Celebrate the Holidays — Carefully

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‘Tis the season — for holiday parties! With the holiday season upon us, everyone should be aware that the host has specific responsibilities to keep everyone safe when alcohol is served. “Social host liability” laws refer to party hosts…

High Limit Personal Liability Coverage: More For Less

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Financially successful individuals and families with significant insurable assets should secure personal excess liability. This coverage provides an additional layer of asset protection for damages you or a covered family member may be responsible…

Back-To-School: Protect More Than Just Their Stuff!

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This time each year, it seems the media is full of back-to-school protection tips advising parents and college students on how to protect their “stuff.” While such guidance is helpful, these glib articles commonly ignore the host of 21st-century…

Water, Water, Everywhere

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Although these three words are borrowed from “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” they capture the heartbroken sentiments many homeowners experience after a failure in their internal plumbing system has caused water to flow throughout their…

Hurricane Season is Here: Are You Prepared?

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NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is predicting another above-normal Atlantic hurricane season. Forecasters predict a 60% chance of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season. If this…

Sacrificing peace of mind for insurance savings? There is a better way

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Years ago, this brilliant advertisement for Fram Oil Filters featured an auto mechanic reminding car owners that investing a small sum to replace their oil filters regularly will reduce the need for expensive engine repairs later. It concludes…

Nanny Diaries: Those Honorary Family Members Are Still Employees

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Families who decide to personally employ a nanny often fail to understand that their legal obligations as an employer begin the moment their new nanny walks through the front door. Even more dangerous, after years of satisfactory…

Effective Insurance Programs — Start With a Plan

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Not surprisingly, perhaps 95 percent of the consumers I meet with to review their insurance programs focus their discussions exclusively on the insurance policies they own. Ours is a product-focused culture, and our buying decisions…

Having a Breakdown? Solutions for Home Mechanical and Electrical System Failures

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Consumers who experience a loss involving the failure of one of the many mechanical or electrical systems in their homes are often surprised to learn such losses are commonly excluded under a standard homeowners policy. Be advised: standard…