F I R M Solutions, LLC

Home Insurance

If you own your home, FIRM Solutions, LLC offers several types of homeowners insurance policies that will fit your needs.

We give you the option to choose the homeowners insurance package you want and help you tailor them to give you maximum protection for your insurance dollar.

Homeowners insurance is designed to bring your home and possessions back to the same condition they were in before a loss occurred. There are several different types of homeowners insurance policies offered by a wide variety of insurance companies. As a result, not all coverages are the same. We review all your options and coverages so that you can make an informed decision.

FIRM Solutions, LLC homeowners insurance policies are normally issued on a Replacement Cost basis up to 100% of your Dwelling Coverage limit (Coverage A, as displayed on your policy declarations page). Replacement Cost is the amount required to repair or rebuild your home with similar materials. FIRM Solutions, LLC automatically includes additional coverage with our Extended Replacement Cost endorsement up to 150%.

FIRM Solutions, LLC homeowners insurance includes the following protections:

• Dwelling coverage up to the limits you choose to purchase and defined by our Replacement Cost-calculations. Information is the key here, that’s why we spend the amount of time we due fine tuning this figure.
• Coverage for your personal property up to the limits you choose to purchase. (Guranteed Replacement Cost coverage for your personal property. Coverage world wide)
• Coverage for structures in addition to your primary dwelling, such as storage sheds, boathouses, and pools.
• Coverage for loss of use, reimbursing you for expenses for loss of use of your home caused by named perils.
• Medical expenses, paying up to $5,000 per person if someone is injured on your property.
• Liability exposures, protecting you against certain risks up to $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury or property damage.

Take the time to speak with an agent about insuring your most important asset, your home.

Give us a call if you have questions or want to discuss your present coverage. 1-760-471-1312 1-888-471-FIRM (3476) or info@firmsolutions.net.

HOME & AUTO Discounts How Much Will You Save?

 

Home-auto package discounts are one of the easiest ways to save money on your homeowners insurance. In fact, the Home-Auto Package Discount saves our customers, on average, over $500 a year on their homeowners and auto insurance.

Finding the best home-auto discount is easy at FIRM Solutions. We have partnered with some of the best home and auto insurance companies in the country to deliver you the best rates and most comprehensive coverage in the country.

The single best way to save money on your insurance is to capitalize on the package discounts. Contact us at 888-471-FIRM (3476) or 760-471-1312 or info@firmsolutions.net to find out how.

September is Disaster Preparedness Month!

We’ve had an unusually mild summer this year, and most people are already thinking about autumn and the upcoming holidays.  What they are NOT thinking about is preparing for disaster.  Yet disaster preparedness is exactly what should be on our minds at this time of year! 

FIRE SEASON IS FAST APPROACHING!

Don’t be lulled into doing nothing and hoping you’ll be one of the lucky ones.  As we’ve learned in the past, fires can happen when we least expect them…and if the winds are blowing, fire can consume large parts of San Diego (and other counties) in the blink of an eye. 
For example, as I write this, look at one of today’s headlines on CNN:

California firefighters contain more than half of wildfire
By the CNN Wire Staff
September 16, 2010 1:21 p.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
· Firefighters have 65 percent of the blaze contained
· The fire in Kern County has burned more than 8,000 acres
· One home has been destroyed; residents evacuated
(CNN) -- Firefighters in southern California have contained 65 percent of a massive wildfire that has burned more than 8,000 acres, officials said Thursday.
Fifteen fire engines, 10 helicopters and 34 fire crews worked to contain the fire in Kern County , California , according to an official update.
Crews were also in place to protect homes and other structures along with air support.
On Wednesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Kern County .
About 1,500 firefighters were battling the blaze, a Kern County Fire Department spokesman said.
The fire has destroyed at least one home, threatens many more and prompted evacuations, the governor's office said.

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today!  Start your Home Inventory now!  See our website for details:  

 www.blueskyportal.com  

Janet Cody
Co-Founder, Custom Home Inventory Services Inc. & Blueskyportal.com 

Earthquake Insurance

Since we just experienced yet another earthquake here in Southern California I decided to rerun this latest article regarding Earthquake Insurance. Currently only 12% of California residents carry Earthquake Insurance, you have to ask yourself, why?

