Author: agentinsure

I’m Going On Vacation, How Do I Keep My Condo Safe While I’m Away?

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As summer vacation approaches, many people enjoy time away from their busy schedules and responsibilities. While relaxing on a beach or touring Europe is exciting, there are some risks associated with being away from home that many people don’t consider until they arrive at their destination.

Leaving your Dorchester, MA condo unattended for even a short period can significantly impact your life and the lives of those around you. Whether visiting a friend or traveling across the country, Vargas & Vargas Insurance is here to help you understand the risks of leaving your condo behind and what you can do to protect your property.

Simple Steps To Protect Your Condo:

  1. Lock the door. It seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people forget to lock their doors. Furthermore, use a deadbolt with a strike plate to make it harder for intruders to break in. Also, lock your windows.
  2. Unplug your electronics. Avoid a potential fire hazard by unplugging your TV, kitchen appliances, and other electronic devices.
  3. Don’t tell everyone you’re leaving. A lot of the time, potential thieves will use social media to find out the details of your travel plans. Please don’t make it easy for them. Tell your friends and family directly, if need be.
  4. Hide your valuables. Don’t leave your valuables in plain sight if you’re on vacation. Store them in a safe place or leave them with a friend or family member.
  5. Be careful with your mail. If you’re going away for a long time, ask someone you trust to check your mail. Letting your mail pile up is a massive sign to burglars that you’re not around.

Even when you take the proper precautions, it’s still possible that you’ll be a victim of a crime or some disastrous event. That’s why Vargas & Vargas Insurance offers Dorchester, MA condo owners a wide range of insurance options. Contact us today to learn more.

Find out more about life insurance today!

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Vargas & Vargas Insurance knows that talking about life insurance can be an uncomfortable experience. We want the greater Dorchester, MA community to turn to us for their life insurance needs. We can help you protect your family and loved ones, no matter what the future may hold.

Learn more about your life insurance options

Having the right life insurance can serve you and your family well. Depending on the type of policy you select, you can enjoy several benefits while still living. In addition o death benefits, some policies provide cash value and growth during the policy’s life, as long as it is kept current and in force.

Term life insurance is often a good idea for anyone looking to cover their burial expenses or other end-of-life costs. These policies are usually affordable and can help ease your family’s pain during the immediate period after your passing. Permanent policies, like whole life, variable, and universal insurance, provide death benefits and offer other features.

If you want to learn more about the life insurance options now available, it makes sense to sit down with a local agent. This can help you make the right decision.

Call today for an appointment.

If you are a resident in the greater Dorchester, MA area, it’s time to get to know the Vargas & Vargas Insurance team. We are here to help you find the right insurance solutions for your needs. Now is a perfect time to sit down with us and learn more about your life insurance options. Our team is ready to help, and we always look forward to working with you. Give us a call today!

How to Choose a Life Insurance Beneficiary

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If you are buying life insurance, you have a goal in mind. Maybe you want to support your dependents, pay your mortgage, or ensure your business continuity. But whatever the objective of your life insurance policy is, you have to name a beneficiary to receive the death benefits when you die. But how do you choose a beneficiary? Vargas & Vargas Insurance of Dorchester, MA, is here to guide you if you have no clue where to start.

Choosing a life insurance beneficiary

If you think your financial future is secure with a life insurance policy, it can be wasted if you choose the wrong beneficiary. So, like knowing how important it is to choose a suitable life insurance policy, naming a beneficiary is equally important.

Typically, your beneficiary can be your children, spouse, business partner, parent, or domestic partner. Sometimes, beneficiaries can even be organizations like trusts or charities. Also, when you have several people you want to protect financially, you can name multiple beneficiaries and divide the death benefits among them.

Before signing off the life insurance policy, your insurer will ask you to name the beneficiary. So, when you get that policy, ensure you have your list of beneficiaries beforehand.

To ease the decision of choosing beneficiaries, consider the following:

  • Who needs the benefit the most? Is it your child, spouse, sibling, or business partner?
  • Have you considered the applicable rules? Minors can’t receive money directly. Besides, different states have guidelines on who you can name.
  • If you are single, consider several options, including siblings and parents.
  • Sometimes, a person isn’t usually the best choice. Create a trust for your beneficiary, especially if the beneficiary is a minor or you don’t want disagreements in case of a divorce
  • Align your will’s beneficiaries with those in the life insurance policy

Still unsure who you will name as a beneficiary of your life insurance? You can always get in touch with Vargas & Vargas Insurance for guidance.

Commercial Insurance Options for Dorchester, MA Business Owners

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If you own a business in and around Boston, MA, accidents happen whether you are prepared or not. One of the best ways to protect your business is by investing in commercial insurance. There are numerous types of business insurance, and narrowing it to the one that suits your business can be challenging.

Vargas & Vargas Insurance walks you through the options and will guide you to choose the ones that meet your business needs.

