Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Personal Health & Life Insurance
Do I need life insurance if I’m self-employed?
If you’re self-employed, you don’t have an employer providing a group life policy, so it’s up to you to arrange your own coverage. If you have a family that relies on your income, a life insurance policy can replace that lost income. It can also be set up to cover business debt, fund a buy-sell agreement if you have a partner or co-own the business. An independent agent can help you determine how much coverage makes sense for your situation.
What is the difference between term and whole life insurance?
To oversimplify, think about your home. Do you rent or own? When renting, you can contract for a month at a time, year to year, or for longer periods. Owning, you hold the title until you either die or sell it. Similarly, term insurance is for a set period (usually, 10-30 years). It is generally more affordable and usually expires at the end of the chosen period. Whole life covers you for your entire life and is designed to build a cash value over time. It generally comes with higher premiums than term. The right choice for you depends upon your personal situation and goals. A trusted, independent agent can show you your options and help you design a plan that works for you and your goals.
How much life insurance do I actually need?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. To ballpark a figure, look at 10-15 times your annual salary. To narrow it down, consider a simple calculation such as DIME (Debts, Income, Mortgage, and Education). D (Debts) are your non-mortgage liabilities, such as medical bills, student loans, and credit card bills. I (Income) is the amount of income replacement. In a dual-income household, both incomes are usually relied upon to cover the household and other expenses. If that income went away, how long would you need to provide that income to your partner/spouse? M (Mortgage) is the balance of your mortgage. E (Education) accounts for expenses related to dependent/children’s educational needs. An independent agent can help you calculate a number specific to your situation rather than relying on a generic multiple or a rule of thumb.
What is guaranteed issue life insurance, and who is it for?
Guaranteed issue life insurance usually doesn’t require a medical exam or health questions, so approval is guaranteed with limited exceptions. It’s typically used by older adults or people with health conditions that make it challenging to qualify for a traditional policy. There are usually limits on coverage amounts, and premiums are typically higher than those of medically underwritten policies. While these policies have a place and are a great option to have when all else fails, an independent agent usually has relationships with their underwriters and can get informal quotes before committing to an application or falling back on a guaranteed-issue product.
Does long-term care insurance cover in-home care?
It can. Many long-term care policies provide coverage for in-home care, not just nursing home or assisted living care, but coverage details and requirements vary by policy. It is important to review the specific terms of your policy to understand which services are covered and in which settings. If you have questions about your specific policy, contact your agent, the company that issued the policy, or a trusted independent agent who can review the policy with you.
What is the difference between Life Insurance & AD&D (Accidental Death & Dismemberment) policies?
Life insurance pays a benefit (also known as the face value or death benefit) in the event of your death, with limited exclusions (such as misrepresentations on the application or self-inflicted injuries). An AD&D policy only pays in the event of an accidental death or a specific covered injury (such as the loss of a limb). It doesn’t cover illness or natural causes. AD&D policies are generally inexpensive as they don’t need to underwrite your health and can be a good way to supplement an insurance plan. It is important to know what type of policy you are purchasing, as it is not uncommon to hear of people with health issues being sold AD&D policies as life insurance.
Ok, but what’s the difference between AD&D and Disability Insurance?
Disability insurance provides partial income replacement in the event of an illness or injury that prevents you from working. They generally specify the percentage of your income and the number of weeks they will cover. AD&D (Accidental Death & Dismemberment Policies) pay a set amount in the event of a covered loss. It’s a one-time payment rather than an ongoing payment and usually has fewer covered triggers.
Travel Medical & Trip Insurance
Does my regular health insurance cover me when I travel internationally?
Most U.S. health insurance plans, including Medicare, provide little to no coverage outside the country. Travel medical insurance is a separate policy designed to cover emergency medical care and evacuation while you're abroad.
What's the difference between travel medical insurance and trip cancellation insurance?
It depends on what you're trying to protect. If you're worried about the cost of missed ports, flights, or prepaid trip expenses if plans fall through, trip cancellation insurance is the better fit. It typically covers cancellation and interruption costs, plus things like lost baggage, and usually includes some medical coverage as a secondary benefit. Travel medical insurance, on the other hand, is built primarily around health coverage and medical evacuation if you get sick or hurt during your trip, with cancellation benefits, if any, playing a secondary role. As an independent agent working with a wide range of carriers, we can match you to the plan that fits what you're actually trying to protect on a given trip.
Do visitors to the U.S. need separate health insurance while they're here?
Simply put, yes. Healthcare in the U.S. works very differently than in most other countries, and visitors are often unprepared for the cost. A simple urgent care visit or emergency room trip can end up costing thousands of dollars without coverage in place. Visitor health insurance provides primary medical coverage for people staying short-term, usually 90 days or less, and you can typically choose from a range of deductible and co-payment options to fit your budget.
