Things you should know about inland boating

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Boating is frequently treated as similar to driving a motor vehicle, including requirements for insurance and licenses and rules for operating boats. And just like there are different rules and expectations for driving big trucks versus small cars as well as in a small town versus on the highway, there are different rules for different boating scenarios.

There are rules about what types of boats can be used where.

Boating on a lake or river in comparison to the ocean is different because of the types of boats that can be used. Space is limited, so the size of the boat is typically governed by the size of the body of water, including its depth. This is to ensure the safety of everyone at that body of water, including you and your passengers. Before you take your boat inland boating, make sure you’re taking it to a location that’s permitted.

There are rules about when you can use your boat.

Once you find a location you can take your boat based on its size and speed, make sure you check the rules for when you can use the boat. Some public boating locations are limited by time of year or time of day. Boating regulations are typically very public, so it shouldn’t be a problem to find out when you can use your boat at a river or on a lake.

You aren’t the only one on the water.

The most important thing to remember is that you aren’t the only one on the water. There may be other boaters or even swimmers at a boating location. Rules about boating often consider others at the lake or river in order to keep everyone safe.

For more information about boating insurance, contact The Insurance Outfit today.

Is Home Improvement Projects Covered by Insurance?

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The independent insurance agents at The Insurance Outfit in Chester, New Jersey can offer solutions before you begin that greatly anticipated home improvement project. Some projects may be covered by insurance while others can cause unexpected costs.

Notifying your insurance agent about your impending project is crucial when beginning a home improvement project. If you build a beautiful sunroom and someone becomes injured in the process, your insurance may not cover the injury if they were not informed of the project beforehand.

Certain large improvement projects can cause the value of your home to increase. Normally this is a good thing, but if something unforeseen happens to your newly remodeled home the insurance may only pay out the amount your home was valued at prior to the improvements. Increasing your limits may be the only solution. Find out from your independent agents at The Insurance Outfit if you have to add that major project to your policy.

Protect yourself from a legal suit by making sure your contractor has the proper liability insurance. Imagine your contractor falling from the roof that he or she is redesigning. He breaks his leg. If he is not properly insured, then you could have to dig through your homeowner’s policy to see if your insurance covers his injuries. In addition, your project will be on hold for days, if not weeks until you can find a new contractor.

Similarly, do-it-yourself jobs can have the same issues. Make sure that your liability insurance covers Uncle Harry spraining his ankle on the loose gravel he was clumsily spreading. He will need X-rays, which include doctors and laboratory bills. The Independent Agents at The Insurance Outfit in New Jersey can help you discover the right kind of coverage you will need for your home improvement project.

Homeowner’s Insurance: Is Your Home Business Covered?

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It doesn’t matter what kind of home based business you have. Whether you are an entrepreneur or you have simply chosen to run your business out of your home, you have to make sure that the right business insurance is in place. While you can save a lot of money by basing your office out of the home, homeowner’s insurance is not going to provide sufficient insurance protection in all aspects.

Your homeowner’s insurance policy provides personal property coverage – but that may not be sufficient for all of the property that you have, when you start to include everything related to your business. Computers, merchandise, and various other items may require separate business property coverage. This can help to provide sufficient protection in the event of a loss.

Your homeowner’s insurance policy provides personal liability coverage as well. If someone hurts themselves on your property, it can deal with the legal costs and more. However, if it is a client, it may not provide the needed protection. This means you will want to look at a general liability policy – which can also protect you against claims of negligence.

Other types of business coverage may be required as well, and this is going to be based upon the kind of business you are running. You can gain business interruption coverage, equipment breakdown coverage, and even employment practices liability coverage, which is great if you hire any employees.

You need to know about all of your options so that you can close the gap between homeowner’s insurance and business insurance. If there is an issue, you want to know that the protection is there.

Contact us at The Insurance Outfit today to learn more about the cost of homeowner’s insurance and how to cover your home-based business at the same time. Our agents are here to help you in New Jersey.

 

 

Power Outages Are No Fun, Prepare!

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When you live in Chester, power outages are bound to happen at one point or another. Whether it is as a result of someone getting a power pole or a snowstorm, you want to make sure that you are prepared so that you aren’t having to deal with various safety issues as well as other problems.

Stock Up on Food

You cannot depend upon the food within your refrigerator and freezer because it is likely going to oil before the power comes back on. This means you need to have plenty of food stopped within your pantry that doesn’t require refrigeration or heat. It should be very easy to prepare, such as peanut butter and crackers, granola bars, dried fruit, and Turkey, and more.

