Entries Tagged 'Sign Of The Times' ↓

During times of grief, insurance and taxes are the farthest things from your mind, but they must be dealt with at some point. If you’ve recently inherited a home from a loved one, there are some important details that you may not have considered.

Think insurance first

One of the first things you’ll need to do is contact your insurance company. Just because the occupant of the house expired doesn’t mean the policy has as well. Ask the insurance company to add your name as the primary insured person, and check to see how long the policy will remain active. This will ensure that any claims filed during this period will be covered.

If you choose to keep the inherited property, it’s a wise move to review the insurance policy before automatically opting for the same coverage. Depending on the area, a home could have appreciated greatly over the years, and the coverage amount needs to reflect current value.

If you rent it

If you choose to rent out the property, speak to my office about additional coverage specifically tailored to rental properties. You’ll likely need to increase your liability coverage and revise the personal property section of your policy.

Although your insurance policy regards a home as a structure, our office doesn’t; we understand the stress and can help you through the tough decisions so your inheritance will pay off, either as an option to live in or as a source of rental income or cash from its sale.

Your building is protected from certain risks by property insurance; your employees, by workers’ compensation; and your vehicles, with commercial auto insurance. But what about risks associated with your business’s intellectual property (IP)?

Most business owners know protecting IP is crucial; one of the best ways to do so is with IP insurance. But how exactly does it work?

What is intellectual property? There are four types of IP (with definitions courtesy of Investopedia):

• Trademark: “A symbol, word, phrase, logo, or combination of these that legally distinguishes one company’s product from any others. Any infringement on a trademark is illegal and therefore grounds for the company owning the trademark to sue the infringing party.”
• Copyright: “The ownership of intellectual property by the item’s creator. Copyright law gives creators of original ideas, art, etc. the exclusive right to further develop them for a given amount of time, at which point the copyrighted item becomes public domain.”
• Patent: “A government license that gives the holder exclusive rights to a process, design or new invention for a designated period of time.”
• Trade secret: “Any practice or process of a company that is generally not known outside of the company.”

What does IP insurance cover? There are two types of coverage to help in the event of alleged IP infringement. One pays the costs of your legal defense if someone claims you stole their IP; the other, the cost of suing someone you believe has infringed upon or stolen your IP.

For businesses centered on ideas or inventions, IP insurance to protect them is essential. Typically, commercial general liability policies exclude IP coverage. Sometimes available as a policy provision, and commonly paired with Errors and Omissions (E&O) policies, there are also stand-alone IP insurance policies.

Who needs it? Any company whose core business is the development of new products should have IP coverage.

For larger businesses, IP insurance is essential because of turnover. Patents can easily expire without anyone noticing, typically after 20 years. IP protection through constant and proper IP designations (think © and ^TM) is a good preventive measure, but IP insurance functions like liability protection.

All companies should consider IP insurance to protect against claims, especially small businesses, since they are more vulnerable to the costs of legal defense expenses or judgments, where damages can run from $650,000 to $5 million.

Finally, all businesses face employee IP theft risks.

Do you need IP insurance if you’ve correctly registered IP and know your idea is original? If accused, you’ll need to prove ownership of your IP, and IP insurance can help fund the expenses to do that without unneeded and unjust financial strain.

How do I obtain coverage? You must know you haven’t infringed upon anyone else’s IP and be able to prove you’ve conducted an IP search and filed patents, copyrights, or trademarks. You also can’t have any claims or lawsuits filed against or by you.

Contact my office to help you navigate the issues around IP.

Paying for one’s own vehicle in addition to gas and insurance is just too costly for many Americans today, according to Matt Moore, vice-president of the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

As a result, the number of people who are using other methods of getting from place to place – such as car shares or rentals – is on the rise.

But if you don’t own your own vehicle, you don’t need auto insurance – right? Wrong. In some states, you aren’t allowed to drive anyone else’s vehicle without your own insurance. But fortunately, “named non-owners insurance” is available for those who don’t own vehicles, but may rent or drive others’ cars.

