Mary Belcher Insurance Agent

01/27/2026

We survived Snowmageddon.....now what?

Here are 5 tips to help protect your home, family, and assets!

✅ Clear snow off your roof with a snow rake to reduce the weight on your roof especially for older homes. Be sure to check your ceiling and attic for any leaks in order to get ahead of any major damage or concerns.

✅ Clear utility Vents as deep snow can block your furnace and hot water tank exhaust pipes ultimately causing Carbon Monoxide to back up into the home

✅ Make sure you have working Carbon Monoxide detectors, not only could blocked vents be a cause for Carbon Monoxide, your furnace is working overtime with these fridgid days. A faulty furnace can cause Carbon Monoxide to enter the home as well.

✅ Check for ice dams, it could be heat loss from your home or even heat from the sun in the few days after the storm that can cause an ice dam to build on your roof, be sure to keep an eye on any interior ceilings and walls for moisture and damage. Call a professional immediately!

✅ Be sure to fully clear off your car before driving, not only could you potentially face a misdemeanor charge for reckless driving, it poses a huge threat to other drivers on the road and over time it eventually becomes a catapulting piece of ice which could hold you liable for any damages to another vehicle.

As much as a pain these storms can be, we as Western New Yorkers must remind ourselves, we don't have alligators, Hurricanes, or big weird bugs....which is why we live where the air hurts our face... Be safe out there!

07/20/2025

As an insurance agent I have to burn someone's house down everyday.

This stuff isn't always easy to understand and with so many carriers leaning on AI, online forms, or even unlicensed customer service reps; less people are actually getting their policies explained to them.

Do I expect them to remember every single coverage after we get off that phone absolutely not!

However if they have a fire in their kitchen and they're unable to stay in the home during the repairs, I guarantee you they'll remember something about me mentioning their loss of use coverage!

05/29/2025

I learned a valuable lesson on our trip to Jamaica a few weeks ago.

We sailed out of Miami and my wife is already terrified of planes, add on all the recent events this past year and flying was an absolute no go!

Keep in mind this is also the same family that drove to Vegas for my mother in law's wedding two years ago so needless to say a roadtrip is a part of our vacation ritual now.

As usual I get the Loss Damage Waiver coverage in order to protect us in the event there is any damage to the rental car.

In the last 5 hours of our trip the first day, the cluster panel completely blacked out, I didn't know my speed or how much gas I had left. Thankfully I had just filled up the tank and I always bring my dash cam with me so I was somewhat able to monitor my speed through that.

We then get to the last ten mintues and the vehicle goes into, what I realize now looking back, limp mode. At the time it was terrifying! 9pm in an area we aren't familiar with, total downpour, just trying to get something to eat and finally get to our hotel, and the car sounds like it's blown a head gasket with the RPMs not going down.

I call the rental company and they are able to switch everything out however we can't do it until they open at 6am the next day. Fine, took an hour but everything is squared away, new vehicle, and we're off to Miami.

After returning from our trip, I noticed a $198 charge on my card. When I asked what this was, I was told it was due to having to exchange the vehicle, however since I had paid for the LDW coverage this was taken care of at no cost and was refunded to me with in a couple days. Apparently according to their fine print for this particular company, the LDW coverage is needed even for manufacturer defects. The cluster blacking out is known for happening in the vehicle that we rented. Had I not purchased this coverage since it was a manufacturer defect maybe I could've fought it, made some extra phone calls, filed a complaint, etc but for $108, I didn't have to do that.

Maybe it technically only saved me from being charged an additional $90 but that's what I know they would've charged me. If the vehicle had to be repaired and was waiting on parts, they could've charged me a fee for every day that vehicle sat not being rented out.

This is why it's so important to get the extra coverage, hopefully you won't have to use but when you do it truly can be a life saver!

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03/05/2025

I love this part of my job!

When binding a home we usually have to inspect it in some shape or form whether it's a quick driveby to make sure there are no boarded up windows or getting out to take pictures of the property.

This is my favorite part as it allows me to get some fresh air in the middle of my work day along with getting to meet my clients in person.

Yesterday afternoon was perfect for this! When I pulled up to my last client of the day she was out spray painting a project in her driveway, we were able to chat a bit and get to know each other as people. I also love that I have the ability to bring a little "thank you for your business" gift that people can actually use! Along with this I usually drop off a holder for car insurance cards as well for quick accessability if ever the need arises.

In a world of business via phone and esign, it's nice to bring back some humanity to business and get to associate a face and a handshake to a voice on the phone.

What do you miss the most now that the world has switched to so many automated systems?

02/26/2025

Would you spend $30 to save $600? I did...

I spent $30 and 6 hours of my time in January taking an accident prevention course and it ultimately saved me $200 this year on my auto policy. If my premium remains the same that means I will save $600 over the 3 years that course certificate is valid.

$200 may not seem like a lot when you break it down monthly. Personally, if I can put that $200 a year back in my pocket vs to an insurance carrier, it's well worth my time and $30.

Want to save up to 10% on your auto insurance bill? Dm me and I'll be happy to send you our course resource!

**If you have two drivers and two cars, both drivers should take the course to get the biggest discount.

**If you have young drivers even if they just completed driver's ed have them take it anyways so they can get the discount as well if they have a specific vehicle that they drive on your policy!

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02/23/2025

I helped a kid push his jeep of the curb Wednesday....

It was snowing pretty bad on the way to work and it didn't matter AWD or 4WD everyone was fishtailing. I went to get into the turning lane on cooper and titus and there was a jeep half way on the sidewalk. Next thing I see is this skinny kid with an Irondequoit high school hoodie on trying to get out and assess the situation.

