Insurance

How Much Life Insurance Is Enough?

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Life in Ruidoso, NM, has its perks. The fresh mountain air, fantastic winter sports and laid back New Mexico lifestyle are all amazing. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine thinking about things like life insurance, but it’s important. When shopping, you’re sure to have plenty of questions, but at Family Insurance Associates, we’ve found that the very top question is, “How much life insurance is enough?”

Consider Your Debt

No one wants to leave behind debt. Ultimately, all of the bills come due, and that’s not a pleasant thought. So, consider how much you have left on a mortgage, car loans, student loans or anything else. If the insurance policy can cover everything remaining on those loans, it’s a very good start.

Keep something in mind. You can be in a good financial situation and have debt right now. There’s nothing wrong with it. But, when you aren’t working, the paychecks stop coming. That’s why the insurance needs to cover all of your outstanding debts.

Who Do You Support?

That brings us to the next point. The paychecks stop coming. That means anyone who depends on you for income could be in a very difficult spot. This doesn’t just have to be a spouse or children. Plenty of people support their parents, other family members and other people in general. With life insurance, you can maintain that support by having a sufficient policy. The general idea is that the lump sum of life insurance can be invested to provide lasting income. The rule of thumb is to have $500,000 plus however much you make in a year. It’s not a perfect gauge, but it gets you in the ballpark.

You can see how getting the right amount of coverage can be tricky, even in Ruidoso, NM. A simple conversation with your Family Insurance Associates representative can make sure you have everything you need.

Commercial Insurance: The Protection Growing Companies Need

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For small businesses, one of the most critical steps that they can take is to put the right insurance policies in place. This can be the difference between recovering quickly from a disaster and struggling. Commercial insurance is several policies combined to cover various parts of the business. Every company is different, so the agents serving the Ruidoso, NM area at Family Insurance Associates will work with you to get the proper type and amount of coverage your business needs.

Property insurance will cover any physical structures the business owns, but it will also include the building’s contents such as computers, inventory, materials, and data. Special inclusions can be made if the business frequently attends events off-site, such as fairs, trade shows, or public demonstrations. 

Liability insurance protects in several ways. If a guest is injured at the business location, it will protect the business. It can also cover any injuries individuals receive from the products the company offers. For professional corporations, there is professional liability coverage available. Employees are protected if they get injured on the job by workers’ compensation. Some businesses maintain business continuity policies to help them recover quickly following a disaster. This can keep the company afloat until they can resume normal operations. Another option is umbrella insurance that is added peace of mind. These plans only go into effect when the primary policy limits are maxed out. Corporations with a vehicle fleet also have commercial auto insurance policies.

The term commercial insurance encompasses a wide variety of policies. These can be tailored to the specific needs of a business. The team at Family Insurance Associates understands the needs of companies in the Ruidoso, NM area. Visit the website, then call or come in. It’s never too early to protect the business you’ve worked so hard to build.

Privacy Statement

Posted on by Monika

This Privacy Statement explains Family Insurance Associates’ practices regarding non-public, personal information that is collected by us on this website.
Family Insurance Associates may obtain information concerning non-public, personal information, such as name, address, date of birth, assets, driver license number, and general underwriting information concerning risk exposures, policy coverage(s) and premium(s) in order to provide professional services to you.
Family Insurance Associates may disclose all or part of personal information as permitted by law to non-affiliated third parties solely for purposes of servicing or processing an insurance product or risk management service that is requested or authorized, such as developing risk assessments and solicitation of quotations from insurance carriers. Family Insurance Associates has policies and procedures in place to limit access to your information to only those who have a business need to view it. You may have an individual right of access to the non-public, personal information that we possess or acquire.
We maintain administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect the privacy of non-public, personally identifiable information (PII). We will never sell, rent or share your personal information except to provide professional services to you as described above.
We may use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.
Our website contains links to other sites, and other sites may link to the Family Insurance Associates site. Web sites linking to and from this site may have different privacy practices from the ones described here. The privacy policies of Family Insurance Associates apply only to our website. Please read the privacy statements of other web sites you visit for information regarding specific privacy practices.
We reserve the right to amend, modify or supplement this Privacy Statement at any time in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. If changes are made to the Privacy Statement, we will provide copies of such changes as requested or required by applicable laws. For information about your individual right of access or this Statement, please send a written request to: info@familyinsuranceassociates.com

Is my home covered for fire with my homeowners’ policy?

