http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/blog/View Interfinancial Insurance Group Company's Website Blogen-uspostmaster@www.interfinancialinsurance.comInsurance Website Builder - www.insurancewebsitebuilder.comurn:uuid:ba1fcede-cef2-4129-a0ba-47bca7b45df8urn:uuid:614a3513-2872-4a7e-ac4d-1932931eef88<img src='http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg' align='left' /> THE LATEST BLOG POST &nbsp; &nbsp; Insurance Mistakes That Will Cause You to Lose Money By Claudia Amaya Fear is an important motivator when it comes to buying insurance. &nbsp;We worry about what will happen to assets like cars or home...Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:46:23 -0500<br /> <br /> <img alt="" src="/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg" style="width: 75px; height: 102px; float: left; margin-right: 2px;" /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre;"> </span><strong><span style="color: #e36c09;">THE LATEST BLOG POST</span></strong><br /> <br /> <strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; display: inline !important; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px; color: #548dd4;">Insurance Mistakes That <br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Will Cause You to Lose Money</span></strong></p> </strong></span><br /> </strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>By Claudia Amaya<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">Fear is an important motivator when it comes to buying insurance. &nbsp;We worry about what will happen to assets like cars or homes if they are involved in a disaster, so we buy insurance to help us maintain their financial integrity in the event something should happen.&nbsp; But in spite of the fact that insurance is designed for this purpose, sometimes it fails to give us the outcome we expect. &nbsp;That's not because of something inherently wrong with the policy, but rather it is the result of human failure. When you bought your policy, you failed to take into consideration the level of coverage you really needed, and what you have isn't sufficient to restore your assets to pre-disaster condition.&nbsp; That is one of the most common insurance mistakes people make, and it could wind up costing you in the end.</span></div> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;"> <br /> </span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Here are some others:<br /> <br /> </span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Thinking you are saving money because you bought the cheapest policy you could find</strong> </span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Initially, those low premiums will seem like a savings; but if the cost of an accident ends up being more than your policy coverage limits, the rest of the expense will be out-of-pocket. In addition, the other parties involved could sue you, and if you don't have any coverage, you could end up losing a large part of your assets. <br /> <br /> </span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Failing to pay your premiums on time, or not at all </span></strong></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">There could be a legitimate instance in which you don't pay on time. However, when you don't pay, your insurance company isn't required to cover you. To avoid a disruption in coverage, set up automatic payments through your bank or insurer. <br /> <br /> </span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Making assumptions about what is covered </span></strong></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">There are limitations to the coverage a homeowner's or auto policy will provide for high-ticket items. You should never assume that all of your possessions are covered. What you can do is add extra coverage to your policy with an endorsement, which gives you higher limits on these types of items.<br /> <br /> </span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Overlooking the importance of umbrella liability policies </span></strong></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">These policies got their name because they protect you from a financial downpour. They can be purchased separately or you can obtain one from the same company that insures your car or home. Buying from the insurer you already have usually entitles you to a premium discount on the liability coverage. Keep in mind that when determining your premium, your insurer may take into consideration such factors as the number of traffic tickets you've received over the past few years, and your credit report.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Not informing your insurance agent about changes that could affect your coverage needs </span></strong></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">If you've added on to your home, or purchased an expensive sound system, you need to contact your agent to see if the policy you have still meets your needs. Your agent can also find ways to help you save money on premiums that won't affect the quality of your coverage such as enrolling in a driver safety class, installing a home security system, increasing your deductible, or taking advantage of multi-policy or good student discounts. <br /> <br /> </span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in;"><strong><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Believing that your homeowner&rsquo;s insurance covers flood damage</span></strong></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Most standard homeowners insurance policies <strong>DO NOT</strong> include flood coverage; but 26% of flood claims are from low risk homeowners and such claims are in the tens of thousands of Dollars.&nbsp; If you live in a low risk area, the premium for $250,000 in coverage for a dwelling can be as low as $350 per year. Flood insurance is available through the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program and may be purchased from the same agent who provides your homeowner's insurance. Make sure to purchase flood insurance for the structure of your house, as well as for the contents. To find out about how much your financial loss could be, due to a flood, go to <a href="http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/flood/Cost_of_Flooding_Tool.aspx" target="_blank">The Cost of Flood Tool</a>.