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Why should I get renters insurance in Texas?

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When you are in the Highland Village, TX area, there are plenty of great housing options to consider. One option that you will have includes renting your home. If you are going to rent a property, it is very important that you consider your insurance needs. there are several reasons why you should get a renters insurance policy in this area of Texas. 

Protects Assets

One of the main reasons why you should get a renters insurance policy is that it can protect your assets. When you move into a new rental home, you are going to be bringing with a lot of personal items. If there is a fire, bad weather damage, or another incident that causes a loss, you could lose thousands of dollars worth of clothing, furniture, electronics, and other personal items. With a renters insurance policy, you can receive coverage for these items.

Required by Landlord

When you are going to move into a new rental property, it is very important that you read your lease to understand all of your obligations. One responsibility that you will have will include making sure that you are covered by insurance. A landlord will usually have specific renters insurance requirements in the lease and will often ask for evidence of coverage before the start of the lease term.

When you are looking for a renters insurance policy in the Highland Village, TX area, it is important that you work with someone that is experienced with this form of insurance. The team at Thompson Insurance Services can help you to build an insurance policy that is right for your situation and meet your needs. Thompson Insurance Services will ensure you have appropriate coverage for your personal belongings and also are in compliance with your lease. 

You’ve Had a Fender Bender: Now What?

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When you are involved in a fender bender your first response may be one of relief. But even if you are involved in an accident that, thankfully, does not cause any accidents, it doesn’t mean it won’t be a headache! If you, or a family member, have been involved in a fender bender and do not require medical attention, the first thing to do is notify your insurance agent. The team here at Thompson Insurance Services is proud to serve the Highland Village, TX community, and are here to help with all of your insurance needs.

Steps to Take After a Fender Bender

Medical and Safety Concerns – once your vehicle has been moved to safety, it’s time to evaluate your physical condition. You may feel fine, but it’s important to remember that many common car accident injuries can take days to manifest symptoms. It is worth your time to undergo a comprehensive medical exam, even if you feel fine.

Filing a Claim – this can be a stressful process, but not when you work with a local agent. They are here to help you navigate the process to ensure that your claim is filed correctly and that you are able to get to your regular routine as soon as possible.

Vehicle Repairs – we recommend policies that cover not just repairs but also alternative transportation while your vehicle is being fixed. Going without a vehicle can cause serious disruption to your life, especially if your area is not well-served by public transport or other alternatives. 

No matter how small, a fender bender can still be disruptive to your everyday life. Contact the team at Thompson Insurance Services today to find out more about the advantages of working with a Highland Village, TX full-service insurance agency.

Who Should Have Umbrella Insurance in Highland Village?

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If you live in Highland Village, TX, you may not have even heard about umbrella insurance. When it comes to taking care of your property and yourself, things like home insurance, life insurance, and auto insurance are likely what comes to mind. To clear things up for you, Thompson Insurance Services wants to give you a brief rundown of what it is and who usually has it. 

A Safety Net 

Umbrella insurance is a type of safety net that you use to supplement your other insurance. When it comes to things like home and auto, you have a duty to ensure that you’re keeping others safe. If you injure someone in a car accident or a guest is injured at your home, you might be held liable for damages. And of course, if you own a business, you need to account for accusations and reputation damage. 

But a standard policy has limits when it comes to how much it can help you. You can increase the coverage of course, but even that might not go as far as you’d like. Umbrella insurance will essentially activate when you’ve maxed out the limits on your other policy. 

Who Should Have It?

If you own property or a car in Highland Village, TX, it’s not absurd to consider the possibility of this kind of insurance. However, it’s often more sought after by those in prominent positions. The CEO of a major company or a community politician may be more likely to accused of wrong-doing and sued for fault. 

If you want an honest opinion about whether to protect yourself, Thompson Insurance Services can help. We’re here to explain how your policy works under real-life scenarios and what you can do to account for the unexpected.

Personal Property and Home Insurance in Highland Village, TX

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If you live in Highland Village, TX, you may be interested in how your home insurance works in case your personal property is lost, damaged, or stolen. Thompson Insurance Services wants everyone to know how they can keep their things protected from any number of threats. From criminals to smoke, we’ll look at how different policies work and what you can expect in terms of coverage. 

Make No Assumptions 

This is not just a good strategy in life, it can also save you from being surprised when you go to file an insurance claim. Some people may assume that their things are covered during certain events, only to find that their policy only covers the physical structure. So while home insurance may be able to help you fix the siding of your home, it won’t be able to replace the furniture in your living room. 

