21 Aug
2017

How to build a solar eclipse pinhole viewer & view the eclipse safely

by Katelyn Betts | with 0 Comment | in Tips

By now you’ve probably heard that we’ve got this kinda cool thing happening today. It’s called a solar eclipse, in which the moon will completely block out the sun. Now, the area of “totality” (meaning that the moon will block out 100% of the sun’s surface, is only about a 70-mile wide band. However, even outside that 70-mile range, you can still see a partial solar eclipse from anywhere in the US. The sun will still have a sliver remaining. Near Atlanta, we can expect about 97% totality.

It’s not every day that a total eclipse happens right above our heads. It’s going to be something to see! But there are some safety precautions to keep in mind before you head out to watch the eclipse. You might have heard some fuss about special eclipse viewing glasses that will protect your eyes. It’s never a good idea to look directly at the sun with unprotected eyes, so to look up and see the progress of the moon against the sky you need to make sure to protect your eyeballs. You can cause serious eye damage if you don’t.

One way to protect your eyes is with the special solar eclipse glasses we mentioned (regular sunglasses do NOT provide enough protection.) But if you didn’t have a chance to get some glasses (they went like hotcakes) or if you’re worried that the pair you did get isn’t legit, we’ve got another way for you to watch the eclipse safely. And that’s with a pinhole viewing. You can make your very own eclipse viewer out of a cereal box, some white printer paper, and some aluminum foil.

16 Aug
2017

Does my small business need umbrella insurance?

by Katelyn Betts | with 0 Comment | in Business Insurance

Some claims are just too big for normal insurance. As a business owner, you probably don’t want to think worst-case-scenario about a huge disaster or lawsuit befalling your business. It’s easier to shut those things out of our minds. But the truth is that it might happen. Big losses, though they might have a low probability of happening, do happen. And when they do they can be absolutely devastating.

That’s why there’s excess liability coverage. You might know it better by its nickname, umbrella insurance. What does umbrella insurance do, exactly? And why do you need it for your business? We’ll explain what umbrella insurance can do for your business and why you might want to consider it.

14 Aug
2017

5 tips to keep your home insurance claim from being denied

by Katelyn Betts | with 0 Comment | in Home Insurance, Insurance, Tips

Filing a home insurance claim can be daunting. The reason that you have home insurance in the first place is to help you replace things that have been destroyed by factors outside of your control. It protects you from losses. Getting the insurance and paying the premiums is easy. Filing a home insurance claim and getting it approved can sometimes feel like another story.

When you’re filing a home insurance claim, it’s important that you keep a few things in mind to make sure that you get the payments that you need to rebuild what you’ve lost. Just because you fill out the paperwork doesn’t mean that the money will magically appear in your bank account. The claim could get denied, which is something that you don’t want to happen. If your claim is denied, you’re kind of back where you started.

To make sure that your claim isn’t denied, make sure that you keep the following tips in mind when you’re working through the filing process.

07 Aug
2017

Helpful tips for insuring your priceless jewelry, art, and other valuables

by Katelyn Betts | with 0 Comment | in Home Insurance, Insurance

Take a wander around your house. Or, if you’re not at home, take a mental tour of your home. Chances are there are a lot of expensive things that you’ve forgotten are there – they’re just a part of your home, so you don’t really think about them anymore. It’s not like you dwell on how fancy the décor at your home is, or how expensive the silverware was. Your valuables are just, you know. There.

But the thing is that these valuables might not have enough insurance coverage through your home insurance policy. For example, the limit of coverage for jewelry is often $1,000, and the limit is often $2,500 for silverware. Plus, a home insurance policy might not cover loss of these valuables due to theft, accident, or natural disaster – it really depends on your policy. Would that be enough to protect all the jewelry and silverware that you own? What about your artwork? Heirlooms?

To make sure that your valuables are protected from anything that life could throw at you, we’ll go over your options for insuring your belongings.

