What Does Boat Insurance Really Cover?

Boats are a great recreational vehicle but without the right coverage, they can be very costly. For those that do have a boat, having a great boat insurance policy in place is the best way to make sure you are covered no matter what. For those that live in or around the Chester, NJ area, the agents with The Insurance Outfit can help you find the policy that fits your needs.

So what does boat insurance really cover? For starters, it covers damage to your boat as the result of an accident, be it a collision with another boat, the damage that occurs while hauling, or even damage from hitting inanimate objects like buoys. Boat insurance also covers personal injury that occurs on your boat as well as injury to your passengers.

Much like your home insurance policy is going to protect your home from damage and disaster, your boat policy is going to do the same thing. Say for instance your boat catches on fire, either in the water or in your garage, your insurance will cover the cost of repair or replacement if the boat is totaled dependent on the policy that you have.

Overall, boat insurance is a great thing to have not only to be safe but also to help protect your investment when you are out enjoying the warm rays of the summer sun. Generally, boat insurance is only required for those watercraft that do have a larger engine, your fishing boat does not require insurance for instance. For those that live in the Chester, NJ area and own a boat, the agents with The Insurance Outfit can help you find the perfect policy to protect both you and your boat this summer and all year round no matter what.

Long Term Care Insurance and Health Insurance: What’s Different?

Long term care insurance can be easily confused with health insurance for many people. But did you know that the two are considered as very different insurance policies? Here at the Insurance Outfit in Chester, NJ, we’ll help you take a look at the main differences between the two types of plans. 

Different Coverage for Different Needs

Health insurance helps cover your day to day doctor appointments, prescriptions, and acute emergency medical costs. Long term care insurance, on the other hand, covers your expenses if you cannot work as a result of the injury. This special kind of insurance is designed to bridge the gap while you are recovering and unable to work. It can help you continue to receive your paychecks and make ends meet if the disability is temporary or permanent. In other words, think of long term care insurance as your disability insurance. Medicare provides long term care insurance, for example.

Skilled nursing at home and in nursing care facilities is expensive, as the annual prices can rise up to $88,000 a year. Long term care insurance can help alleviate the financial burden, however, so it’s certainly worth looking into. It can also help cover for things like hospice care if it’s needed down the road. 

The Right Coverage When You Need it the Most

As always, check the details in your policy’s terms first to find out what it gives you coverage for. It’s a good idea to consider additional insurance riders to fill in the gaps that your current policy doesn’t cover. For questions about riders and additional details in your policy, contact us at The Insurance Outfit in Chester, NJ. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is happy to assist you to get what you need!

Does Disability Insurance Cover Mental Health Problems?

Many Chester, NJ residents have asked us at The Insurance Outfit about disability insurance and whether or not it covers mental health problems. Thankfully, we’re here to say that it will help you. However, you need to qualify for it and apply properly.

Problems It Covers

There are many different types of mental health problems that disability insurance will cover. These include schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, autism, substance abuse disorders, and even mental development problems. Coverage for these types of problems are based on their severity and whether or not they make it impossible for a person to work. Even a person of normal or above-average intelligence can qualify if their mental health concern is severe enough to make it impossible for them to work.

Other Circumstances Can Qualify

One interesting aspect of mental health disabilities that few understand is how they can help those who cannot handle unskilled work. For example, someone who has developmental impairments or anxiety about performing menial labor may qualify for disability insurance. However, they do need to fill out a special form that details their mental health limitations and why they deserve coverage.

A person who has debilitating mental problems need to have a diagnosis from a trained professional and a guardian who can help them understand what is happening. It may require them to talk to a lawyer or someone who understands these types of problems. That said, if you or anyone you love has these conditions, they more than qualify for disability benefits and insurance.

Get Coverage Today

So if you or someone you love has a mental health problem in Chester, NJ and needs disability insurance, contact us at The Insurance Outfit today. We can provide you with the skilled help you need to get the coverage and benefits you deserve.

Who Can be on Your Health Insurance Plan?

Health insurance is something that everyone needs but that many people have a hard time determining who can and cannot be on your policy. For the most part, insurance policies clearly outline who can be insured on the policy but in some cases, further clarification is needed. For those in the Chester, NJ area the agents with The Insurance Outfit can help you learn just who can be covered on your policy.