  • General liability insurance: While this insurance isn’t mandatory in Nebraska, it’s a must-have investment for every business. Given the ubiquitous nature of claims like advertising injury, property damage, bodily injury, and even suits, your business will be treading on thin ice if you don’t have liability insurance.
  • Umbrella insurance: Like mentioned, liability claims are never far away from your business. While your liability insurance is great, it can only do so much when faced with significant liability claims. However, when you have umbrella insurance, it picks up from where your general liability insurance leaves off.
  • Property insurance: Your business operates because of the support it gets from assets like computers, furniture, buildings, and so on. So, it makes sense to invest in insurance that protects your assets from perils like fire, lightning, theft, vandalism, and natural disasters, among others.
  • Workers’ comp insurance: This coverage is mandatory in Massachusetts regardless of the number of hours worked by your employees.
  • Commercial auto insurance: Whether you have a fleet of vehicles or one car used to run commercial errands, you must invest in commercial auto insurance to protect your vehicle and the driver.
  • Professional liability insurance: If you offer professional services, you should invest in this coverage since it protects you when your actions lead to financial distress for clients.

Need to invest in commercial insurance? Need to learn more about commercial insurance? If you need any of these services in Dorchester, MA, don’t hesitate to contact Vargas & Vargas Insurance.

Vargas & Vargas Insurance is one of the premier local independent insurance agencies. We work for our clients and not the insurance company. Our team will customize your insurance coverage to your specific needs at the right price, and we’re also here to answer all your insurance questions. So contact us today.

A Brief Guide to Classic Car Insurance

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If you have been thinking about buying a classic car in Dorchester, MA, you will want to ensure you are familiar with classic car insurance requirements and differences when compared to standard insurance. Vargas & Vargas Insurance shares some information you need to know.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Most auto insurance companies will have a set of eligibility requirements for a classic car insurance policy. It is not generally required for your classic car to meet a minimum value, but it is usually required for your classic car to be of higher value now than when it first came out on the market. Further, your car should be at least 10 years old in order to qualify for classic car insurance.

The condition of your antique car will also be taken into consideration. It needs to be currently running (or close to it) and be in good condition overall. You will also be required to keep your vehicle stored in a secured indoor environment. Mileage will also need to stay low with a possible maximum number of miles being permitted.

How Is a Classic Car Insurance Policy Different Than the Standard Policy?

With both forms of auto coverage, you are protected while on the road with collision, comprehensive, and liability offerings. With classic car insurance, though, the policy is focused more on the particular needs of an antique vehicle. As the value amount of your classic car increases, you can make adjustments to your insurance policy. A classic insurance policy will also take into consideration the fact that it will cost more to repair or replace your vehicle if involved in an accident.  

If you are interested in classic car insurance in Dorchester, MA, contact the team at Vargas & Vargas Insurance for a quote.

Getting Classic Car Insurance in Massachusetts

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Getting Classic Car Insurance in Massachusetts

When you have a classic car, it works a little differently from regular vehicles. There are several concerns that come with classic cars that later models don’t come with. With classic car insurance in Massachusetts, you can get the protection that you need from your insurance policy. If you need coverage for a classic car, give us a call at Vargas & Vargas Insurance in Dorchester, MA to find out more.

Coverages of Classic Car Insurance

The protections that are found in regular vehicle insurance are the base of classic car coverage. Added to this are the specific coverages needed for classic cars. However, a classic car policy is usually used instead of regular auto insurance. Like regular car insurance, the coverage types in a classic car policy can include personal injury protection for your own injuries in an accident, bodily injury liability, for other people’s injuries, and collision coverage for damage to your own car. It also should have property damage liability protection as well as coverage for getting into an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist. Having each of these types of coverage is ideal for the car you love having.

Classic Car Components

In addition to all of the regular coverage, types are types that are unique to classic car insurance. There is the agreed value coverage that covers it for its specific value as a classic car rather than simply the make, model and year of the car. There is also a flexible usage allowance. For many people, the car needs protection, but the car isn’t driven very often. You might be a classic car owner who drives it every day, or you may take it out only occasionally, and your insurance needs to reflect that. There is also coverage for 24/7 roadside assistance for collectible vehicles that is available for emergencies.

Get Classic Car Insurance

If you need to cover your classic car, call us at Vargas & Vargas Insurance in Dorchester, MA.

Home Renovations That Might Lower Your Massachusetts Home Insurance

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Home Renovations That Might Lower Your Massachusetts Home InsuranceWhen you are getting ready to renovate your home, you may be thinking of additional costs such as your home insurance. Some improvements will typically lower your home insurance rates.

At Vargas & Vargas Insurance, we want Dorchester, MA homeowners to get their home renovations done right.

If you are thinking of renovating, you may want to add these modifications to your home to help with your Massachusetts home insurance policy.

Alarm System With Monitoring

When you have an alarm system on your home, with the audio or video monitoring, you increase your security. You are likely to see a reduction in insurance rates with an alarm system from an approved company.
You may not need to get your alarm company approved but check with your provider. Adding an alarm system during home renovations will also keep your new changes secure from safety threats.

Install a Sewer Backup Valve

Sewer backup is a significant home insurance risk. You can even update your home insurance policy to include coverage for this, as the costs are exorbitant.

