Dear Editor, As we look at the damage caused by Hurricane Ian in Florida and South Carolina—and prepare for the possible damage caused by Hurricane Nicole—we say our prayers and think about how New Yorkers would fair in this type of disaster. The answer lies within...
Stated amount coverage: What clients need to know, what you need to tell them
Insuring on a stated amount basis usually offers little benefit to the insured. From the insured's perspective, a few things can go wrong when the stated amount fails to exactly equal the cash value of a property at the time of loss. One predicament your insureds...
No nightmares this Halloween
You’ve spent weeks preparing for Halloween. Pumpkins are carved. Bowls of candy sit near the front door. Costumes are donned. However, is your homeowners insurance ready? Do you know the answers to the what-ifs? What if a child falls on your walkway and the parents...
N.J.: Introduced bill would require liability insurance for handguns
Legislation was introduced in the New Jersey Legislature this month that would require certain gunowners to carry liability insurance. The bill (A-4769/S-3214) would require any person in the state who carries a handgun in public to maintain liability insurance...
Inflation challenges: Help your clients prepare
Inflation impacts all aspects of our lives—but it is having an outsized impact on the cost to repair or replace cars and homes. Data reveals that 20% of homeowners don’t know how much they pay for home insurance[1]—so chances are, many will not anticipate the impact...
How credit reports affect insurance scoring and how often they need to be updated
Insurance scoring is when insurers use a score, which is based on a policyholder’s credit history, to screen potential customers for underwriting acceptability. Originally, the scoring methodology was developed in the context of evaluating loan applicants. Credit...
Items in storage units may not be covered by a HO policy
So, it used to be that if clients asked you if their homeowners insurance policy covered their property anywhere in the world, you could reply: “Yes. However, if they are in another one of your residences, then coverage is limited to 10% of the limit shown in your...
Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance to cease writing certain HO risks
Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Cos. announced it will no longer write certain classes of homeowners’ risks. In a notice sent to GUARD agencies at the end of June, the carrier stated it would no longer accept new submissions for homeowners coverage for any property...
Guidance through the claims process: A carrier’s perspective
Independent agents have relationships with various insurance carriers. Each carrier has its own set of tools and resources to help agents educate their clients about what will happen when they file a claim—before, during and after. By working together, agents and...
Why sell a renters policy to a client when it only pays you $25 in commission?
The short answer: Bigger profits! (For the long answer, keep reading below.) It’s no surprise that many homeowners start as renters first. There’s a logical progression to it. Well, according to recent research,[1] renters who move on to home ownership don’t move on...