Not a bad idea to turn your watter off if you will be out of your home for an extended period of time.

There are many advantages to having an independent insurance agent service all of your insurance needs.

As the holiday season is upon us we invite you to use all caution and care with you celebrations. Each year holiday season fires injure 2,600 individuals and cause over $930 million in damage. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), there are simple life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday. By following some of these precautionary tips, you can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a holiday fire casualty. The following are a few tips that can help minimize the risk faced during these winter months.

Christmas trees

Holiday lights

Holiday decorations

Candles

Smoke Alarms

Understanding Replacement Cost calculations will help assure that your home is properly insured.

A recent auto accident involving a child reminds us of how valuable this coverage is.

Don't risk a lot in order to save a little.

How much can I really save by raising my deductibles, eliminating the bells & whistles or lowering my limits of liability?

The Hartford has been a leader in providing innovative insurance programs for the technology industry. Just as quickly as the technology industry evolves, insurance needs for someone in the tech services and/or manufacturing business also changes. The following is an explanation of some of the tech insurance programs offered by The Hartford.

These days, any business could be sued. But technology companies are especially prone to lawsuits - and those lawsuits can be particularly costly. Consider what would happen if your technology firm was found legally liable for a financial loss because:

• A bug in a software program you produced cause a client's server to crash.
• The equipment you installed for you biggest customer didn't work.
• The web site you designed for one customer too closely resembled its key competitor's site.

In situations like these, you'd want to know you were protected by a sound insurance program.

At The Hartford, we believe that a complete insurance program for technology businesses includes professional liability coverage. That's why we developed the FailSafe suite of professional liability policies designed especially for virtually any sized technology company. Better yet, these coverages complement the standard insurance packages The Hartford offers your business.

Coverage that Can Grow with You

Because no two technology companies are alike, The Hartford addresses varying degrees of insurance needs with three increasingly robust FailSafe products. This suite of products is designed to evolve with your company's changing needs. So as your firm grows, you can migrate from one FailSafe product to another.

FailSafe MEGA

FailSafe MEGA is ideal for small technology companies with less than $5 million in revenues. It is designed for the following types of services:

• Development, sales, installation, integration and/or maintenance of: Hardware, Packaged software, Custom software
• Consulting Services
• Web site design
• Systems outsourcing/systems facilities management/administration
• Application services/leasing (ASP,MSP,etc.)
• E-commerce application development

FailSafe MEGA provides Errors & Omissions (E&O) coverage in case someone claims:

• You were negligent in fulfilling you duties because of something you allegedly did wrong or failed to do.
• Your technology services did not perform as intended.

FailSafe GIGA

FailSafe GIGA is a monoline E&O policy including breach of warranty coverage. It is designed for the following types of services:

• Development, sales, installation, integration and/or maintenance of: Hardware, packaged software, custom software
• Consulting Services
• Internet access
• Web site design / hosting
• Systems outsourcing/Systems facilities management/administration
• Application services/leasing (ASP,MSP,etc.)
• E-commerce application development

FailSafe TERA

FailSafe TERA is a robust technology liability policy that includes specified E&O, as well as:

• Specified content, which covers copyright, trademark infringement, and plagiarism.
• Specified security, which encompasses failure to prevent unauthorized access, and denial of service.
• Specified personal injury, which protects you against claims of libel, slander, and invasion of privacy.

FailSafe TERA is designed for the following types of services:

• Development, sales, installation, integration and/or maintenance of: Hardware, packaged software, custom software
• Consulting Services
• Internet access
• Web site design / hosting
• Systems outsourcing/Systems facilities management/administration
• Application services/leasing (ASP,MSP,etc.)
• E-commerce application development

Additional FailSafe Benefits

What also makes FailSafe particularly appealing for technology companies is that it:

• Provides protection based on when claims were first made and reported.
• Includes subsidiaries in the definition of "insured".
• Specifies coverage for independent contractors and clients.
• Provides universal coverage.
• Offers insurance limits of up to $10 million (GIGA and TERA only).

If you feel that you may be paying for coverage that really doesn't cover your unique exposures, contact an agent at Advance Insurance. We will review your current policy and suggest what coverage is available for your unique exposures. In the event of a claim, to find out that your policy may not cover you, what then have you been paying premium for?

Remember, when one buys insurance they are usually most concerned with the amount of premium cost required. When a one experiences a claim, they are usually concerned with the coverage they purchased.

Does your business have potential automobile loss exposures that you are not aware of?

Does your business have potential automobile loss exposures that you are not aware of?

The following information was received from the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations

Caution: The information below is provided as a public service and is not intended to be legal advice. If you believe the provisions discussed do not cover you, you may want to consult with an attorney experienced in industrial insurance.

Introduction

The Nevada Statutes for worker's compensation insurance are clear on the issue of employer coverage. Unless excluded by statute, Every person, firm, voluntary association and private corporation, including any public service corporation, which has in service any person under a contract of hire needs coverage. (NRS 616A.230)

The information below is not meant to cover every situation. Many of these concepts have been litigated and have been addressed by district courts and the Nevada Supreme Court. In most cases, the definitions presented here have been the key to decisions regarding when an employer is required to have coverage.

As a business owner you have invested much of your life and resources into the success of your business. Just like anything else in life, this asset you've created must be protected.