A recent article by Forbes identifies 4 common, costly homeowner insurance mistakes to avoid:
Mistake No. 1: Underinsuring your house
Mistake No. 2: Assuming you have flood insurance
Mistake No. 3: Thinking you have one, flat deductible
Mistake No. 4: Believing you’re covered for mold or sewage backup
Call, click, e-mail or stop by to review your home insurance coverage.
Forbes: Costly homeowners insurance mistakes to avoid
A recent article by Forbes identifies 4 common, costly homeowner insurance mistakes to avoid:
Mistake No. 1: Underinsuring your house
Mistake No. 2: Assuming you have flood insurance
Mistake No. 3: Thinking you have one, flat deductible
Mistake No. 4: Believing you’re covered for mold or sewage backup
Call, click, e-mail or stop by to review your home insurance coverage.
In an attempt to de-mystify the annual, pesky Massachusetts excise tax we offer the following excise tax breakdown:
Excise bills are prepared by the RMV according to information on the registration. They are sent to city/town assessors who commit them to local tax collectors for distribution.
The excise tax rate is $25 per $1,000 of valuation (NADA) subject to the following percentage formula:
In the model year: 90%; second year: 60%; third year: 40%; fourth year: 25%; fifth year & beyond: 10%.
If you have turned in your plates on the vehicle you are getting excise taxed on, or if you have transferred plates and got rid of the vehicle, you may be eligible for abatement . Abatement instructions are located on your excise tax bill.
The Blizzard of ’13 is bearing down on us, Johnson & Rohan Insurance offers some safety tips:
Johnson & Rohan Insurance hopes everyone has a warm and safe Blizzard of ’13.
Claim reporting is available 24 hours per day/ 7 days per week. If you want to report a claim during off hours, have your policy number ready and call:
Premier/ Travelers: 1-877-425-2466
Safety Insurance: 1-866-906-5016
Vermont Mutual: 1-800-435-0397
MPIUA: 1-800-392-6108
You can also report online:
Homeowner Insurance is asset protection designed to bring your home and possessions back to the same condition prior to loss. Lenders require proof of home insurance, also known as Hazard Insurance of Fire Insurance, in the form of an insurance binder. Often they require a “paid in full” receipt and that the home is insured for 100% of estimated Replacement Cost.
Johnson & Rohan Insurance will help you determine the Replacement Cost of your home. Replacement Cost represents the amount it would cost to rebuild your home if you were to suffer a total loss. Not to be confused with market value, Replacement Cost is pure construction cost. Replacement Cost is determined by such things as: age, condition, square footage, updates, building quality and town multipliers.
Massachusetts Home Insurance Coverage Review
Once Replacement Cost is estimated, your MA home insurance agent is ready to start quoting. The standard MA home policy is a package consisting of:
Coverage A, Dwelling – The amount of coverage assigned to your dwelling should reflect the amount it would cost to completely repair or rebuild your home should it suffer a covered loss.
Coverage B, Other Structures – Typically 10% of Coverage A, Other Structures Coverage is for other structures (mailbox, shed, dog house, swimming pool, garage etc.) on your property detached from your dwelling.
Coverage C, Personal Property – Typically 50 – 70% of Coverage A, Personal Property Coverage provides coverage for your personal possessions such as furniture, clothing and appliances are covered. Certain types of possessions, such as jewelry, fine arts, antiques & collectibles, are excluded or have limited coverage.
Coverage D, Loss of Use – Typically 20% of Coverage A, Loss of Use Coverage pays for housing and other living expenses (like meals and laundry) if you suffer a loss that makes your home uninhabitable.
Coverage E, Personal Liability – Personal Liability Coverage provides on & off premise lawsuit protection and will provide coverage for bodily injury or property damage for which you are legally responsible.
Coverage F, Medical Payments – This coverage is available to others (not household residents) and will pay medical expenses up to, traditionally, $1,000.
Covered Perils – A homeowner insurance policy will provide protection from: fire or lightning, windstorm or hail, explosion, aircraft, vehicles, riot or civil commotion, smoke, theft, vandalism/malicious mischief, glass breakage, volcanic eruption, falling objects, weight of ice, snow or sleet, freezing of plumbing, accidental plumbing discharge, rupture of steam or hot water heating system, air conditioning systems, or water heaters, damage from artificially generated electricity.
