PERSONAL INSURANCE

As the name implies, homeowners insurance is primarily designed to insure your home and its contents from any number of disasters. Homeowners insurance also offers limited liability coverage.

The purpose is to permit you to rebuild your home and replace lost, damaged, or stolen contents. What if a fire significantly damages or even destroys my home? What happens if my home is robbed when I’m on vacation with my family? Am I adequately covered if a visitor to my home slips on wet steps and suffers an injury?

As we know all too well here in New Jersey after hurricane Sandy, there are other events that can cause incredible damage that might not be fully covered in a basic homeowner’s insurance policy. The biggest investment you make in life is likely to be in your home and its contents so let us walk you through what you need to know to safeguard that investment.

Hurricane insurance is probably better called “wind insurance” because in most cases a hurricane policy only covers damage resulting from high winds. As many home and business owners found out following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, a lot of “Hurricane” policies did not cover the damage to their properties from the resulting floods.

John B. Wright has the knowledge and experience to evaluate your property risks and explain your options and their costs. Let us look at your home or rental property, and then sit down and discuss what insurance coverage makes sense for you.

If you don’t already know, you may want to check to see if your homeowner’s policy covers the loss of collectables, fine art and jewelry. Most homeowner policies will specify the dollar amount of coverage limit on such items. However, the language within a policy can often be confusing. For example; the coverage limit may reflect a total per loss as opposed to per piece.

As families mature, the value of their collectables, art and jewelry can increase substantially. Over the years, such increases in value can easily go unnoticed. To make certain you’re fully covered, you may want to schedule an appointment to discuss your situation with one of our Certified Insurance Counselors.

The primary considerations when insuring a vacation home are: 1) location, and 2) how often the home is unoccupied each year.

Many second or vacation homes are located in rural areas a good distance from other homes and emergency services. Some are located in areas prone to occasional flooding due to storm water runoff or tidal surges. In short, response time by fire and rescue to any emergency is a factor in determining the level of risk to a given property.

The second factor involves the amount of time each year that the property is unoccupied. The likelihood of theft and/or vandalism increases when a home remains unoccupied for any extended length of time. Storm-related damage can also go undetected for months, increasing the cost of repairs.

Even though there are obvious differences between primary and vacation home policies, they can normally be addressed under an umbrella policy. For details, you may want to speak with one of our Certified Insurance Counselors. Just fill out the form on the right, or call 1-800-244-6693 during regular business hours.

Your personal property is valuable to you and a renter’s insurance policy can protect you from the common causes of loss. While the building owner’s insurance will protect him and rebuild his building, only you can insure that your belongings will be replaced in case of fire or theft.

While renters insurance protects your valuables, it also protects you against certain lawsuits.

Owners of rental property must consider two different types of insurance coverage for their rental property. Naturally the house or building itself has to be insured against the possibility of damage from fire, flood or other significant events.

In addition, it may make sense to consider a policy that will specifically protect the owner from loss of income if the rental property is not available to be rented for an extended period of time. Let the experts at John B. Wright show you how to protect your rental property and the income it represents.

Owning a condominium is a lot like owning a home, but there are differences. Shared walls and roofs, large common areas and detailed condominium by-laws are just some of them. Make sure that your insurance meets any by-law requirements, and protects the investment in your condominium home by letting the professionals at John B. Wright review your specific situation – at absolutely no cost to you.

Even a few inches of water in your home can cause enormous damage – both to your possessions and potentially the structure itself. If the water is not removed promptly and properly, the potential for long-term problems from mold formation is a real possibility. The sources of a flood are many, from heavy rains to tidal storm surges to excessive snow melting, all of which are only too familiar to New Jersey homeowners.

Depending on where you live, you may have access to National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). If not, there are reasonably priced policies available that can protect your home and its contents. John B. Wright has more than 50 years experience protecting New Jersey properties like yours – let us explain the merits of flood insurance for your home.

Automobile insurance is not only required by law, but an extremely competitive part of the insurance industry. There are almost as many types of policies as there are types of cars, and it’s a good idea to make sure that your policy is tailored to the vehicle you drive and your driving habits.

Did you know that the typical policy on a leased vehicle only pays the market value? Unfortunately, in the case of a total loss, that may not satisfy your obligation to the leasing company.

Do you own an antique, classic or collectible car that may be eligible for a special, low cost policy?

Are you clear on the different types of coverage – Liability, Collision, Medical and Comprehensive – and aware there are many choices to make in terms of deductibles, coverage limits, good driver discounts and more?

Now is a good time to contact the insurance professionals at John B. Wright to get all the answers to your auto insurance questions.

At John B. Wright, we’ve been covering motorcycles for 50 years. We are riders and understand riders. We can show you how you may qualify for a number of discounts, based on age, qualifications, insuring multiple motorcycles, or having more than one policy with our company.

Depending on your experience, the type of bike you ride and how you use it, we custom tailor a motorcycle insurance plan to fit your needs, fit your budget and protect your investment. Contact us for a free motorcycle quote today.

Whether it’s an ATV, side-by-side, dirt bike or your Jeep rock crawler or mudder, any vehicle that you normally operate off the highway needs to be covered for peace of mind. Whether you race your dirt bike, use your four-wheeler as a work tool or just take your big-dollar value, off-road Jeep to shows, accidents can and do happen.

In some cases (riding on special State-owned trails or in competition events for instance,) insurance may be mandated. And unfortunately motorcycles and ATV’s are much too easy to steal. So protect your favorite toy or tool by talking with the pros at John B. Wright and designing an insurance plan that is customized to fit your situation.

