Just What Is TRIA Coverage?
March 24, 2025 Written By: Laura J. Poulin, AILP, AINS, AAM, CPIW, CRIS, MLIS, Director of Curriculum and Technical Affairs, MAIA Under federal law, insurers must offer Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) coverage for commercial property & liability policies; however, there is a difference between TRIA and Terrorism coverage. TRIA and standard Terrorism Coverage both…
A Solution for MPIUA’s $1,000,000 Coverage Limit
The Massachusetts Division of Insurance has approved a new rule and endorsement applicable to both the Homeowners and Dwelling Policy Programs in MPIUA. These changes will take effect for new business policies only issued on or after April 15, 2025. Previously, MPIUA policies were capped at $1,000,000 for Coverage A. Now, with this new Primary…
Camper Trailer & the Auto Policy
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of February 2025. Question This is a first for me. I’m working with an insured to add a camper trailer to their auto policy. I’m wondering if there is a resource you can advise for camper trailers that talks about where…
Surviving Spouses Contacting Lienholders – Reminder Update
March 11, 2025 For a surviving spouse to obtain a new title for their deceased spouse’s vehicle, or to sell the vehicle, they must have the deceased spouse’s Certificate of Title. If the Certificate of Title is being held by a lienholder, the surviving spouse must contact the lienholder to obtain the title. Read the…
2025 Annual Privacy Notice
Thank you for trusting MAIA and Number One Insurance Agency to protect you and your business! We are committed to protecting the confidentiality of your personal and company information, staff, and agency’s clients. Following the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act, we ask that you review our annual communication regarding our…
Death of Insured – Follow-Up
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of February 2025. Question With regard to the “death of insured” QOW 2/5/25, here is something I wanted to share with you. This is an email I sent to the carrier with regard to a client and fire claim that just…
Apportioned Plate Registration Status
March 3, 2025 Effective February 27, 2025, Apportioned Plates will no longer display a status of expired on the vehicle ownership in ATLAS; instead, they will display a status of inactive. An inactive status means there isn’t a registration status on the vehicle. An IRP Plate Status Letter can be issued by the IRP Department at…
Coverage for Golf Carts in Gated Communities
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of February 2025. Question I am sending you an insurance question below. I have run it by my underwriter, but no one seems confident about a response. Would you please share your thoughts with me on this? “We are spending a…
Revised Certificate of Title Stock
February 24, 2025 The back of the Certificate of Title has been revised with new legal language. The new title stock will be used as the current stock is depleted. The new title stock will have a control number that is continuous with the current stock, and all security features will remain unchanged. All previously issued…
The Changing Landscape of Rental Car Reimbursement in Auto Claims
February 24, 2025 Written By: Laura J. Poulin, AILP, AINS, AAM, CPIW, CRIS, MLIS, Director of Curriculum and Technical Affairs, MAIA As insurance carriers adjust their handling of rental car reimbursement claims, Massachusetts agents encounter new challenges when assisting clients involved in auto accidents. Traditionally, claimants who were not at fault could file vehicle damage…
Chicopee Service Center
February 18, 2025 The Chicopee Service Center will be closed over the next several days due to recent weather conditions, resulting in an inaccessible parking lot. Please direct all services to the Springfield Service Center until after Friday. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier at 508-634-7353 or via email at [email protected].
