Keeping Home Insurance Affordable: What to Consider

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It’s not easy to buy property regardless of when you live, but the economy today has made it harder and harder for younger people to afford their land. If you are lucky enough to have a home, the insurance can feel like an unwanted expense that threatens your monthly cash flow. Here are some tips from the Insurance Outfit to keeping it affordable.

Discovering Your Priorities 

For some people, they care about the cars in the garage of their home in Chester, NJ. For others, it’s their expensive couch and flat-screen television. Some people only care about the cup of coffee in the breakfast nook or the vanity in their walk-in closet. Once you know what is most important to you, you can get to work regarding ensuring it’s protected against a variety of events. It can help keep home insurance affordable because you’re becoming more aware of what you can and can’t live without. Whether you choose to buy additional coverage on the belongings in your home or not is at least done with full knowledge of what the consequences will look like in the event of an emergency.

Choosing an Agency to Help

The right agency can remind you of scenarios you may not have thought of before, allowing you to see why home insurance is not only necessary but also downright reasonable. The monthly rates you pay now pale in comparison to the total cost you might face a liability lawsuit or debilitating storm that wipes out your entire property. If you live in Chester, NJ and need more information about quotes or policies, call The Insurance Outfit today for more information.

How To Prepare Your Chester Home For The Fall

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Your home in Chester, New Jersey is where you spend a lot of your time. As the fall months approach and the weather gets colder, you want to be sure you are doing everything to prepare. Creating a checklist of what you can do will make it easier for you to get some things done.

Have the HVAC Inspected

You may not be using HVAC right now because the weather is cool, and you can keep your windows open. However, you are getting close to the time where you are going to be relying on the heat. To avoid any kind of problems, it’s best to have a technician come out and make sure that all systems are working.

Check the Roof

Your roof should be inspected on an annual basis, and the fall is a great time to do so. You want to make sure that there is no damage so that leaves and ultimately snow do not pose any major problems for your home.

Call a Chimney Sweep

It’s only a matter of time before you want to turn on your fireplace for the first time this year. Call a chimney sweep to make sure that all cleaned out so that you can avoid a fire in your home.

Go Through Your Home

You also want to take the time to go through your home to check for various things. This includes:

– Potential fire hazards
– Fire extinguishers
– Batteries in your smoke detectors

Fall is also the time when you should check your home insurance policy. Does it still have all the coverage you need? Have you added anything to your home that needs to be included in your policy?

Contact The Insurance Outfit today to find out more about homeowner’s insurance and how to protect your home.

 

 

What Factors Increase Your Home Insurance Premiums?

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Home insurance is important to protect what may be your biggest investment.  When it comes to your home insurance premiums, you are probably aware that the location and size of your home will play a large part in how your home insurance premiums are determined. Here are some less known factors that can increase your home insurance premiums in the Chester, NJ area.

Premium Increasing Factors 

A couple of obvious items are having a swimming pool or a trampoline, both are great for family enjoyment in the backyard, but they will cause your home insurance premiums to be higher. If someone is injured, you may be held liable, even if you didn’t give permission for the use of the pool or trampoline.  If you keep your pool secured by fencing it off, have safety equipment within easy access, and put a net around the trampoline to reduce injuries, it may help decrease your insurance premiums.

A few less obvious items that can increase premiums are a wood burning stove, a lack of home security or fire safety, and the age of your roof materials.  If any of these factors are issues for you, there are things you can do to help reduce premium rates. For example, show evidence that a licensed contractor installed the stove and it meets safety codes. Install smoke detectors and easy access fire extinguishers. You can also install new locks, dead bolts, and a security system to help reduce rates.

The Insurance Outfit

If you own a home or plan to purchase a home in the Chester, NJ area and have concerns about your home insurance rates, contact a friendly agent from The Insurance Outfit. We can help you address any factors that may be increasing your home insurance premiums.

Practicing Better Home Safety in Chester

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Home safety is hard for everyone, because it’s so easy to make a mistake in a place you’re comfortable in. You get complacent and assume that life will just swing along from day to day. It just takes one partially lit match or one open window to create a disaster though. Before you decide you don’t need a few tips, remember just how forgetful you get when you’re about to head to bed and are so tired you can’t see straight. The Insurance Outfit serves Chester, NJ and wants you to keep your house whole. 

