John J. Ryan Insurance Agency Blog

Moving to Dedham Square

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

We are pleased to share we are relocating to a newly renovated office in Dedham in March.

This move provides our team members with an expanded office layout with modern amenities and allows us to better serve you with improved accessibility and parking.

Our phone number and email addresses remain the same.

We look forward to seeing you in Dedham Square!

Our new address:

601 High St., Dedham MA 02026

(Large, brick building. Parking is located behind the building. Turn at Maple Place, parking lot is on the right.)

John J. Ryan Agency Sponsors Allston/Brighton Chamber Holiday Street Lighting

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 05:00:00 GMT

John J. Ryan Insurance Agency once again helped sponsor the annual Allston/Brighton Chamber of Commerce holiday street lighting, a wonderful tradition that builds community and holiday spirit.

Renting a car? Read this.

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 13:08:52 GMT

We receive calls frequently about renting a car. The first thing you must know is if you have a MA auto policy, it will not cover you outside of the US and Canada. So you if you travel outside of these two countries, either (a) avoid renting a car; or (b) buy as much insurance as possible (liability and physical damage). Keep in mind that laws are much different in other countries.

If you are renting a car (short term, personal use) in the US or Canada, your policy’s liability (umbrella recommended) and physical damage (collision and comprehensive, if you have it) will “follow” you. However, your auto insurance company may NOT pay for (a) the rental car company’s loss of use of the rental vehicle if it is damaged (the rental car company’s ability to rent the car to others while it is being fixed); and/or (b) the full replacement cost of the rental vehicle if it is damaged (your policy pays for actual cash value – which includes depreciation – while the rental car company will need full replacement cost to buy a replacement rental car).

Due to the two limitations, (a) loss of use and (b) replacement cost, you should purchase the physical damage coverages (often referred to as “LDW” and/or “CDW” offered by the rental car company). These costs can add up but if you are ever in an accident they are well worth it.

Lastly, you must inform the rental car company of all operators ahead of time and make sure you stay on public roads.

Dogs and Insurance

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:58:20 GMT

Did you know dogs account for over $1 billion in insurance liability claims every year in the United States? In addition to dog bites, dogs collide with people causing falls and injuries. As a dog owner, you are strictly liable for your dog’s actions and homeowners liability will often cover claims.

To manage the exposure dog ownership presents, insurance companies limit eligibility to certain breeds. Most companies have a list of dogs they will not insure, often including Dobermans, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Pit Bulls, certain terrier breeds and wolf hybrids or a mix thereof. If you have one of these dogs a company may not insure you at all (as opposed to insuring you and excluding the dog). Interestingly, most claims result from the most common dog breeds, the Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever, however, the most severe claims result from the dog breeds previously mentioned (among others).

It is imperative that you disclose your dog, dog breed and any past bite history to your insurer to make sure you are covered for liability purposes. If you have one of the ineligible dog breeds you can still insure at a higher premium with a separate company.

Companies apply the dog eligibility rules to owner-occupied properties as well as rental properties. Landlords who allow dogs should require tenants to maintain a renters policy with at least 300k liability and require proof of insurance annually.

More information can be found here: https://www.iii.org/article/spotlight-on-dog-bite-liability

5 Things You Didn't Know About Life Insurance

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 14:51:10 GMT

1. Life insurance agents have a reputation of being a little too pesky. The reason why...because it's true. Life insurance is sold, not bought. In most cases, buyers of life insurance will not purchase unless they are first solicited in some way.

2. An alarming high percentage of individuals are either uninsured or underinsured, including parents of young children.

3. Life insurance is generally inexpensive for young parents. Premiums are based primarily on age, current health and family history. The math is simple. If you are young and healthy, the cost is lower.

4. Pregnancy is a curveball in the life insurance buying process. Companies don't make an exception for the weight gain and health issues that arise during pregnancy, so if you apply during pregnancy or right after birth you will see higher premiums.

5. Obtaining a quote takes only a few minutes of your time. After a brief conversation, we can provide quotes for up to fifteen different companies.

For more information, please call our office and/or visit www.lifehappens.org.

John J. Ryan Agency Receives Legacy Business Award

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 04:00:00 GMT

After celebrating 100 years in business in 2022, John J. Ryan Insurance Agency recently received an inaugural “City of Boston Legacy Business Program” award from Mayor Michelle Wu.

