A Quick Overview of ID Insurance

Identity theft has become a significant issue in recent years. Criminals can utilize stolen identities to open credit cards, illegally withdraw money from bank accounts, make unauthorized purchases, and more. Considering ID theft insurance is a wise decision as it can offer essential coverage should you fall victim to identity theft. For those located in Deer Park, TX, Shell Insurance Agency is always available to discuss ID theft insurance options and other policies.

Understanding Identity Theft Insurance

The FBI reported a staggering 27,000 cases of identity theft in 2022 alone. However, this is probably an understatement of the problem’s extent. The FTC received over 850,000 complaints of identity theft in 2023. With the emergence of artificial intelligence, criminals are finding new, advanced means for identity theft, suggesting that cases may rise in the future.

Credit card fraud is perhaps the most common type of identity theft. The FTC received over 850,000 complaints of alleged credit card scams in 2023. Furthermore, businesses reported a loss of over $750 million in the same year due to these frauds.

Identity theft insurance can offer vital coverage if you become a target for these criminals. The exact coverage will depend on the specifics of your plan. Generally, ID insurance policies offer wide-ranging coverage, and the limits may be higher than those of general homeowners’ insurance and other policies. This helps you remain secure, limiting your losses even in the unfortunate event of identity theft. Detailed discussions with an insurance agent about what is covered and what’s not is always recommended.

For residents and nearby communities in Deer Park, TX, looking for a competent insurance agency, consider Shell Insurance Agency. We are well-equipped to assist you with ID theft insurance and a wide range of other policies.

Get Road Ready: Essential Auto Insurance Tips for Drivers in Deer Park, TX

Deer Park, TX motorists know that the city is home to several industrial facilities and chemical plants, where heavy truck traffic is common on local roads. That’s why local drivers protect their autos and stay safer on the roads by investing in comprehensive insurance that can safeguard their vehicles from various perils. 

Essential Auto Insurance Tips from Shell Insurance Agency

1. Ensure You Have Adequate Coverage 

One of the biggest mistakes local drivers make is not making sure they have enough auto insurance coverage to protect their interests in the event of an accident. Many local drivers opt for liability-only insurance policies to meet state minimums.

2. Beyond Liability

Liability insurance policies are an excellent financial safeguard for people who want to protect their personal finances from legal liability claims, medical bills claims, or property damage claims in an at-fault accident. Drivers seeking a more comprehensive solution can enhance their insurance coverage by adding comprehensive and collision coverage to their policies. 

Comprehensive and Collision insurance policies extend the limits of your auto insurance to include coverage for auto accidents, theft, vandalism, natural disasters, animal collisions, and more.

3. Explore Add On Coverage Options

Consider additional coverage options when your goal is a total insurance solution that shields you, your passengers, your vehicle, and your belongings from extensive financial loss. 

4. Contact a Trusted Insurance Agent Near You

Don’t wait until it’s too late to get adequate auto insurance coverage. A trusted insurance agent can guide you through the process of choosing the best auto insurance to meet your budgeting and lifestyle needs

Contact a knowledgeable and friendly insurance agent at Shell Insurance Agency to get a quote today! 

Why You Need Both Home Insurance and Flood Insurance

As homeowners, we often understand the necessity for home insurance; however, the significance of maintaining an active flood insurance policy sometimes gets overlooked. Regardless of where your home is located, flooding is a potential hazard, particularly for residents in Texas, and being unprepared can have devastating consequences.

The Centrality of Home & Flood Policies

So, why isn’t your home insurance policy enough? Well, most homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover flood damage. Consequently, when a flood occurs, your homeowner’s insurance will only cover you up to a certain point – it barely scratches the surface of the total cost of flood damages. To protect your household fully in the event of a flood, integrating a flood insurance policy into your protection plan is crucial.

The National Flood Insurance Program: Your Insurance Ally

What makes flood insurance policies more desirable is their backing by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This government program guarantees that claims from flood damages get paid out. They set standard prices for these policies, eliminating the need to shop around for the best rates. Thanks to NFIP, securing a flood insurance policy is straightforward and stress-free.

Protect Your Home With Us!

Your home is one of the most valuable investments you have. Thus, ensuring it’s well protected against all potential threats, including floods, is crucial. If your insurance coverage does not include a flood policy, you’re not adequately safeguarded against everything that could damage your home and possessions. Get in touch with us at the Shell Insurance Agency in Deer Park, TX, to embark on the journey of comprehensive home protection.

Home insurance: All You Need To Know in 2024

In 2024, the landscape of homeowners insurance keeps changing and presenting new challenges. In this blog post, we will talk about things you need to know about homeowners insurance in 2024, which will help you make the right decision: 

What Is Exactly Covered By Home Insurance?

Just like in the past, standard home insurance coverage covers a list of these perils: 

  • Fire, explosions, wind, hail, and other events;
  • Theft and vandalism;
  • Falling of trees and other objects;
  • Weight of snow, ice, freezing rain, or sleet; 
  • Overflowing or rupturing of the AC, plumbing, heating, or sprinkler system. 

