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I’m Buying a Car, What Do I Need To Do For My Insurance? Posted in Uncategorized on October 9th, 2019 No Comments Buying a new car can be a fun but sometimes confusing experience and even experienced car buyers may at time still wonder exactly what to do in terms of their insurance and buying a car. To add a car to or replace a car on an existing policy: 1. Once you’ve decided on the car you’re going to purchase give your agent a call to either provide the information they’ll need or to let them know that a dealership will be calling on your behalf and that the change is authorized by you. 2. When talking to your agent we’ll only need a few pieces of information: a. Who the car will be registered to. b. The make and model of the car AND/OR the VIN number. c. If the car is a lease, financed or owned outright. d. If you’re replacing a car that’s on your policy we’ll need to know which car is being replaced. e. Potentially a copy of the MSO or Bill of Sale for the car. f. The information for who to send the documents to, either directly to you or the salesperson at the dealership. To begin a new policy for a car you’re buying: 1. Your name. 2. Date of birth. 3. Driver’s license number. 4. Address. 5. Name, DoB, and DL # for any household members, such as family or roommates living in the…

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10 Home and Auto Insurance Discounts You Didn’t Know You Might be Eligible For Posted in Uncategorized on September 25th, 2019 No Comments Defensive Driving: Taking a defensive driving course, either in person or online, offers discounts on the collision, liability and personal injury pieces of your premium and it retains the discount for 3 years from the date the course is taken! A Paperless Discount: Many insurance companies offer a discount if you switch from paper bills to paperless or computer based bills. A great way to be green while saving some green! EFT: Electronic Funds Transfer, or EFT, is a way to set up your bill to draft directly out of your checking or savings account, therefore avoiding billing fees associated with manual paper billing. Paid in Full: This discount specifically applies to your auto insurance policy, it’s the option to pay your entire premium for the year in one lump sum payment which is less than the entire year would be if you were to choose to pay your premium in installments. Low Mileage: This discount may be applicable if you drive just above or below 5,000 mile per year. Burglar or Fire Alarm Systems: If your home has a hard wired in burglar or fire alarm system many insurance companies offer discounts in their protective device credits, they also offer them for things like deadbolts, fire extinguishers and regular smoke alarms. Multi-Policy: Many people have more than one insurance policy, whether it be homeowner’s, renter’s, auto, umbrella or any…

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I Use My Car to Drive for Ride Sharing Companies Like Uber and Lyft, What Do I Need to Know About My Insurance? Posted in Uncategorized on September 4th, 2019 No Comments If you currently drive for Uber or Lyft then hopefully you know what the companies require you to have in place as far as your own insurance policy before you can begin driving. As far as personal coverages go Uber requires you to have liability coverage and comprehensive coverage. They also require that you be listed as an insured driver on the policy, even if the car you’re driving isn’t yours and that the car you’re driving match the vehicle on the policy. They also ask that the proof of insurance that you provide to them displays an effective date and an expiration date. Lyft’s insurance requirements are slightly different, they require drivers to carry primary liability, contingent liability which is only for while in Driver Mode waiting for a ride request, contingent comprehensive and collision, and uninsured/underinsured motorist. While the personal requirements of the drivers for the two companies differ the coverage they provide for their drivers when the apps are in Driver Mode are similar. Once either driver is in Driver Mode, meaning they’re available to accept ride requests, you’re then covered by policies that Uber and Lyft both have in place to protect their drivers while waiting for a ride. Once you accept a ride more coverage kicks in as soon as you’re en route to pick up your rider. While you…

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Something to Think About Adding to Your Back to School Shopping List This Year Posted in Uncategorized on August 28th, 2019 No Comments Now that it’s the end of August and it feels like the summer has flown by, it’s about the time when parents start thinking about taking their kids back to school shopping for this upcoming year. When someone says back to school shopping most of us think of paper, pens and pencils, binders in every color, maybe some new clothes or a new backpack. What many people don’t think about when they think of back to school shopping is their insurance, and why would you? It doesn’t seem like something that really ties in with buying stuff for your kids to take to school every day but looking at your insurance this time of year could be really good for your rates. For example, it may be time to ask if a “Good Student” discount on your auto policy is something you qualify for. This would be a credit applied to the premium for a young driver on your policy because of all the effort and time you and your kids invest in their academic work. Each company has different criteria for what they’ll do for the good student discounts so the best way to see if you qualify for it is to call us up or email us a copy of your child’s most recent high school or college transcripts and ask us what we can do for you!

