Umbrella Insurance for At-Home Businesses: A Checklist

Umbrella Insurance: A Must-Have for Matthews, NC Homeowners

At Jim Boyce Insurance, we understand the importance of having excellent home insurance coverage to safeguard homeowners in Matthews, NC. This includes the invaluable umbrella insurance that extends your liability protection. If you’ve previously faced liability-related issues, here’s what you need to know about this type of insurance and its extensive coverage.

Extended Liability Protection

The primary function of umbrella insurance is to boost your liability protection beyond the limits of your basic home insurance. For instance, if a visitor sues you for an amount exceeding your home insurance’s liability limit, your umbrella policy will come to your rescue.

Coverage Parameters

Many homeowners ask, "What exactly does umbrella insurance cover?" The policy can extend to events within your home and property and even unattached sections of the house. However, the coverage scope may vary across policies, so it’s important to understand your specifics thoroughly.

Identifying Your Payout Scope

Understanding where your payouts will be directed and how they can impact you is critical to establishing a policy. Discussing this with your insurance company is vital to ensure you’re getting the most from your policy.

Learning the Approval Process

Umbrella insurance approval can differ based on the kind of claim you’re making. Some policies activate automatically once your basic coverage limit is reached, while others require additional claim information. Ensure to discuss this thoroughly with your insurance agent.

Get Covered with Jim Boyce Insurance

Ready to secure an umbrella insurance policy for your home? Contact us at Jim Boyce Insurance today! Together, we can protect your home in Matthews, NC. Our team will guide you through this process, ensuring you get the protection you need and minimizing potential complications.

Who Does Renters Insurance Actually Protect?

Understating the Importance of Renters Insurance

If you reside in any rented accommodation, such as condos, apartments, or houses in North Carolina, remember that your landlord’s insurance doesn’t cover your personal property losses or damages. It also does not offer liability protection in times of loss. Thus, Jim Boyce Insurance highly recommends renters insurance for individuals residing in Matthews, NC, and surrounding areas.

Identifying Who Does Renters Insurance Protect

Renters insurance is strictly for the policyholder and the renter and doesn’t extend to the landlord or their property. Whether needed by their landlord or not, all renters should have insurance. However, it’s worth noting that even if required, the policy will not cover the landlord or their properties. The purpose of renters’ insurance is to cover the renter’s damages or loss.

What Does Renters Insurance Cover

Renters insurance policies might vary, but generally, they cover policyholders for events such as:

  • Theft/burglary
  • Vandalism
  • Falling objects
  • Explosions, riots/civil disruptions
  • Aircraft, motor vehicles
  • Smoke damage
  • Fire, lightning strikes
  • Windstorms, hailstorms, earthquakes
  • Weight of ice, snow, and sleet
  • Burst pipes
  • Electrical and water/steam malfunction damage

Understanding Personal Liability

Beyond damage and losses of the policyholder’s possessions, many renters insurance policies encompass personal liability coverage. These may include bodily injury for the policyholder, and others present when the loss occurred.

Why Renters Insurance Is Essential

Regardless of your landlord’s stance on renters insurance, it’s recommended for all renters. Consult with Jim Boyce Insurance in Matthews, NC, and surrounding areas to clarify policy coverage and protection.

How Classic Car Insurance Differs From a Standard Auto Policy

If you’re in the Matthews, NC, area and looking for classic car insurance, Jim Boyce Insurance is here to help you find the right policy to meet your needs. It’s vital that you’re not trying to cover your classic vehicle under a standard auto policy because the requirements and coverage types are very different. You could end up with a vehicle that doesn’t have the protection you need or expect, and you want to ensure you’re getting quality and value.

Most classic vehicles are used as show cars and aren’t driven daily like standard vehicles. They’re also much more challenging to get parts for, and that can make them high-risk. How you store them, the original parts they have, their condition, and whether they’re driven or transported to shows and events will all matter. Insurance for classic cars is much more tailored to the specific car and situation than a typical auto policy.

That’s why it’s so important to have the help of a dedicated, educated agent who handles this type of coverage. Then, you’ll know you’re getting the proper protection for your classic car without any extras that aren’t necessary. Especially if you’ve put a lot into your vehicle, you want to ensure that it’s being protected in a way that genuinely covers it in case of a claim.

Contact us at Jim Boyce Insurance today if you’re in the Matthews, NC, area and looking for classic car insurance. We understand that standard auto coverage isn’t going to work for you, and we want to make sure you have suitable insurance options for your needs. Working with our trusted agents means a good policy and plenty of peace of mind.

Is life insurance a necessity for me?