Certain things are not protected and covered by standard homeowners insurance; you should know about them. For example, flood damage is not covered by standard insurance, and you need to purchase a separate policy for that. 

More And More Lenders Require Home Insurance

Even though home insurance is not required by law in Texas, more and more mortgage lenders in 2024 require homebuyers to purchase home insurance. That means that if you are thinking of buying a home in 2024, you will have to buy home insurance first to get approved for a loan. 

Home Insurance Will Not Cover Businesses Run From Home

In 2024, more and more people start operating their businesses from home. One of the most common questions and concerns for any business owner is, "Will home insurance cover a business?". In most cases, homeowners insurance does not protect home-based businesses. That is why if you decide to operate a business from home, you should consider buying a separate policy. 

Are you a homeowner living in Deer Park, TX, and looking for home insurance in 2024? Do you need professional assistance in finding the perfect policy? Do not look any further—Shell Insurance Agency is here to help. We serve clients in Deer Park, TX, and other nearby areas. We are here to provide detailed answers to any of your questions and help you find the policy you need. 

Does Renters Insurance Cover Identity Theft?

Renters Insurance and Identity Theft

In a typical year, over a million Americans report identity theft. This crime often involves someone using your identity and financial information to acquire loans, purchase goods, or commit other unlawful activities. Residents of Deer Park, TX with renter’s insurance may wonder if this coverage offers any protection against losses resulting from identity theft.

Your Coverage

Most standard renter’s insurance policies don’t fully cover identity theft; however, they may include coverage for specific scenarios like check or credit card misuse. The details are stated in your policy documents. In contrast, to attain comprehensive identity theft coverage, one must either add an identity theft rider to their renter’s insurance or purchase a separate policy altogether.

Benefits of Identity Theft Insurance

Regardless of how it’s acquired, identity theft insurance aids victims in recovering their identities and correcting false credit record information. The insurance may cover related expenses such as postage, fees, legal services, credit monitoring, notarization services, and even income loss, usually past a given deductible.

If left unchecked, a thief’s activities can affect your credit score, thereby hindering your access to housing, loans, insurance, and employment. Having identity theft insurance provides you with the resources to prevent further misuse of your identity and mitigate the damage.

Getting Insurance from Shell Insurance Agency

If you need reliable identity theft or renters insurance, call Shell Insurance Agency in Deer Park, TX. We can help you decide on the best way to add identity theft coverage to an existing policy or get separate insurance. Contact us at 713-844-1111 today.

How to Add to Your Auto Insurance

While many blogs talk about the minimum required auto coverage in Texas, few blogs talk about increasing your coverage levels. This blog from Shell Insurance Agency explains how to improve the protection insurance provides and how much you can add to each type of coverage.  

Undergo an Auto Insurance Review 

Before you drive on the streets of Deer Park, TX, undergo an auto policy review with our insurance agents. While most people focus on finding the lowest cost premiums, it’s important to consider what happens if you need to use the insurance. That means considering how you would pay for an accident if you caused one and the cost of the typical accident. 

Cost of an Average Accident 

The average U.S. auto accident costs about $15,000 per individual. That means if you cause an accident that involves four cars besides your own, the total cost of liability in the accident would cost you $60,000. You would still need to repair your vehicle and pay your medical bills, so add $15,000 to it for your own costs. You cannot count on the accident to be “average,” so consider that you may need coverage above what the average costs could be.  

Avoid the Minimums

While you probably won’t need coverage that reaches the policy maximums, typically in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, choose a policy that provides you with more coverage than the minimum coverage required by the state. Texas minimum coverage only provides liability coverage, so it only pays for damage you cause to another person. 

Visit Shell Insurance Agency for a Quote!

Contact Shell Insurance Agency for an appointment for an auto insurance review. Don’t drive on the streets of Deer Park, TX, while underinsured. Let us help you build an automotive policy that adequately insures your vehicle and protects you with liability coverage.

Why Flood Insurance Is Important Even If You Don’t Live Near Water

Are you aware if you have flood insurance or not? Many homeowners either assume they do or don’t know.

Flood insurance is not included with most standard insurance policies and must be purchased separately. But what if you don’t live near water? Should you still consider acquiring flood insurance? At Shell Insurance Agency, serving Deer Park, TX, and the region, we think some factors should be considered.

Heavy Rains

Heavy Texas rains can inundate your water drainage and sewer systems whether you live near a river or lake. This can flood fields, roadways, retention ponds, and potentially even your home. Low-lying areas can initially sustain flooding, but if storms persist, more and more homes can suffer damage.

Changing Climate and Flood Zones

When you first took out your home insurance policy, your home may not have been in a flood zone or high flood-risk area. That can change over time. What may not have been a risk may now be. Flood insurance may now be prudent.