02 Aug
2017

Are your temporary workers covered by your business’s insurance?

by Katelyn Betts | with 0 Comment | in Business Insurance

Sometimes there just aren’t enough bodies around to get all the work done that needs to get done. If you find yourself shorthanded, you might be considering taking on some temporary workers from a staffing agency. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement – the employee gets some work, you get an extra set of hands to help out, and you save yourself the trouble of having to go through the hiring process to find someone.

But the problem is that since your temporary workers are only temporary, they might not be covered by workers’ comp. So what would happen if they, say, fell off a ladder? Slipped on a wet tile floor in the break room? Fell down a flight of stairs? The point is that it would be hard to know who’s responsible for covering the medical bills, or the legal costs if they decide to sue.

Anyways, the point is that you need to make sure that you completely understand the relationship between the worker in question and the staffing agency. How the staffing agency classifies them (as a W2 employee or a 1099 worker) affects how they are – or are not – covered by workers’ comp or general liability insurance.

So. With that lead-in behind us, let’s jump in.

31 Jul
2017

Understanding the nitty-gritty of your insurance policy in 6 steps

by Katelyn Betts | with 0 Comment | in Home Insurance, Insurance

Yep, trudging through the entirety of your home, auto, or life insurance policy is probably not exactly your idea of a good time. Big words, stuffy language, long sentences…oodles of fun, right? Oh, yeah. Insurance policies. Good stuff.

As daunting as the task may seem, reading through your policy is actually very important when it comes to making sure that you have the coverage you need for your family. Your policy spells out the agreement between you (the insured) and your insurance company (the insurer) and explains who’s responsible for what if you’re faced with a catastrophe.

Whether it’s your home insurance policy or your auto policy, you need to make sure that you know what’s going on in that very important legal document. You never know when it’s going to come in handy. To help you out with that little bit of homework, we’ll take a piece-by-piece look at each section of your insurance policy so that you’re in the know when it comes to your insurance.

26 Jul
2017

How to prevent sexual harassment lawsuits at your business

by Katelyn Betts | with 0 Comment | in Business Insurance

No one wants to feel threatened or intimidated at the workplace. Work is supposed to be a safe place, and as an employer you want your employees to feel happy and excited about showing up every morning. And you want them to feel comfortable and hopefully trust the people around them. Sometimes, though, there’s behavior you might not see from some of your employees that makes others feel vulnerable or uneasy. Sexual harassment in the workplace is not something to be taken lightly. The negative effects that it has on a workplace are serious.

24 Jul
2017

What you need to know about motorcycle insurance, safety, and saving cash

by Katelyn Betts | with 0 Comment | in Auto Insurance, Insurance

Riding a motorcycle is a lot different than driving a car. While cars aren’t without without their risks, motorcycles have an even more dangerous reputation. The motorcycles you see zooming by on the road might look cool, and yes, it might be more fun to ride a motorcycle than to be trapped inside a car. But the truth is that motorcycles are far more dangerous than cars, which is why you need motorcycle insurance.

If you’re a motorcyclist or if you’re thinking about buying your dream bike, you need to make sure that you have adequate coverage for all the risks that come with hitting the road with two wheels instead of four. We’ll go over the types of coverage you need for that shiny new bike. We’ll also give you some tips on how to save on your motorcycle insurance and how to stay safe on the roads.

20 Jul
2017

From the Desk of Jim Lloyd: The InsuranceHub Journey

by Jim Lloyd | with 0 Comment | in Jim Lloyd

When I look back on the insurance industry, I can’t help but notice how fast things are changing. Today’s insurance world isn’t the same as it was even fifteen years ago, and I think it’s those changes and my observations over the years that have inspired me to share my thoughts on our blog (that and my marketing director said I should.) I’ve been in the insurance and small business world for a long time – just don’t ask me how long! My business, InsuranceHub, has been on quite the journey since we’ve started, and to kick off this new section of our blog I thought I’d reflect on how we got to where we are.