Archive for April, 2008

Kids & Cars

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Our Agency recommends that parents, in order to best protect assets, consider registering and insuring a vehicle in their child’s name.  In Massachusetts parents are provided 100% insulation from lawsuits arising from bodily injury or property damage claims.

Mass. MGL Chapter 231, section 85A: “If a car is registered to the child and the child gets into an accident causing personal injury and/or property damage, there is no reponsibility on the parent. It does not make any difference who bought the car or who pays for the insurance, or how old the child is so long as we are talking about negligence.”

On this basis it might make sense for parents to consider insuring a vehicle in their child’s name.�

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Advanced Driver Training

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Advanced Driver Training

By far, the number one killer of teens is automobile accidents. Our Agency, Johnson & Rohan Insurance, promotes safe driving amoung teens and we promote In Control Advanced Driver Training Center. As part of our promotion, one of our companies (Safety Insurance) supplements the cost of the In Control class. Instead of paying the standard rate of $299, Safety insureds pay only $75. In addition, they receive a 5% Open Group discount (Safe Roads Alliance Application Form). 

If you would like to discuss, please give us a call at: 1-800-491-1414. Please feel free to use our ”Get A Quote“ form to get different coverage and premium options from us.  

Massautoquote.com

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MA Auto Insurance Group Discounts

Friday, April 25th, 2008

State-set auto insurance rates in Massachusetts are now a thing of the past.

My business partner asked me yesterday, “How do you think managed competition is going?”

Me? I think, over all, it’s going swimmingly. Our Agency is saving our clients money and we are busy writing new business.

The other night there was a segment on the television show, Chronicle (http://www.thebostonchannel.com/chronicle/index.html), about how to best shop for auto insurance. The consensus was: “talk to your agent.”

After all the politics, after all the corporate meetings and strategizing, after all the millions of dollars spent on advertising and after all the fancy (& some of them fluffy) discount programs, the consensus is: Talk to your Agent.

In our ongoing attempt to demystify the changes in the Massachusetts auto insurance system and to educate consumers about different discount and coverage programs, we offer a list of company “group” discounts.

Group discounts, like the popular AAA discount, have long been the elephant in the Massachusetts auto insurance room. Some of these groups are “open” group discounts that are open to anyone (like the AAA discount); others are “closed” group discounts that can only be received by going through a particular agency or directly through the company. As a disclaimer: some of these may not be complete group listings, certain groups may no longer be available, and the discount percentages may not be 100% accurate. 

Arbella Insurance    

Commerce Insurance    

Electric Insurance    

Encompass Insurance    

Farmers Insurance    

Hanover Insurance    

Liberty Mutual    

Mass. Homeland    

Metropolitan Insurance    

Norforlk & Dedham    

National Grange    

Plymouth Rock    

Travelers/Premier    

Quincy Mutual    

Safety Insurance

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MA Auto Insurance Discounts

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

As a public service, Massautoquote.com, offers the following list of Massachusetts Insurance Companies and their April 1, 2008 discount programs.

We recommend that you get a quote from us. Our licensed, independent, professional Massachusetts Insurance Agents use numerous companies and will find you the best discounts and insurance programs. 

American Automobile Insurance Company  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Multi-Car, Public Transit  

Amica  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Good Student, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Years Licensed, Years with Company

Arbella  Advanced Driver Training, Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Years with Company

Citizens Insurance Company of America  Advanced Driver Training, Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit

Commerce Insurance  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Years Licensed, Years with Company  

Electric Insurance   Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Years Licensed

Encompass Insurance  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Public Transit, Years Licensed

Farm Family Insurance Company  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Daytime Running Lights, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Public Transit, Years Licensed

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Good Student, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Years Licensed, Years with Company

Massachusetts Homeland Insurance Company  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Years Licensed, Years with Company

Metropolitan Insurance Company  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Good Student, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Public Transit, Years Licensed

National Grange Insurance Company  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Good Student, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Student Away, Years Licensed

Norfolk & Dedham Mutual Fire Insurance Company  Advanced Driver Training, Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Good Student, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Years Licensed

Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation   Advanced Driver Training, Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Good Student, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Public Transit, Student Away, Years Licensed, Years with Company

Praetorian Insurance Company  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Multi-Car, Public Transit

Quincy Mutual Insurance Company  Advanced Driver Training, Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Years Licensed, Years with Company

Safety Insurance Company  Advanced Driver Training, Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Good Student, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit, Student Away, Years Licensed, Years with Company

State Farm Insurance Company  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Multi-Car, Public Transit

The Travelers of Massachusetts (Premier)  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Good Student, Group Membership, Multi-Car, Other Policy, Public Transit  

USAA Insurance Company  Annual Mileage, Anti-Theft, Good Student, Multi-Car, Public Transit, Student Away

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Ma Auto Insurance & the little, green lizard

Monday, April 21st, 2008

Never in the history of the Massachusetts Professional, Independent Insurance Agent community, have five letters been so feared.

Not, “t-h-e-f-t.”

Not, “f-r-a-u-d.”

And no, not, “c-l-a-i-m.”

I am talking about “G-E-I-C-O.”

Not since my childhood Godzilla days, have I been so scared of a lizard.

For years they have advertised in our proud, Commonwealth and for years I have smugly told customers, “GEICO? They don’t even write insurance in Massachusetts!”

Nationally they don’t use Independent Agents, either.

They use call centers and service centers and they don’t write home insurance.

