Author Archives: spivey

With Memorial Day right around the corner, it means summer is here and boating season is underway! For those who pine for the open sea, there’s nothing that compares to a day out on the water. However, boating can be a pricey hobby…even canoes can be costly. Also, depending on what type of boat you have there can be a lot of risks involved. This is where boat insurance comes into play!

Although most people don’t like to think about the extra cost that goes into having an insurance policy, it may be a wise decision to relieve your mind and let you fully enjoy your boating experience. Also, it may be necessary since some marinas or yacht clubs won’t let you dock without proof of insurance.

Within the insurance industry there are generally three categories of watercraft: Boats (Under 25 feet, 11 inches in length), Yachts (Generally 26 feet or longer in length), and Personal Watercraft (Jet skis, wave runners, and other personal watercraft).

There are few things in life that are riskier than launching and running your own small business. With the amount of time and money put into the business, it’s neglectful to extend the financial risk by not insuring your business. In order to preserve those long hours and help you sleep better at night, it is suggested that every small business should have three types of insurance: liability, property, and workers compensation insurance.

Workers compensation is required by state law for persons with one or more employers. However, it is wise to also at a minimum purchase both liability insurance and property insurance. For one, small businesses are more at risk financially because they have far more to lose and lack the amount of resources that larger companies have access to.

With small business insurance, the key is to insure for the worst and hope for the best…continue reading to learn more about property and liability insurance for businesses and to learn some tips to save you the most money!

 

With the Mississippi River at record levels and all of the actions taken to try to control the flooding, everyone has the dangers of a flood on the mind. In Memphis, TN the river crested at almost 48 feet, which is 16 feet above flood level and close to the record 48.7 feet from 1937. The latest action taken, the opening of the Morganza spillway a major floodgate which hasn’t been opened in four decades, has caused a mass evacuation and could affect up to a 3,000 square mile area and up to 25,000 people. While many are being affected, this option was the lesser of two evils and protects the more populated cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans along with the many oil refineries and chemical plants along the lower reaches of the Mississippi.

While many of those being affected are warned yearly that they are in a danger zone, most never believe something like this could happen to them. However, there are several ways that people can be prepared for a flood to best minimize the damage physically, finicially, and mentally. Continue reading to learn about the many ways to be ready in case something like this were to happen to you!

With Mothers’ Day around the corner, it’s the time of year where everyone starts thinking about all of the things their mother did or still does for them. From patching up “boo boos,” to chauffering you around your whole entire childhood, a mother essentially works all kinds of jobs. But with everything they do, how much is a mother truely worth?

At Spivey Insurance Group, we’re always eager to hear from the people that matter most….our customers! We know the only way our business can serve you better is by listening to what you have to say. So let us know what’s on your mind. Did you have a good experience with one of our friendly and helpful agents? Did they save you a lot of money on one or all of your policies? Then type it up and share your experiences with everyone on the testimonials page of our website. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Continue reading to hear from some of our customers who have already shared their experiences with Spivey Insurance!

With the record amount of tornadoes that have touched down in the United States in 2011, maybe it’s time to get yourself ready in case one hits your town. So far in just the month of April, there have been more than 600 reports of tornadoes across the US. Although that number only takes into account those reported or sighted and not actually confirmed, the number is still huge for a single month (the previous high confirmed in April was 267 in 1974). More that 100 tornadoes have been reported in both Alabama and North Carolina, with the average annual in NC normally being only 19 tornadoes. On just the weekend of April 16th, over 60 tornadoes hit the state and caused widespread damage. Are you ready to learn about how to prepare you and your family in case one of these damaging whirlwinds strikes your area? Continue reading to learn some steps to be ready!

                                        *Tornado reports April 1-24, 2011 in the Central and Eastern U.S.

According to the House Rabbit Society, thousands of baby rabbits are purchased as gifts every year for Easter or used as props for the holiday. However, what most people don’t know is the amount of commitment it takes to having a rabbit as a pet. Did you know that rabbits can live anywhere from seven to ten or more years and require the same long-term care as dogs and cats? Most people don’t, and that is why many of them are left abandoned in the weeks and months that follow the holiday when children get bored with them or parents realize that they can wreck havoc on a home. Once the novelty of Easter wears off, the interest in the pet bunny fades and it is left to fend for itself in the wild or given away to an animal shelter. Still interested in purchasing a rabbit for Easter? The following are some things to consider before adding a furry friend to your family pets….

All over America, people put themselves in the line of danger on a daily basis in order to make a living. Some of the most common jobs are the ones that are the most treacherous to work. Across the country, the rate of occupational fatalities is 3.3 deaths per 100,000 workers. However, many deaths are unrelated to the work itself; four in 10 workplace deaths in 2009 took place while driving. Additionally, another 18% involved assaults and homicide. However despite these facts, there are some professions that statistically stand above the rest as the most dangerous to work. While miners and cops put themselves in harm’s way on a daily basis, it is the commonly mundane jobs such as farming and roofing that statistically workers have more to worry about.

According to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, the following were the top 10 most dangerous jobs in America in 2009.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, fatalities related to teenage driving accidents in North Carolina totaled 250 in just the year of 2008. That stunning statistic is why teenage drivers have the highest risk factor. For both men and women, drivers aged 16 to 19 years of age have the highest average annual crash and traffic violation rates of any other age group. A recent study done by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Companies found that teen drivers are involved in fatal crashes at four times the rate of adults. But why is this?                                             

The study found that of the 800 crashes they researched, 75% were due to a critical teen mistake with three common errors accounting for nearly half of all the serious accidents….

With the big hail storm that happened on Saturday, April 9th in the Charlotte area, people all over are scrambling to repair all the damages that occurred due to the wind and hail (some hail was the size of golf balls!).

Here at Spivey Insurance Group we’re working to get your claims identified and get you the help you need. We recognize your needs and appreciate your patience while we work at the process with the abundance of claims we have coming in. Continue reading to look at some of the videos caught all throughout the Charlotte area of the damaging hail and severe wind!

 

Ever since 1983, April has been proclaimed as the National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Since then, child abuse and neglect awareness activities have been promoted across the country during April of each year. The Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) within the Children’s Bureau coordinates Child Abuse Prevention Month, providing information and releasing updated national statistics about child abuse and neglect each April.

Shaken Baby Syndrome is a form of child abuse that is frighteningly being seen all over the United States more and more. An estimated 1,200 to 1,400 cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) occur each year in the United States. Only 1 out of 4 babies dies of Shaken Baby Syndrome. HOWEVER, the other three babies will need ongoing medical attention for the rest of their short lifespans.

What is Shaken Baby Syndrome?

Continue reading to learn about Shaken Baby Syndrome and what you can do to prevent it and get involved in spreading the word.

 

With North Carolina thunderstorm season in full force (it typically lasts from March until late fall, with the most damaging storms occuring from March to July), are you prepared and ready to protect your family from property damage and injuries? Everyone always has the attitude that damage or medical problems can never affect them when a storm hits. However, over the last ten years there have been over 6000 reports of large hail and damaging wind statewide resulting in over thirteen million dollars in damage. Thunderstorms have also been responsible for a number of injuries and even deaths in the state resulting from lightning, high wind and tornadoes. With these statistics, are you ready for the next severe storm?