How Is Commercial Insurance Different From Liability Insurance?

When you’re operating a business in Chandler, AZ, it’s important to understand what kind of insurance options are available to you. Commercial insurance encompasses a variety of coverage options, including liability insurance.

At San Marcos Insurance Group, we can work with you to make sure that you have the right coverage for your business.

What is liability insurance?

Liability insurance protects your business in the event that something happens. You’re liable for what happens on your property. You’re also liable for what your employees may do when they’re on the job, whether they say something that costs someone money or they damage someone’s property while they’re providing a service.

If someone were to sue as a result of what your company did wrong, you could end up spending a lot of money. The liability coverage protects you to prevent this from happening. The only thing you would be responsible for is the deductible.

What is commercial insurance?

Commercial insurance encompasses all of the different policies that may be needed for your business. This includes not only liability insurance but also commercial property insurance, commercial auto insurance, business interruption coverage, and even worker’s compensation insurance.

What you need for your business is unique to what happens throughout the day as well as what you own. If you work out of your home, you might still need commercial property insurance since homeowner’s insurance won’t cover enough. The best thing to do is talk to an agent in order to learn the best way to protect your business. Since every business is unique, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for what kind of commercial insurance you need.

Call us at San Marcos Insurance Group today to learn how to protect your business in Chandler, AZ. We look forward to helping you every step of the way.

 

Why you should carry health insurance even if you are young and healthy

When you are young and healthy, the last thing you are likely to think of is seeing the doctor, even for an annual checkup. Carrying health insurance would also seem to be optional, especially if you don’t have a job that provides it. San Marcos Insurance Group, serving Chandler, AZ, would like to inform you that even the young and apparently healthy need at least some kind of catastrophic health insurance.

First of all, you may feel healthy but be suffering from some disease or condition and not even know it. Your annual doctor’s checkup should let you know if you have some illness, say cancer, that could sneak up on you and carry you off too young. However, treating something like cancer or some other potentially fatal disease can be very costly if you aren’t carrying health insurance,

Also, you have to remember that accidents can happen even to the young. The damage that an auto accident, for example, can do to the human body can be horrendous and expensive to treat. An accident that causes permanent damage, such as to the spine, can result in the need for life-long rehabilitation.

An expensive hospital bill that you must somehow pay out of pocket even stretched out over many monthly payments, would be the last thing you need, especially if you’ve got student loan debt and a home mortgage. Health insurance, even with a high deductible, could alleviate the effect of medical bills on your lifestyle.

For more information on health insurance, feel free to contact San Marcos Insurance Group, serving Chandler, AZ.

Is Anything More Important Than Your Health?

Have you ever noticed how we seem to get sick at the most inconvenient times, like every time we get sick? If only we could schedule when we were going to get sick with that one bug that’s been passing around the office. If only we could choose when we were going to have that accident at work that would cost us a visit to the hospital and two weeks of work. If only we could never schedule that serious injury, illness or disease, but we can’t.

That doesn’t mean people have to take getting sick or hurt lying down (so to speak), and people like those in Chandler, AZ have done the next best thing besides not getting sick, they get insured. The experienced and helpful agents at the San Marcos Insurance Group are here for that very reason because we can’t completely avoid getting sick, hurt or having an accident but we can prepare.

Insurance for Your Health

When we talk about health insurance, we are literally talking about your health. Of course, that includes a discussion about plans and policies. It will mean working with an agent from the San Marcos Insurance Group who will take the time to discuss, explain and help you choose the right insurance plan. That means talking about help with hospital bills and medication or lost wages and more. What our neighbors and friends in Chandler, AZ also get, is the knowledge, the peace of mind of knowing help will be there if they ever need it.

If you are looking into updating your health insurance, wanting a new plan or just to compare rates, then contact us today. We can’t prevent everything but we can prepare for almost anything, and is there anything more important than our health?

Can Life Insurance Provide A Source Of Emergency Funds?

Life insurance is a wonderful product that can help the policy owner cover expenses of their loved ones after their passing. It can be used for many things, including final expenses and general living costs for years to come. But is life insurance able to provide a source of emergency funds in the future?

Insurance As A Source Of Funds

There is always the risk of a financial emergency cropping up along the way. Many people don’t realize that whole life insurance not only provides coverage for an unexpected death, but it can also be used as a source of emergency funds after several years of paying into the policy. This is a great solution for people who are retired and have unexpected financial issues such as a health emergency or home repairs. 

