I’m a coastal agent who insures a lot of secondary homes. At my agency, I have been watching water-damage claims closely for years. When our area gets a deep freeze, we do have a fair number of large claims due to water damage. However, weather is only a part of...
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed S.4254 /A.4075 on Oct. 30, 2021, as part of an animal welfare legislative package. The bills—sponsored by Sen. Michael Gianaris, D-12, and Assemblywoman Deborah J. Glick, D-66, respectively—prohibit carriers from using the breed of a dog...
The New York State Department of Financial Services announced today that it has finalized changes to the continuing-education requirements for insurance producers. What’s new? All licensees will be required to take at least: one hour of insurance law per licensing...
Earlier this week, Shannen Doherty—known for her roles in “Charmed,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” and “The Secret of NIMH”—won her court case against State Farm after the insurance company refused to adequately cover damages sustained to her home in California, after a...
Do you have clients who drink wine? Or, more specifically—do you have clients who collect wine? Did you know that, depending on the size and value of their wine collection, they can get coverage? To help your clients get coverage for their beloved reds, whites and...
Over the last several years, we’ve seen various new technologies in our vehicles that attempt to make driving safer. Some cars let drivers know when there is another vehicle in the car’s blind spot; some cars will automatically slow down or stop altogether to stop the...
The National Flood Insurance Program’s new premium rating methodology, Risk Rating 2.0 will go into effect Oct. 1, 2021, for new policies, but for policies that renew between Oct. 1, 2021, and April 1, 2022, the Rating 2.0 rates also are available, if they are...
Harvard’s researchers found that Americans spent almost $420 billion on home improvement projects in 2020. That’s an average of over $5,000 per single-family detached home in the U.S. It seems that even high lumber costs couldn’t keep Americans from using COVID-19’s...
On June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla., partially collapsed in the middle of the night, claiming 98 lives and injuring several more. The cause of the tragedy still is uncertain, but according to Miami New Times, the structural integrity of the...
When policyholders are facing nonrenewal or cancellation of their policies, it’s important that you—the agent—follow the rules when notifying them of the nonrenewal or cancellation. But, depending on the state in which you do business, the rules may differ. New York...