Pet-proofing your holiday home

Posted on by lovelynn@smollerinsurance.com

Are your holiday decorations pet-proofed? Everyone deserves a happy and healthy holiday season, even your furry friends. Here’s our holiday gift to you: a few tips to keep the whole family safe this December!

🎄 Broken ornaments can be a choking hazard and cut your pets’ paws and/or mouth. So, if you have a Christmas tree, place fragile ornaments towards the top of the tree and plastic or fabric ones towards the bottom.

🎁 Skip the tinsel if you have a cat. Tinsel can severely damage a cat’s intestinal tract and even prove deadly if ingested.

🎄 Ribbons or strings on presents or decorations can be a choking hazard for curious pets, so tuck those loose ends away.

🎁 Electrical cords can easily become a chew toy for puppies and playful pups. Run the cords through PVC pipe or an extra cardboard roll of wrapping paper, or simply tuck them away to protect your furry friends from an accidental electrical shock.

🎄 While chocolate may be a holiday staple for people, it is toxic for cats and dogs, so desserts should be securely stored away. If you want to include your pets in your holiday snacking traditions, consider special pet-friendly treats!

🎁 Poinsettias, holly, mistletoe, hibiscus, and potpourri are very dangerous if consumed by a cat or dog. Place those plants far out of your pets’ reach or use fake plants.

🎄 Many snowglobes contain ethylene glycol (antifreeze) which is highly toxic, and even fatal, to all pets. Keep your snowglobes in a very safe location so they don’t run the risk of breaking.

More tips here!

Wreckage and Boat Insurance

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Are you in the market for boat insurance? Speak to Smoller Insurance Agency serving the area of Boston, MA to find out more about the boat insurance options available to you.

Boat insurance is there to protect your watercraft assets when homeowners insurance is no longer sufficient or suitable for protecting these types of investments. One of the risks of being a boat owner is having an accident, resulting in property damage and injury.  Accidents can happen on the road while transporting your boat, while moored or while you are on the water with friends. If you are on the water, then sinking and wreckage are possible in the case of a severe accident.

Boat or watercraft insurance covers two main areas, and these are loss and liability. You can insure your boat and its fixtures against accidental physical loss in one of three ways.

  • Actual cash value – the cost of replacing or repairing your boat less depreciation
  • Market Value – what it would sell for on the open market
  • Replacement cash value – the cost of replacing or repairing your boat.

Liability insurance provides financial protection if you are liable for the injury of a third party or their property. This may include when your boat is wrecked,  causing environmental damage from fuel and oil leaks. Being legally liable for property damage and injury is expensive. Make sure you are covered.

These two aspects of your insurance work together to cover you if your boat is accidentally wrecked. When reviewing or taking out a policy, it is worthwhile to check the terms for if your boat is wrecked or has to be salvaged, and it may require special equipment and cleaning efforts.

Boat insurance is there to mitigate any loss you may suffer from an accident, so don’t get caught in the wet! Take action and speak to Smoller Insurance Agency serving Boston, MA, today!

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes this Winter

Posted on by lovelynn@smollerinsurance.com

According to Travelers homeowners claims spanning the last five years, non-weather water damage is the most common homeowners claim in both the fall and winter!

Burst pipes can cause devastating and expensive damage. Here are some tips on preparing your plumbing system for plummeting temperatures this winter.

• Drain and disconnect all hoses, and turn off the water to outside spigots during the winter. Even if this outdoor water freezes, it can increase the pressure of the pipes inside your home.

• Add insulation to outside walls that contain pipes. These walls can get much colder than indoor walls. If they feel cold or are showing signs of damage, try re-insulating or using spray foam.

• If you have a guest or pool house, or have a home with multiple heating zones, be sure to keep them all at at least 65 degrees.

• Try adding snap-on insulation or a heated plumbing tape/cable to pipes that are routed through unheated areas like attics, crawl spaces, and garages.

• If you’re especially considered, consider smart technology! This way, you can control your thermostats remotely, be alerted to freezing temperatures, and even have the water automatically shut off if a leak happens.

In the worst case scenario, your homeowners policy will cover water damage from burst pipes. Give us a call or send us an email if you want to check on your coverage amounts!

Debunking Umbrella Insurance ☂️

Posted on by lovelynn@smollerinsurance.com

You may have clicked this wondering: “What even is umbrella insurance?”

