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MAPFRE Customers Can Simplify Car Care and Maintenance with Openbay+

When things go wrong with your vehicle (and they will at some point), you want to find a reputable repair shop that will fix the problem in a timely fashion and not break the bank.

MAPFRE Insurance is always looking for ways to help save you money and that’s why we’ve teamed up with Openbay+, a one-stop source for repairs and maintenance services, with up to 25% savings. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Openbay+ is an online e-commerce marketplace for automotive repair and services.

With Openbay+, customers who sign up can search for a repair shop, compare estimates, choose a shop, and schedule an appointment securely online. Through the collaboration with Openbay+, when MAPFRE customers sign up, they could save up to 25% on their repair costs and also receive special offers and incentives.

How Openbay+ Works

Once you create a free Openbay+ account online you’ll be able to: *

  • Search for the services you’re looking for
  • Add your vehicle for accurate pricing
  • Receive a list of shops and prices for that service
  • Choose your preferred shop and book an appointment
  • Book and pay for the service securely online

Popular Openbay+ Maintenance Service Searches

MAPFRE’s partnership with Openbay+ not only helps MAPFRE customers find vetted repair shops but also find better deals from repair shops to do regular vehicle maintenance. Some of the popular maintenance services searched for include:

  • Oil changes
  • Brake pads
  • General diagnosis
  • Check engine light
  • Wheel alignment
  • A/C diagnosis
  • Transmission flush
  • Brake fluid

When customers use Openbay+, all services are guaranteed through Openbay+.

If you’re not a MAPFRE customer yet, contact us to learn how you can become one so you can take advantage of MAPFRE’s Openbay+ program. (phone number) (contact us page)

*Program available to customers with the MAPFRE Loyalty Rewards Program Endorsement CIC-2237 or CIC-2238 attached to a MAPFRE policy, as indicated on your Declarations Page.

Source:  https://www.mapfreinsurance.com/blog/mapfre-customers-car-care-maintenance-openbay/

11 Ways to Keep Your Identity Safe This Tax Season

What Cybercriminals Don’t Want You to Know

Thieves are working extra hard this tax season to steal your information and gain access to your money. These cybercriminals use email and phone scams to trick taxpayers into revealing valuable information.

In a tax tip article, “Don’t take the bait”, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says, “The most common way for cybercriminals to steal money, bank account information, passwords, credit cards, and Social Security numbers is to simply ask for them.”

The scams seek to fool people into sharing sensitive information under the guise of being a legitimate company, such as a bank, tax service, or even the IRS. They often involve counterfeit email addresses and phone numbers, copycat webpages, or corrupt hyperlinks that contain viruses.

Protect yourself by reading emails carefully:

  • Do not open attachments or click on links unless you are able to verify the sender.
  • Check email addresses for spelling and accuracy. If possible, use a reliable search engine and go to the source’s main web page to verify contact information.
  • Use security software. Some anti-virus software can detect suspicious websites, malware, and viruses found in phishing emails.

Take your time and don’t let aggressive or urgent-sounding emails rattle you. Cybercriminals may use threatening language or pressing deadlines to make their messages seem more authentic. This is just a tactic to push you into making a careless mistake.

The IRS does not contact taxpayers with aggressive threats of lawsuits or arrests. Their tax tip article also says, “Remember that no legitimate business or organization will ask for sensitive financial information by email.”

Keep your personal information safe:

  • Never give out personal information unless you are sure about who you are talking to. If you are unsure, investigate further by contacting the IRS.
  • Use strong passwords or passphrases for emails and sites containing your personal information.
  • Give personal information over encrypted websites only, and only if required.
  • Look for sites that have “HTTPS” at the beginning of the URL and a lock symbol that you can click on to get more information.
  • Use multi-factor authentication if it is available. Typically, this requires your name, password, and a separate security code that is sent to your mobile phone to log in.

You already protect things like your family, home, car, and pets. Maybe you even own a business and have cyber insurance coverage, because you know about the many risks posed by cybercriminals.

Now is the time to protect your data, so you don’t become the next victim of phishing or identity theft. Stay aware of how you share your information, especially while filing your taxes, and don’t be afraid to investigate who you are dealing with.

Protect your tax information like you would your money:

  • Keep tax returns locked in a safe place, or encrypted if they are electronically stored.
  • Shred tax documents before throwing them away.
  • Report phishing scams to the IRS by forwarding suspicious emails to phishing@irs.gov.

