First Time Home Owners Guide: Owning Your First Home in Idaho

Purchasing your first home in Idah is a significant financial decision, and you need to get everything right. Understanding the process and the available options ensures you make an appropriate decision. This guide has helpful insights if you plan to buy your first home. 

Insurance is a complex subject, and many first-time homeowners don’t understand it well. The insurance premiums depend on the associated home risks, and working with a local insurance company is better. A company within your locality understands the area and will guide you accordingly to know your needs and risks. 

Here is what you need to know:

Understand Your Budget

When buying a home, the first step is to evaluate your budget. This allows you to know your affordable monthly expenditure on your home. To understand this, you should:

  • Assess your savings mode
  • Tally your monthly debts and expenses
  • Know what you earn monthly

Save for Your Down Payment

You’ll need a specific cash amount to fund the purchase. Your down payment should be between 3% and 20% of the buying price. Other expenses include money to cater for closing costs and moving. 

Gather Mortgage Paperwork

While you don’t require a loan before accepting a home offer, starting the mortgage process earlier is best. Most lenders need considerable paperwork to show your monthly payment ability. Gathering the required documentation takes time, but doing it earlier prevents unnecessary delays. You want to prepare the following:

  • Up-to-date W-2s
  • Tax returns for the past two years
  • Recent pay stubs
  • Up-to-date bank statements
  • Other investment and asset statements

Engage a Reputable Insurance Agency

Purchasing a new home is an excellent investment endeavor, and you don’t want to get anything wrong throughout the process. If you want to avoid pitfalls, engage insurance professionals. Contact us today at Insure It All for assistance. 

Do I Need More Insurance if I Make Deliveries With My Car?

If you drive your car to make money, you may have concerns about your insurance coverage. Most people don’t go their vehicles for a living, making coverage terms a little trickier to navigate. Insure It All presents this article for all Idaho Falls, ID personal delivery drivers.

Delivery Contractors Are Different From Employees

Delivery contractors are covered by a different set of insurance requirements than employees. In the eyes of the law, self-employed individuals are their bosses. As a result, they’re not entitled to the same benefits as an employee, such as car insurance.

If Your Delivery Partner Offers Insurance, It’s Probably Not Enough

If you’re a delivery driver, you need to check with your app partner about insurance coverage. Some companies, such as Amazon and Door Dash, will offer an excess range if you are in an accident with damages exceeding your policy limit. However, you are required to have a personal policy first. Others, like GrubHub, need you to have your policy and offer zero coverage.

Coverage You Should Have

Some insurance companies will insist you get a commercial auto policy for using your car as a work vehicle. Business use has risks that aren’t usually faced by personal service. Even if you aren’t required to get commercial insurance, you might need added coverage for your existing policy. Some companies even offer a particular type of insurance just for delivery drivers.

Bottom Line

Keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for insurance. Your specific needs will determine what kind of coverage you need. Ask your Idaho Falls, ID agent at Insure It All for more information.

Are There Any Discounts Available On Farm Insurance?

If you operate a farm as a business and not just a hobby, you may be eligible for a commercial policy that is generally less expensive than a standard policy. If you grow crops instead of raising livestock, you may be able to reduce your insurance costs further by purchasing a crop insurance policy. As with other types of insurance, the more risk you can reduce by implementing safety precautions, the lower your premium will be. You can consult Insure It All at Idaho Falls, ID. 

Discounts on Farm Insurance

You may be eligible for a reduced premium through the Farm Risk Reduction Program if you own a farm. To qualify, your farm must have a minimum value of $500,000. You must also meet one of the following criteria:

You must have a minimum gross income of $5,000 from the farm over a 3-year period. You may need a total of $1,000,000. If you are a tenant farming a property you do not own, you may be eligible for a reduced premium through the Tenant Farm Program. To qualify, your farm must have a minimum value of $250,000. You must also meet one of the following criteria: You must have a minimum gross income of $5,000 from the farm over a 3-year period. 

You may be able to save money on your premium by taking steps to prevent claims. Some common ways to get discount points include keeping your policy up to date, installing safety equipment on your property, and installing preventive measures like storm shutters on your windows. 

Contact us

Some insurance companies offer a multi-year discount if you renew your policy before the cutoff date. This can save you up to 10% on your premium. While these policies may be required, they may also offer the opportunity to bundle them with other types of insurance to reduce the overall cost. For help in Idaho Falls, ID, call Insure It All.

What size business needs workers’ comp?

Each state in the US passes its own workers’ compensation insurance laws. These laws detail which businesses must purchase the insurance and which, if any, industries the state exempts from purchase. Insure It All explains which Idaho Falls, ID businesses must buy workers’ comp insurance to comply with state law.

