When Buying a Car in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a “title” state. This means that the person or dealer you purchase your car from must sign over the title to you before you attach your plates and take the car home … even though the dealer may be going to the Registry of Motor Vehicles for you. An insurance stamp is also required before going to the RMV.

Once your vehicle is registered, you have seven days to complete the annual, MA vehicle inspection ($29).

MA inspection and emissions repair stations locator:

http://www.mass.gov/rmv/stations/index.htm

Home Insurance Renewal Checklist

MassQuotes Things to think about

Is your Massachusetts homeowner insurance policy renewing? Do you have the right coverage? Are you getting the best value?

Our independent, MA insurance agency has put together a homeowner insurance renewal checklist for items to review as your policy renews:

  • Do you own jewelry, furs or watches with values over $1,000?
  • Do you own silverware with a total value of over $2,500?
  • Do you have a collection of valuables, including: coins, stamps or other?
  • Do you own any of the following: Musical Instruments, Fine Arts or Antiques, Camera Equipment, Sports Equipment, Personal Computer?
  • Do you own a boat?
  • Is there a trampoline on your property?
  • Do you have any tools, equipment or other property used in your business or occupation?
  • Would you like your insurance to provide: Replacement Cost Protection on your Dwelling, on your Personal Property, Credit Card/forgery protection, Ordinance or Law coverage, Earthquake coverage?
  • Flood is not a covered loss on a homeowner policy. Would you like to obtain rates for flood insurance? Also excluded from coverage are such things such as: rot, mold, mildew or animal/vermin/insect damage.
  • Do you have personal liability Umbrella Coverage?
  • Have you packaged your home insurance with your auto insurance carrier?
  • When’s the last time your Agent reviewed your coverage?

Give us a call (or a click) an we would love the opportunity to review your Massachusetts home insurance coverage.

 

 

Have you thought about Life Insurance?

MA Life Insurance Quotes

It makes sense to protect what you value.

You insure your car, your home, and your valuables. What about you & your family?

Without life insurance, you leave your family open to risk.

If you have a policy in place perhaps you should think about replacing or adding another.

You should review your life insurance every time a major change happens in your life – a marriage, birth of a child, purchase of a house, or starting a business.

Fortunately, life insurance can be surprisingly easy and affordable.

It may sound cliché but “life insurance isn’t for the people who die. It’s for the people who live.”

Through our network of Independent, Massachusetts Insurance Agents, Massquotes.com offers the most competitive rates from companies such as SBLI and Banner Life along with many other companies.

Please give us a call or submit a quote request if you would like to get rates or discuss.

Getting Married?

MA Insurance Quotes

Vow to examine your insurance needs.

Some questions to consider:

  • Will you need to add your spouse to your auto insurance policy?
  • Will you need extra liability insurance coverage?
  • Will you need coverage for the engagement ring or wedding bands?
  • Will you need to review your homeowner coverage?
  • Will your address change?
  • Should you notify the Registry of Motor Vehicles?
  • Have your life insurance needs changed?

MassQuotes: click or call: 781-246-8699 for your free, no-obligation Massachusetts insurance quotes.

Tire Tips

Tire Time

Take five minutes every month to check your tires including:

Pressure: Under inflation is a tire’s #1 Enemy. Check your tire pressure. A tire can lose up to half of its air pressure and not appear to be flat!

Alignment: Is your vehicle pulling to one side, or shaking? Have a tire dealer check the alignment periodically to ensure your car is properly aligned.

Rotation: You should rotate your tires approximately every 5,000 miles. Regularly rotating your vehicle’s tires will help you achieve more uniform wear.

Tread: Measure & inspect it. Visually check your tires for uneven wear, looking for high and low areas or unusually smooth areas.

The penny test: place a penny into a tire tread groove. If part of Lincoln’s head is covered by the tread, you’re driving with the proper amount of tread. If you can see all of his head, you should buy a new tire.