In the last week Southern California has been shaken! The probability that one or more 6.7 magnitude or greater earthquakes will strike California in the next 30 years is 99 percent, according to an April 2008 study released by experts from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), USC's Southern California Earthquake Center and the California Geological Survey. The chance of a 6.7 magnitude quake hitting the San Francisco Bay area is 63 percent, and the probability that an earthquake of that size or greater will strike the Los Angeles area is 67 percent by 2028. For comparison, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake is equivalent to the 1994 Northridge, Calif., earthquake that resulted in 57 deaths and than $40 billion in property damage, according to FEMA. Don't forget about the Rose Canyon Fault.

Ideally, your earthquake insurance policy should cover the cost to replace or repair your damaged property. To select the right plan options for you, consider the following:

• Does the policy cover only your dwelling? Are accessory structures, such as garages, also included?
• Will your policy pay for the contents of your home and for additional living expenses if your home is destroyed or too badly damaged for you to live there before repairs are made?
• Are there any exclusions or limitations to coverage?
• What deductible must you pay before the insurance kicks in?

Earthquake insurance rates are determined differently by each insurance company and can vary widely depending on several factors. Generally, older homes cost more to insure. Wood homes get better rates than brick buildings because wood tends to withstand quake stresses better. The Insurance Information Institute notes that premiums are also based on the nature of the soil and your house's proximity to recognized fault lines.

In addition, areas are graded on a scale of 1 to 5 for likelihood of quakes, and this is reflected in earthquake insurance rates. Because earthquake insurance is a type of catastrophic coverage, most policies carry a high deductible — anywhere from 2 to 20 percent of the replacement cost of the structure. For instance, if the cost to rebuild your house after a quake is $100,000 and your policy has a 10 percent deductible, you would be responsible for the first $10,000. That may seem high however, the cost without any coverage at all is devastating.

We write earthqualke insurance with the California Earthquake Authority. The CEA is a state-sponsored private-public partnership providing earthquake insurance to California homeowners, renters and condominium owners. The 16 insurance companies that participate in the CEA offer a standard earthquake insurance policy with a 10 percent or 15 percent deductible.

Currently, only 12 percent of Californians carry earthquake insurance. WHY?

Give us a call for a quote 877-471-FIRM (3476) 760-471-1312 or Info@firmaolutions.net

 

Identity Theft Part 4 of 4

Peterson’s losses are high compared to most victims, but not as high as they could have been. “And that says nothing of the psychological effect,” she says. “I was afraid, frustrated, angry and then shocked when I learned that after all this — even though I had initiated the police report — I had been considered a suspect.” Jeff Wood, a sales manager for the an Insurance Agency in Roseville, understands Petersen’s feelings. “I would say that 98 percent of my clients include the endorsement for identity theft in their policies,” he says. “I feel comfortable recommending it because I’ve had people call me in a panic and I have been able to connect them with an identity-theft specialist who can guide them through the recovery process. It’s not expensive and you never know when something will happen.” Not knowing when something will happen is as disconcerting to business owners as it is to individual consumers. As more and more sensitive information is captured and maintained in company databases, the stakes continue to rise. “The insurance industry is developing products to protect our business customers from liability resulting from failure to protect private information,” says Bob Ditmore, a senior vice president for a major carrier. “Five years ago the industry was thinking about this type of coverage, but companies were not asking for it routinely. Today they are investigating it routinely, and they are just starting to buy it. “Coverage has not been standardized yet, so it is confusing for businesses,” he continues. “But in five more years, because technology won’t go backwards, demand will increase, coverage will become more standardized and carriers will provide it.” Does the average Sacramento-area resident need theft-of-identity assistance services and insurance? It probably depends on the individual’s habits and preferences. Of the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas ranked by the FTC for identity-theft-related complaints in 2005, San Diego is high on the list. Though this is not a particularly comforting number, the odds of becoming a high-loss victim are relatively low. A substantial amount of money and effort is being applied to the security
problem by the technology community. Interestingly, the Identity Theft Resource Center found that 43 percent of victims surveyed were related to or believed they knew the identity thief that stole their information, so there may be a certain amount of personal security that is under the individual’s control. How do you determine the value of
your peace of mind, or of the 30 to 300 hours it could take to re-establish your good reputation while dealing with the emotional trauma victims report? Are you willing to take the necessary steps to safeguard your personal information to the fullest extent possible? Susan Petersen, for one, is investigating identity-theft insurance. The woman who stole a lot more than money from her is now out on bail