Businesses Who Must Purchase Insurance

In Idaho, any business with at least one employee must purchase workers’ comp insurance, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). While some solopreneurs purchase this insurance to protect themselves, the state doesn’t require it. If a solopreneur hires an assistant or other employee, the business has to buy a policy.

Exemptions to Purchase

Exemptions to the requirement to purchase do exist. They include very specific situations, including:

  • a household hiring domestic workers, such as a housekeeper or butler
  • sole proprietors employing members of their own family who reside in the same home
  • agricultural plane pilots (crop-dusters)
  • realtors working on commission
  • businesses hire casual employees for occasional or irregular work unrelated to the employer’s type of business

The exemptions require some clarification. If your business is bed and breakfast, you can’t claim that the domestic workers qualify as home housekeepers. The exemptions for sole proprietors do include some family members living outside of the home, but not typically. You should first check with the Idaho Industrial Commission to ensure that you will not violate the law.

Example of Casual, Occasional Employees

Here’s an example of a business hiring a casual, occasional employee unrelated to its type of business. Suppose you hire a landscaping service or groundskeeper to upkeep your commercial building’s hedges and lawn, but your solopreneur business caters for events with fabulous cakes. In that case, you do not have to purchase workers’ comp insurance to cover the lawn crew who mows the grass every two weeks.

Let Insure It All help you properly insure your Idaho Falls, ID business. Contact us today about workers’ compensation insurance for your company.

4 Benefits of Toy Insurance

If you have a boat, ATV, snowmobile, or any other toy in Idaho Falls, ID, you know the fun these assets give. Unfortunately, your happy moments can easily be ruined when faced with accidents. However, when you purchase toy insurance from Insure It All, you can have all the fun without worrying about mishaps. Here are the benefits of toy insurance.

Liability protection

While using your toy, you can cause injuries and property damage to other people. Suppose you are using your ATV, only to hit a rock and veer off the road, injuring the bystanders. Without liability coverage, you will have to pay for the ensuing medical expenses from your pocket. Liability claims can easily wipe out your finances.

Asset protection

Your toy doesn’t come cheap. And because it’s valuable to you, you must invest in insurance that protects your asset. Toy insurance pays you for the repairs and even the replacement of your toy when calamities happen. And the best thing is that toy insurance covers you even when parked. So, when burglars break into your property and vandalize your toy, toy insurance can come to your rescue.

Medical payments coverage

You don’t always expect accidents, but they can occur even when having fun. Worst yet, the aftermath of an accident can leave you reeling from injuries. Thankfully, toy insurance can pay for your medical bills to help you recover from your injuries.

Peace of mind

When you have invested in toy insurance, you don’t have to worry about the safety of your asset. You don’t have to keep your mind occupied worrying about liability claims. Toy insurance gives you peace of mind by assuring you everything will be okay even after calamities.

Toy insurance in Idaho Falls, ID

Ready to get started with toy insurance? Please get in touch with Insure It All for affordable coverage.

Who Can Buy Flood Insurance?

Floods are one of the most common natural disasters in the United States. They can cause significant damage to your home belongings and even put your life at risk. Flood insurance is a must for homeowners with federally backed mortgages and who live in Special Flood Hazard Areas. However, those are not the only homeowners that need to purchase flood insurance. The following are four additional reasons why you should purchase flood insurance.

1. You Live In A High-Risk Area

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designates two types of areas as being the highest risk for flooding – Special Flood Hazard Areas are those that have a 1% or greater chance of being flooded each year. The second type is a Moderate-to-Low Risk Area for flooding. If you live in either of these areas, you will need to purchase flood insurance.

2. You Have Experienced Substantial Damage From Flooding Before

If you have experienced damage due to flooding in the past, then it would be wise to purchase flood insurance for your home. This is because homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover the damage from flooding.

3. You Live In Areas With Undetermined Risk

If you live in an area where the risk of flooding is undetermined, it would be wise to purchase flood insurance. While being in this area doesn’t mean that your home is at high risk for flooding, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t either.

4. You Would Like Extra Protection On Your Property

Although flood insurance is not required for all homeowners, it does provide extra protection against the many risks of flooding. This can be a great asset to have in addition to a homeowner’s insurance policy. Remember, flood insurance covers your home and possessions from damage caused by flooding, not other events such as earthquakes, fires, and robberies. Be sure to check with your insurance company for more details on how flood insurance interacts with your current homeowner’s policy.

Need Flood Insurance in Idaho Falls, ID?

Flood insurance is an important type of insurance for homeowners in any location. If you would like to learn more about getting flood insurance for your home, contact Insure It All today.

What is Group Benefits Insurance?

Have you considered Group Benefits Insurance, and do you know what it is? Insure It All serving the residents of Idaho Falls, ID is available to assist you with any questions.

