 As the temperature drops and seasons change, we spend more time with family and friends, snuggled up at home watching Netflix, or drinking hot cocoa hunkered down with a good book. We look forward to bundling up in sweaters, building snowmen, and taking a moment to appreciate the change in nature.
While the aforementioned aspects of the winter probably bring a smile to your face, there’s another element that’s just as important as building family and community ties: protecting your property in case an unexpected storm or other disaster strikes. Winter is a crucial insurance season. Weather-related damage often occurs in the coldest months – you can thank those beautiful snow and ice storms, as well as less-than-pleasant hail. Insurance is one of those things that needs to be thought of ahead of time. All too often, people are caught unprepared after damage occurs without the proper coverage. Review your insurance coverage for all your motorized vehicles when the winter months approach. If you do not, you may be left with unexpected and unforeseen expenses. https://www.thebalance.com/winter-insurance-tips-527462 Car Insurance Coverage Take a close look at your car insurance policy as winter approaches. Think about what new risks occur during the winter months and if changes in coverage are necessary. ·Do you have a vehicle you do not drive in the winter months? It could save you hundreds of dollars to reduce coverage on a parked vehicle during wintertime. Lowering the coverage to comprehensive only will protect your vehicle against things that can happen to it while sitting, such as storm damage, fire, theft, and vandalism, without needing to pay for driving coverage while it’s in storage. ·On the flip side, if you’ll be driving during the winter, consider increasing your coverage by adding comprehensive and/or collision coverage. Determine your risk level during each season. Summertime might bring less risk so reducing coverage makes sense. In the winter, risk levels often rise. The snow is slippery, there is less daylight which means less visibility, and you might be traveling to visit relatives who live in unfamiliar places putting you more at risk. It might be time to add on more coverage. Comprehensive will protect you against storm damage and collision will protect you against physical damage after sliding on ice. Consider roadside assistance if you do not already have it. Roadside assistance can be convenient in the winter months. Slide-offs can sometimes be unavoidable even in four-wheel-drive SUVs. Being stuck in the ditch is never good, and having roadside assistance can bring you extra peace of mind. You can avoid big tow bills by purchasing inexpensive roadside assistance coverage on your auto policy. Motorcycle Insurance What do you do with your motorcycle in the wintertime? If you live in a cold climate, you have options depending on what your particular insurance carrier offers. The most important thing to remember when changing your motorcycle insurance coverage over the winter months is to make sure to change it back when spring fever hits. And, don’t drop your coverage during the winter – it’s never a good idea to leave your vehicle vulnerable, even if it is technically legal to do so.
Boat Insurance and RV Insurance When the lakes freeze over, your boat is probably parked in the garage. Your RV probably is not seeing much action either. Do you still need to keep paying for boat insurance or RV insurance? If you are concerned about fire or theft, you should keep your boat and RV insurance in place. If you have a loss payee on your toy, you will also need to keep the insurance policy in force. Unless your toy is scheduled on your homeowner’s policy, your home insurance policy will not cover toys. The vehicles which take on more risk in the wintertime could have their deductibles lowered and or coverage increased. Meanwhile, your toys which have lowered risk in the wintertime should have deductibles increased and or coverage reduced. Saving money on car insurance in the winter is possible. Think smart and consider your risks. True you do not know what will happen in the future, but you can make an educated guess which could save you big. McGovern Agency is here for all your insurance needs. Please feel free to contact us if you want to confirm coverage! (586) 464-2400 ~ Inquiry@TheMcGovernAgency.com
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 Shoveling snow can be a back-breaking task in the dead of winter. Make it a more enjoyable task by following these handy shoveling tips! If you're a homeowner in a snowy climate, chances are good you rue the winter: All that snow has to go somewhere, and it's not getting there itself.
