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3868 S Park Ave
Blasdell, NY 14219

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Do I Have to Purchase Home Insurance?

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There are some people who think insurance in New York isn’t necessary, but that’s actually not the case. If you experience loss or damage through fire, smoke, theft, water damage, or an explosion, you’ll probably want to insure your furniture, clothes, and other possessions. L & S Agency Inc in Buffalo, NY is here to help answer your questions on this important insurance coverage.

Home Insurance: Why You Need This Coverage

If you don’t have home insurance, you’ll be responsible for paying for replacements on your own. 

Although home insurance isn’t required by law in the state of New York, it is required by mortgage lenders in order for you to acquire a loan. Mortgage companies also require that your homeowners’ insurance policy covers the full value of your property. Without proof of this coverage, the company will deny your loan application. 

Mortgage companies require home insurance for good reason. Unforeseen events can happen, and home insurance, which covers things like various natural disasters and personal liability, is there to provide you with financial protection in case any of these things happen. 

Home insurance policies can range from the most basic policies to more extensive ones, which include endorsements for further financial protection. 

With your home insurance policy, you can rest assured that your policy will cover your losses resulting from theft, a fire, water damage, smoke, or other unexpected event and that you won’t be placed in a position of financial jeopardy as a result of your losses. 

Contact Us Today

If you’re in the greater Buffalo, NY area and you’re looking for an affordable home insurance policy that will provide you with the financial cushion you need and help you obtain that mortgage loan, look no further than L & S Agency Inc. Call us today and one of our experienced agents will get in touch with you about your various insurance options.

Rental Vehicles and Auto Insurance in New York

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Rental vehicles are used when you cannot use your car for some reason, and this happens when there is a car accident or you are renting a car for your vacation or excursion. Your auto insurance is part of this process. How does this work? For expert advice, reach out to L & S Agency Inc. serving Buffalo NY.  

Rental Vehicles and Auto Insurance: What You Need To Know

Renting a Vehicle and Having Insurance Coverage

You have rental car coverage if you have any automobile insurance policy legally in the state of New York if you have fewer than five vehicles and do not have only a truck. This type of vehicle does not include rental car coverage. 

Your policy would pay for any damages to the rental vehicle, even if the cost is higher than a $10,000 property damage liability limit, for example. 

Rental Reimbursement Insurance

If you have Rental Reimbursement insurance you would use this if there was damage to your vehicle and you needed to use alternate transportation during a repair or until your vehicle can be used, such as due to an auto accident. A different type of insurance, Comprehensive,  automatically gives you a rental car if your vehicle is stolen. This helps you not worry about driving while you and your agency are resolving your auto accident or vehicle theft problem.

Call Us Today

Contact L & S Agency Inc. serving Buffalo, NY today so you can get the coverage you need for your rental vehicle and other insurance needs. 

How Umbrella Insurance Works

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Having liability insurance is an important way to keep yourself and your finances protected. When you have both home and auto policies, there is another type of insurance that you may need for better protection. Umbrella insurance is a unique type of coverage that adds to what you have in your other policies. If you want to know more about umbrella insurance, call us today at L & S Agency Inc. in Buffalo, NY. 

How Umbrella Insurance Works

More Liability Coverage

Both home and auto policies come with different types of coverage, and one of those is liability protection. The problem is that many of these policies have too little liability protection built-in. This can mean that your policy doesn’t pay all of the liability you owe for medical bills and property damage. When this happens, you end up with an overage, and that is yours to pay from your own pocket. To protect against this happening, there is umbrella insurance. 

Adding to Your Existing Coverage

If you were to add extra liability coverage onto your home and auto policies, it could be prohibitively expensive. It is much less expensive to get an umbrella policy, and it adds extra liability to both of those policies at the same time. When there is an accident that occurs with your vehicle or in your home, your home or auto policy will come in to pay what it can. It will only pay up to its maximum payout, and that might not be much. When there are more bills left after that, your umbrella policy will then come in to pay the rest of it. 

Get an Umbrella Policy

If you are interested in getting an umbrella policy, or you want to know more about them, contact us at L & S Agency Inc. in Buffalo, NY.

 

What New Homeowners Need to Know About Insurance

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You’ve just bought your first home. This is an exciting moment. You are most likely dealing with a lot of details. Don’t forget that home insurance is one of those important details. At L & S Agency Inc. serving Buffalo, NY and the surrounding areas, we can help you navigate the insurance choices you need to make. Keep reading to learn more. 

What Does Home Insurance Cover?

A home insurance policy is the best way to protect your housing stability. This means, that if your new home is damaged or lost for some reason, you can rest assured knowing you can still provide housing for your family. Without a home insurance policy in place, a family will be responsible to pay for the repair of replacement of their home out of their own pocket. For many families, that would be an impossible financial burden. But home insurance provides a way to pay for those expenses so that you always have peace of mind. 

