Prepare For the Unexpected With Commercial Insurance

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As business owners, we understand how crucial it is to prepare for the unexpected and mitigate risk through commercial insurance coverage. Our team at Smoller Insurance Agency, serving the Boston, MA area, wants to provide you with information on the different commercial insurance to help you protect your business.

Commercial Insurance Options

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance covers legal fees, medical expenses, and property damage claims resulting from accidents on your business premises. It also covers advertising liability claims, such as slander and libel.

Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance protects your business property and assets against losses or damage caused by fires, theft, or natural disasters. This type of coverage is essential for any business with physical assets.

Business Interruption Insurance

Unforeseen events, such as a fire or natural disaster, can force your business to close and severely impact your revenue. Business interruption insurance provides coverage for lost income and additional expenses incurred while your business is closed or undergoing repairs. With this coverage, you can replace lost revenue and pay for employee salaries even if your company has to close.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

The business provides workers’ compensation insurance to cover medical expenses and lost wages for injured employees. This type of coverage is essential for companies with employees, as it protects the employee and the employer from any legal action that may arise from a work-related injury.

Contact Us Today

Contact us today to learn more about our commercial insurance coverage and receive a free quote. Our team of experienced agents is ready to help you prepare for the unexpected and protect your business from financial losses. Smoller Insurance Agency, serving Boston, MA, is here to help you.

Do you drive safely with your dog?

Posted on by Sarah White

Do you drive with your dog? Mostly likely, your answer is yes! đŸ¶đŸš˜

A recent survey from Selective Insurance found that 89% of licensed drivers who owned a dog have driven with their dog in the last year. 65% drove with their dog at least once a week.

Follow up question: do you drive SAFELY with your dog? Really think about it…

91% of the drivers in this survey admitted to interacting with their dog while driving. So, if you’re a dog owner, you’re most likely driving with and interacting with your dog while on the road.

Consider these additional findings from the survey:

  • 50% pet their dog while driving.
  • 36% gave them food, water, or a treat.
  • 33% turned around to look at them in the back seat!
  • 40% admitted to demonstrating reckless driving behaviors like hard braking, swerving, or not using turn signals due to being distracted by their dog.
  • 17% even had their dog sitting in their lap while driving.

It can be easy to forget your best driving practices when you are distracted by your sweet pup. But, it is not impossible!

Try implementing these safe driving tips when you’re driving with your pet:

  • Have your dog ride in the back seat or, if appropriate, your trunk.
  • Try using a partition to separate the front seat from the back seats.
  • Consider a dog seatbelt, safety harness, or anchored crate for your dog.
  • If you have to pull over for your dog, don’t go to the shoulder of the road. Instead, search for a quiet parking lot.

How Is Your Auto Insurance Premium Determined?

Posted on by Sarah White

Unfortunately, prices are going up everywhere, including insurance rates.

Insurance premium is determined by several factors. These factors evaluate the risk the insurance company takes on by insuring you. The company want to reduce their risk of paying out on expensive claims. So, if they consider you more likely to have claims, your premium will increase.

Here are some key factors that may affect your auto insurance premium:

  • Driving record
    • This includes any speeding tickets, driving violations, or anything else that gets a point on your license.
  • At-fault accidents
    • Carriers may consider at-fault accidents as an indicator that you are more likely to incur more accidents in the future.
  • Annual mileage
    • If you drive less, you are simply statistically less likely to get in an accident.
  • The drivers on your policy
    • Newly licensed drivers or drivers with points on their record are considered more “risky”.
  • The condition of your car
    • Newer cars and cars with modern and unique technologies are likely to cost more to repair or replace in the case of an accident.
  • Inflation
    • Inflation impacts everything — including auto parts, labor, rental rates, medical fees, and more. Insurance companies cover those fees in the case of claims, so they have rapidly rising bills as well.

While inflation unfortunately cannot be helped, you can control those other factors!

Additionally, many insurance companies offer useful discounts you can take advantage of. The simplest and most universal is to bundle your home and auto policies together. Many companies offer discounts for safe driving as well. Another convenient discount available for Mapfre policyholders in MA is the Pan-Mass donation discount.

If you’d like to work on lowering your premium, give us a call at 617-965-1830! We’d be happy to collaborate on saving you some money.

How Does Umbrella Insurance Work?

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Umbrella insurance is an important type of coverage that boosts the coverage that you get from other insurance policies. If you have both an auto policy and a home policy, you should think about getting an umbrella policy to boost them.

