First step of retirement planning? Figure out your goals

Matt BauerRisk Management

Are you ready for retirement? There are a lot of calculators out there, from simple to complex, that claim to help you figure that out by crunching your numbers and spitting some back at you. Knowing the numbers can be helpful to give you a basic idea of where you stand. (FYI, we like this calculator from Bankrate.) But numbers … Read More

In 2016 OSHA fines may be going up, way up

Jonathan BelekBusiness Insurance, Manufacturing, Risk Management

Buried in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 is a provision that would bring a startling increase to Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) fines. Unchanged since 1990 and not indexed to inflation, OSHA fines are set to jump nearly 80% next year, with increases indexed to inflation after 2016. The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 tied … Read More

Protect Your Company from “CEO Fraud”

Matt BauerBusiness Insurance, Cyber Security

Remember the e-mails claiming you’d won the Nigerian lottery, full of misspellings and bad grammar and requesting your bank account information so funds could be wired?  These amateur e-mail scams are a thing of the past and a new, rapidly growing and sophisticated threat is targeting businesses worldwide and has already resulted in more than 7,000 companies in the U.S. … Read More

Hiring a contractor? Don’t get caught without ‘Additional Insured’ protection

Jonathan BelekConstruction, Homeowners Insurance, Risk Management

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

Do you have the right controls in place to help prevent a data breach?

Matt BauerBusiness Insurance, Cyber Security, Risk Management

The news on hacking, data breaches, and the state of cyber security is largely gloomy. Consider that a record number of companies dealt with significant data breaches last year and that the cost per compromised customer record keeps going up. Indeed, research by the Ponemon Institute reflects a reality of data breaches that borders on inevitability. But all hope is … Read More

Is it a bird, a plane or a liability?

Jonathan BelekBusiness Insurance, Commercial Auto Insurance, Commercial Property Insurance, Cyber Security, Homeowners Insurance, Risk Management

Domino’s wants to deliver your pizza with one, and your cousin had one fly over her beach wedding.   The use of drones, or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), has exploded in recent years.  The small remote controlled planes are being flown by hobbyists to government personnel monitoring disasters and crops. The Federal Aviation Administration is finalizing its regulations for commercial … Read More

Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law effective July 1, 2015

Shannon HudspethEmployee Benefits, Health Insurance, Human Resources

On Nov. 4, 2014, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot measure, known as the “Massachusetts Paid Sick Days Initiative,” to provide earned paid sick leave to employees.The Earned Sick Time Law is effective July 1, 2015, and generally covers all employers in Massachusetts. However, employers must comply with existing collective bargaining agreements or contracts that have more generous leave provisions. On … Read More

Fairfield County Personal Risk Management: What do Americans Fear?

EditorRisk Management

Fairfield County Personal Risk Management: What do Americans Fear?  Travelers recently released the findings of its second Consumer Risk Index report which measured public opinion about the general perception of risk involved in Americans’ daily life. The study, which was conducted in late July of this year by outside firm Hart Research, survey of 801 adults from different parts of … Read More

Has Your CT Business Considered Creating a Captive?

EditorBusiness Insurance, Risk Management

Has Your CT Business Considered Creating a Captive?  There are many risk management strategies available to Connecticut businesses designed to help moderate the potential impact of a business mishap. Traditional business insurance, for example, is one of the longest standing risk management solutions to help an operation protect their property, employees and assets from a host of risk exposures. Establishing … Read More

Healthcare Industry Risk Management: Are We Adapting to Telemedicine?

EditorHealth Insurance, Risk Management

Healthcare Industry Risk Management: Are We Adapting to Telemedicine? According to industry analysts, telemedicine has the potential to deliver more than $6 billion a year in healthcare savings to U.S. businesses, yet healthcare providers seem somewhat reluctant to adopted telemedicine into their practices. In their recently released poll, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conducted an inquiry into … Read More