It is possible to avoid unexpected surprises and huge losses when you understand how prevalent floods are in Saint Charles, MO. However, with current storms and hurricane patterns becoming increasingly unpredictable in recent years, prevention is better than cure, and thus you need to purchase sufficient flood insurance from Nieroda Insurance Agency. Interestingly, some homeowners are not sure whether it is advisable to buy flood insurance in low-risk areas. Here are a few considerations.

It is not easy to assess flood risk

According to an article written by various contributors including authors from FEMA, it was established that assessing flood risk can sometimes be confusing. One candid opinion from an interviewee; it is easier to assess earthquake than flood risk. The opinion of scientists and flood risk experts in the article underscored the significance of purchasing flood insurance. Moreover, there have been claims that FEMA is not good at predicting flash floods, because, in most cases, it focuses on river flooding.

Flooding outside high risk flood areas

For example, during the last week of May 2015, 311 calls related with flooding were geocoded from Houston, TX, which was considered a 1% annual chance of floods by FEMA. In other words, a lot of flooding was recorded outside places regarded traditionally as high risk than inside. This is an indicator that you cannot decide that you don’t need flood insurance simply because according to the FEMA map, you’re outside the high risk flood zones.

If you see signs such as erosion or ponding on your property or an elevation by FEMA in relative to the areas close to your home, then you need flood insurance. Moreover, the cost of repairs and replacement after a flood disaster outweigh the flood insurance premiums. Therefore, to be on the safer side, you should purchase flood insurance from Nieroda Insurance Agency. Contact us today for more information about flood insurance in Saint Charles, MO.

The Truth about Condo Insurance

Once you own a condo in Saint Charles, MO, it’s time to shop for condo insurance from an agent at Nieroda Insurance Agency. Don’t let these common myths fool you into not getting the right coverage.

Myth 1: My condo association already has insurance, so I don’t need it.

The insurance coverage from your condo’s master policy won’t protect you or your belongings. This coverage only applies to damage to the building and common areas. Every condo owner should have insurance to protect what is inside the unit.

Myth 2: Condo insurance only protects your belongings.

Condo insurance coverage will do more than just protect your belongings. Just like homeowners insurance, condo insurance comes with some liability coverage. Some policies will even cover additional costs to improvements you made in the unit, additional living expenses if you can’t live in your unit, and additional protection to cover you if your condo association doesn’t have adequate coverage.

Myth 3: Condo insurance will cover everything in the unit.

There is usually a limit on condo insurance policies for things like jewelry, watches, fur, or gems. If your jewelry and other special items are worth more than the limit, you will want to purchase additional coverage.

Myth 4: Condo insurance covers water damage.

Condo insurance likely won’t cover damage caused by sewer backups or overflowing water from rain or spring runoff. It’s a good idea to check with your policy, so you know what is covered.

Myth 5: If I rent my condo, my coverage will cover my tenants’ belongings.

Your rented condo insurance won’t extend to your tenants or their belongings. They will need their own renter’s insurance policy to cover their belongings and liability claims.

Contact Nieroda Insurance Agency, serving Saint Charles, MO, to get a quote on condo insurance.

Do you need life insurance?

A lot of people need it but don’t have it. Others have it, but they may not need it. Like other forms of insurance protection, there are many options for how much coverage to get and what type of policy you should have. The Nieroda Insurance Agency serves the Saint Charles, MO area, and can advise you on the kinds of life insurance policies available. Then you can work with an agent to choose the policy that’s best for you, and decide what level of coverage you need and want to have.

With life insurance comes peace of mind, for you and your family. That allows you to be protected, and helps to make sure your family will also be protected if something should happen to you. Especially if you’re the main supporter of the household, having life insurance can make a difficult situation a little bit easier. But there are some cases where it may not be necessary, or where a high level of coverage isn’t practical. In those cases, it’s better to have options and to be an informed consumer so you can make the right choice for your needs.

Reach out to us at the Nieroda Insurance Agency today, and let us help you find the policy that’s going to be the right choice. We proudly serve all of the Saint Charles, MO area, and have helped many customers just like you get the policy that fits their situation and needs. Contact our offices to speak with an agent and learn more about the benefits of a life insurance policy as well as the options we provide. We can help you get a quote and walk you through the life insurance process.

Concerned your Business Owners Policy might not provide you with the coverage you need? At Nieroda Insurance Agency in Saint Charles, MO, we can help you make sure you have the policy that will meet those needs.

