If you live in the Bethlehem, PA area, owning a home could be a great option. Those that are in this area of the state will enjoy the strong local economy and amenities that can continue to add to housing demand. If you do own a property in this city, it is important to consider all of your insurance needs. There are several reasons why you may need to get flood insurance on your property if you are in this area.

When Required by Lender

One situation when you may need to get a flood insurance policy is if it is required by a lender. All lenders are going to continue to check the FEMA map to see if your home is located in a flood zone. If you are in a high-risk zone, the lender will require that you carry insurance to protect against the flood risk. They will then likely require that you escrow for your flood insurance policy payments on a monthly basis. 

When Not Already Covered

Even if your home is not in a high-risk zone, you should still consider getting flood coverage. A flood insurance policy may be a good idea even if you are in a low-risk zone but do not have flood coverage included in your base home insurance policy. This will offset the unlikely risk that your home is damaged by a flood. 

When you are looking for a flood insurance policy for your Bethlehem, PA area home, you should call the Saucon Insurance Agency. The team at the Saucon Insurance Agency is experienced at helping people to identify risks that come with their particular situations. Based on this assessment, they can then help anyone to get into a policy that provides the right coverage, which could include a full flood insurance policy. 

In Bethlehem, PA, residents who store their boats every year need to remember to keep their policy intact during storage. The agents at Saucon Insurance Agency offer policies that will cover a boat throughout the year, even when it’s in storage. Whether you keep the boat in dry dock or store at a storage facility, having insurance is a necessity.

Protects You From Theft and Vandalism

Most storage facilities offer secure storage units that limits access only to the people who have something stored there. Others, however, are not so cautious and have an open area where anyone can gain access. Having boat insurance in place protects your investment if your boat is ever stolen, damaged or vandalized in any way. Remember that it is in your best interest to choose a secured storage facility for maximum protection.

Keep Your Boat Secure

If you want to prevent damage to your boat, always keep it covered. Heatshrink wrap is available for boats that will be stored for a long period of time. There are also boat covers that can be purchased. It’s also important to make sure your boat is properly winterized as well. Always look closely at your boat before you put it into storage and again when you pull it out. This will help you determine if any damage occurred during storage.

The agents of Saucon Insurance Agency offer their customers in Bethlehem, PA sound advice on how to keep your boat secure and protected while it’s in storage. The more precautions you take the more secure your boat will be. Visit the office to find out more about boat insurance and proper storage methods.

With having almost every comfort from your home in Bethlehem, PA at your disposal, there’s nothing like exploring the sites from the comfort of an RV. Although you can feel like you are always at home, it’s important to keep in mind that your traveling home on wheels is also a vehicle and one that requires patience and keen attention while you are navigating the roadways. It’s important to practice good safety measures, so you can prevent the most common accidents. To help you travel safe, Saucon Insurance Agency has put together a few tips to help you avoid the most common types of RV accidents.

Tire Blowout

A tire blowout can be a serious event, even in a car, but in an RV it can be extremely dangerous. To avoid blowing a tire, make sure to check all the tires before you take off. Ensure the PSI is appropriate and that there isn’t any wear and tear and replace when necessary. Remember to properly use the brakes, especially when traveling on mountain roads; this will help to avoid undue pressure on the tires. Also, avoid overloading the RV, which can also put pressure on the tires.

Rollover

RV’s have a high center of gravity, which makes them more prone to a rollover than other types of vehicles. Heavy winds may also be a contributing factor for lightweight RV’s. To help avoid a rollover, try to drive on side streets where there are more buildings and trees to help buffer the wind. The majority of rollovers happen when speeding, so keep your speed down.

To avoid a collision, especially in high traffic areas, reduce your speed and leave enough safety distance between you and others on the road. One of the most common causes of accidents is driving while tired. When driving sleeping, your reflexes will be slower, so if you’ve been driving for a while, pull over and take a nap.

Residents of Bethlehem, PA interested in learning more information about RV insurance should contact Saucon Insurance Agency.

