Click to Call
Texas Independent Insurance

1020 W. Exchange Pkwy, Suite 2130
Allen, TX 75013

Get Directions

Featured Insurance Blog

Why do people need to have motorcycle insurance?

Owning a motorcycle in Allen, TX can be a good option for many people. If you do purchase one here, you need to carry motorcycle insurance at all times.

There are various reasons why this coverage is considered a necessity:

Reduce Risks

One of the primary reasons to get an insurance plan for your motorcycle is to reduce your risks of ownership. There are always going to be risks that come with owning and operating a motorcycle and a motorcycle insurance plan can mitigate many of them. With a motorcycle insurance plan, you will be able to offset your liability risks that can come with causing an accident. It also can be used to offset the risks associated with your motorcycle being damaged in an accident or stolen as you can receive support to replace the asset. 

Owners Often Have Requirements for Coverage

It also would be a good option to get a motorcycle insurance plan as it could be a requirement. Most people that own a motorcycle are also going to be required to carry motorcycle insurance. If you have taken out a loan when you bought the motorcycle, you will likely need to carry a policy to comply with any lender standards. In Texas, motorcycle operators are required to carry liability insurance if they want to drive it on a public road. With a proper motorcycle insurance plan, you can stay in good standing with such requirements. 

Give Us A Call

Having motorcycle insurance is a necessity if you want to own or purchase a motorcycle in the Allen, TX area. Once you are ready to start looking for coverage, it would be a good idea to call Texas Independent Insurance. The team with Texas Independent Insurance will give guidance that can help you build your next policy to protect your motorcycle. 

What Happens If I Don’t Have Boat Insurance?

Not having boat insurance could be disastrous, as it’s the only way to protect your financial interests if something goes wrong. Even a minor accident on a boat can be catastrophic, as they often have a high value and are hard to repair or replace. 

Not having the insurance can even put your financial well-being at risk in the future, as you might lose your homeowners’ or renters’ insurance if the policy has a clause that bans boats from your property. You can contact Texas Independent Insurance in Allen, TX for navigating this important insurance coverage.

Boat Insurance Coverage: What You Need To Know

Not having boat insurance can lead to serious financial repercussions if something happens to your boat and it can’t be used anymore. The insurance comes with a variety of benefits, including liability coverage, medical coverage, and sinking coverage. With sinking coverage, your boat will be covered if it sinks due to circumstances beyond your control, like a flood or storm. Liability coverage pays for any costs associated with damages or injuries that happened due to negligence on the part of the boat’s owner. 

Boat insurance is mandatory in some states, and it’s a good idea to have it even if it’s not required. Without boat insurance, you won’t have coverage if your boat causes property damage, injuries, or even fatalities. If you’re ever in an accident, you won’t have legal representation on your side. Not having boat insurance may seem like a good idea if you’re on a tight budget, but it’s a risk you shouldn’t take. 

You may not have thought about it, but a sudden drop in temperature can cause your boat to become frozen in the water. If you don’t have insurance and your boat becomes frozen in the water, you may be stuck with significant repair bills. It may be obvious, but you also need to have the right level of cover if you have passengers on board. Passengers may not be covered by your policy and you may be held responsible for their injuries. If you don’t have insurance, you may also be unable to replace your boat if it’s damaged beyond repair. 

Give Us A Call

Not having boat insurance leaves you with very little protection in case of an accident or emergency. The consequences of not having insurance are severe – you could be sued for damages, or even lose your boat if you cause a serious accident. 

You also risk losing your license if you’re caught without the required amount of liability coverage. The other party would likely sue you for damages, and you wouldn’t have any way to pay for it. Texas Independent Insurance in Allen, TX is here to offer you expert insurance advice.

How Umbrella Insurance Works

There are many common types of insurance that are needed by large numbers of people. These include auto and home insurance policies. If you have both of these insurance types, there is a way that you could be better covered. Getting umbrella insurance can increase your amount of specific types of coverage. If you want to know more, call us today at Texas Independent Insurance in Allen TX. 