The types of damage that are covered can include damage from storms, fires, vandalism, or natural disasters. It can also include damage caused by indoor flooding.

You should be aware that indoor flooding is flooding that takes place as a result of plumbing issues or an appliance that has malfunctioned. This is not the same as naturally occurring flooding. Most homeowners will need to get additional flood insurance to cover damage from naturally occurring flooding. 

You can talk with an insurance agent to get more details on flood insurance. 

If you would like to learn more about home insurance, or any of our other insurance services, please contact us at L & S Agency Inc. serving Buffalo, NY, and the surrounding areas. 

Is basic auto insurance enough?

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Before you can decide if basic auto insurance is the right choice for you, it is important to know exactly what basic insurance is in New York. In New York, the required coverage is 10/25/50. New York has an additional requirement for death in an accident. At L & S Agency Inc. in Buffalo, NY, we know that as independent agents we work for our customers and we are responsible for making sure that your auto insurance meets your needs. 

 

Auto Insurance Facts to Consider

With 10/25/50 insurance you get $10,000 in property damage, $25,000 for injuries to one person, and $50,000 for more than one person. The death benefit is $50,000 for one person and $100,000 for more than one person. If you have a lot of assets, this may not be enough coverage to sufficiently protect you. In which case, basic coverage is not for you. 

If you have a car loan or lease, you won’t be able to get away with just basic coverage. You need to protect the vehicle as well, so you need to have collision and comprehensive coverage. This means basic insurance is not the right choice for you. As a matter of fact, you don’t even have that option. 

Once your car loan is paid off or you buy your leased vehicle, you have the option of having only basic coverage. But if you count on your vehicle for the things you do every day, is it a good idea? If you need your car to get to work and if you don’t have the money it might take to repair or replace your vehicle, then basic insurance is probably not the right insurance for you. You need the additional protection collision and comprehensive offers.

Contact L & S Agency Inc. in Buffalo, NY when you are ready to discuss exactly what type of auto insurance is right for you. 

 

4 Questions to Ask an Agent About Umbrella Insurance for Your Business

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Are you about to get business umbrella insurance in the Buffalo, NY area? If so, you’d do well to talk to an agent at L & S Agency Inc. about any concerns and questions you may have. They’ll do their best to put your mind at ease. 

What coverage do I actually need? 

The size and value of your business operation will matter a great deal here. Brick-and-mortar storefronts have an added layer of risk, since having a larger number of customers around increases the chances that someone can have an accident or cause damage in your space. 

What’s the amount of coverage for each policy? 

You’ll want to be clear on what amount would be best for your particular situation. The more risk your company has or the more assets you’d like to have covered, the higher you should request for the coverage amount. Though you shouldn’t pay for more insurance than is necessary, it’s just as important to know that you’re adequately covered in the event of a lawsuit. 

When do I need umbrella insurance? 

Just because you have a smaller operation doesn’t mean that you should wait on purchasing umbrella insurance for it. You already likely have a basic commercial insurance policy, but looking into umbrella insurance for those extra areas which might be more at risk is a smart idea. Get the coverage now so that you don’t end up with any unpleasant surprises that can set your company back by a lot. 

Will I be able to afford umbrella insurance for my company? 

Think about this from a different perspective. Can you afford not to have the right amount of coverage for your business? An accident or some type of lawsuit can cost your company a ton of money if you don’t have proper insurance in place. It could be bad enough that you have to close your business. Even if this is only for a short while, why take that risk? 

At L & S Agency Inc. of the greater Buffalo, NY area, we’re happy to help you get the commercial umbrella insurance that will protect your business. Contact us today to set up an appointment and get started. 

Safety tips every homeowner should consider

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Your home is your safe place, you should not only feel safe there, but you should also be safe. There are some steps that you can take to make sure your home is as safe as it can be. At L & S Agency Inc. in Buffalo, NY, we are an award-winning agency that makes the needs of our clients our primary concern. We will make sure that you have exactly the insurance that you require. 

Protect against fire

Fire is one of the greatest dangers that homeowners face. Nothing will ever completely take away the danger of fire, because you can’t protect yourself against things like lightning, but you can protect your home from other common causes. If you use your fireplace, you should get your chimney cleaned every year. You should also change the batteries in your smoke detector every six months. If you don’t have a smoke detector, get one. It can save your life. 

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide is called the silent killer. It has no odor and there is no way to know that your furnace (gas or oil) is producing this poisonous gas unless you have a working carbon monoxide detector. Every year, entire families die from it. Don’t be one of them. 

