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710 Miami Springs Dr., Suite 120
Longwood, FL 32779

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5 Things to Know About Commercial Insurance

As an entrepreneur or business owner, there is a need for you to gain a basic understanding of different types of commercial insurance coverages. It is the only way you can fully cover all your assets, reputation, as well as personnel. Express insurance provides a number of choices in deductibles, billing, as well as coverage.

1. Business Insurance—What Is It?

Commercial or business insurance mainly comprises of four coverage options. They include:

  • Umbrella insurance
  • Property insurance
  • Commercial auto insurance
  • General liability

2. Why Do You Require Commercial Insurance in Longwood, FL?

Through the coverage options listed above, you get to protect business equipment and premises against damages as well as theft. Express insurance enables you to indemnify the business and yourself against damages in the event that your property is damaged or a person gets injured on your property. Additionally, you also get to insure your company vehicles as well as their drivers. The umbrella policy makes it possible for you to cover yourself against larger losses as well as any other threats that may arise.

3. What are the Premiums?

The premiums for each coverage option will vary. An insurer will decide the premiums that you ought to pay after looking at the kind of risks faced by your business. Smaller businesses will often pay lower premiums compared to larger conglomerates.

4. Is Commercial Insurance a Deductible?

Yes, business insurance is absolutely deductible. You can deduct it from your business expenses if it covers your trade or business operations. But, you cannot deduct it when it only covers a self-insurance reserve fund or loss of business earnings.

5. Is Business Insurance Required by Law?

There are situations where commercial insurance is required. Certain businesses are required to carry worker’s compensation, disability, and/or unemployment insurance. Certain professions such as law and medicine practitioners may also be required to have professional liability covers.

You can call, visit, or email our Longwood, FL offices for a detailed consultation on all your commercial insurance needs. Our agents are always ready to address any questions or queries that you may have. 

Why You Need To Buy Renters Insurance

When it comes to protecting your belongings from fire and theft you need protection that is going to have you covered. If you live in an apartment or a rental property, you need to purchase adequate renter’s insurance so you can replace any covered losses and get your life back to normal.

Take Inventory

Before you purchase renter’s insurance, you want to get an accurate inventory of all of your belongings. Pay special attention to major appliances and appraised items such as art and jewelry. It is always a good idea to keep receipts for everything you are including in your tally. This will make the claims process much easier, which can help you get your money faster. If you add any belongings of significant value to your inventory, you should notify your insurance provider and increase coverage accordingly.

Adequate Coverage

It is crucial to ensure you have adequate coverage when you purchase your renter’s insurance. Don’t be tempted to purchase less protection to save money. If you have a covered event, you won’t be able to replace all of your belongings.  Add up the cost of all of your belongings and then round up to the nearest dollar amount available from your insurance provider. For more information on renter’s insurance, contact Express Insurance in Longwood, FL for prices and restrictions. 

When it comes to renter’s insurance you want to make sure you are completely protected in the event of a loss. Keep records and accurate inventory of all of your belongings, preferably online, in case you need to file a claim. When you are ready to purchase insurance to protect the things that are important to you, contact Express Insurance in Longwood, FL and get the coverage you need.

Will Your Renter’s Insurance Cover Moving Expenses If You’re Apartment is Permanently Damaged?

If you are renting an apartment or home in the Longwood, FL area, you can call Express Insurance to get the information you need concerning renter’s and homeowner’s insurance policies.  Their qualified agents can answer all of your insurance questions including those that involve moving from one rental to another if your home sustained significant damage and is no longer livable.

When Is Moving Mandatory?

Moving may be your only option if your apartment or rental home suffers significant damage. Severe storms, fire, structural abnormalities and other issues like black mold, can render your living area uninhabitable. When this occurs, you need to make other living arrangements immediately. 

What Type of Expenses Are Related to Moving?

It can be difficult to find a new place to live right away, so you may have to spend a few nights in a hotel. Depending on how detailed your insurance policy is, many of your moving expenses will be covered. This includes the cost of a hotel room and the use of a rental truck to make sure belongings are moved safely from one place to another. Your policy may also cover the cost of a storage unit while you are searching for a new home.

The agents of Express Insurance are available to ensure you have the coverage you need whether you are renting an apartment or own a home. If you rent in the Longwood, FL area and have experienced significant damage to your dwelling that has made it uninhabitable, call the office today to find out how they can help you get moved to a new apartment. They can answer your questions and make sure the transition goes smoothly.

