So I Sent My Child Off to Daycare....

My daughter turned one in June.  We knew we were going to have to transition her from having Aunty watch her nearly every day to a traditional daycare setting soon.  Panic ensued.  Anxiety was my friend at night. How was my daughter going to be OK if she couldn't even talk to me and tell me how her day went?

Let's talk childcare insurance.  You see, I come from a different perspective.  I come from a side where I see the most horrific claims come through as one of my specialties is in the childcare insurance industry. 

Tis the Season for Oktoberfest

Tis the season for leaves changing colors, cool brisk evenings, scary costumes, pumpkin carving contests and OKTOBERFEST!  I have to admit, I'm not a beer drinker.  But, many, many of you out there are.  And judging from how many people attended Campbell's Oktoberfest festival this year, there are NO shortage of people drinking and loving their beer. 

The Rising Cost of Insurance and How to Cope

There is no denying that insurance costs across the board are beginning to rise.  For the past five years insurance costs kept on diving and diving, dipping lower and lower than I have ever seen before in the marketplace.  Insurance carriers were writing risks at alarmingly low rates that I knew would not be able to be sustained.  One of my previous bosses used to call those carriers "the flavor of the month".  And boy was he right.

Building Trust With Clients Amidst Insurance Scams

Yesterday I had an appointment with a client that has been with me for years.  Halfway through our annual renewal meeting, the CEO told me a horror story about how after twenty years with his personal lines broker, he decided to shop around.  He received a mailer from what seemed to be a legit operation.  He even went to the insurance broker's office.  Everything seemed to check out just fine.

My client did all the right things.  He even consulted with his current agent on the quote the other agent had provided.

Happy New Year! 2013 Here We Come!

Wishing all of my readers a very happy and safe New Year's!  

Which Workers Comp Wage Thresholds are Increasing for 2013???

Many of us don't agree with the wage threshold hikes, but we're just the messenger for the Workers Compensation Bureau & Insurance Commissioner.  Brokers in our office have had to make difficult phone calls in the past few weeks to our clients and explain the wage threshold increases.  And believe me, no one is happy about the changes.

Here are the workers compensation class codes that will see an increase in wage threshold effective January 1, 2013:

Less Clients, More Service

'Tis the season for being thankful!  And this season I am absolutely thankful for my each and every one of my clients.  They make my day colorful with emails and phone calls.  But the true test is actually being able to be there for a client when accidents or claims do occur.

Late last night I received an email from a client that one

That Will NEVER Happen to My Company!

I can't count how many times I've sat down with C.E.O.'s, V.P.'s and C.F.O.'s for them to tell me that a specific claim instance would never happen to them.  Well, news flash...it has happened to some of my clients!  And no matter how many controls, safety measures and positive company cultures you may boast, it can happen to your company.   Recently we stressed the importance to a company for crime coverage.  The owner was adamant that this would never happen to his company.  He denied the coverage and he is now dealing with over a $350,000 financial loss due to an employee stealing from the company.

Are You Classified Properly???

Answer yourself one question: What exactly does your business do?  Are you a manufacturer and your insurance policy classifies you as a wholesaler?  Are you a general contractor and your policy is classifying you as a subcontractor?  Are you a retail operation and your insurance policy states you're distributor?  Sadly, companies are classified improperly WAY too often.   

Cheating on Your Audit and How it Doesn't Pay Off

Insurance carriers are surely cracking down on clients withholding payroll or gross revenue information.  One of the most repeated complaints I hear from prospects or new clients is that they always get a pesky audit bill at the end of the insurance term.  And, let's be honest.  It's never a good time to pay a large chunk of money to an insurance company.  But if you lie when reporting your revenue or payroll, be prepared to get caught. 

Worst Passwords of 2011

The Insurance Journal did a piece not too long ago on the worst passwords of 2011.  As we are inching our way closer into 2012, maybe it's time to review the top 25 worst passwords and see if any match up with your current passwords.  A good password is the first defense to a cyber attack.  If any of your passwords hit upon this list, it's time to make a change - pronto! 

Do I Really Have to Report Every Workers Compensation Claim?!?!

This past week I did a presentation on what a reportable claim is and how first aid differs from a reportable claim.  After the presentation I quickly realized that many people in the room, let alone my current clients, probably had no idea they had an option when it comes to reporting workplace injuries.  So in the next few minutes, I'll attempt to explain what a first aid vs. reportable claim summary situation actually is.