News & Events

Halloween is fast approaching! Soon your neighborhood will be full of ghosts, cowboys, princesses, movie characters, and many more fun, creative costumes. If you plan on taking your children trick-or-treating, here are some safety tips from Acuity Insurance Company you should follow.

• Walk safely and put down your phone. Halloween is a busy time in most neighborhoods. There are kids and adults walking around, and it is important to be careful while you are walking. Cross the street at the corners instead of jaywalking, try to stay on the sidewalk or walking paths, and put your phone down and pay attention to your surroundings.
• Trick-or-treat as a group. If your children are under the age of 12, it is a good idea for them to go with adult supervision. If your child is going with a group of friends, make sure they travel as a group and know the route they are taking before they leave so you know where they will be.
• Select safe but fun costumes. Be sure your child’s costume does not obstruct their vision too much. Whenever possible, try to use makeup or face paint. Also, if you plan on trick or treating at night, it may be a good idea to put reflective tape on the costumes and bring a flashlight.
• Select costume props carefully. Props can be very fun to add to a costume, but make sure that the pointy ends of knives, pitchforks, etc. are smooth and flexible.

So stock your house with candy, finalize your kid’s costumes, and get ready to have a fun and safe Halloween! 

Credit:  Lisa D. 10/28/2016, Acuity Insurance Company.  https://www.acuity.com/acuity-focus/2016/acuity-focus/stay-safe-this-Halloween

Great question.

There are several types of valuation for a home, which I think will help.

Taxable Appraised value is what the county estimates your home to be worth by assigning a “value” to your home based up on the sale amounts of similar homes in the area. Obviously for the purpose of determining property taxes. These figures can be all over the place, are often out of date, and overall just not very accurate…especially for the purpose of insurance.

Market Value is the amount someone is willing to pay for your home in the free and open market at a particular time.  (no foreclosures, etc..) This value can fluctuate quite a bit depending on the economy, area jobs, schools, features, and more. For example: a small one story home may have an estimated insurable value / replacement cost of $100,000. Place that home in an average neighborhood and it may be worth $70,000. However, place that same home lakefront at a popular lake and the market value could be five times that or more.  Place it in San Diego, and well….you get the idea!

The insurance on your home is based on an estimated replacement cost. This is calculated using factors such as style and quality, number of bathrooms, kitchens, foundation type, building materials, zip code, labor rates, and many other details. It is meant to represent the amount of money required to rebuild a particular home in the event of a total loss. This figure also includes other costs such as demolition, debris removal, and added time to work around other surrounding structures. For the purpose of insurance this is the “correct” and most consistent valuation method to go by.

You should notify your agent when your home undergoes any updates, additions, or alterations.  Here at Beck Insurance we also re-evaluate and update replacement calculations on a routine basis to ensure continued accuracy.

Hope that helps!

Joe Beck, Certified Insurance Couselor

The rising health care expenditure is likely to create a hole in one’s pocket. By paying a small amount of the health insurance premium you can mitigate the monetary losses and attain peace of mind. There cannot be a better way of saving yourself against the worries of hospitalization than availing such insurance plans. If you are interested in these insurance plans, give us a call at Beck Insurance. Our service areas include the different parts of Maumee, Perrysburg, Sylvania OH, Toledo and Wauseon OH.

Benefits Galore

Being a policy holder the different benefits that you will be entitled to include,

• Laboratory services
• Newborn and maternity care
• Day care services
• Pre as well as post hospitalization charges
• Reimbursement in non-network hospitals
• Cashless transactions in hospitalization across different medical facilities

The truth is there is nothing more valuable than good health. With each passing day people are recognizing the significance of good health to live to the fullest. Yet nothing in this world is certain. Our life is filled with surprises (bad or good) and uncertainties. We fall sick or meet with an accident or our loved ones face the same. No matter what the case is when such situations occur, it can deplete our savings and also result in bankruptcy.  What’s next? Mail us your queries at  info@beckinsurance.com or dial our toll free number 8774462325. We promise to revert back to you shortly.

Health Insurance and Life Insurance in Maumee, Perrysburg, and Toledo OH. Offering Homeowners Insurance, Motorcycle Insurance, Long Term Care Insurance in Sylvania & Wauseon.

Beck Insurance is ecstatic to announce that we have added Acuity Insurance Company to the list of quality companies we represent!

Headquartered in Sheboygan, Wisconsin…Acuity Insurance Company operates in 26 states and provides property and casualty insurance for consumers and businesses.  Acuity Insurance is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best and also has an A+ rating from Standard and Poor’s.

