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5 Common Risks not Covered by Typical Home Insurance

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If you have home insurance in Brooklyn, NY, you expect it to cover your building structure and the assets inside. Also, your insurance agent must have told you that home insurance covers you against liability claims and pays for additional living expenses when your home is deemed unlivable. While home insurance covers you against several things, it isn’t entirely faultless. Your home insurance has exclusions and limitations. If you buy standard home insurance from VAC Insurance Agency, it’s unlikely to cover the areas below: 

5 Common Risks not Covered by Typical Home Insurance

Flooding

Floods are the most common natural disaster in America. Unfortunately, basic home insurance doesn’t protect your home against flood damage. However, you can purchase flood insurance to protect your home against floods.

Earthquakes

Your typical home insurance is unlikely to cover earthquakes, landslides, and other earth movements. However, you can bolster your home insurance by purchasing earthquake insurance as an endorsement.

Pest and mold infestation

Your insurer will likely ignore any claim you make for damage caused by neglect or failure to maintain your home properly. If mold and pests damage your home, your insurer won’t consider any claim for such damage as you are supposed to take the necessary steps to mitigate these risks.

Risks surrounding your boat

Your home insurance is likely to cover your water vessel up to $1,000 if it’s stolen within your home and not a location far from your home. Furthermore, home insurance won’t cover liability claims when using your boat. If you want optimal protection for your boat, purchase boat insurance.

Sewer back-up

Clogged and broken sewer lines may cause internal flooding in your house. While sewer back-ups are common, your typical home insurance doesn’t cover the resulting damage.

Want to learn more about your home insurance policy in Brooklyn, NY? Please book an appointment with VAC Insurance Agency for more information.

Is it possible to get flood insurance in Brooklyn?

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The team here at VAC Insurance Agency is here to provide Brooklyn, NY residents with all of the insurance they need to protect their homes. If you are concerned about possible flood damage, it’s time to consider a flood insurance policy. Give us a call or stop and find out more about flood insurance options available in our area.

Flood insurance options available in Brooklyn

When it comes to protecting your property, a homeowner’s insurance policy isn’t always enough. If you live in a neighborhood that is prone to flooding, it is worth your time to look into an additional flood policy to complement your home insurance. Often, water damage that is caused by floodwaters is excluded from a primary homeowner’s policy. That’s why many residents in our area opt to add flood insurance to their coverage. 

Flood insurance can help to defray the cost of repairs and it can give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have the protection you need. Even if your home or business isn’t located in a flood plain, that does not mean that you won’t ever experience a flood. In fact, numerous claims for water and flood damage are for properties that are located in areas that are considered to be at low risk for flooding. And, as time goes on, flood patterns can also change, which is another factor to consider when making your decision. 

Now is a great time to add a flood policy to protect your home.

Give us a call to find out more today!

If you live in the greater Brooklyn, NY area and want to learn more about flood insurance, call VAC Insurance Agency today. We can help you with all of your insurance needs!

Why New York Business Owners Should Look Over Their Commercial Insurance Policies Carefully

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VAC Insurance Agency is proud to serve the Brooklyn, NY community. We are an independent agency. Working with multiple carriers in the region allows us to offer flexible policies that adapt to any situation. We strive to establish long-term relationships with our clients.

Why New York Business Owners Should Look Over Their Commercial Policies Carefully

The Brooklyn, NY economy thrives on a competitive marketplace. As a local business owner, you are constantly searching for ways to stand out from the competition. Obtaining a strong commercial insurance policy can give you a competitive advantage. Commercial insurance covers any damage to your products and inventory if a disaster occurs. You are protected in the event of an accidental fire, theft, or vandalism. Liability coverage protects your business if you face allegations that your products caused harm. You’re also covered if one of your customers gets injured while visiting your business. Workers’ compensation is another significant part of your policy. You rely on your employees to help your business function properly. Workers’ compensation protects you if one of your employees is injured in the workplace. Look over your policy carefully.

If you are planning to expand your business in the future, you may need to amend your commercial insurance policy. You can add cyber liability coverage. Thousands of online transactions take place in the marketplace every day. Cyber liability protects your business if you suffer a data breach and hackers access sensitive information. If you plan to add remote services, consider commercial auto insurance. This type of coverage protects your business vehicles if an issue arises. Professional liability insurance covers your employees against allegations of negligence on the job.

VAC Insurance Agency Will Help You Protect Your Assets

Contact our office to learn more information about commercial insurance.

Why You Need Home Insurance

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Owning a home is a big responsibility, and part of that responsibility is to have a home insurance policy. If you have a mortgage, your lender likely requires you to have this coverage. However, even if it isn’t required for you, it’s important to have a home policy to help keep you financially protected. A home policy offers many different types of coverage for different incidents and situations. If you don’t have a home insurance policy, give us a call at VAC Insurance Agency in Brooklyn, NY.

