Homeowners Insurance can cover houses, condominiums, townhouses, and apartments, and it combines insurance for many kinds of personal property and liability for many of your personal actions. It does not cover automobile accidents.

Homeowners Insurance does not cover flood damage. We can obtain Flood Insurance if you need it, in a separate policy backed by the United States Government. A limited amount of coverage for back-up of sewers and drains (typically $5,000-$25,000) can usually be endorsed onto your Homeowners Policy for less than $50.

Homeowners Insurance does not provide business coverage, but a small in-home business can often be added to your Homeowners policy for relatively little cost.

Most people do not carry enough liability insurance. If you can afford a home, you have assets to protect, and we strongly recommend purchasing personal Excess Liability or Umbrella coverage. These policies are not expensive in comparison to the coverage they offer and can provide much higher liability limits over both your home and automobile insurance.

Automobile insurance policies can combine coverage for damage to your vehicle as well as liability coverage for injury to others and damage to their property. In New Jersey, you may also purchase coverage for your own medical expenses arising from automobile accidents, as part of the “no-fault” system.

In New Jersey, over 80% of automobile insurance purchasers elect what is known as the “verbal threshold." This endorsement very significantly cuts the cost of your automobile liability insurance, and it limits your ability to sue to cases involving serious injuries.

Most people do not carry enough liability insurance. If you can afford a home, you have assets to protect and we strongly recommend purchasing personal Excess Liability or Umbrella coverage. These policies are not expensive in comparison to the coverage they offer and can provide much higher liability limits over both your home and automobile insurance.

Many Life Insurance purchases involve Term Insurance. Term Insurance commonly sets a period (10 years, 20 years, even 30 years) during which the insurance premium stays level. Because the policy does not build any cash value, providing only a benefit in the event of death, it is the least expensive form of Life Insurance on the basis of annual premium. The premium generally increases dramatically at the end of the term. Term Insurance is usually a good solution for the maximum amount of insurance, but not for life-long coverage or to build a cash value in the policy.

In some cases, a Life Insurance product with a cash value or investment component as well as a death benefit may be the best answer. These products are called Universal Life, Variable Life, Whole Life, and possibly other terms depending on the insurance company involved. We can help you review these options.

Long Term Care Insurance minimizes the chance that you will ever be a burden on those you love. It can give you the power to choose where and from whom you will take assistance in living if you ever need it. It can help you stay in your home as long as you can, and it can help give you better options when you pick another place to live. Long Term Care Insurance gives you choices and protects your assets.

Long Term Care Insurance can provide a daily or monthly amount to cover assisted living expenses. It can give your spouse help in caring for you. It can stop a drain on your assets so your spouse has less worry about his or her future if you are ill. It steps up to protect you when you have less ability to protect yourself.

Long Term Care Insurance covers more complex situations than Life Insurance does, but it can help you protect the same things: your income, your home, your family, and your dreams. With increasing life spans, many people will need a degree of support at some point. The earlier you buy this coverage, the less it costs each year. It's very important to pick the right company, so let us outline some of the key issues and typical costs for you. If you have questions, or if you already know you need Long Term Care Insurance, we're here to help.

Most people do not carry enough liability insurance. If you can afford a home, you have assets to protect, and we strongly recommend purchasing personal Excess Liability or Umbrella coverage. These policies are not expensive in comparison to the coverage they offer and can offer much higher liability limits of liability insurance over both your home and automobile.

While your exposure to liability for automobile accidents is obvious, the potential for lawsuits arising from home ownership may not be. However, slip and fall cases, dog bites, and other home related injuries to others can expose you to large lawsuits.

Combining your personal automobile and home insurance with one insurance company usually provides discounts from their standard rates. A Package may also allow you to buy better coverage.

Even Packages do not provide Flood coverage. We can obtain Flood Insurance for you if you need it, in a separate policy backed by the United States Government. A limited amount of water damage coverage (typically $5,000 for back-up of sewers and drains) can usually be endorsed onto your Package for less than $50.

Personal Packages do not provide business coverage, but a small in-home business can often be added to your policy for relatively little cost.

Wedding Insurance is designed to cover the unusual "what if" circumstances that might affect your wedding. It can provide coverage for lost deposits if a reception venue burns down or a hurricane hits a destination wedding location, extra expense to re-create wedding photos, extra expense to postpone a wedding if a key person becomes ill, extra liability insurance if someone is injured at the wedding, and similar issues. It costs about 1% of the amount to be covered.

Gerrity, Baker, Williams Inc. has provided insurance to teachers for more than 20 years, and many of our clients are teachers and retired teachers. Currently, GBW is endorsed by the Morris County Council of Education Associations.

One of the insurance companies we represent, Encompass, has special coverages for teachers. Most notably, we have an endorsement for packages of Personal Insurance that waives the deductible if your automobile is damaged on school grounds.

If we can be of assistance to you with any form of insurance, please call on our toll-free number for NJEA members, 1-800-548-NJEA, and identify yourself as a member. Or e-mail us at NJEA@GBWmail.com.