The Dorchester, MA area can be a great place to live. However, it is also a place where owning a car is a necessity. When you buy a car here, you must also ensure that you get the right insurance for it. When looking for coverage in this area, you must ensure you get the right coverage to meet your needs.  Comply with State Minimum Requirements Similar to other states, drivers in Massachusetts need to have liability coverage in their auto plan. At a minimum, you will need to have bodily injury coverage of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per incident. You will also need $5,000 of ..read more

Every location has its own practices when it comes to insurance premiums and what affects them. In this case, I’m talking about the insurance surcharge you could face after an accident in Massachusetts. Today, I break down the steps for the appeal process and why it’s important. What is an Insurance Surcharge? A surcharge on your insurance is a fee that is added to your premiums. This usually happens if you’re regularly involved in at-fault accidents, pay your premiums late, or have a lapse in coverage. However, a surcharge can also affect your insurance if you’re simply adding another vehicl ..read more

Auto insurance is not only necessary to financially protect you in the event of an accident, but it’s also the law when you’re behind the wheel. Unfortunately, a lot of us wind up paying far more than we need to for this protection. Today, let’s go over the basics of getting the best rates for your auto insurance. There is a bit more at play than just finding a “cheap” company. How to Get the Best Rates for Auto Insurance In most instances, you’ll have to demonstrate that you’re not a high-risk driver. The higher the risk to the insurance company, the more you’ll pay. Keep a Clean Drivin ..read more

For motorcycle owners in Dorchester, MA, the off-season can be a great time to keep your ride in top condition. With proper care and maintenance, you can ensure that your motorcycle runs smoothly when the spring arrives. Cleaning and Waxing  Before putting your motorcycle into storage, you must give it a thorough cleaning and waxing. Use a mild detergent and soft cloth to clean your bike, then apply a wax coating to protect against the elements. This will help to protect your bike’s paint job from any dust or dirt that may accumulate while it’s in storage. It will also help prevent rust o ..read more

Watch the video by clicking here. As with anything else, insurance rates increase as time marches on. In fact, rates are often affected just as much by inflation as anything else you might buy. Unfortunately, this means that the cost of premiums and policies will continue to rise. How much these rates increase depends on circumstances ranging from neighborhood growth to the world stage. Replacement Cost Affects Insurance Rates The first thing that you should consider is how replacement costs work. This is much different than the purchase price of your home or auto. The replacement c ..read more

It’s quite common for some pieces of personal property to diminish in value almost immediately. For example, a computer could lose a great deal of its replacement value within days because of the ever-changing nature of technology and its use. But how does Inherent Diminished Value work for a car? This depends on the state in which you live. But in Massachusetts, IDV is an established precedent. What is Inherent Diminished Value? Inherent Diminished Value, or IDV, is when a vehicle loses value due to damages caused by a no-fault accident. This is when there is a collision through no fault of ..read more

Among the best ways to save money on auto policies is to make sure you don’t have a lapse in car insurance coverage. This is when, for whatever reason, you stop payments on your policy for your automobile. While it may save you a few dollars this month, it’ll come back to haunt you later on, especially in the event of an accident. In reality, the only lapse in auto coverage you should ever have is when you have no vehicle to drive. You can’t really put insurance on something that doesn’t exist. Though, it’s probably a good idea to get non-owner car insurance if you plan on borrowing or drivin ..read more

With the kids returning to school, the holidays on the horizon, and the talk about and worry about recession and inflation, many of us look at lowering our bills each month. Today, let’s review a few ways to help lower your auto insurance premiums to keep more cash in your pocket. 1. Compare Rates Among Insurers One of the quickest ways to find the best rates is to shop around. And we can help with shopping around, as Vargas & Vargas Insurance represents many of the region’s top insurance companies, and we do this regularly for our insureds. Some insurers may have lower prices depending o ..read more

Inflation will affect a wide scope of products and services. Unfortunately, this also includes home and auto insurance. The reason for this is that insurers examine several factors when determining rates. One of these factors is the cost to repair or replace. How Inflation Can Affect Insurance Rates If the cost of raw materials goes up, this will have an impact on how much an insurer will need to cover predetermined expenses. For example, a lot of automobiles require microchips in order to function properly. Thanks to the global chip shortage, the costs to replace them are much higher than th ..read more

College is an exciting time for any youth. It’s their first step into the real world while getting an education to help improve their lives. Given the costs of education, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is extra expenses. So, how should you handle your insurance policy when your child is off to further his or her education? When to Remove Your Child from the Policy A common rule of thumb is that you should drop your child from your insurance if they are attending a school that is more than 100 miles away. This is because a lot of insurers believe anything closer may prompt the chil ..read more