When you work with an Independent, Professional Insurance Agent you are working with someone who who has your best interest in mind. You are working with someone who will shop your insurance with many different companies to get you the best rate. You are working with someone who is your advocate at claim time. Who, at GEICO, works as your advocate? Who, at GEICO, sells multi-lines of insurance and shops your insurances with many different companies?

Like the chilly winds of our Massachusetts’ autums, it seems inevitable that GEICO is coming. When? I don’t know. 2009? 2010 at the latest, is my guess.

For now, it is up to the Independent Insurance Agent, to get the best rates for our clients, to package policies and to round accounts. It is time to save our clients money. It is time to advise and to advocate. It is time to demonstrate our value.

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Rate Review Reality Check

Friday, April 18th, 2008

Here we are, Massachusetts, 18 days into “Managed Competition.” Seems like 18 months.

The other day I was (sort of but not really) bragging about this Massachusetts Auto Insurance BLOG and I was told that my four posts were not enough. Shocked, I was told that I need to BLOG more.  BLOG more? “Dude, it’s a BLOG and you’re my insurance guy.” 

Besides still not being quite sure what a BLOG is (Wikopedia tells me that it’s a “Web Log”), I do know that our Agency has been going crazy learning new rating software, quoting & re-quoting auto and home insurance, applying new discounts and programs, sending out renewals, transferring customers, cancelling policies, writing new business and, probably, drinking too much coffee. 

However, and in an effort to BLOG more, I present a Rate Review Reality Check:

18 days into our new “Managed Competition” auto insurance system and , I think, MA consumers are doing pretty well.

I have, however, seen some very real auto insurance rate casualties:

We have a client that lives in Lynn that renewed last year for $1,168. This year: $1,357.

We have a client that lives in Dorchester that renewed two vehicles last year at $2,960. This year: $3,031.

We have a young married couple (licensed less than six years with 4 points & 10 points on their licenses) and their premium (two vehicles) went from $3,201 to $3,498.

So far it appears that new drivers, drivers with points, drivers that live in urban areas and those without a ”companion policy” are the ones that are not going to enjoy the heavily advertised discounts.

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Added Value

Friday, April 11th, 2008

It seems to me that for the past thirty years, or so, Massachusetts insurance consumers and Professional, Massachusetts Independent Agents have been pushed around by the insurance industry. Enjoying “state set” auto insurance rates, Massachusetts bloated to the fourth highest auto insurance rates in the country and whithered to only 19 auto insurance carriers. I believe the handwriting was on the wall a number of years ago, Massachusetts auto insurance rates plummeted 26% over the past three years. As of April 1, 2008 Massachusetts moved to a “managed competition” system. This move has been good for most consumers with a statewide decrease in auto rates of almost 8%. The rate casualties seem to be those with 10 or more points on their license and new drivers.

With all the industry changes and as a small business owner, I have found myself working harder and working longer. My wife and three babies wonder who this tie-wearing, slightly stressed out, stranger is.  I continue to ask myself, as an Independent Insurance Agency: “Do we add value?” The emphatic answer: YES.

Unlike the Liberty Mutuals and The Amicas, we write insurance with many different companies. We represent our clients, as opposed to representing the companies that we place business with. We spend the time to find out which companies are the best fit for our clients. Some companies have more of an appetite for new drivers, some more of an appetite for the home and auto “account business.”

We are here for our customers whenever they have a claim problem or a billing question. We also offer free Registry of Motor Vehicles service.

We are Professional Insurance Advisors that have the best interest of our customers in mind. We offer multiple lines of insurance and as our customers lives change we are here to assist with all their insurance needs. 

Your Independent Insurance Agent should offer a lifetime of insurance products and services:

Parents put their newly licensed child on their auto policy, the child buys his first car, he moves out of the house and gets an apartment, he opens a business, buys an engagement ring, gets married, buys a home, has a child, buys life insurance, puchases a personal liability umbrella policy, gets rich, buys a vacation property, buys the ‘65 Mustang Shelby GT350, and retires.

We are here to help every step of the way.

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Auto Insurance Discount Programs

Friday, April 4th, 2008

April 1, 2008 has come and gone and Massachusetts’ consumers wonder if they are getting the best deal on auto insurance.

If you have a home, apartment or condominium insurance then make sure you package that policy with your auto. The big, new auto discount is the “Companion policy or Account discount.” For the past 30 years the “account discount” has been applied only to one’s home insurance policy. Discounts are now being applied to auto insurance policies.

If you don’t have a home, condo or apartment policy and don’t plan on getting one (in some cases, it might actually make financial sense to purchase a renter’s policy) then where are the discounts?

Some of the new, April 1st Massachusetts auto insurance discount programs include:

GOOD STUDENT DISCOUNTS

STUDENTS AWAY AT SCHOOL DISCOUNTS

ADDITIONAL GOOD DRIVER DISCOUNTS (FOR “STEP” 99 & 98 DRIVERS)

ADDITIONAL MULTI-CAR DISCOUNTS

HYBRID VEHICLE DISCOUNTS

ADVANCED DRIVER TRAINING DISCOUNTS 

In addition to new programs some companies continue to offer Open Group Discounts.

For example, following please find a link to a listing of Safety Insurance Company’s Open Group Discounts:

http://www.mass.gov/Eoca/docs/doi/Consumer/Auto_Discounts/css_auto_safety.pdf

These type of Open Group Discounts are discounts in addition to April 1st’s rate decrease, discounts, and insurance programs.

The best way to ensure that you are getting the best rate is to submit a quote request here at http://www.massautoquote.com.

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