Posted on by Monika

Your homeowners’ policy protects you if your house burns down as a result of fire, for example – fire as a result of a forest fire, lightning or electrical fire. The dwelling limit on your policy means the carrier will pay you upto that limit to build your house. This is also called coverage A.

With many Insurance carriers, you can opt to add an additional replacement cost option for an additional premium, that will increase the dwelling limit amount. An electrical fire, for example, due to electrical wiring that is hidden in the wall that you cannot see or expect would be covered but fire due to negligence or poor maintenance is not covered.  Not saying that fire caused by appliances will not be covered, if you have well-maintained appliances it should be covered. 
You must have heard about adjusters coming in after a claim. They are there to assess the extent of damage as well as the cause. Anytime a carrier finds negligence or intentional harm, a claim is not covered. 
Feel free to ask additional questions from your agent.

Is It Better to Buy Dental and Vision Insurance Separately or Can I Get them Both in One Policy?

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At Family Insurance Associates, the agents provide Ruidoso, NM residents with the dental and vision insurance they need for both their families as well as for themselves. Dental and vision policies are often sold separately aside from the more traditional healthcare policies. It can be difficult to learn what all is included in the policies you are offered, so it’s important to ask questions.

Buy What You Need

When you have a family, it’s important to protect their health, including their dental and vision needs. If your healthcare policy doesn’t include any dental or vision coverage, you can add supplemental policies that will provide the coverage that is lacking. In most cases, you can purchase dental and vision policies separately, aside from your healthcare insurance.

Bundle Your Policies

Having a family means multiple types of insurance. Instead of purchasing each type of policy separately, you can bundle them into one policy and make one, individual payment each month at a discounted price. Bundling policies saves you both time and money and allows you to customize your insurance policy to meet your family’s needs.

If you live in Ruidoso, NM and are looking to find affordable dental and vision policies, call the agents of Family Insurance Associates. They can provide you with dental and vision policies separately or as a bundle along with other types of health insurance. Don’t wait until your family needs a dental or vision exam to purchase a policy. Visit their office or schedule an appointment to discuss your options. They can bundle the type of policy you need so that your family is fully covered.

How much life insurance do I need?

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Life insurance provides protection against untimely or unexpected death. It can help to pay for any outstanding debts or obligations that you may have. It can also pay for your funeral and burial. Many factors influence the amount of life insurance that is correct for you and your situation. The agents at Family Insurance Associates, Ruidoso, NM are there to help you decide the amount of life insurance that your situation requires.

Among the things that affect the amount of life insurance that you need are your age, your income, your family situation, and your outstanding obligations.

Age

The younger you are the more insurance you require in most cases. While your risk of dying may be smaller, your obligations are liable to be higher. It is a good time to invest in policy since the rates will be lower than when you get older.

Income

When determining your insurance coverage amount you need to figure how much your income is required by anyone you are leaving behind and for how many years they will need that assistance. It could be a family or aging parents but basically, the figuring is similar income times number of years.

Family

If you have young children, you will need to have more life insurance coverage. Your wife/partner will be left to provide for the family and when you are used to living on two incomes, losing one of them can cause severe financial issues.

Obligations

Especially if you have a mortgage, it is important to make sure that not only do you provide for your family but you also leave enough money for them to pay off the mortgage on your home. It is traumatic enough losing your spouse/partner but losing your home as well is something that you don’t want to happen.

Why not give the office of Family Insurance Associates, Ruidoso, NM a call and set up an appointment to discuss your life insurance needs. Your loved ones will be happy that you did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Split Limit Insurance Vs Combined Single Limit

Posted on by Monika

Split Limit Liability Insurance
In New Mexico you have options to purchase a split limit or combined single limit automobile policy. In a split limit automobile policy, you will purchase a limit of liability insurance that will have three numbers. Your declarations page of your auto insurance policy may include an annotation that looks something like 100,000/300,000/100,000, for example.