The city describes legacy award recipients as, “long standing, independent enterprises that make a strong contribution to community character. These businesses are cultural anchors and repositories of community traditions
and stories. They are a special and unique part of Boston’s
historic identity."

(Pictured, left to right: Jack Ryan, Carolyn Gross, Steve Palenscar)

Accidents, Surcharges, Appeals and Your Auto Policy

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 15:23:13 GMT

In general, if you are in an auto accident in MA where damages paid by the company exceed $1,000 and you are deemed 50% or more at fault you will be surcharged. Companies are required by law to surcharge drivers. A surcharge is a notification sent by the company to the state’s Merit Rating Board. Surcharges can also be applied for speeding tickets and other violations.

Your Safe Driving Insurance Plan, commonly referred to as your SDIP or “step” or “points”, is a number assigned to each driver that includes a driver’s surcharges over the last six years. 99 is the best SDIP (no incidents in last six years), then 98 (no incidents in last five years), then 00, 01, 02 and up. A minor accident (damage exceeds $1,000) is 3 points while a major accident (damage exceeds $5,000) is 4 points.

When your auto policy renews, the company retrieves your latest SDIP from the RMV and applies any new surcharges that have occurred in the last year to your renewal premium. Minor and major accidents can cost an insured thousands of dollars over a six year period (since that is how long an accident will affect your SDIP).

In some cases, you may decide to appeal a surcharge to avoid the associated cost on your insurance policy. In order to appeal you must do so within 30 days of the mailing date of the surcharge notice, with few to no exceptions. If you plan on appealing a surcharge, you must be diligent about making sure you obtain your surcharge notice in the mail. You may even want to contact the company to ask when the surcharge will be mailed. Appealing a surcharge involves completing the back side of your surcharge notice explaining why you believe you are less than 50% at fault and mailing to the Division of Insurance along with a non-refundable check for $50. You will then receive a post card notifying you of your appeal date. You must show up in person on your appeal date to state your case.

Many companies are now offering accident forgiveness which may allow the insurer to “forgive” one accident on the policy, therefore saving you thousands of dollars. Each company has specific conditions that must be met in order for the forgiveness to apply. In most cases, you are eligible for accident forgiveness if you are a 99 or 98 and you purchase the coverage in advance of the accident. Please contacts us to see if you are eligible to add this endorsement to your policy, if it is not already included.

Note the above may not apply to all claims or in all circumstances.

7 Flood Facts You Need to Know

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 15:19:32 GMT

Here are 7 flood facts every property owner should know:

What is flood? Simply stated, a flood is water from the 'ground up' covering more than two acres of normally dry land resulting from a) overflow of inland or tidal waters; b) unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any course; or c) mudflow.
Flood insurance is excluded from standard home and business policies. Flood coverage may be obtained by purchasing a separate policy.
Roof leaks, burst pipes and water damage from appliances or plumbing is not considered flood.
We often hear clients say, "our home is not in a flood zone." What they mean is their property is not in a higher risk zone. However, every property is in a flood zone with certain zones more prone to flooding than others. Mortgage lenders require flood insurance if a property is in a higher risk zone. However, as we have seen in recent years, flooding can and does occur in lower risk zones.
Unless required by their lender, most property owners do not purchase flood coverage. As a result, when catastrophic flooding occurs a vast majority of owners are left with no coverage.
Flood insurance is typically capped at 250k for homes and 500k for business properties. These limits can be too low so to properly insure many properties for flood, an excess flood policy is necessary.
The federal flood program operates at a massive deficit so in recent years rates have risen in order to lower the deficit. If the federal flood program did not set rates, a truly competitive flood market would result in significantly higher flood rates for coastal or higher risk properties with many properties considered uninsurable.

Insurance Considerations When Renting a Car

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 15:15:39 GMT

(a) the rental car company’s loss of use of the rental vehicle if it is damaged (the rental car company’s ability to rent the car to others while it is being fixed); and/or

(b) the full replacement cost of the rental vehicle if it is damaged (your policy pays for actual cash value – which includes depreciation – while the rental car company will need full replacement cost to buy a replacement rental car).

Lastly, you must inform the rental car company of all operators ahead of time and make sure you stay on public roads.

Brighton Board of Trade Holiday Street Lights

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 16:32:30 GMT

John J. Ryan Insurance Agency is pleased to once again help sponsor the Brighton Board of Trade Holiday Street Lights. To learn more about the the BBOT, please visit http://www.brightonboardoftrad....