Cybercriminals are good at gaining trust and don’t want you to protect your data. But with a few simple precautions, you can safeguard your personal information and your money. For more information about phishing attacks and how to stay safe, visit https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dont-take-the-bait-heres-how-taxpayers-can-avoid-getting-caught-by-a-phishing-scam

Know How to Escape Your Home Safely in a Fire

Fire departments across the country responded to 377,399 residential fires between 2015 and 2019, according to statistics compiled by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These fires resulted in 2,761 civilian deaths, 11,582 civilian injuries and $7.7 billion in property damage.

While people tend to feel safest from the threat of fire in their own homes, they are actually at greatest risk according to the NFPA report.

“Today’s homes burn faster and hotter than they used to, minimizing the amount of time they have to escape safely,” said Lorraine Carli, Vice President of the NFPA Outreach and Advocacy division. “In a typical home fire, you may have as little as two minutes to get out from the time the smoke alarm sounds.”

During the NFPA’s Fire Prevention Week, fire officials are stressing the importance for home owners to develop an escape plan with members of their family in the event a fire occurs.

Some key recommendations from the NFPA are:

  • Make sure smoke alarms are installed on every level of your home and inside every room where a family member sleeps
  • Smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound
  • Insure that every family member knows an escape plan in the event of a fire and that the plan meets the needs of everyone – including those with sensory or physical disabilities
  • Make sure everyone knows at least two ways out of every room, if possible
  • Make sure all doors and windows open easily

In addition, the NFPA recommends having a centralized outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where family members should go in the event you should have to evacuate. That way everyone is meeting in the same location and can be accounted for to let the fire department know if everyone made it out OK or if there is someone else who may still be in the building needing help.

We hope these tips will help to keep your family and home protected. And remember, to ensure you get the right protection for your home and auto insurance in Massachusetts, you can always get a fast, free quote from us today.  

Source: https://www.mapfreinsurance.com/blog/escape-home-safely-in-fire/

Fire & Ice – Your Guide to Winter Preparation

Winter is coming and for homeowners this means being prepared for the utmost extremes, both the frightful and delightful!

With beautiful blankets of white snow come picturesque landscapes, family sledding, and, well, the threat of ice dams. Ice dams form when the roof over the attic gets warm enough to melt the underside of the layer of snow on the roof. Then, as the snow melts, water backs up pooling on the shingles, and eventually finds its way into the home.  Water damage from ice dams can be significant, damaging ceilings, walls, flooring, and cabinetry and the cost of repair can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. The best way to cure and prevent an ice dam:

  • Seal all points where warm air leaks from living spaces into spaces below the roof sheathing.
  • Insulate the living spaces well enough to prevent heat from escaping.
  • Vent the space between the insulation and roof sheathing so that any heat that does leak is carried away.

Frozen sidewalks are also a major hazard to your property and your guests. Most people know enough to remove any snow from the surface and spread rock salt or ice melt. But look to make sure you have a product that will not damage your driveway, stairs, or walkway, and won’t harm your pets.

For thick ice or compacted snow:

  • Use an ice chisel in the afternoon when it is a little warmer to break down and clear chunks of ice and snow.
  • Throw more salt or ice meltdown to take care of any little bits you may have missed, and to help keep new ice from forming.

Just as drivers should use safe, cautious driving techniques during the slippery and frozen winter season, you should practice safe winter walking.

  • Wear proper footwear with visible treads
  • Be wary of black ice, which may appear as wet pavement
  • Walk steps slowly and grip handrails firmly
  • Avoid shortcuts, as they are more likely to be where snow and ice removal is not possible

Beyond the hazards that may arise from snow and ice, there are also dangerous areas inside when you’re trying to keep warm. Structure fires increase greatly in the winter. You can help prevent heating fires with a few simple steps:

  • Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment
  • Have equipment cleaned and inspected each year
  • Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from your furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater
  • Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed

There are few things as tranquil, and beautiful as a candle burning inside as snow falls outside. But a candle is an open flame and should be treated as such.  Candles cause an estimated 15,600 house fires, 150 deaths, and 1,270 injuries each year and 85 percent of candle fires could be avoided. 

Here are a few tips:

  • Never leave a burning candle unattended.
  • Keep candles away from anything that could catch fire.
  • Make sure all candles are out of reach of children and pets.

As always, test smoke alarms at least once a month to ensure they are in working condition, it could save your life.

With the precautions in place, go enjoy winter inside and outdoors.

Source:  https://www.mapfreinsurance.com/blog/fire-ice-your-guide-to-winter-preparation/

Mold Damage Insurance Coverage – Personal & Commercial

Mold is a fungus. There are all kinds. It’s everywhere–indoors and out. Most mold insurance claims typically arise in one of two circumstances: (1) mold comes to the property owner’s attention along with the discovery of ongoing moisture buildup, water leakage or water intrusion that has gone on for some time below the property owner’s radar; or (2) after a sudden, accidental flood or leak from a plumbing system or appliance, and there is a delay in, or failure to, adequately dry out water damaged building products, fixtures, furnishings, finishes or belongings.

