Mennonite Insurance

Our commitment is to provide you with competitively priced, superior insurance products with the highest quality service.

News

Rental Car Coverage For That Holiday Vacation

red sports carBy Lorie Ham

It’s time to take that last family vacation before the kids have to go back to school. You are considering renting a car because you need something bigger to fit the whole family. You’ve looked at the choices available, picked a car, decided to pay for the rental with your credit card, but you can’t decide whether to purchase the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) offered by the rental company.

Here is a look at coverage you may already have without the LDW:

  1. Your own personal auto policy, however it has limits and deductibles (be sure to check your policy for its limits and deductibles, and if you have any questions be sure to call your agent).
  2. The credit card company that was used to rent the car may cover loss to the rental vehicle up to ACV (Actual Cash Value-see our past article to learn more about ACV and RCV) and include loss of use of the vehicle. Or, it may not.

Considering all of that, if you do have an accident on your vacation, do you want to take the chance of having to cover the things that aren’t covered out of your own pocket? Or, is it wiser to play it safe and purchase the LDW?

The LDW allows you to not worry about the rental car damage. You can just “walk away” as the folks at the rental desk say, and then you don’t have to let an accident completely ruin your vacation!

So be sure you make an informed decision. The best way to make sure you have all the info you need is to ask questions-so be sure to pick up the phone and give your agent a call. They are always happy to answer any questions you have.

Cycling, the Perfect Summer Hobby!

Jerry with his bikeBy Lorie Ham

When you think about a perfect summer hobby, cycling is a great choice! You can get exercise, enjoy the scenery, and maybe even make some new friends. Mennonite Aid Plan General Manager Jerry Linscheid has been riding a bike since he was a kid. “As a kid growing up, biking was my main mode of transportation to school and to get around Reedley.”

In late 2014, an opportunity to participate in a Rotary charity ride turned Jerry’s hobby up a notch. The ride was from Visalia to Monterey (220 miles) in 3 days. His cycling would never again be just for transportation.

While Jerry doesn’t belong to a cycling club, he does claim Sunnyside Bicycles in Fresno as his shop. They sponsor 3-4 rides a week, usually beginning at their store. “I tend to start from Reedley and try and figure out where I can meet up with the group.”

Jerry says that there are advantages and disadvantages to riding in groups. Disadvantages include not being able to choose your own pace, and you have to be careful not to crash into one another. Advantages include safety in numbers, and you have support if something breaks.

One of the things Jerry likes best about cycling is the people you meet. “People share food, equipment, and anything to help a fellow biker.”

However, most of the time, Jerry bikes on his own. He likes to head north out of town towards Pine Flat, Watts Valley, or sometimes Wonder Valley.

When cycling in the summer, you have to be sure to stay cool. “The main thing is to start early enough. Once it gets to noon, it is too hot to be out on the road on triple digit days. I carry two water bottles and a water backpack. I take every opportunity to refill water bottles. If it gets really hot, I’ll soak my cap and jersey to cool off. I’m monitoring my water, so if I run out, it is within 4-5 miles from home.”

To keep his bike in shape, Jerry takes it in for a tune up once a year. To stay safe on the road, he adheres to the following safety tips:

  • Have lights on your helmet and bike that are on even in the daytime.
  • Wear bright clothing.
  • Use a rearview mirror to watch cars approaching from behind.
  • Obey the rules of the road and try to be as predictable as possible to other drivers and try to anticipate when a driver may not see you.

Thankfully, Jerry hasn’t had any real problems on the road. “I’m really pleased at how courteous the vast majority of the drivers are.”

If you have an expensive bike and want to make sure it is covered, please give your insurance agent a call. They are always happy to answer any questions you have.

So What Is Med Pay aka Medical Payments?

By Lorie Ham

As we said last month, insurance can be confusing! But it doesn’t have to be, you just have to ask the right questions and not be afraid to ask about anything that you don’t understand. That’s what your agent is there for-they want to help.

This month we will look at the term Med Pay or Medical Payments in regards to home and auto coverage. This term shows up in both homeowner liability coverage and auto liability coverage. Before liability insurance will pay, there has to be a determination that the insured is liable through some fault or wrongdoing of their own-whether intentional or not. However, insurance companies decided long ago it would be better to reimburse medical expenses for small claims without fault.

So let’s say that you are having a pool party for your kid’s birthday and one of the kids slips and hurts himself and has to go to the hospital, your homeowner insurance will pay the medical bills up to the med pay limit (usually $5,000 but sometimes more). Or maybe your dog gets scared by all the party noise and suddenly bites one of the kids at the party, their medical bills would be covered up to the limit.

Same basic idea with your auto insurance policy except that it covers the policyholder as well as the passengers in the vehicle. After the party, you are taking some of those kids home and someone runs into you and you all get hurt, your auto policy would pay the medical expenses for all of you up to the limit.

I hope that makes more sense now, if not, please pick up the phone and ask your agent questions until you are sure you understand. Better to know now, then wait until things go bad at your pool party and you don’t know what to do!

