New Hampshire has long taken a different approach to automobile insurance than most other states. While nearly every state requires drivers to carry auto insurance, New Hampshire instead relies on a financial responsibility system that typically...
Cyber security strategies: How to keep your data and business safe
In our everyday lives, we often do things—without realizing it—that put our data at risk. With the recent rise in cyberattacks across the industry, data protection is more critical than ever. There are plenty practical steps you can take to protect your personal and...
Understand the disconnect: Distracted driving through the lens of auto insurance claims
Nearly every driver agrees that impaired driving is dangerous, but awareness alone isn’t enough to stop it. Recently, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported on this disconnect, finding that while people support stronger safeguards, risky behavior on the roads...
Smart event promotion when money is tight
Small-business owners know the feeling: You’ve planned an event that matters to your business, but the budget barely stretches past the basics. Promoting it can feel overwhelming when every dollar counts. The good news is that effective event promotion doesn’t require...
N.Y.: Have you met TED (again)?
As New York state’s budget season gets underway, the familiar alphabet soup of Albany returns—none more important to insurance professionals than the Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation budget, better known...
Avoid the hazards of certificates of liability insurance: Current legal requirements by state
Certificates of liability insurance were first created by ACORD in 1976, known as ACORD 25. However, the providing of evidence of financial responsibility for liability exposures dates to the late 19th century and early 20th century. The problem with COIs is that they...
On the origin of pet insurance
I’m fascinated by the process of evolution. As a kid, I was a dinosaur fanatic, and I was perplexed by the thought of a Stegosaurus (my favorite dinosaur) evolving into a bird. Luckily, I have since wrapped my brain around that. I’ve always thought of evolution as a...
N.Y.: State of the State address: Insurance takes center stage
Property/casualty insurance rarely gets the spotlight in a governor’s State of the State address. Most years, it’s a footnote—if mentioned at all. However, this year is different. Gov. Kathy Hochul put home and auto insurance front and...
You’ve identified your niche, now you need an insurance carrier
Developing a niche for your insurance agency works if you have relationships with enough insurance carriers that write a wide range of insurance policies to offer your clients choices to fit their unique needs. That is why it’s vital to have the right carrier...
Agents with contractor clients: Take advantage of an underutilized program
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which authorized an additional $1.2 trillion in federal construction projects. It also reauthorizes and funds the U.S. Department of Transportation’s existing Disadvantaged...