First of all what is Gap Insurance?  Gap Insurance stands for Guaranteed Auto Protection and is an optional auto insurance coverage.  This coverage helps pay off your loan if your car is totaled and you owe more than the value of the car.  Totaled cars are typically paid out at Actual Cash Value (ACV).  Actual Cash Value is replacement cost minus depreciation.  As you know your new car loses value as soon as you drive it off the lot.  In the first year a car usually depreciated 20 percent.

You get in an accident and your car is totaled.  If you own your car, the check for your totaled car will be sent to you.  If you lease the car, the check is sent to the leasing company.  So what if the amount of your loan is more than the check to the leasing company?  You still need to pay the fiance company for the balance.  Paying for a totaled car is not what you want to be doing!  The solution is to buy Gap Insurance.  Gap Insurance pays the difference between the amount of your loan and the ACV of your car.

Gap Insurance is a smart addition to your auto policy if:

• Your car is new
• You leased your vehicle
• Financed for 60 months or longer
• You put less than 20% down on the lease

Keep in mind that you will still need to pay your deductible if your car is totaled and you have Gap Insurance.  If you have any questions about Gap Insurance please call us!  www.mancuso-nowak.com 

It is easy to say no to additional auto coverage when you are signing up for a policy.  Who doesn’t want to save money?  But at what cost?  If you get in an accident you will be relieved that you have rental car reimbursement/substitute transportation coverage.  You will not be left without a car when you need to get to work.  It is peace of mind to know your insurance will reimburse you or will directly bill the insurance company the rental car cost.  The limit of coverage for a rental car is selected by you when you add the coverage to your policy.  We recommend at least $30/day for this coverage. 

It is important to know that with most companies you need to have collision and comprehensive coverage in order to have substitute transportation coverage.  Also, if you have AAA your rental car reimbursement amount is bumped up to the next tier automatically.  This means you get more money for a rental car.  Substitute transportation coverage is helpful in various scenarios when your vehicle needs to be repaired: if you are at fault in an accident or if you are in an accident that the other driver caused and they don’t have enough insurance.

All too often we hear our clients disappointed that they didn’t add substitute transportation coverage to their policy.  It is not an expensive line item on a policy and is worth it in the end.  If you have any questions about rental car coverage, please call us www.mancuso-nowak.com.

There are numerous accounts of insurance fraud, but usually the insurance company suffers.  Recently there have been some incidents of individuals committing insurance fraud and both the other driver and the insurance company have to pay for it.  Please watch out for drivers that may not have the best of intentions.

Let’s preface this example with a rule of the road: if you have the right of way on the road, follow that rule, do not let others go in front of you. Rule also is true for the opposite, don’t go if someone who has the right of way is letting you go. Some drivers who have the right of way have been letting others go in front of them, only to hit them on purpose. This allows them to total their car and have the other driver at fault.  With this type of insurance fraud both the driver has to pay for having an at fault accident on their driving record and therefore, increasing their auto premium and the insurance company has to pay out on this loss that was done on purpose.  Everyone loses.

Following the rules of the road will help prevent this type of insurance fraud.  Be smart, know the rules and know that not everyone has the same good intentions you do while driving.  Stay smart and stay safe!

There have been some changes in Massachusetts regarding the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) system and the implementation of Real IDs.  As with any change, there is an adjustment period.  The longer wait times at the RMV have been the biggest complaint since their new ATLAS system went online in March.  Some of these wait time issues are from the new requirements for the Real IDs.

Real IDs are federal identification cards that will allow you to fly domestically and enter into federal buildings by 2020.  Real IDs will take the place of your MA state drivers license.  After October 1, 2020 you will need a Real ID or a passport to fly within the United States.  See picture below to view the difference between the current MA drivers licences and the new Real ID.  There are more requirements to obtain a Real ID than to get a standard MA drivers license.  In order to be issued a Real ID you will need to provide the RMV with proof of the following:

• US citizenship or lawful presence
• Social security number
• Massachusetts residency

If you need additional information on what is acceptable documentation for the above 3 items, please refer to the Massachusetts RMV website: https://www.mass.gov/guides/massachusetts-identification-id-requirements.