For some pool safety tips check out our other article this month.

Summer Pool Safety Tips

By Lorie Ham

Summer is in full swing and it can get really hot outside! What better way to cool off than in your swimming pool. But you have to make sure you are always doing all that you can to be safe.

It is smart to ask an expert when you want the best tips, so I sat down to chat with former lifeguard Mindi Miller, who was a lifeguard for 30 years, to get some pool/swimming safety tips.

Mindi’s pool safety tips:

1. If swimming in a public pool, always obey the lifeguard and watch for posted signs making certain that you follow all the rules.

2. Always swim with a buddy. Never let your children swim unattended.

3. Stay out of the water when you are tired, very cold, or overheated.

4. Do not chew gum or eat while swimming, you could choke.

5. All pools should have a fence around them. If not, they should have some type of pool guard to notify you if a child or pet falls into the pool. Easy to find these on Amazon.

6. If it is an in ground pool, the owner should put dogs in the pool and show them how to get out.

Parents should do a practice drill with children having them fall in the pool and show them how to get out as well. As a lifeguard, we taught children how to react when they fall into the pool. Also, it’s recommended that you keep tubes floating in the pool so if a child does fall in they have something to grab.

7. For above ground pools, ladders should be removed or rigged in a manner that small children cannot climb them when not supervised.

Check out these websites for even more safety tips for your summer swimming, whether in a pool at home or elsewhere:

The other article in this month’s newsletter includes some info on MedPay. Be sure to talk to your agent, they are always happy to help and it is always best to be prepared.

What does it mean (ACV & RCV)?

photo of a woman watching tv

By Lorie Ham

Let’s be honest, insurance is confusing! But it doesn’t have to be, you just have to ask the right questions and not be afraid to ask about anything that you don’t understand. That’s what your agent is there for-they want to help.

Have you ever looked at your policy and wondered what on earth Replacement Cost Value (RCV) and Actual Cash Value (ACV) mean?

Your policy provides for RCV for most items. That means they agree to repair or replace your property with new property of like kind and quality. However, initially they pay the ACV. The ACV is the cost to repair or replace the damaged property less depreciation. Depreciation takes into account wear and tear, age, deterioration, and obsolescence. ACV is approximately fair market value.

So let’s say that someone broke into your house and stole your big screen TV. Items depreciate over time. So to begin with, the insurance company gives you the ACV. Once you replace your TV and spend more than the ACV plus your deductible, you can recover some or all of the depreciation. You then give the receipt to the insurance company and you will get back the amount that your original TV depreciated. In the end, this gives you the RCV-the price of the new TV minus your deductible. The catch here is that you actually have to buy the new TV to get the full benefit. If instead you want to spend the money on something else, or maybe get a smaller TV, then you just end up with the ACV (fair market value).

I hope that makes more sense now, if not, please pick up the phone and ask your agent questions until you are sure you understand. Better to know now, then wait until your TV is stolen just before the big game and you don’t know what to do!

Mennonite Aid Plan Chairman of the Board Jim Brandt On Restoring a Classic Car

Photo of Jim Brandt On Restoring a Classic CarBy Lorie Ham

Jim Brandt has been the Chairman of the Board for the Mennonite Aid Plan since 2012, and a board member since 2004. He considers MAP to be more than just an insurance company. “Our mission is to provide support for people in need when catastrophic things happen to them. We can do that because we are a religious organization that uses our finances to care for the needs of our people.”

He and his wife are very involved in their local church, and they enjoy traveling, and spending time with their grandkids. As he enjoys his retirement, Jim also has more time for hobbies. About a year ago, he began restoring a classic car—a 1957 Pontiac Super Chief two-door hardtop. Since hobbies aren’t high on his priority list, he is taking his time with this one and is still in the process of taking the car apart. “Everything has to be documented so I can remember how to put it back together again. Each part needs to be cleaned and restored to like new condition.”

Jim chose this particular type of car because it is the same type that he drove when he was young. “There are a lot of memories with that first car, so I guess it’s somewhat of a nostalgic trip for me to restore the one that I have now.”

One of the things he enjoys about this project is that he is using his hands to make something better. The experience takes him back to a more carefree time in his life and he sometimes listens to ‘50s music while working on the car. One of the more challenging aspects has been finding the proper parts, which being a member of a nationwide Pontiac Club has helped with.

Jim doesn’t have a time frame for getting the car completed, but he hopes it will be done in time that he and his wife can take it on some short trips and to car shows. “My intention is not that it be a showpiece, but something that we can just enjoy. I suggested to my wife that we may need to find some ‘50s vintage clothing to wear while we are driving it…I suppose the ultimate dream would be to drive it down Route 66 and take in all the nostalgia from those times back then.”

If you too have a classic car that you are working on and wonder what would be involved in getting it insured when you are ready to hit the road, contact Mennonite Insurance and we will be happy to help!