Insurance Blog

Small businesses must work to tight budgets if they want to remain competitive.

Getting costs down, however, can be a challenge, especially if you pay for all employee benefits, such as health, life, dental, vision, and disability insurance, individually.

Fortunately, group benefits for small business offer a way for small-time entrepreneurs to reduce the cost of providing perks.

But what are group benefits? And how can they help you control costs? Continue reading to find out.

If you’ve asked yourself “Where is the best commercial auto insurance near me?”, well, you’ve come to the right place and you can end your search because the agents at Schumacher are ready to help you out.

Just kidding… or are we?

All jokes aside, finding the right commercial auto insurance for your needs is not an easy task. With so much noise and the power of the internet, agencies and companies that are not qualified can paint a picture of excellence to convince you to trust them for your insurance needs.

What is a data breach? A data breach occurs when hackers gain unauthorized access to personal customer information due to faulty transactions, technological malfunctions, human error and improperly stored or disposed of data.

According to Statista, in 2018 there were 1,244 documented data breaches with over 446.5 million records exposed. While there were more breaches in 2017 (1,632), this was by far the highest number of records exposed (2009 – 222.5 million).

Data breaches can cripple companies of all sizes, from small local businesses to large multinational corporations, particularly if they don’t have cyber liability coverage to protect them.

If you live in a large city or small town, chances are at some point throughout your day you come in contact with a crosswalk, whether it be as a passenger or pedestrian.

How do you react when you come in contact with a crosswalk? As a driver, do you stop and look both ways before continuing your journey? As a pedestrian, do you assume you have the right of way and that drivers are paying attention?

We’ve found that many people, particularly in our hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, don’t know the latest crosswalk laws.

Running a business comes with costs, which can affect your overall profit. Cutting some of these costs is essential to becoming a more successful business.

Commercial auto insurance is a cost that can be very expensive for business owners. Unlike some other business insurance policies, commercial auto insurance is compulsory if you use vehicles for business. On average, it’s a lot more expensive than personal auto insurance – especially if you have multiple drivers to insure.

Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce this cost. Here are a few methods to lower your commercial auto insurance rates, which could allow you to stay covered without spending a lot of money.

There are some fantastic nonprofit organizations in Montclair, New Jersey and they deserve recognition for the positive work they do in our community. That’s why we’re highlighting eight of our favorite nonprofits and describing what they do to help the citizens of Montclair and how they do it. Find out more about them by reading below or watch our video summary!

If you’re a renter in New Jersey, you need renters insurance.

This is a specific insurance that offers renters protection for unforeseen circumstances.

You may not understand who needs NJ renters insurance and what it covers, so allow us to explain everything for you.

There are many NJ homeowners insurance myths and misconceptions that will confuse you. Knowing what’s what in home insurance is a must if you own a home.

A home is likely to be the most expensive thing you’ll ever buy. Having the right insurance policy so you understand what you’re paying for is imperative.

Below, we’ll discuss the top New Jersey homeowners insurance myths and misconceptions to know:

You’ve likely heard the expression:

“April showers bring May flowers.”

While that’s true, April showers also cause flooding.

Is your home protected with personal flood insurance in NJ?

If you own a restaurant, bar, brewery, nightclub, event and show venue, or any space that serves or allows the consumption of alcoholic beverages, it’s important that you have a liquor liability insurance coverage.

This will protect your businesses if a patron harms themselves or others, or causes damages because of alcohol overconsumption.

There are two distinct policy types – Host Liquor Liability and Liquor Liability.

Are you ready to retire, but you’re not sure how to go about it?

You’re not alone.

Planning for retirement can feel overwhelming for both individuals and business owners.

That’s why we’ve put together this list of the most common retirement planning NJ questions (and answers) we receive:

With so many factors to consider, finding affordable auto insurance in NJ can be overwhelming.

Large corporations make it seem simple with their bottomless advertising budgets and catchy commercials, but how do you know if you’re really getting the best deal?

In this article, we’ll outline twelve things to consider to ensure that you get the best price on your auto coverage in New Jersey. If you’re pressed on time, watch our video summary:

Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)

As a small business or startup owner, you are in a highly vulnerable position when it comes to claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and lots of other employment-related issues. It is vital that you understand all the problems that can arise in such matters, get the appropriate coverage with employment practices liability insurance, and ensure that you have the practices, policies, and processes in place that protect your business from allegations. In this guide, we’re going to explain everything you need to know – let’s take a closer look.

Business Owner’s Policy

Business insurance can be complicated. From insuring against fire to employee injuries, it seems like the myriad of risks can be too much to shop for when you are shopping for business insurance. Itemizing these risks one by one and getting insurance for them is one way to go. In New Jersey, for example, you could shop for insurance at an insurance agency for one item and go out of a state of another. You can even go national for some insurances like fire and shop local to New Jersey for others like HIPPA insurance. But most people prefer combining their insurance policies into one convenient policy called Business Owner’s Policy.

There’s no denying that this crazy world has the potential to spring a surprise just when you least expect it. So, whether it’s in business or your personal life, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Gaining suitable insurance coverage is the best way to provide that financial and emotional safety net. Unfortunately, with so many options out there, finding the right solution can prove to be a hugely daunting challenge. That’s where using an insurance agency comes into play.

When someone enters your retail establishment, there is an unspoken expectation that “common duty” has been taken and that they will be reasonably safe, but, despite the most careful procedures, accidents can happen. When it does, however, you need to be prepared. These are the top accidental claims made by patrons.

As a small business retailer, if someone told you that you needed to protect your business, your mind would likely venture to a number of different tasks. You’d think about ensuring you had the right alarm system installed, or whether your insurance would cover you in the event of a natural disaster— these are the essential protections that most retailers are aware that they need.

UPDATED on 11/30/2018: Business owners know that protecting your operations, building and contents are vital to your livelihood.

Businesses without commercial flood insurance coverage have three basic choices after flood disaster:

• Pay recovery costs out of pocket
• Incur debt (by borrowing money from the government)
• Close their doors

Getting insurance can feel like trying to choose the lesser of two evils.

Not having enough money available in the event of an emergency sounds TERRIFYING.

And paying some faceless corporation hundreds of dollars a month for coverage you won’t ever need doesn’t sound much better.

So what do you do?