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Michigan Insurance Blog

Spring Refresher

We’re finally starting to see some sun in the state of Michigan, thank goodness! Everyone is getting more excited and more proactive as the weather warms up. We’ve got a big holiday weekend coming up here that’s going to be the start of Michigan’s outdoor season! This is when we break out our tents, RV’s, and recreational vehicles for the summer months.

Along with this means it’s time to update your insurance policies. You need to make sure you have the correct vehicles on the road and the correct vehicles in storage. You have to have all of your recreational products insured to verify that they’re safe to be driving on the trails. If you have a pool or trampoline, make sure you’re covered for those on your home insurance and ask your agent about an umbrella policy to guarantee that you’re covered for everything.

Remember, this weekend is going to be a fun time with friends and family. Safety is the key to a good three-day weekend. Always keep the nearest hospital in mind when settling down in an unfamiliar area. Make sure to review fire, boating, and camping safety tips prior to engaging in the activities.

Have a great weekend everyone, and drive safely on the busy roads!

Spring, taking us by Storm

April showers bring May flowers, right? Maybe not in Michigan because it still snows half of the time! Regardless of whether we have snow or flowers, the storms will come. The thunder, lightning and wind are going to “rain” down on us again! If we know that every Spring, the storms are on their way then we should prepare for them as best as we can in order to avoid any unfortunate events.

How to prep your home and yard for storm season: Make sure you’re completely ready for the powerful rain and the wind gusts of lake effect storms! Make sure your roof is up to date and that none of the shingles are curling at all. Loosing shingles in a storm is messy to clean and hard to replace. Keeping an updated, quality roof over your head is going to be key if you’re living in Michigan! Also, make sure any large or leaning trees are removed if they’re even remotely close to your home or any outbuildings. Getting these removed ahead of time will cost about the same as it would to remove them but without the stress or damage that they would cause if they came crashing down. For further help on how to prepare for storms and wind, check out this guide!

https://www.newjerseyrealestatenetwork.com/home-high-winds-preparation/

What to do when a storm starts getting out of hand: Make sure you have an EAP (Emergency Action Plan) for your household. Whether it’s simply going down to the basement or designating jobs to people to ensure that everything is okay, it’s always best to have a predetermined plan in the event of an emergency.

What to do if damage occurs: If you think that you have a potential claim on your hands then call your insurance agent. Give them as much info as you can and make sure you’re able to describe damages. You should have an idea as too how much the fix should cost and also how much your deductible is. Filing claims on your home is risky business so it’s best to stay well informed. A claim has to be sudden and accidental, so keep that in mind when assessing the damage. If there’s a ton of damage and it seems to be urgent then it’d be best for you to call your agent asap. If your agent isn’t available then call the company directly so you can get everything taken care of, make sure you still report it to your agent as the earliest convenience. You’ll want to take lots of photos of the damage no matter what. If it’s damage that doesn’t need immediate attention then it’s best for you to have an estimate done so you can better determine if you’d like to file a claim or not.

What does it mean to file a claim on your Home Insurance: When determining whether or not you’d like to file a claim on your home, first find out the cost of the damage. You’ll need to subtract your deductible from that total amount and then decide if that’s an amount that you’re able to pay to fix or if you’re going to need some help from your insurance company. Home claims are okay if it’s only 1 or 2 within a 3 year time span but any more claims could cause your home insurance to drastically increase and/or nonrenewal from your company. So it’s important to be cautious and informed when filing a home claim.

Stressed about the upcoming Weekend?

Thanksgiving Desserts

Stressing about this Exciting Weekend?

This is what we’ve been waiting for since November 1st! Its Thanksgiving weekend and we’re ready to be filled to the brim in thanksgiving foods! Every year we eat until we can’t eat anymore and then we burn off the calories by shopping until we drop. It’s a wonderful time to be alive!