Identity Theft Part 3 of 4

A recent ITRC survey indicated that, on average, victims spent 330 hours and $1,200 over a three-year period to recover from theft of identity. FTC statistics, gathered over a larger population sample, are less alarming but nonetheless significant, averaging 30 hours and $500. As a result, in the last five years, prevention assistance in the form of credit monitoring and restoration services (which may or may not include insurance coverage) are being made available for those who want peace of mind and are willing to pay for it. Although the cost of products and services purchased with stolen credit information is generally covered by credit companies and merchants and is not the responsibility of consumers, there are a number of expenses in the restoration
process that fall on the victim. Farmers was one of the first insurance company to offer identity-fraud expense reimbursement, up to $30,000 worth of expanded coverage to reimburse customers for expenses incurred while restoring their financial reputation. These can include lost wages resulting from time off work to meet with police or credit companies, some attorney fees, account reapplication and mailing fees and telephone charges. “I still have my 6-inch-thick file folder,” says Irene Sabourin, a vice president at  an insurance brokeage, and a victim of identity theft herself. “It probably took about 40 hours to correct my records, and even then the problem followed me for years. I have identity-theft coverage today and I recommend it, especially to those who make a lot of purchases online. “A lot of companies now include identity restoration services along with insurance coverage". Sabourin continues. “You turn in a regular claim and an expert does all the work of restoring your credit. This service is selling. No one has time to waste on this sort of thing anymore.” Petersen did not have identity-theft
insurance. Some of her losses, like the $2,000 she spent changing her locks, were covered by her homeowners’ insurance. Still, she figures that when this is all behind her she will have lost $10,000.

Identity Theft Part 2 of 4

Detective Westgate who agreed to review Susan Petersen’s case for this article. “Identity thieves can  work from anywhere, disguise their actions  and fly under the radar for months  or years,” he says.  “At one point in the investigation it  actually seemed like Ms. Petersen was  a possible suspect,” Westgate continues.  “Then we got lucky. She received a note  from a mini-storage company in town  thanking her for her business. She hadn’t  done business with that company, so she  brought the note to us. We were able to  get videotape of a woman coming and  going several times. We arrested her at  the storage company and found Ms. Petersen’s  driver’s license, health insurance  card and credit card on her.”  It’s not new, but identity theft seems  to be getting more prevalent. With just  a few bits of information, criminals can  make purchases, divert billing statements  to false addresses, open new accounts  and pose as other people when committing  crimes.  Unsuspecting and informed individuals  alike are falling prey in increasing numbers. Private information in the databases of large corporations is vulnerable to creative hackers anywhere in the world. By trading their guns and getaway cars for computers and cell phones, these identity thieves are increasing their gain while minimizing their risk.California leads the way in passing aggressive laws to protect its citizens from becoming identity-theft victims. Half of the states in the U.S. now require companies to notify consumers in the event of a database security breach and
offer them credit-monitoring services free of charge. The Better Business Bureau has joined with a group of corporations, including ChoicePoint and Microsoft, to explore more-effective means of protecting consumer information. In addition to information collected and services offered by the FTC, organizations like the IdentityTheft Resource Center in San Diego and the California Public Interest Research Group are helping create awareness about theft of identity. The major credit-reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — will furnish consumers with credit reports once a year at no charge. Anyone suspecting they have been victimized can place a fraud alert with these agencies requiring lenders to contact them before opening new accounts. Still, it is up to individuals to keep their financial identity secure, which isn’t an easy task. According to surveys conducted by the Identity Theft Resource Center, 38 percent of those polled did not even learn they had become fraud victims until a year or more after the crime had been committed. Forty-five percent said they did not know how to protect themselves from identity theft in the future.