Have Light Sources

Various light sources should be on hand, ranging from lanterns to flashlights. You also want to make sure to have plenty of backup batteries.

Obtain Heating Sources

Having a few heating sources can be advantageous. This can be something as simple as a gas grill or something more comprehensive such as an outdoor rocket stove or a solar oven. This will allow you to heat food as well as to boil water for sanitation purposes.

Avoid Restlessness

In today’s day and age, everyone depends upon electricity in one way or another to stay entertained. This includes charging a cell phone, watching TV, playing video games, and more. If there is no power, everyone is going to grow restless very quickly. Avoid this by having board games, card games, and various other things to do.

Call and speak to us at The Insurance Outfit today where we can talk to you about how to prepare for a power outage, ways to obtain the most affordable homeowners insurance policy, and more.

 

Tips for Motorcycle Safety During Deer Season

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For motorcycles riders, especially those in a relatively populated place like Chester, New Jersey, you learn to always be on-guard when you are out on the road. There are so many different things that can affect your ride and possibly cause an accident, which will result in damage and minor injury at the very least, if not much worse. However, there is an especially dangerous time of the year and that is deer season, where bucks, does and fawns are migrating through the woods and often crossing into the road at their own volition. Hitting a deer in a car is bad but hitting a deer on a motorcycle is dangerous if not deadly. Below are some tips on how motorcycle riders should prepare for the upcoming deer season in Chester, New Jersey.

Wear a Helmet

This is the law in New Jersey anyway, though many motorcycle riders don’t regularly abide by it. But if you hit a deer, the helmet you are wearing or not wearing could literally be the difference between life and death.

One Deer Often Means Many More

Just because you see one deer crossing in front of you on the road doesn’t mean you are in the clear. Deer travel in groups, so watch out for others following close behind who might dart out in front of you.

Don’t Speed 

Speeding is one of the main culprits for most accidents. So during deer season, try to keep your speed down but still safe enough to ride in traffic.

Have The Right Insurance 

Contact a company like The Insurance Outfit, who serves greater Chester, New Jersey, to make sure you and your motorcycle are properly covered during deer season.

Spread Out When Riding in A Group

As bad as hitting a deer is hitting other motorcyclists on the road who are your friends who have stopped suddenly to avoid hitting a deer. So when riding as a group, spread out a little bit. 

Advantages of Independent Insurance Agents

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Buying insurance is one of the most important purchases you will make in your lifetime. Choosing the correct coverage and policy is essential to making you feel safe and secure. In Chester, New Jersey, independent insurance agents at The Insurance Outfit can give you peace of mind. They are licensed professionals that research multiple policies to find what is best for you based on your particular needs.

  • More Options. Captive agents, agents that work for a single insurance company, have limited options they can offer when it comes to policy rates and plans. One advantage of obtaining an independent agent is that they can research many different policies. The agents will make inquiries from a multitude of companies and give you a chance to choose from a variety of insurance options.
  • Stay on Budget. Another advantage of selecting independent agents is that they will be able to help you save money. They can surf through different insurance company’s’ policies and show you a list of policies that contain the lowest prices that offer comparable coverages.
  • Fair Advice. A further benefit of having an independent agent is that they are fair and open-minded. They will not steer you toward one insurance company or another. They are there to ensure that you receive the best quality service and find the coverage that matches your needs.
  • Personal Service. One more asset to choosing independent insurance agents is the quality of service. The agents can help process claims without strict protocols that other insurance companies have to work with. They can make sure that you have not been taken advantage of and that you receive a fair settlement in the event of a loss.

The Insurance Outfit is independent insurance agency in Chester, New Jersey that maintains access to many insurance companies. The agents are available to help you decide the best program that is right for you.

 

5 Activities Your Kids Can Do Indoors This Winter

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There are a lot of activities you can do with your kids this winter…indoors. When it’s just too cold in New Jersey to play outside, you have to make some plans. Otherwise, you could end up with some very bored kids…and this is never a good thing.

#1: Play Dough

Salt dough can be made very easily. The cool thing about this dough is that it can be baked. This means your kids’ creations can go in the oven and stay around forever. You can add coloring to the dough to get as creative as you want.

#2: Music Band

Allow the kids to form their own band. If you don’t have instruments, you can make them. Fill some paper towel rolls with beans and seal off the edges and pull pots and pans out with wooden spoons.

#3: Yoga

Let the kids stretch and get their exercise in. Yoga is low impact and can be a lot of fun. Plus, there are instructional videos that you can stream on the Internet.

#4: Stories

Break out some of your favorite holiday stories to read to the kids. Or, you can let their creative juices flow by having them write and illustrate a new holiday story. Let all the kids contribute to it.