House Protection

The protection of your house is one of the most important aspects of home insurance. This coverage offers protection for your home in case any of a number of covered incidents happen to your house. The incidents may be certain disasters, accidents or other things that can happen to damage a home. In case that should happen, it’s important to have this coverage in place to save you financially. The policy pays for repairs that have to be made to your home after a serious incident occurs, and it can pay to have the whole house rebuilt if needed. 

Item Protection

The items inside your house also need protection, and your home policy will do that. If something were to happen to ruin your belongings, your home insurance would pay for the items to be repaired or replaced. When you consider how much it would cost to replace what you have, it’s easy to see how valuable this coverage is. 

Get Protected by Home Insurance

If you own a home, make sure that it is always covered for as long as you own it. If you have questions about home policies or want to get started, give us a call at VAC Insurance Agency in Brooklyn, NY to find out more about it. 

Is Flood Insurance Included in Home Insurance?

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VAC Insurance Agency offers many different types of insurance for residents of Brooklyn, NY and surrounding areas. Today we’ll be sharing some insight on the importance of flood insurance for homes, apartments, commercial buildings, and other dwelling areas. 

Flood insurance is not included in standard homeowners and renters policies in the state of New York and therefore needs to be purchased separately.  Floods do pose a threat to New Yorkers and should be treated as such. 

Many insurance agencies offer flood insurance without emphasizing its importance for homeowners, renters, and building owners – we are here to make sure you fully understand what flood insurance can provide you in the event that your home is affected by flooding. 

Flood insurance provides coverage if there’s any structural damage to your home, including water heaters, floor surfaces, and after flood cleanup. 

It’s simply not worth the risk to skip out on flood insurance when you live in an area that is at moderate or high risk for flooding. Getting caught without flood insurance, whether you own a home or you’re a renter, is a surefire way to risk paying out of pocket for the damage and repairs that water damage can cause. 

If you live in the Brooklyn, NY area and need a flood insurance policy that will protect your home and personal belongings, finding a qualified agent is your first step. The team at VAC Insurance Agency is here to help, and we’re backed by years of experience in purchasing insurance plans for families. 

We know each of our clients has individual needs, and we take pride in treating each one as our most important client. Don’t wade through the muddy waters of flood insurance alone. Contact us today! 

Commercial Insurance Options for Your New Business

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New businesses deserve a high level of protection that keeps them safe from various risks. If you’re in this category in Brooklyn, NY, and you aren’t sure where to turn, you can contact us at VAC Insurance Agency right away to learn more. 

Insurance Types to Debate Getting 

Finding commercial insurance can seem like a major headache and is something that impacts many new and struggling businesses. As a result, you need to narrow down your options to those that make the most sense for you, including:

  • General Liability Protection – General liability protection protects you from claims of bodily injury and property damage from your customers. This option helps to keep you safe from lawsuits. 
  • Professional Liability Coverage – Did your employees make mistakes that caused an error or omission in service? You need this type of liability to protect yourself from disappointed customers. 
  • Income Coverage – When you’re a small business, any type of interruption can impact your success and even drive you out of business. Thankfully, this coverage can protect you. 
  • Property Insurance – If your property or facility gets damaged as a small business, you’re going to end up suffering. Thankfully, this protection will keep you from suffering too much. 
  • Compensation Policies – You need to pay for workers’ compensation policies for your employees, even if you’re a small or new business. It’s against the law not to do so. 
  • Other Insurance – Don’t neglect commercial auto insurance, data breach protection, employment practices liability, a business owner’s policy, or umbrella liability protection. 

New Businesses Need Help 

If you’re a new business, and you want to avoid long-term complications, it may be necessary to contact us at VAC Insurance Agency to learn more. We serve Brooklyn, NY, and many of the surrounding Burroughs and will do what we can to help you get great coverage. 

How Home Insurance Protects Your Guests

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If you have home insurance, you may not realize exactly how much protection it can offer to those who are visiting your home. Actually, home insurance can do a lot to help your guests and ensure they have protection just like you do.

So, exactly how can your home insurance protect the people in your home? VAC Insurance Agency providing service to Brooklyn, NY can help you.

Home Insurance Covers Stolen Items

If your guest has items stolen from your home, you may be surprised to learn that your home insurance can help cover some of these items. Your policy may cover some items stolen from your property, even if they were not inside your home. Each policy is different, and it’s important that you read the documents of your policy.

Home Insurance Covers Vandalism

In some cases, vandalism also extends to property owned by guests at your home. If somebody spray paints items on your porch, for instance, you may want to know if your policy covers those items. Your documents will help you determine if your guest’s items are covered.