Quite simply, umbrella insurance provides extra liability coverage beyond what your other policies cover. If a serious and unexpected event were to occur, your umbrella insurance offers you an extra level of financial protection, the same way an umbrella guarantees you extra protection from the weather!

Let’s break down some myths behind umbrella insurance:

1. “Umbrella insurance isn’t affordable. “

False! According to the Insurance Information Institute, an umbrella policy with $1,000,00 coverage costs about $150-300 annually. That is less than a dollar a day!

2. “Umbrellas are only for billionaires!”

In 2021, this is not the case. It remains true that many people with umbrella policies have a substantial amount of assets and/or savings or work in the spotlight. However, unexpected events can happen to anyone and can cost the negligent party thousands, or even millions, in a court.

3. “My auto and home policies will cover me.”

This depends on the situation. For example, if you have $400K in liability coverage on your home policy and get sued for an injury on your property for 1 million, you are responsible for paying that $600K out of pocket.

Give us a call at 617-965-1830 if you’re curious if an umbrella policy is right for you.

Rental Car Insurance 101 🚘

Posted on by lovelynn@smollerinsurance.com

With the holiday season quickly approaching, you may be considering renting a car to drive out to visit family. Sorting out your travel plans can get complicated, but renting a car does not have to be! Rental car insurance is actually a lot simpler than you may think. In fact, most people won’t even need to purchase additional coverage.

Here’s why:

In many cases, your auto policy’s coverages and deductibles will apply to your rental car, especially if you have higher liability limits than the state required minimum amounts and if you carry both comprehensive and collision insurance. Additionally, if your homeowners or renters insurance covers the loss of possessions, it is likely that your belongings in your rental car will be covered.

If you don’t already have those coverages, you may want to consider the options the rental company may offer. Brick-and-mortar car rental companies will offer a few different coverage options. These may include loss damage waiver, liability insurance, personal accident insurance, and personal effects coverage.

On the other hand, car sharing services like Zip Car may have insurance costs built into their fees. It is important to thoroughly read the contract to see if there are any other fees you may have to pay in the case of an accident.

Learn more here.

If a rental car is in your future, give us a call! We will review your policies to help you determine if you need any additional coverage.

Most Frequent Homeowners Claims

Posted on by lovelynn@smollerinsurance.com

Did you know wind is the most common cause of homeowners claims? Data from Travelers spanning the last five years found that wind accounted for 26% of claims year-round. Since wind damage is so common (and destructive), wind coverage on your homeowners policy is essential. Pruning your trees and reinforcing your home’s structures and windows is also key to preventing severe wind damage.

Non-weather water was the next most common risk, at 23% of home claims. And in the fall, it is the most frequent claim! Non-weather water damage involves plumbing, sewer, or appliance leaks and failures. The best way to prevent this damage is to inspect and maintain all appliances that use water regularly. This includes air-conditioning systems, water heaters, bathtubs, refrigerators, pipes, and hoses, to name a few. Also, make sure the main shut-off valve for your main water supply is functioning properly.

Hail made up 18% of home claims year-round, followed by weather-related water at 12%, like frozen pipes and leaky roofs. Of course, weather is uncontrollable. Being prepared against weather-related damage means being protected — which means having adequate coverage on your homeowners policy.

More on Travelers’s findings here.

Trust us: a little caution goes a long way!

Give us a call at 617-965-1830 if you have any questions about your homeowners policy.

3 Advantages of Flood Insurance

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When floods strike, you can be sure that there will be loss and damage to property. Fortunately, you can avoid out-of-pocket repairs by investing in flood insurance from Smoller Insurance Agency of Boston, MA.

Regrettably, most homeowners don’t have flood insurance. Some think that home insurance protects them against floods only to discover the opposite when filing a claim. Others fail to buy flood insurance, hoping that the federal government will declare floods in their area a national disaster.

Are you thinking about flood insurance? You are on the right track. Here are the benefits you will accrue when you purchase this coverage.

Protects your dwelling

When you purchase flood insurance from NFIP, you get dwelling coverage of up to $250,000. Of course, if you opt for a private insurer, you can get a higher coverage limit. Flood insurance covers the following on your building:

  • Electrical and plumbing system
  • Air conditioning system
  • The building, including the foundation
  • Permanently fixed carpets

Since water damage can be expensive, financing flood damage from your pocket can drain your savings. Thankfully, with flood insurance, repair bills after flood damage are your insurer’s headache.

