People often question the value and need of a personal umbrella policy. At Gibson, we recommend them as part of every personal risk management program. In today's litigious society and with the increasing court award amounts, it makes perfect sense to have the increased protection.

Sandy devastated the non-hurricane prone Northeast and, for good measure, it left a blizzard in West Virginia. Preliminary estimates are as high as $20 billion, and this number is only for insured losses. To add insult to injury a Nor'easter left behind record snowfall totals from New Jersey to Maine just 8 days later. However, the impact on insurance rates is not likely to be significant despite the estimates of it being the third costliest storm in U.S. history.

For the 19^th consecutive year, Gibson has earned Best Practices status from Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA).

Important Changes To Citizens Property Insurance Policies!If you have a home in Florida that has an insured replacement value over $1M, it's important to know that your options for insurance in the Florida marketplace are now extremely limited. Consult with your advisor prior to making any changes to your current Florida policies. If you receive a notice that your policy is affected by this 01/01/13 change, contact your advisor as soon as possible.

The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day has been dubbed by auto club AAA and Volvo as "The 100 Deadliest Days" for teen drivers.

On the heels of our recent post about the need for a clear understanding of Identity Theft Coverage, we came across this story. It highlights the vulnerability of identity theft due to the latest technology in debit and credit cards: Radio Frequency Identification or RFID.

What does it cover? And is it necessary to purchase additional Identity Theft Coverage?

Do you worry about someone hacking into your computer and stealing your private information? Many of us bank, manage credit cards, report our income taxes online, and use social media websites. All of these sites are password protected and that means we’re all aware of the importance of keeping our passwords to ourselves or sharing with others in a secure fashion.

Do you ever think about your sump pump?

While many of us are glad school is in session, the countless extra-curricular activities that go hand-in-hand with the school year are in full gear. From football practice to French Club, each day brings new opportunities for parents everywhere to practice our favorite avocation—family shuttle service operator. And if your family is like my family, you’re probably shuttling not just your own kids but your kids’ friends as well.

While we’re mostly concerned with just getting our brood and their belongings sanely and safely from home to activity and back again, have you ever thought how those additional passengers would be covered by your auto insurance policy in the event of an accident? For instance, if you were held liable as a result of an automobile accident in which one of your kids’ friends got hurt, would your policy provide coverage for that child?