However, these safety features will help you only if you keep them enabled. According to J.D. Power’s 2019 U.S. Tech Experience Index Study, some consumers turned off certain safety features because they found them “annoying or bothersome.” Among the more disliked features were systems designed to keep drivers in their proper lane. The study found that 23% of drivers with those systems complained that the alerts were annoying (conversely, 21% of drivers with those systems, who responded to the study, didn’t consider them “annoying or bothersome”).  Additionally, 61% of the respondents said they disabled the systems sometimes.

Insurance considerations

Unlike other car safety features—advanced driver-assistance systems do not qualify for insurance premium discounts from most insurance companies (yet)—although some companies apply discounts for cars with automatic emergency braking—when a car brakes automatically to avoid a crash.

Why? New technology costs more money, especially if it needs to be replaced or repaired, so your car insurance premium may increase. But, this shouldn’t stop you from considering a car with these safety features because they may help you avoid an accident, which will lessen the chance that your premiums will go up afterward.

While advanced driver-assistance systems do not offer many opportunities for insurance discounts right now, many car insurance companies give premium discounts for other safety features—the most common is for anti-lock brakes, air bags, daytime running lights, electronic stability control and automatic seat belts. If you have a new car—or are considering buying a new car with advanced safety features—give our agency a call, we’ll help you get the discounts for which you may qualify.

• Cars with blind-spot monitoring have a crash involvement rate that is 14% lower than the same models without such equipment.
• In 2015, if every vehicle in the U.S. had blind-spot monitoring, 50,000 crashes and 16,000 injuries may have been prevented.
• Did you know that the earliest braking systems applied braking pressure only to the rear wheels?

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If you have a roommate, you may be a student, a young professional, or just plain trying to save money. Some people have close friendships with their roommates, while others keep their relationships simple: just roommates. If you don’t have a close, trusting relationship with the person with whom you live, then perhaps it would be wise to consider these tips to prevent your valuables from being stolen:

1. Before moving in with your roommate, have a conversation with them about boundaries. Are there things you don’t feel comfortable sharing with or lending to your roommate? Now is the time to draw these lines in the sand.
2. Keep your valuable items—your cell phone, your computer, your jewelry, to name a few—in a safe place. Don’t leave them lying around in common spaces like the kitchen, living room or bathroom. You might also consider having your most valuable items engraved, clearly making those items one-of-a-kind and easily identifiable.
3. If you don’t share a bedroom with your roommate, install a lock accessible only with a key to your bedroom door. This will prevent your roommate from getting inside, as well as any house guests he or she might invite over.
4. Keep your personal spaces tidy—if your room is messy, it could be difficult to locate your valuable items. If something is missing, you’ll notice quicker. And, on the off chance you simply couldn’t find whatever’s missing and it turns up, you could avoid an uncomfortable interaction in which you accused your roommate of theft, when he or she did no such thing.
5. Invest in a safe and/or a camera to add extra security.
6. Be mindful of what you post on social media—a new laptop might be exciting news, but some people do not need to know what types of valuables you are keeping in your bedroom.
7. Store things elsewhere: at a friend’s house, with family—anyone you would trust to look after anything you’d want protected.
8. Invest in homeowners or renter’s insurance. These policies can help reimburse your stolen goods should your roommate commit theft against you—as long as they are not named on your policy.

Having a roommate is a great way to save money and common among young professionals. However, it’s important to protect yourself in the event your roommate is less than trustworthy. Give our office a call today to talk about your homeowners or renter’s policy to make sure you are covered.

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Brownstone Insurance began in New York City in the 1970s when insurance agents realized that there was an emerging market for insuring multi-unit living accommodations. The company took its name from the historical brownstone apartment and condo buildings common to the NYC area and launched in 1973. Now, Brownstone coverage offers a wide range of policies through multiple carriers, including Chubb Insurance.

To best serve each individual’s unique needs, Muller Insurance is proud to partner with Chubb Insurance and bring the benefits of its policies to our clients in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and other states. We explain our Chubb Insurance program here.

What Is Chubb Insurance?

Chubb Insurance provides various personal insurance policies, specializing in helping families and individuals with larger amounts of assets to insure. On a global scale, it is the biggest insurer of publicly traded property and casualty. It also boasts a high rate of satisfaction for its claims process, with a reported 97% of clients happy after receiving payment for their claim.