Protects your assets/contents

NFIP offers contents coverage of up to $100,000 and is supposed to cover the below:

  • Personal stuff, including furniture, electronics, and clothing
  • Carpeting that isn’t permanently fitted
  • Portable air conditioners, microwaves, and so on

Because it has taken you years to accumulate your assets, it would be devastating to lose them through floods. However, this can’t be the case when you have flood insurance.

For peace of mind

Who doesn’t like a peace of mind? Unfortunately, you can’t sit pretty in your home when you know that any bout of floods will set you back hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in repairs. 

Luckily, flood insurance can take care of your worries.

Buy flood insurance today!

Would you like to protect your Boston, MA home with flood insurance? Would you please talk to Smoller Insurance Agency for an affordable quote?

How does condo insurance differ from home insurance?

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Condo living is a great way to break into the housing market. It offers many of the same benefits as traditional home ownership and some additional perks as well. Insuring your condo is very similar to insuring a single-family home with a few unique twists. At Smoller Insurance Agency in Boston, MA, we have the experience you expect from an independent insurance agency. We will help you to make sure your condo has the correct amount of insurance. 

With a condo, you share walls and other parts of the building with your neighbors. These common areas are not something that you personally are responsible for insuring. Your condo has a condo or homeowners association that holds a Master Condo Policy. This policy insures the common areas in your building and in the complex. How far into your unit is covered depends on the type of policy your association has. It is up to you as a unit owner to know what coverage the association has and what you need to have. 

When it comes to home insurance, you are responsible for your entire home. As a condo owner, you may be covered by the Master Policy for all the fixtures in your home, but not for any upgrades you have made from the original basic unit. 

When it comes to personal content and liability coverage, homes and condos within the unit are basically the same. In a condo, if someone is injured outside of your unit, that is the condo association’s problem. 

With a condo, you will also have the option of purchasing loss assessment coverage. If the condo association determines that the roof needs to be replaced, all owners will owe part of the cost. This insurance will protect you from having to pay this assessment out of pocket. 

Contact Smoller Insurance Agency in Boston, MA to discuss your condo insurance needs. 

Make your home inventory list today!

Posted on by lovelynn@smollerinsurance.com

Don’t put off your home inventory list any longer! If there is an accident or robbery, you will need to give your insurance provider this list to guarantee complete coverage on your belongings. This list should include all household items and personal belongings.

Here are some quick tips to get you started:

  • Start simply with a list of rooms you need to work through. Then, head to your first room!
  • Describe each item’s make and model, value, and any other unique factors. Serial numbers are helpful identifiers for appliances and electronics.
  • Save documents like receipts and appraisals for proof of value on more expensive items.
  • Check with your agent to see if you need additional coverage on valuable items like jewelry or collectibles. This could mean an endorsement or an additional specialty policy. More on that here.
  • Consider making a digital record by taking pictures or videos of your belongings. This can save you time and guarantee that you don’t miss an item!

Building this list may take a while, but ensures true coverage.

Is your dog “banned”?

Posted on by lovelynn@smollerinsurance.com

Did you know that many homeowners insurance companies “ban” certain dogs?

If your dog bites or injures somebody, your homeowners policy must pay for the injured’s medical fees. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average dog bite claim is $44,670, so this is a pretty expensive risk!

Therefore, many insurance companies have lists of “banned” dogs.

What does this mean?

These companies will not provide coverage if the customer owns one of the breeds on their list, as they believe these breeds are liable to cause injury. These lists are often hidden from consumers’ view, but Forbes Advisor gathered data on 42 of these lists from different homeowners insurance companies.

  • Doberman pinschers, pit bulls, and rottweilers are on 100% of these 42 lists of banned breeds.
  • Chow chows are on 95% of the banned lists.
  • Wolf dogs, canary dogs, and akitas have the next highest frequencies of being banned — all three are included on over 75% of the banned lists.

Some other insurers will allow all dogs, while others decide whether or not to cover the dog based on if they have a history of violence.

In Massachusetts, there is no legislation forbidding insurance companies from discriminating against certain breeds.

Nevertheless, dogs are a wonderful addition to the family and not all “banned” dogs are dangerous. Give us a call if you plan on bringing a new dog home! We will review if your premium may change and can give you quotes on pet insurance.