In the given example, your policy would be providing you with a maximum of $100,000 of bodily injury liability per person with a maximum amount per accident of $300,000. If you seriously injured one person in an accident you would have $100,000 of liability protection to offer them in compensation for their loss (medical expenses). If two people were injured in the accident, your policy could provide up to $300,000 for that accident, but not more than the $100,000 limit per person.

The property damage limit of liability is independent of the bodily injury limit and paid separately. This means if two people sustain $100,000 of medical bills each after the accident and you totaled the new $70,000 Corvette they were driving, your policy could issue a total claim payment of $270,000 in order to cover the property damage and the bodily injury losses resulting from your at fault accident.

Combined Single Limit (CSL) Liability Insurance
If the liability coverage on your auto policy is written as a combined single limit, there is no differentiation between bodily injury payouts per person, per accident, or property damage claims. All claims are paid out of the same combined limit, up to the amount stated on your declarations. For example, your policy may list your liability limit as $500,000 CSL. This means that in the event that you cause an accident which results in one person sustaining bodily injury losses and medical bills totaling $400,000 you would have an adequate amount of insurance to pay for those 3rd party losses.

If your bodily injury liability coverage had been written as a split limit for $100,000/$300,000, the scenario of one driver in the other vehicle sustaining $400,000 of bodily injury loss would leave you underinsured by $300,000.

Which is better, Split Limit or CSL?
It really depends on the specifics of the accident, and since no one has a crystal ball, the most imperative thing is to be sure that you have an adequate amount of liability coverage. With the rising medical costs and vehicles today, sufficient liability limits must be maintained to complete a comprehensive risk management portfolio. Oftentimes, Umbrella Liability policies can be used as an inexpensive means to increase the amount of liability insurance limit you carry when the underlying limits available on a personal auto policy are not sufficient in protecting your assets from potentially large liability settlements.

Protecting Your Inventory In-Transport

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In order to keep the shelves in your Ruidoso, NM area business stocked, you rely on a network of logistical elements. From the warehouse that stores your potential stock to the trucks that carry them across the country, there are multiple links in the chain between you and your inventory. When things go wrong, the right insurance policy from Family Insurance Associates can help you avoid taking a big loss. What policies help protect your goods throughout the shipping process?

  • After you’ve placed your order and payment has been accepted, the goods legally belong to you. If an accident caused your ordered goods to be broken, spoiled, or otherwise damaged, the distributor’s warehouse insurance would cover the costs of your lost inventory.
  • Large shipments represent a big investment for many retailers. Commercial shipping insurance protects your investment while it’s moving along the path towards your storage facilities. Commonly covered events include theft, loss, and damage from weather or accident.
  • Once your order has made it safely to your shelves, your commercial property policy kicks in. If your inventory gets damaged or stolen while it’s on your property, you can claim the replacement value from your policy.
  • Does your business deliver? A commercial auto insurance policy ensures that your costs are covered if a problem occurs while an item is en route. Of course, our driver and vehicles are covered too.

Insurance policies are an important part of protecting your retail-based business. Family Insurance Associates provides a variety of commercial insurance policies for businesses in the Ruidoso, NM area. Contact our agents now for a professional assessment of your business insurance strategy.

Making Sense of Medigap Plans and MACRA

Posted on by Monika

Medicare Supplement Plans C & F are not going to be available to new enrollees from 2020. December 31st, 2019 will be the last day when anybody eligible will be able to buy Medigap policies C & F. Many Medicare recipients among who chose to buy Medigap Policies chose Plan F in past as it has been the most comprehensive Medigap Plan. The reason for these plans going away is Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Starting 2020, Section 401 of MACRA will prohibit sale of Medigap Policies that cover Part B deductibles to newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries.
Some people who know Plan F, they think it is a big deal. Medicare Plan F is well-liked because it pays for all the gaps in Original Medicare Part A and Part B, including both your hospital and outpatient deductible as well as the co-insurance. It even pays the 20% that Medicare Part B does not cover. This means zero out-of-pocket for you at the doctor’s office.
People who buy Plan F on or before December 31st, 2019 can renew Plan F every year lifelong, provided there are no further law changes.
Some Insurance carriers also offer Plan F high deductible – that means you must pay the deductible before Plan F pays. Plan F High deductible serves a different financial purpose for some enrollees and because of the deductible it is clearly not the most comprehensive plan.
From 2020 the most comprehensive plan available will be Plan G, which at this time second most comprehensive plan after Plan F, Plan G does not cover part B deductible. Plan C is in the middle tier when you talk about comprehensiveness of the plan. Plan D has almost similar coverage to Plan C except for Part B (Doctors Office and Outpatient services) deductible. Do not get confused between Medigap Plan D vs Medicare Part D – which is Prescription Drug Coverage Plan. None of the Medigap plans give you Prescription drug coverage.


