Secure, No Matter What

Home. The word itself is solid, warm and comforting. But what if all that were swept away in a single moment? Could you rebuild, start again, make it what it was before?

Many Americans’ homeowners insurance doesn't cover the full cost of replacing their home in case of total destruction. In fact, most Americans are underinsured by 38 percent (source: Marshall & Swift/Boeckh). That means that if your home cost $200,000, to rebuild, you could be out of pocket up to $76,000.

Things get even trickier when you take into account the rapidly rising cost of labor and building materials. Maybe it cost $200,000 to build your home 10 years ago, but today it could cost significantly more.

But when you purchase ErieSecure Home^SM, you don’t have to worry about any of that. With this special homeowner’s coverage, you’ll be able to replace your home 100 percent--guaranteed.

Is your home covered 100 percent? If you’re not sure, it’s time to find out. Call us at Serfass Insurance today, and let’s talk about your family’s needs, and how we can make your home secure, no matter what happens.

Protect What’s Yours with Life Insurance

Protect What’s Yours with Life Insurance

Congratulations! It’s what you hear when you:

A) get married

B) have a baby

C) get a new job 

D) buy a home

And when you hear it, it might be a good time to evaluate or re-evaluate your life insurance needs. You can protect the lives of your loved ones, protect your legacy, protect everything most important to you with life insurance.  The best time to look at life insurance, really, is when you experience one of these big life changes.  Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Marriage: How much life insurance do you and your spouse need now that you share expenses and financial goals?  If something were to happen to you or your spouse, would your expenses be covered and would your financial goals be met?  

New baby: Children are expensive little buggers! And we’re not just talking toys and birthday parties. We’re talking daycare, clothes, food, college…would you be able to pay for those items on one salary —or no income at all?

New job: It’s only human nature to increase spending when more money is coming in. Will your family be able to maintain their lifestyle if the income stops?

New house: Could you stay in your current home if something happened to your spouse? A lot of people, unfortunately, cannot. The costs of home ownership go beyond just the mortgage. Utilities, taxes, unforeseen repairs and other maintenance costs can cause your family to be uprooted at a time when they need stability most. When you purchase homeowners insurance, make sure you ask about life insurance as well.

How much do I need? And what type? These are the questions we can help with. We can explain the difference between term, whole and universal life insurance products from Erie Family Life* and help you choose a product that’s right for your stage of life—and your budget.

So next time you hear that big “Congratulations!” give us a call. We’ll help you keep you and your loved ones protected.   610-681-5785

*Erie Family Life insurance not available in New York

Not all companies are licensed or operate in all states. Not all products are offered

in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for company licensure and territory

information.

Trust

It’s amazing how often we trust each other every day with issues great and small. We trust that the cashier at the grocery store will be honest and give us the right change. We trust that when we get into our cars, the other drivers will be attentive and safe, and we’ll arrive at our destinations without harm. We trust strangers around us every day to treat us properly and keep us safe.

But some decisions about trust deserve to be more carefully considered. How will you afford the retirement you want and deserve? Who will take care of your family in case you can’t? Weighty decisions with big consequences.

Whether you realize it or not, you already know someone you can trust with these things: us. You already trust Serfass Insurance to take care of your car. Maybe you trust us to protect your house, too. And if you haven’t considered protecting your future and your family in the same way, it’s time to do so.

Let’s sit down and really talk about life insurance and retirement investments. In this case, you can’t just assume that everything will turn out all right. Keep trusting us to help you make the right call. -KS

Before the Winter Storm

Before the winter storm strikes, it’s important to know the weather terminology that may appear across the bottom of your television screen or on the local radio station.

• Winter Storm Watch: Severe winter weather may affect the surrounding area within the next 36 to 48 hours.
• Winter Storm Warning: Severe winter weather conditions are on the way or will begin within 24 hours. Take cover and be prepared.
• Blizzard Warning: Blinding snow and dangerous wind chills are expected for several hours. Sustained winds of 35 mph are expected to sweep the area. A traveler’s advisory is issued if driving conditions are expected to be dangerous or slow moving.

Here are some other tips to help you prepare for winter storms:

• Winterize your car long before the first snowfall hits. Winter weather is unpredictable and may surprise you early in the season. Prepare a disaster kit for your vehicle that includes:

• Shovel
• Sand
• Tow chain
• Jumper cables
• Screwdrivers, pliers and a knife
• Ice scraper and snow brush
• Spare change
• Blankets/sleeping bags
• Small can and waterproof matches for melting snow
• Windshield washer anti-freeze
• High calorie, non-perishable food items
• Warm clothes that can be layered
• Compass and map
• Cell phone and charger

• Winterize your trees and bushes by trimming long branches. The ice and wet snow that accumulates on branches can cause damage to your home, car or neighbors.
• Salt and shovel walkways often.
• Drain your pipes if you go on vacation or experience a power outage to prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting.
• Make certain that each family member has warm winter gear, including a winter coat, gloves, hat or scarf and water-resistant boots.
• Keep your gas tank full in the winter months to protect your fuel line from freezing.
• Have your cell phone charged.
• Stock an ample supply of logs that can be reached easily during a storm if you have a wood burning fireplace.

