A New Addition To Your Family Could Affect Your Life Insurance Policy

The addition of a family member could lead to needing more insurance coverage. Use the following guidelines to determine if you want to meet with a Southwest Insurance Center agent who serves Austin, TX.

Additional Expenses

The birth of a baby or the addition of another family member within your household will increase living expenses. Your death could make it difficult for your family to survive without the financial support that you currently provide. An updated life insurance policy that provides coverage for all your family members will prevent your loved ones from being financially burdened.

Unforeseen Events

There is no way to predict the future and the number of financial challenges that your loved ones will face. Updating your life insurance policy will help each family member tackle the unexpected expenses that they incur. 

Final Expenses

A life insurance policy can be used to pay for your casket, urn, and memorial service. If all of your family members are responsible for handling your final expenses, updating your life insurance may be warranted. You can add every family member you have selected to handle your final expenses.

Maintenance

If you plan on leaving your property to one or more of your heirs, additional insurance coverage may be needed. Consideration should be taken about the new addition to your family and the role that they will be playing after your death. If they are responsible for caring for your property, the additional coverage will help them pay bills and handle upkeep.

Find the Right Policy!

Contact one of our Austin, TX agents at Southwest Insurance Center to update your existing life insurance policy today.

Does Your Business Need Cyber Insurance?

Most businesses today have an online component. Even if they don’t sell anything online, they will have a lot of data that is stored there. There is also internal data that is important for both the business and its customers. When you have customer data and your employees’ data, it’s essential to protect it as well as possible. There are a lot of ways that you can keep the data safe. However, if those don’t work at keeping thieves at bay, you need cyber insurance. Call us at Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX to get started.

Scams and Ransom

If there is a data breach at your business, it puts everyone in danger. It’s common for companies of every size to be hacked and their data stolen. The cyberthief can then use the data for nefarious purposes. Some of these thieves put their personal data on a public website to cause problems for everyone. Some breach a business’s data and take it away, offering to give it back only after receiving a ransom. This has been devastating to many small businesses. If you were to have a data breach, you could owe a lot to many people. To protect against some of these costs, there is cyber insurance. 

A Business’ Reputation

Data breaches can mean a lot of expenses and the loss of your company’s reputation with the public, especially if the data is posted online. While nothing is 100% effective against data breaches, you can deal with what happens after a breach much more easily if you have a cyber insurance policy. You need to be able to get back to business quickly. 

Cove Your Business With Cyber Insurance

To get a policy for your business, call us at Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX. 

Umbrella Insurance: Supplemental Coverage for Your Home and Vehicle

When you get your home and auto insurance, many different kinds of coverage are wrapped up in each policy. These include other types of liability coverage. If you own a home and have home insurance and auto insurance, you might still not have as much coverage as you need. For many people, getting umbrella insurance is a great way to supplement their other policies better and better protect themselves. Call us at Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX when you need more coverage.

Liability Coverage

If you have home and auto insurance, both come with a set amount of liability coverage. This type of coverage pays the other party in an accident you’re responsible for. For instance, if someone has an accident in your home, you are responsible for the many bills they could have due to that accident. The same is true when your vehicle causes an accident in which someone gets injured. Having home and auto insurance is a good start, but it isn’t likely that you have enough liability coverage for a severe accident. That’s why so many people choose to get an umbrella policy. It gives you more liability coverage for both of these insurance policies.

Paying for Overages

When an accident happens, the first thing that will happen is that your home or auto insurance company will make an assessment and pay for the accident up to the maximum amounts on the policies. When you have umbrella insurance, that’s the point when this policy steps in. If you still owe bills after the first policy has reached its maximum, your umbrella insurance will pay the rest. 

Get Umbrella Insurance in Austin, TX

Call us at Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX if you want an umbrella policy for better protection. 

How RV Insurance Is Different From Auto Insurance

A recreational vehicle policy is similar to a regular auto policy in some ways, but there are also many differences between them. It’s important to have a policy specific to RVs. Call us at Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX if you have an RV and need coverage.

Your RV Class

An RV policy is written for the class of RV that you have. The classes are A, B, and C. Each corresponds to a different size and style of RV. Once the class of your RV has been determined, you will need to have liability coverage for your RV. This works similarly to the liability coverage in regular auto policies. Texas generally requires people to have liability insurance coverage in their auto and RV policies. Other types of coverage often work differently from auto insurance. 