 

Umbrella Insurance For Your Small Business

Usually, your standard insurance policy will cover most of your small business insurance needs. In certain situations, it makes sense to get even more coverage with umbrella insurance. While umbrella insurance will cost slightly more than standard coverage, it’s worth it when it gives you peace of mind.

There are two main reasons that you may want to consider umbrella coverage for your small business. First, it’s likely that there are certain situations that are not covered by your current insurance policy. For example, it’s possible that your current policy may only cover issues that occur in your home office. An umbrella policy could expand coverage to cover events that occur out of the office. While this may seem frivolous, it’s actually quite helpful if you host events or meetings out of the office (conferences, the company Christmas party, etc.). Secondly, your current insurance policy has monetary coverage limits. An umbrella policy could increase those limits, so you don’t find yourself in a financial bind if you exceed your current available insurance payout. 

Umbrella policies are not one-size-fits-all. It’s important to consider the type of work you do, the likelihood that you’ll exceed your current insurance policy, and how much you’re able to pay for umbrella insurance.  Your Express Insurance agent serving Longwood, FL will meet with you and help you decide on the perfect umbrella insurance policy for your small business. When you meet your Express Insurance agent, be sure to bring a copy of your current insurance policy, a list of your employees/ payroll, and a list of prior insurance losses so that your agent can help you decide what kind of additional coverage you need.

3 Tips to Buying Boat Insurance

As a Florida boat owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure the protection of your vessel. Boat insurance will not only cover your boat investment but will protect other boaters in the event of an accident out in the water. By taking time to discuss insurance options and costs with an Express Insurance agent in Longwood, FL, you can get a better understanding of what kind of protection boat insurance has to offer. The following tips can help you find just the insurance coverage you need. 

Work with a Reputable Insurer

The first step towards getting boat insurance is to work with a reputable insurer. A trustworthy insurer can help guide you in selecting the right coverage for you. Customizing your policy will bring your coverage in line with your personal boating habits and financial means.  

Become Familiar with Insurance Options

Before selecting an insurance package, become familiar with insurance options. Your choice of insurance will depend on a great deal on the type and size of boat you own, where and how often you go boating, your boating experience, the type of accessories you have (trailer, boating equipment), etc. Naturally, insurance coverage for a new, customized boat will be more comprehensive and expensive than for an older model. By customizing your policy, you can get the protection you need without wasting funds on unnecessary coverage.

Understand Your Policy

When choosing boat insurance, take time to ask questions concerning various policies and what they have to offer. It’s important you understand the protection you are receiving in case you have an accident. If you go boating often, be sure to obtain adequate liability coverage to protect your assets against an accident that causes serious damage to someone else’s boat or injury to others.

At Express Insurance, Longwood, FL, we can help you obtain a boat insurance policy suited to your specific needs. 

What Florida Homeowners Should Know About Hurricane Season

Homeowner’s insurance can protect your Longwood, FL home against the risk of hurricane damage. By talking to an Express Insurance agent, you can get a better understanding of coverage options to protect your property. The more knowledgeable you are about home insurance and the benefits it has to offer, the better prepared you will be against any eventuality.

Protection of Home

As hurricanes are quite common for the Florida area, you should ensure your home insurance coverage includes storm, hail and wind damage along with such perils as theft, fire, and vandalism. Home insurance can help cover the cost of repairing your home’s roof, siding or windows in the event of a major storm. Home insurance can also cover damage caused by trees or other debris falling on your property.

Protection of Personal Belongings

If rain enters your home due to shattered windows or roof damage, your insurance can help pay for damage to personal goods such as furniture, clothing or appliances. Having an up to date inventory of personal goods will facilitate any claims you may have to make. A policy that provides for replacement costs of damaged goods makes it easier for you to recover your losses. Standard homeowner’s insurance also covers additional living expenses if you have to stay elsewhere while your home is being restored. 

Prepping Home against Hurricane Damage

Home insurance protects your property and personal goods whether you remain in place or evacuate your property due to a hurricane. If you plan to evacuate, prep your home before leaving by putting up storm shutters, securing patio furniture and storing plants, yard statues, etc., to minimize damage and protect your valuables.   

For more information on how homeowner’s insurance can protect your Longwood, FL home against hurricane damage, contact us at Express Insurance.  

3 Tips to Understand Commercial Insurance

Commercial insurance is confusing for many people, and few can agree on how exactly it should be done. It’s why insurance laws come under review, and why rates change for company owners who are just trying to get by in a competitive world. If you live in Longwood, FL, and just want to learn more about the basics, keep these tips in mind from Express Insurance. 