Trip and fall hazard

Trips and falls are a serious danger in the home. Falls are responsible for 22% of all deaths. Keep walkways and stairs clear. Clear snow and ice from sidewalks and driveways and add salt and sand to avoid falls. If you must have rugs, make sure they have non-slip mats. Place a non-slip mat in the tub and shower. If you must climb a ladder, be sure that you have a spotter to keep you from falling. 

Contact L & S Agency Inc. in Buffalo, NY if you have home insurance needs. 

Who Needs Umbrella Insurance?

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People purchase insurance in order to protect themselves and their families. Umbrella insurance is a type of insurance that adds extra liability coverage over and above other existing insurance policies, including home and auto insurance. Umbrella insurance is not mandatory, but it is definitely worth having it in order to have additional protection and coverage. If you are thinking of getting this type of insurance, here is what you need to know about it: 

What Needs Umbrella Insurance?

Almost everyone can benefit from umbrella insurance. The purpose of umbrella insurance is to help prevent you from paying out of pocket legal bills or medical bills for another person if you are found responsible. For example, suppose one of your guests fell and got injured on your property, and now you are responsible for it. Or, suppose you are at fault for a road accident that caused injuries to other people. Umbrella insurance will cover expenses in these unexpected situations. 

In addition, in most cases, umbrella insurance also extends to other family members, including your husband or wife, children, and other relatives in your household. This means that if your spouse causes a car accident and injured another person, umbrella insurance will protect them too. 

For this reason, umbrella insurance is good for everyone who wants to make sure that they and their family members are properly protected. 

L & S Agency Inc. – Winning Insurance Agency in the state of New York

If you are currently shopping for umbrella insurance, and you are from Buffalo, NY, or any other nearby towns, L & S Agency Inc. is the right place to contact. Our insurance company uses the latest technology and works with clients from Buffalo, NY, as well as other surrounding areas. If you have any questions about umbrella insurance, or you want to know about other insurance options available, feel free to contact our insurance company. 

How The Winter Season Impacts Home Insurance

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L & S Agency Inc. provides coverage to the Buffalo, NY community. We work with multiple carriers throughout the East Coast. This allows us to offer our clients an assortment of policies and coverage options. It’s important to us that our clients find a policy that aligns with their individual needs.

How Winter May Impact Home Insurance

Home insurance allows you to protect one of your most valuable assets. You are covered if your home suffers interior or exterior damage. All of your personal items are covered if they are stolen or damaged. Liability coverage is important, as you are covered if you cause damage to someone’s property or if someone is injured while visiting your property. Home insurance protects you in emergency situations.

Buffalo, NY is well known for its harsh winter conditions, which means that is a great time for you to review your home insurance policy. Winter storms and high winds can cause damage to your home. Check your pipes to make sure that they don’t freeze. If the pipes freeze, that can lead to extensive water damage and possible mold issues. It’s important that you take care of your home, as you are not covered for any issues that arise because of poor maintenance. You may have to amend your policy to cover hail damage. Hail has the potential to damage your roof and siding during the winter. It can also make things slippery, which is a potential liability issue. Make sure that your landscaping is in order before winter. Check your gutters and shutters to make sure they aren’t clogged. Try to cut any bushes around your home and nail anything loose.

L & S Agency Inc. Will Help Your Protect Your Investment

Visit our website to learn more information about home insurance.

What auto insurance is required in New York?

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Like almost every other state in the union, New York has auto insurance requirements for drivers. It has to do with protecting other drivers from you. That requires liability coverage. At L & S Agency Inc. in Buffalo, NY, our award-winning agents place the needs of our clients first and work with you to make sure that you have the auto insurance that you need at a price you can live with. 

The minimum required auto insurance in New York is $10,000 in property damage, $25,000 for the first bodily injury and double that if it results in death. $50,000 for the entire accident in bodily injury, and $100,000 if there are multiple deaths.  

If you have an auto loan or a lease, you will have additional requirements. You will be required to have collision and comprehensive coverage to protect your vehicle. Collision coverage will pay for repairs or for the replacement of your vehicle if you are the responsible party in an accident or if you are the only driver in an accident. Comprehensive coverage is for things that might damage your vehicle which are beyond your control. Things like hail and other weather-related damage, glass coverage, vandalism, and theft of your vehicle. 

You may want to have collision and comprehensive coverage even if it is not required. If like most people, you count on your vehicle to perform your daily activities, you need it to get repaired in the event it is damaged. Unless you can afford to do this easily out of pocket, you need insurance to help. 

If you are in the market for auto insurance, L & S Agency Inc. in Buffalo, NY has a team of experts to help with the search. Give us a call or stop at the office for a no-obligation quote. 

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