As a business owner, if you wish to give your employees benefits, which may include health insurance, life insurance, retirement benefits, disability or other benefits that are held on behalf of your employees for future distribution, you have a fiduciary responsibility regarding protecting them. There is the potential of severe litigation risk if something goes wrong and the funding to pay for the promised benefits is not available to meet the obligations when the time comes to pay them. 

To manage this risk, employers use employee benefits insurance that is also called employees benefits liability insurance. Consult with your agent at Saucon Insurance Agency, serving Bethlehem, PA, and the surrounding area, to talk about the protection offered by this type of insurance. 

What is employee benefits liability insurance?

This is a type of errors and omission (E&O) insurance that protects a business owner against certain mistakes made by the administrator of the employee benefits program. It is prudent and required by law in some cases, to use a third-party administrator to protect the funds held in an employee benefits program. It is equally wise to insure against any mistakes that might be made by the fund’s administrator, which might create a liability for the business owner.

For example, if, employee benefits liability coverage is in place to protect a health insurance plan, and a qualified beneficiary of the plan is left out of the coverage accidentally or by a mistake made by the plan administrator, then, the protection might help pay the health plan benefits, which would otherwise have been covered by the health care policy.

Summary

It is considered by most business owners to be too risky for a business not to carry employee benefits liability coverage. With this type of insurance coverage, business owners enjoy the confidence of not having to worry about certain mistakes that might be made by others. Contact your agent at Saucon Insurance Agency in Bethlehem, PA to conduct an insurance review and get a quote for employee benefits liability coverage.

The inventory in your retail space is the lifeblood of your Bethlehem, PA business. Saucon Insurance Agency offers these tips to help you reduce theft and preserve profits.

• Keep your eye out for common stash spots. Thieves often hide merchandise in strollers, purses, umbrellas, or underneath loose clothing. Visually inspect large bags and items as customers walk in. If it looks twice as big on the way out, you still have time to retrieve your goods.
• Look out for price switching. Some savvy thieves will pay for the item. However, they will switch the price tag with one from another, cheaper item before approaching the register. Make sure to look at the tag before ringing each item through. Include information on each price tag that identifies the item it matches.
• Control fitting rooms. In clothing stores, criminals sneak into fitting rooms to stash stolen goods into bags or clothing. Don’t allow your customers to go into fitting rooms without first inspecting the items they intend to try on. Limit customers to a certain number of garments at a time.
• Include security in your customer service. Make it a point to greet each person as they walk in the door. If possible, have someone near the door who makes eye contact with each individual. Floorwalkers should frequently ask browsing customers if they need help.

Ensure your checkout space is close to the exit. This simple strategy makes it harder for thieves to walk by without being spotted. If the register is ever unattended, place it behind a barrier to decrease the chances of someone tapping your till.

The right combination of commercial insurance policies are another important part o your business protection plan. Saucon Insurance Agency offers customized commercial policies in the Bethlehem, PA area. Contact our offices for more information on protecting your retail inventory.

Part of protecting yourself, your family, and those who are dear to you, is protecting your personal net worth. Work with your agent at Saucon Insurance Agency serving Bethlehem, PA and the surrounding area on financial planning that includes personal umbrella insurance.

What is your net worth?

If you add up all the things you owe and deduct this total amount of debt from the value of all the things you owe, this is your net worth. Be sure to consider the current value of assets not what you paid for them, especially if the asset appreciated in value.

Here is how to figure out your net worth:

1. Add up the following, the remaining balance on your mortgage loan(s), all your outstanding credit card debts, the balance remaining on auto loans and any other loans that you have. These are your total liabilities.
2. Add up the net value of every asset that you have, such as the amount of the appraised value of your real estate that exceeds the balance on the mortgage loan. If a home is worth $1 million and you still owe $600,000 on the home loan; the net value of this asset is $400,000. Do this same calculation for every asset and then add all the net values together. These are your total assets.
3. Subtract your total liabilities from your total assets. This is your net worth.

