• The addition of Years-at-Residence and Driving-Experience rating factors, providing better rates to your customers with more driving experience and familiarity with their surroundings.

Increased savings, reduced paper, and added convenience through electonic policy issuanced and a combined billing statement.

Safety Insurance has announced:

“We are pleased to announce our e-Customer program, an exciting new discount program that will benefit you, your customers and even the environment. By electing to “Go Paperless” and receive one combined monthly statement from Safety, insureds will receive significant savings. This program is for policies with an effective date on or after November 1, 2008.

Benefits include:

• Eco-friendly electronic policy issuance designed to eliminate paper and increase convenience with one monthly statement.
• New Safety policyholders can receive up to a 10% discount on their Auto Policy with the e-Customer discount and the Agency Loyalty Credit.
• New Safety Homeowner policyholders can receive up to 7% e-Customer discount.
• Policyholders will have up to the minute access to policy, billing and claim information through Safety’s InsureAnswer.com website.
• The convenience of one agent, one company, one statement.

Over the next few weeks, our Marketing, CRM and Underwriting teams will be out to introduce this exciting new program.  Our private passenger auto and homeowner manual pages will be updated next week on the AVC.

George Murphy, CPCU
Vice President, Marketing

Contact your independent insurance agent for future details. 

The following is a statment issued by AIG regarding their highly publicized conference at the St. Regis Hotel.

We’ve said it here before, but it bears repeating, for family protection, value to coverage, Term life insurance is the way to go. As people live longer, life insurance is getting less and less expensive. A 30 year healthy male, non-smoker can get a $1,000,000 twenty year term for as little as $35 per month ($420 annual). Call us to compare. We have all the major carriers including SBLI and Banner. 

The following letter was sent by IIABA President and CEO Robert A. Rusboldt announcing the Feds’ Bail Out of AIG:

Dear IIABA Members:
The Federal Reserve confirmed last night that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York will make an $85 billion short-term bridge loan for 24 months to American International Group, secured by all the assets of AIG.  This important news for the insurance industry and financial market underscores the perspective of the Federal Reserve Board that “a disorderly failure of AIG could add to already significant levels of financial market fragility and lead to substantially higher borrowing costs, reduced household wealth, and materially weaker economic performance,” according the news release issued by the Federal Reserve.  In return, the government will receive warrants giving it the right to buy a 79.9% stake in the company, and a veto right over the payment of dividends on the company’s common and preferred stock. 

The loan is welcome news in the face of the escalating concern about the potential impact of AIG’s economic challenges, which has dominated the news for days, fueling speculation about the future of the company and debate about the public policy of a government bail-out. 

The complex corporate structure of AIG has resulted in confusion by some about the distinction between the parent company’s financial strength and the ability of its insurance businesses to meet their obligations to policyholders.  The loan provides AIG with needed liquidity, averting a crisis that could have set off a cascade of repercussions across the financial markets.  On the other hand, its insurance businesses are separate units or subsidiaries that are restricted from transferring assets to related entities without regulatory approval to facilitate their ability to pay claims. 

AIG released a statement last night on the loan, describing it as “the best alternative for all AIG’s constituencies.”  That followed an earlier statement released in the late afternoon aimed at addressing policy holder concerns that indicated that the insurance company businesses “continue to operate normally and remain adequately capitalized and fully capable of meeting their obligations to policyholders.” 

In addition, the NAIC issued a news release yesterday regarding regulatory safeguards in times of crisis. Additional materials and updates will be published in Insurance News & Views, IIABA’s weekly newsletter about industry developments, and also will be posted for IIABA members at www.independentagent.com under Legal Advocacy, Industry Issues.     

IIABA has been closely monitoring the developments on AIG through communications with executives of the company and its subsidiaries, and will continue to do so, providing updates as circumstances warrant.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Rusbuldt
President  & CEO

We will shop you with the best auto insurance companies in Massachusetts. We will custom fit coverage and discounts to make certain that you have the perfect policy. By utilizing Massautoquote.com you are taking advantage of the professional services of an Independent Insurance Agency.

Your Independent Insurance Agent is your professional insurance advisor. We advocate on behalf of you, our client, at claim time or if you ever have a billing question.

Your MA Independent Agent writes with an average of six auto insurance companies. Your agent will be able to show you the best rates and insurance programs available.

Unlike a direct writer, your Independent Agent will be able to show you multiple carriers rates and many different lines of insurance. Most Agencies provide clients with complimentary Registry of Motor Vehicles service.

Get a quote from us today!

Don’t look now, but here in Massachusetts we are about to see alot more of a certain english-accented, green reptile. 

This insurance agent’s nose for news is hearing rumors of GEICO’s entrance into the MA auto insurance market-place as of April of 2009.

Now, more than ever, it is time for the professional, licensed, independent insurance agent to flex their “added-value” and “trusted choices” muscles.

“Managed Competition” for auto insurance seems to be working in Massachusetts. Companies are entering the state and voluntarily writing auto insurance. Vermont Mutual is one of our state’s newest entrants. Vermont Mutual writes auto insurance in other states and is excited about the Mass. auto marketplace. They expect to be competitive. Other companies, such as Progressive Insurance, seem pleased with themselves. Agencies’ books of business continue to shrink as clients enjoy new, and innovative, discount programs. Our Agency, http://www.JohnsonandRohan.com, feels that as long as we keep our customers and grow, client-count wise, we will have had a successful year. The Massachusetts Independent Insurance Agent is working longer and harder, for less.

The Enhanced Emissions & Safety Test

Registered vehicles in Massachusetts must get an annual Emissions and Safety sticker.

The present cost of the annual inspection is $29. 

Consumers have seven days from the Registration date to get this inspection completed.

As a service, Massautoquote.com offers the following link to the Mass.gov website/ inspection site locator:    

Massachusetts Emissions & Safety Inspection Site Locator