With homeowner's insurance rates on the rise, you may be looking for ways to reduce your annual premium without skimping on coverage. After all, a large portion of your net worth resides in the same place as you do.
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But there are a number of strategies you can use to chip away at your overall annual premium.

When you have business insurance policies you will often hear the terms “insurance binder” and “certificate of insurance,” but do you know the difference?

A binder is a contract of insurance. It's called a binder because it "binds" your coverage and creates an insurance contract and is used temporarily until the policy is issued.
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A certificate of insurance is a form of proof of insurance warranting that you have coverage for a specific period.

There are about 10 million adults over the age of 50 in the United States who provide care for their aging parents. During the past 15 years, the number of adult children providing primary financial or personal care for their parents has increased more than three times. About 25 percent of all adult children in the country today are the primary care providers for their parents. The same number is almost equal to the number of non-working adult children who help their parents.

Having a medical condition doesn't automatically disqualify you from buying life insurance. While finding coverage can be more difficult than it is for others, individuals with challenging medical histories and even severe conditions can usually find at least some coverage.

Wearable medical devices such as the Fitbit are making increasing inroads into all aspects of life. Corporate wellness programs are embracing them as a way to encourage activity. In some cases, incentives may be provided to employees who meet certain activity and other health targets.
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Insurance companies are also getting more interested in collecting biometric data from customers via wearable medical devices and other forms of monitoring. For example, John Hancock now offers "interactive" life insurance policies, under which customers can submit to optional fitness and activity tracking via wearable devices and smartphones.

Injuries due to slips and falls are one of the most frequently reported workers’ compensation claims. While these accidents can happen anywhere, any time, they typically spike during the winter months. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 20,000 workplace injuries due to falls from snow, sleet, and ice occurred in 2016. Of those, 28 percent resulted in more than a month off of work.
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Employees and visitors alike are at risk, but with a proactive safety plan, slips and falls can be prevented.

Health literacy refers to the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Health Literacy Month, observed each October, aims to close the gap that exists between the way healthcare is communicated and the ability of most people to understand the information.
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According to the National Action to Plan to Improve Health Literacy, nearly 9 out of 10 adults don’t fully understand routine health information. People who have difficulty understanding how to prevent and manage their health are more likely to skip needed medical treatment, go to the emergency room more often, and tend to make mistakes with their medications.

To build healthier communities, we need to work together. With clear communication, we can help people adopt healthy behaviors, follow medical advice, and understand their health insurance. 

Across the country property and business owners have been overwhelmed by damage caused by tornados, fire, flood, and other disasters. For many, this is the first time they have experienced such loss, and they become targets of insurance fraud when questionable contractors show-up in damaged communities offering to clean and repair the damage, handle the insurance claim, and other services.

You may have heard the phrase, “the only constant is change.”  Take a moment to think about everything that has happened over the course of this last year.  Have you changed jobs, gotten married, or had a baby?
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It’s true. Our lives are always changing, which is why it is essential to review your insurance needs annually. Coverage needs change as the circumstances in our lives change. Family, home, and career status should be reflected in your policy coverage.

The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. Enforced in phases, the final phase of implementation, targeting air travel, began in January 2018.

Most states are already compliant or have received an extension; however, all states need to be compliant by October 2020. Starting October 1, 2020, every U.S. resident will need to present a REAL ID-compliant license/ID, or another acceptable form of identification, for accessing Federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and boarding commercial aircraft.