Known for Masterpiece Homeowners Insurance

Arguably Chubb Insurance’s most well-known product is its Masterpiece Homeowners Insurance. These policies protect homeowners against covered events that result in the need for repairs, replacements, or a complete rebuild. Compared to standard homeowners insurance policies, Masterpiece Homeowners Insurance offers clients of Muller Insurance the following:

• Extended coverage beyond policy limits, when necessary, to restore or rebuild the home
• Guaranteed cost coverage for bringing a home up to current codes (i.e. plumbing, electrical)
• Additional coverage for living expenses when homes are unable to be occupied due to a covered loss or mandatory evacuation, as well as temporary housing, kenneling for pets, and more
• Replacement value that reflects the item’s original cost, not based on depreciation
• Masterpiece Protection Network for referrals to qualified service providers
• And more.

Other Types of Coverage

Muller Insurance is designated as a Chubb Personal Insurance Cornerstone Elite Agency and licensed in 24 states. We offer a wide range of policies from this premier carrier, including the following:

• Homeowners, condo, and co-op
• Auto
• Valuables
• Excess (umbrella) liability
• Cyber
• Flood
• Recreational marine
• Travel

Additional products and services are also available to meet our clients’ insurance needs, from aviation coverage to group excess liability.

Benefits of Our Chubb Insurance Program

As an independent agency, Muller Insurance is able to hand-select our partners based on the benefits they can provide to our clients. When it comes to our Chubb Insurance policies and services, these advantages include:

• High responsiveness to claims, with adjusters contacting clients within six hours
• Replacements for damaged appliances, custom cabinets and furniture, flooring, carpentry, and much more
• Consultative services with specialists in home valuables, which help to ensure your policy includes the right coverage for fine art, jewelry, and collections
• Customer service representatives that speak English, Spanish, French, Urdu, and Arabic
• And more.

Learn More about Muller Insurance’s Chubb Insurance Program

A premier carrier of Brownstone coverage, Chubb Insurance’s policies may be the ideal fit for you or your family, especially if you have more assets to insure. To learn more, contact Muller Insurance today, and don’t hesitate to request a free quote. We proudly serve our home state of NJ, as well as NY, CT, PA, and many other states.

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Whether you live in a condo or are a director or official of a condo association, a lot goes into securing the right insurance coverage. Beyond needing to know when a unit owner or the condo association is liable, those within the association also have directors and officers liability to consider. To make meeting your insurance needs less of a headache, Muller Insurance explains condo association insurance and when extra coverage outside of a standard policy might be wise.

About Condo Associations and Their Responsibilities

A condo association, much like a homeowners association, is an organization that condo unit owners within a community join to maintain their shared living space. Put simply, the condo association takes care of the premises and common areas, as well as sets covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) that its building tenants must follow.

Typically, there is an elected board that has a leadership role in maintaining the functions and meeting the responsibilities of the condo association, which include upkeep, maintenance, and enhancement of common areas to be shared by the unit owners. So what does this mean in the event that something goes wrong?

If an injury occurs in a common area or damage is sustained to a shared space, the condo association is held liable. Anything that happens within individual units, however, is the condo owner’s responsibility. Therefore, it’s important for the condo association itself to have insurance to cover anything that might happen. This is doubly true for the directors and officers of the condo association, who themselves could be held legally and financially liable in case any sort of impropriety is found – whether that individual is directly at fault or not.

Directors & Officers Liability Defined

Directors and officials can often be held liable for accidents, damage, injuries, and more if a claimant can demonstrate some sort of impropriety. Even if you aren’t really at fault, a legal claim could cost far more than typical insurance will cover. While a condo association’s insurance policy provides protection for the association as a whole, it could leave individual members unprotected. Sometimes, even a misunderstanding can turn into a lawsuit. Examples of the most common causes of director and officer insurance claims include:

• Breach of contract
• Misuse of funds
• Discrimination
• Wrongful foreclosure
• Negligence

Although the condo association’s insurance offers protection for claims happening in common areas, there are still many situations in which directors and officers can personally be held liable for hefty legal and financial consequences. That’s why additional insurance for condo association directors and officers is so important.

Choosing the Right Insurance Coverage

Whether you’re an owner, director, official, or have some other relationship with the condo association, it’s important you understand your insurance policy, what is covered, and to what dollar amount. Having the right insurance is one of the very best ways to protect yourself, and at Muller Insurance, we offer policies that offer protection for all aspects of a condominium, including:

• Condo unit owner insurance
• Renters insurance
• Condo association insurance
• Director and official insurance
• Flood insurance
• Earthquake insurance
• Umbrella insurance

Serving New Jersey for over 100 years and assisting clients in multiple states, Muller Insurance can help you find the right coverage for your unit, association, or liabilities as a director or official. For help determining your condo association liability, contact Muller Insurance today.

