Based in Blue Ridge, GA, The Insurance Mart assists the local community by offering multiple types of insurance coverage to residents. For over 40 years, we have helped our clients find the policies they need to live comfortable lives. As an independent agency, we have established successful partnerships with several insurance carriers in the South.

Commercial Insurance Myths

Commercial insurance allows you to protect your most valuable investment. The policy provides a safety net as you deal with some of the challenges regarding operating a business in the Blue Ridge, GA area. Commercial insurance covers any damages to your equipment. Liability coverage protects your business if someone gets injured while they are on your property or if faulty equipment causes damage. While you are trying to figure out which policy is the right fit for your needs, avoid some of these commercial insurance myths.

I Have A Small Business So Coverage Isn’t Necessary

This is a terrible mistake to make. Accidents can happen at any time. Commercial insurance will cover you if an unexpected situation arises. If your equipment malfunctions or one of your employees gets injured, these are potentially huge losses that you may not be able to recover from without a commercial insurance policy.

Cyber Attacks Aren’t A Threat

Many businesses rely on technology to generate new leads. However, recent technological advancements have increased the likelihood of a cyberattack. Even if you have a small business, you are still a target, as hackers may feel that you are more vulnerable to attack. Commercial insurance will protect you.

Workers Compensation Isn’t Necessary

You may feel that worker’s compensation isn’t necessary because your business isn’t physically demanding. Accidents can happen regardless of the profession. Worker’s compensation allows you to protect your business.

The Insurance Mart Will Assist You

Visit our website to learn more information about commercial insurance.

Health insurance is an essential product to have in Blue Ridge, GA. It’s important that you’re able to cover the costs of health care you need if you become ill. The Insurance Mart can help you with your health insurance needs.

The following are three things to remember when you purchase health insurance in Georgia. 

Some health insurance policies limit you to a certain network of doctors.

If you enroll in a plan involving a network like an HMO or a PPO, you will probably be limited to a certain network of health care providers. It’s important to evaluate this network and make sure there is a health care provider in it that is easily accessible to you and that offers the health care treatments you may need in the future. 

You’ll have to pay your deductible before your insurance policy kicks in.

It’s important to pay attention to the deductible amounts on your policy. You’re responsible for paying the deductible amount in many situations before your health insurance will take over to cover costs.

Therefore, your deductible amounts need to be low enough that you can afford to pay them if you get sick. 

Open enrollment for health insurance coverage runs between November and December each year.

Providers of health insurance generally adhere to the open enrollment period. Enrolling in a health insurance plan during this period makes it easier for you to get a lower cost policy thanks to government subsidies. 

The open enrollment period generally extends from the beginning of November until the beginning of December each year. It’s possible to purchase health insurance during other periods of the year, but enrolling in a plan during this period is the simplest and most cost-effective way to get insured. 

Find the health insurance solution for yourself and your family with the help of The Insurance Mart. We offer assistance to families in Blue Ridge, GA looking for health insurance solutions. 

Life insurance is how you offer protection to your loved ones if you pass away. The money from a life insurance policy can make a difference in what their lives will be like going forward. You want to make sure that nothing changes financially for them if you are no longer with them. Talking to the experienced agents at The Insurance Mart in Blue Ridge, GA can help you to decide how much life insurance is enough. 

Life insurance is not something that needs to be purchased all at once however when you are young and healthy the rates will be much more reasonable. You will also likely have insurance provided by your employer but while that adds to your safety net, it ends with your employment or you the rate to continue it may be higher than it needs to be. 

Determining how much life insurance is enough depends on a few factors. 

• What is your age?
• Who is dependent on you? 
• How much debt do you have? 
• Are your final expenses taken care of? 

If you are young and healthy and have no dependents, you won’t need to carry a lot of life insurance. However, since term insurance is good for a term of up to 30 years, it is a good time to purchase life insurance with a view to the future. 

Once you have dependents, its time to make sure that you have the recommended amount of coverage. Experts suggest seven to ten times your annual income in life insurance. If you have young children, this is not as much coverage as it sounds like and you may want to consider more. 

Deciding how much life insurance depends on your lifestyle and the needs of your survivors. Talking to a trusted independent insurance agent like The Insurance Mart in Blue Ridge, GA is a good way to start. Give our office a call to set up an appointment for a no-obligation quote. 

Blue Ridge, GA is a remarkable area that attracts people from all over the region to its mountain views and literal blue ridge peaks. The area has much to boast and many people have their second home or rental property in the area because tourism is booming year-round. The Insurance Mart serves the community and the surrounding areas with quality comprehensive secondary dwelling or rental insurance to protect your investment. Here are a few common questions about this type of coverage. 

