Teen Driver by Vladimir Srajber As parents, the safety of our teenage drivers is paramount. With road accidents constituting a significant risk for young drivers, leveraging technology to enhance their safety isn't just smart; it's essential. Telematics for vehicles is a game-changing technology that is making driving safer for teens everywhere. What Are Telematics? Telematics systems combine GPS technology, onboard diagnostics, and real-time monitoring to gather detailed information about a vehicle's operation and the driving behavior of its operator. This technology can track a variety of da ..read more

Living Room by Home Decor Interiors In the aftermath of an unexpected event, such as a fire, theft, or natural disaster, having a comprehensive home inventory can be a lifeline. This detailed list of your possessions not only aids in the homeowner insurance claim process, but also helps in the recovery and replacement of lost items. Understanding the importance of a home inventory and knowing the most effective ways to create one are crucial steps in safeguarding your assets. Why a Home Inventory is Crucial A home inventory is invaluable in providing evidence of ownership and the condition of ..read more

Boat Loaded on a Trailer by dimitrisvetsikas1969 Owning a boat can make weekends and vacations fun and memorable. Follow these tips to help ensure that when you’re towing your boat you’re being as safe as possible to lower the risk of accidents and unwanted insurance claims. Make Sure Your Vehicle Is Powerful Enough for Towing Many people underestimate the amount of power they need to tow a boat. It’s actually better to overestimate the power necessary than to fall short. The general rule of thumb is you need at least 15 percent more capacity than the weight of the boat fully loaded plus your ..read more

We are extremely honored and thrilled to share the exciting news that our agency has been presented a formal “Proclamation of Congratulations” by the Macomb County Board of Commissioners. Presented by Commissioner Joe Sabatini, a framed certificate of the Proclamation was given to firm Vice President James Barr at a ceremony held on February 7, 2024. The Proclamation reads, in part: “Whereas Gompers, Cornish and Barr Insurance Agency continues to serve the Macomb Township community…generously [volunteering] their time and resources to various local programs. They recently adopted a family th ..read more

BuySide, a publication from the Wall Street Journal, recently published an article asking the headline question, “What Is an Insurance Broker—and Do You Need One?” The article, appropriately subtitled, “Get help determining how much insurance coverage you need without any of the legwork,” intends to educate consumers regarding the difference between independent “brokers” and “captive” agents. The article presents, in part, the following explanation: Do I need an insurance broker? If you need several insurance policies, you may benefit from working with an insurance broker. A broker can help y ..read more

Taking Care of Your Home Could Have Twice the Benefit By Lauren Dallas, Personal Lines Manager As we’ve been sharing with clients, both in person and in our newsletter content, the costs to insure a home continue to rise, across the spectrum of insurance carriers. While recovering from historically high catastrophic loss and claims themselves, insurance companies are finding it necessary to pass along some of their own incurred costs to their policyholders. In the worst-case scenarios, some carriers are pulling out of certain markets (such as homeowners) or entire states. This makes carrier-sw ..read more

Painting Materials Beside a Ladder by Blue Bird If you’re planning a home improvement project, you probably have many contractors available to choose from. How do you pick the right one that will get the job done safely and without liability issues? Follow these tips. Get Word-of-Mouth Recommendations One of the best ways you can find a contractor is to ask friends and neighbors who have done remodels or additions you like. Ask about things like: Was the contractor punctual and reliable? Did the project come in on or under budget? Would they hire the contractor again? Read Online Reviews Onl ..read more

Useful Downloads and Documents for Protecting Your Property and Assets from Dangerous Winter Conditions With these frigid Winter temperatures upon us, it's important to be mindful of tips to prevent the pipes and sprinkler systems in your home or business from freezing, which could lead to significant damage to the property and its contents. Our friends at Cincinnati Insurance Companies share some helpful reminders, tips and other useful content on Winter Preparedness. Please feel free to view and download these documents to make sure you're not leaving anything "out in the cold" this Winter ..read more

Modern Kitchen by Mark When you tackle home improvement projects, it’s wise to prioritize those that add the most to your property’s value, especially if you might put your home on the market in the next few years. Here are the renovations that give you the biggest return on your investment. Kitchen Remodels If you’re like most folks, you probably spend a fair amount of time in your kitchen, even when you have guests. For this reason, making over your kitchen will usually let you recoup your investment in equity or a higher sale price. Common remodeling elements include: Replacing appliances ..read more

Four Actions You Can Take to Help Mitigate Rising Homeowners Rates By Lauren Dallas, Personal Lines Manager Annual increases in property insurance — whether dwelling/homeowners coverage or commercial property insurance — are not unusual. We typically see dwelling coverage increases around 4% to account for standard inflation from year to year. But homeowners approaching renewals this year are seeing significantly higher increases in their dwelling coverage— in part due to higher-than-historical inflation — sometimes increases of 10% or more.  When the dwelling coverage increases, so does ..read more