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An insurance rider, sometimes known as a floater or an endorsement, is a type of additional personal property insurance that offers greater protection of your valuables, such as jewelry or fine art. Whether you’re buying your first insurance policy or you’ve been a homeowner for years, it can be difficult to know if you should invest in a rider. Here, Muller Insurance explains what a rider is and can help you decide if you need one

How Insurance Riders Work

Say you have a homeowners insurance policy that covers your home in case of a fire, break-in, or other disaster. You already understand your personal property will be protected, but to what extent? Typically, there is an overall dollar limit to the amount of coverage your policy provides. Furthermore, within that limit, there may be sub-limits on certain types of valuables, like jewelry or antiques, and damage or loss of one of these items past a certain dollar amount is not covered. But not to worry – that’s where a rider comes in.

Riders are added to your existing policy and can cover a variety of different things such as art, jewelry, antiques, etc. The cost of the rider is typically calculated according to the value of the insured item or items. This means it’s more expensive for more valuable items, but it will cover the full cost of the damage to or loss of the item if a covered event were to occur. Additionally, riders can offer coverage a standard insurance policy might not, such as accidental damage.

What Do Riders Cover?

There are different kinds of riders available to meet a wide range of coverage needs. Usually, you can get a rider to cover nearly anything your existing insurance doesn’t already, and one can also expand coverage within your current policy. The following are some of the most common types of riders:

H3: Scheduled Personal Property

Scheduled personal property is supplemental insurance that covers your property beyond what a typical homeowners insurance policy covers. This applies to personal property like jewelry, antiques, artwork, collectibles, musical instruments, and more.

H3: Building Code Coverage

Your homeowners policy will cover the cost to repair damages to your home, but if your home needs additional work to be brought up to code, you may be responsible for the difference. This type of rider will cover the cost of additional work needed to ensure your house meets building codes when being repaired.

H3: Business Property Coverage

A standard insurance policy typically will not cover any business property you may keep in your home. If you run a home-based business or keep property for your business at your home, you may need a rider to cover these items.

Other types of riders can provide even more protection.  For example, there are riders that can cover landscaping or renovation projects or costs incurred if your identity is stolen.

Keeping Your Possessions Protected with Muller Insurance

Because riders are important to have in case your homeowners insurance leaves any gaps in coverage for your property, Muller Insurance is standing by to assist. We’ve been serving our community in New Jersey since 1906 and have since expanded into 29 other states. To learn more about why insurance riders are important or to add one to your existing policy, contact Muller Insurance today.

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Whether it’s hidden out in the countryside, high in the mountains, or down by the sea, owning a second home as a getaway is a real joy. However, like your primary residence, you have to insure your secondary home so you’ll have peace of mind even in case of disaster. Sometimes, secondary home insurance can vary wildly from the homeowners insurance policy you have on your primary residence. How do you wade through the differences and properly insure your secondary home? Muller Insurance explains.

Check Your Existing Policy

In some cases, your current homeowners insurance policy may already offer some degree of coverage for a secondary home. This is not very common, though, and even if you have this, it can leave you with gaps in your coverage. This is especially true if you own or are thinking of buying property near a shoreline.

If your existing policy doesn’t cover a secondary home, you’ll need to get a separate policy. If your primary homeowners insurance policy does cover your secondary home, then this is a great start, but you should still consider adding more coverage for complete protection of your second home.

Fill Any Gaps in Your Coverage

When searching for a secondary home policy, ensure it offers adequate protection. In most cases, a secondary home will have unique needs and be subjected to different risks compared to your primary house. That’s why, in addition to your primary policy, it’s important to consider purchasing separate policies for flood, hurricane, and earthquake insurance, especially if the home is located along the coast. Specifically, the flood insurance offered by Muller Insurance covers damages caused by rising water.

Now is also the perfect time to think about insuring your toys, too. Coverage for your boat, RV, motorcycle, or even ATV can be added to your bundle of policies. Riders can also be added to a homeowners policy to extend full coverage to valuables that normally would be subjected to limits or are simply not covered by your primary policy.

Umbrella insurance is another added protection that’s worth your while to consider, especially since owning a second home tends to come with greater risks and you don’t spend most of your time there. It greatly raises the limit on how much your policy can pay so you won’t be stuck with a huge bill even after the insurance company has paid. This is an especially great benefit in case you are ever sued for damages, as legal costs can easily exceed what your normal insurance policy will pay.