New Construction and Housing Developments

Many areas in and around Deep Park, TX, are growing. This means new construction and housing developments. This can change how water drains and moves away from your home. Flooding can become more likely if you live in an area that is growing. Revisit your decision not to get flood insurance. Shell Insurance can help guide you.

Flood insurance is generally an option. It must be secured separately from your basic home insurance policy. This can make it easy to dismiss to save a few dollars. But the reason you have homeowners insurance in the first place is to prevent you from financial loss. Ignoring flooding may not be the best decision.

Shell Insurance of Deer Park, TX can help protect your investment in your home. Please contact us to discuss your home insurance and review your coverage. We can shed light on your current coverage and provide a price quote. Contact us today for the homeowners and flood insurance you deserve in Deer Park, TX.

Four things that might surprise you about home insurance coverage

If you’re in the market for home insurance coverage in Deer Park, TX, we’re here to help. At Shell Insurance Agency, we can answer your questions about home insurance. 

The following are four things that might surprise you about home insurance coverage.  

Home insurance can often include coverage for identity theft damages.

Home insurance doesn’t just offer coverage for issues involving physical damage. These days, home insurance also often offers coverage for costs that result from identity theft.

Standard home insurance policies sometimes exclude coverage for accidents involving trampolines.

If you have a trampoline in your yard, you shouldn’t assume that your home insurance policy will cover injury costs from trampoline use. It would be best if you read the fine print of your policy. Many standard home insurance policies will exclude coverage for recreational equipment in your yard, such as trampolines. 

Home insurance coverage eventually needs to be renewed.

A home insurance policy will cover you for a certain period. Once the term of your home insurance policy is over, you need to renew your policy. Fortunately, renewing a home insurance policy is a quick and straightforward task with most insurance providers. 

Home insurance coverage is not usually required by law.

While home insurance is essential, it’s not required by law in most situations. However, home insurance is required by mortgage lenders. This means you will be obligated to buy home insurance if you still pay off your mortgage. 

Insure your home in Deer Park, TX with a policy from Shell Insurance Agency. We’re happy to provide you with a quote and answer any insurance questions you have. Call us today!

Protect Your Online Finances with ID Theft Insurance

If hackers or thieves steal your identity, you could end up footing the bill for fraudulent charges. It can also impact your credit history. Fortunately, you can defend yourself against sophisticated attacks with ID theft insurance. The agents at Shell Insurance Agency in Deer Park, TX can help you find the right policy to meet your needs. 

How ID Theft Insurance Protects You Online

Criminals use malware and deception to obtain your personal information online. Sometimes, it only takes a single click on the wrong link to allow cyber thieves to track your activity. Fortunately, identity theft insurance provides a shield against potential losses associated with a stolen identity. Ask one of our knowledgeable agents about the different policies that might work best for you.

What Identity Theft Insurance Covers

Cunning criminals lurk online, waiting for your guard to slip. That’s why it’s so important to protect your online finances against hackers and bad actors.

Most policies help you pay for or eliminate fraudulent charges. You can also find policies that include credit history repairs and legal assistance to guide you through the recovery stage. With the right policy, you can receive reimbursement for various related costs. 

What does ID theft insurance cover? Usually, it handles fees associated with restoring your credits. It may pay for legal fees for court hearings and attorneys. If you need to replace your driver’s license or other compromised documents, your policy might cover those costs, too. 

Lost wages can further jeopardize your financial health. Therefore, you might want to find an insurer that covers lost wages and the cost of flagging your accounts with fraud alerts. Bank fees resulting from fraudulent activity are also included in some policies. 

Contact Shell Insurance Agency in Deer Park, TX to learn how ID theft insurance can protect your mind.

Required Auto Insurance in Texas

All Texas vehicles are required to have auto insurance. It’s also the law that you must have proof of insurance with you and show it to police officers when they ask to see it. If you have an auto lender, they will also require that you have this coverage, and they usually require you to have more types of coverage than are required by law. The law requires a couple of types of liability coverage for every vehicle registered in the state. When you need auto insurance, don’t wait. Call us at Shell Insurance Agency in Deer Park, TX.

Liability Coverage

There are two types of required liability coverage, and it must be available in three different amounts. The first amount is bodily injury liability for a single person who is injured in an accident that is judged to be your fault. The second amount is for bodily injury liability for everyone injured in the accident. The third amount is for property damage liability. This pays for the damage to other people’s property, such as vehicles and buildings. All of these amounts are average for other states, but you may want to get more of this coverage than is required so that you can pay for expensive accidents. However, none of this liability coverage will pay for your own damages after an accident that was your fault. 

Other Auto Coverage

The state doesn’t require you to have collision or comprehensive coverage, but your auto lender probably will. Collision coverage is for paying for the damage to your own vehicle if you should cause an accident that damages it. Comprehensive insurance protects you against several different risks when you aren’t driving the vehicle. 

Get Your Auto Policy

Call us today at Shell Insurance Agency in Deer Park, TX when you need auto insurance.