Find The Right Type Of Life Insurance

Anyone who is interested in purchasing a whole life insurance policy should be careful during the selection process. Finding a good policy that can match current and future needs is much easier when working with a skilled agent who can recommend products and help clients calculate potential future needs in the event of their covered death. Additionally, they can help find a policy that can provide a source of emergency funds later down the road. People who live in the Chandler, AZ area who are considering purchasing life insurance should check out San Marcos Insurance Group.

Life Insurance is a wonderful insurance product that can provide security in more than one way. Call or visit the San Marcos Insurance Group office today. The residents of Chandler, AZ can depend on their agents to help them discover the right solutions for their needs. 

How to Choose a Commercial Insurance Policy

The commercial insurance policy you choose will depend on a number of different factors. Obviously, a small organization will need far less coverage than a medium or large business. But the deeper details of a commercial insurance policy aren’t always obvious. Here are a few points to keep in mind from San Marcos Insurance Group if you own a business in Chandler, AZ. 

Employees, Customers, and Vendors 

As a business owner, you’re not just responsible for the safety of your employees, but also that of your customers and third-party vendors. If you have a busy organization where people are coming and going throughout the day, your odds of an incident increase significantly. Whether it’s from a natural disaster that can’t be avoided or a water spill that wasn’t cleaned up fast enough, you need a policy that can handle a variety of claims. 

Virtual Crime

Businesses aren’t just targeted by thieves in the physical world anymore. Today, they need to be prepared to fend off virtual threats as well. Most commercial insurance policies will cover cybercrime, but owners are highly encouraged to find out just how much coverage they’ll receive in the event of a breach. Just one security hack can not only cause asset loss, but it can also damage a business’ reputation. Customers will be less likely to trust you if they know their information was stolen. 

Filling in the Gaps 

San Marcos Insurance Group is here to help the business owners of Chandler, AZ find a policy that will work for them. If you have any questions, call us today to find out more about how we structure our policies and process our claims. We can make it easier to finalize your policy choice in total confidence. 

Prescription Medication Coverage

Prescription drugs are one of the most expensive components associated with healthcare. Not all health insurance policies offer prescription drug coverage that allows you to get your medications at a much lower price than their regular list price. At San Marcos Insurance Group, agents work to make sure that residents who live in the Chandler, AZ area can afford the medications they need to maintain their health.

Co-pays

One of the ways to make prescription drug coverage more affordable is to use a co-pay. While this can range anywhere from one or two dollars to $10, the co-pay is used to help offset the cost of the premiums charged for the policy. Much like deductibles for other types of insurance policies, co-pays are designed to save you money.

Lower Overall Costs

Prescription drugs can cost thousands of dollars for only a few doses. These types of inflated costs can put effective treatment options far out of reach for people with limited resources. Purchasing a prescription medication policy to accompany a health insurance policy is one of the best ways to make expensive medications much more affordable. While it isn’t a complete remedy, this type of policy will help to make healthcare much more affordable.

Agents at the San Marcos Insurance Group are always available to discuss insurance options with the residents of Chandler, AZ. They have the experience and knowledge needed to review your health insurance and prescription drug coverage. By performing an in-depth audit, they can help you find the right policies to provide for your individual needs. Call and schedule an appointment today to find out how they can help you live a healthy life with the medications you need.

Why Buy Commercial Insurance?

San Marcos Insurance Group in Chandler, AZ is in the insurance business to protect businesses by sustaining businesses and the livelihoods of its owners.  A  small business is a company with less than 500 employees. In Arizona, there were 488,456 small businesses.  In 2011, Forty-seven percent of the states private-sector jobs were employed in a small business. Therefore, commercial liability coverage is critical for Arizona’s small businesses.

What are the insurance needs of a particular business? Each business has its unique product being promoted by mom and pop stores or corporations.  San Marcos Insurance Group agents examine the business with its owners to determine what insurance coverage is needed that will address financial losses due to a fire and even loss of business reputation. 

Other important considerations include the business location employees, the Gross annual revenue, does the business rent or own its vehicles, and does the business rent, lease, or own the businesses’ building.

The commercial insurance instruments would include:

*   Commercial General liability policy
*   Workers’ Compensation
*   Business Owners Policy (BOP)
*   Cyber Insurance
*   Commercial Auto Insurance
*   Professional Malpractice Insurance
*   Directors and Officers Insurance

Commercial General Liability Insurance

In Arizona, commercial general liability insurance is not mandatory. However general liability insurance protects your business from claims of another person or business. The policy will also pay for property damage to your client’s server resulting in data loss, claims of a bodily injury which seeks the payment of medical costs due to a client being injured on the business premise or even any damage to the reputation of your client.   