Adding a sewer backup valve is easy, and can help you in the event of a sewer backup disaster. When water has nowhere else to go, it will come into the home. This is an expensive problem, and your insurance company knows this. Add a valve to the sewer and this could save you from this problem, and also from insurance costs.

Install a Sump Pump

A flood in the basement is a disaster. If you don’t have one already, a sump pump is a very affordable way to prevent flooding when bad weather hits. Overland flooding in Massachusetts is on the rise and could lead to an increase in claims. Add one to avoid this mess, and to potentially lower your home insurance costs.

Get a Quote

When you are renovating your home, you need to talk to your insurance company or update your home insurance policy. At Vargas & Vargas Insurance, we want Dorchester, MA homeowners to have the most thorough policy, through every change in love. Call us for a quote and update your policy today.

Massachusetts Home Insurance – What You Need To Know About Home Insurance

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Purchasing a home is one of the biggest expenditures that you will have in your lifetime.  Insuring this investment is one of the smartest things that a homeowner can do to protect it.  Think of the amount of time that a homeowner spends residing in the home, that’s a lot of time for possible incidents to happen.  What exactly entails home insurance coverage?  What does homeowner’s insurance cover? We will cover these questions and how best to approach coverage below.  Home Insurance can be purchased from Vargas & Vargas Insurance in Dorchester, MA.

Protection Against Damage

Home Insurance offers coverage under certain incidents or events such as house fires.  If you lose items in a fire (clothing, appliances, etc.) these items would be covered in such an event.  The insurance company will either cut you a check for the amount of the item or they’ll make arrangements to replace the item with the same or similar brand.  This coverage also extends to the garage which would cover your car in case of a house fire that also damaged your garage or destroyed it.  

Add-Ons

You can also purchase riders or add-ons to your home insurance coverage which will add protection for unique events such as flooding or storm damage.  In either case of events, your insurance will also pay for your temporary stay abroad should you need to have your home repaired after an event.  This temporary residence could be an extended hotel stay or renting an apartment or house for a few weeks.  

Liability Coverage

Home Insurance also comes with liability coverage which can be purchased to varying limits.  This portion of your policy covers events that happen either inside or outside the home which affect visitors or friends visiting such as a slip-and-fall accident or other incidents along those lines.  

More Information

You can learn more about home insurance by contacting Vargas & Vargas Insurance in Dorchester, MA today!

Moving? Here’s What You Should Do With Your Renter’s Insurance

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Renter’s insurance is an affordable and simple way to protect your personal property while you are renting. Most plans cost well under $20/month for thousands of dollars in coverage.

So, why would you let this coverage lapse when you are planning a move? Don’t do it! There is a much better way to handle your current renter’s insurance policy. Let Vargas & Vargas Insurance handle your renter’s insurance policy, and we’ll make it easy to switch your address from one location to the other, in Dorchester, MA.

Reevaluate Your Coverage

Most landlords will require their tenants to keep a renter’s insurance policy that covers $100k in property damage. Some of these policies include your personal property, some do not. Check your policy notice for more information. If your policy does not cover your personal property and you have decided you want that coverage, it is easy to reevaluate your needs and weigh them against affordability and practicality.

You can receive assistance with choosing a new, or expanded, renter’s insurance policy by giving the team at Vargas & Vargas Insurance a call. We are a trusted insurance broker in Dorchester, MA, and have been pouring our insurance solutions into clients for many years.

Switch Your Coverage from One Address to Another

If you are satisfied with your current coverage and insurance policy, an easy step as part of the moving process is to just switch addresses! It’s as simple as giving your friendly agent at Vargas & Vargas Insurance a call.

In order to allow time for the address change to go through, it is ideal to speak with your agent several weeks in advance of the move. Be prepared to give a new address and a start date for coverage on your new home. From there, you can receive a confirmation of your renter’s insurance policy to present to your new landlord!

How to Insure a Vintage Motorcycle

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If you own a motorcycle that is over 20 years old, your bike may be considered vintage. These motorcycles may be incredibly valuable, but they can also be more expensive to repair. You want to make sure that you have the right insurance coverage for your most valuable items.

Vargas & Vargas Insurance, which serves Dorchester, MA, understand that vintage motorcycle insurance can be tricky to navigate. Some additional information can help you make the right decision.

You Need a Standard Policy

The first thing you need to do is ensure that you are meeting Massachusetts’s requirements for vehicle liability insurance. Even antique or vintage bikes that you use are subject to these requirements. Even if you only ride your bike on the weekends, you will need to ensure you have enough liability coverage for any damage you are responsible for.

Consider Comprehensive Coverage

If you have a vintage motorcycle, you are wise to have comprehensive coverage to provide coverage for your bike when it is not in motion. Some insurance companies offer special coverage for vintage motorcycles at shows and other events, for instance.

Ask About Collision Coverage

Whether you regularly ride your vintage bike or drive it to shows, you should consider collision coverage. This coverage is intended to provide for the costs to replace or repair your bike if you are in an accident.

Get More Information About Vintage Motorcycle Insurance

Do you want to get the most out of your vintage motorcycle? Insurance can help you protect your bike, even when you are not riding or showing it. If you live in Dorchester, MA, contact Vargas & Vargas Insurance to learn more about your options.