Think Ahead 

This is the best tip for home safety, but also an obvious and an easy-to-miss one. This can be as simple as storing valuables in different places, such as the freezer or behind children’s books. Or you could set alarms for yourself when you’re cooking to ensure you turn off the oven and the burners. You can also think even further ahead and plant thorny bushes under your window to deter thieves. Use window stickers and bath mats to avoid accidents and injuries, and ensure young kids know not to touch dangerous appliances. You may want to consider getting a better alarm system too, or setting up a better incentive system for your children to practice home safety. 

Choose a Better Home Insurance Policy  

The Insurance Outfit in Chester, NJ has agents who can help you decide on a policy that will actively keep your home safe from the many elements that could threaten it on any given day. Call us today to learn more about how you can get the coverage that will save you the hassle of footing the bill. Skip the cut-throat insurance companies and instead pick a business you can trust with agents who understand. 

 

What Types of Auto Insurance Are There?

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Auto insurance is as varied as the different makes and models of cars that it covers. For those that want to insure their car or are just curious about what different types of auto insurance there are, the helpful and skilled agents with The Insurance Outfit in the Chester, NJ can help.

Liability Coverage

The first type is liability coverage. This is going to be the minimum required by law. The monetary amount of coverage that is required may vary from locality to locality so you should talk to your agent about what is required. Liability is going to cover the cost of deductibles and some medical bills for both the driver and the person that is involved in the wreck.

Full Coverage

Full coverage is going to be required if you have a car that has a loan or lien out against the value to help protect the interest of the bank or lender. It is going to cover most medical bills and most of the fees and other bills that are associated with the wreck. It is also going to cover the cost of replacing or repairing the car.

Collectors or Antique Insurance

This is for collectors cars or those cars that are not necessarily daily drivers. It covers things like damage that occurs to the car, the cost of replacing or repairing with like parts, and so on. This is going to be necessary for those that have collector cars and is not necessary for those that just have normal cars.

No matter what type of car you own, insurance is something that everyone has to have if they intend to drive on the road. You should take the time to talk with the agents at The Insurance Outfit if you live in the Chester, NJ area to find out what coverage you need.  

General Home Insurance Versus Riders

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In a lot of ways, an insurance rider is an agreeable way that an insurance provider and a consumer can agree on a separate add-on coverage to an existing policy. Keep in mind, most home insurance polices are crafted as a standard package. They include terms that protect the homeowner against a common group of risks. These commonly include things like a home fire or a robbery. And a policy provides a given extent of coverage for the good and products a person keeps in his home without having to be item-specific. That works for most homes, but it also means that special items won’t be included. That could leave special items like jewelry or expensive electronic equipment essentially "out in the cold" if something gets damaged or stolen.

To resolve the problem, a rider is provided as a second add-on policy to the first homeowner’s insurance coverage. However, where the first policy was general, the rider is a specific protection plan that actually names the item or special additional coverage being included. In most cases, riders are used for specific property items versus expanded protection contingencies. Jewelry again is one of the most common categories. However, a valuable collectible can be a rider category as well.

Homeowners in Chester NJ don’t need to stuff their deposit boxes at the bank with critical items. The Insurance Outfit and their agents are well equipped to help customers with original policy plans as well as adding on riders for specific coverage needs. Again, the purpose of insurance is to complete a well thought financial plan for personal stability and success. A rider can provide valuable adjustments to existing policies without having to redo an entire home coverage all over again. Contact the Insurance Outfit to find out more.

Boating, Drinking and Insurance Coverage

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The purpose of boating insurance is very similar to car insurance. It provide coverage and financial recovery when the vehicle is damaged, stolen, or involved in causing damage to people or someone else’s property. Policies consider all types of contingencies, even disasters and unforeseen circumstances. However, one thing that insurance policies don’t typically pay for is damage caused when someone breaks a law.

Drinking alcohol has long been a favorite pastime when boating. Being on the water seems to be equated immediately with recreation and having fun. However, a boat is a licensed vehicle, regardless of being on the water instead of a road. And enough laws and restrictions have been passed in most states, making it clear that getting into a boating accident when drunk opens a person up to both criminal and civil actions. When a boating accident does occur and local authorities determine that driving the boat under the influence was a contributing factor, and insurer is eventually going to get a copy of the police and accident report.