Collision and Comprehensive Coverage

When you’ve caused an accident, your own vehicle’s damage must be covered. You invested a lot into your RV, so make sure you protect it. For RVs, various types of coverage for personal belongings and equipment may be inside it. RVs typically have many personal items inside them, such as furniture and electronics. There may also be extra equipment like a speaker system, appliances, etc. These all need coverage, which you can get from your collision coverage. RVs aren’t just in danger on the road. Comprehensive coverage pays for things that can happen to an RV when it isn’t being driven on the road. 

Get RV Insurance in Austin, TX

Protect your investment with an RV insurance policy. For more information, call Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX.

Why You Need Boat Insurance

Owning a boat is a great way to get out more and enjoy the outdoors. There’s nothing like gliding across the water in your own boat. However, many people have boats, and that can lead to boating accidents. When boating accidents happen, they can be extremely destructive and expensive. It’s essential to be well-prepared for accidents in case they happen. To stay prepared, you need boat insurance. To get started with a policy, call us at Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX, and learn more.  

Liability Coverage

Boat insurance is similar in many ways to auto insurance. There are different types of coverage that you can have within your policy. You may have liability insurance and other coverage types to protect you against various issues. The minimum that you need to have is liability coverage. This pays for the other person’s expenses after you have been in an accident with them. This coverage can pay for their medical bills if they’re injured in the accident. It can also pay for the damages done to their boat and the repairs they need. All of this coverage is important to have so that you don’t end up owing a lot of bills after an accident. 

Personal Coverage

You may also want to have collision coverage in your boat policy. This protects you against the cost of repairs your own boat will need after it’s been in an accident. You can also get comprehensive coverage to protect your boat even when it’s on land. All of this protection together is the ideal way to be prepared no matter what happens with your boat. 

Get Boat Insurance from Southwest Insurance Center of Austin

When you want the protection this insurance brings, call us at Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX.

Does my motorcycle insurance cover all my motorcycle accessories?

Austin, TX motorcycle riders have to carry a minimum amount of insurance. The most important part of your insurance is the part that will help cover medical bills if there is an accident. However, minimum coverage will only cover what is stated in the policy. You can speak with Southwest Insurance Center about other kinds of coverage to get additional protection.

Accessories Coverage

There are a lot of ways to individualize your ride. Riding a motorcycle is fun; additional accessories can make your ride more fun, safe, and comfortable. Some of those accessories can be expensive, and you can protect your assets in case of an accident, vandalism, or theft.

Accessories coverage is an addition to your regular motorcycle insurance. If you already have comprehensive and collision coverage, you may already have a few thousand dollars of accessories coverage. If you need more, you can get an additional policy.

Comprehensive and Collision Coverage

You might want to consider these additional protections if you don’t already have them. If you only have minimal coverage in Austin, TX, you will be out of pocket for anything that happens that is not included in your insurance. Minimal coverage only protects the victims if they are at fault in an accident.

Comprehensive and collision coverage will also protect you. Collision coverage will protect you and your vehicle if you crash into someone or something. Comprehensive coverage will help if you are ever the victim of theft, vandalism, animal damage, or damage from weather events. 

You have the right to tailor your insurance policy so that you have protection you are comfortable with. If you are in the area of Austin, TX, and have any questions about motorcycle insurance, please feel free to call Southwest Insurance Center today.

How Can Life Insurance Benefit The Living Insured?

It’s a most misunderstood tenet of life insurance that it only pays out when the insured passes on. Actually, "life" insurance means for your life. 

We mean that those insured can enjoy the benefits of a life insurance policy during their lifetime without touching the death benefits. From using the policy as collateral on a loan to using it to pay for long-term care, life insurance policies are about life and death.

For What Could You Use The Money?

The policy’s cash value reverts to insurance companies such as Southwest Insurance Center upon the insured’s passing. If you don’t use the money, you’ll lose it. 

For example, assisted living isn’t the only expense seniors face as they age. In-home nursing care, adult day care, and nursing homes are just a few examples of the uses to which life insurance monies can be put.

What You Should Know About Life Insurance

There are ways to customize or optimize a life insurance policy to suit the changing needs of the insured:

  • A waiver of premium rider removes the policyholder’s need to make premium installments if the insured becomes disabled.
  • A disability income amendment pays the insured monthly if the insured can’t work for a long time due to a debilitating injury.
  • If the insured is diagnosed with a terminal illness, an accelerated death benefit endorsement permits the insured to claim the complete death benefit. 
  • A portion of the accelerated death benefit amendment is the long-term care endorsement that can pay for nursing, long-term care homes, and nurse’s aides for at-home care.