How Umbrella Insurance Works

Home and Auto Insurance

When you have both of these types of insurance policies, you have several types of coverage in each policy. One of these is your liability insurance. Not having much liability coverage is highly common, and that can leave you with a big financial problem. If you don’t have enough liability coverage, you could end up owing a lot of money after a serious accident that costs a lot in medical bills. To get more of this coverage for both policies, all you need is umbrella insurance. It costs much less to get umbrella insurance than it would add more coverage directly to both policies. 

The Umbrella Insurance Process

When an accident has happened and there are injuries that require medical attention, your auto or home insurance steps in first to pay what it can toward those bills. However, they can only pay up to the policy’s limit. Anything after that is overage that you are responsible for unless you have umbrella insurance. When you have an umbrella policy, it comes in after the home or auto policy and pays what is left over. Umbrella policies have extremely high maximums that are likely to pay anything left over. 

Get Your Umbrella Insurance

If you could use more liability coverage for both your home and auto insurance, give us a call today at Texas Independent Insurance in Allen, TX.

Will flood insurance cover damage to the foundation of my home?

Your house’s foundation is the structural foundation of your home. Your home sits on top of your foundation. However, as time goes on, your foundation may crack and settle. Other things may also happen that affect the structural integrity of your home. Flooding is a natural disaster that can severely compromise your home’s foundation. Our  Allen, TX team of licensed and experienced agents at Texas Independent Insurance can help homeowners answer questions regarding their foundation in relation to flood damage.

What Does Flood Insurance Cover?

Flood insurance has the ability to create peace of mind because it covers a broad scope of different things. For example, flood insurance covers damage to your personal belongings, furniture, carpeting, cabinetry, electrical and plumbing systems, and much more. Best yet, flood insurance covers damage to your home’s foundation if the damage resulted from a flood. Homeowners should make a distinction between a foundation that’s been compromised due to flooding and one that’s sustained damage from age, wear and tear, and gradual settling. A flood insurance policy will only cover a foundation that was damaged as a direct result of a flood. 

Flood Insurance and Your Foundation

Fortunately, flood insurance will pay for the repair or replacement of your foundation if your foundation sustains significant water damage from a flood. A standard homeowners policy doesn’t provide this type of coverage for damage caused by flooding. This is one reason why people who live in flood zones opt to purchase flood insurance.

Contact Us Today

If you’re a homeowner who has questions about flood damage coverage, give us a call at Texas Independent Insurance. We’d be happy to answer all of your questions. Our Allen, TX team is committed to educating homeowners on the benefits of flood insurance. 

ABCs of real estate investment insurance

Texas Independent Insurance wants to help the real estate investors in the greater Allen, TX area. If you are concerned about the risk that your real estate investment portfolio presents, it’s time to look for an appropriate insurance policy. Give our office a call today and let us help you find the policy that’s right for you.

Protect your real estate portfolio with investment insurance

When it comes to real estate, investors know just how much risk is involved. And, there is the added complexity of an ever-changing portfolio. Your holdings may vary from month to month, but your need for protection never will. 

With the right policy, you will be able to make changes to the pool of covered assets in real-time. You can find protection for:

  • Vacant land – even if you haven’t begun a development project, you can still protect your investment.
  • Rehab properties – this may be a lot of risk to take on, but there are policies available that can protect you while you get your property ready for the next tenant.
  • Occupied properties – perhaps on the lower end of the risk scale, these properties still need protection. And, it is easy to convert vacant properties to occupied within your portfolio.

These policies are available with a variety of different protection levels and you will oftentimes be able to choose your level of deductible. Fully customizable protection is what you need, and fortunately, there are such options available. 

Let’s work together

Allen, TX area real estate investors can turn to Texas Independent Insurance for all of their insurance needs. If you would like to learn more about the real estate investment insurance options that are available in our area, call or stop by today. We look forward to working with you!

Is Renters Insurance Needed?

Many renters assume that their landlord’s insurance policies will protect their personal belongings, but that is far from the truth. A landlord’s policy will cover the home or apartment that you reside in and any belongings that they own, but not your items. For some, renters insurance may not even be an option with many landlords now requiring a policy within your lease. 

It is easy to underestimate how many belongings you own and if you are debating if renters insurance is a must you should take inventory of all your belongings by opening every drawer, closet, nook and cranny to establish the value of all your items. By adding the value of your clothes, electronics, furniture, and everything else you own together you’ll likely be very surprised by the high figure. 