Inclusive

Generally, a Business Owners Policy is very inclusive. It is typically the right fit for many businesses. However, even these inclusive policies have exclusions. It’s important to go over the coverage, carefully, with your agent to make sure there are no surprises down the road.

You don’t want to have an incident later on, or a loss, and find out your insurance doesn’t cover that type of incident or loss.

Exclusions

Some of the exclusions in Business Owners Policies include:

• Commercial Fleet Insurance: You’ll need a separate policy to cover your fleet of vehicles. These are expensive assets, so it’s important to know they won’t be covered. Other vehicles the business owns may not be included either, so make sure to check. Ask your agent what additional coverage you’ll need.
• Mechanical Equipment Breakdown Insurance: This insurance, which covers the repair or replacement of equipment and some revenue loss, is typically not included.
• Disaster Coverage: Make sure to see if your Business Owners Policy covers natural disasters. See if debris removal or flood insurance is included, and what the limits are. These may be additional policies you’ll want to add.

Make sure to read the fine print on your commercial insurance policy. Business Owner Policies work well for many types of small businesses, but it is important to understand what they cover, and what they don’t. If you have questions about your policy or are considering adding to your coverage, contact us at Nieroda Insurance Agency in Saint Charles, MO. We can help!

You may only ride your motorcycle to enjoy the beautiful weather in St. Louis or Saint Charles, MO, or even to take the occasional weekend trip throughout the countryside. The motorcycle may not be your primary mode of transportation, and you may wonder if you need insurance. The friendly professional agents at Nieroda Insurance Agency can assure you of the necessity of motorcycle insurance and help you choose the right coverage.  

Motorcycle Insurance Helps Protect You as the Rider and Your Bike

Even the most vigilant motorcycle drivers can be hurt in an accident, and motorcycle insurance can help with medical bills. Insurance would help cover bills even if the accident did not involve another vehicle. Bikes can be damaged during accidents just like any other vehicle on the road, and this property damage can be covered by an insurance policy. Similar to car insurance, this type of insurance protects against theft and vandalism as well as small dents and other damage that may occur.

Motorcycle Insurance Helps Protect You When Others are Injured

Liability insurance on your motorcycle will help cover you if others are injured as a result of an accident. In most accidents, it is the bike and the rider who are hurt because they are more exposed than passengers in other vehicles. However, if a motorcyclists were to hit a person walking on the street, there could be quite significant liability charges. This insurance would help pay those charges. If you cause an accident and there is damage to the other vehicle or someone’s property, liability insurance will help with those bills as well.

Do You Need Comprehensive or Total Loss Coverage?

Comprehensive coverage is complete protection and can help replace the motorcycle if it is totaled. The value of your motorcycle will be determined by a Nieroda Insurance Agency specialist much like the value of a car would be determined using the blue book value. For owners of classic or custom motorcycles, there are policies which will give you a stated value of the bike instead of actual cash value.

Motorcycle insurance is mandatory in most states and Nieroda Insurance Agency in Saint Charles, MO can help owners determine the level of coverage they need. Reach out to our offices to speak with an agent and get a quote.

Unless your landlord pointed it out in your lease, you might not realize that you need renters insurance in Saint Charles, MO to cover your personal items in the event of a loss such as a fire or theft. At Nieroda Insurance Agency, we want to help you learn your rights and what you need to do to protect yourself in case of misfortune.

A regular homeowners insurance policy will cover the physical property and the belongings of the owner. However, when the owner rents the property, the renters are responsible for insuring all of their items. Your losses will be covered whether it was because of loss, theft, or vandalism.

Your personal possessions include your clothing, furniture, kitchenware, bedding, and other items which you keep in your home. You will also want to make sure you have enough coverage for your electronics, including your television, stereo, computer, or any other valuable items.

Your renter’s insurance may also cover your expenses if you have to find alternate living arrangements during a fire or other unfortunate circumstance, and will protect you if someone is injured on your party and sues you for negligence.

Certain kinds of valuables may not be covered, such as jewelry or other kinds of collectibles. In those cases, you can add coverage specifically for those items.

Fortunately, renters insurance is usually not very expensive. The limits do not normally need to be as high for homeowner’s policies because the policy does not need to cover the building or structure. You will probably, however, have a deductible. 

Contact us

If you are interested in obtaining a renters insurance policy in Saint Charles, MO, contact Nieroda Insurance Agency at any time to explore your various options. Our agents can help you get started.