<br /> <br /> </span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from a dire financial situation is to contact your insurance agent annually to discuss your current coverage and your changing needs. They can help you manage your risk by updating your coverage so there won't be any surprises should your home be damaged.</span></p>urn:uuid:f2212610-c9c7-4dcc-af3a-e901de830447<img src='http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg' align='left' /> THE LATEST BLOG POST Grievous Insurance Offenses Committed By Business Owners By Claudia Amaya Your business insurance is an asset just like your equipment or inventory. To use it to its full advantage, you should avoid...Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:01:54 -0500<br /> <img alt="" src="/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg" style="width: 70px; height: 95px; float: left; margin-top: 2px; margin-right: 2px; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 2px; border-width: 2px;border-style: solid;" /> <meta charset="utf-8" /><span style="background-color: #e36c09; font-size: 10px;"><strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span></strong></span><span style="font-size: 10px; color: #e36c09;"><strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>THE LATEST BLOG POST</strong><br /> </span> <div style="text-align: left;"></div> <div style="text-align: left;"><strong><br /> </strong></div> <span style="font-size: 18px; color: #0070c0;"><strong> <p style="display: inline !important; text-align: center;"><strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span></strong></p> </strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Grievous Insurance Offenses Committed <br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>By Business Owners<strong></strong></span><br /> <strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>By Claudia Amaya<br /> </strong><br /> <br /> <br /> <meta name="Title" /> <meta name="Keywords" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <link rel="File-List" /> <style> </style> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Your business insurance is an asset just like your equipment or inventory. To use it to its full advantage, you should avoid these common mistakes:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">1.&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Business insurance is only necessary if you have assets to protect</strong> - Asset protection is only one reason to purchase insurance. Insurance policies also pay for the legal defense of covered losses. As the defendant in a lawsuit, you will find yourself with a hefty price tag for court costs whether you are innocent or guilty. Without insurance, those costs will be an out-of-pocket expense.</span></p> <p><span style="font-style: normal;">2.&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Sole proprietors and S-corporation owners don't need workers' compensation insurance</strong> &ndash; </span></p> <p><span style="font-style: normal;">Small business owners are typically classified as clerical or salespeople and workers' compensation rates for these classes are minimal. The Texas workers' compensation system provides an injured workers and covered owners with three primary types of benefits:</span></p> <ul style="list-style-type: disc;"> <li><span style="font-style: normal;">Medical benefits-&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> payments made to health care providers for services related to an on the job injury.</li> <li><span style="font-style: normal;">Income benefits-&nbsp;&nbsp; paid to the on the job injured employee during the period of convalescence and for permanent impairments which are caused by the work-related injury or illness.</span></li> <li><span style="font-style: normal;">Death Benefits</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-style: normal;">3. <strong>Do not need Umbrella insurance?</strong></span></p> <p style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Umbrella insurance policies fulfill two major purposes:</span><span style="font-style: normal;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">A.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It provides additional limits of coverage (i.e., excess liability coverage) over and above the Business&rsquo; underlying General Liability, Business Auto Liability and Workers compensation Policies.</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">B.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Umbrella Insurance policies provides first dollar coverage for certain liability risk that are not&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; covered by the General Liability, Auto and Workers Compensation Policies.&nbsp; This can occur when the exclusions under the Umbrella insurance policy are narrower than the exclusions under the underlying Policies</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">4.&nbsp;<strong>When buying insurance, you should always opt for the higher deductible</strong> &ndash; </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">You should never choose a deductible until you have first reviewed the savings associated with each deductible level and compared that with your final out-of-pocket payment difference. Don't forget to factor in the level of risk you are comfortable with before making your final decision.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">5.&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>It isn't necessary to see a sub-contractor's certificate of insurance</strong> &ndash; </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Operating on faith may work in some situations, but this isn't one of them. If you fail to get a copy of insurance certification before work starts, you could end up paying more for your workers' compensation after you are audited, even if no claim was filed. If a claim is filed, and the subcontractor is uninsured, your premiums will increase..</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">6.