While Acuity Insurance offers a wide range of products such as Home, Auto, Business and more…..Acuity is a leader in the Truck Insurance, Contractors Insurance, and Manufacturing Insurance markets.

Contact Beck Insurance Agency today to learn more about Acuity Insurance Company and what we can do for you!

Interesting fact:  the flag that fly’s on Acuity’s campus is the tallest symbol of freedom in the United States, measuring nearly 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty!  See here:  https://www.acuity.com/about/flagpole

Rates will be released by, and the Health Insurance open enrollment period starts this year on November 1 and ends December 15th. (for a January 1 effective date)

Please contact us today to schedule your Health Insurance appointment as time and availability is limited. Thank you!

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What’s new in Trucking and Trucking Insurance

An electronic logging device, a driver security system and a new driver wellness app were among a series of brief trucking product and service announcements Saturday ahead of the official start of the American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference and Exhibition at the Orange County Convention Center.

Electronic Logging Devices (Required by Dec. 18, 2017)

Pedigree Technologies introduced a third electronic logging device for its Chrome Solution product line, known as Cab-Mate One. The plug-and-play device takes 10-minutes or less to install, according to the company, and is built on the company’s propriety Chrome Solution platform. It is targeted toward both large and small fleets.

The two other ELDs in the product line are Cab-Mate Open and Cab Mate Connect.

Driver wellness app

On the technology/driver health side, Rolling Strong, a provider of driver wellness programs for transportation companies and their drivers, as well as owner-operators, announced a new mobile app that enables commercial drivers to focus on making healthy lifestyle choices on the road.

Rolling Strong’s new driver wellness app

“The subject of the health and wellness of truck drivers is always being discussed but until now no one has truly come up with a solution that is readily available and fun to use,” said Steve Kane, president of Rolling Strong. “Our new mobile app is designed to help drivers take control of their health, encourage them to adopt healthy lifestyle habits and connect with other health minded drivers for support. It is also designed so fleets can support drivers in their health and wellness efforts.”

The app is available in both iOS and Android formats.

Driver personal safety system

Another service of benefit to both drivers and fleets was also introduced by SafeKey Corp. The provider of professional driver and cargo safety systems, introduced SafeKey Protector, its new driver personal safety system.

It features around-the-clock public safety agency response to driver security, medical and safety emergencies with just the push of a button on a special device that’s about the size of a key fob.

“Fleet and operations managers know they are taking a proactive step to help protect their drivers from some of the known and unknown security and safety issues their drivers may encounter every day,“ said Tom Richardson, business development manager for SafeKey. “Our technology also improves recruitment of and retention of professional drivers while helping prevent cargo theft.”

Expanded insurance

Acuity Insurance continues to write motor carriers and has recently added the state of Texas.

The Wisconsin-based provider that operates in 26 states said it writes a wide array of coverages for trucking including commercial auto, cargo, workers compensation, general liability and more, in addition to more than two dozen insurance enhancement endorsements. Their services also include the Motor Carrier Toolbox, designed to assist fleets in the areas of human resources, safety, compliance, maintenance and driver training.

“Acuity’s Motor Carrier Toolbox simplifies the process of compliance by helping motor carriers understand requirements they face and offering tools needed to assist in meeting those requirements,” said Cliff Johnson, trucking specialist at Acuity.

Credit to Evan Lockridge, Truckininfo.com, October 21, 2017 http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fleet-management/news/story/2017/10/eld-driver-safety-wellness-among-ata-announcements.aspx

Contact Beck Insurance to see what we can offer for your trucking insurance and to learn more about Acuity’s Motor Carrier Toolbox.

Auto-Owners Insurance Company History

Auto-Owners Insurance is the largest property and casualty insurance company domiciled in Michigan.

Auto-Owners success can be traced back from its present management to the early leadership of Vern V. Moulton who, in 1916, organized Auto-Owners Insurance Company in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. The infant Company had no capital and was housed in one room of a bank building.

Auto-Owners operated in Mt. Pleasant for a little less than a year. In 1917, V.V. Moulton literally picked the Company up, placed it under his arm and in his pocket (the Company consisted of one book of policyholders’ names and $174.25 in assets), and moved Auto-Owners to Lansing, Michigan.

It wasn’t long before the Depression began, and Auto-Owners weathered even the lowest point of that era – the bank holidays of February 1933. The Company demonstrated its corporate toughness and financial stability by paying all claims promptly, daily, and IN CASH! The firm was then writing more than $2.5 million in insurance premiums.