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Happy Anniversary Dutchess County Fair! Posted in Uncategorized on August 21st, 2019 No Comments This week’s post is going to be a little different than they normally are but in the spirit of Fair Week here in the Dutchess County we decided to roll with the theme! This year is the 174th Dutchess County Fair but it’s a special year for people here in Rinebeck because it’s the 100th anniversary of when the fair was moved to its current location in our very own town! This picture is a picture of the first year that the Dutchess County Fair took place here in Rhinebeck at what’s now called The Dutchess County Fairgrounds. The first fair in 1842 was held at Washington Hollow where the NYS Trooper Barracks are today, several more fairs were held there, as well as in Poughkeepsie at what is now Mill Street and Catherine Street. However come the early 1900’s the fair had fallen on some hard times, in 1916 as well as 1918 the fair was actually cancelled alltogether and in 1917 the fairgrounds in Poughkeepsie was being used to mobilize people who were involved in WWI. As you can imagine when 1919 came around there was a lot of confusion and worry about just what the future of the Dutchess County Fair would be. But that year the directorate of the Dutchess County Agricultural Society was reorganized and they decided to move the fair to Springbrook Park in the town of Rhinebeck and it never left! The Agricultural Society bought Springbrook Park…

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Move In Weekend As it’s officially the last day of July it means that for all proud college parents it’s time to start thinking about move in weekend. For anyone who’s never been through one before it’s probably the first time your child is going to be living outside of your home for an extended period of time and anyone who has been through it before knows that can make it a bittersweet weekend for everyone involved. As parents all you want for your kids is to know they’re happy and safe and a lot of times when kids leave for college it’s hard to let go of the feelings of needing to protect them. In the past the best way to do that was to keep them close and watch over them but now that they’re grown up and leaving for college it’s hard not to be able to do that. Something that may help you sleep better at night knowing your child is protected may be to talk to them about getting a renters insurance policy. Renters insurance is similar to your own homeowner’s policy, it protects your child’s belongings in the event of a loss, their liability if someone were to get hurt in or on any rented living space or property while your child lives there, and even include loss of use so if for some reason their apartment or dorm became unlivable they would have coverage to get somewhere to stay in the interim. What…

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Do I Need Cyber Liability Even Though I am a Small Business? The short answer to that question is yes, if your business handles any kind of Personally Identifiable Information at all then you do in fact need Cyber Liability coverage. Personally Identifiable Information might include, but is not limited to; Medical information Dates of birth Social security numbers Addresses Financial or payment information Online business transaction information Were your system to be breached and any of that information accessed your company would be liable for its loss. Many business owners believe that cyber liability is included in their business owner’s, commercial general liability or professional liability policies, when in fact most of those policies specifically exclude cyber liability coverage. The best way to ensure that you’re covered for any cyber liability claims you may make would be to ask your agent about a stand alone cyber liability policy as most major companies offer options to customize these policies to fit the needs of each specific client. If anything written here concerns you please give us a call at (845) 876-7035 and we would be more than happy to take a look at your current coverages and see if or what needs improving and help you take the necessary steps to being properly covered. Sources: Schneider, Jeanann. “Cyber Liability Insurance – Dutchess Bar Association” 3/28/19

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What To Do If You’re In Your Car When a Lightning Storm Is Nearby. Well I’m sure most of our first thought is the old wives tale that you’re “safe” in your car because it has rubber tires, but that’s not exactly the case. The best place to be in during a lightning storm is inside a sturdy building. While yes it is true that in your car is safer than just sitting outside in a lightning storm it still isn’t the recommended place to be if there are any other options available. According to The Weather Channel, the metal frame of the car is what actually does the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping you safe if your vehicle were to be struck by lightning. The metal exterior of the car acts similarly to a Faraday cage which conducts the electricity along the outside of the metal surface and directs it into the ground while keeping what’s inside safe. That being said, however, now more and more cars are being made out of non-metal frames and roofs, such as convertibles or anything with a plastic body, which won’t allow the electricity to flow through the car the way it might if the car were metal. If there’s no other option for you but to endure a lightning storm inside of your metal-topped car then the safest thing for you to do is pull over and try to wait it out. According to The Weather Channel, if you have to stay in your…

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