Hitting the road in your RV can become addicting! Once you get hooked, the freedom to travel the highways of North America in search of new vistas and new experiences is hard to stop – it quickly becomes a lifestyle.

You may be towing an 18-foot travel trailer or driving your dream Prevost (and towing a small car of course!), or anything in between, and you’re going to need special insurance that matches your RV lifestyle. Make sure that you have full coverage for your RV (and your companions) that’s matched to the vehicle and how you use it. Give us a call for a free assessment and quotation.

Whether you own a Jet Ski, a small outboard fishing boat, a pontoon boat, a classic wooden ketch, or a Jersey Speed Skiff, you need to take care of your baby. Cruising, fishing, racing or working, you don’t want to worry about the unforeseen. Nor do you want to be at risk when your boat or personal watercraft is supposedly “safe and sound” in your driveway or blocked up at a marina for the winter.

Have you ever wondered what happened to the poor guy who somehow backed his boat, trailer and tow vehicle into the water at a launch ramp, or blew a trailer tire at 70 MPH causing a three-car accident behind him, and of course destroying his boat?

We’ll be happy to tell you how these oddball situations get resolved, but more important, we can look at your special case, explain the three main types of insurance for you to consider – Physical Damage, Liability and Medical Payments – and then you can make an informed choice about what’s right for you. At John B. Wright, we’ve been covering boaters for 50 years and we’ve pretty much seen it all!

With insurance policies covering just about everything you own, why in the world would you need an Umbrella Insurance Policy? And just what is it anyway?

Umbrella insurance is liability insurance. It protects you when you need more liability coverage than what is provided in a normal insurance policy – homeowners or automobile insurance, for instance.

As an example, your homeowners insurance may include up to $500,000 liability coverage. But what happens if you’re sued for something that happened to another party in your home and the costs associated with the lawsuit greatly exceed the coverage limits in your homeowner’s policy? Automobile policies always have liability coverage limits – how can you protect your home or other assets if a successful claim greatly exceeds those limits?

The answer, of course, is an umbrella policy. They’re relatively inexpensive and are tailored to kick-in when the liability coverage limits of any other policies are exceeded.

Check with us for a free Umbrella Insurance quote. It’s inexpensive peace of mind.

Life insurance is designed to make life a little easier for those who depend on you in case of your death.

Many people have a policy through their workplace that usually pays a percentage of annual income. While this may be fine for a single person with few real responsibilities, it doesn’t go very far in helping a family cope. And particularly with a family, it’s important to always reaccess whether the insurance is at the level you need every time there is a significant change in your life – a new child, a new home or a significant change in the policyholder’s income.

Life insurance is always cheapest when you’re young and healthy, and there are a few basic types to consider including:

Term Insurance – the most common and most cost effective. Insures you for a specific amount for a specific period of time.

Whole Life Insurance – more expensive than term, but in some circumstances might make sense as a savings mechanism, as well as insurance. As the name implies, you’re insured for your entire life. It can create equity and have cash value.

Hybrid plans are available combining aspects of both Term and Whole Life coverage

The variations are many and can be confusing. The professionals at John B. Wright have the tools and the experience to evaluate your needs and explain your alternatives in simple, plain talk, and to follow up with you on a regular basis to make sure you and your family are always well covered.

Disability Insurance is designed to take effect when an illness or disability makes it impossible for you to work for an extended period of time. Very often some amount of disability insurance is available through the workplace, but it is typically minimal, and it may make sense to look at additional or supplemental coverage.

The question is this: Would your savings and/or the disability benefits you receive through work be enough to cover your current living expenses? If you have any related concerns or questions, we would be pleased to review your situation and options with you.

Long-term care insurance generally covers home care, assisted living, adult daycare, respite care, hospice care, nursing home and Alzheimer facilities. If home care coverage is purchased, long-term care insurance can pay for home care, often from the first day it is needed. It will pay for a visiting or live-in caregiver, companion, housekeeper, therapist or private duty nurse up to seven days a week, 24 hours a day (up to the policy benefit maximum).

Other benefits of long-term care insurance include:

• Many individuals may feel uncomfortable relying on their children or family members for support, and find that long-term care insurance could help cover out-of-pocket expenses. Without long-term care insurance, the cost of providing these services may quickly delete the savings of the individual and/or their family.

• Premiums paid on a long-term care insurance product may be eligible for an income tax deduction. The amount of the deduction depends on the age of the covered person. Benefits paid from a long-term care contract are generally excluded from income.

• Business deductions of premiums are determined by the type of business. Generally corporations paying premiums for an employee are 100% deductible if not included in employee’s taxable income.

In the United States, Medicaid provides some of the benefits of long-term care insurance. A welfare program, Medicaid does provide medically necessary services for people with limited resources who “need nursing home care but can stay at home with special community care services”. However, Medicaid does not cover long-term care provided in a home setting or for assisted living. People who need long-term care often prefer care in the home or in a private room in an assisted living facility.

We use many techniques and products to help our clients protect their business and families. The Affordable Care Act or Obama Care requires special skills and expertise of a Medical Insurance Professional. While we do not offer this service directly, we do however refer professional medical insurance brokers to help you.

Our Medical Insurance Professional Partners represent all of the major insurance companies. They can proactively shop your coverage for the very best combination of cost and coverage. Additionally, they are also trained to keep you in compliance with the Act so you can avoid any penalties that may occur.

Because we are a Nationwide Insurance Agent, please keep in mind that our agency can help you directly with Life Insurance, Disability Insurance and Long Term Care. Just let us know how we can help you.

Just fill out the form on the left and we will make certain one of our Medical Insurance Professionals call you right away.