines. Every pest will look for an easy way into the home.

Homeowner’s insurance policies cover lots of items that are usually beyond your control. Termites can be stopped before they ever find their way into the home by simple care. If you have any questions about your policy or termite control, then please call us at Nieroda Insurance Agency today. We can help you by providing you services and information about your insurance needs in Saint Charles, MO.

Is motorcycle insurance required in Missouri?

Nothing else is quite like hitting the open road on a motorcycle. It offers an unparalleled sense of freedom. Missouri has a lot of roads, it is number 7 in the nation for state highway miles at 33.838. Add to that 28,292 miles of minor roads and you realize that you have years of pleasure ahead of you. But these are not the only statistic that the Missouri Department of Transportation provides, 5.5 million registered drivers will be sharing all those roads with you. Understanding motorcycle insurance is something that the team at Nieroda Insurance Agency in Saint Charles, MO understands and can help you understand. 

All drivers in Missouri including those who drive motorcycles are required to carry liability insurance. Missouri is a 25/50/10 state. That means that you must have $25,000 in bodily injury per person and $50,000 per accident with $10,000 for property damage.  This is the minimum allowed, the minimum is not right for everyone. Before you decided to get just the insurance that is required you should consider what insurance you need to have peace of mind.

If you are involved in an accident with a driver without insurance or who is underinsured it can be a problem if you don’t have coverage. Motorcycles and their riders are more likely to be the not-at-fault party and you need to be sure that you carry enough insurance to make sure that you can have your bike repaired or replaced. A quality bike is a major investment and you need to protect that investment. Uninsured/underinsured coverage, as well as collision and comprehensive, can help keep you covered. 

At Nieroda Insurance Agency in Saint Charles, MO we will sit down and discuss motorcycle insurance with you in terms that make sense. As an independent agency, we offer products from different carriers and can find one that fits your particular needs. Give us a call or stop by for a no-obligation quote. 

Is Boat Insurance Required?

Getting out on the water in a boat or other watercraft is a hobby people enjoy all around the world, and Saint Charles, MO residents are no exception. When you are ready for a day on the water, the last thing you want to have to worry about is insurance coverage. Instead, learn about boating insurance requirements now.

Boating insurance is not required by Missouri law. However, that does not mean you do not need it. If you are currently making payments on your boat, the lender most likely requires that you carry insurance until you pay the boat off. This is so that their investment is protected in case of an accident. Take a look at your contracts or give your lender a call.

Additionally, the docks or marina you choose to boat in may require that you carry insurance in order to use their facilities. Before getting your boat on the road, call around to see who requires insurance so that you are prepared.

Even if you are not required to have boat insurance, you should consider obtaining it anyway. Your boat is an asset. In the case of an accident, could you afford to have it repaired and get it back out on the water? If the answer is no, a boat insurance policy can benefit you tremendously.

You should also take the value of the boat into consideration. The higher the value, the more important insurance coverage is. If your boat is already on its last leg, you may choose to forego insurance. No matter what you decide, be sure you have thought it through. Nieroda Insurance Agency can discuss your options with you and help you make a wise decision.

If you are a Saint Charles, MO boat owner and are considering boat insurance, Nieroda Insurance Agency can help you get the coverage you need, so stop by or give us a call today. 

 

What Renters Insurance Covers

t’s exciting to rent a new apartment and begin exploring your new neighborhood.  You need to get rental insurance to protect your assets though.  Disasters such as fires and severe weather can harm apartment buildings.  Apartment owners maintain property insurance just for this.  However, their policy does not cover the contents of any of the apartments, just the physical structure.  Our agents at Nieroda Insurance Agency work with apartment dwellers throughout the Saint Charles, MO area to get the right coverage. 

As a very affordable policy, renters’ insurance provides many benefits.  It covers all of the contents of your apartment including furniture, clothing, and electronics.  This extends to items, such as laptops, that are stolen or damaged when you are away from home. The policy also covers items damaged by faulty pipes or electrical issues.  It does not, however, cover items that are damaged due to neglect or flooding.  When you began considering coverage, create a detailed inventory of your possessions.  This will help you and your agent decide the amount of coverage that you realistically need. 

In the Saint Charles, MO area, our agents at the Nieroda Insurance Agency can help you decide which renter’s insurance policy is best for your situation.  They can help you maximize your coverage without paying more than you should.  To get started, visit our website for general information.  When you’re ready, call or come by our offices to talk with an agent.  We can answer any questions you have and explain your policy options.  For a few moments of your time, you can protect all of your possessions.  Your furniture, electronics, and household items are important for your comfort and ability to get work done.  That’s why the investment in renter’s insurance is an important one.  Don’t wait until its too late.  Come by today!