MCF

According to this CNN article, the 2018 hurricane season is expected to be above average this year, similar to what we experienced in 2017. As a third generation Floridian, our president Hank Massey wishes to remind you of some of the considerations you should keep in mind this season - for both your residence and business.  To Hank and all of us here at Massey, Clark, Fischer you are not just our clients, you are also our friends, our family, our colleagues, our neighbors...you are so much more. Check out Hank’s tips based on his years of experience as both a Floridian, business owner (having himself suffered through a few weeks of office downtime/ outage as a result of storms) and insurance professional over the years:

• Storm-proof your home NOW.  If you haven’t already, you should think about storm-proofing your home immediately. Hurricane shutters, impact resistant windows, and storm-proof doors are a necessity.  Without storm shutters or impact-resistant windows both your family and property are at risk. Also, the lead time to get this stuff through HOAs, condo associations, etc. not to mention the proverbial waiting list that starts to build up at your favorite local contractor in late spring...leads us to say again emphatically...now is the time...don’t delay any longer.  Supply and demand as well factors into cost...so get this done right away or you may have to pay a steep price or worse...end up riding out storms without being adequately protected.

• Get in the cloud...before the storm hits. Backup your important personal and business data. Nothing hurts more than losing access to important personal or business files, documents and data in a storm. For that reason, it’s a good idea to back your files up on cloud/ virtual storage. Information stored on the internet can be accessed from anywhere and cannot be lost in a storm. Backing your important files up on cloud storage should be an important consideration for every businessperson. Virtual storage is good for more than just storm resiliency, it also means less physical files which means less storage space (file cabinets, drawers, etc) and a slew of other benefits.

• Emergency power. If a hurricane strikes, there’s a high probability that you’ll be without power for a few days and possibly even weeks. Having a backup generator can make the post-hurricane period much easier. If you’re a business owner, a power outage will cause major downtime and could result in losses for your company. Our president, Hank, recounted his experience in the past with week-long power outages. He learned then that a backup generator is one of the most important resources for a company within hurricane prone Florida.  As for personal emergency power options...lots of choices are out there from portable generators to well planned whole home systems...again supply and demand...so early planning can and will save you time and money.

• Emergency Essentials.  In case of an emergency, you should have an emergency kit ready with all of the essentials such as canned goods, bottled water, a first aid kit and much more. Check out this detailed list of items to include from Ready.gov.

Additionally, of course...it goes without saying...ensure you have the right type of insurance and that your coverage considers all possible damages that can occur. Insurance providers are legally mandated to offer premium credits for the presence of certain features in your home, e.g storm shutters, certain types of roof, etc. Make sure you get up to speed on this. It’s as simple as having an inspection done with the results being inputted into an actuarial formula which calculates your premium deduction, which can range from a 5 - 25% credit on your premium. In the state of Florida, you should prepare yourself by purchasing flood and wind insurance, even if you’re not in a flood zone (here’s an article we recently wrote about why you need flood insurance)

After every storm, there’s usually a rainbow. Make sure you prepare yourself for storms...after all a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is so much better than having to put a silver lining on a cloud. Massey, Clark, Fischer Inc has over 100 years cumulative experience as a full-service agency with expertise in all lines of insurance and financial services. Contact us today to set up the insurance policy that is perfectly suited for you.

Disclaimer: The above description provides a brief overview of the terms and phrases used within the insurance industry. These definitions are not applicable in all states or for all insurance and financial products. This is not an insurance contract. Other terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Please read your official policy for full details about coverages. These definitions do not alter or modify the terms of any insurance contract. If there is any conflict between these definitions and the provisions of the applicable insurance policy, the terms of the policy control.