Common insurance questions Hudson Valley residents and business owners ask most, organized by home, auto, business, and group health, or call us if you’d rather just ask.
Home & Property
A few of the questions we hear most from Hudson Valley homeowners.
Why Is My Homeowners Insurance Going Up in New York? Rebuild costs, severe weather, and the reinsurance market that backs every carrier are all pushing rates up statewide, not just for people who’ve filed claims. Read the full article →
How Much Does Homeowners Insurance Cost in New York? It depends far more on your home’s rebuild cost and location than on any statewide average. Two similar-looking homes a few miles apart can carry very different premiums. Read the full article →
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage? Sometimes. Sudden, accidental damage like a burst pipe is covered. Gradual leaks, sewer backup, and flooding each work differently or require separate coverage entirely. Read the full article →
Do I Need Flood Insurance If I’m Not in a Flood Zone? Every property is in a flood zone, some just carry a much slimmer chance of flooding than others. Nearly a third of flood claims come from outside high-risk zones, so it’s worth real consideration either way. Read the full article →
Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost: What’s the Difference? Actual cash value pays what your damaged property was worth, factoring in depreciation. Replacement cost pays what it costs to repair or replace it today. Read the full article →
Why Did My Homeowners Insurance Company Non-Renew My Policy? New York protects homeowners from being non-renewed without cause for three years at a time, but that protection resets at each three-year anniversary. Read the full article →
What Does an Umbrella Insurance Policy Cover? If you have home equity, savings, or income that could be pursued in a lawsuit beyond your standard policy limits, an umbrella policy is worth a real look. It costs less than most people expect. Read the full article →
Does My Homeowners Policy Cover Airbnb or Short-Term Rental Income? No. The moment you accept a paying guest, your property is being used for business purposes, and standard homeowners insurance excludes that entirely. Read the full article →
See all Home & Property articles →
Personal Auto and Other Motorized Toys
What Are the Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in New York? New York requires 25/50/10 liability coverage plus no-fault PIP and matching uninsured motorist coverage, minimums that haven’t changed since 1995 and are rarely enough on their own. Read the full article →
Comprehensive vs. Collision: Do I Need Both? They cover entirely different kinds of damage, comprehensive for everything from theft to hitting a deer, collision for hitting another vehicle or an object, and dropping either without understanding the tradeoff can leave a real gap. Read the full article →
Does Auto Insurance Follow the Car or the Driver in New York? Generally the car, not the driver, which matters the moment you lend your car to someone else or someone else drives it with your permission. Read the full article →
Does My Homeowners Policy Cover My Boat, or Do I Need Separate Coverage? Mostly no. Homeowners coverage for watercraft is built for a small rowboat, not the boats most Hudson Valley families own, and liability for anything that happens on the water is typically excluded entirely. Read the full article →
What Insurance Do I Need for My ATV or Quad in New York? Required the moment you ride anywhere other than your own property, even onto a friend’s land with permission, and a common myth is that homeowners insurance fills the gap once you leave your land. Read the full article →
What Are New York’s Motorcycle Insurance Requirements? Motorcycles carry the same 25/50/10 liability minimum as a car, but they’re excluded from New York’s no-fault system entirely, which changes how a rider recovers costs after an accident. Read the full article →
See all Personal Auto and Other Motorized Toys articles →
Business & Commercial
The coverage questions we field most from Hudson Valley business owners.
What Insurance Does My Small Business Really Need? Most businesses need general liability, commercial property, and workers’ compensation if you have even one employee. Beyond that, it depends on your industry and contracts. Read the full article →
General Liability vs. Workers’ Compensation: What’s the Difference and Do I Need Both? General liability covers claims from people outside your business. Workers’ comp covers your own employees. Most businesses with staff need both, since neither substitutes for the other. Read the full article →
What Does a Business Owner’s Policy Cover? A BOP bundles general liability and commercial property into one package, typically at a lower combined cost, for businesses with straightforward risk profiles. Read the full article →
Does My Small Business Need Cyber Liability Insurance? Probably, especially if you handle customer payment data or run online ordering. Most small businesses still don’t carry this coverage, despite being frequent targets. Read the full article →
What Is EPLI and Does My Business Need It? Coverage that protects your business from employee claims like discrimination and wrongful termination. Small businesses without an HR department are often the most exposed, not the least. Read the full article →
E&O Insurance: A Guide by Profession If your business gives advice or performs a professional service, from real estate to consulting to dozens of less obvious classes, you likely need E&O insurance, a separate coverage general liability doesn’t touch. Visit the E&O guide →
See all Business & Commercial articles →
Group Health & Employee Benefits
Common questions from Hudson Valley employers navigating group health coverage.
Do I Have to Offer Health Insurance to My Employees in New York? Not unless you have 50 or more full-time equivalent employees. Below that, it’s a business decision, not a legal requirement. Read the full article →
Why Did My Small Group Health Insurance Premium Go Up Again This Year? Statewide claims trends drive most of the increase under New York’s community rating rules, not your specific group’s claims history. Read the full article →
What Is New York’s Community Rating Rule and How Does It Affect Your Group Health Premium? Carriers have to charge the same premium for a given plan and region regardless of your group’s health, guaranteeing coverage but removing the reward for having a healthy group. Read the full article →
Disability Benefits Law (DBL) and Paid Family Leave (PFL): What Every NY Employer Needs to Know Two separate mandatory coverages for nearly every employer with a W-2 employee. If your business needs workers’ comp, it almost certainly needs both of these too. Read the full article →
What Size Does My Business Need to Be to Qualify for Group Health Insurance in New York? As few as two enrolled employees, as long as one isn’t the owner’s spouse. There’s no minimum size requirement beyond that. Read the full article →
How Much Does Small Business Health Insurance Cost in New York? Costs in the Hudson Valley now run close to $900 a month for a basic single plan and near $1,800 for family coverage, with real variation depending on how close you are to New York City. Read the full article →
See all Group Health articles →
Still have a question?
We’ve been doing business this way in the Hudson Valley for over 80 years. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, call us. No phone tree, no pressure, just a straight answer.