Exclusions – A homeowners policy excludes coverage from: flood, or water that backs up through sewers, loss to building by earthquake, aftershocks and mud slides, loss by enforcement law or ordinance regulating construction, repair or demolition, or zoning, loss due to power interruption when the interruption takes place off the residence property, loss due to neglect of the insured to save and preserve property following a loss, war and nuclear perils, intentional loss.
Deductibles – Homeowner policy include a deductible. The deductible is the amount the consumer is responsible for before the insurance coverage applies. Typical deductibles are $500, $1,000, and $2,500. The higher the deductible: the lower the annual premium.
Nobody likes them and they’re not a lot of fun, but they keep coming and coming.
The Dreaded Ice Dams!
Fortunately, they are preventable!
Ice dams are caused by the build up of ice and snow on your roof. Melting and re-freezing contributes to more snow and ice building up.
Watch for ice dams near gutter downspouts.
Keep gutters free of leaves and debris so melting snow and ice can flow freely.
Ice dams can cause water to build up and seep into your house destroying walls, floors and personal property.
Have you been found “at-fault” in an auto accident?
Have you received the MA surcharge notice?
If so, this means the insurance company found you more than 50% at-fault and paid out more than $500 in damages.
Less than $2,000 in damages results in a 3 point (minor accident) surcharge, more than $2,000 results in a 4 point (major accident) surcharge.
If you believe you were not more than 50% at-fault in the accident, then we recommend you appeal the surcharge.
Unlike insurance companies, the Board of Appeal takes into account contributing factors, such as: road condition (icy, wet, snow-covered), visibility, other vehicle erratic driving, etc.
The Board of Appeal tells us it is presently taking about 9 months before consumers receive the hearing date. The cost to appeal is a non-refundable $50.
Once the hearing date is received you can: appear in person, submit a written statement, or select someone to appear on your behalf.
Appeal hearings are scheduled in: Boston, Brockton, Peabody, Plymouth, Somerville, Springfield, Waltham, or Worcester.
Call us or e-mail us to discuss.
According to Mass.gov, the official website of Massachusetts, one of the most requested topics is ordering vanity license plates.
By using the following Registry of Motor Vehicles search tool, you can check to see if the vanity plate you want is available:
http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/rmv/VanityPlateRequirements.aspx
Vanity plates may be ordered in person.
In Person: Go to any full service Registry Branch and complete the Application for Vanity Plates 
Up to three plate requests can be made on one application. Payment must be made at the time of ordering.
Process: Within twelve to fourteen (12-14) weeks after your payment is received, you will receive a letter telling you the plates are ready and instructions on where to pick them up. The plates generally arrive at the branch within one week of the date of this letter.
To pick up your vanity plates at the branch you will be required to:
Vanity plates must be picked up within 90 days.
I like State Farm’s Discount Double Check ad campaign.
The ads feature Green Bay Packer quarterback, Aaron Rodgers & his signature touchdown, “hands circling his belt” move.
Everyone in the commercial recognizes the move instead, as State Farm’s Discount Double Check move.
The reason I like the ad is because, as your Massachusetts agency, that’s what we do. We rate, re-rate, check for discounts, and double check for discounts.
We discount double check.
This afternoon a longtime client called to let us know her daughter got a speeding ticket and to warn us of her insurance surcharge.
As her agent, I asked if we could take a moment to review coverage & discounts together.
Within minutes, we removed $30 per day substitute transportation coverage (in her view: unnecessarily on 2 of their 4 vehicles), included additional mileage, good student, and away at school credits.
The result? A -$395 credit to their policy!
I am also happy to report: this will more than make up for the surcharge for the speeding ticket.
Call us: 781-224-0909 (or send us an e-mail)
For your Discount Double Check!
Johnson & Rohan recommends In Control – Crash Prevention Training.
As a parent, one of our biggest worries is when our teen driver gets their license.
In Control – Crash Prevention Training is a program that puts drivers in controlled, high risk driving situations, designed to significantly reduce the risks associated with being a new driver.
In Control offers a half-day hands-on course developed by professionally trained race car drivers who also train police, firefighters, and emergency response drivers.
Drivers learn: how to control skids, how to effectively use ABS brakes, dangers of tailgating, problems with backing up, how to manage emergency lane changes, and the effects of speed on driving control.
In Control offers a 10% discount to Johnson & Rohan clients. The present cost of the program is $299 per student with additional family members costing $200.
In addition, Safety Insurance offers this program to our clients for $75.
They are also provide a 5% discount on auto insurance for drivers that have completed this course.
We are very excited about this program and the skills that it teaches. Reviews of this program have been excellent.
Please call or click us to learn more.