We’re overly blessed, here in America, and it’s important to take a moment and be thankful for everything we have. We’re the “busiest” country and we need to make sure that we take a step back this holiday season, and get a look at the wider perspective. Black Friday and Small Business Saturday can sometimes make us feel less thankful for what we already have so we’re going to all need to work on having gratitude during this time. First, we’ll stuff our faces with tasty food and desserts! Second, we’ll take a nap after all the turkey. Third, we’ll go shopping at the most insane hours of the day in order to ensure that we get the best presents for the best price possible.

We wanted to put something together to help everyone with this extremely busy weekend so we’ve included one of our FAVORITE recipes! This is our pumpkin roll recipe from Allrecipes.com and we LOVE it! If you make this then please let us know how it turns out!

 

Pumpkin Roll:

3 eggs, beaten

1 c white sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

2/3 c pumpkin puree

¾ c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese

1 c confectioners’ sugar

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or grease one 10×15 inch jelly roll pan.
  2. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin. In another bowl, mix together flour and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and blend until smooth. Evenly spread the mixture over the prepared jelly roll pan.
  3. Bake 15 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
  4. Remove cake from pan and place on tea towel (cotton, not terry cloth). Roll up the cake by rolling a towel inside cake and place seam side down to cool.
  5. Prepare the frosting by blending together the butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla.
  6. When cake is completely cooled, unroll and spread with cream cheese filling. Roll up again without towel. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle top with confectioners’ sugar and slice into 8-10 servings.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13731/pumpkin-roll-i/

 

Let us know how these pumpkin rolls turn out! Now, after we all feast, we’ll be out at the darkest hours shopping like our lives depend on it! You’re your caffeine and hang on tight. We’ve put together a brief list of black Friday dos and don’ts. Let us know how these work out for you!

DO:

  • Be polite to other shoppers and ESPECIALLY to all employees. They probably are just as frustrated as you are, if not more. One good, friendly face may change their entire weekend!
  • Have a plan and a route for what you need and where you can get it. You want to be efficient and quick with this so that you can get home, eat Thanksgiving leftovers, and get to bed!
  • Go with a group of people and keep your phones on you at all times! If you go with a group of 6-8 people, you can split off into pairs to create maximum efficiency.
  • Try to get all of your Christmas shopping done before December 1st so that you can relax and enjoy the holiday without the stress of shopping. Try to get everything wrapped too! That’ll save time and space, they can go directly under the tree instead of hidden in a closet!
  • Make sure to have coffee and nutrition so that you are health and fueled for a night of hard core shopping!

DON’T:

  • Think that your wants/needs are more important than other shoppers. We’re all trying to get our shopping lists completed and spend the smallest amount of money possible. We’re all in the same boat.
  • Be rude to employees, they’re trying their best to service a huge amount of people. This is the craziest shopping day in America and they probably have a lot more immediate problems than you do.
  • Don’t go alone. It’s a crazy day with all the hustle and bustle and then the lack of sleep on top of that, it’s best to go as a group.
  • Don’t go in without a plan! You’ll end up purchasing unnecessary items and losing more money than you save.
  • Put your shopping needs above eating/drinking/sleep needs. You need to be healthy to be happy so let’s make sure we’re hitting every area here.

So have a blast with your family and friends this holiday season! Tell us your thoughts on the pumpkin rolls and share your crazy Black Friday stories with us! Make sure your home is insured prior to having guests over and before the cold weather hits! Plus, with all the snow and ice that we got last week you’ll want to make sure your auto is covered appropriately too.

Make sure you give us a call with all insurance related questions: 616-897-1515!

10 Trick or Treat Safety Tips

There’s no doubt your little ones are beginning to get excited about Halloween. You can’t blame them – what child wouldn’t start counting down the days to dressing up as a superhero, princess or firefighter while also getting free candy?

