Slocum Insurance Agency » Bob Slocum

Insurance Company Emergency Claims Numbers

Bob Slocum — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:41:41 +0000

Andover Companies (Merrimack Mutual and Cambridge Mutual)
Email: claims@andovercos.com
Phone: (800) 225-0770
Fax: (800) 323-5112

EMC Insurance Companies (Employers Mutual Casualty)
Phone: 1-888-362-2255

Fidelity National Insurance Company
Phone: 1-800-220-1351
Fax: 1-800-491-7683
Email: fnic-claims@fnf.com

GMAC Insurance Company
Phone: 1-800-468-3466

Metropolitan Property and Casualty
Phone: 1-800-854-6011

National Grange (Main Street America Group)
Phone: 877-425-2467
Email: FNOL@msagroup.com

New London County Mutual
Phone: 800-962-0800
Fax: 860-886-8270

Peerless Insurance Company
Phone: 800-522-7152

Progressive
Phone: 800-444-4487

Rhode Island Joint Reinsurance Association (RIJRA)
Phone: 1-866-384-3803

Travelers
Phone: 800-252-4633
Boat & Yacht Claims 800-772-4482

Video Shows How To Do A Home Inventory

Bob Slocum — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:52:20 +0000

It’s a good idea to have an updated home inventory so you can prove your loss to the insurance company. Check out this video from the Insurance Information Institute on how to create one of your own!

Click Here For The Video

It’s Almost Boating Season Again!

Bob Slocum — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:50:05 +0000

This beautiful sunny weather always makes me dream about getting out on the water. Like any self respecting boater, I just can’t wait! But over the years I’ve learned that nothing is more important than proper maintenance of your boat to insure a care free season on the water. I found a nice pre-season maintenance check list that I thought you might find helpful – just click here

http://na.iiaa.org/TFT/Web%20Archives/03_09_10/PreparingYourBoatfortheSeason.pdf

And don’t forget, The Slocum Agency can help you navigate your way through the insurance fog to find the best boat insurance policy to meet your needs!

Call us today at 401-738-3366

For a

Free Quote For Your Boat

Black Friday Can Put You In The Red

Bob Slocum — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:27:35 +0000

On the most active shopping day of the year, I came across this bit of good advice from the Insurance Information Institute.

http://www.iii.org/Press_Releases/Black-Friday-Can-Put-You-In-the-Red-Protect-Your-Identity-and-Your-Credit.html

They are warning you about the many ways Identity Theft can occur and some simple basic things you can do to protect yourself. I’d hardly be a good insurance agent if I didn’t remind you that you can get some limited protection under most homeowner’s policies by purchasing their Identity Theft Coverage Endorsement (usually about $15-$25/yr.). Why not call us today 401-738-3366 and see how inexpensive this coverage can be?

It won’t be like this for long

Bob Slocum — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:56:47 +0000

Bob Slocum" title="Bob Slocum" width="118" height="148" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-50" />To quote a popular country music song, “It won’t be like this for long”. If there is one thing that is constant in life, it’s change. The old New England joke is, “if you don’t like the weather; just wait a minute”. All things change; some for better; some for worse but it’s for sure they will change and to a great extent, I believe that we can influence the outcome by our thoughts and actions. If we expect good things to happen and we keep our thoughts on those positive outcomes, we will be drawn in that direction for sure. Look at your life. If you are a parent you know that everything is “a stage”. The sleep deprivation that comes with a new baby is replaced by concerns about baby proofing the house. Once you get back to a regular sleep cycle, it’s time for the terrible 2’s. If you are dealing with the realities of elderly relatives, you know that every act of kindness is a repayment for the courtesies you received from them throughout the years. They say what comes around goes around, and I think that‘s true. Every day our actions determine our future outcomes. Like throwing a boomerang; you know it’s going to come back eventually, for better or worse. These days it seems lots of us are so focused on today. We are not thinking much about tomorrow. Not that it’s bad to live in the moment, but we need to moderate our actions with an eye toward tomorrow. While we can’t know what tomorrow holds for us it’s a cinch that the basic principals hold true. Things will come back around and we need to be ready. The “basics” of safety, security and love are more important than ever. Which brings me to the insurance point in this post. In our zeal to reduce expenses because we all want to be in the best cash position we can, don’t overlook the basics of a good insurance program. Falling into the trap of thinking that you should lower your homeowner’s insurance limit (or cut back on the guaranteed replacement cost provision) because the real estate market is off, is a critical mistake. The amount you will need to rebuild your house following a loss is not going down. In fact it is still on the rise. Now, I know … it’s never going to happen to you….. but over the course of my insurance career I’ve helped many people who felt the same way but discovered later that accidental losses can happen to anyone… even you! If you want to reduce your premium by assuming more of the risk through a higher deductible, go right ahead. If you’re willing to run the risk of loosing your jewelry or fine art collection, go ahead and cut those coverage’s if you want. At least you will know exactly what you are risking and you will be doing so with intentionality. Another area to watch out for is your Liability Insurance Limits. This is the greatest country in the world! The land of opportunity for most of us, but don’t forget there are plenty of others who see opportunity in your hard earned assets. In this day and age where many of our asset values are shrinking, isn’t it even more important to preserve what you have? One of the harsh realities of life is that “anyone can sue anyone, anytime, for anything, even if it’s groundless false or fraudulent”. If they sue you, you must respond and defend yourself! One of the primary benefits of liability insurance is that most policies pay for defense cost as well as paying for the actual damages you become responsible for. Don’t skimp on liability insurance limits and ask your agent about an Umbrella – it’s the best buy in the insurance industry. Finally, I know how hard it is for everyone right now and how important it is to take advantage of a good deal. Here’s one that’s extremely underutilized. In my humble opinion, your local Independent Insurance Agent is one of the best deals available today. Did you know that most agents provide their customers with an unlimited amount of free advice and service on a wide variety of subjects including but not limited to how you can best handle “risk” in your life. Your lawyer or your CPA will charge by the hour, however most Independent Agents do not. Most are intelligent, committed, business professionals who actively contribute their time and talent to their community and possess a great depth of knowledge that is yours for the asking. Remember the old saying “ask and you shall receive” …..