Homeowner, commercial property owner and renter property policies differ in kind and in scope from insurer to insurer. Dealing with mold problems goes beyond tackling its adverse effects on health. Often, the first headache for home or business owners comes from not having a plan or budget for mold restoration services. Well, no one builds a home or office with plans for it to be taken over by some dangerous fungi. However, when you find mold growth in your workplace or apartment, you have to deal with it immediately. What do you do when you find out that you are facing mold issues, and feel the need to use your insurance?

What is mold insurance or mold liability coverage?

Mold insurance is the coverage for damage due to mold, which is included in an insurance policy. Environmental insurance, general liability, and property policies sometimes include coverage of mold. If these policies do not include mold insurance coverage, then, an insurance coverage could be made available by purchasing an endorsement to the forms.

Does insurance cover mold damage?

The short answer to this question is yes. However, mold may only be covered by insurance if and when certain conditions are met. Typically, insurance coverage depends on the source of the moisture or the leading cause of mold growth. Several insurance policies will cover any damage if linked to an actual loss that was initially covered. Also, you need to prove that such loss resulted in the mold problems you are facing. While most insurance policies offer minimal coverage for mold claims, you still need to check with your homeowner’s insurance provider for whatever mold remediation coverage you may be able to access.

Mold damage and insurance claims – What to do?

A larger percentage of home or property owners do not plan for mold remediation, which can be an obstacle to getting the help needed in a mold problem. If you have discovered mold damage in your home or business due to a covered peril, the next question on your mind may be how to file a mold damage insurance claim. Follow these steps to make a successful mold insurance claim.

Step 1: Prepare yourself for the task ahead

One way to be sure you are ready is to request an investigation into the cause of mold damage. Then take pictures of the mold. It is important not to attempt to start repairs before calling your insurance company or filing a mold claim.

Step 2: Call your insurance company and make a mold claim

Once you have your proof ready, next is to contact your insurance provider and make a claim. Provide detailed information about mold growth and damage. If by any chance, you have cleaned or removed or tampered with the mold or any damaged material, state such too. However, do not dispose of any materials before the insurance adjuster arrives.

Step 3: Avoid any further damage

While you may be eager to start cleaning or getting rid of the mold, it is very important to not begin any reloads before the insurance adjuster has arrived to evaluate the extent of the damage. However, it is vital to prevent further damage. You may turn off the leak to a pipe or place a bucket where a roof is leaking or block the hole etc.

Step 4: Tender all your evidence

Now, this is the final step. Once the insurance adjuster arrives, please provide them with your supporting materials. These can include photographs, investigation reports, and a list of your damaged property. These will help you support your claim and receive support quickly.

In the end, taking the time to understand your insurance policy is the ultimate step in knowing whether you are covered for mold problems in the home. The best way to go about this is to contact your insurance company. We are available to answer your questions regarding your homeowners and business insurance policies. 

Source: https://uphelp.org/claim-guidance-publications/mold-contamination-insurance-coverage-101-the-basics/ and https://www.ecofmr.com/articles/guide-to-mold-damage-and-insurance-cover/

Massachusetts RMV to Make Inspection Sticker Changes

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles will soon change how it handles late vehicle inspection stickers.

The change means that beginning November 1, 2022, vehicles that pass inspection will get a new sticker with the month the last sticker expired, according to the RMV. The sticker will be valid for one year.

Prior to the change, vehicles would get a sticker for the current month when their most recent inspection took place.

The change, officials said, will ensure that vehicles are inspected on time each year while maintaining emission standards.

“Safety of the Commonwealth’s roadways is the most important reason for motor vehicle inspections. Vehicle inspections check tire treads, ensure all light signals are working and even check the front ball joints,” said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie. “Light-duty cars and trucks are equipped with emission control systems that reduce pollution to protect public health and the environment. It is important that these systems are tested annually to ensure proper emissions controls.”

It is state law that all vehicles are inspected annually. Owners who operate a vehicle with an expired sticker or who drive an uninspected vehicle can be fined and have their license suspended. These types of violations can lead to increases in auto insurance premiums.

Another change announced by the RMV will be that owners will no longer receive a printed inspection report when their vehicle passes inspection. This change, beginning October 1, 2022, is in an effort to reduce paper waste.  If an owner wants a printed report, they will be able to access one online by going to Mass Vehicle Check or by scanning the QR code they see displayed at the inspection station they go to.