Usually, your net worth is the figure used to set the minimum amount of personal umbrella insurance, which you should carry to be adequately insured. Umbrella insurance extends the policy limits of other policies and may provide extra coverage for some things that are not covered otherwise. The strategy is to have personal umbrella insurance that provides sufficient protection for your net worth in the face of a big claim against you.

Umbrella Insurance for Negative Net Worth

What if you owe more than all your assets are worth? This is a negative net worth. It is still a wise strategy to carry umbrella insurance because even when you have no positive net worth, you can be sued and a judgment may be entered against you that can become a lien on anything you try to do in the future.

Conclusion

Protecting your net worth with personal umbrella insurance is a valuable strategy. As a general rule, you want to carry at least the amount of your net worth as personal umbrella insurance. If you might be sued for a larger amount, you may want to have even more coverage. Consult with your agent at Saucon Insurance Agency in Bethlehem, PA to discuss these issues and to get a quote for umbrella insurance.

Whether you’ve just got your first bike or you’re a veteran on the Bethlehem, PA area roads, it’s important to know the laws that govern motorcycle use in the state of Pennsylvania. This short review of state laws from Saucon Insurance Agency will help you stay safe and legal while you enjoy your motorcycle.

• All motorcycle drivers are required to have a Class M license. This allows them to legally operate motorcycles on Pennsylvania roadways. The first step to obtaining this license is passing the written knowledge test. This tests your understanding of roadway laws as it relates to motorcycle operations.
• Upon successful completion of the written test, drivers can apply for a motorcycle learner’s permit. With this permit, you are allowed to operate your motorcycle in order to practice for the skills test. However, this credential restricts passengers to only properly licensed instructors. These documents are valid for one year. During that time, the licensee is expected to accumulate practical experience and knowledge.
• Drivers over the age of 18 don’t have to wait to take the final skills test. However, those under the age of 18 are required to hold their permits for at least 6 months. During that time, they must accumulate at 65 hours of verified and supervised riding experience. The completion of a mandatory Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program Basic Rider Course counts for 15 of those 65 hours.
• If your vehicle has more than two wheels, you may have to search around to find an office to accommodate your testing.

Like all licensed Pennsylvania drivers, motorcycle enthusiasts are required to maintain insurance on their vehicles. Talk to the experts at Saucon Insurance Agency to find the right motorcycle insurance coverage for your Bethlehem, PA lifestyle.

Having toys to play with isn’t just for kids! Adults like to play and have fun too, only our "toys" are often bigger and more expensive. Just look at all the jet skis, boats and other watercraft on the lakes and waterways here in the Bethlehem, PA area!

If you own such a toy, it’s only natural to wonder what kind of insurance you’ll need to protect your investment. At Saucon Insurance Agency we’re here to help, but it’s important to know what kind of options you’re looking at. There’s Watercraft (boat) insurance, and there’s toy insurance, both of which serve different purposes. So, which kind of coverage is best for you?

Defining a ‘Toy’

Watercraft/boat insurance can be used to cover a wide range of boats and water vehicles. However, if you have a smaller watercraft that is strictly for recreational use, then it can be considered a "toy" as far as insurance goes. Such water-based toys include (but may not be limited to) the following:

• Jet Skis (a brand that is also a generic term referring to water scooters and other personal watercraft or PWCs)
• Small boats (usually up to 26 feet)
• Small-scale Sailboats
• Any small watercraft with a motor

How Toy Insurance Works

Boat insurance is more comprehensive and often geared toward watercraft that have more regular use (sometimes commercial/transportation use as well). However, toy insurance focuses on watercraft that is primarily for recreation purposes. As such, this type of insurance provides coverage for liability risks that may come with recreational use, as well as theft or other damaging situations.

Give us a call or stop by our offices in the Bethlehem, PA area to learn more about getting an insurance policy for your watercraft/recreational ‘toy’. At Saucon Insurance Agency, we look forward to getting you the coverage you need so you can get out there and start playing!