What's New at Keefe

Henry Strok Retires; Keras Becomes President

In 1968, Henry M. Strok returned to this area from Albany NY where he was an all-lines insurance claims representative, and joined the Thomas F. Keefe Insurance Agency, then owned by his late father-in-law, Edmund J. (Ned) Keefe.

Midway through 2006, Henry announced, "I have decided to 'hang up my boots' and retire from the insurance industry, effective April 1, 2007. This is an appropriate time for me to follow a new path in my life."

During his stellar 39 year career with Keefe, he became a partner and president while building a loyal clientele as a personal and commercial lines producer. He also was an extremely active community leader in and around the Franklin area. Most recently, he served a 14-year term on the board of directors of Benjamin Franklin Savings Bank.

Mr. Strok will be sorely missed by his associates at the Keefe Agency, and by his many clients and friends in the industry.

Robert F. Keras, partner, is the new president of the agency. He moves up from his position as agency vice president. Other members of the management team are partners Peter L. Brunelli, vice president, and Robert J. Rappa, treasurer.

"Henry's accounts have been assigned to the agency partners. We will continue to provide our commercial clients with the same professional and personal service that has been our hallmark, supported by our outstanding commercial lines customer service team," Mr. Keras said.

BUYER ALERT - Over 60% of Homes Are Underinsured

Consistently, surveys* indicate that 2 out of 3 homes nationwide don't have enough property and liability coverage. Alarmingly, they are underinsured by a whopping 27 percent! If the homes were severely damaged by a fire, flood, windstorm or other catastrophe, the owners would face huge out-of-pocket expenses.

How you can avoid gaps and overlaps:

• Make sure you know what you're insured for and the amount. Insure the building, not the land. Insure your home for its replacement value, not for its assessed value for tax purposes or its market value.
• Make sure you report all home additions and remodeling to your insurance agent (75% of owners don't!)
• Make sure your homeowner's (HO) policy coverages keep pace with increasing home replacement costs; rapidly rising construction costs are a major factor.
• Make sure your outbuildings are properly covered (garage, tool sheds, pools et al). There are coverage limits in most HO's.
• Make sure you properly insure jewelry, silver, antiques, collections, and all your personal property (most HO policies limit coverage.) You may need special insurance.

Conduct Annual Review

Surveys say fewer than 60% of homeowners have had an HO policy review within the past two years. A surprising number had not conducted a review for over five years!

Click here for your Annual Policy Review from Keefe Insurance!

What If You Had To Rebuild Your House?

Building codes change. If a civil authority required an upgrade in the reconstruction of your home (for example, the installation of hard-wired smoke detectors or special building materials) the costs for upgrades may not be covered by your existing homeowner's (HO) insurance policy.

SOLUTION: Purchase Ordinance coverage. It can solve the upgrade problem at a cost of about 2% of your current HO premium. For more information, call us at 508-528-34310 or e-mail.

* Source: Every year independent research firm Marshall & Swift/Boeckh, Princeton, NJ. a specialist in estimating construction costs, does a review of 3 million homeowner insurance policies.

LOSS PREVENTION - Protecting Your Bike

When warm Spring days start appearing, thoughts turn to various outdoor pursuits, both for fun and for exercise. Biking continues to increase in popularity as an activity the whole family can enjoy. Here's a few tips to ensure that your bicycle investment is protected.

• Prevent theft by locking your bike when it's not in use, even in your garage.
• Purchase the best lock device you can afford. Many locks, including cable locks, are easy for thieves to thwart.
• Lock both wheels and the frame to a post, pole or bike rack.
• Register your bike with the local police. The information about make, model, color and serial number make it easier and quicker to recover the bike if it is stolen.
• If you travel with your bike, consider registering your bike with the National Bike Registry (NBR), a national database which helps recover stolen bikes. You can register online at The National Bike Registry web-site and get a certificate of registration plus a tamper-resistant notification label to affix to your bike.
• BIKE INSURANCE TIPS: (1) While it is true that bicycles are covered under a homeowners or a renters policy, you should consider buying a floater if you own an expensive bike such as a racer or other special bike. A floater offers more coverage. For example, in the event of an accident, a floater covers the cost of bike repairs. (2) When you purchase a bike keep the receipt for it and any accessories. Take photos of the bike. Store this information in a safe place. Notify your agent about the new purchase. These steps assure proper coverage and facilitate any claims filing.

8 Ways to Save Money On Your Auto Insurance

You may be entitled to several discounts on your car insurance. For instance, cost savings are available if you:

• Under the new Massachusetts Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP) you have maintained a clean record of no-accidents, no traffic violations for six years or longer. There's a significant reduction for a clean record over five years too.
• Have evidence of purchase for 11 months of mass transit passes, and you do not drive your car to work or school more than 10 days a month
• Have installed air bags
• Have installed automatic seat belts
• Have an anti-theft device
• Meet annual low mileage requirements (between 0 and 7500 miles)
• Are a principal operator, age 65 or over with no inexperienced operators (less than 6 years driving experience) on the policy; and do not customarily use your vehicle for business
• Own two or more cars insured by the same company

Review your policy and get back to us if you think you qualify for any of these discounts. We'll provide additional information including what sections of your policy may be covered and how much you can save.

WE ENCOURAGE ANNUAL REVIEWS OF YOUR HOME AND AUTO COVERAGES.
CALL US FOR AN IN-AGENCY OR TELEPHONE REVIEW OF YOUR SITUATION.

Planning Your Summer Vacation

Spring is the season to make plans for where you'll go this summer for vacation. Here are a few things to consider as you make your plans.

Traveling to Canada or Mexico?

If you are planning a trip to Canada with your own car, make sure you contact us for a Canadian insurance card. It is required by border guards in order to prove that you have auto insurance. Mexico is a different story. You will need to purchase an auto policy in that country.

Renting a Car on Your Vacation?

Your auto insurance collision and comprehensive coverages provide protection (less your deductible for MOST direct damage to a rental or borrowed car.) HOWEVER, many rental car contracts make you responsible for their lost rental income while the damaged car is being repaired. Some credit cards provide this coverage at no extra cost, when the card is used to pay for the car rental. Be sure to check with your credit card companies in advance to verify what coverage they will provide. And always carefully read and understand the rental agreement before you sign it.

U.S. Passports for Children

If you are traveling abroad, you are required to have passports for all children. Because of the rise in kidnappings by non-custodial parents, there are now special requirements for acquiring passports for minors under age 14, including the need for both parents to appear in person with the children at the authorized Post Office or Passport Office. For more information on these requirements, go to http://travel.state.gov/specialreq.html.

Avoid Trouble While You're Away

Before you go on vacation, take the time to make these arrangements...

• Stop mail and newspaper deliveries until your return; or arrange with a neighbor or family member to collect these for you daily.
• Leave house looking normal...don't close all draperies, for instance.
• Use timers to turn lights and a radio or TV on and off at different intervals.
• Mow your lawn before you go, and make arrangements to have it cut
• Remove valuables and store them in a safe deposit box
• Notify your local police department of your travel plans and ask them to check your home periodically; also line up a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your property.
• Consider the installation of a professional alarm system (It can earn you a money-saving credit on your insurance).
• Make arrangements with family members or friends to check your house at frequent intervals.