Home Insurance Covers Injuries

If somebody is injured at your home, their medical bills may be covered by your home insurance policy. For instance, somebody might trip over a step and break their wrist when they fall. Your insurance may protect you from a lawsuit to cover medical bills while potentially covering medical expenses.

Protect Your Guests With Home Insurance

If you live in Brooklyn, NY, VAC Insurance Agency can help you find the right policy to meet your needs and the needs of your visitors. When you have the right insurance policy, everybody is protected.

Flood Insurance in New York

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A flood is when there is excess water is in areas that are usually dry. Although the chance of a flood is a real possibility in many parts of the USA, it is not covered under standard homeowners and renters policies in New York (NY) and needs to be purchased separately.  Depending on where you reside, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a federal program designed to assist communities, may be available. NY state is a member of NFIP.  You can purchase NFIP flood insurance through private insurers like VAC Insurance Agency serving the Brooklyn, NY area.

You can purchase flood insurance for homeowners, tenants, or business owners. Flood insurance can provide coverage for the following depending on your policy type and wording – structural damage, including water heaters, floor surfaces, and after flood clean up. Check your policy if you have any buildings not attached to the main dwelling to make sure they are included. Renter’s should check if your landlord has this type of flood insurance cover in place. An additional flood insurance premium will allow you to insure the contents of your home. Flood insurance policies offer limited coverage for business owners on their business buildings and contents.

Flood insurance is normally an annual premium and has a 30 day waiting period and therefore requires preplanning. It is also important to note that your flood insurance premium is affected by your flood insurance risk based on floodplain maps and whether you live in a special flood hazard area.

Please don’t get caught out in a storm. It is worthwhile consulting with the qualified people at VAC Insurance Agency serving the Brooklyn, NY area, about your flood insurance requirements for your property. Contact them today!

Which coverages should you focus on when starting a small business?

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Starting a business, no matter how small, is a big step. The mere thought of bringing your idea to the world is not easy, and that’s why you want to take every step to protect your business once it’s on its feet. At VAC Insurance Agency, we recommend checking various business insurance policies, especially mandatory ones like workers’ compensation and general liability, to cover every possible scenario. Here are some of the critical business insurance to consider.

General liability

Every business needs general liability insurance to protect it from various claims. General liability insurance protects your business against lawsuits that could result from bodily harm or property damage. 

Workers compensation 

Worker’s compensation is mandatory for all businesses with employees. The policy covers your workers by paying for their medical bills and income lost when they get injured in their line of duty. It also pays for funeral expenses and lost income if someone dies while at work. You should get this policy if you run a risky business or your company involves working with many employees.

Professional liability insurance

While not all businesses have to carry this policy, it’s always a good idea to have one. Your new business is young and growing. At this critical stage, you’re working on building long-term relationships with your customers. Professional liability insurance ensures that you don’t close your Brooklyn, NY businesses when a client sues you for poor quality products, false advertisements, or late delivery.

Disaster insurance

Disasters hit everywhere, including your precious business. If you operate your business in an area that is prone to disasters, disaster insurance can be a great option to keep your business running.

Looking to buy the above policies for your new startup in Brooklyn, NY? VAC Insurance Agency can help you find a policy that matches your needs. Contact us for more information, questions, or new policy discussions.

New York Home Insurance – How to Storm Proof Your Home for All Seasons

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When you live in New York, storms are a part of the life of living on or near the seaboard water. It can make you feel like your home insurance is a nightmare. 

At VAC Insurance Agency, we can help Brooklyn, NY residents storm proof their homes. Use these tips to storm proof your home, and you won’t stress nearly as often about your home insurance when those storm surges are on the horizon.

Fix Your Roof

Roof problems are an insurance nightmare, on a normal day of the week. During storm season, they cause even more stress. Before storms hit, make sure that your roof can handle that stress so that your insurance company doesn’t have to.

Storm damage to a roof can cause any problem from roof repair to massive flooding. It might also cause rot or mold, or major property damage. Fix your roof before the storm.

Clean Up the Landscape

When you are storm proofing is the time to clean up your landscape. Cut back any tree branches or foliage that might come down and cause property damage or a slip and fall liability.
 
Any landscaping that is near the home will need to be trimmed back or removed.

Clean Your Gutters

Heavy gutters from previous storms or seasons can be a mess when a storm arrives. It will be a mess at home, and with your insurance company.

If there is damage here and a storm hits, water flow might cause incredible flooding. 

Protect Yourself Today

When you are getting ready for a storm in Brooklyn, NY, you will feel overwhelmed. These are the most basic tasks to start with to storm proof your home. There’s only so much you can do when Mother Nature hits. Let us help. Call VAC Insurance Agency for a quote today to make sure your home is covered.