The biggest problem the RMV is finding when people are applying for a Real ID is the valid proof of Social Security numbers.  People are bringing laminated SS card to the RMV.  It is illegal to laminate your SS card.  If you have already laminated your SS card you may request a copy from the Social Security Administration.  To do this go to the SSA’s website and request a copy, you should have it within a week or so.

The other issue causing the longer than usual wait times is the RMV’s ATLAS system has had a few glitches since its implementation.  The good news is that with the ATLAS system glitches are fixed much quicker than their old computer system.  The new ATLAS system is very adaptable.  If there are problems with the computer system the fix usually done within the day.  With the old system, changes would require the IT department and 3 months of repair time.

The RMV is working on improving all aspects of their new computer system and the roll out of the Real IDs.  We can help make our trips to the RMV a little more pleasant by preparing with the correct documentation….and maybe a little patience : )

Joe is the founding father of Mancuso-Nowak Insurance.  The business has been his life for 35 years.  He is the patriarch of this family agency and he oversees the day to day operations with an eye out for agency opportunities.  

How it all began…Joe went to college to become a teacher.  He taught for a few years and then a friend who was in the insurance business suggested he try out insurance for the summer.  If he didn’t like it he could go back to teaching in the fall.  And as they say, the rest is history.  That was in 1976 when he started working for Tully Insurance in West Boylston.  In 1983 Joe met Eddy Nowak through his accountant.  They decided it would be a smart idea to go into business together.  And it was!  Originally located right next door to our current location, Mancuso-Nowak started business in 1983.  In 1988 Joe bought the building next door, 252 Boston Turnpike, renovated it and the agency has been located here ever since.

Joe is a people person.  All of his great relationships with his customers make the business successful.  Many of his customers have been with him for years.  The same is true for the employees.  Kara, our office manager, has been working with Joe for 27yrs.  The office environment is friendly and welcoming, which comes from the way that Joe interacts with the employees.

On the weekends Joe enjoys going down the Cape, especially when his grandchildren are down with him.  Joe has a love of cars and his grandson is following in his footsteps.  Together they go to car shows and share stories of the amazing cars they see, endless hours of car talk.  Joe is a golfer and mostly enjoys it…if he is playing well.  Other days he is never playing golf again.

Mancuso-Nowak is a family business that works hard to make sure your family has the insurance coverage you need.  Joe and Tony are the family foundation of our agency!

Most of you know Tony – we know this because everyone who calls in to the office says I’m really good friends with Tony.  So half of Massachusetts is best friends with Tony.  Tony is the President of Mancuso-Nowak Insurance. He is one of our fearless leaders in this exciting field of insurance. Tony sells both personal and commercial insurance.  So he makes sure all of your insurance needs are met – home, auto, motorcycle, boat, umbrella.  If you own a business Tony can set you up with Workers Compensation, General Liability, and Commercial Auto policies.  In order to make sure our customers are happy Tony meets with customers to go over coverage and options with policies.  Tony also manages day to day office operations and the employees.

It was 12 years ago that Tony first entered the insurance business.  He was inspired by his wife’s uncle (Uncle Joe), Joe Mancuso.  Working for years in the restaurant industry, Tony realized he needed a change.  He knew nothing about insurance, but had a lot of respect for Joe.  It only took a few meetings for him to realize that this was the business for him.  Joe became Tony’s mentor.  From the start it was a great working relationship.

For Tony insurance is all about the people.  He enjoys working with the employees to find insurance coverage that best suits our customers.  Matching clients with coverage is what it is all about.  Tony says he truly loves what he does, and it shows.  And Tony’s duties aren’t just insurance sales, he is our janitor, our Poland Spring water restocker, and he is really good at buying lunch for everyone in the office too!

On the weekends Tony enjoys spending time with family and friends.  From sports with his son to golf to dinner, Tony knows how to have fun with the ones he cares about.  You can even find him at the latest workout facility…mostly because Kelley, his wife, drags him : ) We like Tony because he lets us make fun of him for going to Soul Cycle!

Mancuso-Nowak is a family business that works hard to make sure your family has the insurance coverage you need.  Tony and Joe are the family foundation of our agency.