&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Thinking your coverage is cast in stone</strong> - Insurance can only protect assets if they are added to the coverage. As you add inventory or equipment, you should update your policy to reflect those changes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">7.&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Leaving your insurance agent clueless as to changes in your company</strong> - The time to tell your insurance agent that you are changing organizational structure, adding a new product line, or leasing a vehicle is before you start. Your agent can determine if the anticipated move will be costly in terms of the additional insurance you will need to cover new risks. Furthermore, they may be able to suggest an alternate course of action.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">8.&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>My insurance agent doesn't need to review leases before I sign them</strong> - Your agent can help you determine if the lease requires you to insure something over which you have no control, no insurable interest or which may cost you a lot to insure.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">9.&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Home-based business owners don't need to consider business insurance</strong> - As the owner of a small business, you need the guidance of a business insurance agent who can discuss with you the specialized coverage you need.&nbsp; </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">10.&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>You don't ask your insurer for loss prevention resources</strong> - Insurance companies are loss prevention specialists. If you don't take advantage of their knowledge, you're ignoring a valuable resource.</span></p> <p><span style="font-style: normal;">Taking the time to review coverage and the firm's financial statements with a professional insurance agent will pay dividends after a loss. Proper and comprehensive business insurance coverage may make the difference between a business re-opening or closing forever after disaster strikes.</span></p>urn:uuid:c0f4d94f-8b87-4a96-9a16-8bdf3539562e<img src='https://www.insurancewebsitebuilder.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg' align='left' /> THE LATEST BLOG POST Do I need Flood Insurance? &nbsp; &nbsp; By Claudia Amaya According to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), floods are the #1 natural disaster in the U.S. &nbsp;FEMA points out that everyone needs...Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:16:43 -0500<meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /><strong><img alt="" src="https://www.insurancewebsitebuilder.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg" style="width: 70px; height: 95px; float: left; margin-top: 2px; margin-right: 2px; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 2px;" /><span style="font-size: 10px; color: #e36c09;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>THE LATEST BLOG POST</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10px; color: #e36c09;"><br /> </span> <div style="text-align: left;"><strong><br /> </strong></div> <span style="font-size: 18px; color: #0070c0;"><strong> <p style="text-align: center; display: inline !important;"><strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Do I need Flood Insurance?</strong></p> </strong><strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;<br /> </strong></span><br /> <strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>By Claudia Amaya</strong><br /> <br /> <br /> <meta name="Title" /> <meta name="Keywords" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <link rel="File-List" /> <style> </style> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">According to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), floods are the #1 natural disaster in the U.S. &nbsp;FEMA points out that everyone needs flood insurance. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, no one could ignore the shocking media coverage documenting the devastating destruction. When the levees broke and storm waters surged, homes were swept away, families were left stranded on rooftops and many lost their lives. Suddenly, families throughout the nation were forced to ask themselves a frightening question:</span> &ldquo;What would happen if, in the blink of an eye, we lost everything to a rush of floodwaters?&rdquo;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Read on for a few important Flood Insurance misconceptions that can put your financial security at risk:</span></p> <p><span style="font-style: normal;"><strong>I do not live in a flood zone </strong><br /> Everyone lives in a flood zone - it is just a question of whether you live in a moderate-to-low or high risk area. While flood insurance is required in high risk areas, people outside of high-risk areas file over 20% of NFIP claims and receive one-third of disaster assistance for flooding. </span></p> <p><strong style="font-style: normal;">I already have Homeowners Insurance</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Damage to your home resulting from a flood </span><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">is</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">not</span></strong><span style="font-style: normal;"> covered by homeowner's insurance. Why not? Basically, it&rsquo;s a way for insurance companies to protect themselves. In the 1960&rsquo;s, a handful of waterfront communities, all covered by the same insurance companies, were slammed with major floods. The deluge of insurance claims resulted in cataclysmic losses for the insurance industry. Consequently, in 1968, the federal government created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is administered by FEMA. </span></p> <p><strong style="font-style: normal;">Floods? &nbsp;That's what disaster assistance is for.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Available <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">only</span></strong> when the President declares a disaster, Federal disaster assistance is usually a loan that you must pay back with interest. For a $50,000 loan at 4% interest, your monthly payment would be around $240 a month ($2,880 per year) for 30 years, in addition to your mortgage loan that you still owe on the damaged property. Plus you would need to buy and maintain flood insurance for the life of the loan.