If you are a resident and live in the Matthews, NC area, you will always want to know that you are adequately insured. There are many insurance options and decisions to make, but the most important form of coverage to obtain is life insurance. This form of coverage will pay out a benefit to the beneficiary if you pass away. There are a lot of situations when it should be considered a necessity to have life insurance. 

Provide Support for Dependents

A typical situation that makes having a life insurance plan necessary is when you have dependents. If people in your life rely on you for financial support, you need to ensure they are cared for in the future. A great way this can be done is by getting the right life insurance plan. When you have life insurance, you will be able to build it to ensure the policy covers future necessary costs. Even if you do not have dependents, life insurance can be structured to ensure your loved ones have the resources necessary to cover your end-of-life expenses. 

Financial Alternative

To prepare for your future, you can also use life insurance as a financial investment. A whole life insurance plan is designed to help you get life insurance support and build equity. Each month, some of your payments are made into an account that grows over the years. Eventually, you can liquidate this and use it for any purpose you want. 

As you are looking for life insurance in Matthews, NC, you should call our team with Jim Boyce Insurance. Our professionals at Jim Boyce Insurance know how important life insurance is. We will give you the support you need to build a plan that is right for your situation. 

Commercial Insurance Tips for a Family Business

For those with a family business in Matthews, NC, our team at Jim Boyce Insurance can help you decide the suitable types of insurance to protect your family’s endeavor. While every insurance policy is different, our tips below for getting commercial coverage for your family business should apply to most situations.

Learn about Commercial Insurance Types

Before getting a commercial coverage policy, you’ll need to know what kinds of commercial policies exist. While there are general commercial insurance policies, some types of coverage in this area of insurance have specific terms or forms of coverage they provide. For example, worker’s compensation insurance targets covering your employees if they are injured and protecting your business in that situation.

Explore All Options

If your policy doesn’t give you the coverage you’d prefer, you may want to look into umbrella insurance policies or other options. These policies will provide you with coverage for qualifying problems up to a certain amount once you’ve reached the limit of your existing policies. They may require a certain amount of coverage to qualify, so you should consult with experts before going down this path.

Consult with Your Family

Since family businesses frequently affect family members, getting every family member on board about insurance decisions is important. If some family members are employed in the business, you’ll need to get worker’s compensation to protect them. Call a family business meeting stat!

For more information on our commercial policies, call our office in Matthews, NC at Jim Boyce Insurance.

Home Sweet Insured Home: Safeguarding Your Space in Matthews, NC

For Matthews, NC homeowners, the process of obtaining the necessary home insurance can be a challenging one. That’s why the experts at Jim Boyce Insurance are on hand to ensure the process is as painless as possible. To safeguard your investment, you need to avoid the common pitfalls. Be sure to take a closer look at the following list of common mistakes before getting started.

Lack of Coverage

Several homeowners are not fully aware of all the coverage that they need. They are not including all of their most valued possessions when their desired policy is discussed, which causes said homeowners to have a lack of coverage. Be as open and honest as possible about all items that need to be covered so this pitfall is readily avoidable.

Making Assumptions

Homeowners in the Matthews, NC region will often make assumptions about what will be included in their insurance policies. These assumptions can cause severe issues once problems arise for which there is no insurance coverage. Don’t make the mistake of taking any aspect of your coverage for granted. Please speak to our insurance representatives before finalizing a policy.

Lack of Understanding

Matthews, NC homeowners must take the time to understand the terms established in their policy. There is a difference between actual cash value and replacement costs. Those who do not understand these terms and how they will affect them in a crisis are setting themselves up for future difficulties.

At Jim Boyce Insurance, our objective is simple. We look to assist our Matthews, NC clients with every aspect of home insurance so that they can make informed choices about their present and future. Give us a call or stop by as soon as you are ready to learn more!

What Are the Best Auto Insurance Policy Add-Ons?

Auto insurance add-ons can include perks like key replacement, roadside assistance, and gap insurance, which can save you money and time. However, some optional coverages are well worth the money, while others may not be. Our agents at Jim Boyce Insurance serve residents of Matthews, NC, and the surrounding area with customized auto insurance plans.

Roadside Assistance

Roadside assistance can save the day if you need expedient help while driving and get stuck on the road with a flat tire, dead battery, or lost your keys. Our insurance can help cover a portion or all of the cost of related expenses.

Windshield Repairs

This coverage pays to repair or replace a windshield damaged by a covered peril, like animals, hail, or vandalism. This option may be included in the primary policy if you opt for comprehensive coverage.

New Vehicle Replacement

Once you drive it off the lot, most cars depreciate in value. If you have a newer modeled vehicle, having replacement insurance in place is a wise move. Our insurers can have you back on the road fast with this optional coverage.