Losing a parent or spouse in Austin, TX, or anywhere else is devastating. Southwest Insurance Center is here to mitigate the devastation with life insurance. Give us a call or drop in the office to learn more about it.

What Is Commercial Agribusiness?

If you were the official grower of Green Giant green beans, then you’d probably be an Austin, TX company by now. As such, you’d need commercial insurance to cover company buildings, trucks, property, worker’s comp for employees, and much more. Here at Southwest Insurance Center, we know what you need to be commercially protected. Here’s why.

What Is Commercial Agribusiness Insurance?

Insurance is about the financial end of accidents and misfortunes. Commercial agribusiness insurance covers equipment mishaps, crop disasters leading to decreased income, liability, and more:

  • Buildings and their contents
  • The grounds and personal property
  • Crops, trees, flowers, and seeds
  • Livestock including poultry
  • General liability

Should You Get Commercial Agribusiness Insurance?

Yes. If you own a vineyard, for instance, and bottle your own brand of wine, then you need commercial agribusiness insurance. You need it to sell grape juices, jams, and jellies. Do you fish to sell your shrimp, oysters, and lobsters to local restaurants and grocery stores? Insurance would be a good idea. Do you slaughter your livestock, process it, and sell it? You need insurance. Do you put up tomatoes, beans, berries, and other produce? Do you sell what’s left over to Austin, TX stores after you provide for family needs? You need insurance.

What About Farmers With On-Site Traffic?

Farmers and ranchers who allow the public to pick corn, apples, strawberries, and pumpkins in October or pet the baby livestock on their property are open to different types of trouble. General liability insurance doesn’t cover this kind of thing, so ask us if there is a rider or umbrella policy that you can buy to protect your farm.

Agribusiness is a maze for which you need protection. We’ve listed a few things here, but please drop in or call Southwest Insurance Center to learn more about commercial agribusiness insurance.

Why does an Austin RV owner need to have an RV insurance plan?

Investing in an RV can be an excellent idea for those in the Austin, TX area. When you are an RV owner in this region, you will have a large vehicle that can be used for road trips, camping, and other excursions. This RV will provide you with a  safe mode of transportation and a comfortable place to sleep at night. As you are looking for an RV, you must also get insurance for it. An RV insurance plan is needed here for various reasons. 

Protect Investment in Asset

A reason to get an RV insurance plan here is to protect your investment in the asset. When you look to purchase an RV in this region, you will be making a significant investment and asset purchase that you will want to enjoy for a long time. With a complete RV insurance plan, you will get the support you need to replace or repair the asset if you incur a loss. 

Comply with Insurance Obligations

The RV insurance plan is also necessary to comply with any insurance obligations. It is very common for RV owners in Texas to take out a loan, and the lender will require that you meet these insurance standards to protect their collateral. You can remain in good standing with such obligations if you carry coverage. 

In the Austin, TX area, having an RV insurance plan is a practical necessity for any owner. When looking for your next RV insurance policy here, it would be ideal to start your search by calling the Southwest Insurance Center. There are a lot of choices to make when looking for this coverage, and our team with the Southwest Insurance Center can provide the guidance you need to select a new plan. 

Why You May Need Umbrella Insurance

Do you have an auto policy and a home policy? If you have both policies, you might not have the coverage you need for serious accidents. It’s essential to be able to pay for an expensive accident that has injuries. Your home and auto policies will each have some liability coverage. However, they might not have very much. Many policies have enough for an accident that doesn’t have expensive injuries. However, many can’t pay for one that does. That’s why you may need umbrella insurance. Call us at Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX to find out more. 

Adding More Coverage

When you already have a home and an auto policy, you add to your coverage by getting umbrella insurance. It adds extra liability coverage to both policies so that you’re far better covered in a serious and expensive accident. With umbrella insurance in place, you can have better peace of mind. You’ll know that even if there is a serious accident, your finances don’t have to be wiped out by it. Trying to pay for an accident when your insurance doesn’t measure up can be highly difficult for most people. 

How It Works

When you have an umbrella policy, it comes in after the first policy does. So, your auto or home policy would respond first to the accident and pay as much as it can toward the accident. Once it reaches its limit, though, it would have to leave the rest to you. When you have umbrella insurance, it comes in to pay for the amount that’s left. Umbrella policies have enormous maximum payouts and don’t cost much money. They’re known for being a cost-effective way to get more coverage. 

Get Umbrella Insurance

Call us at Southwest Insurance Center in Austin, TX when you need coverage.