What does renters insurance cover?

Renters insurance is a smart choice regardless of how much you own. You may feel as if you don’t own anything expensive enough to insure. However, nothing could be further from the truth. If you lose a PC, cell phone, clothing, or furniture, you will still need to replace these items, regardless of the cost. You can purchase renters insurance in amounts compatible with the value of your belongings. Our Milwaukee, WI team at Dern & Company can answer all of your questions regarding renters insurance. 

What Does Renters Insurance Cover?

In short, renters insurance covers damage to your items in your apartment, condo, or rented home. If your items are damaged by broken pipes or some other external issue. However, renters insurance also covers damage or loss that results from theft, some natural disasters, and bodily injuries that occur on your rented property. This can include damage to your furniture, clothing, and electronic devices, in addition to injury to people who may visit your home. 

Additional Coverage

Renters insurance can be quite expensive. It can also cover your stay at a hotel if your home is uninhabitable for a period of time. Coverage for court costs and other legal issues can be covered as well. It’s best to choose coverage amounts that are compatible with the value of what you currently own. 

Talk to an Agent

When in doubt, ask. It’s best to get your guidance from one of our Dern & Company team members who can provide precise information for any and all of your questions. Give us a call with your questions. We’re here to educate and answer your questions as well as guide your decision-making process when it comes to renters insurance. One of our agents can discuss the benefits of certain coverage to help you decide what you need and don’t need. We can also talk about additional coverage that may protect you in other ways as well. Renters insurance protects your belongings and valuables both in your home and away from your home. 

Does Boat Insurance Cover Damage You Cause?

Boat insurance is similar to auto insurance. When you have boat insurance, your insurer covers damage to your boat and others in many situations. While living in Milwaukee WI does not mean you must have boat insurance, Dern & Company understands that you want to have the most protection possible.

So, does boat insurance cover any damage that you cause? Here’s what you need to know.

Boat Insurance Covers Some Damage You Cause

Boat insurance provides you with the option to cover physical injuries and property damage that you cause while boating. Boat insurance is versatile, and there are several add-on options you can consider to provide more protection beyond standard insurance.

Liability Coverage Is Crucial

When you have boat insurance, your policy should include liability coverage. Liability coverage is meant for damage or injuries that you cause while boating. Specific limits are in place, and you may choose to add more liability coverage to cover more expenses.

Physical Damage Coverage Is Helpful

You might also consider a policy that adds physical damage coverage, which is intended to cover damage that occurred outside of your control. For example, your boat may have been damaged because of a fire, or perhaps the weather caused your boat to crash into another boat.

Boat Insurance Is Not Required

Unless you operate a commercial fishing boat, boat insurance is not a requirement in Wisconsin. Still, it is a good idea to cover damage you could be considered at fault for.

Do you still have questions about boat insurance and the best coverage for your property? Contact Dern & Company to learn more about boat insurance in Milwaukee, WI.

Home Insurance Tips & Tricks In Milwaukee

Milwaukee WI is one of the oldest cities in the U.S. With its rich history, well-known landmarks, and industrial growth history, it stands as a symbol of what Americans can do if they keep their eyes on a goal. 

The real estate market is also alive and well in Milwaukee and new investors are often building in Milwaukee, to ensure the growth of the future residential and business areas. Rental properties are most on the rise right now.

Protect Your Investment

If you own property or even just your own home, you need to protect it. Finding home insurance at the right cost is important. Dern & Company is a seasoned insurance firm that has Milwaukee residents in mind. 

Tips & Tricks

We offer you these tips and trick when searching for home insurance in the Milwaukee area:

  • Don’t settle for the minimums only. Look for other coverage areas you might need to fully protect your investment.
  • Purchase insurance from a proven leader in insurance who knows the Milwaukee area. They can help you get the most appropriate coverage for what you need.
  • Shop around. Compare different companies and policies to make sure you’re getting the most comprehensive plan available. 
  • Consider carrying flood insurance. You never know when a flood could strike. Housing insurance alone may not cover all of your needs. 

Dern & Company insurance knows the Milwaukee WI area and we are happy to help you find the most complete policy for your housing insurance needs. They are available to help you when you need your questions answered.

Contact them online anytime or call Dern & Company to find out more about what we can do for you and your family. We can offer sound advice and clear up any questions you have. The time is now. 

Required Commercial Insurance in Wisconsin

If you have a business in Wisconsin, there are two types of commercial insurance that many businesses are required to have. If you need more commercial insurance for your business, give us a call at Dern & Company in Milwaukee, WI.

Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that covers your liability if an employee gets sick at work or is injured there. It helps your business to thrive by not requiring it to come up with all of the medical bills. It’s helpful to employees who are injured, as it provides payment for their medical costs after an accident or illness. In Wisconsin, this type of insurance is required for all businesses that have at least three employees, whether they are part-time or work full-time hours. 

Commercial Auto

If your business owns a vehicle, it cannot be covered by a personal auto insurance policy. It has to be covered by a commercial auto policy. If you own a vehicle that is often used for business, though it is not owned by the business, it should have an insurance policy called hired and non-owned. This keeps your vehicle covered with insurance that will actually payout after an accident. This insurance type is not mandatory, but it is a policy that is highly recommended. This policy has specific minimums that must be met for bodily injury liability, uninsured motorists, and property damage liability. While you have to have the minimum amount of coverage, these numbers are low, and it’s often recommended that you get higher coverage amounts so that your business is safer from lawsuits and medical bills. 

Get Your Commercial Coverage

If you’re a business owner, you need to make sure you have the right commercial insurance policies covering your business. Going without them can be disastrous. If you need coverage, call us at Dern & Company in Milwaukee, WI.

Why Every Renter Needs Renters’ Insurance

When you live in a rented home, no matter what type it is, you need to have a renters’ insurance policy in place. It protects you in a number of ways, and it’s dangerous to be without it. If you need renters’ insurance, call us at Dern & Company in Milwaukee, WI.

Protecting Your Possessions

One of the main types of coverage that you get from renters’ insurance is coverage for all of your possessions that are in your rented home. If you rented without any insurance and had a disaster or an accident that caused your belongings to be seriously damaged, you would have to pay for it all yourself. If you have condo insurance, you will get help with replacing your items that were destroyed or damaged. It’s important coverage for anyone who rents.

Your Standard of Living

Another important protection that comes from renters’ insurance is protection against a significant standard of living. If your rented dwelling were to be seriously damaged, it might not be safe to live there for a while. When a rental becomes uninhabitable, your renters’ insurance will provide you with another place to live while yours is being fixed. It can even pay for certain moving and ongoing living expenses for the whole process. 

Get Protection Against Liability

You likely intend to have guests in your home from time to time. If one of them should have an accident inside your home, your renters’ insurance will cover the medical bills through its liability insurance. This is a type of coverage that can save you an enormous amount of money in the event of an accident that you are liable for. 

Get Renters’ Coverage

If you are rending your home and need it insured, contact us at Dern & Company in Milwaukee, WI. 

Is Business Insurance Required By Law?

As a business owner in Milwaukee, WI, you might be wondering whether you need business insurance. This is a question that other business owners in Wisconsin have been wondering as well. There is a feeling that staying without business insurance can help you save some money. However, it is necessary to get advice from Dern & Company, a leading insurance company in this region. 

Is Business Insurance Required by Law?

Around the country, all the states require that your organization buy the necessary business insurance. This means that you cannot operate a company without having the essential insurance policy that will help in covering some of the eventualities that are likely to face your business. Here are some other policies that fall under the category of business insurance. 

Workers’ Compensation

The law requires that your business have a workers’ compensation policy. This is an insurance cover that is specifically meant to address the medical expenses of the employees who will get injured as they handle various activities in your organization. Employees signing for workers’ compensation waive the right to sue your business for medical expenses and compensation. 

Commercial Vehicle Insurance

You also need to have an insurance policy that covers the vehicle that handles your business operations. This is a different policy from standard auto insurance. It can be much expensive than auto insurance because it helps in addressing the needs of a commercial vehicle. 

Business Property Insurance

Protecting your property and the assets inside your business premises is very important. That is why you must make sure that you have business property insurance. This is an essential policy that you cannot ignore as a business owner. 

Do You Need Business Insurance?

From the notes above, it is obvious that you must make sure that you have the necessary business insurance. Dern & Company is the leading insurance company in Milwaukee, WI. Call us today for professional services and business insurance.

Can I get a home insurance plan in Milwaukee?

The Milwaukee, WI area can be a great place to buy a home. Those that live in this area of Wisconsin will enjoy all the great amenities that are available in the area including a good local job market and plenty of activities to enjoy all over the city’s area. Along with purchasing your home, you should also get an insurance plan for it. There are a few reasons why you should get this coverage here.

Coverage Protects Your Assets

The primary reason that getting a home insurance plan when you are in the Milwaukee area is to ensure that you can protect your assets. Buying a home is a very major purchase that you will want to protect as well as you can. If you get a proper home insurance plan, you are going to get the coverage needed to repair or replace your home if it is damaged following a situation that results in a loss.