Named non-owners insurance provides bodily injury and property damage coverage, and is attached not to a vehicle, but to the “named” policyholder. It covers you in any vehicle you drive. Without it, you could be sued if you cause an accident driving someone else’s vehicle. For example, you borrow your friend’s car and cause an accident. If he or she has minimum liability on the car, and the liability coverage maxes out, your named non-owner policy will kick in to cover what’s left.

This coverage works for those who regularly rent cars or drive others’ vehicles, car-share participants, and those who are required to file an SR-22. Generally, named non-owners insurance is a great option for many people.

If you plan to own a car sometime in the future, it maintains your good-driver status, but more importantly, it offers peace of mind.

If you own vacant land, you may assume it doesn’t need insurance, but unfortunately, that’s not true.

Vacant land can be a breeding ground for liability lawsuits. You’re responsible for what happens on your property, meaning any accidents to others could cause you big headaches. Although you’re not legally required to carry vacant land insurance, doing so will protect your other assets. If someone is hurt on your property, you could be sued. Vacant land insurance will help pay for injured parties’ medical expenses, legal expenses, and certain types of property damage.

Why do I need vacant land insurance?

If you suspect trespassers may be using your land, you probably need it; if you permit people to use your land, and they pay you for the privilege, you’re liable for anything that may happen to them. Even if they don’t pay, you’re liable, but not to the same extent.

What can happen?

• Hunters and fishermen pose heightened risks of injuries or fatal wounds. Even when it’s something that could be considered their fault, such as falling into a creek.
• ATV accidents: There were 1,701 ATV rider deaths during a five-year study, conducted by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2013. One could have been on your land.
• Hikers unfamiliar with the terrain can be injured, with resulting liability claims.

Protect your assets

Insuring land isn’t difficult, and it’s reasonably priced, especially if it’s an extension of homeowners or farmers liability policies. However, you may also need umbrella insurance, which will add liability coverage from $1 million to $5 million. If a lawsuit maxes out a homeowners or farmers policy liability limits, this coverage kicks in.

To decide if you need vacant land insurance, consider your land’s current use and assess possible risks. Also, know your state’s landowner laws. We will help you determine if and what coverage you may need.

People are working at home more than ever now. However, few realize they need special insurance for their home-based business. After all, they have homeowners insurance…they’re covered through that, aren’t they?

Unfortunately not. But if you didn’t know this, you’re not alone: According to the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) 60 percent of home-based businesses lack sufficient business insurance coverage.

There are three types of insurance designed specifically for home-based businesses:

Homeowners insurance policy riders

Adding a rider to your homeowners insurance is the most economical, with an average cost of under $15 a year to obtain about $2,500 in additional coverage. This isn’t a lot, but it will often make a big difference to smaller companies; this option is usually only available to businesses with $5,000 or less in gross annual business and not much equipment.

In-home business policy

This policy is more appropriate for someone with several employees and a lot of business traffic in and out of their home. It provides more coverage for a variety of incidents, on average $10,000 or more, and costs about $200 a year on average. This policy also includes general liability coverage from $300,000 to $1 million, and limited coverage for loss of valuable documents or information, off-site business property coverage, and use of commercial equipment.

In most cases, you also will be covered for lost income and continuous overhead expenses (such as Internet service, website hosting, and phone service) if your business closes temporarily.

Business owners policy

Also known as a “BOP,” this is what most small- to medium-sized businesses need, and it is a great choice for home-based businesses that have items manufactured or produced elsewhere but run the business from home. It’s also good for those who make products at home to sell elsewhere or online. It includes all the coverage options seen in an in-home business policy, but on a larger scale.

Peace of mind

Paying for additional insurance policies may seem like more bills added to the pile, especially when you’re starting out and want to minimize your expenses. However, it’s one of the most important things business owners can do.

The consequences to a home-based business of not having the right commercial coverage can be dire. Losses will have to be paid out of your own pocket. If you can’t cover them, you could face lawsuits and may be forced to release assets such as your home, savings, business, or more.

