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Rhode Island Passes New Law to Protect Homeowners with Hurricane-Related Claims

2012-05-24T19:03:23Z

Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed into law a new piece of legislation designed to provide additional protection to homeowners whose properties suffer damages from hurricanes.

The legislation (House bill 2012-H7484A and Senate bill 2012-S2597A) also includes additional consumer protections for the processing of insurance claims for hurricane damage.

The new law will take effect beginning January 2013. It will be applicable to policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2013.

Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the state of Rhode Island suffered a mass exodus of insurance providers from the state, especially in coastal areas.

Lawmakers said many Rhode Island homeowner policies were not renewed and other insurance companies changed the traditional dollar-based deductibles for storm damage to a percentage-based deductible, leaving homeowners facing the potential for enormous costs for any damage from future, serious storms.

This new legislation has several components which aim to protect homeowners:

• Limits a hurricane deductible to only once per hurricane season, so that a homeowner cannot be hit with a second deductible in the unlikely event that a second hurricane hits the state during a hurricane season.

• Provides a hurricane mediation process as a non-adversarial and non-binding alternative dispute resolution process for claims arising from a hurricane in which the property owner and the insurance company will work to resolve potential claims.

• Allows the Department of Business Regulation to address the declaration of a catastrophe in Rhode Island in which homeowners may not be able to receive notice from insurers. This regulation would provide the necessary procedure for reporting requirements for claims related to the emergency, provide a grace period for payment of insurance premiums, and provide a temporary postponement for cancellations and non-renewals for insurance polices.

• Limits de minimus surcharges against a homeowner’s policy. For example, because of the extended power outages associated with Tropical Storm Irene, many Rhode Islanders suffered food spoilage. But the General Assembly noted that when some people submitted claims for $400 in food losses, their insurance company hit them with a $500 rate increase for reporting the loss that they were entitled to.

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Brownstone Visits the Big Apple to See Seth Godin

2012-05-17T14:49:20Z

By: Elizabeth Cincotta
For those of you who are not familiar with Seth Godin, he's sort of a big deal in the world of marketing. This "marketing guru," has written countless books that have changed the landscape of marketing, including: Purple Cow, Linchpin and Permission Marketing to name a few.

Brownstone Insurance jumped at the opportunity to see such an influential and powerful speaker, so we hopped on the first Acela train out of Boston yesterday morning and headed to the Tribeca theater in New York City to see Seth Godin present.

His presentation was fantastic, and left the 6 of us anxious to implement new ideas in our office and to connect with our customers more. We can't wait to see what we can come up with!

Here are some photos from our day trip:

Hello New York!Listening intently.The man himself - Seth Godin.Front, left to right: Alexis and Sara. Back, left to right: Don and Glenn.Front, left to right: Alexis, Sara and Beth. Back, left to right: Don and Glenn.Navigating the NYC subway system.Glenn and Alexis on the train.

Trulia App Gives Apartment and Condo Hunters an Edge

2012-05-14T19:30:17Z

Tired of looking through countless real estate print ads and Craigslist posts? Trulia, a leader in real estate tools and advice, has released an app (compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) that gives apartment and condo hunters a huge helping hand in their search to find their next home.

Owners of apartment buildings and condo buildings would also benefit by familiarizing themselves with the tool to see just where their property stacks up in comparison with other units on the market.

The Trulia Rentals app allows home hunters to find the newest units for rent that match their search criteria and notifies them as soon as they become available.

The app uses a sleek map view or a list option, and allows users to share listings that interest them with roommates and family. The map view allows searchers to view what's nearby -- restaurants, shops, grocery stores and more! And best of all, you can contact landlords and property managers while on the go.

Know someone on the hunt for their next apartment or condo? Suggest the Trulia Rentals app to them, or, check out how your listing compares to your competition!

Coming To Your Phone Soon - Severe Weather Alerts

2012-05-14T18:39:58Z

Beginning this month, the federal government will be teaming up with wireless providers around the country to roll out a new service to alert people of severe weather emergency alerts.

The alerts, which will be triggered by life-threatening weather situations including tornadoes, flash floods and hurricanes will be sent to customers' cell phones free of charge. Wireless providers taking part in this service include: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Sprint Nextel, Cellcom, Cricket and U.S. Cellular.

Customers do not have to sign up for this service and text messages will be 90-characters or less.

These messages are intended to prompt immediate action on the part of the customer, so if you do receive an emergency weather alert from your cell provider, please take action to ensure your safety.

Brownstone Insurance is here to help you prepare before a disaster happens. Check out our blog entries on creating an emergency plan to be ahead of the game.

Rough Notes Insurance Marketing Agency of the Month

2012-05-09T13:58:16Z

Did you hear? Brownstone Insurance was named the "Insurance Marketing Agency of the Month" by Rough Notes Magazine, a national insurance publication, for the month of May!

Each month, the publication highlights an insurance agency that is a leader in industry marketing and sales solutions that really help them help their customers. Brownstone Insurance is proud to be featured as this month's Insurance Marketing Agency of the Month.

Everything we as a company do, is done with our customers and community in mind, so to have our efforts recognized by a national publication is really an honor for the Brownstone staff.

View the online edition of the May issue here.

