There are two things that truly make our day here at the Smith Insurance Agency in Rochester NY.  The first of those is referrals.  There is no higher complement that we can be paid than to have our current clients refer us to their family and friends.  The second thing that makes our day?…Testimonials!

It’s not often that a company performs so well that their clients feel compelled to tell them how happy they are.  This is exactly why we get so excited to hear positive comments from our clients, community members, and colleagues.

Below is a testimonial that we received this morning from a long time client.  Can you say the same about your Rochester insurance agent?

“I switched to Gerard Smith Agency two years ago and I am so happy that I did! Ian was very helpful explaining what I coverage I had, and he also showed me some of the other options that were available. Also as a non-captive agency, it is also nice to know that they can and will shop my insurance around to place me with the best insurance company possible. I would recommend them to everyone as they truly do a super job and the service is top notch!”

-Jon F.

Thanks, Jon, for the kind words.  Our goal is to continue to provide you with the best service possible and live up to the standard that we have set!

If you are like most people, then you probably just assume that your home is fully insured simply because you have Rochester Homeowners Insurance.  This may not be the case, and it is very important to review the Replacement Cost that is stated on your homeowners insurance.

Many people confuse the Replacement Cost of a home with its Market Value. Market Value is what you could receive if you were selling your home. Replacement Cost is what it would cost to Rebuild your home. Even the cost to rebuild a brand new home could rise considerably due to the cost of dealing with fire, water, and smoke damage. There are heavy insurance penalties if you don’t have enough insurance to cover the replacement cost of your home, so contact us today to help determine “how much is enough!!”

Visit our website at www.RochesterInsurance.com or call us today at 585-872-5700.

Are you looking for a unique and easy way to raise funds for your booster club, athletic team, girl scout troop, or student group?  Smith Insurance in Rochester NY is here to help with a unique new idea.

How does it work?

The idea is very simple:  Smith insurance will donate $10 for each person who calls in for a home insurance & auto insurance or business insurance quote and mentions your organization!  At the end of a 1 month period, Smith Insurance will present your organization with the check.  Just tell your friends and family to call our agency, then meet us for your money!

Feel free to contact Ian Smith at our office at 585-872-5700 or through our website at www.RochesterInsurance.com

Smith Insurance Rochester NY Fundraiser Program

As a result of our Facebook Charity Contest, we pledged to volunteer for 10 hours at Camp Good Days and Special Times in Rochester.  Julie, Michelle, and Kristen from the Smith Insurance Agency in Rochester, NY were able to join the staff at Camp Good Days to help sort wine for their upcoming wine dinner!  Looks like they had a blast!!

Travelers has named Gerard P Smith Insurance Agency of the 3s agencies inRochester,NY, as a recipient of its prestigious Insurance Agent of the Year Award.  Agents are elected for this award as a result of their high achievements in their respective lines of business.  The recipients are specifically chose for achieving goals of long-term profitable growth for their agencies, dedicated to high-quality customer service and for their commitment to Travelers.  The Smith Insurance Agency recently accepted the award at the Travelers annual Personal Insurance leadership conference for its top independent agents and brokers.

“The individuals selected for the Agent of the Year award like Gerard P Smith Insurance Agency exemplify the standard of what it means to be a business leader within the community,” said Greg Toczydlowski, President of Personal Insurance for Travelers.  “Each of the award recipients demonstrates the highest level of motivation and commitment it takes to do it right and be a top agent in our industry.”

Gerard P Smith Insurance Agency is a family owned and operated independent agency that has been located in Webster, NYsince 1966.  The agency provides Personal Insurance solutions like Home, Auto, and Life insurance, and Commercial Insurance solutions like New York State Workers Compensation, General Liability, Business Insurance, Commercial Auto insurance, and much more.  For information and quotes on insurance coverage, please visit the Gerard P Smith Insurance agency at www.RochesterInsurance.com or call 585-872-5700.

Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance.  For more information, visit travelers.com.

How your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance can cover you even away from home

A Rochester NY homeowner’s insurance policy doesn’t only protect you and your ‘stuff’ while you’re at home. It also protects your belongings away from home. For example, if your radio was stolen while you were taking a walk down the beach? It’d be covered.

If your camera slipped out of the bag fell overboard from your boat? It’d be covered.

Even the stuff that you have in your car (on a road trip, or in everyday life) is covered by a homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance policy.

But there’s more. A Rochester homeowner’s insurance policy doesn’t only cover items. It also provides liability protection.  Because, if you accidentally damaged somebody else’s property or, worse, hurt somebody, you could be held liable.

And if you are held liable for medical expenses or loss of income, you could be in debt for the rest of your life.

A Rochester New York homeowner’s insurance policy or Rochester NY Renters Insurance policy can help you out. Please call the Smith Insurance Agency in Rochester NY at 585-872-5700 for more information.

