O’Neil states “MSA is a financially strong A Rated carrier that we have added to our agency in order to aggressively write quality commercial lines business. They put forward a great combination of coverage that other carriers cannot or will not and that puts T&O in a very competitive position going forward. MSA is proving to be a very significant appointment for our agency.”

O’Neil said; “We are excited to partner with yet another carrier that understands how to underwrite coastal property and has weathered some of the worst hurricane seasons in a State like Florida.”

For a quick homeowners quote, fax your current policy to 508-999-0608.

Joanne brings over twenty five years of insurance sales and service experience to the agency. O’Neil states,“ I couldn’t be more pleased to have someone with Joanne’s knowledge and experience to assist our commercial clients.” A licensed insurance agent in Massachusetts, Ms. Pilling will be responsible for helping current commercial clients with policy and claim service requests along with the establishment of new client relationships. Joanne can be reached at Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance, 271 Union Street, New Bedford, Ma 02740, 508-994-5678 or jpilling@toinsurance.com.

Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance Agency, Inc., is a progressive insurance agency serving thousands of clients throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island since 1956. The agency can also be reached at www.toinsurance.com.

Mr. Chaves application was selected from many applications submitted by deserving students. We congratulate Matthew and wish him much success with his college career.

The Southcoast Insurance Agents’ Association will award a $1000 scholarship annually to the child or grandchild entering college of a member agency employee. The Southcoast Insurance Agents’ Association Inc. is made up of over forty local independent insurance agencies dedicated to the service of clients and communities throughout Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Prior to joining Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance, Patrice managed the B. McDermott Insurance Agency in Fall River for 20 years and after the sale of that agency moved into production with a firm in Middletown, Rhode Island.

Patrice can be reached at 508-994-5678 or at pdepin@toinsurance.com. Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance Agency is a progressive agency serving the needs of thousands of individuals and businesses throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. For more information please visit www.toinsurance.com.

Christopher J. O’Neil, VP of the Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance Agency, is pleased to announce his company’s attendance at the 2011 New England Food Show being held March 20-22nd at the Boston Convention and Expo Center. Zurich Small Business, an agency carrier and leader in small business insurance, will be there to introduce a new restaurant insurance program. The Zurich Restaurant Program is a new and very competitive product which bases the rating on public square footage of the restaurant. Clients enjoy the elimination of audits on receipts and also the inclusion of coverage such as liquor liability, food borne illness and food spoilage and others.

Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance will be at Booth 3206 where visitors can enter to win various prizes chosen at the end of each day and the end of the show. Bring a copy of your current insurance policy for a comparative quote and automatically be entered to win an IPod Touch!

Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance Agency Inc. is a progressive agency serving the needs of thousands of individuals and businesses throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island since 1956. For more information please visit their website at www.toinsurance.com or call 888-993-3947. The New England Food Show website is www.nefs-expo.com.

The vote was taken at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting held recently at the Century House in Acushnet. Chris also serves as Vice President of the South Coast Insurance Agents Association and as Chair of the Business Development Committee for the Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board.

Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance has provided insurance protection for thousands of families and businesses throughout Southeastern Massachusetts since 1956. Chris can be reached at 508-994-5678 or at WWW.TOINSURANCE.COM.

Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance is located at 271 Union Street, New Bedford, Ma or on the web at WWW.TOINSURANCE.COM. Their products include personal, commercial and employee benefits.

As an insurance agent based in New Bedford, MA, I know that when it comes to storms in New England, hope is not a plan. Planning is essential for every family in an area that is prone to severe weather. Simple preparations can make a big difference in times of emergency. There are several great websites that provide preparation plans and puts you in the frame of mind needed to make a list of things to do. The National Hurricane Center provides the following tips on things to consider:

Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home’s vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.
Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard. In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your home but within your community.

> Determine escape routes from your home and places to meet. These should be measured in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles.
> Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact, so all your family members have a single point of contact.
> Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate.
> Post emergency telephone numbers by your phones and make sure your children know how and when to call 911.
> Check your insurance coverage – flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance.
> Stock non-perishable emergency supplies and a Disaster Supply Kit.
> Use a NOAA weather radio. Remember to replace its battery every 6 months, as you do with your smoke detectors.
> Take First Aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes.

I would also like you to focus on the most important paperwork in the event of a storm, your home insurance policy. An important thing to know when it comes to home insurance is that some changes to coverage will not be allowed by most insurance companies once a storm has been named. Increases in coverage and deductible changes may not be honored therefore, it is imperative that your coverage is up to date prior to the threat of a storm.

Deductibles are an important area of your home insurance to focus on also. The home insurance industry has implemented special deductibles for wind storm claims and also the more specific named storm.

If you haven’t looked at your policy in a while, you may be surprised that you have a separate deductible for a storm that is named. Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The original name lists featured only women’s names. In 1979, men’s names were introduced and they alternate with the women’s names. Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2009 list will be used again in 2015.

The named storm deductible is usually based on a percentage of the amount of coverage on your home, so they can be very large. Setting aside a few dollars every year might be a great way to offset that large deductible in the event of a big claim such as damage from a hurricane.

Prepare your disaster plan, focus on your home insurance at least once a year and put a few dollars away to pay that big deductible. Also, make sure to contact your independent insurance agent with questions or concerns.

Most importantly, enjoy what we all hope is a very quiet Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Christopher J. O’Neil is Vice President of Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance Agency in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He is also Vice President of the South Coast Insurance Agents Association and a member of the Independent Insurance Agents of Massachusetts. Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance is a Trusted Choice Agency.

Trusted Choice® agencies offer consumers a broad selection of insurance policies and financial services products, customized insurance coverages as well as advocacy support. Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance and more than 7,200 other Trusted Choice® firms nationwide are committed to providing excellent customer service.

“I am very excited to join this dynamic and innovative group of consumer-oriented insurance professionals. Trusted Choice® empowers my agency to reach more prospective customers by providing me a consumer-tested logo and branding tools and resources that were not affordable to me before,” says O’Neil “Trusted Choice® makes it easy for me by offering tailored how-to instructions, guidance, support and ready-to-use advertising materials to promote my agency to local consumers.”

Today more than 7,200 independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms throughout the United States are participating in the brand program as are 41 leading insurance companies.

“We are excited to welcome Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance Agency to Trusted Choice®,” says Tom Ahart, Trusted Choice® Board chairman. “The agency’s participation in the brand movement shines a bright spotlight on its commitment to providing current and prospective customers the best in service and insurance protection.”

Trusted Choice® agencies are the smart way to buy insurance and financial services. These agencies represent multiple insurance companies, so they offer a variety of coverage choices and can customize an insurance plan to meet specialized needs.

Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance Agency is a local Trusted Choice® agency that represents multiple insurance companies, so it offers you a variety of personal and business coverage choices and can customize an insurance plan to meet your specialized needs. You can visit Tomlinson & O’Neil Insurance online at WWW.TOINSURANCE.COM or call 508-994-5678.