The perk of being a big butch woman is I can usually convince things to move. So I told him to get back in the car and I'd see if I could help push it off. After some wheel turn instructions and some back and forth we finally got all 4 wheels back on the snowy pavement.

I don't tell you this story for praise, I tell you this story because I'm sure most people saw a young kid who may or may not have been driving like a du***ss and decided to let him figure it out.

As an insurance agent and a parent, I saw a young driver who may not be used to driving in this type of weather. We've all done stupid things in our life or made a mistake especially during those teenage years whether we'd like to admit it or not.

Remember this when you're on the roads today and everyday, everyone is just trying to get from point A to point B. Not everyone has AWD or 4WD, not everyone has years of experience driving in snow, or rain. If they are going slow it's for their safety and those around them, be patient and give them room.

Let's normalize getting to our destination safely and in one piece instead of always the fastest way possible.

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02/21/2025

Now that Valentine's day is over, and all this snow has chilled that warm fuzzy feeling, have you been considering breaking up with your insurance?

Maybe they've changed agents on you, excessively increased your bill, or gave you a horrible claims experience.

Whatever the case may be, I'm here to make the process simple and easy!

I'll even make the break up as smooth as that box of chocolates you devoured in a day!

02/18/2025

Do you have a Dashcam?

We recently had an incident with a carrier where they would not accept video footage of an accident because the time and date had never been set correctly on the camera.

I personally own one in my vehicle due to all the insurance scams even before I was in the industry and honestly I never took the time to make sure it was right, sure did that day!

Make sure they are updated whether it's in your personal vehicle or in your commercial vehicle.

02/13/2025

If you were told you had 30 minutes to evacuate your home, what would you take?

We hope it never happens to us but the fact is you never know when or where a natural disaster can strike. Most people automatically go for food, water, first aid kit. The essentials, but what about your important papers? What should you have in your "go bag"? If you are told to evacuate, you want to hope for the best but prepare for the worse, hope your home is still standing and won't be hit, but plan as though it won't be there when you get back.

-Copies of Critical Identification Documents- Social Security Cards, Driver's license, Passport, Birth Certificate. This is important to not only be able to use your credit cards if needed but you may need to show proof of residency upon returning to the evacuated zone after the evacuation.

-Details for all Financial accounts- Bank accounts, Investment accounts, Any loans or credit cards you may have including your Mortgage and Car loan. Write down this information along with any customer service numbers in the event you do not have access to power or the internet.

-Insurance Documents- We live in a paperless world so keep a copy of your dec page as it will have the contact info of your carrier if you do not have your most recent copy that's ok as long as you have your current policy number and the customer service number. Do this for ALL of your policies, if you need to make a home and auto claim, even if it's with the same carrier it will make the process much smoother. Remember after a disaster that carrier is getting bombarded with calls, it will make your claims process so much smoother if you have all of your info at your finger tips. I would include a list of inventory and any receipts for major purchases. You'll want to be able to prove ownership.

-Legal Documents- Wills, Trusts, Power of Attorney, Health directives, I would even include your marriage license in this to be safe. This will make sure your family can handle financial and medical decisions if need be.

-Cash- In the event there's no service to the area you are staying it's recommended you have 500-1000 in cash available.

-Other items- Spare keys to your home and cars, and a padlock in the event you need to store items in a storage facility for the time being

You can purchase a small fire proof safe that can make a quick "grab and go" if you need to exit quickly.

02/11/2025

You don't wake up expecting to hit black ice and slide into the back of someone.

But it happens....

Every safe driver has a moment of disctraction, whether your phone is ringing and you look down to hit the ignore button on your steering wheel, or your child is screaming their head off because they CLEARLY are overdue for a nap.

S**t happens, it's just a part of life.

The real question is are you cruising around town with state minimum coverage because you're a "safe driver" or are you protected in the event of a serious accident?

Your liability limits don't just protect other people in the event you are at fault, they also protect you when the other person is uninsured or underinsured. I've talked with the people we share the roads with and with the constant increase in parts and labor do you really want to roll the dice?

02/09/2025

Happy Sunday!!

Who's ready for the big game today???

Personally at this point I'm just rooting for my squares....

I've recently had some questions regarding umbrella policies and would love to test your knowledge!

Which of the following situations is covered by a Personal Umbrella Policy?

A) A child falls off a backyard playground at an in home daycare, that watches 15 kids. The adult that was supervising was distracted with another child and did not see the child fall. The parents sue and win for medical bills and negligence.

B) You host a wedding on your property and rent a bouncy house. The house is not staked down and blows away in the wind with children inside of it. The kids are fine, but you’re sued for negligence. The families of the children are awarded $100,000 each for mental and post-traumatic stress.

C) Your child and their friends thought it would be a fun idea to steal a car and go 80mph down 390. They lose control of the vehicle and hit 2 other cars and injure the 3 passengers in the stolen car. Your child was driving so they sue you for medical bills and pain and suffering.

Comment your answer below and I'll have your answer next weekend!

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02/06/2025

Every year Flanagan Mills chooses a charity to donate to through our referral program.

Last year we donated $2160 to the Coffee Connection!

This year we are working with Mother's in Need of Others which is now Foodlink Health & Wellness. We had the amazing opportunity to tour the Foodlink facility yesterday!

It was great to see and hear about everything that this organization does for the community!

Want to get involved?
Send us a referral today and help us make an impact. Together, we can create positive change in our community. Let’s make 2025 a year of giving back!