&nbsp; Compare that to the average premium for flood insurance coverage, which is about $600 a year (and even less outside of high risk zones). Plus, when you submit a flood insurance claim, you are compensated for all covered losses whether or not a disaster has been declared - and you do not have to pay it back. </span></p> <p><span style="font-style: normal;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p><strong style="font-style: normal;">My area has never been flooded.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The fact that a flood has not occurred recently doesn't mean one has not happened in the past or that one will not happen in the future. Flood history is just one element used in determining flood risk. Other factors include your community's rainfall and river flow data, topography, wind velocity, and building development (existing and planned).&nbsp;</span></p>urn:uuid:bddb8789-b28c-42a1-baa3-9279df554d08<img src='http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg' align='left' /> THE LATEST BLOG POST &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Facebook Follies: Will Your Insurance Help If You Say the Wrong Thing? By Claudia Amaya Social networking Web sites, such as MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn, are growing increasingly popu...Sat, 09 Jul 2011 19:41:24 -0500<img alt="" src="/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg" style="width: 70px; height: 95px; float: left;" /><span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="color: #e36c09;"><strong>THE LATEST BLOG POST</strong></span><br /> </span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: #548dd4;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre; color: #548dd4;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: #548dd4;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: #548dd4;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Facebook Follies: Will Your Insurance Help <br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If You Say the Wrong Thing?</span><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: #548dd4;"></span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre; color: #548dd4;"> </span><strong>By Claudia Amaya</strong><span style="color: #548dd4;"><br /> </span><br /> <meta name="Title" /> <meta name="Keywords" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <link rel="File-List" /> <style> </style> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial;">Social networking Web sites, such as MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn, are growing increasingly popular with young people and adults alike. These sites allow people to reconnect with old friends and colleagues and to make new connections. However, as with most other Web sites, these sites allow the posting of communications that the posters may come to regret. These posts can cause hard feelings and may result in significant financial loss.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial;">In the winter of 2009, a teenager from Oceanside, New York sued Facebook, four of her high school classmates, and their parents for $3 million. The suit accused the four classmates of bullying and humiliating her in a forum on Facebook. They allegedly posted derogatory and false statements about her that were intended to hold her up to &ldquo;public hatred, ridicule and disgrace.&rdquo; Whether or not the allegations prove to be true, the teenagers and their parents need legal defense and possibly resources to pay judgments against them. They may look to their homeowner's insurance policies to cover these costs, but will the policies respond?</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial;">A standard policy will probably not cover this. The policy pays amounts for which the policyholder (the insured) is legally liable, plus the costs of legal defense, for bodily injury or property damage done to someone else. The policy defines bodily injury as meaning bodily harm, sickness or disease; it defines property damage as injury to, destruction of, or loss of use of physical property. Neither of these definitions includes saying or publishing something that injures another&rsquo;s reputation or feelings. Consequently, the policy is unlikely to cover a post on Facebook. The girl from Oceanside did not allege that her classmates hurt her body, made her sick or passed her a disease; she accused them of making her life miserable. The policy does not cover that offense.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial;">Insurance companies may offer special personal injury coverage that can be added to homeowner's policies. This coverage pays for the insured&rsquo;s liability for several offenses, including oral or written publication of material that violates someone&rsquo;s privacy. If any of the Oceanside classmates&rsquo; parents have this coverage, their insurance may cover the claims.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial;">Another potential source of coverage is a personal umbrella policy. An umbrella provides additional insurance in situations where a loss has used up the amounts of liability insurance under homeowner's or auto policies. It also covers some liability losses that those policies do not cover, such as personal injury losses. Umbrellas typically carry a deductible of $250 or $500. Suppose one of the parents in the Oceanside case does not have personal injury coverage on his homeowner's policy, but he does have an umbrella. The umbrella may pay for his and her child&rsquo;s defense and their shares of any judgment, minus the $250 deductible. If he does have the coverage on his homeowner's policy, this policy will pay until its limits are exhausted, and the umbrella will pay the rest, up to its limit. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial;">The costs of enhanced homeowner's policies and personal umbrella policies will vary from one insurer to another. Also, the terms of umbrella policies vary among companies. An insurance agent can provide more information on coverage options and prices. </span></p> <p><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial;">Communicating online has become an ordinary part of life today. Web sites like Facebook offer new and exciting ways to meet new people and to stay in touch with people all over the globe. However, they bring with them their own unique risks. Anyone using sites like these should be careful with what they and their children are saying, and they should make sure they have proper insurance backing them up.</span></p> <span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial;"><br clear="ALL" style="page-break-before: always;" /> </span>urn:uuid:d80eb6ae-556b-4fda-8e54-cf106c54ecba<img src='http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg' align='left' /> THE LATEST BLOG POST &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Directors &amp; Officers Insurance: A Necessity for Your Business By Claudia Amaya For the last several years, stories of wrongdoing and bad judgment by corporate managers have filled the head...Tue, 05 Jul 2011 09:40:49 -0500<meta name="Title" /> <meta name="Keywords" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <link rel="File-List" /> <style> </style> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/New%20Profile%20Picture.jpg" style="width: 70px; height: 95px; float: left; margin-top: 2px; margin-right: 2px; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 2px; border-width: 1px;border-style: solid;" /></span><br /> <strong><span style="color: #548dd4;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-size: small; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10px;">THE LATEST BLOG POST</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Directors &amp; Officers Insurance:<br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A Necessity for Your Business</span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>By Claudia Amaya</span></strong><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 13px;">For the last several years, stories of wrongdoing and bad judgment by corporate managers have filled the headlines. Enron, Worldcom, and Countrywide are just some of the companies that became household names because of mistakes or criminal acts their leaders committed. These stories became big news because they were exceptional; the vast majority of companies do not fail in such a spectacular fashion. However, all corporate managers have the potential to make mistakes, and some mistakes can lead to significant losses for the company, its shareholders, employees and vendors. When this happens, having the appropriate insurance coverage can make all the difference between survival or corporate and personal bankruptcy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 13px;">Most businesses carry commercial general liability insurance that covers the business's legal liability for bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury suffered by others. However, this insurance probably will not cover claims against corporate officers for their errors in running the company. These claims often involve allegations of monetary losses, such as falling stock prices or loss of capital. While real, these losses do not meet the CGL policy's definition of "property damage," which is physical injury to tangible property, including resulting loss of use, or loss of use of property not physically injured. In these claims, people lose money but their property is intact. Therefore, companies that rely solely on their CGL policies will have no insurance in these cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 13px;">Directors and Officers Liability Insurance covers a business's legal liability for "wrongful acts" of its directors and officers acting within their capacity for the business. A typical policy defines "wrongful act" as including errors, misstatements, misleading statements, acts, omissions, neglect, or breaches of duty actually or allegedly committed or attempted by an individual in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the insured business.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 13px;">Directors and officers are subject to lawsuits from many sources, including the entity they work for, shareholders, employees, government entities, competitors, vendors, and other third parties such as consumer groups or groups that represent segments of the population. Leaders of all types of organizations are vulnerable, though the source of a legal claim will vary by the type of entity. Most claims against public companies come from shareholders, while employees file most of the claims against non-profit organizations and half the claims against private companies. Customers and competitors are also frequent sources of suits against private companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 13px;">Directors &amp; Officers Insurance covers many types of claims, including:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-style: normal;">* </span>A lawsuit by one shareholder against the majority owners, claiming that the company lost money because the majority gave themselves excessive compensation.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">* A key employee leaves one company and joins a competitor as a director. His former employer sues him and the competitor, claiming that he violated his contract and used confidential company information with his new employer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">* Shareholders sue a company and its directors and officers, claiming that they misrepresented the quality of a potential new product when they sought funding for its production.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">* A shareholder sues the president of a company for failing to promptly notify shareholders of a major pending transaction and for not pursuing litigation against a partner company that did not live up to its agreement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">* A lender sues a company for allegedly failing to repay a loan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">* Members of a private company's board of directors are sued for allegedly using their positions for personal gain.