Alera Group, Inc.

Parsippany, NJ

    About Us

    About Us

    Erich Courant & Co was established in 1949 and with the help from our client have become a leading insurance agency offering insurance coverage in the Tristate area and throughout the country.

    We serve a multitude of markets, offering Personal, Commercial and Specialty lines of coverage. We represent some of the nation's top rated insurance carriers including Chubb, ACE, AIG, Travelers, Hartford, Utica, Selective, Cincinnati and USLI. Our rapport with our insurance partners allow us to provide our clients with the greatest insurance coverage at the most competitive pricing available.

    Vision and Mission

    Our mission is to be the most trustworthy insurance agency and partner. We promise to help our clients safeguard their largest asset – their home and business.

    We promise to help our clients safeguard their largest asset - their home and business.

    We take the mystery out of insurance and help you make sense of it, so you can look forward to a brighter, more protected future.

     

    QUICK LINKS
    Our Team

    Meet Our Team

    We at Erich Courant are dedicated professionals who are committed to providing superior service to our clients. We help our clients understand and manage their insurance needs.



    Howard Bergstein

    President
    Howard Bergstein Headshot

    Howard has been an insurance retailer for twenty-seven years, with extensive experience in the areas of high end Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, Directors’ and Officers’ Liability, Employment Practices Liability, Professional Liability, Data Security and insurance for the real estate and technology industries. After fifteen years as a successful agent, Howard acquired Erich Courant & Co. in 2005 and still runs it today.

    He is a 1990 graduate of the University of Rhode Island where he minored in Insurance. In 1992, Howard was awarded the CPIA (Certified Professional Insurance Agents) Young Producer of the Year award. He has also been designated as a Chubb Cornerstone agent numerous times over the past ten years.

    Howard resides in Bergen County, New Jersey with his wife and three daughters. He is an avid skier and golfer. He also enjoys growing vegetables and perfecting recipes for his barbecue smoker.

    Yvonne Sitko

    Vice President / Commercial Lines, CPIA
    Yvonne Sitko Headshot

    Yvonne was born in NYC. She has lived in Orange County, NY most of her life. She attended Pine Bush High School and Suny Orange Community College.

    She began her insurance career back in high school through a class work program as a receptionist. She later became a licensed broker and has continued in this carrier field ever since. Yvonne has been with Erich Courant since 1993 and has counseled many of our personal and commercial insurance clients. She has recently become involved in marketing in an effort to reach out to our clients and enhance our agency.

    Yvonne appeared in a Chubb Insurance Company video that promoted a paperless workflow for insurance agents. You may recognize her voice – hers is the voice you hear on our telephone recording.

    When she isn’t glued to a computer screen, she spends time at the gym, interval training, dancing in AyoJam or playing with her grandchildren, Andrew, Aliana, Dakoda, Aulani, Joshua, Brielle and Dyami.

    Justin Sitko

    Account Manager / Commercial Lines, CPIA
    Justin Sitko Headshot

    Justin was born in California. He has lived in the Hudson Valley, NY most of his life. He is an alumni of The Ohio State University and is a member of Sigma Alpha Mu.

    Justin is a licensed Property and Casualty Broker in the Tri-State area and has been working in the insurance field for more than 10 years. In 2012, he was awarded the CPIA (Certified Professional Insurance Agents) designation.

    He is married and has eight-year-old twins, Andrew and Aliana that keep him very busy. When he isn't involved with the twins activities or coaching little league, you'll find him on the golf course or making beer. If you ask him, he'll tell you nearly anything about beer and local breweries. He is a devoted fan of the The Ohio State University Buckeyes so you'll lose any debate on college game day.

    Marlene Cuadrado

    Account Service Manager / Personal Lines
    Marlene Cuadrado Headshot

    After obtaining her degree in Business Administration in 1981 Marlene began her career in the insurance industry. She has been involved in the industry for over 30 years, most of her career with Erich Courant. She has a tremendous work ethic and takes great pride in tailoring our client’s portfolio’s to suit their individual needs.

    Marlene resides in beautiful Hunterdon County with her husband Tony, sons Anthony and Victor who are her greatest accomplishments. In her private time, she enjoys reading, all genres of music and walks with her beloved border collie Lucy.

    Resources

    Resources

    Client Resources

    We encourage our clients to report claims to our office, but if we are not available, we don’t want to delay your recovery.

    You can report the claim directly to the company – by phone or online.

    View our resource page for instructions on what to do if you experience a property loss or auto accident, how to submit a claim and make a payment.

    General Resources

    NAIC Glossary of Insurance Terms

    View this comprehensive online definition guide for key insurance terms. 

    Car Value

    Vehicle pricing and vehicle information. Car value - Fair purchase price - Trade-in value.

    DMV

    Department of Motor Vehicles - Driver's License, Learner's Permit, Tickets, Points & Penalties, Forms, Registrations & Titles, Plates, DMV Offices.

    Department of Banking and Insurance

    The Department of Insurance is in charge of regulating insurance companies, agents, brokers and public adjusters doing business in that state.

    There are laws and regulations in each state that protect consumers against unfair insurance practices.

