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A Personal Umbrella Insurance Policy Protects You Against Excess Liability

Joseph Coupal - Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Lallis and Higgins Insurance, Weymouth, MAA personal umbrella policy is there to protect you against excess liability judgments for loss, injury, or even death caused by negligent acts. It provides liability coverage over and above the insurance policies you currently have for your home, auto boat, motorcycle, etc..

The following events did happen and could happen to you:

  • While playing with BB guns, a boy was shot by another boy at their friend’s home.  PLAINTIFF VERDICT, COMPENSATORY AWARD: $500,000
  • A 12-year-old boy suffered lacerations to his lower legs and thigh when he walked by a neighbor’s house and was bitten by her two dogs.PLAINTIFF VERDICT, COMPENSATORY AWARD: $500,000
  • A man improperly installed a pool diving board at his former home that later resulted in a serious injury to the home’s new owner. OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT: $2,500,000
  • A driver was rear-ended by an uninsured motorist, which forced the driver’s car into another vehicle and caused injuries to the occupant of the front vehicle. OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT: $1,250,000

Source: The cases with jury verdicts were taken from Jury Verdicts Research, an LRP Publication Company, Horsham, Pennsylvania.

Why do I need more insurance?

Your current home and auto insurance will protect you against a minor misfortune—but it probably would not give you the needed protection against a catastrophic loss.

Besides providing increased liability limits, a personal umbrella insurance policy gives you additional benefits:

You are covered for defense costs and attorneys’ fees associated with claims against you that are covered by your personal umbrella policy but not by your primary policies. These expenses are paid in addition to your policy limit.

Coverage for a loss that takes place anywhere in the world.

You may be protected against claims that may not be covered by your underlying policies for homeowner’s, auto liability and/or watercraft liability.

For more information on personal umbrella insurance, contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance.


Home Insurance Tips for First Time Home Buyers

Joseph Coupal - Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Lallis and Higgins Insurance, Weymouth, MAYou've worked hard to buy your first home. Be sure to choose a policy that will protect your investment.

There’s so much to consider that many first-time buyers don’t think about home insurance — which will be important when it comes to closing on the house.

Factor the ongoing cost of home insurance into your home-buying budget, because it will probably show up in your monthly mortgage payment along with payments on your loan principal and interest and your property taxes. That means you should go into your search knowing the basics about insuring your house and what can drive up the cost of coverage.

Once you choose the house and negotiate an offer, it will be time to find an insurer. There are a few issues to take into consideration before settling on a provider — all policies are not created equal. Using these tips can help you save money and ensure that you have quality coverage to protect your largest investment.

Shop around

The price of home insurance varies widely from carrier to carrier. That’s because each provider has a different algorithm for determining customer premiums. This is one reason why it’s a good idea to comparison shop through an insurance agent. You could end up saving yourself hundreds of dollars simply by getting a few different quotes.

Don’t skimp on coverage

While you want to save money on home insurance, it’s important not to skimp on coverage. Standard home insurance policies typically offer protection from a variety of potential risks, ranging from liability to damage from weather-related perils. However, you may want to adjust or add coverage depending on your needs.

One matter you should pay close attention to is your amount of dwelling coverage — the part of your policy that protects the structure of your home. You should have enough dwelling coverage to rebuild completely in case the house is destroyed by a covered peril. That amount, however, is often different from the purchase price. Your insurance agent will be able to provide you with the estimated amount of dwelling coverage that’s right for you that is calculated with a specific replacement cost evaluator.

Bundle your policies

Buying home and auto insurance from the same provider – most sell both – can save you as much as 20% on your annual premium. Do you have multiple vehicles? Or even a boat? You can often bundle all of these items with one carrier.

Evaluate risks as you look

When you’re evaluating potential homes, consider the risk each proposes. Is the house in a high-risk flood plain? Standard home insurance doesn’t cover flooding. For this protection, homeowners must purchase a separate policy from the National Flood Insurance Program. Just a few inches of flood water can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

Does one of the homes you’re considering have a swimming pool or trampoline on the property? Either factor can increase the amount you’ll pay for home insurance.

Remember, even veteran home buyers can get tripped up by the process. But take your time, ask plenty of questions and be sure to use an insurance agent.

For more information on home insurance, contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance.

Zillow.com


Meet Anthony Lallis and Derek Higgins of Lallis & Higgins Insurance in Weymouth

Joseph Coupal - Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Lallis and Derek Higgins.

Founding Partner Anthony is a graduate of Emerson College, and Quincy High School. Anthony began his insurance career in 1999 and has held positions in service, underwriting, marketing, and sales prior to opening Lallis and Higgins Insurance.

Lallis enjoys volunteering in community sports and academic programs. Anthony is the 2017 Massachusetts Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Man of the Year, and has raised over $50,000 to help assist those battling blood Cancers. He also raised $10,000 for the Quincy Fire Department in the past, and sponsors Quincy/ North Quincy High School football along with many local charities in the Boston, and South Shore areas.

Founding Partner Derek Higgins attended Western New England University, and graduated from Waltham High School. He began his insurance career in 2009 following a successful business development career in the moving and storage industry in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

As a four-year college baseball player, Derek enjoys playing sports, and stays active in local youth sports leagues – he’s always looking for different ways to give back in the community. Higgins has been a member of Business Networking International since 2009, and has served on the leadership team for the past 5 years.

They met while working in sales roles for a direct insurance carrier based out of Boston. In 2014, they decided that they were ready to go out on their own, so they formed Lallis and Higgins Insurance.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?

Opening a new agency was not an easy task. Insurance agents need to show a record of past business accomplishments in order to get appointed to represent insurance companies. Fortunately for us we had a sound business plan, and a successful track record over the past years selling insurance in Massachusetts.