Find Peace of Mind for Your Second Home

When it comes to insurance for your secondary home, keep it protected using a custom-tailored policy that best suits your needs. Muller Insurance can help you with secondary home insurance and navigating the process of keeping your property safe and covered. Our agents have experience insuring secondary homes across New Jersey and many other states throughout the nation, and we work with over 20 different insurance companies to get the coverage you need. Contact Muller Insurance today to request a quote or learn more about secondary home insurance.

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What Is Shore Property Insurance?

When you own a home or other property within a certain distance from a coastline, the insurance policy you will need is a bit different from standard homeowners insurance. Shore property insurance accounts for the differences between inland and coastal environments. It is more common, for example, for a home located on the shore to experience damage due to a tropical storm or hurricane than one located farther inland.

Finding the right policy will mean getting the right balance of coverage – at the right cost – for your situation. Plus, in certain cases, you may be required to get certain types of additional coverage, such as flood insurance, in order to maintain your mortgage. All of these considerations can be sorted out with the help of Muller Insurance.

Knowing if You Require Shore Property Insurance

Your proximity to the coast plays a role in deciding whether your property is considered coastal or not. If you are located 10 miles from the shore, for example, you likely could have a standard homeowners insurance policy, but you may regret not investing in additional coverage should your area gets hit by a hurricane. Meanwhile, for owners of properties positioned just miles away from the shore, it’s always wise to invest in a customized shore policy – especially in flood-prone areas.

Navigating this can seem challenging, but the key is to be aware of how your insurance company classes your policy and knowing what coverage you have. Then, it’s smart to make sure you have enough additional coverage since coastal property insurance won’t cover things like damage due to flooding or earthquakes.

Learn More About Insuring Your Shore Property

If you’re looking into insuring your shore property, we highly recommend you speak with an insurance professional to learn the ins-and-outs of these policies and figure out how much coverage you need. A professional can advise whether you should get additional coverage, too.

No matter where your property is or what kind of coverage you need, Muller Insurance is your go-to for shore property insurance. Operating in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and other states, Muller Insurance can help guide you through the world of coastal insurance and get you the policy you need within your target budget. Learn more about shore insurance policies and request a quote today by contacting Muller Insurance.

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About Actual Cash Value

If an insurance policy covers actual cash value, that means the amount of money you are paid for a loss is calculated with the depreciation of the item or property’s value factored in. In other words, the money you get is the cost of the new item minus depreciation. For example, suppose you were to insure a television and use it every day for five years before it was stolen. The actual cash value calculation would account for its age and wear and tear on the TV at the time it was stolen.

In some cases, the exact definition of the actual cash value is a bit hazy, as some courts have defined it as fair market value, or what you could expect to get for the item if you were to sell it. Likewise, there has been disagreement over whether depreciation includes obsolescence. Regardless, the central point remains: Depreciation is factored into the amount of money you receive for a loss.

About Replacement Cost

In the case of replacement cost, your insurance policy pays the full cost of a new replacement for your loss. This could include the cost of rebuilding your home after a fire, for example. The replacement cost is calculated by looking at:

• The cost of an equivalent make and model item
• The cost to replace the property lost with other property of comparable materials and quality

Generally, this is a straightforward process and will result in a larger sum paid to you than in the case of actual cash value. However, ask your insurer for specifics regarding how replacement cost calculations are made and how they work in the event of a loss.

Which One Do I Need?

The main difference between actual cash value and replacement value insurance policies is whether or not depreciation is factored in and deducted. However, deciding which type of coverage you need can be a bit tougher, with different policies offering a variety of options and prices. The key thing to remember when you’re deciding between policies is that with actual cash value, the depreciation of the item or property will be factored in. For more help deciding between actual cash value and replacement cost value policies, contact Muller Insurance today.

Muller Insurance, which serves customers in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and other states, can explain the difference between actual cash value and replacement cost.

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Barbers sometimes work alone, rent a chair in a salon, or hire their own employees at a shop. Whatever the case, it’s up to barbering business owners to ensure customers, employees, and assets are protected from damages and liability. Muller Insurance, which insures barbershops in New Jersey and other states, explains barbershop insurance and the responsibilities owners have in terms of coverage.

A Positive Experience for Guests

Every business establishment wants to promise its clients a positive experience. While an unpleasant occurrence may drive the customer away, an injurious one can lead to lawsuits. Maybe a customer slips in a product spill or on a pile of cut hair. Perhaps your employee fails to follow the instructions and causes a chemical burn. Because you’re responsible for your premises, you can be sued for negligence in situations like these, and you need the right coverage.