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">* The government sues a company for alleged anti-trust activities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 13px;">Even though courts dismissed some of these lawsuits, the legal defense costs were still significant; D&amp;O insurance covers these costs. Because all organizations and their leadership are vulnerable to these types of claims, they should work with professional insurance agents to identify companies that can provide the coverage they need at a reasonable cost. Businesses face many different risks today; consequently, D&amp;O insurance is a necessity.</span></p>urn:uuid:7b660309-8f22-48ef-9753-2068cd98ad1a<img src='http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/Claudia%20Amaya%20(Profile%20Picture)%20Cropped.jpg' align='left' /> &nbsp; THE LATEST BLOG POST Four Golden Rules to Buying &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Auto Insurance by Claudia Amaya &nbsp; Most consumers see buying auto insurance as an irritating and unrewarding process. After all, who gets&nbsp;excited ...Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:55:37 -0500<br /> <div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; </div> <meta name="Title" /> <meta name="Keywords" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <link rel="File-List" /> <style> </style> <div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/Claudia%20Amaya%20(Profile%20Picture)%20Cropped.jpg" style="width: 75px; height: 88px; float: left;border-color: #4f81bd;" /></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #1f497d;">THE LATEST BLOG POST</span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre; font-family: arial;"> </span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 18px;">Four Golden Rules to Buying <br /> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Auto Insurance</span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">by Claudia Amaya</span></span></strong></div> <strong> <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">&nbsp;</span></div> </strong> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Most consumers see buying auto insurance as an irritating and unrewarding process. After all, who gets&nbsp;excited about shelling out money for a policy they hope to never use? Not to mention that finding the ideal insurance for your vehicle and financial situation can be a daunting and complex task.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Whether or not you&rsquo;re happy about it, auto insurance is a necessity. If you happen to wreck your car, it could spell the difference between a minor inconvenience and a financial catastrophe.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to simplify the auto insurance selection process. To ensure a pain-free shopping experience, keep these four golden rules in mind:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Rule #1: Consider your car when choosing limits.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Many car owners make the mistake of choosing auto insurance limits based solely on the minimum requirements in their state. Of course, auto insurance companies won&rsquo;t sell you a policy that falls below these requirements. However, if you choose just the bare minimum, you may not be fully covered in case of an accident.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">For example, if you drive a truck or SUV, you have the potential of causing considerable damage to a smaller vehicle. Let&rsquo;s say you choose your state&rsquo;s minimum property damage requirement of $10,000 for your insurance. If you slam into a brand new BMW and cause $20,000 worth of damage, you&rsquo;ll have to pay the remaining $10,000 out of your own wallet. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s critical to consider the size and type of your car as you choose your insurance limits.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Rule #2: Tell it like it is.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">When you&rsquo;re buying car insurance, it&rsquo;s important to be completely up-front and honest about your driving history. If you fail to disclose past accidents, speeding tickets or other moving violations, the insurance company will not be able to give you an accurate quote.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">As soon as the insurance company checks your driving record (and they always do), they will adjust the price to reflect your violations. Therefore, it&rsquo;s beneficial to <em>you</em> to be honest from the get-go. By telling the truth and the whole truth, you&rsquo;ll know you&rsquo;re getting a more precise rate quote.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Rule #3: Pay attention to the total package</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">While it may be tempting to simply choose the insurance company with the lowest rate, you may want to dig deeper. Read all the fine print to find out what the company actually offers. Usually there&rsquo;s a reason for a super low rate&mdash;and often that reason is substandard service. Another insurer with a slightly higher rate may offer a much more attractive insurance package&mdash;and excellent customer service to boot.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Decide what&rsquo;s most important to you when it comes to car insurance and choose your insurer accordingly. Is price most important or is convenience at the top of your priority list? Do you want a company that offers more options when it comes to repairs and parts?</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">You should also consider the company&rsquo;s availability. For example, the company offering the lowest rate may not offer 24/7 access to their customer service reps. If easy access is important to you, you may want to go with a different company.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Rule #4: Don&rsquo;t double up on coverage.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Before you settle on a policy, you should think about any other auto coverage you may have. Make sure you aren&rsquo;t duplicating any coverage.