FAQs About Secondary Dwelling or Rental Insurance:

• Do I have to have additional insurance if I rent out my second home to visitors?  No, legally you do not have to carry any type of home insurance in the state of Georgia. If you have a mortgage there are likely insurance requirements to be met though. 
• How does rental insurance protect my renters and me? Your home can be an asset or a liability. If something goes wrong in your main dwelling then you have to be accountable for yourself and start from scratch if you do not have insurance. When you are renting your place out and something goes wrong you may find yourself in worse financial trouble because of lawsuits. Your secondary dwelling could put your main home at risk if someone is hurt on the property. Having insurance protects you and your renters so you can rest easy at night. 
• What is covered in secondary dwelling insurance? Each policy is different but secondary dwelling insurance is much like regular home insurance except some additions may be added to take into account guests. Remember that flood insurance is an add on and typically not part of any home insurance policy. 

If you have a secondary dwelling in or around scenic Blue Ridge, GA, give us a call at The Insurance Mart to discuss your secondary dwelling and rental insurance options. 

When you are in the Blue Ridge, GA area, there will be plenty of great opportunities to spend outside. Due to this, getting a recreational toy could be a great personal investment. When you are looking to get a recreational toy, it is also important that you consider all of your insurance needs. There are several benefits that come when you get a recreational insurance policy.

Protection for Liability

One of the benefits that come when you get a recreational insurance policy is you will receive protection for liability. Whenever you use your recreational toy, there is always going to be a risk that you could cause an accident. If this happens, you will need to pay for damages. When you get an insurance policy in place, you will receive protection against your liability risk to ensure you are covered for damages you cause.

Protection for Recreational Toy

While a recreational toy can provide you with a lot of fun experiences, it is also an important asset that you need to keep covered by insurance. When you get a full insurance policy, you are also going to receive protection to repair or replace your toy. This will prove to be very helpful in the event that your recreational toy is damaged in an accident or stolen. 

If you are an owner of a recreational toy in the Blue Ridge, GA area, you should call the team at The Insurance Mart to discuss your insurance needs. It is clearly very beneficial for someone to get insurance for their recreational toys. The team at The Insurance Mart can help you to better determine what your insurance needs are. Based on this assessment, they can help you to choose a policy that offers the protection you need. 

Your business is, in many ways, your life. You likely spend more time building up your business, connecting with clients, and looking for ways to help it grow than just about anything else. Because not only you but your employees rely on it for the income you need to do what you can to protect it. This includes investing in commercial insurance. There are all kinds of commercial insurance options available to you, but what exactly is commercial insurance? Here at The Insurance Mart, it is our goal to do what we can to help educate you on all things insurance, including commercial insurance. So, if you live around Blue Bridge, GA and run your own business, here is what you need to know about what commercial insurance is. 

What Is Commercial Insurance?

Commercial insurance is designed to protect your business in every form. There is commercial insurance for your property and your vehicles. There is insurance to protect the goods you’ve produced, the stock you have on hand, and even to protect payroll if the business has to shut down for any period of time. 

Protect Your Business With Commercial Insurance

While you can do your very best to forecast the future, you can’t predict it. Because of this, you need to do what you can to protect your business. One of the best ways to do this is through commercial insurance. There is no limit to the kinds of commercial insurance options out there, which can make it a challenge to select what is perfect for you. So instead of guessing what might work it is a good idea to give our staff here at The Insurance Mart a call. We proudly serve greater Blue Bridge, GA, so if you’re ready and want to learn more, give us a call today. 

One of the biggest decisions that those who are on the market for life insurance needs to make is whether to by term life insurance or whole life insurance. There are numerous advantages to the term life insurance plans available from The Insurance Mart that Blue Ridge, GA consumers need to be aware of. 

The following are three big advantages of term life insurance. 

The premiums are more affordable.

Term life insurance is generally the most affordable insurance option. This makes it perfect for young families. Term life insurance protection applies for a given period of time, but it does not accumulate value over time. This factor makes it less expensive and ideal for younger families who are less concerned with long term savings and more concerned with immediate coverage should there be an unexpected death. 

Term life insurance policies are more simple.

In general, a term life insurance is simpler and more easy to understand than a more complex whole life insurance policy. There are only three decisions that need to be handled by the holder of a life insurance policy. They include the amount of coverage to buy, the length of time of the coverage, and the company they buy from. Of course, the policyholder also has to designate their beneficiaries. 

Federal income taxes will not come out of a term life insurance death benefit.

There are tax advantages to term life insurance. If you need life insurance coverage but owe the IRS money, you’ll be happy to know that federal income taxes cannot apply on a term life insurance death benefit. 

If you’re interested in a term life insurance policy in Blue Ridge, GA, we’re here to help. Contact us at The Insurance Mart and we’ll provide you with more information. 