Worst case scenario: You may have to return to being an employee to pay off the judgment through your wages. Until a judgment is paid, your assets will continue to be seized, likely meaning you’ll have to shut your doors for good.

Of all the worries you have as a small home-based business, having the right insurance coverage will minimize at least one; effectively, having the right insurance provides peace of mind.

Look at it as an investment equal to the protection you may get from working for someone else.

In 2012, Goldman Sachs employee Greg Smith quit his job. Instead of bemoaning his fate in private, Smith wrote a New York Times op-ed piece saying that Goldman’s environment was “toxic” and that the company “sidelined” clients’ interests.

There’s no telling how many people read that piece in print and online, then shared it via social media. And that’s not even allowing for the thousands of words written in post-publication commentaries.

However, apparently as a result of this firestorm, Goldman Sachs experienced a whopping $2.15 billion decline in market value. That’s how expensive damage to a company’s reputation can be.

With word spreading so quickly via social media, it’s now essential for companies large and small to guard their reputations. Although reputation insurance is now primarily accessible to the “big kids” on the playground, it’s worth keeping an eye out, because it likely will be available soon to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

How can an insurance policy put a stop to rumor mills? Most reputation policies provide companies with public relations expertise before something happens, and it covers the costs and expense of anything from recalls to damage control if something does happen. It would not only cover losses like Goldman Sachs’, but also the repair costs, too.

Currently, most reputation insurance products cost roughly $10,000 annually. As business magnate Warren Buffet once said: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it.”

Fall is deer hunting season, meaning it’s time to hit the brakes for Bambi, and also review your auto insurance.

From September to December, deer migrate and mate, increasing chances of collisions. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), the top month for deer-vehicle collisions is November, with October second.

Many are serious: An estimated 200 people die in deer-vehicle crashes annually. But even minor collisions will cause costly damage. One large insurer’s claim history indicates that deer hit over one million vehicles in a 12-month period – that’s one million reasons to double check your current policy to be sure you have adequate coverage.

Insurance Hunting

III says the average cost of a deer collision claim totals $2,800. Typically, animal-related damage is covered under comprehensive coverage, not collision, but only if you hit the animal. If you swerve to miss Bambi and hit another car, it becomes a collision claim.

Although the damage would still be covered under your collision coverage, collision claims are rated the same as at-fault accidents by insurers, which likely means an increase in your premiums. Comprehensive claims – unless several claims are filed around the same time period – won’t generate an increase.

If you have both coverage types, review your deductibles. Raising deductibles is a popular way to save money, but are you ready to pay $1,500 towards deer damage? Even if you answered “yes,” it’s easier to save money by avoiding deer altogether, which you can try to do by following these tips:

Fall Driving Tips

Keep your eyes open between sunset and midnight, and early morning when deer are most active.

If you see one deer, more are likely to follow.

Slow down at deer-crossing sites.

If you have no choice, hit the deer, not another vehicle or object.

Following these tips will help protect you…and hopefully, Bambi.

The recent popularity in do-it-yourself repairs and renovations has many homeowners rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. Replacing a faucet may be easy, but installing a roof or dishwasher can be daunting.

These larger projects are better left to the professionals, but hiring a contractor can be a job in itself. Protect yourself from less-than-honest contractors by watching for these telltale signs of fraud.

A knock on the front door

One prevalent scam occurs when a “contractor” not known to you offers to conduct a free inspection of your home. The contractor then “finds” serious problems. Of course, you want it fixed. And not only do you have to pay the scammer, you may have to make a claim on your homeowners insurance. Seniors and people without much repair knowledge can be susceptible to this scam.

The negotiator

If a contractor offers to negotiate your insurance claims, walk away. A contractor cannot ensure that your claim will be approved and no amount of negotiating will change this.

A reputable contractor lets you handle the insurance company.