    Community & Awards

    EXPERT EDUCATION

    Events and Webinars

    Employee Benefits

    Maximizing Impact: The Value of Voluntary Benefits for Today’s Workforce

    In this session, our experts will showcase the value of voluntary benefits, from financial savings to improved retention to addressing the specific needs of their employees.

    March 20, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual

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    Employee Benefits

    HIPAA Privacy and Security Overview

    Join our compliance experts for an overview of HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Rules. During this webinar, we'll review the different types of entities subject to HIPAA, take an in-depth look at protected health information (PHI), individual rights under HIPAA and what to do when there is a breach of PHI.

    April 11, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual

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    Employee Benefits

    Balancing Cost and Care: Could a Captive solution be the right fit for you?

    In this session, our experts will discuss how Captive solutions work and what you need to consider for your own group’s needs.

    April 17, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual

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    "Thank you for all of the assistance that you have provided over the years. You are a trusted and reliable resource and I have come to rely upon you for both my personal and professional insurance requirements."
    R. Forman
    "It's no surprise that insurance companies do not have tons of reviews. Generally, when you have an experience with them it's due to a significant loss and it's hard to turn a negative into a positive experience overall. However, with Erich Courant & Co it's really quite different. For my entire adult life I have worked with the team here, all of which are truly fantastic people, for all of my insurance needs. About a year ago with little time I simply signed up for insurance outside of their company. Fortunately, I ran into Howard at an event and just like a family member, forced me to send everything over to him so he could take a look at it. Obviously I was not adequately covered they immediately put together a policy within my budget that fit my needs. To say the least, I owe Howard a drink because unfortunately I had to utilize this policy this past month. With massive water damage I was left homeless with many of my belongings destroyed. Now, only two weeks later my claim has been fully satisfied and everything replaced. I was fully covered and throughout the entire process the team at Erich Courant was there making sure everything went flawlessly. Using anyone else for any of your needs in my opinion would be foolish and irresponsible. You always get what you pay for."
    W. Berardino
    "Most people dread the idea of having to deal with any sort of insurance problem. With Howard as my agent, this is not the case. Every problem I have come across, whether car or home, has been taken care of by Howard and his staff quickly and diligently. And without haggling. When you need him most, he is there. Aside from being a trustworthy agent, I also consider Howard a good person and friend."

    Matt
    “Erich Courant is the best insurance brokerage firm I have worked with over the past 35 years. They provide insurance coverage for our real estate and medical consulting company. They also provide coverage for our family. We get regular guidance to protect our business and owner’s interests. And, when we have had claim, they have exceeded our expectations in putting the pieces back together. We have had 2 catastrophic events that they managed with perfection. Getting full coverage to quickly replace a computer server room containing 8 mission critical servers. And, guiding and orchestrating the claim and reconstruction financing of a 2nd home that involved a several hundred thousand dollar claim.”

    S. Tabor
    "I have known Howard Bergstein for over 25 years...The way he and his firm handle their clients is amazing. The personal touch that they offer is very rare this day in age...I would recommend Erich Courant & Co., Inc. and Howard Bergstein and his staff."
    L. Micchelli
    "I have been a personal and business client of Erich Courant & Company for the past 15 years. Their exceptional service, response time, professionalism and attention is unmatched. They have helped me navigate the claims process for both personal and business claims with positive outcomes. I have referred family, friends and business associates over the years all of which thank me and commend the staff for their attention to detail, timeliness and personal service."

    D. Kushner
    "Howard came to my office a couple of years ago and took the time to assess what my family's insurance coverage needs were. While I appreciated his efforts, I was most concerned at the time with consolidating all my policies under one "roof" and saving money on premium payments. It turned out that Howard was able to get me more coverage with a better carrier (Chubb) than I had before, and managed to save me money on the annual premiums that I had been paying. As fate would have it, my apartment was flooded the next winter as the result of a frozen pipe to extent that my home was uninhabitable for about 7 months. My flood was at 7:00AM on a weekday, I called Howard at 7:15AM, and he had a flood remediation team at my place by 9:30AM. He had a name and a number for every service that I needed from movers to contractors, etc. and made himself available constantly to help me and my family get our home back to order. He also made sure that our homeowners insurance paid our claims fairly and in a timely manner. I would absolutely recommend Howard and his team and Chubb to anyone requiring quality insurance coverage and first-rate service."

    J. Krantz
    "As an Insurance professional myself for 30 years, I know the value of a broker is truly tested at the time of a serious claim. Hurricane Sandy presented my family with a very significant watercraft claim. Howard Bergstein and his staff at Erich Courant not only recommended the right coverage for me prior to the loss, their response time and claim service was second to none. Erich Courant orchestrated all the resources necessary to see my claim to completion and in doing so, by far exceeded my expectations."

    R. Crocitto
    "Our family would like to thank your company for the amazing support you provided during the water damage claim which had us out of our apartment for an entire year. Howard Bergstein provided us with the best coverage from the best carrier, Chubb, which handled everything professionally and importantly in a timely fashion. If you have never had a claim like us, you want a team that can walk you thru all of the issues from start to finish and give you peace of mind during a turbulent period. Howard and his team are great advocates for their clients, of which we will be one for the long term. Thanks again."

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    October 8, 2024

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