Most insurance policies for boating, just like those for operating a car, have language in them preventing coverage when someone is the cause of damage due to a misdemeanor or felony. And the courts are very clear and unsympathetic in most states: ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. The problem is, no one thinks about these complications when already on a boating trip for the day or weekend. Then the drinking starts and a problem occurs. Boaters are doing themselves a big favor taking the time to understand liabilities and exceptions to coverage before getting on the water. If in the Chester, NJ area, stop in with the Insurance Outfit. Their agents can point out exactly what happens with boat coverage versus a law violation in clear English.

5 Common Risks that Threaten Small Businesses

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As an entrepreneur, you’re bound to face risks when starting a new business. The success of your business could depend on how you identify and manage these risks to give your company room to grow.  Here are five common risks many entrepreneurs face at the onset of their small business.

Property Damage

Business property is a vital asset that needs to be well protected by your insurance policy. By assessing the value of your property, you can determine the amount of coverage you’ll need to cover damages in the event of a claim. Insufficient coverage can result in financial setback for your fledgling business.     

Liability Loss

As an entrepreneur, you have to be prepared for any eventuality. This includes being liable for damages or injuries to customers from accidents that occur on your property or use of your products. Commercial liability coverage can protect you against these liability losses so you don’t have to pay out of pocket.

Business Interruption

If an accident or disaster causes damage to your business property, you may be forced to stop production or move to a temporary spot while building repairs are made. Having business interruption insurance to compensate for loss of income and operating costs during your recovery period can save your business from financial ruin. 

Injuries to Employees

Without workers comp insurance, a workplace accident can have drastic consequences on a small business, as business owners would be liable to pay for medical expenses and/or a disability settlement out of pocket. By promoting a safe work environment and managing exposures, entrepreneurs can keep worker’s comp premiums at reasonable costs, enabling their business to benefit from this coverage.

Key Personnel Losses

As a small business, you may suffer financial loss due to losing key personnel essential to the running of your company. Key person coverage can offer you financial stability in the interim period of finding new personnel to sustain your business.  

Learn more about comprehensive commercial insurance and how it can benefit your business by contacting us at The Insurance Outfit. 

Three things you should know about car insurance

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Car insurance is one of those things that every car owner in the country knows they have to have, but few people actually know the details about what kind of coverage is actually available.  Here are three things that The Insurance Outfit, serving Chester, NJ, thinks you need to know  about car insurance.

1. Rates can fluctuate dramatically

The rate you get when you first sign up for an automobile policy can be very different than when you go to renew. For example, changes in your driving record, including tickets falling off or even additional violations, can change your rate for better or for worse. Maybe you passed an age thresh hold or your state as passed new regulations. Make sure that whenever you renew, you are getting the maximum amount of savings on your policy rate.

2. You are never locked into a policy

Even if your provider has you pay for a 6 or 12 month period, you are not bound to that insurance company. They can not charge you early termination fees like your cell phone or cable company. This is important to note because if you find yourself a better deal and a better rate, you can dump your old carrier penalty free. If you have paid for six months, and you switch after three, they owe you a prorated amount of the remaining three. 

3. Ride with your pet? Better check if they are covered

A standard policy will cover injuries to people in the vehicle in case of an accident. However, it is not always a guarantee that your pet will also be covered. Make sure you check with your insurance provider to make sure your precious pooch or kitty is covered.

If you are in need of a policy, contact The Insurance Outfit, serving Chester, NJ today.

Home Insurance in Chester: We’ve Got You Covered

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Coverage on your home can seem like a minefield, and people often don’t like thinking about the worst that could happen to their home. When your property is as much emotional as it is physical, you start seeing it a very different way. Having complete coverage is the best way for you to feel as though you have a handle on the protection that you need for the unknown. Learn more about how a resident in Chester can face up to the challenge. 

Understanding It All 

One excellent idea is to sit down for an afternoon and just devote it to figuring out how home insurance works. You should be working with someone who knows insurance, as it’s much easier to ask the questions directly than to try to go piecemeal on the internet. It’s certainly doable, but chances are you aren’t swamped with free time. When you take on the responsibility of owning a house, you need to be able to take the time to understand how to protect it. 

Finding the Right Team to Help 

If you’ve ever called a huge insurance company, then you’ve probably heard an automated message system that took 15 seconds just to greet you. Sometimes it makes more sense to choose a smaller carrier so you can have a better means of getting the help you need when you need it. Low premiums aren’t really low premiums at all when it comes down to it, as you’ll end up either paying through your time or rising rates that you can ill afford. The Insurance Outfit understands how important it is to get set up with the right help now rather than later. Give us a call today for a quote or more information on our services.