What's New at Keefe - Fall 2007

Recently Bob announced he will be retiring from the insurance industry effective October 1, 2007. During his 34 year career with Keefe, he became a partner while building a loyal clientele as a personal and commercial lines producer. Bob will be sorely missed by his associates at the Keefe Agency and by his many clients and friends in the industry. We all wish him a long, healthy & happy retirement.

LOSS PREVENTION TIPS

Prevent Water Damage

Inexpensive alarms can guard your home against destruction caused by water pipe bursts and leaks. Appropriately called "water alarms", they feature sensors that are tripped by a layer of water. Some can detect a layer of water as minute as 1/16 of an inch in depth! Some may detect rising or seeping water and alert you using a voice dialer to call you. Some will automatically shut off water valves where the sensors are placed.

For more information, enter the words "water alarms" into your favorite search engine.

Sewer & Drain Back-Up

Insurance is your protection against the costs of damage caused by loss resulting from water which backs up through sewers or drains or which overflows from a sump. The standard homeowner policy DOES NOT cover this risk. We recommend that you consider adding this low-cost endorsement especially if you have a finished and furnished basement.

Guard Against Puffback

Furnace puffbacks are common occurrences. They cause nasty soot damage to walls, ceilings, appliances and furniture. They can occur when an oil furnace has not been properly inspected and cleaned. The results are often large cleanup expenses, inconvenience, permanent marring of art objects, antiques and other valuables in the home. It is a good idea to do the preventive maintenance (oil burner and heating pipes and vent system checkup and cleaning) every year.

If you lose some or all of your household belongings in a fire or other disaster or by theft, you must prove the extent of your loss when you file your insurance claim. Right now, how well and how quickly could you do that?

How to prepare your inventory

You want to be able to account for everything you own: furniture, entertainment center items, art objects, chinaware, clothing... everything. In addition, your inventory should include information about the purchase price and date of purchase, especially for high ticket items.

Regular appraisals of valuables

If you are a collector of art or antiques or stamps or coins (or other valuable collections), it is vital that you maintain a record of recent professional appraisals.

Basic inventory steps

• List all belongings, room by room
  Record serial numbers, purchase dates, purchase prices and estimated current value of items. If you have them, attach receipts. Keeping receipts, cancelled checks and appraisals can help you prove ownership of your most valuable possessions.
• Take pictures to back up your records
  Photograph or video (with commentary) each wall of every room with closet and cabinet doors open. On the back of photographs, write the date, contents shown and location within your home.
• Store your inventory records away from home
  An obvious choice is a safe deposit box at a bank. Keep a second copy at home so you can add new purchases or delete items.
• Call us if you have questions
  After you've completed your inventory, compare the estimated total value of your personal property with the coverage limit in your homeowner's policy. Discuss any concerns or questions you have with us.
• Review your overall inventory annually
  And, again, compare it with the homeowner's policy coverage you have for personal property.

Helpful Inventory Tool

This free booklet includes charts for the recording of personal property in each room: kitchen, living room, family room, bedrooms, dining room plus attic and basement and laundry areas…plus charts for clothing items.

Preparing a comprehensive inventory of your contents is not a simple task. It will take some time to complete the "tour of your home" and to do some research on estimated present values, et cetera. But once you have completed the first inventory, it is a relatively easy task to keep it up to date. You will find it invaluable if you should have a loss due to theft or natural disaster.

For a starter, "Taking Inventory of Your Home" is a useful tool. To obtain a copy, call, write or e-mail us. Or drop by the office and pick one up. We are pleased to offer this service.

TIME FOR AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF YOUR HOME POLICY? CALL US AT 508-528-3310. WE CAN DO IT ON THE PHONE, AT YOUR CONVENIENCE.

Archived What's New

• Spring 2007