Identity Theft Part 1 of 4

When Susan Petersen (not her real name) realized her handbag had been stolen from her car outside the North County Fair in April, she kicked herself for not taking it in with her, filled out a police report and called her bank and credit card companies. “It was a nightmare,” she says. “As I thought about what was in that purse,
I realized that someone had most of my personal information. They had all of my keys. They knew where I lived and what my family looked like from the photos in my wallet. We had some sleepless nights.” She changed the locks on her house and her cars and hoped for the best. The best didn’t happen. A few weeks later, Nordstrom declined Petersen’s personal check. She was told there was a negative hold onher driver’s license. After some checking with a company that investigates fraud, she discovered that someone had opened three new credit accounts using her information. Furniture — to the tune of $3,600 — had been purchased at Sears in her name.
Someone had started a Sprint cell phone account using her husband’s Social Security number (which was the identification number on her health insurance card) and her driver’s license. Someone had become Susan Petersen. Theft of identity is now the fastest growing crime in America. In 2005, Consumer Sentinel, a national fraud-victim database maintained by the Federal Trade Commission, received over 255,000 identity-theft complaints, 37 percent of all fraud complaints for that year. This was up from 246,000 complaints in 2004 and 215,000 in 2003.As high as these numbers seem, studies indicate that identity theft actually touched more than 9 million people in the U.S. last year, with an estimated loss to consumers and businesses of more than $50 billion. During the minute that it took you to use your credit card at a local merchant today, 15 more Americans
became victims of identity theft. Law enforcement agencies are aggressively investigating complaints of identity theft, but the odds against them are overwhelming. Detectives Jason Collins and Durwin Westgate work for the
Sacramento Police Department’s financial crime division. “We see 15 to 20 new cases added to the complaints queue for the city of Sacramento each day,” says Detective Collins. “Cases are investigated when there is solid evidence, a suspect’s name and a good chance of arrest. Those involving larger losses are generally worked first, but if the leads aren’t credible, a case will be suspended until new information becomes available. Cases can take a long time to investigate.”
 

Do You Have a Home Inventory?

Fires, Floods, Hurricanes, Tornadoes…

Each week it seems another natural disaster has occurred somewhere in the world, and some of them are too close for comfort. San Diego, CA, suffered major wildfires in 2003 and 2007. Unfortunately, many victims of those wildfires have not yet been able to rebuild their homes. After the fires which occurred in October 2007, information provided by RB United, one of six long-term recovery centers in San Diego County, stated “at the end of 2009, the number of building permits obtained by fire-affected families stood at 77 percent for the cities of Poway and Escondido, 58 percent for Ramona and 63 percent for Rancho Bernardo.” The crucial question is: What is preventing these wildfire victims from rebuilding and moving on with their lives? In most cases, they were underinsured and unable to recover enough money to rebuild a home similar to the one they lost. The next logical question is: How could this have been prevented, and how can it be prevented in the future?

· Be Pro-Active: Prepare a Home Inventory NOW to document all your possessions

· Be certain that your homeowner’s insurance coverage is adequate to rebuild your home AND to replace the majority of your possessions. Once you prepare your Home Inventory, the next critical step is to determine the total value of your possessions and then contact your insurance agent to help you determine if you have adequate coverage.

· Store a copy of your Home Inventory online where it is readily available to you 24/7.

After the 2007 fires, Custom Home Inventory Services worked with many fire survivors, none of which had prepared a Home Inventory in advance. In the midst of trying to find housing, food & clothing – the basic necessities of life – these people had the additional burden of creating a Home Inventory entirely from memory, post-disaster -- needless to say, a daunting task!

The bottom line: Don’t wait to become a victim! Prepare your Home Inventory & upgrade your insurance coverage, if needed. Take steps TODAY! We can provide a FREE Do-It-Yourself Guide, moderately priced easy-to-use customized Home Inventory Software for your personal use, or we can conduct a full service Home Inventory for you.

J. Cody, Co-Founder

Custom Home Inventory Services Inc.

(760) 734-4853    www.chisinc.net

FOR IMMEDIATE QUOTES CALL 888-471-FIRM (3476) - 760-471-1312 or Info@Firmsolutions.net