Auto-Owners entered the general casualty insurance field in 1940, having previously written only automobile insurance. During the next five years, the Company found it necessary to acquire three more buildings in the vicinity of its main office to accommodate its continued growth. In 1951 it consolidated all of its offices into one home office, which was constructed in downtown Lansing.  Note:  Beck Insurance Agency has been an Auto-Owners agency since 1950!

The Company wrote business in Michigan exclusively from 1916 until 1935, when it began writing insurance in Indiana and Ohio. In the ’40s, Auto-Owners extended operations to include Illinois and Minnesota and, during the ’50s, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Florida, Missouri, Alabama, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina. The Company began operations in Wisconsin in 1969, Nebraska in 1972, Georgia in 1973, Arizona in 1982, Virginia in 1989, Kentucky in 1994, Kansas in 1996, Utah in 1997, Colorado in 1999, Arkansas in 2005, and Idaho in 2006. In November 2009 Auto-Owners began writing insurance in Pennsylvania, its 26th state.

Today, Auto-Owners has underwriting, marketing and claims offices in Lansing, Michigan; Traverse City, Michigan; Montgomery, Alabama; Mesa, Arizona; Little Rock, Arkansas; Broomfield, Colorado; Lakeland, Florida; Tallahassee, Florida; Duluth, Georgia; West Des Moines, Iowa; Marion, Indiana; Peoria, Illinois; Lexington, Kentucky; White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Columbia, Missouri; Charlotte, North Carolina; Fargo, North Dakota; Lima, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Columbia, South Carolina; Brentwood, Tennessee; Draper, Utah; Forest, Virginia; and Appleton, Wisconsin; plus over 60 stand-alone claims branches companywide.

The current Auto-Owners home office is located in a business and residential complex called Verndale, in Delta Township, west of Lansing. This building was constructed in 1975 and has been expanded three times, increasing its size to 404,616 square feet.

The Lansing corporate office services not only Auto-Owners Insurance Company, but its subsidiary companies: Auto-Owners Life Insurance Company, Home-Owners Insurance Company, Owners Insurance Company, Property-Owners Insurance Company, and Southern-Owners Insurance Company. The Lansing branch underwriting and Lansing branch claims offices are also housed in the same complex.

Auto-Owners success evolves from its loyal agents, policyholders and associates. The Companies are represented by more than 6,200 independent agencies, selling personal and commercial property/casualty and life, health and annuity insurance in 26 states. Total associates number more than 4,200.

Auto-Owners Insurance has the highest possible ratings from A.M. Best Company, A++ (Superior), and the Auto-Owners Life Insurance Company is rated A+ (Superior). The companies are also rated very highly in ratings assigned by other nationally recognized independent rating authorities.

To learn more about Auto-Owners contact Beck Insurance Agency today!

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Do you stay in Maumee, Perrysburg, Sylvania OH, Toledo, Waterville and Whitehouse OH and are into farming? Then having a farm and livestock insurance is necessary for you. There are many farm insurance companies in and around the above-mentioned areas. But if you are looking for a reliable company, then Beck Insurance Agency should be your choice. Known for our versatile range of insurance services like auto, homeowner and business insurance, we have a team of skilled professionals who can guide you pick the right insurance according to your requirements.

Still wondering if you at all need this insurance policy or not? Then go through these following points as they will give you an idea about why you must opt for farm and livestock insurance.

• Protection from Accidents-The crops and animals are prone to a lot of diseases and accidents, which could adversely affect the entire investment made by you. This will influence your business and it will take a lot of time for you to recover from the whole situation. However, having a farm and livestock insurance will be advantageous in such situations. The insurance policy will pay you for the loss that you have suffered.

Damage of Property- Calamities can happen at any time. Thus, you have to keep yourself prepared for any kind of crisis situation. A lot of times the property gets damaged due to various mishaps like storms, fire or natural disasters. In such a situation, having a farm and livestock insurance will help because it will cover the cost of property damage caused by any kind of accident.

Safeguards Your Equipment-It is vital for you to protect the various machines involved in livestock and farming. Floods, tornadoes, and fire can damage these equipment and cause a total loss to your business. Having an insurance will help you cope with such a situation. Our insurance coverage includes large tractors and other machinery.

So, if you are in Maumee, Perrysburg, Sylvania OH, Toledo, Waterville, or Whitehouse OH and are looking for farm and livestock insurance services, then don’t delay any more and give us a call at 419-446-2777.

Business Insurance in Maumee, Perrysburg, Toledo, and surrounding areas, including Whitehouse, Waterville, & Sylvania, offering Life, Health, and more policies.