Hicks Insurance Group

01/09/2026

Insurance Alert!! Hey everyone, if you need help with liquor liability coverage in SC, please give me a shout. I have access to a new carrier. Liquor liability has been a challenge for many in SC for awhile.

10/28/2024

Insurance Alert!!! For all of the business owners who are listening. If you have employees and you have them run errands, or complete tasks for your business while using their personal vehicle. Make sure, make sure, make sure you have the hired/non owned endorsement added to your policy in case they have an accident while working for you. This endorsement to your general liability policy costs very little and can save you big in the event of an accident. Also, most personal auto policies will deny a claim if the vehicle was being used for business purposes. So make sure you have your people and their vehicles covered. If you have any questions, just reach out.

10/24/2024

Insurance Alert!!! This is for those that run a business out of their home. Don't assume the equipment you use for your business is covered under your homeowner policy, or don't let your agent tell you that it is. There is a very limited coverage provided in most homeowner policies for business equipment. Normally, 2,500 is the max. This limit will be listed in your policy jacket. To be adequately covered, have your agent write you a business owners policy. This will provide coverage for your equipment, tools, etc. and extend liability for the work that you perform.

10/15/2024

Insurance Alert! Remember, if you have any sort of customization to your vehicle, personal or commercial, you need to have that customized part endorsed to your auto insurance policy for the actual value. Otherwise, you will not have coverage if you have a claim and it's not endorsed. Basically, if it didn't come from the factory on the vehicle, it needs to be endorsed to your policy. Example, service bodies on commercial trucks, lift kits, rims, custom paint job, extra lights on passenger vehicles, modification to stock motorcycles, etc. Hopefully, your agent has let you in on this secret of the insurance industry. This detail is listed in the policy for your auto insurance, but most policy holders and unfortunately some insurance agents don't read that policy manual.

10/07/2024

Insurance Alert!!!! Restaurant Owners! I was recently reviewing a general liability policy for a long standing restaurant here in Florence that has had their coverage for several years with the same agent. The general liability policy was missing 3 vital coverages for the restaurant industry and the customer had no idea. The biggest being LIQUOR LIABILITY. If you do not have this coverage and you serve alcohol, you are leaving yourself very vulnerable in today's world! The second would be CYBER coverage. You need this coverage if your customers data happens to get compromised when you swipe that card for payment. The next would be HIRED / NON-OWNED AUTO, when you ask an employee to run an errand while on the clock. Long story short, the insured was paying 11,294 for the old policy and I was able to secure all of the coverages mentioned on top of what they already have for 9,808. Let me know if I can help!

09/30/2024

Insurance Alert! It will be interesting to see, how the powers to be step in to help the hurricane victims. I would venture a guess that most people in the mountain areas didn't have flood insurance. Along with that homeowner policies exclude mudslides.

09/25/2024

Insurance Alert!! For all flood policies there is a standard 30 day waiting period from the effective date, unless you fall into one of the categories below.
The standard waiting period for flood insurance is 30 days, but there are some exceptions:
Policy renewal
You can avoid the waiting period by changing your existing policy at or just before its renewal date.
Federally backed lender
If the coverage is required by a federally backed lender, there is no waiting period.
Community flood map change
If the coverage is related to a community flood map change, there is no waiting period.
Newly designated high-risk flood area
If a home or business is newly designated to be in a high-risk flood area, there is no waiting period if you purchase flood insurance within 13 months of the map update.
Wildfire-affected federal land
If your home is affected by flooding on burned federal land, there may be no waiting period if you purchase an NFIP policy within 60 days of the wildfire containment date.
Damage done before the effective date of your policy will not be covered.

09/25/2024

Insurance Alert!! If you need it insured, you better hurry. Some carriers have already issued a moratorium due to the pending storm. The rest will soon follow.

09/09/2024

Insurance Alert!! You can file this little tid bit away for when It's needed. If you have a non fault accident and require the assistance of an attorney, please make sure to tell them right up front not to file on your insurance policy, unless it's absolutely necessary. Sometimes, it may be necessary, due to the at fault party, policy limits being exhausted. But many times, it's not needed. Once they file a claim on your policy, not only will you have the non fault wreck on your driving record but you will also carry a claim surcharge for at least 3 years. In my experience, the attorneys automatically file on both policies to drive up the amount paid out.

09/06/2024

Insurance Alert! The insurance premium you pay for your auto insurance is directly tied to your credit history. Insurance companies will call it an "Insurance Score" but, it is heavily weighted on your credit score. It also includes your accident and insurance claim history. When you quote your insurance, the carriers will make a soft hit to your credit, and your insurance claims history. It takes about half of a second. Once the score is obtained they will apply your score to their rating system to give you a price. Most insurance companies these days use a company called Lexis Nexis to give them your insurance score. Lexis Nexis pulls all of the information and assigns a score between 200-997.
The higher your score the better your insurance premium.

08/27/2024

Insurance Alert! Every claim you may file on your auto insurance whether it be a tow, a deer wreck, windshield, non fault accidents, any claim will impact your premium for at least 3 years and for some carriers now, 5 years. Hopefully you can speak directly to your agent when these situations arise and you need guidance. If you can’t ever seem to get in contact with actual agent, I’m only a call, text or email away. 843-687-9184, [email protected]

08/21/2024

You owe it to your bank account to check your insurance premiums.

I just quoted an Allstate insured. Current premium on two vehicles, $1,593.03. I was able to find the same coverage for $548 every 6 months!