Group benefits insurance is a type of insurance that you purchase as part of a group, usually requiring approximately 70% participation. You cannot purchase it as an individual. The type of group benefits insurance you would buy usually falls into two main categories.

  • Health Insurance, including dental options
  • Life Insurance

Group benefits insurance is popular with employees and employers, particularly those who work in high-risk environments. When you purchase insurance as part of a group, there is the chance that the insurance premiums will be more affordable. Another great benefit of group benefits insurance is that you may be able to get the insurance you were declined for as an individual because all group members share the risk.

Group benefits insurance in the workplace is also a great way to attract employees. The larger the group is, the better it affects the overall rate you pay for your own policy when it comes to group benefits insurance. Health insurance, in particular, is pricey, and a reduced premium, especially for those with larger families or with health issues, is attractive.

Group benefits insurance is not limited to employers and employees. Formal groups or societies may also purchase group benefits insurance for their members.

Contact Insure It All!

If you are a member of a group or part of a large workforce, it is worth considering group benefits insurance. Please speak to the professional people at Insure It All serving the residents of Idaho Falls, ID today about your options!

Tips to Find the Right Health Insurance

The options when it comes to figuring out what health insurance to plan to go with can be completely overwhelming. Unless you only have one or two plans to choose from, you may have no idea where to start. 

Think about what you really need. If you are generally healthy, you may just want some insurance to cover anything catastrophic that could happen. If you have some health problems, you may want to choose a plan that will help you to get healthy and stay that way! You are going to want a plan that will help pay for specialist visits and blood work. If you already see someone, you are going to want to make sure that you can see them with the plan that you choose.

Learn the terms. Before you even start looking, you need to know what a deductible is, as well as your premium. If you are rather healthy, you may be able to get away with a smaller premium, as long as you don’t mind paying more if something happens. If you go to the doctor a lot, you may want to pay more each month, instead of shelling out a lot of money for each visit.

You need to use caution when searching online. There are a lot of scams out there, so use caution before you put your information on random websites to get health insurance. They could steal your information quickly and easily. 

If you want to make sure that you have the right health insurance plan, don’t hesitate to contact us today at Insure It All in Idaho Falls, ID. We will help you find a plan that fits your budget and your needs. 

Why do you need group benefits insurance in Idaho?

Having proper insurance protection is very important for all people and employers. When you are assessing your different insurance options in the Idaho Falls, ID area, creating or joining a group benefits insurance plan can be a good option. There are various reasons why joining or building one of these plans could be good for you and your organization. 

Provide Benefit to Employees

One of the reasons that you should invest in a group benefits insurance plan is that it is a way for you to provide a benefit to your employees. Today, finding good staff is hard, and providing good benefits is a way to attract more employees and applicants. Most employees are going to be looking for benefits and health insurance when comparing jobs. Getting a group benefits insurance plan can help you provide this benefit to your team members, which can help find and retain a talented workforce. 

Reduce Costs Per Person

Another advantage of getting a group benefits insurance plan is that it can help to reduce the costs on a per-person basis. When it comes to insurance, costs tend to go down the more people that you have one plan. This is because the overall cost is more predictable and less risky for a large portion of people requiring serious care. 

As you are assessing your options for a group benefits insurance plan in the Idaho Falls, ID area, it would be helpful to contact the team with Insure It All. If you are going to speak with the team at Insure It All, you can learn more about how this form of coverage can help you or your business. They can also help you build a plan that will give you and your group quality coverage. 

Getting Health Insurance in Idaho

Health insurance is one of the most important types of insurance that people have. It allows you to mitigate your risk of medical problems and to have medical bills paid. However, there are so many choices in health insurance that it can be hard to pick just the right policy. Whether you are an individual or a business shopping for insurance, there are several insurance companies that offer health plans in Idaho. If you need more information about health insurance in Idado, call us now at Insure It All in Idaho Falls, ID. 

The Cost of Health Insurance

With several companies offering coverage in the state and the many plans they each offer, it can be hard to estimate what you will pay before you have compared rates between a number of companies. Your age and general state of health is usually the basis of a health care rate, though there can be other factors such as your occupation and hobbies. They may also consider the geography you live in as well as whether you smoke and what your family composition is. Some of these places you at more risk than others and come with a higher price tag. 

Types of Health Insurance

In addition to the many factors that go into a health policy and its price is the type of policy that you want. These can be for individuals or to employees via an employer. They can also be catastrophic policies, which only kick in after a high deductible is met. There are also plans that cover a lot of expenses and have smaller deductibles. The type you choose is all about the price and what is covered by the policy. Even if you have a small budget, catastrophic insurance may be able to fit into it. 

Your Health Insurance

If you need health insurance, call us at Insure It All in Idaho Falls, ID.