#5: Arts & Crafts

Boost the imagination of your kids by bringing out some arts and craft supplies. If you can’t make a snowman outside, maybe you can have some styrofoam balls to make an indoor snowman – and you don’t have to worry about him melting.

At The Insurance Outfit, we’re here to keep your family safe by finding a policy that works well with your needs. Your homeowner’s insurance policy can provide you with peace of mind in Chester. Call now to learn more.

 

 

5 Ways To Ready Your Car For Fall In New Jersey

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It’s important to prepare for the weather in NJ. There are five ways to prepare so you can deal with what the fall and winter months are going to bring. By taking the time to schedule the inspections and such, you can drive around town with more peace of mind.

Check Brakes

One of the last thing you want to worry about is whether your brakes are going to grip the roads or not. When there is ice or a problem on the road, you want to be able to stop and know that your brakes are capable of doing the job.

Schedule HVAC Inspection

An HVAC inspection is going to look at your heating system, the ventilation, as well as your air-conditioning. This will ensure that you are comfortable as you drive and that the defroster will take care of clearing the windows as needed.

Buy New Wiper Blades

New wiper blades should be purchased in the fall so that you are able to clear off ice, sleet, and anything else that may land on the window. If you have a back windshield wiper, these need to be replaced as well.

Have Tires Checked

Your tires need to be checked for bald spots, bulges, and more. The tire pressure can change as the weather gets colder and a significant amount of tread depth is required to grip the roads effectively, especially once it starts to snow in the winter months.

Schedule Maintenance

You should also schedule maintenance with your local mechanic. This will allow you to find out what needs to be done based on the make and model of your car as well as the amount of mileage that you have.

Call and talk to one of our independent insurance agents at The Insurance Outfit today. We look forward to helping you find a policy in NJ that works for you.

 

 

Reduce the Cost of Your Road Trip with These 3 Tips — And Make Sure You’re Insured

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At The Insurance Outfit, we know first-hand how important saving money is to drivers in Chester, NJ. Our independent insurance agents help people find ways to save on their auto insurance every day. In order to further serve the drivers of Chester and nearby New Jersey cities, we’ve compiled a few ways to reduce the costs of road trips.

Reducing the Cost of Road Trips

If you’re planning a road trip, there are a few things you can do to reduce how much the adventure will cost you. The most significant thing you can do is drive a small, fuel-efficient car. If you only have a large, gas-guzzling SUV, consider borrowing someone’s car or even renting one (although this would increase the cost of your trip). You can further reduce your expenses by driving the speed limit, using cruise control which will improve your gas mileage, and staying with friends, rather than in hotels.

Keeping Your Auto Insurance Policy

If you borrow a friend’s vehicle to save on gas, make sure you’ll still be insured while on the road. Your friend should have auto insurance that will provide you with coverage, but you should still have your own auto insurance policy that will provide coverage while driving your friend’s car.

If you have questions about whether either your friend’s or your auto insurance policy will cover you while driving your friend’s car, feel free to contact our independent insurance agents. They can review your policy, and they can help you find a different policy if yours doesn’t provide the protection you need. To get in touch with our auto insurance agents, contact us through our website or call our office.

 

Check Your Renters Insurance Policy when Moving to Chester, NJ

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If you’ve recently moved to Chester, NJ, we at The Insurance Outfit can help you find renters insurance for your new apartment or rental home. Renters insurance is location-specific, even down to the building you live in, so it’s important to update your insurance when you move. Our independent insurance agents can help you make sure you’re properly insured and if you need a new policy, we can help you find an affordable one.

Renters Insurance Is Location-Specific

Renters insurance provides tenants with important protections, like personal property coverage and liability coverage, and everyone who rents should be insured — regardless of where they live. Many renters insurance policies include similar coverages, but every policy is specific to a location.

Therefore, if you’ve moved to Chester, NJ, you need to update your insurance so that you’re insured in your new apartment. Depending on your insurance policy, you may be able to simply notify your insurer of your new address. You may, however, have to purchase an entirely new renters insurance policy if your previous insurer doesn’t offer insurance in New Jersey.

Renters Insurance Agents Will Help

Regardless of who your previous insurance policy is serviced through, we can  help you update your insurance coverage. It’s our way of welcoming new renters who move to Chester, NJ.

Our independent insurance agents can review your former policy and help you find similar coverage for your new home. As they help you update your insurance, they can also compare your policy’s rates with the going market rates in Chester. If there is a better deal available, they’ll let you know. To get in touch with one of our renters insurance agents, contact them through our agency’s website.