Unique Commercial Insurance Products You May Not Have Heard Of

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When it comes to commercial insurance, most people think of the essentials—general liability, property coverage, perhaps workers’ comp. However, the realm of business insurance is far more diverse than you might imagine. At Wichalonis Insurance Agency in Cumming, GA, we often assist clients in discovering specialized policies that cater to their unique needs. Let’s delve into a few lesser-known commercial insurance products that could significantly benefit your business.

Equipment Breakdown Insurance: Not Just for Machinery

Many business owners assume their property insurance covers items like HVAC systems or production equipment. The reality? It usually doesn’t. Equipment breakdown insurance comes into play when critical systems fail due to mechanical or electrical issues. Whether it’s a short-circuit that damages your server or a boiler that suddenly stops working, this coverage helps with repair costs and losses from downtime.

Cyber Liability for Small Businesses

Do you assume cyber insurance is only for tech giants? Think again. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting small businesses, and a single data breach can be financially crippling. Cyber liability insurance can help cover the cost of legal fees, customer notification, and even reputation management following an attack.

Employment Practices Liability: Your HR Safety Net

Even with the best intentions, companies can face claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, or harassment. Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) helps protect your business from the legal costs and potential settlements that can arise from workplace-related lawsuits.

Discover the Right Fit for Your Business

Every business is unique, and your insurance coverage should reflect that. At Wichalonis Insurance Agency in Cumming, GA, we specialize in helping local businesses find tailored protection that goes beyond the basics. Contact us today to discover how we can help safeguard your company’s future.

Boat Insurance Can Cover More Than Boats

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Insuring Your Watercraft with Wichalonis Insurance Agency

When discussing boat insurance with your Wichalonis Insurance Agency representative, you’ll be asked about your other watercraft. This is because boat insurance can cover every type of watercraft a policyholder owns, from Seadoos to jet skis, whether moored or drydocked in Cumming, GA.

Consolidating Water Fun Items on One Policy

Organization can help keep both your home and finances tidy. Insuring all similar items on one insurance policy can streamline your coverage. That’s why when a person inquires about boat coverage, the insurance agent asks about other watercraft. A boat insurance policy can also cover the following items:

  • Catamarans
  • Deck boats
  • Dinghy boats
  • Fishing boats
  • Houseboats
  • Jet skis
  • Pontoons
  • Sail boats
  • Seadoos
  • Yachts

These policies can also include coverage for personal belongings kept on the boat, allowing a policyholder to insure their skis, towing equipment, and radar on the same policy. If you renovate the ship’s galley, add the new appliances to the boat policy to protect your investment.

Insuring Your Boat Trailer

When it comes to insuring their trailer, a policyholder has options. They can either include it in the boat policy or insure it separately. Many boat owners consider their boat trailers an extension of their watercraft. The two fit one another perfectly, and when not on the water, the boat typically sits on the trailer, unless the owner moors it in a marina.

Contact Our Offices Today

Protect all of your watercraft on one policy from Wichalonis Insurance Agency. Before you leave your Cumming, GA, driveway to enjoy a day at the lake or ocean, update your boat insurance. Contact us today via phone or email to update your boat insurance policy to cover all of your watercraft.

Do you need personal or commercial umbrella insurance?

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Understanding the Importance of Umbrella Insurance

At Wichalonis Insurance Agency, we want our clients to enjoy the right coverage so they benefit from its protection. Some residents of Cumming, GA, need umbrella insurance for their business and a personal policy. Other residents need only one form of umbrella insurance. Let’s explore which applies to you.

Personal and Commercial Umbrella Insurance

Umbrella insurance comes in two forms: personal and commercial. A personal policy provides secondary insurance that covers the primary policy’s liability coverage. A personal primary policy can be a homeowner’s, auto, boat, motorcycle, or another policy with a liability component. Commercial umbrella policies require a primary policy, such as general liability, business liability, commercial auto, or malpractice.

Personal Umbrella

Umbrella policies only provide liability coverage. Umbrella provides excess liability to pay a settlement if a person causes an accident, whether with their auto, motorcycle, or boat, or if an accident occurs at their home that injures someone. It is attached to the policy, so if your spouse drives your car and appears as a driver listed on your auto policy, umbrella coverage still applies.

Commercial Umbrella

Commercial policies cover any event that happens at your business. The umbrella policy kicks in once a settlement exhausts the liability coverage on the primary policy. It covers the settlement regardless of whether an employee causes an accident while making deliveries for the company or a person falls and injures themselves. A doctor’s office can obtain a malpractice policy covering the doctor and the employees; the umbrella policy will do the same.

Add Your Umbrella Policy Today

If a business owner also volunteers in the community or becomes involved in philanthropy, they may need both a personal and commercial policy. At Wichalonis Insurance Agency, we want our clients to enjoy the financial protection they need for their Cumming, GA, home and business. Schedule an appointment today for an insurance review to determine if you need both forms of umbrella or one.

