Did you know when you insure with Johnson & Rohan Insurance you utilize the power of the Massachusetts Independent Insurance Agent?

We rate auto insurance with seven companies (and even more companies for home, business, and life insurance) to find you the best rates.

We offer a choice of insurance plans and programs. We are value hunters looking to find you the best combination of price, coverage and service.

We will help if you have a billing problem, assist with a claim, and consult with you to determine your insurance needs.

We promise to treat you like a person and not just another number.

Customer satisfaction is the key to growing our business.

Thank you for your business & your referrals.

From all of us at Johnson & Rohan Insurance:

Thank You For Making 2012 Our Best Year Ever!

Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old long syne.

We are committed to providing the very best in insurance services. Our client base and insurance markets continue to expand. We are now rating auto insurance with seven companies, and even more, home, life and commercial insurance companies.

Happy New Year! Happy 2013!

They seem to sneak up on us every year.

It’s hard to believe the Holidays and New Year are here!

At Johnson & Rohan Insurance this means: It’s calender time …

If you, or any of your friends, would like one of our 2013 New England calenders, please send us an e-mail.

From all of us at Johnson & Rohan Insurance:

We wish you the very best happy, healthy & hopeful 2013!

With heating oil and natural gas prices projected to be even higher this winter than they were last, we offer the following tips to save you money.

Maximize Efficiency:
Check your heating system before you turn it on for the winter. Keeping your furnace clean, lubricated, and properly adjusted can save about 5 percent on your heating bill

Consider replacing an old furnace. Today’s furnaces are about 25 percent more efficient than they were in the 1980s

Minimize Heat Loss:
Seal up the leaks. Sealing and insulating duct systems can cut heating costs by as much as 40 percent.

Add insulation to your home’s attic. Even if your attic floor already has a couple of inches of insulation, another six inches can help.
Wrap an insulation blanket around your hot water pipes and tank. This is especially valuable for older water heaters and can save up to 10 percent on water-heating costs.
Don’t use an open-hearth fireplace for heat. The heated air that’s drawn from your home and up the chimney offsets almost all the warmth that a fire provides.

Keep your fireplace damper closed when you don’t have a fire burning. This will prevent up to 8 percent of your furnace-heated air from going up the chimney
home for free.

Conserve Heat:
Turn down the thermostat a little. For every two degrees you lower the thermostat, you’ll save about 4 percent on heating bills.
Consider a programmable thermostat. One of these can help you cut heating costs as much as 20%.
Reduce hot water temperature. Save 7 to 11 percent of water-heating costs by keeping your water heater at the “normal” setting or 120º.
Shorten showers. Showers account for two-thirds of your water-heating costs, so even shaving off a few minutes can help.

Perhaps the cruelest and most frustrating of all surcharge points on the MA personal auto policy is the one for an ”expired inspection sticker.”

A ticket for an expired vehicle inspection sticker is the equivalent, in auto insurance surcharge points, to a moving violation.

According to the MA Department of Insurance:

Surcharge points are incurred if you:

• cause an at-fault accident
• are convicted of or pay a fine for a traffic law violation
• are assigned to an alcohol education program

An expired inspection sticker is considered “pay(ing) a fine for a traffic law violation.”

A $40 ticket results in increased insurance costs for 6 years! About 20% increase the first three years, diminshing the following three .

So remember:  Check your MA Inspection Sticker & don’t let it lapse!

Johnson & Rohan Insurance is thankful for having you as a client.

Our goal, as independent agency owners is to provide added value to our clients. We understand there are many places to buy your insurance.

So everyday we ask ourselves: “where do we add value?”

Value is saving you money and maximizing different companies’ discount programs.

Value is at claim time when you understand the coverage you’ve spent all this money on over the years.

Value is when you call our office and get a friendly & responsive voice.

Value is having an independent, insurance professional reviewing your coverage, shopping your insurance, and offering your trusted advice at claim time.

At Johnson & Rohan Insurance: we appreciate your business.

Thank you for insuring with us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Safe Winter Driving Tips:

• Clear snow and ice from all windows and lights – even the hood and roof- before driving
• Leave plenty of room for stopping.
• Pay attention don’t try to out drive the conditions. Remember the posted speed limits are for dry pavement.
• Know the current road conditions. Call 511 from your cell phone or any of the following from either your cell phone or landline phone.
  • Metro Boston: (617) 986-5511
  • Central Mass: (508) 499-5511
  • Western Mass: (413) 754-5511
• Use brakes carefully. Brake early. Brake correctly. It takes more time and distance to stop in adverse conditions.
• Bridge decks freeze first. Due to the difference in the exposure to air, the surface condition can be worse on a bridge than on the approach road.
• Exit ramps are an even greater challenge during the winter since they may have received less anti-icing material than the main line. Be aware of this when exiting the highway.
• Don’t use the “cruise control” option driving in wintry conditions. Even roads that appear clear can have sudden slippery spots and the slightest touch of your brakes to deactivate the cruise control can cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
• Don’t get overconfident in your 4×4 vehicle. Remember that, if you are driving a four wheel drive vehicle, the vehicle may help you get going quicker but it won’t help you stop any quicker. Many 4×4 vehicles are heavier than passenger vehicles and actually may take longer to stop. Don’t get overconfident in your 4×4 vehicle’s traction.
• Look further ahead in traffic than you normally do. Actions by cars and trucks will alert you quicker to problems and give you a split-second extra time to react safely.
• Remember that trucks are heavier than cars. Trucks take longer to safely respond and come to a complete stop, so avoid cutting quickly in front of them.
• Leave room for maintenance vehicles and plows – stay back at least 200 feet and don’t pass on the right. (See additional information below.)
• Most importantly please remember to SLOW DOWN! Also, seat belts should be worn at all times – it’s the law.

The cleanup and phone calls continue:  Do we have coverage for damage done by Hurricane Sandy?

The short answer is: yes.

You have coverage done to your home by wind driven winds, rain, and falling objects.

The longer answer is: coverage is subject to your policy’s deductible.

Some policy’s have special wind & hurricane deductibles which can be 1%, 2%, 5% or up to 10% of your Coverage A, Dwelling, amount.

For tree removal, typically, there is coverage only when the tree hits a covered item, such as your house, or other structure.

Some companies have special endorsements which allow some, limited tree removal coverage.

If your auto insurance includes comprehensive coverage, then your auto has coverage for any damage done to it, besides collisions (for this you have collision coverage), including damage done to your vehicle by a hurricane.

To review your coverage, call or give us a click.

Summer is over and as fall sets in, we’re reminded of the dreaded insurance peril: Frozen Pipes!

Frozen pipes can lead to disasterous messes and expensive insurance losses.

Here are a couple of ideas to help prevent frozen pipes from happening to you: 

• Keep the house heated to a minimum of 65 degrees. The temperature inside the walls where the pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A temperature lower than 65 degrees will not keep the pipes inside the walls from freezing.
• Open hot & cold faucets enough to let them drip slowly. Keeping water moving within the pipes will prevent freezing.