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In This Issue
Personal Use of the Company Car
Home Inventory
Short Term & Long Term Disability
Your Agent Steve Davis
steve

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Columbia River Insurance Services is a professional agency dedicated to providing our clients with the best insurance protection and service possible. We will strive to use the industry's most superior products while maintaining affordability.

 

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Fax: 1.360.285.6000
1503 NE 78th St Ste. 1A 98665 
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Fax:503.808.1118
13343 SE Stark St. Ste. 200 97233
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Holiday Wishes

 

During this holiday season we would like to say thank you to all our clients. We wish you a very Happy Holiday. Enjoy time with family & friends and have a happy new year!

Personal Use of Company Vehicles
      

Providing company vehicles for employees or business owners to use either while at work or while away from work can be very beneficial to the employer as well as the employee. However, there are a few issues of which we want to make you aware. Generally speaking, employees who utilize company vehicles are automatically covered under the company's insurance. We always recommend that you notify our office to make sure there are no coverage issues. Here are a few procedures you should have in place when allowing employees to drive company vehicles:

  1. Restrict use to the employee only.
  2. Require all passengers to wear seat belts and follow traffic laws.
  3. Inform the employee that this privilege can be taken away at any time for any reason.
  4. Require drivers to sign a statement that lists the restricted uses of your vehicle and acknowledges that the worker understands and agrees to follow company policy.
  5. Make sure workers know what to do in the event of an accident, and equip all vehicles with accident reporting kits and cameras.
  6. Periodically inspect all vehicles and investigate the cause of any unreported damage.

There are tax issues of which you also need to be aware; we recommend you consult with your CPA for these issues. 

 

Advantages of a Home Inventory

 

Would you be able to remember every item you have accumulated over the years if they were all gone? If your home is damaged, or totally lost due to a fire or other event, having a home inventory will help you recover all your personal property with the least amount of time and stress. Having a home inventory is the easiest and best way to deal with insurance claims after a disaster or loss. This also expedites the claim process, making it easier to be paid.

 

Creating a personal home inventory helps in calculating how much your personal property is worth. Knowing this ensures you have an accurate value to insure. If you have too little coverage, you would not have enough funds to replace lost property; and if you have too much coverage, you are paying higher premiums than you need to. Here are a few more reasons to develop a home inventory:

 

* It helps settle claims accurately and promptly

* It provides documentation of ownership and         value

* It helps with estate documentation

* It preserves your heritage

 

Additional Tips:

 

The best way to start your home inventory list is to go room by room. Take on three rooms per day, and you will be done in no time. Send a copy of your personal home inventory to our office; we would be happy to keep the written records as back-up for you.

 

Short Term & Long Term Disability

 

Most people insure their material possessions-their homes and cars, for example. But many of these same people don't insure what is probably their most valuable asset - their ability to work and earn income. Disability insurance is designed to replace your income should you become unable to work at your current job. Disability insurance is important because it can ease the financial burden on a household when someone has a serious illness or injury. There are two basic kinds of disability insurance:

 

Short-term disability insurance covers a percentage of your lost salary should injury or illness knocks you out of work for more than a few days. Payments generally kick in when you have exhausted any available sick leave. Duration of benefits varies by policy, but six months is typical.

 

Long-term disability insurance is a more typical insurance product in that it protects you from catastrophic illness or injury, including tragic twists of fate that permanently end your ability to earn a paycheck.  These policies usually pick up where short-term disability policies leave off. Some last only five or 10 years, but you want one that covers you until age 65.