With most airlines charging baggage fees, you see more and more people cramming whatever they can into carry-on luggage to avoid the charges, and delay retrieving their bags upon arrival. Aside from the crazy amount of time it seems to add to getting everyone seated while they stow their bags, it has added a new dimension: in-cabin theft from carry-on bags. Read the rest of this entry »

Hurricane season is here.  Make sure you pay close attention to reports of all hurricanes and their predicted tracks. And most important, if a storm is headed our way, don’t leave your preparations until the last minute; be prepared well in advance of any storm making landfall in New England.  Here are a few important tips to follow in your preparations:

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Having a clear, action-focused hurricane plan and taking a few precautionary steps prior to hurricane season are your best strategies to minimize injuries and property damage during a hurricane— and get back to business quickly after the storm.  Here are a few guidelines to help:

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Everyone looks forward to summer vacations – including burglars.  Don’t make your home an easy target for thieves on the prowl.  Here are tips on how to safeguard your home when you’re away AND at home! Read the rest of this entry »

Memorial Day is the unofficial kick-off for summer.  And with that, we restart the joyous season of frequent grilling outdoor.  Now even though we probably all think we know about grilling safely, it helps to keep in mind that on average, there are over 9000 home fires every year directly related to barbecuing.  The National Fire Protection Association cites that in 2011, 16,000 people went to the ER and there was $80 million in property damage resulting from barbecuing.  Let’s not be a 2013 statistic; follow these basic safety tips: Read the rest of this entry »

 

Company outings. Charity road races. Golf tournaments. Walks, parades, fairs, concerts, weddings, and more. What do they all have in common? They are short-term events usually lasting only a day or two. And most important, they are events for which you should arrange Special Event Insurance coverage.  Read the rest of this entry »

Springtime: it’s the season!  Your college kids are coming home with moving vans packed full. Or you’re starting a home renovation project and have no place to stow your furniture during construction. Or maybe you’ve found that great new home you always wanted, but the availability is 2 months after you sell you current home. Solution? You’re storing your possessions – in either a self storage facility or maybe in a mobile unit on your property. Read the rest of this entry »

 

You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker: 

“Look Twice.  Save A Life. Motorcycles Are Everywhere.”

It’s more than a slogan.  It’s advice that will save lives. 

 

For the most part, motorcycle riders take their safety seriously; they understand the risks. (Think about another bumper sticker we saw: “Watch for Motorcycles.  There are no fender-benders”)

 

But if you don’t ride, there are things you might not know about motorcycles. So we thought as we head into the warm months when there are more motorcycles on the road, we’d share “Things Car and Truck Drivers Should Know About Motorcycles.” (Our thanks to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation for this info.) Read the rest of this entry »

Under the competitive auto insurance market system in Massachusetts, insurance companies are free to create their own rules—known as Merit Rating Plans— to determine how your driving record will affect your insurance premium.  These plans lower your insurance premium based on years of incident-free driving, or raise your premium based on at-fault accidents and traffic violations. Read the rest of this entry »

The statistics are frightening.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that more than 1,000 children under the age of 12 die in passenger car accidents every year.  And more than 100,000 are injured.  (In fact, it’s the leading cause of death of children between the ages of 3 and 14 in the United States.) Yet while these losses and injuries can’t all be prevented, parents can certainly help to reduce the risk by properly securing them in the back seat. Read the rest of this entry »