This is a less-expensive option than adding coverage directly to the home and auto policies. It can save you a lot of money and leave you much better protected by insurance. When you want an umbrella insurance policy, call us at Smoller Insurance Agency in Boston, MA.

Getting Umbrella Insurance

When you get this type of insurance, it adds to the amount of coverage that you already have through your auto and home policies. The policy adds to the liability coverage that each of those policies has, raising it to a very high maximum payout. Umbrella insurance is known for being highly affordable and for having high payouts. 

Paying the Overages

When you have home and auto insurance without umbrella insurance, there are usually maximums on them that are so low that they don’t cover all of the expenses after an accident. A serious accident could have extremely high expenses for bodily injury liability and for property damage liability. If your home or auto insurance doesn’t have a lot of coverage, it will pay up to its maximum and then leave any overage for you to pay.

That’s why having umbrella insurance is so important. Once the first policy comes in and pays what it can toward the damages, the umbrella insurance policy comes in and pays for the rest. It’s a great way to be well-covered by insurance. 

Get Umbrella Insurance

When you want to be better covered for your liability at home and in your vehicle, you need umbrella insurance. Call us at Smoller Insurance Agency in Boston, MA.

Why Might You Need Classic Car Insurance?

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If you own a classic car, you must insure it with the best insurance policy available. Classic cars are often significant investments, and your classic car insurance must reflect this. For a classic car, it isn’t enough to have a regular auto policy. You specifically need a classic car policy. If you don’t have the insurance policy that you need, give us a call at Smoller Insurance Agency in Boston, MA.

Classic Car Policies

If you have a standard auto insurance policy on your classic car, it is unlikely that it will pay out what the car is actually worth if something goes wrong. When you purchase a standard auto policy, the coverage is determined by the car’s age, condition, and mileage. If you use these criteria, it may not reflect what the car is actually worth as a sought-after classic.

You’ll need a policy that considers the car’s popularity as well as how much people are willing to pay for it. Aspects of the car like its mileage may factor into its value, but many other factors are important when the car is a classic. This can mean its place in popular culture or the scarcity of that model of car. All of these factors are taken into account when purchasing a classic car insurance policy, and the policy is written for the specific car rather than a generic value.

Stay Insured

The coverage amount is so important because you may be in an accident that damages or destroys the car. This would be extremely costly for you if you didn’t have the right coverage for your needs. You need to stay covered with a classic car policy so that your investment in your car is protected.

Get Classic Car Insurance

Here at Smoller Insurance Agency, we understand classic cars and the investment they truly are. To get your coverage, visit us at our office in Boston, MA or give us a call today.

Earn a Discount by Driving Safely

Posted on by Sarah White

Many of our carriers may reward your safe driving with a discounted premium! Mapfre, Travelers, Progressive, Safeco, and Safety policyholders: read on to learn how to earn an additional discount!

Mapfre

New Mapfre clients can download Mapfre’s MotionSmart mobile app and you can receive up to a 10% discount on their Auto policy!

https://youtu.be/inXDKgwD608
Click here to learn more.

Travelers

Traveler’s IntelliDrive mobile app tracks your driving habits and adjusts your premium accordingly.

More about IntelliDrive here.

Progressive

Progressive’s Snapshot mobile app personalizes your auto premium based on how and how much you drive. In fact, drivers who save with Snapshot save an average of $156 a year (excluding AK, HI, & NY).

Get more info at this link.

Safeco

Policyholders can download the Safeco mobile app and enroll in RightTrack. After 90 days of safe driving, you could see savings between 5% and 30% on your policy! The more drivers on your policy that use RightTrack, the higher your potential savings.

Learn more from Safeco’s website.

Safety

Safety offers several discount programs for their safe drivers in MA!

  • Up to 24% for Excellent Driver Plus Discount (no accidents or incidents in past 6 years)
  • Up to 10% for Excellent Driver Discount (no accidents or incidents in past 5 years)
  • 5% Group Discount for drivers who participate in In Control’s Crash Prevention Training. Sign up for the program at a discounted rate here.

If you have any questions about these programs, please call us at 617-965-1830, text us at 617-958-5929, or email info@smollerinsurance.com. We’ll be happy to help you figure out the best possible way to save you money.

How to Read Your Home Policy

Posted on by Sarah White
Coverage A, B, C, D… what does that even mean?

Whether you live in a house, condominium, or apartment, your home needs to be protected — and you need to understand how it is protected!

Here is your guide to understanding every kind of coverage listed on your home policy‘s declarations page (AKA your full policy document).