You Can Tailor Your Policy 

If you have a business in Longwood, FL, you’re required to have certain factors covered, such as workers compensation and unemployment. Beyond that though, you need to start checking off the other major boxes from there. Lawsuits, customer injuries, theft, weather damage — not preparing for these disasters can take a business down quickly. 

Check (and Double Check) Your Deductible

Deductibles can reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and most business owners don’t have that kind of cash to pay upfront before insurance starts kicking in. Each policy has their own deductible, so you’ll need to pay attention to hidden costs and fees anywhere and everywhere they may hide. 

Insurance Costs Can Be Written Off

Commercial insurance is a part of your normal business expenses, meaning you can write it off on your taxes. In addition to helping your business stay afloat during the hardest of times, it can help your taxes be a little bit easier to bear. 

Express Insurance is here to give you tips and tricks if you’re looking to make the most of your commercial insurance plan. While we can’t stop insurance laws from changing, we can assist you in helping to pick out a good policy. If you’re looking for a quote or just want to tell us your story, give us a call for further details. 

Steps to Take if Your Car Has Hail Damage

Hail damage to a vehicle is very frustrating. One, it causes a lot of damage to a vehicle and, two, there is nothing that can be done in order to prevent it from happening. The damage is so drastic in some cases that the federal government will help with the costs if it is a particularly big storm. Unless you live in an area with a lot of thunderstorms, this is probably not an issue for you. If you do sustain hail damage to your vehicle, here are the steps that need to be taken. 

Contact Your Insurer Immediately – Don’t waste time in reporting damage. In many cases of hail damage, the damage happens to a lot of people in the region, meaning there will be a lot of claims. You want to get in early so you don’t have to wait too long to get your car fixed or get your settlement check. The longer you wait to report the damage, the longer you wait to hear back about your claim. In areas of substantial damage, this could be an extremely long waiting period. 

Take Pictures – Be sure to document the damage in order to have proof if the claim is disputed. This usually isn’t an issue with most insurers like Express Insurance in Longwood, FL, but it never hurts to be completely prepared. 

The most important thing that you need to do is make sure that your car is properly insured against hail damage before anything happens. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is especially true if you live in an area where this is a high probability. Most insurers will recommend the coverage as part of your plan when you shop with them. 

How to Make a Claim On Your Home Insurance

From a burst water pipe in the basement to a tree falling on your garage, knowing how to make a claim on your home insurance is important. It is something not everyone has experience with, so you may not know how to go about making such a claim. At Express Insurance, we want to ensure your Longwood, FL home is not only protected but that you understand how to make a claim on your insurance policy should the time ever arise. 

Contact the Police

Unlike an auto accident, the chances of you needing to contact the police are usually rather slim. However, if your home is broken into you will need to file a police report. This is a serious matter the police need to investigate. After contacting the police, you’ll need to report anything stolen. 

Contact Your Insurance Company

If you needed to contact the police make sure you have the police report number on hand. Your home insurance company will need to contact the police to verify some information. If you did not need to contact the police, you could simply contact the insurance company first thing. Report the issue to your insurance agent. They will tell you what to do next. 

Home Visit

Depending on the situation you may need to set up a home visit. This way the insurance provider can identify the potential cost of making repairs to restore the damaged area of your home (this is especially true if it is damaged during a storm). 

At Express Insurance we are here to assist in all your home insurance needs. If your home falls victim to a robbery, is damaged during a storm or suffers another form of damage, you now know how to make a claim on your Longwood, FL home insurance policy. 

Helpful Tips for Spring Cleaning

Since winter is almost over, spring is on its way. For many homeowners in Longwood, FL, that means it is time to start spring cleaning. While some people enjoy doing this, most people do not but it is something that must be done. Before you get started, be sure to check out these spring cleaning tips from Express Insurance 

  • Dust everything. Before you get started on anything else, you should take the time to dust everything inside your home. A lot of dust can build up during the summer months and now is a great time to get rid of it. 
  • Consider one or two projects. You may think you have a lot to do around the home this spring but you may not be able to get to everything. When you are making your list of things to do, limit yourself to one or two projects. If you finish everything and still have the time and energy to do more, then go ahead and work on something else. Just do not set yourself up for failure by putting too much on your plate. 
  • Ask for help. You do not have to do all of this alone. Ask for help from family and friends. Not only will it get done faster but you will also have more fun while you are doing it. 

Once you have completed your spring cleaning, next is making sure your home is well protected. The best way you can do this is by having a great home insurance policy. If you do not already have one in place, now is the perfect time to do so. Be sure to contact Express Insurance, serving Longwood, FL. They can help you find a great policy that also meets your budget needs.