Let there be light Driving around, you may have noticed an increasing number of neighbors and business owners installing solar panels (Photovoltaic (PV) systems) on their buildings. Municipalities have been offering tax credits and various solar companies offer many different financing options that have contributed to the proliferation of these systems. With an increasing number ...

#MeToo As more details and more victims emerge from the Harvey Weinstein scandal the hashtag #MeToo has been trending on social media. Started by Alyssa Milano as a way of uncovering the scope of the problem, she asked her followers to reply: “Me Too” if they have been sexually harassed or assaulted. Less than a ...

Is your insurance agent getting ready to retire? The average age of an insurance professional is 59 and one in four of those agents is expected to retire by the end of 2018. If your insurance agent is getting ready to retire, do you know what the perpetuation plan is for their agency and (more ...

Are you a professional? Professional is an ambiguous term. If you are employed, aren’t you considered to be a “professional” in that field? For insurance purposes, a professional is anyone that has a liability exposure that could be incurred as a result of errors and omissions in performing their professional services. Individuals or businesses with ...

Insurance companies don’t really hate dogs But they do hate the claims that they must pay for dog-related claims. According to Insurance Information Institute, dog bites and other dog-related injuries generally account for more than one-third of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims. The average cost for a dog-related claim has increased more than 70% in ...

Does your business have a cyber security plan in place? If you are like most business owners, you hear about cyber breaches and stories about ransomware in the news but you have no plans to do anything about it. Over 50% of US firms do not carry cyber risk insurance and nearly a third have ...

Nobody likes to be audited Most people think of the IRS when they hear about audits, but did you know that your insurance policy can be audited as well? An insurance audit ensures the method used to calculate your premium accurately reflects the actual risk. Like an IRS audit, an insurance audit can be an ...

Would you like insurance with that? We’ve all experienced it, you’re standing at a car rental desk after a long flight and the representative asks if you want to purchase the rental company’s insurance coverage. You stare back at the attendant trying to remember what you should do: Should I get the liability? The physical ...

Winter is coming: We are in the midst of the hurricane season in Rhode Island and will soon be facing the winter nor’easters that New England is famous for. Now is a good time for you to check the trees on your property to see if any issues need to be addressed before a catastrophe ...

Top 10 insurance coverages your small business needs: 1) Business Owner’s Policy (BOP): Business owner’s policies typically package all the insurance coverages small businesses need (and sometimes coverages they probably don’t need) into one policy. A BOP usually provides the best bang for your buck but they are not available for every type of business ...

Renter’s policies are a great value For $100-$200 a year tenants can buy a renter’s insurance policy which will protect their personal property and provide them with personal liability coverage. Many tenants don’t realize that their property is not covered by their landlord’s policy. If a fire or any other peril were to damage a ...

My building is not worth that amount! Because the insurance premium you pay is a function of the insured value, many policyholders question how the insurance companies come up with the values used on their policies. When discussing the insured value on any building it is important to understand all the different types of values ...

Want to save 50% on your auto insurance? I occasionally get calls from clients that have been shopping their auto insurance policies with other companies: Hi Bill, I’ve got another quote from XYZ company and it’s almost half of what I am currently paying. Can this be right? Now these clients are NOT simpletons. Many ...

When do I need a commercial auto policy? If your vehicle is registered as a commercial auto, if it has a commercial license plate, or if you use it for business purposes you need a commercial auto policy. Personal auto policies generally exclude coverage for “commercial-type vehicles”, vehicles furnished or available for regular business use ...

Independent Agents have access to multiple insurance companies If you go to a direct writer or a captive agent, they can only provide you a quote from ONE company. The policyholder must contact multiple companies in order to compare pricing. Some direct writers offer “price comparison tools” but these tools will only provide the published ...

Auto insurance is expensive… And rates continue to rise. There are more cars on the roads and drivers are traveling more miles than ever. Add in distracted driving due to new technology (74% of drivers use Facebook while driving!) and overall driver fatigue due to our busy lifestyles and it is no wonder that traffic ...

What is a deductible? Most homeowners and business owners understand what a deductible is: the dollar amount the insured must pay on each covered loss to which the deductible applies; the insurance company pays the remainder of the covered loss up to the policy limits. Deductibles allow insurance companies to avoid the time and expense ...

Going to the chapel and I’m gonna get married… Late summer and early fall in New England is my favorite time of year and (if there isn’t a hurricane coming up the coast) a great time to get married. This insurance agent just celebrated my second wedding anniversary a few days ago and I’m not ...

Insurance companies? Agents? What’s the difference? Policyholders often confuse their insurance company and their insurance agent. Why wouldn’t they? They call a number or visit a website and after some research and comparison they get their insurance policy. Whether they deal directly with the insurance company or transact through an insurance agent they still end-up ...

Does your business serve or sell alcohol? Effective August 1st, 2017 liquor liability is now required in the state of Rhode Island. RI Senate bill 373 Sub A was passed by both the House and Senate during the past legislative session. The purpose of this legislation is to require any applicant or holder of a ...

Cyber-attacks are on the rise Recent news coverage of the Equifax data breach has once again catapulted the issue of cyber security into the national spotlight. A breach affecting over 143 million people by a publicly traded company that holds so much personally identifiable information (Social Security numbers, driver’s license data, birth dates, etc.) is ...

If your answer is “No” you are unfortunately incorrect. Many home and business owners assume if their lender is not requiring flood insurance then they must not be in a flood zone. This common misconception occurs because property owners confuse the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) (flood zones where coverage is mandated by lending institutions) ...