To make sure your family has the best Halloween this year, here are 10 safety tips:

  1. Never trick-or-treat alone. Always make sure you are either with your kids or they are in a group.
  2. Have a planned route before-hand. If you aren’t accompanying your kids, plan out where they’re going to go with their friends. Tell them what neighborhoods are good, which they aren’t allowed to go to and what’s deemed too far.
  3. Have a flashlight. You want to be able to see that candy right? It’ll also make your trick-or-treaters more aware to other children and drivers on the roads.
  4. Wear comfy shoes. Sure, Spider-Man might not rock sneakers with his outfit but you’re going to want your children to be comfortable for the long walk that night.
  5. Never accept rides from strangers or go inside strangers houses.
  6. Only visit well-lit houses. If a house doesn’t have its porch light on or any other indicators that they’re open for candy, it’s best to skip that house and move on.
  7. Don’t eat any candy that isn’t properly wrapped. A tummy ache will crush your child’s candy-eating dreams.
  8. Don’t run! Those costumes aren’t built for sprinters, so tell your kids to not be in such a hurry to avoid tripping over theirs or others costumes.
  9. Stay on sidewalks as much as possible. Don’t wander into the street and stick as close to houses as possible.
  10. Make sure your child can properly see and move comfortably. It’s fun to put down the cape and cowl of your favorite hero, but make sure they can see and enjoy the night properly and reduce the risk of getting hurt.

Alliance wants to wish everyone a Happy Halloween! We’d love to see your costumes, please share them with us! And you have a funny Halloween story then we’d like to hear that too! Let’s kick off this holiday season with a great start!

Alliance Insurance

 

Do Vampires Need Insurance

Dogs as Ghosts Many people walk around under the illusion that they don’t need insurance. Unfortunately, this illusion is a dangerous mirage that can create a perilous financial future for those who buy into it. In order to show you just how necessary insurance is for every individual, let’s talk about vampires.

Why Vampires?

Okay, so vampires don’t seem very relevant, but consider this: according to modern mythology, not only do vampires sparkle in the sun but they are also immortal, may be able to read minds, can have super strength and speed, and are generally less vulnerable than humans—as long as the sun isn’t out. So if there’s anyone who doesn’t need insurance, surely a vampire would fit the bill, right? Wrong.

Vampire Insurance

  1. Vampires need life insurance. Why in the world would the immortal need a life insurance policy, you ask? Well, even the eternally undead are not impervious to fire, wooden stakes, silver bullets and the errant ray of sunlight. With a life insurance policy, a vampire can easily leave a suitable legacy while also providing the means for a fitting funeral.
  2. Vampires need business insurance. With thousands of years of life stretching before them, vampires must have a perpetual means for generating an income. Their independent spirit would likely create an entrepreneurial streak leading to the creation of their own businesses. Business insurance could help a vampire protect his business against liabilities, cyber theft, content damage and more.
  3. Vampires need home insurance. If a man’s home is his castle, then a vampire’s home is … well … really his castle because, as everyone knows, vampires would totally live in castles. But these castles wouldn’t be empty or filled with cheap furniture. Instead they would be filled with valuable antiques the vampire had collected over her several lifetimes. And, in the bedroom, an expensive casket for spending daylight hours away from the sun. In the event of a fire, theft, hurricane, or other covered peril, said vampire would rely on a home insurance policy to replace the value of her property and rebuild her palace.
  4. Vampires need auto insurance. What kind of car would a vampire drive? Well, one with a sense of irony might decide to travel around in a hearse. Others might prefer a car of regal bearing that complements their strength and power. Whatever car a vampire chooses, late night driving and searching for a midnight snack of jugular could someday result in an accident, theft or vandalism, not to mention the potential of an act of nature to bring destruction. Not only can an auto insurance policy protect a vampire against losses from damage done to his car, but it can also pay bodily injury and property damage liability costs.

The living dead might exist only in the hearts and minds of readers and moviegoers, but the risks that they would be exposed to are real and are faced by mere mortals every day. To get the policies that even a vampire would need, and maybe some they wouldn’t, give us a call today! 616-897-1515

Alliances Sponsors 2016 Lowell Little League Team

ALLIANCE SPONSORS 2016 LOWELL LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM

Alliance Insurance is proud to support Lowell Little League through our sponsorship of the 2016 season for the Boys Early Developmental (EDL) Division.

Learn more about Lowell Little League and how to get involved by visiting lllmi.com

 


Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!


Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!


Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!


Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!