Coverage is Required

You should also get coverage for your home because it will likely be required for you to have it. Those that would like to buy a home here may finance their purchase with a mortgage. If you do, it is important to follow the lender’s insurance requirements that typically expect you to have full coverage. 

If you would like to get a home insurance plan in the Milwaukee, WI area, it would be smart to call the team with Dern & Company. There are a lot of important decisions that need to be made as you are looking for this coverage. The team with Dern & Company can help you decide what type and level of coverage is right for your situation. This can help you pick a plan that protects your home and keeps you in full compliance. 

Who Needs Commercial Insurance

As an experienced business owner in Milwaukee, WI, you must have come across the term commercial insurance. This coverage helps your business deal with possible losses of income, property damages, worker’s compensation issues, and probably advertising liabilities. 

Dern & Company has learned that many business owners in Milwaukee do not have commercial insurance, mainly because they do not know who needs it. Here are some of the individuals who need to have commercial insurance. 

Mainstream Business Owners

As a mainstream business owner in Milwaukee, it is evident that you need to have commercial insurance for your business. There are many possible risks facing your company, and you cannot ignore the possibility of some of them happening to you. By having commercial insurance, you will be ready to handle any possible risk without jeopardizing the survivability of your Company. 

Commercial Auto-Owners

If you have a truck that has been doing deliveries and long-distance shipment of goods, you need commercial auto insurance. In this case, your truck is your business, and as such, you need to protect it at any cost so that you can continue to operate despite the challenges you will be facing ahead. Commercial insurance can help in repairs, replacement of damaged trucks, and sometimes compensation for damaged goods. 

Home-Based Business Owners

Home-based business owners are incorporating any available strategy to cut operational expenses. However, operating a home-based business does not exempt you from having commercial insurance. Your company continues to face all the possible risks regardless of the official operational area. 

If you have been operating your retail outlet in Milwaukee, WI, without commercial insurance, it is obvious that you have been putting your business at risk. Contact Dern & Company for commercial insurance for your business and secure the future of your retail organization.

Does Home Insurance Protect Unattached Structures?

When you have a house in the Milwaukee, WI area, you want to take good care of it. One of the ways you can do that is through a good home insurance policy. Whether you’ve lived there for a long time or it’s a home you’ve just purchased, having it covered the right way matters. There’s no reason to settle for less than a quality policy, and you’ll want to make sure that policy is covering everything that’s on your property and important to you, as well. That includes unattached structures, which can be protected as part of your home insurance. Dern & Company can help you find a policy that meets your needs.

Most coverage for structures that aren’t attached to the home, such as sheds and barns — along with detached garages — is part of a homeowners insurance policy. The coverage limitations are often a percentage of the coverage on the home, and it’s up to you to let your agent know if there are reasons that this should be different. For example, someone who has a large barn on their property may be interested in more coverage for it than someone who has a small storage shed. Having a knowledgeable agent to work with can help you get the proper type and level of coverage.

By reaching out to us at Dern & Company, you can get the home insurance protection you need for your house and any unattached structures that are located on your Milwaukee, WI area property. That way you have good coverage, but you also have peace of mind in knowing that the level of protection on your home is the right one for everything that’s important to you. We’re here to help you choose the policy that fits your life and property.

Important Facts Regarding Renters Insurance Milwaukee Residents May Not Be Aware Of

For over 20 years, Dern & Company has helped Milwaukee, WI residents find insurance coverage. We offer our clients a wide variety of policies so that they can find the right one for their individual situation. We have successful partnerships with multiple carriers throughout Wisconsin.

Important Renters Insurance Facts

If you are staying in a rental property in Milwaukee, WI, you have to deal with the potential of an unexpected situation. Perhaps you are a victim of theft or maybe your rental property is damaged due to a natural disaster. Renters insurance will protect you regardless of the situation. While you are researching different policies, remember these important renters’ insurance facts.

The policy covers any damage to your personal items. However, if you have rare and luxurious items at your property, you’ll have to amend your policy in order to cover those items if something happens to them.

If your rental property suffers severe damage, you’ll be covered while your unit is repaired. Renters insurance will assist you as you seek temporary housing until your property is repaired. This should give you peace of mind while you deal with unique living conditions for a few months.

If you have any alterations done to your rental property, you’ll be covered if damages occur. Once you finish the project, consider having your property appraised to reflect the new value of your property.

Also, if you are sharing your rental property with a roommate, make sure that you have your own policy. Having a split policy with your roommate is not ideal, especially if a potential liability dispute occurs.

Dern & Company Will Help You Protect Your Investment

Visit our website today to learn more information about renters insurance.