We were able to get appointed to the insurance companies that would best represent our agency, and our clients. We had zero clients when we opened the doors in October of 2014, and now we have served well over 2,000 clients.

The biggest challenge for us has been staffing. We are fortunate enough to be growing at a fast pace, and we always want to make sure we are available for our clients, so hiring enough staff has been a top priority for us.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Lallis & Higgins Insurance – what should we know? Our agency enjoys helping Massachusetts residents with home, auto, business, and life insurance. We do a great job at matching each client up with the policy that best meets his/her specific needs. Our agency is able to offer competitive rates to small business through our network or carriers, we also offer many options to homeowner on Main Street to those that live on the coast, and auto insurance to drivers of all types. We pride ourselves on treating each client individual – what may work for one, most times does not work for the others.

We realized early in our career that insurance is about building relationships with clients, neighbors and communities. We love to support our client’s endeavors and organizations. We also participate in local charities, and community services throughout the year. Anthony was named 2017 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Man of the year for his efforts in raising over $50,0000 for LLS’s services.

Our agency recently received the Regional Gold recognition naming us the top insurance agency in our region, and the number one insurance agency in Weymouth by Wicked Local Readers’ Choice awards.

We understand polices still need to be reviewed each year to make sure everything is accurate and up-to-date as life and life needs changes, so our agency always looks for the best for our clients. Whether it’s suggesting a new coverage that came out, or proactively shopping a renewal that had a premium increase. We understand that our agency is lucky our clients picked us, and we want to make sure we always have their best interest in mind, and support them.

Contact Info:

Address: 440 Washington Street Suite 3
Weymouth, MA 02188
Website: www.lallisandhiggins.com
Phone: 781-277-0673
Instagram: lallis_and_higgins_insurance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lallisandhiggins/





 

Source: bostonvoyager.com


Seasonal Vehicles and Toys: Is Year Round Insurance Necessary?

Joseph Coupal - Monday, June 11, 2018

Lallis and Higgins Insurance, Weymouth, MAAs the temperatures rise, you may be thinking about taking your boat out for a spin. But, a channel marker disappeared sometime over the winter and you've run aground. "What do you mean I only had a six month policy?" Uh-oh.

Some seasonal vehicle and "toy" insurance policies are only six months, some owners only implement six month policies to start with, others may cancel their coverage at the end of the season. In the off-season, many owners wonder if they can save a few dollars by temporarily cancelling insurance on their bikes, boats, RVs, and jet skis.

Should you drop insurance on seasonal vehicles that are in winter storage? It may be tempting, but it's not the soundest practice. Here are some reasons why.

You Should Keep Yourself Protected

Be certain that your seasonal toys will stay in storage for the entire season. In Massachusetts, some of the nicest weather happens in October and even in the beginning of November. You can still ride a motorcycle or use your RV in these late fall and early winter months. If you cancel your insurance, you'd have to fight the impulse to take your bike out for a ride or cruise the RV to Virginia over a long weekend. If you did, you'd be out there without an insurance policy to protect you against an accident or other unfortunate event.

But, even in winter seasonal vehicles still face risks when they're "safe" in storage. Theft, fire, vandalism, and storm damage are all possible. If you cancel your insurance, and something happens to your bike, RV, boat, or jet ski you'd be left to foot the bill for damages or repair costs out of pocket.

You May Not Save by Cancelling Your Policy

You may not save money by cancelling insurance during the winter months. Some insurance companies take into account the typical riding/boating/touring season when they price a policy, even when spread over 12 months. So, you may not receive a refund for canceling winter coverage.

How You Might Save, There are some options

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), you may be able to purchase a "lay-up" policy, which temporarily suspends everything but the comprehensive coverage on your seasonal vehicle insurance. Comprehensive coverage protects you against an event that has nothing to do with a collision, like theft, vandalism, or other incident that can happen while in storage. Even if you don't have one of these lay-up policies, you might be able to make a similar, temporary reduction of coverages on your own policy. (Be sure to reinstate all your coverages before the season starts again next spring).

Another option might be to raise your deductible off-season to lower your premium. However, be sure you are willing and able to pay the higher deductible if damage does occur while in storage.

Check with Lallis & Higgins Insurance to determine if seasonal coverage options are available.


Insurance Agents Should Understand Your Home Insurance Needs

Joseph Coupal - Monday, June 04, 2018

Lallis and Higgins Insurance, Weymouth, MAHome insurance customers most value having an insurance agent or broker who completely understands their individual needs and helps them assess and manage their risk. The highest-ranked insurers deliver on both of these metrics. Basically, your insurance agent makes a difference.

Overall customer satisfaction and interaction has the highest importance to home owners, followed by policy offerings. Interaction satisfaction is highest when customers interact with an agent or broker in person.

Providing face-to-face consultation, from insurance policy review to helping customers understand price adjustments initiated by the insurance agent, is crucial. Home owners who have face-to-face contact with their insurance agents are more likely to understand their coverage, its value and the reason for a price adjustment.

Policy offerings are increasingly important, especially for home owners on the water or in flood zones. Insurance brokers often have more and better options because they have access to different types of policies and can shop around for the homeowner to provide the best coverage.

Home owners want and need the confidence that they’re properly insured. They also need to understand the variety of insurance coverage options and they need to know that the policy meets their needs.

If you want a high level of service and a comprehensive understanding of your insurance policy, contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance. In fact, we were recently voted #1 Insurance agent in Weymouth and in the regions, which comprises Weymouth, Quincy, Scituate, Hingham, Abington, and Braintree, MA.

Excerpts - Insurance Journal



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