 Renters insurance does more than just help cover the cost of damaged belongings after a covered incident, it also can pay for housing after a disaster. Otherwise known as “loss of use” or “additional living expenses” coverage, this portion of your policy contributes towards the cost of a hotel or alternative living arrangement should your rental be inhospitable while being repaired. Additionally, renters insurance also includes liability coverage should a third party be injured while at your rental or even off the premises depending on the specifics of the policy. 

Most importantly, renters insurance protects your savings and net worth because it safeguards you from having to pay out of pocket to replace belongings when disaster strikes. At Texas Independent Insurance in Allen, TX we can help you determine if renters insurance makes sense for your circumstances. Give us a call today or stop by our conveniently located office to learn more information. 

How to Choose the Best Boat Insurance Policies to Meet Your Needs

Are you planning on buying a boat or have you purchased one recently? If you plan to operate it, you’ll need at least a basic insurance policy. You’d benefit from talking to an agent from Texas Independent Insurance, which serves Allen, TX and beyond. 

Basic Types of Boat Insurance 

Two main types of boat insurance exist. You’ll want to know the difference between them before choosing what’s best for your needs. 

An agreed value policy covers the value of the boat at the time of writing the policy. There isn’t any depreciation on the value when you experience a total loss. 

An actual cash value policy does factor in depreciation. It only pays up to the actual cash value of your boat, determined at the time it’s deemed to be a partial or total loss. Once your boat ages, your insurance agent probably will recommend that you get this type of policy. 

Boat Insurance Coverage Types 

Boat insurance covers a range of boats and other types of watercraft. You can get a policy for your yacht, sailboat, dinghy, charter or other professional boats, and rentals of boats and watercraft. You also can get coverage for boat clubs, which will cover each member of the club while they’re operating a boat. 

All-Risk Policies and Beyond 

The type of coverage you should have depends on how and where you use your boat. Since you can’t always predict changes to what you do with your boat, it’s in your best interest to get an all-risk policy. 

Even though this tends to offer the best possible protection, it doesn’t cover all loss types. This is why it’s important to ask about extra coverage, typically called an umbrella policy. Some options that may be available to you include uninsured boaters liability, towing and assistance, medical payments, and personal effects. Keep in mind that most policies do cover equipment that’s permanently attached. 

The agents at Texas Independent Insurance of the Allen, TX area can assist you with finding the right policy type for your needs. Reach out to us today and discuss your situation and needs to get boat insurance coverage. 

Add On Coverage Options That Motorcycle Riders In Texas Should Consider

Texas Independent Insurance assists the Allen, TX community. We proudly serve as an independent agency. We offer our clients multiple types of policies so that they can protect their assets. We work closely with multiple carriers throughout the state. This allows us to provide flexible coverage options.

Add On Coverage Options Motorcycle Riders Should Consider

Motorcycle riding is a popular hobby throughout Texas. If you own a motorcycle, insurance provides a safety net as you ride throughout the state and beyond. The policy covers any damage to your motorcycle as a result of a collision. Liability coverage protects you if your motorcycle accidentally damages someone’s property or injures them. Liability coverage also covers your passenger’s medical treatment if they are injured while riding with you. You can also opt for comprehensive coverage, which covers your motorcycle if it is stolen or damaged due to a natural disaster moving through the area. Motorcycle insurance policies are versatile, which gives you the opportunity to add special types of coverage.

Custom Parts Coverage

If you plan to modify your motorcycle, you can add custom parts coverage. Custom parts coverage ensures that the enhancements to your motorcycle are covered if you are a victim of theft or involved in an accident. You can add custom parts coverage to your moped or classic motorcycle as well.

Roadside Assistance

Perhaps you are planning to travel out of Allen, TX on your motorcycle. If your motorcycle breaks down, roadside assistance will ensure that you receive urgent service. This gives you peace of mind during an emergency situation.

Storage Coverage

During lengthy periods where you don’t plan to ride your motorcycle, storage coverage protects your motorcycle while you have it parked. The policy is a safety net if a hurricane moves through the area and damages the storage facility.  

Texas Independent Insurance Will Help You Protect Your Assets

Visit our website to learn more information about motorcycle insurance.

