Mckay Bybee State Farm Agency

03/09/2023

With all the snow we have received our office wanted to share some helpful information about preparing for flooding. Fingers crossed our snow melts at a steady pace, and we don’t have to many issues. In case that isn’t what happens we have some tips for you so you and your family can prepare for any flooding that may happen in your area.

First you should know your risk for floods. You can click this link to find out the flood risk in your area. https://msc.fema.gov/portal.

Many people aren’t aware that homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover flooding. You can purchase a separate flood policy through the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program). It can take 30 days for a policy to go into effect so don’t put off looking into a policy if you are concerned about flooding. You can click this link https://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program or contact your local insurance agent who should be able to get you in touch with someone who can get you a flood policy.

Below are some things to do at your home to be ready for any flooding.
Clear debris from gutters & down spouts. Make sure downspouts are pointed away from your home.
Make sure your sump pump is in good working order and that your drainage hose is clear of ice and debris.
If you don’t have a sump pump installed in your basement, you can purchase a portable one.
Move as much of your personal property in your basement to a higher area in your home to avoid water damage to those items.
Make sure you have important documents in a safe and secure location above flood elevation.
Get sandbags in place where they may be needed.
Know your surrounding areas and their tendency for heavy spring runoff.
Monitor weather & take warnings seriously.
Have a 72-hour kit ready to go that includes food, water, radio, flashlights and first aid kit.
Have an evacuation route and plan for your family in case you must leave in a hurry.
Have your vehicle filled up with gas and ready to go.
Inspect basement windows. Look for rotted wood, missing caulk and cracks and make necessary repairs.
Inspect around your foundation and look for areas where water might be pooling up. Repair any cracks using appropriate filler and do what you can to get water to run away from your home.

“Being prepared does not make the crisis disappear. Even if you’re ready, it’s still there, only in more manageable proportions.” -Barbara Salsbury

We do have an optional endorsement you can add to your home insurance policy that can provide some coverage for certain water/backup events. Reach out if you would like to review your current insurance policy. We appreciate all our clients and hope this information helps you and your family feel safe & more prepared.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is managed by the FEMA and is delivered to the public by a network of more than 50 insurance companies and the NFIP Direct.

03/24/2022

With gas prices through the roof call our office to save some money on your car insurance… then you can take your lady to an expensive dinner 😂

05/01/2020

The grades are in for insurance companies! Have you seen what grade your current insurance carrier received? Check out this article to find out what companies are doing during the Covid-19 pandemic and what grade the different companies received! Like a good neighbor State Farm is there!

Washington, D.C. – Companies that sell more than 82 percent of the auto insurance in America have announced that they will be refunding or crediting drivers more than $6.5 billion over the next two months. The payments reflect the insurers’ savings from far fewer-than-anticipated auto insurance ...

03/18/2020

We understand that the earthquake today has compounded a lot of feelings about the state of everything right now. We are here for you. We are happy to answer any questions you have about adding earthquake coverage to your policy or discussing what it entails. Unfortunately, we will not be able to add this coverage to policies until 30 days after the last aftershock (this is standard practice across insurance companies, as the risk for adding that coverage is substantially higher immediately after an earthquake). If you'd like to have a comprehensive discussion about your coverages with McKay, please call our office and we will schedule you for a phone appointment. We are here to support you in any way that we can in these difficult times, and will continue to be available by phone or online during regular office hours. Stay safe & take care of yourselves, we will all get through this.

03/13/2020

State Farm is committed to the health and safety of our associates and minimizing interruptions to our customers as we respond to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus. We continue to serve our customers in multiple ways during this time:
Manage your policies and accounts via our mobile app. You can pay your insurance bill, file and track a claim, or connect with us.
Contact us by phone. You can make a payment, file a claim, manage your account balance or ask a question.

Our office is committed to doing our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19, while still taking excellent care our clients. If it is not absolutely necessary to come in, please utilize the tools mentioned above. Thank you for understanding.

02/19/2020

01/14/2020

TIP OF THE DAY TUESDAY: Do you have disability insurance? Did you know that during the course of your career you are 3 1/2 times more likely to be injured and need disability coverage than you are to die? Give us a call today and we can go over options for disability insurance! Check out this article for some great information on why a disability policy is so important have.

Learn why disability insurance is so important, how it works, and three main ways to get it. Katie Brewer, CFP explains what you need to know.

01/10/2020

FINANCIAL READINESS FRIDAY: Do you have life insurance outside of what you carry through work? Do you know how much coverage you have through your current work policy? Do you know what the term of that policy is? Do you know if that policy goes with you if you leave, retire, get laid off, or become too ill to work? Does that policy extend coverage to your spouse or children? These are important questions, make sure you know the answers to them. Call us for a complimentary review of your existing policy, and we can help you answer these questions. It’s what Good Neighbors do! Check out this article below for some great information on life insurance policies.

Even if you have life insurance through work, you should give serious consideration to getting a private policy on the outside. As the saying goes, never have all of your eggs in one basket, and that’s absolutely true for life insurance. This became most evident during a conversation of someone se...

12/17/2019

Tip of the day Tuesday: A great article on the benefits of securing a life insurance policy while you are young.

Even if you don't have dependents today, signing up for life insurance early can save you hundreds of dollars per year on premiums.

12/03/2019

Tip of the day Tuesday: Always have a life insurance policy outside of work to protect your family.