Do you need to get your vehicle inspected? Make sure you do so on time at one of 1,800 licensed stations in Massachusetts. If you need car insurance in Massachusetts, you can get a fast, free car insurance quote in Massachusetts today to see if you could save money while getting outstanding coverage!

Please Note: This content is not intended to describe any specific coverage offered by MAPFRE Insurance. No coverage is provided, bound or guaranteed by this article. Available coverages, credits and discounts vary from state to state and are subject to eligibility criteria and policy terms/conditions, which will control in the event of conflict between this article and your insurance policy. For information about your policy, please review your individual policy contract and speak with your insurance representative.

MAPFRE Insurance® is a brand and service mark of MAPFRE U.S.A. Corp. and its affiliates, including American Commerce Insurance CompanySM (Cal. COA 4928-8), Citation Insurance CompanySM, The Commerce Insurance CompanySM, Commerce West Insurance CompanySM (Cal. COA 1372-2), MAPFRE Insurance CompanySM (Cal. COA 3039-5), and MAPFRE Insurance Company of FloridaSM.

Home Fire Escape Plans

Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of your home during a fire depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning. 

  • Why do you need a home escape plan?
  • Working smoke alarms and a home fire escape plan can reduce your risk of injury or death in a fire.
  • Most fatal fires happen in homes.
  • When fire strikes you may have less than one minute to get out of the building. 
  • Fires double in size every minute.
  • Fires create thick, black, choking smoke which makes it impossible to see or breathe.
  • Fires produce heat, smoke and toxic gases.
  • In the event of fire, time is the biggest enemy, and every second counts. In less than 30 seconds, a small flame can turn into a major fire. Having an escape plan will help you and your family to get out of your home quickly. Practice E.D.I.T.H. — Exit Drills in the Home — with your family.
  • A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Below are guidelines on how to write your home fire escape plan. As your insurance agent, we strongly encourage you to follow these steps and create a plan for your own home. 
  • Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home. Show all doors and windows.
  • Visit each room, find two ways out, including windows and doors, and mark them.  
  • All windows and doors should open easily. You should be able to use them to get outside.
  • Push the test button on each smoke alarm to make sure each alarm is working. Replace the batteries where needed. 
  • Pick a meeting place outside. It should be in front of your home. Everyone will meet at the
  • meeting place.
  • Make sure your house or building number can be seen from the street.
  • Talk about your plan with everyone in your home.
  • Learn the emergency phone number for your fire department.
  • Practice your home fire drill!

Watch these steps to making a home fire escape plan from the National Fire Protection Agency. 

According to an NFPA survey, only one of every three American households have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan. While 71% of Americans have an escape plan in case of a fire, only 45% of those have practiced it. One-third of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life-threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!

Source: 

https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/FPW/Educate/2019/FPW19Grid.ashx  

https://fire.arlingtonva.us/safety/escape-plans/  

https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Preparedness/Escape-planning 

https://www.gohealthuc.com/library/does-your-family-have-fire-escape-plan

https://www.mass.gov/service-details/create-and-practice-a-home-escape-plan

What is Business Owner’s Insurance and When Do You Need It?

Your company may need insurance to survive certain unexpected—but possible—challenges. Nobody likes buying insurance. It can be confusing and expensive, and you won’t see any benefit unless you have a loss, accident, or claim. But insurance can make or break your business. Without the right insurance, a theft or fire can cause devastating losses. A personal injury lawsuit can leave you struggling just to pay the legal fees and yet many small business owners don’t take the time to evaluate their needs and get appropriate coverage.

Business Owner’s Insurance, also known as a business owner policy (BOP), combines protection for all major property and liability risks in one insurance package. This type of policy assembles the basic coverages required by a business owner in one bundle. However, it is usually sold at a premium that is less than the total cost of the individual coverages. BOPs include: 

  1. Property insurance for buildings and contents owned by the company — there are two different forms, standard and special, which provides more comprehensive coverage.
  2. Business interruption insurance, which covers the loss of income resulting from a fire or other catastrophe that disrupts the operation of the business. It can also include the extra expense of operating out of a temporary location.
  3. Liability protection, which covers your company’s legal responsibility for the harm it may cause to others. This harm is a result of things that you and your employees do or fail to do in your business operations that may cause bodily injury or property damage due to defective products, faulty installations and errors in services provided.