Business Owners Policy (BOP)

A general liability policy only protects your client’s damage to his or her property. A Business Owners Policy (BOP) will protect your property,  especially if you own the businesses building.  The type of the owner’s business includes, such as computers, printers, and furniture from damage as a result of a fire or a flood, and protects the business as a result of dishonest employees.  

The agents of San Marcos Insurance Group in Chandler, AZ will walk you through all your business insurance needs.  Please call for an appointment!

Important Life Insurance Topics to Discuss Before Marriage

If you are getting married soon you know that there are a thousand little details that go into planning a wedding. However, few couples realize the many more small and large details that go into planning a life together. Life insurance may not be at the top of your wedding planning to do list, but it should definitely be on your, "things to discuss before we get married list." Here are few life insurance topics that you should discuss with your soon to be new spouse. 

Do We Have Life Insurance?

You would be surprised at how many couples have never even discussed with their significant other their current life insurance coverage. This is important information to know because a spouse is almost always the beneficiary on a life insurance policy. If you or your fiancee do not have life insurance at all, then this is a great time to start looking into policies together. 

How Should Coverage Change After Marriage?

Many life insurance policies will offer a different rate for a married couple than for a single person. There are many reasons for this. But if you do already have an existing life insurance policy then you should talk with your life insurance agent about how your plan should change now that you are getting married and how you should add your spouse to the policy. 

Should You Increase Coverage After Marriage?

Many people determine that life insurance coverage should change somewhat after marriage to reflect the financial needs of each spouse. For instance, if you want to make sure that your spouse and children are provided for your coverage will look much different than that of a single person who has no such concerns. 

If you would like to speak to an insurance agent about these or other topics, please contact us at San Marcos Insurance Group in Chandler, AZ. 

How to Create an Emergency Kit for Your Car

At San Marcos Insurance Group, we value your safety. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to help you create an emergency kit for your car. Whether you get stranded in the heat of Chandler, AZ, get injured in an accident, or face any other type of peril on the road, an emergency kit can help get you through it. This list will give you some of the basics, but you should also take some time to sit down with your family and come up with items that are unique to you that you would need in an emergency. Your car emergency kit should include both items for your car and for you.

For your car:

  • Jumper cables

  • Flares

  • Ice scraper

  • Cat litter, ash, or sand

  • Spare tire

  • Empty gas can

For you:

  • Water

  • Non Perishable snacks and food

  • Blankets

  • Phone charger

  • First aid kit

  • Flashlight and batteries

  • Pocket knife

  • Maps

  • Cash

Other things to consider:

If you often travel with your pets, make sure you keep them in mind as well. Consider including their food, some extra water, and a leash or carrier as part of your kit. If you have babies or small children, you also may need to include: diapers, wipes, formula, and toys.

There are many other things you could include based on your family’s needs and habits, but this basic list will make sure you have the essentials. You never know when you could face an emergency in your car, so it’s always best to be prepared. Think about what you would need if you’re near Chandler, AZ, but also think about other areas and climates as well. The further you are from home, the more essential your emergency kit becomes. Another important way to be prepared is to have quality car insurance. Contact San Marcos Insurance Group today to talk about your existing policy or to get started with a new policy.

Choosing a Health Insurance Plan

Choosing a health insurance plan in Chandler, AZ can be complicated, since there is a lot to think about. If you aren’t able to get insurance through work, you should contact an agent at San Marcos Insurance Group to discuss plan options.

First compare the different types of health insurance plans. Common types include HMOs, PPOs, EPOS, and POS plans, and all come with positives and negatives. Determining your plan will help you determine what out-of-pocket costs you will be responsible for and the doctors you can see.

It’s impossible to be able to foresee every medial expense, but looking at the amount and types of treatment you have received in the past can help you make a better decision. If you want to be able to choose doctors, pick a PPO or EPO. If you are okay with seeing a primary care physician before a specialist, then choose an HMO or POS.

When deciding on plans, look at the health plan networks. In order to save on costs, you will want to see doctors that are in the network. If you have preferred doctors you want to keep seeing, look to see if they are in the plan you are considering. Larger networks are helpful in small areas, since you are more likely to see doctor locally who will accept your insurance.

Compare out-of-pocket costs. Look at the deductible, copays, and consinurance to get an idea of what you could be spending each year in order to choose the best plan for your family. Once you have narrowed down plans based on network and costs, look at benefits. This will help give you the coverage that is needed for your family. Plans are required to cover certain things, but some plans may provide better coverage for mental health or physical therapy. Ff you use these services you will want, it is a good idea to choose these plans.

Contact San Marcos Insurance Group, serving Chandler, AZ, to get a quote on health insurance.