Business & Group Insurance
What's the difference between group health and voluntary benefits?
Group health, usually paired with dental, is typically the first benefit businesses offer as they grow. In Massachusetts, employers are required to cover at least fifty percent of the employee's premium. Voluntary benefits, like vision, legal insurance, and pet insurance, round out a benefits package without being required. The employer can choose to cover part of the premium or leave it entirely to the employee, but even at full employee cost, these benefits provide value through group discount rates that are hard to get on your own, and they help with retention.
What is an EAP and does my business need one?
An Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, provides employees access to support services like counseling, financial literacy resources, and legal recommendations, often with a set number of visits per issue. EAPs are typically a benefit offered by larger employers, so adding one lets a small business stand out against bigger competitors when it comes to attracting and keeping talent. It's a benefit we recommend to nearly every small business we work with. For businesses with fifty employees or fewer, a solid EAP with meaningful coverage, not just the limited version bundled into some disability or other policies, is surprisingly affordable relative to the value it provides. Employees with access to an EAP tend to have fewer absences, better engagement, and better overall outcomes at work, making it a high value, low cost addition to any benefits package.
What is key person insurance and does my business need it?
Imagine two business partners running a landscaping company. One handles the books, advertising, and social media; the other knows everything about growing grass and plants. If something happened to either one, the other likely doesn't have the skill set to keep the business running alone. Hiring and training a replacement takes time and money, meanwhile the bills, payroll, and other obligations don't pause to wait. Key person insurance is a life insurance policy the business takes out on a critical owner or employee, with the business as the beneficiary. It covers the financial gap while you find, hire, and train someone to fill that role, giving the business the runway it needs to keep going instead of shutting down.
How does buy-sell agreement funding work?
Picture two business partners running a successful company together. If something happened to one of them, their share of the business would typically pass to their spouse or family, who may have a very different vision for the business than the surviving partner, or may not want to be involved in running it at all. A buy-sell agreement, put in place ahead of time, gives the surviving partner the option to buy out the deceased partner's share at a fair, predetermined value. This is commonly funded with life insurance, so the surviving partner has the cash available to complete the buyout without straining the business financially, and the deceased partner's family receives fair value for their share instead of an ongoing stake in a business they may not want to run.
Notary & Apostille Services
What's the difference between a notary acknowledgment and a jurat?
Both are common types of notarizations, but they serve different purposes. An acknowledgment confirms that the signer appeared before the notary and acknowledged signing the document voluntarily, it doesn't require the signature to happen in front of the notary. A jurat requires the signer to sign the document in the notary's presence and swear or affirm that its contents are true. Which one your document needs is determined by the document itself or by the party requesting it, such as an attorney, court, or institution. As non-attorney notaries public, we can't advise which one applies to your situation, but are happy to notarize whichever your document specifies. Most documents already include the correct notarial wording, but if yours doesn't, blank notarial certificates are kept on hand and the correct one can be attached during your appointment.
What is an apostille, and when do I need one?
An apostille is a certification that authenticates a document for use in another country that's part of the Hague Apostille Convention. It's commonly needed for documents like birth certificates, diplomas, or power of attorney forms being used internationally.
Can a notary come to my home or office in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts Notaries Public can notarize in any county in Massachusetts, so yes. We provide mobile notary services throughout Massachusetts, we primarily service Bristol, Plymouth, Norfolk, and Suffolk counties.
What services can a MA Notary Public provide?
According to MGL Chapter 222, Section 15, A notary public may perform the following notarial acts:
(i) acknowledgments;
(ii) oaths and affirmations;
(iii) jurats;
(iv) signature witnessings;
(v) copy certifications;
(vi) issuing summonses for witnesses pursuant to section 1 of chapter 233;
(vii) issuing subpoenas; and
(viii) witnessing the opening of a bank safe, vault or box pursuant to section 32 of chapter 167.
Working With Vellum & Sigil
What states are you licensed in?
We are a licensed agency in Massachusetts (Agency NPN 22100351). Our producers are licensed in Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
What does it mean to work with an independent insurance agent?
Insurance agents can be either captive or independent. Captive agents are tied to a single insurance company or brand and can only offer the products and services their 'captive' brand provides. An independent agent works independent of a particular insurer. They are free to contract with and sell products from a variety of insurers. We work with over 60 insurance companies across life, health, disability, long-term care, and voluntary benefits. We have options for almost every situation, and if we don't, we can either refer you to the right place or even add a carrier if necessary.
Is there a cost to work with you?
We do not charge any broker fees, service charges, or consulting costs to consumers. Our compensation is paid directly by the insurance carrier issuing the policy, ensuring you receive full advisory support at no additional cost.