Great Food & The Insured's Responsibility

Happy Holidays! We sincerely appreciate all of you who have allowed Allstate and the Kaiser Agency to serve your insurance needs.

Where's the Food?

Where's the Food is a local food experience that will not break the bank. It's a food truck you will find at the Fringe Brewery in Ferndale most Thursdays and Fridays. I argue it's the best Halibut and Chips in Whatcom County, and the Cowboy Burger is a work of art. Worth the trip to Ferndale for sure!

Your Responsibility as the Insured

Please note that as the insured, it is your responsibility to communicate any and all changes regarding your policies to us here locally or to Allstate when things change.

Address Change — This month I had a customer who moved from Spokane to Bellingham more than eight months ago but had not called or emailed us to change his address. Had someone stolen his laptop, or had he needed his loss-of-use benefits to live somewhere else in Bellingham due to water or smoke damage, he may not have had coverage since we had Spokane as the current address for the renters policy. Unlike a home policy, on a renters policy we can change your address on the existing policy — as we also do on your auto policy.

Adding and Removing Vehicles — You have no more than 30 days to add a vehicle and expect to be covered. If you finance a car, the lender wants the effective date to be identical to the day they loaned you money to buy it. By the same token, if you sold, donated, or traded a vehicle, we will not know unless you tell us. If your request is successful, an email will follow showing it was done.

Who Owns the Car? — If you own the car, you traditionally need your own policy. You do not want to find out your parents' policy did not cover you the day after you bought a new car at a dealership that let you take possession and drive it off the lot — only to have a significant accident on day two. You signed the form saying you had insurance and gave them the proof of insurance for your parents' policy. They may not be covered. Your parents have no insurable interest if you are the only name on the car registration. Call to find out how to fix this if it's already been done.

No Car, But You Borrow One Regularly? — Even if you have your own place but no car insurance because you have no car, if you frequently drive Mom and Dad's extra cars you will need to be listed as a driver on their policy. Believe it or not, as a frequent user — especially if you have access to the keys most of the time — carriers will want you listed as a driver despite living elsewhere.

Can a Married Couple Each Have Their Own Policy in Washington?

While there is no law forbidding it, no large insurance carrier likes the idea in a state where what's yours is mine and what is mine is yours — that includes all liabilities when you are married and not legally separated.

A gentleman entered my office a few weeks ago wanting insurance with $250,000/$500,000 for third-party liability, big limits on property, uninsured motorist, full collision and comprehensive — the works. Twenty minutes later, his wife walked in. She already had an Allstate auto policy with a different agent south of my office in King County with only $25,000/$50,000 for third-party liability coverage.

Anybody see a potential problem? If his wife had an accident, Allstate would stop writing checks at $25,000 or $50,000 depending on the number of occupants in the other car — assuming she was at fault. If the other injured party had legal representation, the lawyer may easily discover that the husband has additional coverage up to $250,000/$500,000. He may be financially liable for his wife's accident damages to the other party. More importantly, his carrier never received any premium for his wife on his policy, potentially resulting in a non-renewal of his policy since he never disclosed that he was married.

All life changes require reporting to the insurance company. Just know that insurance carriers pay services to find whether department of motor vehicles records show that the home address has multiple names listed. In most states, the law says you have to update the authorities within a set number of days when your address changes.

Bundle — Are You Leaving Money on the Table?

If you are not bundling your auto and where you live, that could be a savings of up to 25% on your home because of your car, and on your car because of your home. Why leave your money on the table?

Looking forward to a great 2025 — wishing the best to you and your family!