Best Ways To Create and Maintain An Effective Condo Inventory

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Creating and maintaining an inventory of your possessions can be a task, but an accurate inventory can be incredibly beneficial in the event of a fire or other loss. Like other aspects of life, the most effective inventory of your condo comes from developing a plan and completing it in manageable steps. If you need home or other insurance, contact Wichalonis Insurance Agency, serving Cumming, GA.

Creating Your Home Inventory

People with a current condo inventory receive faster, more accurate insurance settlements following a loss. Detailed documentation eliminates guesswork and allows you to recover the full value of your loss.

You can create a condo inventory using a spreadsheet, and there are apps to integrate videos, photos, and receipts. Whichever tools you use, you should store your inventory and back it up at a location other than your condo to ensure it is not also lost when damage occurs.

Key steps to consider when creating and managing a condo inventory include:

Create a Plan

You can organize and record videos of your possessions on a room-by-room basis. Then, use the same room-by-room structure to organize your receipts, images, and other documentation.

Big-Ticket Items First

Inventory your most valuable items first. To make the process easier, group lower-value items, such as "12 dinner plates" or "3 pairs of shoes."

Regular Updates

When you make a new purchase over a set dollar amount, add it to the inventory. Then, update your video and inventory at least annually.

The Wichalonis Insurance Agency Difference

Maintaining an inventory of your possessions takes discipline but is highly valuable. Our Wichalonis Insurance Agency team, serving Cumming, GA, will work with you on a condo insurance plan that suits your needs. Call us at (678) 947-4533 or stop by to make an appointment.

What You Need to Know About Applying for First Time Auto Insurance

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Congratulations on your first car! Apart from adding personal touches to your vehicle, you need to ensure it’s insured. In Georgia, it’s mandatory to have coverage of at least $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for all people potentially injured in an accident, and $25,000 for property damage. It’s always a good idea to compare different insurance options before making a decision.

Types of Car Insurance Coverage

Liability coverage pays for any damage you might cause and covers your legal costs. It’s required in all states except New Hampshire. Collision coverage pays for repairs to your vehicle if you hit a stationary object, including the ground. Comprehensive coverage pays for damages to your car that occur off the road. Since not everyone has insurance, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is good to have as a precaution. Personal injury protection covers you if you’re injured in an auto accident. Medical payment coverage takes care of anything health insurance doesn’t. Do some research to find out how much coverage you need and what is legally required. As you develop a good driving record, your rates may decrease.

Wichalonis Insurance Agency: Serving Cumming, GA

Driving for the first time is an exciting milestone. If you’re in the Cumming, GA area, we hope you’ll contact Wichalonis Insurance Agency to help you find the policy you need.

Updating Your Condo Policy Before You Renovate

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Thinking of renovating your Cumming, GA, condo? Before you update your condo’s interior, contact your Wichalonis Insurance Agency insurance agent to add the builder’s risk coverage while you renovate. This important temporary coverage helps you protect yourself against liability and covers your building materials.

Renovations and Your Condo Insurance

Any renovator you hire should carry their own contractor’s insurance, but you need to add builder’s risk insurance to protect yourself and your home. It covers things the contractor’s policy doesn’t, such as your building materials and liability arising from their delivery or guest or family member injuries occurring during the construction/renovation process. Your contractor’s policy covers liability incurred by injuries to their crew. Your insurance covers your family members if you let them enter the construction area, and they get injured.

After Renovating Your Condo

Once you finish your renovations, revisit your policy with your insurance agent. Their quote helps you revalue your condo and adjust your coverage to cover your home’s upgraded value fully. The condo policy you purchase when you buy your condo doesn’t cover any of the changes you make to the condo. When you increase the value of your condo, you also need to increase the amount your insurance covers. This may mean a simple increase in the coverage amount or scheduling specific items, such as a gazebo added to your yard, a retractable awning added to your balcony, or built-in bookcases in the interior.

Contact Wichalonis Insurance Agency Today

Phone or email Wichalonis Insurance Agency to update the condo policy covering your Cumming, GA, condo. Don’t start renovating before you obtain proper insurance coverage.

Thinking about basic auto insurance? Why it might not be the right choice?

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When you are a driver in the great state of Georgia, you must carry at least basic auto insurance on your vehicle. The amount of insurance that is considered basic in Georgia is liability coverage in the amount of 25/50/25. That is $25,000 for one person in an accident, $50,000 for all injuries, and $25,000 for property damage. At Wichalonis Insurance Agency in Cumming, GA, we make sure that all of our customers have the right amount of auto insurance for their particular needs.

If you are leasing a vehicle or have an auto loan, basic auto insurance will not be enough. It doesn’t protect the vehicle, and you will need that. You will need to have collision and comprehensive coverage. This will protect the vehicle from an accident or another hazard that can damage it.