A general liability policy can cover the cost of a lawsuit. It’ll pay for the legal fees and a portion of the payout up to the policy’s limit. If you’re worried the general policy isn’t enough to cover your responsibility, umbrella insurance is a wise investment that will protect you the rest of the way.

The Safety of Your Workers

Your clients aren’t the only ones who can get injured while at your barbershop. Your employees spend all day there, navigating wet floors and crowds of customers. They cut and style hair with sharp tools and hot irons. Many of them may also work closely with caustic chemicals, like unmixed hair dyes or cleaning solvents. As careful and experienced as they may be, there’s still a chance of injury or damages.

As the owner, you are responsible for maintaining a safe workplace. This also means you’re required to pay the medical costs and lost income when an employee gets hurt or sick on the job. Luckily, workers’ compensation insurance can cover those costs so your employee can heal and get back behind the chair.

Safe and Effective Products

Your barbershop might not only offer haircuts but also sell products. It’s a great way to boost income and help customers get the hair supplies they need. When you sell a product, however, your customers trust your word that it’s safe to use. If it’s not safe, you’re the one held responsible – even if it isn’t your fault. Product liability insurance can protect you against lawsuits when a manufacturer’s error or chemical imbalance renders a product dangerous.

At Muller Insurance, we offer professional liability coverage to hairdressers and barbers. It is a separate coverage that must be added to your policy, but it’s a worthwhile investment, as it covers you in the event that a client gets hurt from the chemicals used or their hair turns to an unwanted color.

Secure Information Systems

No matter how you store information, you’re responsible for keeping it secure. This is especially crucial when you store it digitally, which is more common than not in this era of information technology. Instead of risking a breach, protect your records – and your liability – with insurance that will guard against the costs associated with leaks of data and personal information.

Insurance You Can Rely On

Finally, as a business owner, it’s your responsibility to insure your business. Part of that responsibility is finding an agent who you can rely on and trust to find the policy your business needs. At Muller Insurance, we have generations of experience tailoring policies to suit our clients throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and other states. Find out more about barbershop insurance by contacting us today.

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Mixed-use buildings are gaining in popularity. A retail store or restaurant on bottom floors and housing above allow a landlord to attract both commercial and residential income. Insuring this kind of building can be complex, however. The business portion has completely different needs than the residential side. So how do you keep them straight? Muller Insurance explains mixed-use insurance here.

Assessing the Risks

Understanding the differences in insurance needs between commercial and residential properties comes down to assessing the different risks in each. Among other considerations, the most important questions landlords should ask include:

• How many people are visiting the property, and how frequently? Will there be large crowds?
• Will there be expensive equipment that needs insuring on top of the building itself?
• Will a business owner’s equipment put your building at risk for fire, flooding, etc.?
• How many workers have you hired to help maintain your property?

By understanding the risks inherent in each part of your property, you’ll be better equipped to make good insurance decisions for your mixed-use building.

Differences in Liability Coverage

Most mixed-use buildings need some amount of liability coverage. In short, when a visitor to a building is injured or their property is damaged, liability insurance will cover the cost of any resulting lawsuits. Residential buildings also need liability coverage – after all, somebody could trip on the stairs or have a similar accident in one of the building’s common areas.

Business buildings, however, are much more at risk. Restaurants and shops, for instance, take in a large number of customers every day, and these sheer quantities of people can compound the risk of injury.

Considering Risk of Damages

Residential and retail buildings face different damage risks as well. Residential buildings can be damaged by a variety of things, like storms, fires, sewer backwash, vandalism, theft, and more. If something like this happens, you’ll need coverage to pay for the cost of repairs, as well as business income insurance, to cover any lost income while damaged apartments can’t take tenants.

Business properties face the same risks as residential ones. As with liability, however, the larger number of visitors can mean that business properties are at greater risk for physical damages. Restaurants also come with an increased risk of fire or sewer backup from busy kitchens. In your mixed-use policy, your Muller Insurance agent will ensure you have coverage for anything that could go wrong.

Insure Mixed-Use Buildings with Muller Insurance

Mixed-use buildings are complicated to insure, but luckily, you don’t need to do it alone. If your building is in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or the other states we’re licensed in, turn to Muller Insurance. We’ll offer you close personal attention and go the extra mile in understanding your building and its needs so we can offer meaningful advice and customize your policies. To learn more about mixed-use insurance, contact us today.

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