Cue the snow shovel! Barring a move to a snow-free state or barricading your family inside all winter, there's no way to avoid the endless task of shoveling snow. There are, however, ways to make the process much easier. Here are three simple hacks to make the morning after a snowfall much less stressful. #1 Spray Your Shovel with Cooking Oil Snow sticking to your shovel makes an already arduous task even more obnoxious. Avoid it with this hack: Lightly coat your shovel with non-stick cooking oil to make snow slide right off. No more time wasted removing snow from your snow remover. (You can substitute a spray lubricant like WD-40, but the downside is it's toxic.) #2 Lay Out a Tarp Before the Snow If you like short cuts, this technique, billed as "the laziest way imaginable" to clear snow, according to a tutorial from "Instructables," has got your name on it. The day before an expected snowfall, lay a tarp on your walkway. When the snow finishes falling, just pull out the tarp, and voilà: an instantly cleared walkway. (Word to the wise: Make sure pedestrians won't trip on your tarp; include a sign or use this technique in your backyard walkway if you're concerned.) The technique requires a tarp, firewood, and twine as well as some prep work. Pre-storm, use firewood to weigh down your tarp -- you don't want it flying away in the wind! -- and tie the twine to both the tarp and to a shovel standing upright in your yard. You'll use the shovel to pull out the snow-laden tarp. Although this method might be faster than shoveling, it does require manpower. After all, a cubic foot of snow can weigh between 7 and 20 pounds. So don't get too ambitious with the size of your tarp or you might not be able to pull it once it's full of snow. #3 Make a Homemade De-icing Cocktail De-icers make snow removal easier by cutting through the tough, icy layers that are a pain to remove with a shovel. But an easy solution should be easy on your property as well. Many commercial de-icers are pretty harsh. Commercial ice-melting substances -- magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride (salt) -- all cause damage to the environment, according to the University of Maryland's Home and Garden Information Center. They can also damage concrete sidewalks and driveways, which mean hefty repair costs later. A better solution: Make your own de-icer using rubbing alcohol or vinegar. You'll save money, too. Commercial melters typically cost $8 or more. Plus, you'll avoid the hassle of trekking to the hardware store to stock up. Use vinegar before a storm to make ice and snow removal easier:
McGovern Agency is here for all your insurance needs. Please feel free to contact us if you want to learn how un-shoveled sidewalks can be harmful to your business! (586) 464-2400 ~ Inquiry@TheMcGovernAgency.com  Snow Plow Insurance Michigan: If you run a business that offers snow removal in MI, then you provide a valuable service to your community that's likely quite profitable at certain times of the year. But are you fully protected from any sort of liability that might be cast on your company if you cause an accident, damage someone else's property or someone slips and falls?
If you offer snow removal services, you are typically required by local and state laws to maintain commercial snow plow insurance Michigan, or you may be contractually obligated by your client to provide this insurance. Either way, it protects your business from financial fallout if something goes awry during the course of snow plowing. Snow plow insurance Michigan can be custom tailored to your specific business needs, but it generally provides for four specific types of plowing coverage, including:
A business owner's policy, often referred to as a BOP policy, provides protection against liability, property and loss of income. A general BOP policy provides general liability to cover losses caused by your business, including bodily or personal injury, property damage, and even advertising injury claims. Snow plow insurance Michigan replaces property damaged. This policy is a good option as a basic type of coverage for your snow plowing business. General liability insurance provides protection for your business when it comes to bodily injury, damage to property, or personal injury to others caused by you during the course of operating your snow plowing or getting from your location to your customer's location. Commercial truck insurance covers your snow plow or the equipment used to haul it to your work site. It can also cover your commercial truck that's outfitted with a snow plow for seasonal use. This snow plow insurance Michigan should be maintained on your commercial vehicles year round, not just during the busy season. Worker's compensation insurance is valuable protection for your employees. If you work on your own, this may not be an issue, but if you have people working for you, then worker's comp provides money to your employees who are hurt or become ill due to something that occurs on the job. It can pay medical costs and even pay lost wages for covered events. This is required for all non owner employees in MI. McGovern Agency is here for all your insurance needs. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a quote! (586) 464-2400 ~ Inquiry@TheMcGovernAgency.com  Comprehensive coverage is designed to cover what is not covered by collision. It's actually referred to as "other than collision" coverage. It is an optional coverage in Michigan, but it can help protect your vehicle from the unexpected!
What is typically covered by comprehensive car insurance:
You will have coverage after hitting a deer through the "animal damage" clause if you elect to purchase this type of policy. (In addition to deer-related damages, this can include any animal that damages your vehicle. If you run over an animal — or if an animal chews or damages internal wiring — you're covered.) McGovern Agency is here for all your insurance needs. Please feel free to contact us if you want to confirm coverage! (586) 464-2400 ~ Inquiry@TheMcGovernAgency.com  Welcome to our new insurance agency blog!
This is our very first post. We're not quite sure what we're going to write about here, but the plan is to create helpful content for customers and prospective clients about information that is relevant to you. We hope you'll come to view this as a top resource for keeping your family and your finances safe. Here are a few of the topics we may be writing about:
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