First and foremost, those that are dependent on you like children, dependent adults that you have guardianship of, and your spouse can all be on your policy. This means that your family is going to be able to be protected by your policy. Children can stay on their parent’s policy until they are 26 years old, even if they are not living in the home.

The number and type of person that can be on your policy is dependent mainly on what type of policy you have. You can have an individual policy that covers only the main policy holder and you can have family policies that cover your family members. Dependent on what type of policy you have and who the policy is through, there is no real limit on the number of people that can be on the policy but rather the type of individual that can be on the policy.

Knowing who can be on your policy is the best way to ensure that your family does not go without health insurance. For those that live in the Chester, NJ area, the agents with The Insurance Outfit can let you know exactly who can and cannot be on your policy. That depends on what type of policy you have and who you want to insure.  

How to Determine How Much Life Insurance You Need

Life insurance is something that differs from policy to policy and from policy holder as well. You may need significantly less coverage than someone else and knowing how to determine how much coverage you need is a great start. For those that live in or around the Chester, NJ area, the agents with The Insurance Outfit can help you set your policy needs.

The best place to start is to consider who is going to be cashing out the policy when you pass. This is going to give you a good idea of how much you want to take out. You also need to remember that the more coverage, the higher the monthly premium. After you consider your beneficiary you also need to think about what the policy is going to pay.

If you want a policy that is going to cover the costs of raising your children to adulthood you are going to need significantly more than you would if you were only worrying about paying for burial expenses. Similarly, if you have a large amount of debt that your family is going to be responsible for when you pass you want to make sure the policy covers it.

The biggest issue that you want to keep in mind is what is going to be done with the policy when you pass. Most people tend to take out policies that are around $10,000 to $25,000 as these cover comfortably the final expenses of one person. If you do have children or dependent family that you are thinking about, you may want a larger policy to help take care of them.

If you have questions and you live in the Chester, NJ area, the agents with The Insurance Outfit can answer all your questions.  

Boating, Drinking and Insurance Coverage

The purpose of boating insurance is very similar to car insurance. It provide coverage and financial recovery when the vehicle is damaged, stolen, or involved in causing damage to people or someone else’s property. Policies consider all types of contingencies, even disasters and unforeseen circumstances. However, one thing that insurance policies don’t typically pay for is damage caused when someone breaks a law.

Drinking alcohol has long been a favorite pastime when boating. Being on the water seems to be equated immediately with recreation and having fun. However, a boat is a licensed vehicle, regardless of being on the water instead of a road. And enough laws and restrictions have been passed in most states, making it clear that getting into a boating accident when drunk opens a person up to both criminal and civil actions. When a boating accident does occur and local authorities determine that driving the boat under the influence was a contributing factor, and insurer is eventually going to get a copy of the police and accident report.

Most insurance policies for boating, just like those for operating a car, have language in them preventing coverage when someone is the cause of damage due to a misdemeanor or felony. And the courts are very clear and unsympathetic in most states: ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. The problem is, no one thinks about these complications when already on a boating trip for the day or weekend. Then the drinking starts and a problem occurs. Boaters are doing themselves a big favor taking the time to understand liabilities and exceptions to coverage before getting on the water. If in the Chester, NJ area, stop in with the Insurance Outfit. Their agents can point out exactly what happens with boat coverage versus a law violation in clear English.

Protecting your RV when it counts

Many people don’t have an idea as to what rv insurance is. As an example of how RV insurance works, let’s consider some accidents or trouble you could encounter with your RV on a vacation. RV insurance could potentially cover in several ways.

If you have uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage and another driver collides with you but is not insured, your insurance company will pay for your damages. The amount of compensation you receive will depend on the amount of damage, your deductible amount, and the limits set on your policy.

If you are at fault for an accident, the other driver will file a claim with your insurance company.  Your insurer will pay the claim up to the limits of your liability . You will pay the costs of any damages, injuries, legal fees or judgments out of pocket beyond the limits set on your policy. 

If your RV is disabled after a crash and has to be towed, your insurance will cover some or all of the costs of towing. 

If your RV is stolen, an animal causes damage to your RV, or it is damaged in a hail storm, your comprehensive insurance would provide coverage for your losses, after your deductible and up to the limits you’ve selected in your policy.