Happy Lumpy Rug Day!

2012-05-03T13:18:19Z

So while the tradional meaning of Lumpy Rug Day has more to do with the metaphor of sweeping things under the rug, we thought today serves as a great reminder to take a close look at any rugs lying around your home.

Rugs can be the cause of numerous home accidents, whether it be tripping and falling over a lumpy rug, or a fire starting due to a wire running underneath a rug.

So in honor of Lumpy Rug Day, take some time to check out your rugs -- maybe take them outside and air them out and beat them with one of those old-fashioned rug beaters you admire in old movies. And be sure that no electrical wires of any kind are running underneath your rugs!

30 Reasons to Insure with Brownstone Insurance

2012-04-30T15:40:47Z

In honor of our 30th year in business, the fantastic staff of Brownstone Insurance has come up with 30 reasons why we believe you should insure your property with us.

#1 Hardworking and conscientious staff.

#2 Our in-house underwriters form relationships with their clients unlike any other insurance agency would.

#3 We offer exclusive 3-year policies.

#4 Brownstone employs experienced staff members who know the program and the industry inside and out.

#5 Our policies are written “all-in, all the time.”

#6 We are easy to do business with! From our simple forms to our online quote tools, we work to make things easy for you.

#7 Every client and broker is assigned their own personal client advisor.

#8 We offer quick service. From our 30-minute quote indications to our same-day policy issuance, efficiency is important to us.

#9 Our online chat tool lets you speak directly with a program underwriter, giving access to quick answers to your questions.

#10 We utilize the latest technology to better our service and product.

#11 We care about the environment. We’re paperless!

#12 You can depend on us for advice and guidance.

#13 Brownstone supports our local community. From our community service efforts to our fundraisers, we give back.

#14 Brownstone holds a commitment to a standard of excellence to ensure each individual receives the service they deserve.

#15 We are available on your own time, on your own turf. We manage a number of social networks to stay connected with you -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc.

#16 We do what’s best for our customers.

#17 We live and work in your community. We know the area and the homes you live in, because we live here too.

#18 Our blog is a great resource for information.

#19 We love insurance! No, really. We do.

#20 Stable company with strong history.

#21 Our staff is constantly re-educating themselves to stay current with insurance law and trends.

#22 We have a working disaster relief plan in place to remain in business when you need us most.

#23 Our small, efficient staff is able to handle more business than larger, complicated agencies.

#24 Brownstone isn’t afraid of change. We’re constantly updating procedures and tools to better our company and service to you.

#25 All coverages are provided by one carrier. You won’t need separate policies for D&O, Equipment Breakdown or Fidelity coverage since they are covered under one policy.

#26 We care about what you think! We regularly survey our clients to determine what we could be doing better.

#27 Our affiliate company, Murphy & Jordan Insurance, can offer you personal insurance products to protect your car and single-family home.

#28 Brownstone employees are great people! See for yourself at www.brownstoneinsurance.com/people.

#29 A live person will answer the phone during business hours. Imagine that!

#30 We’re the best at what we do.

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Boston Shines

2012-04-20T15:56:11Z

Image courtesy of Rough Notes MagazineThe city of Boston wants to be spick-and-span this spring. The Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services has scheduled two citywide neighborhood cleanup days called, "Boston Shines."

The citywide cleanup is scheduled for Friday, April 27th and Saturday, April 28th from 8:30am until 2:00pm. Tools, gloves and bags will be made available in the parking area on Worcester Street in front of the Hurley School.

For more information, contact the Mayor's Office for Neighborhood Services at (617) 635-3485 or www.cityofboston.gov.

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Loss of Rental Income Coverage

2012-04-19T14:52:33Z

As an apartment building owner, you will need a policy to cover your habitational building.

You have a unique need, however. What if the building is damaged, and it will take weeks or months to fix? With no rent payments coming in, where do you get your cash flow?

Loss of rental income coverage provides protection against this. As a landlord, you want to ensure that the income continues, even if the units are not occupied.

Brownstone Insurance insures frame apartment rental buildings within our core territory in the Greater Boston area, and brick construction apartment buildings throughout Massachusetts. We include Loss of Rental Income coverage with every master policy for an apartment building, ensuring landlords have the best coverage possible.

Use the appropriate form for a free quote indication that will be returned to you within 30-minutes! Or, call us at (617) 236-6400 to learn more about our program.

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Studs-in Versus Studs-Out Master Policies

2012-04-19T14:35:55Z

You might hear of “studs in” or “studs out” coverage. This refers to the boundary of coverage in some Small condo buildings are our specialty!insurance policies.

A master policy, for instance, might be “studs out,” meaning it covers everything from the studs out for each unit. This would not be an “all in” policy, and the unit owner would need to pay for additional insurance to cover their own unit from the “studs in.”

Brownstone Insurance writes master policies that provides “all in” coverage. Individual unit owners still need a policy to cover their personal property, but their unit’s ceiling, walls, floors, installed fixtures, appliances and cabinets would all be covered under the building policy, in addition to the building's common areas, hallways roofs, energy equipment and sidewalks.

Don't be let down by sub-par coverage. Contact Brownstone Insurance for a free coverage evaluation and learn the benefits of insuring your property mult-unit with us.

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