As you can see in above graphic Medicare supplement Plan F has been the most comprehensive Plan as well as simplest to learn about as it has the most checks in all the Medigap plan tabulations you see. As 2020 nears you will see scare tactics from people who might tell you to switch out of Plan F as it is going away, simultaneously you will see scare tactics from other people who will try you to switch to Plan F before it goes away.
Everybody’s financial situation is different, we advise you to choose a plan that makes most financial sense to you.
Feel free to use our Quoting platform below and find out what makes sense. For calculations, 2018 Part B deductible is $183/- per year. As a reminder – Part F & G also covers 100% of Part B excess charges, which is the difference between what a doctor charges and the amount Medicare Part B will approve.

Medicare Supplement Plan Quotes
Medicare Supplement Plan Quotes

Guide to Medicare Supplement Plans

Posted on by Monika

Why Medicare Supplement?

Medicare Part A & B (referred here as Original Medicare) do not cover everything, though these pay for many healthcare services & supplies. Medicare supplement Plans, offered through private insurers, help cover certain costs that Original Medicare does not cover. These might include coinsurance, yearly deductibles & copayments. Certain Medicare supplement plans also help with coverage for a few services that Original Medicare does not pay for, such as emergency overseas travel or Part B excess charges.

Can I get Medicare supplement plan without having Original Medicare?

Medicare Supplement Plans supplement Original Medicare, you can not get Medicare Supplement Plans unless you are enrolled in Original Medicare. Original Medicare will pay first, and your Medigap policy fills in the cost gap. For example, for a Hospital visit if you are charged $10,000/- Original Medicare will pay 80% or $8000/- and Medicare Supplement Plan or Medigap plan might pay remaining 20% or $2000/-, depending on the plan coverage as you have the option of multiple different types of Medicare Supplement Plans. As these plans help cover the gaps in Original Medicare these plans are also commonly called as Medigap Plans.

What are different Medicare Supplement Plans and what do these plans cover?

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans are standardized. The chart below explains the plan coverage. A check mark means the Medigap Plan covers 100% of the described benefit, a percentage denotes the percentage coverage and blank means the plan does not cover that benefit.

What is not covered by Medigap Plans?

Medigap plans generally do not cover Long-term care (care in a nursing home), Routine vision or dental care, Hearing aids, Eyeglasses, Private-duty nursing & Prescription drugs. Also, Medicare Supplement Plans are not Medicare Advantage Plans, you may want talk to our knowledgeable agents if you need information about Medicare Advantage plans.
We can assist you in getting Long Term Care Plans, Vision & Dental Plans, Hearing Plans & Prescription drug plans. Talk to our knowledgeable Agents if you need assistance with any of the above.

What else do I need to know about Medicare Supplement Plans?

To recap you must have Medicare Part A and Part B to get a Medicare Supplement plan.
A Medicare Supplement plan can only cover one person, so if you are married, you and your spouse would need to buy separate policies.
You can usually use your Medicare Supplement plan with any provider that accepts Medicare. However, some types of Medigap plans known as Medicare SELECT plans require you to only use doctors and hospitals in provider network.
Not all types of Medicare Supplement plans may be available in your zip code.
Premium amounts may vary by plan and location, even for the same standardized benefits.
In general, Medicare Supplement plans are guaranteed renewable as long as you continue to pay your premium.

This is not an all inclusive guide, however can help you in deciding what medicare supplement plan to choose. If you are wondering how much these plans cost please feel free to use our Quoting platform below. The link will open in a new window.

Medicare Supplement Plan Quotes
Medicare Supplement Plan Quotes