MAIP & Ride Share
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of February 2025. Question Could you tell me if MAIP would insure a vehicle that was being used in a peer-to-peer rental service like Turo? And if not covering for the Turo usage, would MAIP write the policy but exclude the…
Purple Heart Sales Tax Exemption
February 10, 2025 Effective February 8, as part of the HERO Act, Purple Heart Medal recipients will be exempt from Massachusetts sales tax on purchases of vehicles if they qualify and have been approved for Disabled Veteran Plates. They can have either Purple Heart Plates or Disabled Veteran Plates, and one of those plates must be…
Board of Appeal Address Change
February 10, 2025 Effective February 8, 2025, the Board of Appeals’ address will change to the following: Division of Insurance Board of Appeal One Federal St., Suite 700 Boston, MA 02110 Mail sent to the old address will be forwarded for one year. All RMV documentation that lists the old address, including letters, the website,…
Out-of-State Accident
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of February 2025. Question I have an Insured whose daughter was involved in an accident in Rhode Island last year. They went to court for it, and the Insured stated that the case was dismissed and they have some paperwork regarding…
Death of Insured
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of January 2025. Question I need your help clarifying some issues that have come up with customers who have passed away. Is there a time limit on how long it takes a spouse to reregister a vehicle in their name from…
Understanding Homeowners Coverage for Fuel Oil Spills
January 27, 2025 Written By: Laura J. Poulin, AILP, AINS, AAM, CPIW, CRIS, MLIS, Director of Curriculum and Technical Affairs, MAIA The Act Preventing Oil Spill Pollution” commonly referred to as the 2010 Homeowner Oil Heating System Upgrade and Insurance Law (Chapter 453 of the Acts of 2008), was enacted to address environmental and financial…
“Registration Cancelled” Field Change
January 17, 2025 Effective January 16, 2025, the “Registration Cancelled” field in the RMV eServices Insurance Portal will no longer be displayed from the vehicle screen. Instead, the “Registration Cancelled” date can be retrieved from the Portal as follows: Go to the Vehicle Information screen, View the Registration tab, then the Plates sub-tab, and Under the Cease…
Flood: First Floor Height
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of October 2024. Question Did FEMA change the rules to determine the number of floors? In the past, if the house had a basement, the basement was considered the 1st floor. We called the insurance company because it seemed the number…
MPIUA: 2 NEW RULES Effective 2/1/25
The Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (MPIUA) is implementing two new rules—Flood Insurance Requirement and Amount of Insurance Requirement—applicable to both Homeowners and Dwelling Policy Programs. These changes will take effect for new business policies issued on or after February 1, 2025, and for subsequent renewals of these policies. Flood Insurance Requirement: The MPIUA will…
Revised Application for Gold Star Family Plates
January 13, 2025 The Application for Gold Star Family Plates (REG113) has been revised to clarify who is eligible for these plates. A Gold Star Family Plate can be issued, without charge, to spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of members of the United States Armed Forces who died while on active duty with…
Registry Procedures Manual Update!
January 13, 2025 This online “flipbook” manual is a MUST for every agent who writes MA automobile insurance and deals with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles! The Registry Procedures Manual (RPM) allows subscribers to utilize keyword searches to find what they need and is automatically updated regularly throughout the year. Check out what’s new HERE.…
2024 Q3 Quarterly P&C Marketplace Summary
You are being provided this 2024 Q3 Quarterly P&C Marketplace Summary covering the Massachusetts Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Marketplace as a benefit of your membership with the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA). This report provides up-to-date property and casualty (P&C) data, offering you a “real-time” view of trends in the Massachusetts insurance marketplace.…
Lightning Struck a Tree
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of October 2024. Question Laura, I’m just a little confused. I mostly do auto insurance. I want to make sure that I understand this. I know this is a lightning issue, but what about wind? I guess it’s a big question:…
Named Non-Owner Policy
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of October 2024. Question I have a customer looking to have a person who borrows his car to have their own liability policy. The person doesn’t own a car or a home or apartment (or I would try and obtain an…
NH Temporary Plates Clarification
January 6, 2025 NH approved a new law (HB 1243) that was put into effect 9/01/2024. The new law does not change the process for how Mass residents are getting their plates with the RMV, but change the process for NH DMV eliminating the form RDMV 938 (Vehicle Sold to a Massachusetts Resident Form). Important…
CDL Disqualification Change
January 6, 2025 Effective January 2, drivers who are disqualified from operating commercial vehicles for life may have the ability to retain or restore their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). This is based on a revision to Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 90F Section 9. Read the full update here. Click here for FAQ. Registry Questions? Contact Kathy…
Out of State Titles – New Documents Required
January 6, 2025 Effective January 13, when a customer is unable to produce their current Out of State Title because it is held by a lienholder, they must present the current Out of State Registration Certificate and any one of the supporting documents to accompany a Registration and Title Application (RTA). Read the full update…
Compulsory Auto Limits Increase Bill Becomes Law!