How much “stuff” to you have? No, seriously: If you were asked to reel off a list of your possessions, how many would you recall? How many would you forget? Almost as important, how long would it take? The answers may not seem important now but, if you ever find yourself making a Rochester NY homeowners insurance claim, they could make all the difference not only to how much you get but also the hoops you may have to jump through to get it. Plus, knowing exactly what you have could make a big difference to the extent of your insurance protection since many policies stipulate the maximum amount they will repay. So, if you underestimate the value of your possessions – and you’d be surprised how quickly it adds up – you may not have adequate protection in the first place. The solution is simple – taking a home inventory and keeping it regularly updated. This ensures you have an accurate record and will save you endless hours of brain-racking if you have to  make a claim or file a crime report.

Today, Smith Insurance in Rochester NY would like to show you how smartphone and tablet applications can make this task a snap – see our regular apps report on the back page. But even if you don’t use a mobile this way, there are other ways you can approach the task. Here are some tips to help:

• Spread the task over time. It can be time consuming even with technology to help. Do one room at a time.
• Record a video or series of photos for each room so, if you have nothing else, this will jog your memory and provide proof of your possessions.
• Create a paper or computer spreadsheet and move around the room in a clockwise direction, noting and valuing each item or grouping each one (e.g. “120 DVDs, worth about $1,000)
• Note the date and if you can, include both how much they cost and what you think they’re worth now.
• When you buy anything of value, add it to the list immed-iately but otherwise quickly review the list  once a year.
• Keep it safe along with receipts for major items. No use having an inventory in the house if it burns down or the safe is stolen. Store a copy with a relative, online or in a bank safety deposit box.

If you don’t have an inventory (and most of us don’t) commit to doing one now!

Its never too early to start preparing for a homeowners insurance claim, so get started…and make sure that you have enough coverage!

Protecting Your Restaurant

Your staff is arguably the most important part of your Rochester restaurant. Whether it’s the chefs and cooks who are responsible for amazing food, the waiters and waitresses who take care of your customers,  or the management who keep everything running smoothly, your people are important to you.  It’s important to have the right Rochester Restaurant Insurance!

No restaurant owner wants to see anyone get hurt on the job: not only is it awful to see a coworker hurt, but it can affect your business and can also lead to a costly workers’ compensation claim.

Check out these ways to protect your workers, and lower your New York Workers Compensation costs:

• Get training: Take the extra time to train your employees in the safest way to do their jobs. Maybe it’s a way of carrying trays to avoid back injuries, or maybe it’s how to use that shiny new meat grinder properly. Regardless of the job, a little extra training can prevent extra injuries.
• Get smart: Keep a record of where and when injuries occur. Is there a loose mat in the kitchen that causes slips, or are there frequent burn injuries? You may see a physical problem that needs fixing, or an area where more training is needed.
• Get covered: An Erie Insurance Employee Liability and Workers’ Compensation policy covers employees’ costs in the case of injury and will even help you settle cases and defend you in court.

Smith Insurance in Rochester can  help keep your employees and your restaurant safe.  We have risk control consultants can help you perform a safety audit, recommend training, help with accident investigation and generally make your life easier.

The Smith Insurance Agency in Rochester NY had the pleasure of meeting with the directors of a local charity – ArtPeace – to learn more about their organization….and write them a check for $500!!!

ArtPeace took second place in the Smith Insurance Charity Contest by accumulating 861 votes on their submitted photo!  It was wonderful to learn about the programs that ArtPeace is running for local kids and how they are helping through music and visual arts!

Check out the photo of Smith Insurance in Webster presenting ArtPeace with their winnings!

Smith Insurance donates $500 to ArtPeace in Rochester NY

Alarming new statistics show that one in every 20 Americans has now been a victim of identity theft and the crime is climbing by about 13 percent a year. Did you know that your Rochester NY Homeowners Insurance can protect you? Identity theft involves somebody pretending to be you. It leads to a wide range of crimes, from people using your credit card information to make purchases to those who use your name to get loans, get healthcare and even get a job.

Crooks get their information from a variety of sources including stolen cards and records or by piecing together information that’s publicly available on the Internet. Personal details, like credit card and Social Security numbers are traded in the crime underworld for about a dollar each.

Often, victims don’t find out about the crime until they get a huge credit card bill or a finance company chases them for an unpaid debt.

There are lots of things you can do to reduce the risk of becoming a victim. You’ll find plenty of guidance on a special website set up by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at http://tinyurl.com/ftc-id-theft-guide. But even the most stringent precautions can’t totally protect you. So, can and should you insure against the risk? It depends.

First, it’s important to know that with credit card fraud – the most common type of ID theft – the limit of your liability is usually $50. The card companies have to eat the rest. Banks also have to carry the burden of debit card and check fraud. Likewise, if someone steals your ID to claim a tax refund, the IRS will normally still honor your entitlement.

Other instances may result in a substantial loss for which you may need insurance in Rochester – loss of earnings for example.   You may find you already have some protection in your homeowner’s insurance policy, so check that first. Additional, separate coverage may be available but as with most types of insurance, this will have a deductible and a limit on the maximum payout. Some policies will provide a counselor to provide advice on clearing your name and unraveling the mess that often follows in the wake of identity theft, which could be a real plus.

Ultimately, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to avoid giving away personal information and to regularly scrutinize bank and credit card statements. The sooner you take action, the less impact the crime will have.