If you are like most people, you use your vehicle every day. It is a necessity to go about your daily activities. Being without a vehicle would be a serious inconvenience. If you have basic auto coverage and your car is damaged in an accident where you are responsible, you need to pay for repairs. If you have the available cash or credit to replace your vehicle, then maybe you don’t need anything beyond basic auto insurance, but if you will have difficulty coming up with the cash, then having auto insurance beyond basic will provide the money to repair or replace your vehicle.

If you have comprehensive insurance, you can pay to replace your windshield if it gets cracked or chipped. The cost of replacing a windshield on your own can be quite high, and it is worth considering having this coverage.

Contact our office at Wichalonis Insurance Agency in Cumming, GA when you have questions about auto insurance or any other type of insurance.

Why do small business owners need life insurance?

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Setting up a small business requires the entrepreneur to think about various things. One that may slip their mind is the need for life insurance. Even though it’s not usually a primary thought, it must be taken care of. Wichalonis Insurance Agency understands the unique needs of Cumming, GA, small business owners and is ready to help them find the coverage they need.

Life insurance for small businesses benefits the company and their loved ones. When a small business owner passes away, the business is often left in a state of uncertainty. Their immediate family members need to be able to grieve, so jumping in to run the business might not be possible.

Business and Family Benefits

Life insurance for a small business owner can include benefits for the business. This can help to cover ongoing expenses, such as employee salaries and debt payments, for the immediate period.

In a business with multiple owners, the policy benefits may be used by the co-owners to buy out the deceased individual’s share of the business so the family members have immediate financial backing without having to take over the business. The presence of a life insurance policy can ease the transition of ownership.

For those left behind, having a life insurance policy in place can help to relieve some of the financial burden. It can cover immediate and final expenses and may last for a longer period.

Setting up life insurance policies for small business owners needs to consider the business and the family’s needs. At Wichalonis Insurance Agency, we understand the challenges and needs of local business owners. Contact us to learn more about life insurance and why it’s vital for all Cumming, GA, small business owners.

Why is it important to read your home insurance policy?

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Understanding Your Home Insurance Policy: A Necessity, Not an Option

Many people are often overwhelmed by the length of their home insurance policy and end up failing to read it. This can result in significant challenges when filing a claim. At Wichalonis Insurance Agency in Cumming, GA, we are independent insurance agents who believe in offering our customers the personalized attention they deserve.

Analyzing Your Coverage

The declaration page, usually the first page of your home insurance policy, outlines your coverage. Check your home’s replacement cost, your content coverage, liability coverage, and loss-of-use insurance.

Ensure your liability coverage is adequate. If your income and net worth have increased, or if you’ve added a dog, a trampoline, or a pool to your home, you likely need to raise your home policy’s liability coverage.

Evaluate Your Coverage Amounts

If you’ve made significant renovations or additions to your home, your coverage amount may need to increase. Examine your content coverage for any limitations. If you own more jewelry, antiques, artwork, or electronics than your policy covers, consider adding a rider for additional coverage.

Inspect Your Deductibles

Your policy includes a deductible, which applies to most coverages, and is charged for every claim, not just once per year. While increasing the deductible may reduce your premium, remember that this amount is an out-of-pocket expense.

Review Your Exclusions

Examine the exclusions listed in your policy. You may want to add coverage for incidents like floods, earth movements, and sewer backups.

Please feel free to call the Wichalonis Insurance Agency in Georgia if you have any questions about home insurance coverage. We are always here to help you understand your policy and determine your exact needs.

Renting? Here’s Why You Need Insurance to Cover Your Assets

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While renting a home or apartment, the importance of insurance might not be instantly evident. At Wichalonis Insurance Agency, serving the community in and around Cumming, GA, we understand that securing your assets might not be your primary concern. However, renter’s insurance protects your belongings and ensures peace of mind.

Safeguard Your Belongings

While the landlord’s insurance covers the building itself, it does not extend to your personal property. Imagine bearing the financial burden if your belongings were damaged or stolen. That’s where renter’s insurance comes into play, covering these losses and ensuring you’re not left footing the bill.

Liability Coverage

Accidents are unpredictable, and you could be held responsible if someone gets injured on your rental property. Renter’s insurance typically includes liability coverage, shielding you from potential lawsuits and covering any medical expenses if necessary. This facet of the policy can save you from significant financial hardship.

Additional Living Expenses

Should a disaster render your rental property uninhabitable, where would you stay? Renter’s insurance often covers additional living expenses, such as hotel bills and meal costs, while your home is undergoing repairs. Such support can prove invaluable during stressful periods.

Affordable Peace of Mind

Many renters assume that insurance comes with hefty costs but is generally quite affordable. The small monthly premium is a worthwhile investment for the coverage and peace of mind provided. At Wichalonis Insurance Agency, we are here to tailor a policy that aligns with your needs and budget.

Get In Touch With Us Today

Ready to protect your belongings and ensure peace of mind? Contact Wichalonis Insurance Agency, serving the Cumming, GA area, today to explore our renter’s insurance options.