BOPs do NOT cover professional liability, auto insurance, worker’s compensation or health and disability insurance. You’ll need separate insurance policies to cover professional services, vehicles and your employees. To decide whether you need business insurance, ask yourself two questions:

  • Does your business have property—including inventory, computers, and other equipment—that you could not easily afford to replace? If your only business property is a laptop, you may not need to insure it. But if you have tens of thousands of dollars of store inventory, insurance is a must.
  • Is there a reasonable chance your business could be sued for a substantial amount of money? For example, you might be sued if someone has an accident on your premises, if you aren’t as careful as you should be, if you suffer a data breach, or if an item you make or sell is defective and injures someone.

If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, business insurance will help you minimize your risks.

However, not all businesses qualify for business owner’s policies. Eligibility requirements differ among providers. Insurance providers may have requirements regarding business location, the size of the location, revenue, and class of business. Typically, businesses classes eligible for BOPs include retail stores, apartment buildings, small restaurants, and office-based businesses.

The key takeaways to BOPs: 

  • A business owner policy (BOP) is a package that bundles basic insurance coverages and is sold at a premium.
  • A BOP typically protects business owners against property damage, peril, business interruption, and liability.
  • While coverages vary among insurance providers, businesses can often opt-in for additional coverage, such as crime, spoilage of merchandise, forgery, fidelity, and more.
  • Insurance providers determine if a business qualifies for a BOP based on business location, the size of the location, the class of business, and revenue.
  • A business may qualify for special considerations if it meets certain eligibility qualifications.

Source: https://www.iii.org/article/what-does-businessowners-policy-bop-cover and https://www.investopedia.com/terms/business-owners-policy.asp and  https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/business-insurance-when-you-need-it-and-when-you-dont

RV Insurance, Weather, & Driving Conditions

RVing is becoming one of the most popular ways to travel. A successful and safe RV trip takes preparation and planning to make it a good experience. Whether you are new to RVing or not, these tips can help ensure that your trip will be a smooth experience.  As your insurance agent, we urge you to follow and  read through these tips for insurance coverage, adapting to weather conditons, and driving your RV. 

 

Learn How to Drive the RV You Plan to Use

If you are vacationing in an RV for the first time, practice driving first. If you don’t own your RV, then rent an RV for a day before your trip and take it driving! Keeping the RV between the lines, accelerating, braking, using only mirrors to see what’s behind you, and passing vehicles top the list of maneuvers that you will need to know while on the open road. RV’s handle very differently from a car, SUV, or pickup. Practice backing your RV up so that you can back into a campsite. If you have a passenger, it a good idea to have a spotter to help guide you.  Many accidents and claims happen due to hitting tree limbs, picnic tables or other items that were in the driver’s blind spot. 

RV Insurance and Road Service

Knowing your insurance coverages is important. Be sure to research road services that specialize in RVs. Only a few road service companies will tow the trailer, too. 

  • What does your RV insurance cover?
  • Does your motorhome policy cover your towed vehicle?
  • Do you need separate RV insurance for road service coverage?

Check Road Conditions, Construction, and Closures

Save time and frustration by checking road conditions, closures, and construction. The US DOT Federal Highway Administration website shows a map of the states. Click on the state you will be traveling in and choose a link that shows current road conditions on the following link: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/

 

You will also need to be mindful of overpasses, bridge and tunnel height restrictions. 

 

Weather

Knowing the weather forecast can help avoid problems. Rain, snow, ice, hail, wind– you might encounter all of these in one day! Below are just a few weather sites that give weather for all states. 

https://weather.com/

https://www.noaa.gov/ 

 

Motorhomes are your second home (on wheels!) and you need to have proper insurance coverage. The last thing you want to worry about is being financially liable for causing an accident and not having proper RV insurance. Most states only require minimal liability insurance that protects others if you’re at fault.

Personal Watercraft Insurance & Safety

What do we mean when we say personal watercraft? Personal watercraft are Jet Skis, Sea-Doos, or WaveRunners. These watercraft can be fun to take out on the water; however, safety needs to be a priority!

Many people fail to realize that personal watercraft can be very dangerous. In fact, each year there are thousands of serious injuries due to personal watercraft. 80% of all injuries and fatalities occur when 2 personal watercraft collide. You should always stay at least 100 yards behind another vessel, and at least 50 yards to one side. Don’t jump the wake of a passing boat. You could misjudge the speed and cause a collision. Always stay alert! In addition to other watercraft, you should always be aware of other swimmers, divers, water skiers, and fishermen.

Personal watercraft, just like any other moving vehicle, are subject to accidents. It is wise to get the proper insurance to protect yourself. They are not generally covered by homeowners insurance and we have specifically designed policies to insure these vessels. https://www.lydonmurphyinsurance.com/get-a-quote/

Source: https://www.iii.org/article/personal-watercraft-insurance-and-safety