Alliance Sponsors the 10th Annual Jared Sweet Golf Outing

10th Annual Jared Sweet Golf Outing

ALLIANCE SPONSORS 10th ANNUAL JARED SWEET GOLF OUTING

On June 25th, 2016, Alliance was proud to sponsor the 10th Annual Jared Sweet Golf Outing. This event raised $16,000 to benefit Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy and raise awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

This golf outing is an annual event, coordinated by the Sweet Family. Jared Sweet, pictured left, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in 2006. To learn more about Jared’s story and for updates on his journey, follow Jared’s Team on Facebook

To learn more about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy or to get involved with this cause, please visit www.endduchenne.org


Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!

 

Alliance Sponsors 2016 Season of Boys Lacrosse

ALLIANCE SPONSORS 2016 SEASON OF BOYS LACROSSE

Alliance Insurance is proud to be a Gold Sponsor for the 2016 season of the Lowell High School Boys Varsity Lacrosse Team, the Red Arrows.

Learn more about Red Arrow athletics by visiting www.redarrowathletics.com.


Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!

Alliance Donates to Kids’ Food Basket – Check Presentation

Kids Food Basket Check Presentation



ALLIANCE INSURANCE DONATES $470 FROM QUOTES FOR A CAUSE
® TO KIDS’ FOOD BASKET

On June 8th, 2016, Alliance Financial & Insurance Agency was proud to present a check to Kids’ Food Basket for $470 to benefit elementary children in food-insecure households in West Michigan. This was the inaugural donation of what will be bi-annual check presentations.


Kids’ Food Basket serves approximately 7,500 meals per day to children (ages 5-12) in need in West Michigan. Today’s donation is equivalent to 470 Sack Suppers, or 470 children  fed for a day.


Alliance is proud to support this organization through monetary donations as well as volunteer hours. Alliance employees have been excited to get involved by donating their time with monthly volunteer shifts at Kids’ Food Basket in Grand Rapids.


As of today, Alliance has donated $930 to local charities through its
Quotes for a Cause® program. 


Quotes for a Cause® is Alliance Financial & Insurance Agency’s charity partnership program. Through this program, Alliance donates $10 to its charity partners for each new customer’s online quote. Click here for more information on this program and how to get involved.



Kids' Food Basket
About Kids’ Food Basket
Kids’ Food Basket is a nonprofit organization attacking childhood hunger to help young people learn and live well. They began over ten years ago by serving 125 kids each school day through their Sack Supper program and now serve nearly 7,000 kids each weekday in West Michigan. Sack Suppers are well-rounded nutritious evening meals critical to the development of kids’ brains and bodies. Learn more


Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!

Alliance Donates to Mel Trotter – Check Presentation


ALLIANCE INSURANCE DONATES $460 FROM QUOTES FOR A CAUSE® TO MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES

On June 8th, 2016, Alliance Financial & Insurance Agency was proud to present a check to Mel Trotter Ministries for $460 to benefit the hungry, homeless, and hurting of the greater Grand Rapids area. This was the inaugural donation of what will be a bi-annual check presentation.

In 2015 alone, Mel Trotter provided over 84,000 bed nights for men, women and children; served over 134,000 hot meals; assisted over 200 families find permanent housing, and much more. Today’s donation from Alliance is equivalent to approximately 230 men, women, and children fed and cared for in the greater Grand Rapids area, contributing to Mel Trotter’s large bank of resources. 

As of today, Alliance has donated $930 to local charities through its Quotes for a Cause® program. 

Quotes for a Cause® is Alliance Financial & Insurance Agency’s charity partnership program. Through this program, Alliance donates $10 to its charity partners for each new customer’s online quote. Click here for more information on this program and how to get involved.

 



About Mel Trotter Ministries
Mel Trotter Ministries is a non-profit organization which exists to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus Christ toward the hungry, homeless and hurting of the greater Grand Rapids area. Through its many Programs, Mel Trotter serves individuals through its emergency shelter, food pantry, clinics, retail stores and its 4×4 Program which transitions homeless guests into permanent housing and employment. By extending hospitality and a bank of resources to men, women and children, we believe that through the power of Christ, we can bring an end to homelessness one life at a time. Learn more  


Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!

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