MA Teen Drivers Auto Insurance

MA Teen Auto Insurance Discounts

Ways to keep MA auto insurance premiums for new, MA teen drivers as low as possible:

  • Number of years licensed, the longer the better.
  • driving record, the cleaner the better
  • driver’s education?
  • Full-time, good student?
  • AAA?
  • Advanced Driver Training?
  • Do you still live at home?
  • What is the value of your car?
  • Is there a lender?
  • What kind of liability limits do you carry?

All can be factors to help lower a new driver’s MA auto insurance rates.

Consider these sobering statistics on teen driving:

  • Automobile accidents are the number one killer of our nation’s youth.
  • Drivers under the age of 20 were involved in 13% of all accidents, yet they account for only 5% of all drivers.
  • 5,000 teenagers die each year from auto accidents.
  • Alcohol is responsible for almost half of all teen motor vehicle deaths.
  • 25% of all teen accidents involve speeding.
  • Half of all teenage traffic fatalities occur between 6:00 p.m. Friday and 3:00 a.m. Sunday.
  • In one year, drivers 19 and under were involved in close to 3 million motor vehicle accidents.

The price of a bad decision can include injury to yourself or others, loss of life, loss of life style or loss of personal freedom.

Ways to prevent MA teen auto accidents

  • Drive defensively. If you assume that other drivers are not as skilled and thoughtful as you are, you will instinctively become more careful and cautious when on the road.
  • Do not speed. When you speed, you have less time to react, less time to make the right decision.
  • Never drink and drive. Alcohol can seriously impair your decision-making skills and reaction time.
  • Take the keys away from friends who have been drinking.

Adults can set an example by practicing safe driving habits.

Massachusetts Crash Operator Report

MA Auto Accident

As a MA consumer service, MassQuotes offers the following link to your Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report:

Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report

When Should You File a Report?

  • You should file a report if you’re the operator of a vehicle involved in a crash where the damage to any one vehicle or property is over $1,000, or if there is an injury to any person, even if a police officer was on the scene. You should file the report within 5 days of the date of the crash.

When Should you NOT File a Report?

  • You should not file a report if the crash occurred on a private road, driveway, private parking lot or other private way.

Why this Report is Important

Data from this report is used for many purposes including:

  • Identifying locations with a large number of crashes.
  • Improving dangerous highways and intersections.
  • Developing highway safety public information programs.
  • Developing programs to save lives and reduce highway injuries.

Where to send completed reports:

  • Mail or deliver one copy to your local police department in the city or town where the crash occurred.
  • Mail one copy to your Insurance Company.
  • Mail one copy to the RMV at: Crash Records RMV; PO Box 55889; Boston, MA 02205-5889

Link to MA RMV Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report:  http://www.mass.gov/rmv/forms/21278.pdf

Massachusetts Auto Excise Tax

MA excise tax

To many tax paying consumers, Massachusetts is referred to as “Taxachusetts.” One of the reasons for this nickname is the Commonwealth’s annual excise tax bill.

Massachusetts Excise Tax bills are prepared by the Registry of Motor Vehicles according to information on the registration.

They are then sent to city/town assessors who commit them to local tax collectors for distribution.

The Massachusetts excise tax rate is $25 per $1,000 of NADA valuation subject to a percentage based on the your of manufacture:

90% in the model year (new); 60% second year; 40% third year; 25% fourth year; 10% fifth year & beyond.

If you sold and turned in your plates on the vehicle you are getting an excise tax bill on, or if you have transferred plates and got rid of the vehicle, you may be eligible for abatement.

Abatement instructions are located on your excise tax bill.

Massachusetts Home Insurance: Burst Pipes

Massachusetts Insurance Frozen Pipes

When water freezes, it expands. That’s why home pipes can burst causing serious damage to your home, headaches top you and … higher insurance premiums.

In Massachusetts, houses are built with the water pipes located inside of the walls. This helps protect them from freezing weather. However, extremely cold weather like we’ve been experiencing, can lead to freezing and bursting.