A work in progress

If a contractor is in the process of repairing your home and asks you to file another claim, you may want to get a second opinion. Many contractors will agree to fix repairs cheaply and then intentionally cause more damage. If you agree, you may be participating in insurance fraud.

Make sure you aren’t duped into making unnecessary homeowners claims; do your research before hiring a contractor.

Successful businesses don’t go door to door. Check your insurance company’s recommended contractor list and the Better Business Bureau. Ensure your contractor has proper licensing.

Avoid being scammed, and that kitchen repair that was done properly and came in on time and on budget will make you happy every time you look at it.

As Kermit the Frog once said, “It’s not easy being green.” Despite many obvious advantages to the greening of your commercial space, green upgrades may mean your current insurance coverage could be insufficient in the event of a loss.

Over the last few years, green building improvements have continued to help building owners cut costs. A number of corporations across the US have installed vegetative roof systems in their buildings and have benefited from the shading and cooling properties that reduce energy consumption.

Experts predict the green market will double over the next few years. As quoted by EarthShare, a 2011 study by MIT indicated that sustainability is now on the agendas of 70 percent of the country’s corporations. In response, insurance carriers now offer coverage options for these growing green initiatives.

Some coverages for green initiatives that have been or are being developed are:

• Coverage to replace normal HVAC systems with green systems upon loss.
• Coverage for the installation of alternative plumbing systems for reduced water consumption.
• Coverage for the use of materials that emit fewer indoor air contaminants.
• Coverage for the cost of recycling building materials after a loss.
• Coverage for increased business interruption after a loss due to longer construction periods required for green rebuilds.

Discuss your green coverage – before you suffer a loss – with my office; we can suggest options.

One guiding principle in risk management is “Don’t risk a lot for a little.” But how that motto impacts your particular insurance choices isn’t always clear. There is one thing you do need to realize, and that is that juries are often outraged at organizational negligence, especially when those organizations are perceived to have deep pockets.

Assuming your organization won’t ever face a negligence claim isn’t advisable. Instead, consider the factors below and select sufficient coverage to adequately protect your organization.

Your business type

If, for example, you sell hardware to consumers, your risks of being sued are somewhat limited. On the other hand, if you manufacture handguns, your risk factor is considerable. That said, every business, no matter how small, should be aware of today’s million-dollar verdicts; damages awarded can easily range from $1 million to $20 million or more.

Your organizational appetite for risk

Every management team should determine its individual “risk tolerance.” Some companies embrace risk, while others are extremely risk-averse. Either approach is fine; however, if you assume more risk, you should be prepared with sufficient cash or credit reserves to cover any underinsured loss.

Where you operate

Certain legal venues make defending cases highly problematic. Each year, the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) outlines the worst U.S. venues for civil litigation. However, you don’t have to live in an ATRA “hellhole” to be impacted.

If your organization sells products or operates in those areas, you may still feel the pinch. In ATRA hellholes, you will very likely face an unsympathetic court system if, for example, a product you’ve developed malfunctions and injures someone.

The liability limits of comparable businesses

The insurance industry can assist you in identifying what is happening in your industry, but you need to ask these kinds of questions of your trade associations. You also should keep up to speed yourself by regularly reading trade journals online and following recent verdicts.

For example, the National Law Journal annually lists some 60 of the largest verdicts from the previous year. Some samples: a $64 million award for an age discrimination claim and a $32 million verdict for the death of a sheet metal worker struck by an improperly welded beam.

Insurance premiums fluctuate from year to year depending on many factors, including interest rates on investment income and previous years’ losses in your company and industry.

Resist the temptation to decrease limits when the market “hardens” (that is, when rates increase). Sophisticated insurance buyers who have enough liquidity to pay higher losses may choose to respond to a hard market by retaining more risk, but they will avoid lowering limits just to save money.

In the final analysis, the best advice is this: “Don’t risk a lot for a little.” In other words, saving a few hundred or even thousands of dollars in premium will not seem like such a great idea in retrospect if you suffer a loss or losses that exhaust your coverage limits. My office can help you select the right coverage.