Theresa’s warm smile brightens the office on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.  Theresa is the runner for our office.  As a runner she goes to the Registry of Motor Vehicles for renewals, registrations and new plates for our customers.  She is an invaluable part of our team, as she braves the chaos of the RMV a few times a week.  We do not charge our customers a fee to go to the registry for them, we do it as a courtesy.  When Theresa returns from the RMV she likes to sneak in a chocolate at the front desk.  That’s part of the job description, help eat the office chocolate : )

Theresa is Tony’s mom, so she was introduced into the insurance business through him.  The agency was looking for a runner and Theresa was excited to help out in the office, it was a perfect match.  We all enjoy working with Theresa and love hearing all her stories about the craziness at the RMV and what she has planned for the afternoon.  She is a joy to have as part of our team here at Mancuso-Nowak.

When Theresa isn’t working you can find her going to the gym, knitting and quilting.  On the weekends Theresa goes to church and her grandson’s sporting events.  Taking her granddaughter to lunch is one of her favorite things!  During the summer she takes pleasure in working in her flower gardens and enjoying her backyard pool with family and friends.

Melissa is a part time employee here at Mancuso-Nowak.  She is the one who will greet you if you come in, she sits front and center when you walk in to the agency.  She has all different daily tasks, from insurance renewals to social media to human resources (this could be an arbitrary designation?).  Now she is administrator for the Biggest Loser competition in the office, a very important job!  With the renewals Melissa is in charge of reviewing all the customers’ renewals and ensuring coverage and premium are in check.  Social media posts on Facebook and Twitter are done daily by Melissa.  She is the one always making the office pose for pictures to post : )

Melissa has insurance in her blood, literally, she is Joe Mancuso’s daughter and grew up in the business…and Tony is her cousin by marriage.  She went to Bryant University to study finance and received training at Liberty Mutual for insurance underwriting.  After having her children she moved back to the area and started working a few hours at the agency.  Now she continues to work while her children are at school.  There is no other place she would rather work surrounded by family.

When asked Melissa said her favorite part of working at Mancuso-Nowak is that her family has worked hard to have a small business to help local residents with their insurance needs.  Working with and for family has been very important to her.  Her co-workers (that aren’t related to her) have become her work family, so she has a lot of respect for them and their hard work in the agency.  Even though insurance is very fun, sometimes the entertainment from co-workers makes each day even more enjoyable.  She also loves greeting the customers when they come in to the office.  Our customers are the best and we want to be the agency they can depend on for their insurance needs.

If you are looking to eat healthy Melissa is your girl.  Because she has Celiac Disease she knows every grocery store aisle and restaurant that carries gluten free food.  She lives vicariously through everyone in the office when they are having Rocco’s donuts, cookies and candy.   She does lead the office in tater tot consumption though!

You can find Melissa volunteering in her childrens’ classrooms when she is not in the office.  On the weekends she is at her kids sporting events and spending time with her family and friends.  The Cape is her happy place, she loves beaching it during the summer.  During the winter she hibernates because she’s always cold!

With great mentors in the insurance business, Melissa looks forward to every day at the agency!

Anyone who has worked with us in the past 27 years knows Kara.  And they are happy to know her!  She is our rock and the glue that holds us all together.  She has been with Mancuso-Nowak the longest of all our employees.  Kara is the Office Manager and handles our finances.  As an Office Manager she provides support to the Customers Service employees in both Personal and Commercial lines.  In addition to all of that she handles some of our Commercial line accounts.

How did we get so lucky to have Kara?  She was going to college and a friend recommended her for a part time job at Saksa Insurance.  The year Kara graduated from college Mancuso-Nowak bought Saksa Insurance and Kara was offered a full time position.  Kara has been with us for 27 years (and she’s only 39! wink, wink).  The office is a better place with Kara here.  She makes us laugh….mostly at her “Monday is Diet Day”.  She’s all business with her diet on Monday, then by Tuesday the Twizzlers and chocolate are fair game.  She will always have the bowl on the front counter in the office full of candy.  She keeps us all happy, and well fed with junk food.

When asked about her favorite part about working at Mancuso-Nowak, she said all of the people who work here and the customers.  We couldn’t agree more.  The office works cohesively together and we have fun doing it.  And without our great customers we wouldn’t exist.

When Kara isn’t at work you can find her spending time with her family.  She is always at soccer, football and basketball games and track meets cheering on her two children.  And to wind down from her busy week you can find her watching Law & Order SVU, there isn’t an episode she has missed!

Kara does an amazing job steering this ship everyday.  Thank you Kara for your loyalty and dedication to us and all of our customers : )