High-net-worth individuals face a greater risk of being sued, especially when unemployment is high and economic growth is tenuous. According to a survey by ACE Private Risk Services, 80% of households with $5 million or more in assets believe their wealth makes them a target for lawsuits. These are real fears. Under the doctrine of joint and several liability, any … Read More
Managing Home Renovation Risks
Home renovations are on the rise; In fact, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University’s Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA), annual home improvement spending growth is expected to increase from 2.4% in the last quarter of 2015 to 6.8% in the second quarter of 2016. Bolstered by 2015’s favorable housing market condition, which included new … Read More
Home Renovation 101: Four Steps you MUST do before you pick up the hammer
As the seasons change, homeowners begin to think about tackling that latest house project – from redoing a kitchen to installing a pool to adding on an addition. Whether your plans are small or large, make sure you’re prepared and covered before a shovel goes into the ground or a paint brush touches the wall. Some people take the do-it-yourself … Read More
7 Insurance red flags when shopping for a new home
Whether it’s juicy Pinterest images of fashion forward quartz kitchen countertops, or creative cork flooring that catches the eye in Dwell Magazine, the latest must-haves saturate the minds of home buyers. But what many home shoppers don’t realize is that insurers are evaluating homes with a very different set of criteria. When it comes to homeowner’s insurance, you want your … Read More
Are You Protecting Your Invaluable Collections?
Over the years, you may have developed a knowledge and love of wine and picked up a few special bottles, which turned into a few more and, before you knew it, you had an extensive – and expensive – wine collection. What would happen if there was a flood in your home or you experienced a power outage that impacted … Read More
Be neighborly this winter…you just might save a life
Brrrr! Thoughts of escaping to spring unscathed by a harsh New England winter evaporated President’s Day weekend when the polar vortex bled into Valentine’s Day, putting a chilly damper on a supposedly spicy night. Winter is here, no doubt, along with its usual inconveniences. But for the elderly, pets and wildlife, and anyone on the roads in a storm, winter … Read More
How to keep safe during the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
It’s officially the holiday season! You’re ready to pick out the perfect tree, drag the ornaments out of storage, and make the house look like a winter wonderland. After all it IS the most wonderful time of the year – and we’d like to help you keep it that way. According to the American Red Cross, there are over 45,000 … Read More
Thinking about hiring domestic staff? Following these smart practices will help minimize risk
Busy professionals reaching ever higher levels of success often find that as their assets grow, free time shrinks. To recapture some of life’s most precious and ever dwindling commodity, many families hire domestic staff in the form of housekeepers, nannies, drivers, chefs, and other personal service providers. Once your family’s needs go beyond just having a weekly cleaning service for … Read More
Hiring a contractor? Don’t get caught without ‘Additional Insured’ protection
It’s that time in your home’s life that fortunately only comes around once every 20 to 25 years or so…roof replacement time! Or maybe it’s time to tackle a big task with a shorter life span, like painting the house. Either way, for projects at this scale you wisely skip the DIY approach and instead find yourself in the market … Read More
How shopping for a cell phone can lead to identity theft
We all know that acquiring the latest and greatest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S comes with a price, but in the case of 15 million consumers, it also came with the now real threat of serious identity theft. The New York Times recently reported that hackers stole data of T-Mobile customers from the credit reporting bureau Experian, one of the … Read More