Some Frozen Pipe Tips –

  • When should homeowners be alert to the danger of freezing pipes? That depends, but the rule of thumb is about 20°F.
  • Vulnerable pipes that are accessible can be fitted with insulation sleeves, the more insulation the better.
  • Cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes should be sealed with caulking to keep cold wind away from the pipes.
  • Letting a faucet drip during extreme cold weather can prevent a pipe from bursting.
  • If You Suspect a Frozen Pipe –If you open a faucet and no water comes out, don’t take any chances. Call a plumber.
  • If a water pipe bursts, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve, leave the faucets open until repairs are completed.
  • Don’t try to thaw a frozen pipe with an open flame; as this will damage the pipe and may even start a building fire.
  • You might be able to thaw a pipe with a hand-held hair dryer. Slowly apply heat, starting close to the faucet end of the pipe, with the faucet open. Work toward the coldest section.
  • When away from the house for an extended period during the winter, be careful how much you lower the heat. The temperature inside the walls is colder than inside the house.
  • The best solution is to drain the water system. With no water in the pipes, there is no freezing.
  • To drain the system, shut off the main valve and turn on every water fixture (both hot and cold lines) until water stops running.

Massachusetts Auto Insurance: Winter Driving Tips

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (http://www.mass.gov) has issued information to help people prepare for another Massachusetts Winter Season. Following please find a list of Automobile Safety Tips and a list of items to include in your Winter Emergency Car Kit.

Massachusetts Winter Driving Safety Tips:

  • Have a well-stocked Winter Emergency Car Kit.
  • Keep your gas tank at least half full.
  • Install good winter tires with adequate tread and pressure.
  • Keep a windshield scraper and small broom for ice and snow removal. Keep all windows clear of snow and ice and keep your headlights and taillights clear, as well.
  • Check your antifreeze, battery and windshield wipers and wiper fluid.
  • Plan long trips careful, listening to the radio or NOAA Weather Radio for the latest weather forecasts and road conditions. Consider Public Transportation.
  • Travel during daylight hours, and if possible, take another person with you.
  • Let others know your timetable and primary and alternate routes. Allow extra time. The first 1/2? of snow is sometimes the most slippery. Allow adequate braking distance from the car in front of you.
  • Slow down. Many times hazards like black ice are not seen until it is too late. Remember bridges and overpasses can freeze up sooner than roadways.
  • Be extra alert. Snowdrifts can hide children or other vehicles.
  • Yield to snowplows, giving them plenty of room to safely do their job. Be patient and follow at a safe distance.
  • If a blizzard taps you in your car, pull off the highway. Turn on hazard lights and hang a brightly colored distress flag/cloth from your radio antenna or window.
  • Remain in your vehicle where rescuers are more likely to find you. Do not set out on foot, unless you can see a building close by where you know you can take shelter.
  • Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm. When the engine is running, crack open the window slightly for ventilation. Periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe.
  • Exercise to maintain body heat, but avoid overexertion. In extreme cold, use road maps, eat coverage and floor mats for insulation. Huddle with passengers.
  • Take turns sleeping. One person should be awake at all times to look for rescue crews.
  • Drink fluids to avoid dehydration.
  • Be careful not to waste battery power. Balance electricity energy needs: the use of lights, heat and radio.
  • At night, turn on the inside dome light so work crews and rescuers can see you.
  • After the snow stops falling, raise the hood to indicate you need help.

Winter Emergency Car Kit:

  • Flashlight with extra batteries
  • Charged cell phone/ automobile charger
  • Basic first-aid kit
  • Necessary medications
  • Pocket knife
  • Blankets or sleeping bags
  • Extra clothes (include rain gear, boots, mittens, socks)
  • High-calorie, non-perishable foods (dried fruits, nuts, canned food)
  • Manual can opener
  • Container of water
  • Windshield scraper & brush
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Shovel
  • Sand/ road salt/ cat litter for generating traction
  • Tire chains or traction mats
  • Basic tool kit (pliers, wrench, screwdriver)
  • Tow rope
  • Battery jumper cables
  • Road flares/ reflectors
  • Brightly colored cloth to utilize as a flag
  • Road maps