Rental Car Reimbursement

When your auto needs repair, and you need to rent a car after a covered accident, your add-on policy can help cover part or all of the cost of a rental car. It can also cover alternative transportation arrangements like public buses, trains, or ride-shares.

Gap Insurance Coverage

If you have received a loan on your auto and it is totaled, gap insurance can cover any remaining payments you owe the lender. With depreciation values in mind, this is a coverage that any car owner can appreciate.

Want More From Your Auto Insurance?

Contact our professional insurance agent in Matthews, NC, at Jim Boyce Insurance for advice about what auto add-ons might be right for you. Contact us online or by phone today.

What Policies Pair with Umbrella Insurance?

For insurance policyholders in Matthews, NC, our team at Jim Boyce Insurance understands how helpful it can be to have some extra coverage through an umbrella insurance policy. When you’re hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, umbrella insurance policies can give you the peace of mind that you’ll be able to face almost any costly disaster. If you want to purchase umbrella insurance, it’s a good idea to make sure that your existing policy will pair with an umbrella insurance policy. While some policies don’t pair with umbrella insurance, the list below will give you a decent picture of whether your policy may be eligible for use with an umbrella insurance policy.

What policies pair with umbrella insurance?

While every policy is different, some general rules exist for what policies are suitable for adding an umbrella insurance policy. If you have homeowner’s insurance, you should be able to get an umbrella insurance policy on top of it as long as the current policy meets the requirements for limits and terms set by the umbrella insurance policy. For auto insurance policyholders, umbrella insurance may be an option if the current policy also meets the term minimums and requirements detailed by the umbrella insurance policy. Business owners may also be able to get an umbrella insurance policy on top of certain commercial insurance policies. Again, the existing policy must meet certain standards and minimum requirements to be eligible for adding an umbrella insurance policy.

If you’d like to see how you might be able to add umbrella insurance to your current insurance policy for extra coverage and comfort, call our office in Matthews, NC at Jim Boyce Insurance!

Four pieces of misinformation out there about renters insurance

Renters insurance is essential for tenants in Matthews, NC. Are you looking for a renters insurance policy to cover you in your North Carolina rental unit? We can insure you at Jim Boyce Insurance.

It’s important to have accurate information about renters insurance. The following are four pieces of misinformation out there about renters insurance. 

You don’t need renters insurance if you don’t have any valuable possessions in your apartment.

Renters insurance isn’t only crucial for protecting the value of possessions in your apartment. Renters insurance is also important for protecting you from liability expenses. 

Tenants are covered under their landlord’s policy.

You cannot rely on your landlord’s property insurance to protect you from liability expenses you may face as a renter. Renters generally cannot depend on their landlord’s policy for coverage.

Your landlord’s policy protects your landlord against liability expenses but won’t offer any coverage to tenants. 

Tenants can use their roommate’s policy for coverage.

Unfortunately, renters can’t rely on their roommate’s insurance policy for coverage. A renters insurance policy only covers the policyholder. Renters’ insurance policies do not cover the policyholder’s roommates. It would be best to have your own renter’s insurance policy to benefit from coverage. 

Renters’ insurance covers flood damage.

While renters insurance covers many potential expenses, renters insurance won’t typically cover the policyholder for flood damage.

If you want to be covered for flood damage to belongings in your rented home, you must invest in separate flood insurance coverage. 

At Jim Boyce Insurance, we assist renters in Matthews, NC with finding the right renter’s insurance coverage. Contact us for a quote on a renters insurance policy that will meet your needs.

Why should I get flood insurance in North Carolina?

Being a real estate owner in the Matthews, NC area has been a good option for many people in recent years. While your home can be a valuable asset, it also needs to be adequately covered by insurance. A productive way that you can protect your home is by investing in flood coverage. There are many great reasons someone should invest in a flood insurance plan here. 

Protect Your Property

An important reason you should have a flood insurance plan in this part of North Carolina is that it can help protect your property. If a flood damages your home, the cost to remediate it can be significant. At the same time, home insurance might not cover the flood damage. When you get a flood insurance plan, it will offer the support needed to repair your property following a flood.

Meet Insurance Requirements

It would also be a good idea to get this coverage as it can ensure you meet insurance requirements. The lender will run a flood determination search if you have taken out a mortgage in North Carolina. If they determine your home is at risk of flood damage, the lenders will require you to carry insurance. This coverage will remain a requirement until the loan is paid off, and having insurance will help keep you in good standing. 

Flood insurance should be considered necessary for property owners facing certain risk factors in the Matthews, NC area. If you are looking for the correct type of coverage here, you can start your search by calling our professionals with Jim Boyce Insurance. There are many decisions to make when looking for insurance, and our Jim Boyce Insurance team can provide the guidance you need to make an informed decision.