Contact Us

If you haven’t scheduled an annual insurance review, contact our agency today. We will review your risks and help you make important decisions about your auto, home, life or business insurance coverage.

Not all companies are licensed or operate in all states. Not all products are offered

in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for company licensure and territory information.

Excuses, Excuses. What’s Yours?

Five reasons people make buying life insurance anything but top priority

Buying life insurance rarely makes the top 10 on our to-do lists—and we have plenty of excuses as to why. Here are top reasons people push it off, and why that might not be the best idea: 

1) “I’m covered through work.”

Employer-sponsored life insurance is a great benefit to have. But work benefits are usually limited. What’s more, they don’t automatically go with you if you change—or lose—a job. 

2) “I’m healthy.”

The fact is, the best time to buy life insurance is when you’re in good health. The younger you are and the healthier you are, the better your rates will be. 

3) “I’m not insurable.”

Most of us are never as healthy as we want to be. But you might be surprised to find out that you are, in fact, insurable, regardless of age or health. It’s worth it just to ask. 

4) “It’s too expensive.”

There are many types of life insurance available, and there’s usually something that will fit in everyone’s budget. Once you break it down, life insurance is basically a dollars-a-day expense.

5) “I’m single and don’t have children.”

Not being married or having little ones around now doesn't mean there aren't other plans in store for you in the future. Plus, if you are in your 20's or 30's and have debts such as a car and a home, it’s good to get insured now while the cost is the most reasonable.

Is today the day?

The truth is, we don’t usually think about items such as life insurance until someone asks about it, or worse, someone we know experiences a life crisis that puts things in a new light. But why wait? Let us be the one to ask you about it, rather than you experiencing a loss that jolts the issue to the top of your list. 

We can help you find an Erie Family Life insurance policy that fits into your budget and covers your needs for your stage of life. Plus, if you’re an ERIE auto and homeowners policyholder, you can save on your premiums when you add a life policy from Erie Family Life*. Give us a call today to learn more. 610-681-5785

*Erie Family Life insurance products are not available in New York. Related discounts vary by state and are subject to eligibility requirements. 

Disclaimer:

Not all companies are licensed or operate in all states. Not all products are offered

in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for company licensure and territory

information.

Demystifying Life Insurance

Do your eyes start to glaze over whenever anyone starts to talk about life insurance? Term life, whole life, universal life, what does it all mean? And the chances of you ever needing to use it are so low, why bother learning all the jargon?

Think again. Life insurance is a crucial planning tool for the people you love. Whether it’s making sure that your kids can go to college, your spouse is taken care of or just leaving some extra money behind to your heirs, you can’t ignore life insurance. So let us make understanding it a little easier.

There are three major types of insurance we offer: term, whole and universal. All are great policies with different purposes. Let’s break it down:

• Term Life is life insurance that you purchase for a specific period of time, in increments of 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. Maybe you want to have a policy as long as the kids are still in school, or until your mortgage is paid off. Term life lets you make sure there’s enough money for all of these things without a lifetime commitment.

• Whole Life lets you adjust how you use your life insurance policy as your needs change. While you’ll always receive death benefits, a whole life policy also includes a cash value that you can draw upon. Maybe it’s to pay medical bills or to help out with retirement—it’s there for you to use as you need, and to adapt over time.

• Universal Life is a balanced plan offering you a strong death benefit protection as well as plenty of opportunities for investing and growth on a tax-deferred basis.

Still confused? Sit down with us and let’s talk about which of these kinds of insurance fits your needs, both today and in the future. Don’t leave things to chance: protect your family. 

“Not all companies are licensed or operate in all states. Not all products are offered in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for company licensure and territory information.”

Nothin' But a Number

Many consider this a rude question, but we're going to ask it anyway:

How old are you?

Don't worry, your secret's safe with us. But it's an incredibly important question. Not because it determines how creaky your knees are or whether or not you can rent a car -- but because it determines where you should be on the road to a secure retirement.  

When it comes to investing for your retirement, the rule of thumb is the earlier, the better. The earlier you start investing, the more time your money has to grow.

But, even if you haven't had time to let your money grow, it's still not too late to invest. Better to start when you're 40 or 50 than just to throw your hands up and not invest anything at all because it's “too late.” It's never too late—you just might have a little catching up to do.

No matter where you are in your investing strategy, we want to talk to you about how annuities, IRAs and other investments can help lead to a better financial future for you and your family. 

“All insurance products are subject to terms, conditions and exclusions not described here; we can answer any questions you may have.”