Standard Policies 

If you do have coverage, your things would typically be protected from things like natural disasters and theft. If your things are stolen — even if they’re not at home during the time of the theft — you should still be able to file for them. Just keep in mind that home insurance policies in Highland Village, TX do not cover flooding damage unless you have a specific rider attached to it. 

If you’re looking for someone to talk to about how to protect your things, especially if you’ve acquired a lot more stuff since you first bought the home, Thompson Insurance Services is here to help. When you contact us, we’ll tell you more about how your coverage limits will impact you under a variety of circumstances which can help you choose a policy that you’re comfortable with. 

Can I Install a Home Security System in My Apartment?

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Residents of Highland Village, TX who live in apartments can enjoy the benefits of having a home security system installed in their home. The agents of Thompson Insurance Services are able to assist their clients in finding the right type of home security system to meet their needs.

DIY Systems

DIY home security systems are easy to install but provide efficient security measures to give you peace of mind. Most come with entry sensors for doors and windows as well as a keypad that allows you to control your system and any other "smart" devices you may have added to it.

Easy to Move From One Place to Another

With a DIY home security system, you can relocate your devices easily. Just take them down and reinstall them in your new home. There are no screws or hardware to deal with and the keypad is easy to reprogram once you have the system installed in your new home.

Self-Monitoring

Most DIY home security systems can be monitored through an easy to use app that is downloaded to your smartphone or tablet. Install the app and you can connect with your system from almost any location. With a DIY system, you are normally the one responsible for notifying the authorities in the event of an emergency.

The agents at Thompson Insurance Services offer their clients in Highland Village, TX sound advice when it comes to DIY home security systems. If you are renting an apartment, visit one of the agents today! They can re-evaluate your renter’s policy and help you decide if a home security system is something you could benefit from.

4 Reasons to Upgrade Your Auto Insurance

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Changes in your lifestyle, location or vehicle can alter your auto insurance coverage, making it necessary to upgrade your policy to maintain the protection you need. At Thompson Insurance Services in Highland Village, TX, we can help you determine if you need to upgrade your auto insurance to keep up with current changes in your life. Here are four reasons why an upgrade may be in order:

Change of Vehicle

If you traded an older car for a newer model, you may want to add collision or comprehensive coverage to your policy to protect your new investment. Older vehicles often don’t need this type of coverage. Upgrading your policy ensures your new vehicle is protected against theft, vandalism, collisions, and other incidents that can cause costly damage.   

Move

Moving across town or to another city can affect driving distances or put your vehicle at greater risk of theft or vandalism. If so, you may want to increase the limits on your collision or comprehensive coverage to protect your vehicle against unforeseen incidents or accidents.

Teen Driver

Maybe you’re considering adding your teen to your auto policy. That would require an update to your policy. If your teen is driving the family vehicle, you may want to increase the limits of all your coverage.

Marriage

If you were married last year and your spouse will be driving your vehicle, you’ll need to add him/her to your policy. If your spouse has a questionable driving record, you want to increase your coverage, particularly liability insurance, to protect your assets against accidents your spouse may cause. 

For quality auto insurance at reasonable rates, call or visit Thompson Insurance Services in Highland Village, TX.  

How Does Umbrella Insurance Protect Someone?

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Most people in the Lewisville and Highland Village, TX area know how important it is to have proper personal liability insurance coverage. For many people, this means having a full home and auto insurance policy that gives necessary coverage. However, there are a lot of situations when someone could use additional umbrella insurance coverage. While it is not as common as other forms of insurance, umbrella insurance is beneficial as it can protect someone in a variety of different ways. 

Gives More Coverage

The main reason why people get umbrella insurance is that it provides more coverage than other forms of insurance. When you get umbrella insurance, it will provide you with liability coverage on top of what you already have. This means that if you are found liable for an accident where damages exceed your home or auto policy limits, your umbrella insurance policy will start to provide more insurance coverage. 

Covers for Unusual Situations

Another way that umbrella insurance will protect someone is that it will cover for unusual situations. Most people have some form of liability coverage through their home and auto insurance policies. While these are beneficial policies, they are not entirely conclusive when it comes to insurance coverage. An umbrella insurance policy gives coverage for a range of situations that are generally not covered by base policies. This provides anyone with more extensive liability coverage.

