As summer rapidly approaches, many of us begin doing more outdoors. It can become a wonderful and very busy time of year with lots of driving with and among younger inexperienced drivers, as well as some who may have been enjoying their fun in the sun a little too much.

Laven Insurance wishes everyone a fun filled and safe summer. And we remind you to be especially mindful that warmer weather does add responsibility to your recreational activities, be it RVing, boating, driving on vacation or perhaps simply listening to a good baseball game on the radio.

If you have questions about your coverages or just want to be sure you are fully prepared for the summer season, please all upon us to be a trusted resource for you, your family or your business.

Happy Summer!

Linda (Laven) Bernth

· The Importance of Insuring to Value

· Identity Theft: What You Should Guard

· Flood Insurance: Who Needs It?

· Medicare Open Enrollment Changes 2011

· Choose the Right Property / Casualty Coverage

What happens if you loan your car to someone and they have an accident while driving it? If you lose your engagement ring, is it covered under your homeowners policy? If you're not sure you have enough insurance, and the coverage that's right for you, call us at Laven Insurance. We are your best source for information for the questions above and many more like it on how to protect the home you've made, the car you drive, or business you've built.

It is vital to keep your insurance coverages updated. If they aren't up-to-date, you may be bitterly disappointed when settling your claim for anything you've lost or has been damaged. You are "insured to value" if you've purchased enough insurance to cover the total cost of rebuilding your home and replacing all your belongings in the event that you would suffer a "total loss". The cost to replace your home and possessions may be greater than the actual market, or cash value of your home and possessions. For more information call us at 574.291.5510.

Identity thieves are almost everywhere because it is lucrative. Be on guard against these points of access to your life.

They get information from businesses or other institutions by:

• stealing records or information while they're on the job
• bribing an employee who has access to these records
• hacking these records with a computer or other electronic device
• conning information out of employees

They may steal your mail, including bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, new checks, and tax information.

They may rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or public trash dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving."

They may get your credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to them, or by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have a legal right to access your report.

They may steal your credit or debit card numbers by capturing the information in a data storage device in a practice known as "skimming."  

They may swipe your card for an actual purchase, or attach the device to an ATM machine where you may enter or swipe your card.

They may steal your wallet or purse.

They may complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.

They may steal personal information they find in your home.

They may steal personal information from you through email or phone by posing as legitimate companies and claiming that you have a problem with your account. This practice is known as "phishing" online, or pretexting by phone.

So, please consider these targets identity thieves use and protect them by limiting access to your private information as much as possible.

It doesn't matter where you live... you could experience a flood at ANY time!

Everyone living in a participating community of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) can buy flood insurance. Just because your home is not mapped within the 100-year flood plain map, does not mean that you are free from the potential to flood. FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) show areas subject to flooding from a primary flooding source, typically major rivers and their tributaries, and are meant to help determine the risk of flooding for a property.

Flooding from sources that are not identified on the FIRMs is possible and can occur often. Many homes flood because excess storm water cannot drain into a storm drainage system fast enough to prevent localized ponding from reaching the inside of a home. On a national basis, one-third of the flood loss claims are from property located outside of the mapped flood plain. This does not mean the FIRMs are wrong. It simply means that not all flooding sources are mapped and that more severe floods can occur than the ones mapped.

Laven Insurance can get you the flood insurance you need. Call us at 574.291.5510.

In the autumn of 2011, the Annual Enrollment Period dates will change to give you more time if you want to choose and join a Medicare health or prescription drug plan.

You will be able to switch your coverage between October 15, 2011 and December 7, 2011. If you make a change during this period, your new coverage will begin January 1, 2012.

Every year you should familiarize yourself with the changes in Medicare, so you can make sure that the Medicare plan you have is the right one for you.  If you have any questions, please call Laven Insurance at 574.291.5510.