 

 

 

Most businesses need insurance. After all, even the most successful ones come with a variety of risks. All it takes is one big liability claim to send a once-successful venture into financial ruin. So if you own or run a business in Georgia, you should consider getting the protection of commercial insurance (also known as business insurance). 

At The Insurance Mart, located in Blue Ridge, GA, we help prevent local business owners across the region from having to pay for claims out of their own pockets. But what types of businesses actually need commercial insurance?

Most Businesses Need Commercial Insurance

If you have a store or offer any sort of in-person service to customers, you definitely need commercial insurance (slip and fall claims are very real!) Likewise, any services performed that affect property (such as construction, home cleaning, maintenance, etc.) need coverage.

Because the risks are even greater for food and beverage operations, these businesses will need specialized commercial restaurant insurance. 

What About Personal Businesses or Self-Employed People?

If you’re the only employee in your business, it’s easy to think you don’t need any kind of insurance. While it’s true that a big commercial policy will not be the right fit for you, that doesn’t mean you’re without risk. Give us a call to discuss the specifics of your business and what kind of coverage needs you may have. 

What Does Georgia Law Say?

Georgia business owners are only required under state law to have workers compensation insurance if they have three employees or more. Full commercial or business insurance is not required, but it is recommended. 

It’s also worth pointing out that all business-owned vehicles in Georgia are required to have commercial insurance. If you drive a personal vehicle for work, you should look into hired and non-owned auto insurance, which is similar. While separate from your regular business insurance policy, a commercial policy will cover you in situations that a regular auto policy may not. For example, if you are transporting some materials for your business and those materials accidentally cause damage, regular auto insurance most likely isn’t going to cut it. 

To learn more about how your business can benefit from commercial insurance, call the experts at The Insurance Mart or come visit us at our Blue Ridge, GA offices.

Health insurance has benefits for everyone, regardless of whether a person is sick or well. As a healthy person, it may be difficult to understand the benefits of paying for something that you don’t get to use much. However, the benefits are many. It can create peace of mind in the event of some unexpected and unfortunate sickness or accident that requires medical care. It can also help with the cost of routine health visits as well as other preventative medical priorities.

What Does Health Insurance Cover

Health insurance typically covers doctor and emergency room visits, in addition to specialist treatments. Most insurance holders typically pay a small preset portion of the cost of these visits int the form of a co-pay. In essence, health insurance protects you from pricey medical costs. You pay less for covered in-network healthcare, even before you meet your deductible. The Insurance Mart of Blue Ridge GA can walk you through all the benefits that investing in health insurance can provide for you. 

Three Undeniable Benefits

Three benefits distinguish themselves when it comes to health insurance. First and foremost, health insurance allows you to see a doctor instead of visiting the emergency room every time you have a health issue. Often, people without health insurance use the emergency room to address their health issues because they don’t have health insurance and can’t see a doctor. Secondly, health insurance allows you o practice preventative care. Routine health visits to your doctor help keep you well and prevent illnesses. The uninsured usually wait until they get sick to address a health issue. This can be quite costly. Last of all, health insurance gives you access to better rates for healthcare. The uninsured pay the most for healthcare because they don’t have insurance to bring the cost down. Health insurance gives you access to some of the best negotiated rates. 

Call The Insurance Mart of Blue Ridge, GA to discuss all of your healthcare options. A qualified agent can help you find health insurance best suited for your finances and lifestyle.

 

Most people understand that life insurance is a wise investment. Life insurance helps your family deal with the expenses of your funeral and helps with adjusting to life without your income. What most people do not realize is that your life insurance needs change with time. You may have purchased a policy when you were younger that will not be sufficient today. Updating your life insurance occasionally is a great way to make sure your family is sufficiently protected. The Insurance Mart serving Blue Ridge, GA is committed to helping you make the best insurance choices. Keep reading to learn reasons why you should update your life insurance. 

You’ve Gotten Married

Getting married is one of the main reasons people need to update life insurance. Your financial obligations upon marriage change drastically. You are now responsible for a spouse and possibly children. You should make sure that your life insurance policy will provide for your family. 

Your Income Has Changed

If you have recently experienced a job promotion or some other income altering event, then you should consider updating your insurance. A different income means that your standard of living could be changing as well. Most people opt for providing a life insurance policy for their family that will enable their family to maintain their standard of living even after that extra income is gone. 

Your Policy Is Old

If you purchased your policy some time ago, then updating is a good idea. Your old policy would have been based on much information that could have changed by now. Speaking with a trained insurance specialist at The Insurance Mart is a great way to find out if your insurance policy needs to be updated. The Insurance Mart is now serving Blue Ridge, GA as well as surrounding areas.