Where are you putting your cash?

Bob Slocum — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:55:17 +0000

Bob Slocum" title="Bob Slocum" width="118" height="148" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-50" />One of the things that I have heard several times recently is that sales of home safes are booming during these hard economic times. While this may be simply a result of people wanting to secure those few valuable items that they own, knowing that others around them are becoming more desperate every day and therefore it’s reasonable to assume that thefts will be on the rise, I also keep hearing that trillions of investment dollars in cash have been withdrawn from the system and are sitting on the side lines. Now, if I had a bunch of cash to just “sit on the side lines”, where would I put it? As an insurance professional, I sincerely hope that the answer is not in a safe at your house or worse yet, hidden somewhere in your house. This concerns me for a couple of reasons. First, if someone should break into your house (or worse yet, it should burn down), how much coverage do you think a regular homeowners policy generally provides for cash money? Would you believe $200? Yup, that’s all. Now your policy may provide a higher limit so be sure to talk to your agent but, whatever you do, don’t just assume that it’s covered! The other concern I have is that people are taking too much comfort in the fact that, once they have a safe, they are “protected” and don’t need to worry. Over the years I have been in the insurance business I can tell you that we have seen many cases where the whole safe was stolen from someone’s house and then taken somewhere where the thief could work on opening it at their convenience. So, unless you have one of those huge safes that it takes an army of movers to budge, your feelings of security may be misplaced. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying safes are bad. All I’m saying is to be sure you understand that there is a certain amount of risk in every action and this is no exception. Keeping large amounts of cash, bonds, valuable jewelry, and the like around your house without understanding the risks involved could lead you to a very unhappy loss situation. One of the great values of having an Independent Insurance Agent is that they are there to consult with you and advise you at no additional charge if they write your insurance. Just like you would talk to your doctor or lawyer or CPA, don’t forget to talk to you insurance agent about the things that keep you up at night!

Something good from this economic mess!

Bob Slocum — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:54:13 +0000

Bob Slocum" title="Bob Slocum" width="118" height="148" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-50" />It seems that every day all we hear is more gloom and doom about the economy and the prospects for our future. While the situation is definitely serious, many have said that it’s as much a “crises of confidence” as anything. The people are not spending money that does not have to be spent because they lack confidence about what is going to happen in the future.

While no-one can know what is going to happen tomorrow, I’m as sure as I can be that “this too shall pass”. I can’t say when, but it will pass for sure. I know, it’s hard to feel good about it right now, but have faith and be thankful for what you do have.

As I go through my day, I have the opportunity to speak with a wide variety of people and I have noticed recently that most people are much more grateful today for what they do have. They no longer complain about their crummy job, instead they say “at least I still have a job”. We all know many people who are less fortunate. It’s no longer all about making lots of money, but rather it’s about maintaining the basics of good health, food and shelter. It’s as if these hard times have made us all realize the real value of the important things like good health, families and friends.

I also hear less and less talk about “getting rich quick” and much more about a simple “slow and steady savings” process. I think this is a good thing. Maybe we are reverting back to the more traditional American values of thrift and savings. It’s no longer about the expensive vacation abroad, it’s more about the weekend camping with the family or fishing with some friends.

So what’s the point of all this? Simply that this seems to be a time for everyone to take a breath and relax as much as possible. Grab hold of your family and friends and hold on tight. Make the best of what you do have and be confident that better days are ahead for all of us. And above all, never give up!

Mans Best Friend

Bob Slocum — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:49:10 +0000

In recent years I have seen insurance companies become increasingly selective in their underwriting rules concerning writing new business for clients who have dogs. While most have their “ineligible breed” list, I frequently hear from clients that they feel they are being unfairly treated since their dog is really very gentle and has “never bitten anyone”.

While I’m sure they are telling me the truth, the simple matter of fact is that the number of dog bite claims is increasing at a rate of 8.7% and the average claim costs $24,461 in 2008 (the most recent figures available)! In total there are over 4.5 million people per year who are bitten by dogs and over 900,000 are children! Click here for the whole story

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2009/09/17/103790.htm

This is pretty scary stuff for writers of homeowners insurance who have to respond to these claims and, like it or not, they are justified in creating the selection criteria they find meets their risk appetite for new business policies.
If you are a dog owner I have one additional piece of advice – buy high limits of liability insurance and of course, be sure you have an Umbrella Liability policy in case your “best friend” ends up being your biggest liability!