  • Coverage A/Dwelling: This is probably the most important part of a homeowners policy! This covers the structure of your home and many parts that help create it, such as floors, windows, and doors.
  • Coverage B/Other Structures: Covers stand-alone structures on your property, like fencing or sheds.
  • Coverage C/Personal Property: Covers personal belongings that aren’t built into the structure of your home. This includes furniture, clothing, electronic devices, etc.
  • Coverage D/Loss of Use: Covers temporary living expenses while your home is being repaired from a serious claim.
  • Coverage E/Personal Liability: Pays for expenses related to an injury or property damage sustained by others for which you or covered residents of your household are liable.
  • Coverage F/Medical Payments to Others: pays for expenses related to an injury that occurs on your property — whether you’ve been found liable or not
  • Deductible: The amount you pay to repair damage in a claim before your insurance starts to pay

If you have a condo policy, then you have all of the above coverages except for Coverage B/Other Structures.

If you have a renters policy, then you only have Coverages C through F.

Still confused? Let us know. We’ll be happy to discuss your coverages.

How to Read Your Auto Policy

Posted on by Sarah White
Deciphering insurance terminology can be frustrating…

We are the first to admit it: insurance policies can be confusing. When reviewing your declarations page (AKA your full policy), we want you to be able to quickly identify what your coverages are without having to decode fancy terminology.

Have no fear! The Smoller Insurance team is here to help!

Here are the most important points on your auto policy.

  • Bodily Injury Liability – Covers costs associated with injuries that you or another driver causes while driving your car. This includes collisions with insured drivers, underinsured drivers, and uninsured drivers.
  • Property Damage – Covers damage that you or another driver operating your car causes to another vehicle or other property.
  • Collision and Comprehensive –
    • Collision coverage – Covers damage to your car resulting from a collision with an object. This number is the amount you pay out of pocket as a deductible before your insurance covers the rest of the damage.
    • Comprehensive coverage – Covers damage to your car caused by disasters other than collisions.
  • Rental car coverage/Substitute Transportation – The numbers listed here show the amount per day your insurance will pay for a rental car for you if your car is damaged in a claim, and the maximum amount they will pay for a rental in total.
  • Towing and Labor – The number listed here is the amount of money your policy will cover for expenses associated with car breakdowns, like towing.

If you want to discuss or adjust your levels of coverage, let us know! We will be happy to help.

Everything You Need to Know About Recreational Insurance

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Are you looking for an insurance policy to protect your recreational vehicle in Boston, MA?  With recreational insurance, you’ll get liability and physical damage coverage, plus specialized coverage for toys and vehicles not usually provided by a standard home or auto policy. 

What is Covered Under Recreational Insurance? 

Recreational insurance provides special coverage for vehicles like boats, yachts, jet skis, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorhomes, and travel trailers. This type of policy covers physical damage (like accidents and theft), liability (if someone gets injured in your vehicle), and medical payments if there are any injuries. It also covers any custom features you may have added to your vehicle, like stereos or satellite dishes. 

Why Do You Need Recreational Insurance? 

The most important reason why you need recreational insurance is so that you can protect your investment in the event of an accident or theft. Without it, you could face costly out-of-pocket expenses that could be avoided with the right coverage. Also, if someone gets injured while in your vehicle (or because of it), they may be able to sue you if they don’t have the right insurance coverage. That’s why it’s important to ensure that you have the right kind of protection in place. 

Contact Smoller Insurance Agency for Your Recreational Insurance Needs! 

At Smoller Insurance Agency in Boston, MA, we understand the importance of having the right recreational insurance coverage for your needs. One of our knowledgeable agents will work with you to find the best possible solution for your unique situation. Contact us today to learn more about our recreational policies and get started on protecting your investment today! 

Heating Equipment Safety

Posted on by Sarah White

Now that it is winter, it is prime time for us New Englanders to use our fireplaces or space heaters to keep the house warm. However, heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires in the USA.

Consider these stats from the National Fire Protection Association:

đŸȘ” From 2016-2020, an annual average of 44,210 home structure fires were caused by heating equipment.

đŸȘ” Space heaters were responsible for the largest shares of losses, one third, of those fires.

đŸȘ” 46% of these fires occurred between December and February.

đŸȘ” The number of home fires involving heating equipment has declined over the last 20 years. It is likely thanks to improvements in safety standards.

So, how do you use your heating equipment safely? The NFPA’s top tip is to maintain three feet of clear space between your heating equipment and anything else! Learn more here.