Month: January 2015

What Happens AFTER You Buy Insurance Online?

Posted on by admin

 

There are many ways to buy insurance. Online. Over the phone. Using an app. By email. In person. In 15 minutes. In 7 minutes. Whatever.

Buying Insurance May Be Easy…

But, it’s not how you buy insurance that creates value. It’s whether it’s there when you need it. If you buy insurance from someone hundreds of miles away, whom you’ve never met, or even talked to, do you really think they’ll be there to help later? We will.

A Week’s Worth of Questions We Dare You to Ask Your Internet Insurance Company

We helped Greater Portland Maine insurance clients with these issues, just in the last week:

  • My claim was denied, and I don’t think it’s right.
  • How can I insure property I co-own with three other people?
  • I want more umbrella coverage, but my insurer won’t do it, because I have a couple of speeding tickets.
  • I haven’t gotten my claim check from the other guy’s insurance company after he hit my parked car.
  • I need help completing this form that the insurance company sent me.
  • I’m helping my son buy a car; who should insure it?
  • My insurance company wants me to make some improvements to my home, but I need more time.
  • Who can clean my basement in Saco, Maine after a sewer backup?
  • Who is good Portland Maine jeweler to have appraise my pieces?
  • I own a classic car. What’s the best way to insure it?
  • I’m about to buy a new car. When is the best time to shop for the insurance?
  • My fiancee and I are buying a house together. Can we combine our car insurance, too?
  • Why does the insurance company want to know about other drivers in my house? They don’t drive my car!
  • Should I suspend my insurance for the winter on one of my cars?
  • Help! The Maine DMV suspended my license in error!
  • My former insurance company keeps sending me bills!
  • I’m moving to Maine. How do I register my car? When do I need to get a Maine license?
  • I’m moving to New Hampshire. Can I keep my cars registered in Maine?

Does your insurance company know Pleasant Hill from Munjoy Hill? Westbrook from the West End? Sebago from Sugarloaf? Would you trust the answer they gave you to even one of the questions above? If not, that’s why you need a local agent.

Insurance Choice Filter

It doesn’t matter how easy it is to buy insurance. It matters who’s there to help when you  have a problem that’s not so easy. That’s why you need a local agent.

For answers to your Maine insurance questions, contact a Noyes Hall & Allen agent. Right here in South Portland. 207-799-5541.

Should You Have a Personal Umbrella Policy?

Posted on by Bob O'Brien

Many financial advisors recommend personal umbrella coverage to protect your net worth and future earnings. The maximum liability limit offered by most home and auto insurers is $500,000. Even those with modest incomes can exceed $500,000 in net worth, as they pay off debt, accumulate retirement savings, or receive an inheritance.

Maine’s Wrongful Death Statute allows lawsuits up to $500,000 in addition to specific medical or property damages (update: as of 2023, Maine’s Wrongful Death Statute permits up to $1 million in damages, with automatic increases for inflation – even more reason to have an umbrella!) .

If you don’t have enough liability insurance, you could be forced to pay out of your own assets and future earnings. Also, when your insurance runs out, so does your coverage for legal costs.

What Is an Umbrella Policy?

Maine Personal Umbrella Insurance provides excess liability protection above your home, auto, boat, RV and other primary insurance. Umbrella policies are purchased in increments of $1 million. They may be added to a personal package policy or purchased separately on a “stand-alone” policy.

How Much Does Personal Umbrella Insurance Cost?

Maine Personal Umbrella policies are quite inexpensive – often less than $200 per year for $1 million in protection. Insurance companies can offer these low prices because they require you to maintain a certain amount of “underlying” coverage, usually $300,000 or $500,000. Insurers know that claims larger than that are rare, so umbrella policies are priced accordingly.

Personal umbrella insurance protects your assets against major lawsuits.

Can Someone Garnish My Wages?

Absolutely. If you don’t have enough assets to pay for a legal judgement, but you expect to work in the future, the court can garnish a percentage of every paycheck you receive until the debt is paid.

Could I Lose My Home or My Retirement Savings?

Courts don’t  like to force  someone to sell their primary residence to pay for legal judgement, but it does happen.

How Much Personal Umbrella Insurance Should I Buy?

Umbrella policies come in increments of $1 million. Many insurance companies sell up to $3 million, which is sufficient for many Americans. Higher limits are available, however, for those who need extra protection.

For more information about personal umbrella insurance in Maine, contact Noyes Hall & Allen at 207-799-5541. We would be happy to help you decide if an umbrella policy is right for you.