December 24, 2024 I’m writing with exciting news from the Massachusetts State House. Governor Maura Healey signed into law MAIA’s priority legislation for the 2023-2024 legislative session: H. 5111 – An Act relative to motor vehicle insurance. This legislation will increase compulsory bodily injury limits in Massachusetts for the first time in nearly 40 years…
What Is A WISP? And Why Does It Impact An Agency & Their Insureds?
December 16, 2024 Written By: Laura J. Poulin, AILP, AINS, AAM, CPIW, CRIS, MLIS, Director of Curriculum and Technical Affairs, MAIA The adoption of a WISP is not only a regulatory requirement but also a best practice for safeguarding sensitive information in today’s digital landscape. For insurance agencies, it reinforces their commitment to protecting client…
Newly Renovated South Yarmouth Service Center
December 10, 2024 On Monday, December 9, the newly renovated and expanded South Yarmouth RMV Service Center will open. This is the same location that was temporarily closed for renovations in December 2022. The address is 1084 Route 28 (Main Street) in South Yarmouth, in the same strip mall as the temporary location. The renovated location expanded…
Titling & Sales Tax
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of November 2024. Question I’ve been googling and checking out MAIA for the answer to how long someone has to request a title and/or pay sales tax on a purchased vehicle. I believe the 10 days for both is the best…
2024 November Other Liability (Occurrence) P&C Insurer List
You are being provided this 2024 November Other Liability (Occurrence) P&C Insurer List as a benefit of your membership with the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA). MAIA is providing you with this list to give you speedy access to information on the Other Liability (Occurrence) marketplace in Massachusetts. Don’t forget that you also have the…
Minor Rules & Regulations
*This question was answered based on current rules, regulations, and statutes in effect as of November 2024. Question We have an insured who has a child who is 17 years of age, already graduated high school, and is working every day part-time. The child’s license is now being suspended for going 10 miles over the…
CDL DACH Checks and Downgrades
November 18, 2024 As part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Testing Program, the FMCSA manages a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH). The Clearinghouse is a database that contains information about drug and alcohol violations committed by Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP)/CDL operators. These drug and alcohol…
CDL Webinar – Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Implementation Webinar Follow Up
November 18, 2024 The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) held a webinar on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 to review the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) before implementing the final rule on Monday, November 18, 2024. The final rule establishes requirements for State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) to access and use information from the Clearinghouse indicating…
2024 November Workers’ Compensation P&C Insurer List
You are being provided this 2024 November Workers’ Compensation P&C Insurer List as a benefit of your membership with the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA). MAIA is providing you with this list to give you speedy access to information on the Workers’ Compensation marketplace in Massachusetts. Don’t forget that you also have the general…
Cancellation and/or Non-Renewal of HO, DP, MAP and BAP in Massachusetts
November 18, 2024 Written By: Irene Morrill, CPCU, CIC, ARM, CRM, CRIS, MLIS, LIA, CPIW – Consultant, Technical Affairs, MAIA Massachusetts has laws regarding the legal/proper way of non-renewing or canceling voluntary homeowners, dwelling fire, personal auto, and commercial auto. These laws have not changed since the beginning of my insurance career in September 1975.…
Disabled Veteran Fee Exemptions – HERO Act
November 12, 2024 Effective immediately, the Massachusetts HERO Act exempts disabled veterans from paying the following RMV fees: Registration fees for any/all vehicle registration(s), with exceptions. Driver’s license transaction fees (for all license classes), with exceptions. Read the full update here. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier at 508-634-7353 or via email at [email protected]
2024 November Commercial Auto P&C Insurer List
You are being provided this 2024 November Commercial Auto P&C Insurer List as a benefit of your membership with the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA). The reason MAIA is providing you with this list is it lets you have speedy access to information on the Commercial Auto Insurance marketplace in Massachusetts. Do not forget…