The Insurance Outfit of a company is often times what separates one insurer from another. A companies ability to be reliable and professional give to the relationship between the client. Among all things insurance is almost as necessary as the reason an individual bought the rv. All in all getting rv insurance could be the difference between "oh no" and "it’s ok, I have insurance".

3 Questions You Should Ask When Purchasing Motorcycle Insurance

At the Insurance Outfit, we understand how important your motorcycle is to you. As a result of that, we want to make sure that you have the right type and amount of motorcycle insurance on your bike before you hit the road. The following are three questions you should ask before you secure a motorcycle insurance policy with any company.

Question #1. Is this insurance for classic motorcycles or sports motorcycles?

There are different types of motorcycle insurance coverage options, and these polices serve very different purposes. It’s critical that you ask the insurance agent providing you the quote what they are quoting you. If you have a classic motorcycle, you want to make sure you get insurance coverage for that type of motorcycle; otherwise, you could pay more for your coverage.

Question #2: What is the average price to replace you motorcycle?

When you know the replacement value of your motorcycle, you can easily determine how much insurance you will need to cover your motorcycle in the event of a loss. Beyond the minimum insurance required in New Jersey, you can increase your limits to ensure that you cover customized components on your motorcycle.

Question #3. Do you use replacement value or cash value when reimbursing customers?

Replacement value is essentially the market value of your motorcycle, while cash value is the market value minus depreciation. Of course, it’s in your best interest to choose an insurance company that gives you the option to choose replacement value over actual cash value. If you don’t ask, and the insurance company uses actual cash value, you may receive a check that significantly less than you anticipated following a loss.

If you have questions about getting motorcycle insurance in and around Chester, NJ, then we have answers. We help thousands of customers protect their motorcycles both on and off the road. Don’t hesitate to give us a call so that we can give you a quote, or visit us online.

 

Updating Your Life Insurance Plan

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Financial planning includes life insurance as one of the core elements every person should have in place to take care of their needs and that of their loved ones, both in the near term and long-term future. So, no surprise, people secure a plan through an insurance provider, agree upon a premium, and then maintain their plan over time. And, in most cases, people start of with term life insurance because the primary goal is just to have a solid safety net in place in case the unexpected occurs. Again, the approach follows sound financial advice.

However, over time a person’s live changes. They secure better and better income, their life matures and broadens with different changes, and people begin to realize that the long-term planning for the future is now becoming retirement planning for the mid-term and not so far off future. However, without updating a life insurance plan in place, their coverage is not keeping up with their life changes. Term life is a good basic tool for getting started with financial protection, but it doesn’t do anything for one’s long-term future and retirement. This is where a other options provide better alternatives.

A number of alternative life insurance plans provides both safety coverage as well as the ability to build savings for one’s later years. This is an ideal way to have the benefits of both worlds,

For those in the Bourbannais, IL area the Insurance Outfit and their expert staff can help guide clients and consumers on what’s available, the differences between life insurance plans, and the benefits offered for long-term financial planning. Don’t let your current plan drop you off when later life support is needed the most. Plan for the future while protecting the present with an upgraded plan.

Keep Safe This Spring on Your Bike

The weather is becoming more pleasant across the nation this means more pedestrians and bike riders on the streets. Both parties must increase their awareness of each other to keep safe.  Getting out and enjoying the weather by choosing your bike for transportation or leisure riding is a great way to burn extra calories and increase overall health, as long as safety comes first.  

Tips For Bike Safety

  • One of the main things to increase safety is increased visibility.  Ever wonder why construction crews choose orange for the cones and vests? It was not a fashion choice; research proved that orange stands out among other colors when it comes to catching the eye. Further research proved that movement and flashing light will draw the eye. This means every reflector, and moving light on a bike as well as the colors were chosen to wear can increase biker safety.  
  • Area awareness for all parties is vital. Both vehicle drivers and bike riders need to be aware of their surroundings. Many accidents are caused by a person simply not paying enough attention. Taking a few seconds before a ride to remind yourself to be intentionally aware may save your life. 
  • Stay in the designated areas when biking. Many New Jersey cities have biking lanes and areas; it is important for riders to stay in their lanes and drivers to be aware of the lanes to avoid a collision. 

At The Insurance Outfit, we serve Chester NJ and the surrounding areas with all of the insurance needs. Keeping safe is vital to enjoying the best spring and summer this year, and we have your back if something does go wrong.