What is umbrella insurance and why should I have it?

The best way to describe umbrella insurance is as protection for your hard-earned assets. It adds an additional layer to the liability insurance that you already have. At Texas Independent Insurance in Allen, TX, we are independent insurance agents and we work for you. With our connection to the finest carriers in the insurance business, we can make sure that you have coverage that is customized to suit you and your needs. 

Many people think that you only need umbrella insurance if you are wealthy. Nothing could be farther from the truth. If you have any assets, you need to protect them. It doesn’t matter whether it is thousands of dollars or millions of dollars, they are your assets and they deserve protection. 

An umbrella policy is excess liability insurance. What it does is add an additional layer of liability coverage to a policy that you already have. Without a policy with liability coverage, you can’t buy umbrella insurance. Think of umbrella insurance as an umbrella and you are your asset. The rain, hail, or snow are all the things that can go wrong and result in your being involved in legal action. The umbrella protects you from getting wet. The umbrella insurance keeps your assets from being lost to a judgment against you. 

Insurance policies that have liability coverage include home, condo, rental, auto, motorcycle, and boat coverage. If you are sued, the first line of defense is the liability coverage you have on one of these policies. If the expenses go beyond this coverage, your umbrella policy will cover up to the limit on that p[policy. Most umbrella policies are for one to five million dollars. Given legal expenses and judgment sizes, this makes good sense. 

Contact Texas Independent Insurance in Allen, TX for all your insurance needs. 

3 Benefits of Flood Insurance

Just because floods haven’t hit your home, it doesn’t mean you won’t encounter floods in the future. Floods are the most common natural disaster in the US. Unfortunately, your typical home or business insurance doesn’t cover floods. For this reason, you need a flood insurance policy from Texas Independent Insurance in Allen, TX. This way, you will reap the below benefits.

Protection of your assets

It has taken you a lot of time and resources to put up your home. Unfortunately, floods can bring down what you have worked so hard to build in a matter of minutes! Thankfully, you can purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to protect your house up to $250,000. However, you can increase your coverage by purchasing flood insurance through private carriers.

Similarly, flood insurance protects your assets like clothing, electronics, and furniture from floods. With flood insurance, you don’t have to start from scratch whenever floods strike in your area.

Protection of your loved ones

Your home is a safe haven for you, your loved ones, and your pets. But can you imagine what would happen if floods destroyed the place your dear ones call home? Your loved ones can be rendered homeless by floods, but when you have flood insurance, your house will be repaired, restoring your home.

It gives peace of mind

Since weather can be unpredictable, floods can strike anywhere and anytime. If you are worried that a storm will come and destroy everything you have worked so hard to build, you need to invest in flood insurance. Flood insurance gives you the comfort that your home will be repaired or rebuilt when floods strike.

Buy flood insurance today in Allen, TX!

You don’t have to live within a coastline to experience floods. If it rains in your area, flash floods can occur anytime. So, instead of doing nothing by hoping that floods won’t strike, you better invest in a flood insurance policy from Texas Independent Insurance to keep you safe from floods.

Get a Quote Instantly

Why Work With Us?

  • Locally owned and operated
  • We work for you, not the insurance companies
  • We offer unbiased insurance reviews
  • We represent multiple top-rated insurance carriers
  • Rate Shop Guarantee- If your insurance rates increase unfairly at renewal, we will automatically re-shop your insurance
  • Service your policies from our website or app 24/7

Testimonials

Partner Carriers

  • AIG
  • Allstate
  • American Modern Insurance
  • American National
  • Anchor Insurance
  • ASI Lloyds
  • Bankers Insurance
  • Banner Life Insurance
  • Berkshire Hathaway GUARD
  • Bristol
  • Chubb
  • CNA
  • Foremost
  • Hagerty
  • Hippo
  • Infinity
  • Kemper
  • Liberty Mutual
  • Lighthouse Insurance
  • Lloyds Insurance
  • Maison Insurance
  • Mercury Insurance
  • MetLife
  • Nationwide
  • Philadelphia
  • Progressive
  • Safeco
  • State Auto Insurance
  • Texas Mutual Insurance
  • The Hartford Insurance
  • Travelers
  • United Healthcare
  • UPC
  • USLI
  • Zurich