Choosing your umbrella insurance policy in the Lewisville and Highland Village, TX area is a big decision. Those that need a policy in this area should call the team at Thompson Insurance Services. The professionals here are experienced in helping people decipher their umbrella insurance needs. Based upon an initial assessment, Thompson Insurance Services can then help anyone find a policy that provides the right umbrella insurance coverage. 

4 Fire Prevention Tips: A Brief Home Insurance Guide

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The subject of fire prevention usually arises when it comes time to decide on a home insurance policy that would cover accidents occurring in Dallas and the Highland Village, TX area. These four fire prevention tips can get you started.

1. Make sure you have enough smoke alarms

The Red Cross recommends at least one smoke detector on every level of your home. It is always a wise plan to have one in each bedroom, the hallway, and other traffic areas.

2. Check smoke detector batteries frequently

It’s a good idea to check the batteries in all smoke alarms a minimum of once a month. If you hear frequent, intermittent beeping, you know it’s time to change it, but do it before then or it could be too late.

3. Keep your HVAC maintained and inspect all electrical wiring

Keeping your furnace, heating ducts, and vents clean can reduce fire risk. You also should repair any faulty electrical wiring immediately or it could cause a spark that starts a fire. An additional electrical wiring tip: don’t overload outlets with too many cords.

4. Keep an eye on the stove and make sure your timers work

The best way to prevent kitchen fires is to stay near the stove while cooking. In any case, make sure your timers work before you attempt to leave the room (ex: to use the bathroom) for even one minute. You also will want to keep your burners, stovetops, and ovens free of grease and debris.

Thompson Insurance Services in Highland Village, TX cares about your safety. We also can help you with questions about your home insurance policy. Contact us anytime.

Three things to know about your auto insurance deductible

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One of the most important things to understand when you purchase auto insurance and many other types of coverage are what a deductible is.

A deductible is an amount you have to pay out-of-pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. At Thompson Insurance Services in Highland Village, TX, we have a range of deductible options on our insurance policies from among which you can choose. 

The following are three crucial things to know about auto insurance deductibles to find and use your auto insurance policy:

The higher your deductible, the more expensive an accident is going to be for you out-of-pocket

High deductible plans offer the benefit of a lower monthly premium and are cheaper overall if you don’t get into any accidents. However, they can create a lot of expenses for you in the event of an accident. The more likely an accident is for you, the more critical it is for you to opt for a lower deductible policy.

You can save money on insuring an expensive vehicle with a higher deductible

Higher deductible policies are especially attractive to anyone who is driving a vehicle that is particularly expensive to insure. If your car falls into a high-risk category in the minds of insurance providers, consider bringing down costs while still covering your liabilities by choosing a high deductible policy. 

Liability insurance doesn’t generally require a deductible

While deductibles usually apply to collision and comprehensive insurance coverage, they shouldn’t apply to your liability coverage. Therefore, a deductible is generally not a consideration if you’re only purchasing liability coverage. 

Consult one of our representatives at Thompson Insurance Services in Highland Village, TX if you are a DFW driver who is on the market for a good auto insurance policy. 

What You Need to Know About Auto Insurance in Texas

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The state of Texas is a great place to live as it provides you with a good lifestyle and plenty of professional opportunities. For those that work and live in Texas, having a car is a practical necessity. When you do have a car in Texas, you will need to have auto insurance in place at all times. There is a lot you need to know about auto insurance when you are looking for a policy in the Highland Village, TX area. 

State Requirements

The first thing that you need to know about auto insurance in Texas is the basic state requirements. The state of Texas has a 30/60/25 auto insurance requirement for all drivers. This dictates the amount of liability insurance that you need to have at all times. In Texas, you need to have bodily injury coverage of at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per incident plus property damage liability of at least $25,000 per incident. 

Additional Options

While it may not be required by law, Texas car owners should also consider getting collision and comprehensive insurance coverage. This type of insurance will provide you with protection for your vehicle if you sustain a loss. This is not included by the base state requirements and could save you a lot of money in some challenging situations.

If you are a car owner in the Highland Village, TX area, it is important that you fully understand all of your requirements when it comes to having auto insurance. To ensure that you get into the right policy, you should speak to the team at Thompson Insurance Services. When you reach out to the team at Thompson Insurance Services, you will get the guidance that you need to get into a policy that provides you with adequate auto insurance coverage.