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">For example, if you are a member of AAA, your membership probably covers towing costs if you break-down in the middle of nowhere. Therefore, there&rsquo;s no need for a policy that includes Roadside Assistance coverage.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Finding the best auto insurance policy may not be fun, but it doesn&rsquo;t have to be quite so painful. Keep these four golden rules in mind as you choose auto insurance&mdash;it could save you a lot of time, stress and money.</span></p>urn:uuid:8858335f-9fdc-458c-bc9e-1e56e9d0caaa<img src='http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/Claudia%20Amaya%20(Profile%20Picture)%20Cropped.jpg' align='left' /> &nbsp; THE LATEST BLOG POST Who Pays for Damages When Your Tree Falls on a Neighbors Property? by Claudia Amaya&nbsp; Trees are a wonderful addition to your home's landscape, but they can also cause real problems if a heavy w...Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:52:51 -0500<br /> <div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; </div> <meta name="Title" /> <meta name="Keywords" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <link rel="File-List" /> <style> </style> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/Claudia%20Amaya%20(Profile%20Picture)%20Cropped.jpg" style="width: 75px; height: 88px; float: left;border-color: #4f81bd;" /></strong> </p> <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10px; color: #1f497d;"><strong style="font-style: normal;">THE LATEST BLOG POST</strong></span></span></div> <div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong><em><span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #4f81bd;">Who Pays for Damages When Your Tree <br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Falls on a Neighbors Property?</span></span></em></strong></span></div> <meta charset="utf-8" /><strong style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><em><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="color: #4f81bd;">by Claudia Amaya</span>&nbsp;</em></strong></span></em></strong></span></div> </strong> <p style="text-align: justify;"> </p> <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;"><br /> </span></div> <span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Trees are a wonderful addition to your home's landscape, but they can also cause real problems if a heavy wind topples one, and it lands on your neighbor's property and damages their home. Who is legally responsible for paying to repair that damage?</span> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">If you answered, "I am," you would be wrong. Your neighbor would have to submit a claim to their homeowner's policy insurer to pay for any necessary repairs. Wind and lightning are generally covered perils in a standard homeowner's policy, or they are included in a homeowner's all-risk policy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Since your carrier doesn't have to pay, your policy won't be impacted, which means your insurance premiums won't increase. However, you still may not be off the hook for liability, because your neighbor might decide to sue you to cover their deductible. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">The only instance in which you would be required to pay for the damage to your neighbor's property<img alt="" src="/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/Newsletter%20Images/Tree%20Falls%20on%20House.jpeg" style="width: 175px; height: 132px; float: right; margin-top: 3px; margin-right: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 3px;" /> caused by your fallen tree is when the damage resulted from your negligence. You could be held liable if your tree was dying or already dead before it fell on your neighbor's property, and you did nothing to prevent property damage. In this case, your insurance carrier would have to cover the repairs. In addition, if your neighbor files a lawsuit against you alleging negligence, your insurer would be required to defend you and investigate the claim. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;"><br /> If you are found to be legally responsible for the damage to your neighbor's house, your carrier will pay up to your policy limits. Your neighbor can also submit a liability claim against your homeowner's insurance policy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Of course, the best way to avoid a situation like this is to prevent it from happening. If you have a tree on your property that looks unhealthy, consider having it checked by an arborist and, if necessary, removed before it falls. It may seem like a large expense, but it may actually save you money in the long run by helping you avoid increased insurance premiums. Equally as important, removing the possible risk of damage will help you maintain a good relationship with your neighbor. And as any homeowner knows, that is worth its weight in gold, especially if you plan to stay in your home for a while.</span></p> <map id="rade_img_map_1316634208137" name="rade_img_map_1316634208137"> <area shape="RECT" coords="10,10,30,30" /> <area shape="RECT" coords="10,10,30,30" /> <area shape="RECT" coords="10,10,30,30" href="http://" /></map>urn:uuid:85d0746b-6a16-463b-8ce7-538f7ccb48af<img src='http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/Claudia%20Amaya%20(Profile%20Picture)%20Cropped.jpg' align='left' /> &nbsp; THE LATEST BLOG POST Go Generic to Save Big By Claudia Amaya In today&rsquo;s tough economy where the price of everything from gas to groceries is skyrocketing, we&rsquo;re all looking to save a few bucks. Many consumers...Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:49:17 -0500<div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;<br /> <span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 10px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d;"><strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/Claudia%20Amaya%20(Profile%20Picture)%20Cropped.jpg" style="width: 75px; height: 88px; float: left;border-color: #4f81bd;" /> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>THE LATEST BLOG POST<br /> </strong></span></span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18px; color: #4f81bd;"><strong>Go Generic to Save Big</strong></span><br /> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="color: #4f81bd;">B<strong><span style="font-family: arial;">y Claudia Amaya<br /> </span></strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></strong></span></span></div> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div> <meta name="Title" /> <meta name="Keywords" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <link rel="File-List" /> <style> </style> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">In today&rsquo;s tough economy where the price of everything from gas to groceries is skyrocketing, we&rsquo;re all looking to save a few bucks. Many consumers are attempting to save pennies here and there by choosing generics over big name brands in their supermarket aisles. From cereal and orange juice to glass cleaner and paper towels, there&rsquo;s a cheaper generic version of almost every type of product out there.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">While you may be willing to give up your brand name parmesan cheese for its generic replica, would you ever consider buying generic drugs? If you want to save money you should. Generic drugs can cost up to 80% less per prescription than their brand name counterparts. That&rsquo;s a significant amount as compared to the twenty cents or so you save by choosing the generic potato chips.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">A surge of generic drugs </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">As a flood of generic drugs pours into the market, it&rsquo;s becoming much easier to find a cheaper version of most designer prescriptions. But how does it work? Basically, most big brand-name drugs, including everything from Zoloft and Zocor, eventually lose their patent protection. Once that happens, other companies can produce the same medication under a different name and sell it at a lower price.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">According to experts, about $60 billion worth of designer drugs are coming off patent within the next three years. That means even more generic drugs are on the way, which will translate into huge savings for consumers across the nation.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Currently, there are generic drugs available for all of the most common medical conditions, including depression, allergies, high cholesterol and diabetes. So, if you take medication for one of these conditions and want to save big bucks, ask your doctor if there is a generic version of your prescription. If there&rsquo;s not an exact duplicate available, he or she may be able to recommend a similar generic drug in the same class.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">More insurance coverage for generics</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Not only are generic drugs cheaper if you pay out of pocket, but you&rsquo;ll pay a lower co-payment on them too. Whereas you may have to shell out an insurance co-payment of $40 or $50 for a brand-name prescription, you may only have to pay $10 for a generic drug. Just imagine what you could do with that extra 30 bucks&mdash;that&rsquo;s enough to buy 10 jars of generic peanut butter!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Big generic deals at big name stores</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">Many major supermarkets, pharmacies and big box stores are promoting generic drug discounts, charging as little as $4 per prescription. Wal-Mart and Sam&rsquo;s Club started the trend in 2006 when they started offering shoppers a 30-day supply of certain generic drugs for just $4. Today, they offer the deal on 360 different prescriptions. Other stores, including Target, Walgreens and Costco have followed suit and now offer similar generic drug discount programs.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">So, while you may be the type of person who only buys brand-name groceries and designer clothes, you should seriously consider going generic with your drugs if you want to enjoy huge savings. Why stick with expensive designer drugs just for the fancy brand name when you can buy its much cheaper generic twin? With all of these incredible deals and savings up for grabs, it&rsquo;s clear that going generic pays.</span></p> <br /> </div>urn:uuid:dba9cc3f-4e8c-4dfb-879f-348450eea9f1<img src='http://www.interfinancialinsurance.com/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/Claudia%20Amaya%20(Profile%20Picture)%20Cropped.jpg' align='left' /> &nbsp; THE LATEST BLOG POST Protecting A Business From Sexual Harassment Lawsuits with EPLI Coverage and Prevention Steps by Claudia Amaya By now, employers should all realize and understand that sexual harassment is illegal. How...Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:40:20 -0500<meta name="Title" /> <meta name="Keywords" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008" /> <link rel="File-List" /> <style> </style> <p style="text-align: justify;"> </p> <div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>&nbsp;<br /> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;"></span><img alt="" src="/img/~www.interfinancialinsurance.com/Uploads/Claudia%20Amaya%20(Profile%20Picture)%20Cropped.jpg" style="width: 75px; height: 88px; float: left;border-color: #4f81bd;" /></strong><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 10px; color: #1f497d;">THE LATEST BLOG POST </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; font-family: 'times new roman';"> </span><span style="color: #4f81bd;">Protecting A Business From Sexual Harassment <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lawsuits with EPLI Coverage and Prevention Steps</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 13px; color: #4f81bd;">b<strong>y Claudia Amaya</strong></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><br /> </strong> </span></span></span></span></div> </div> <span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;"> <div style="text-align: justify;">By now, employers should all realize and understand that sexual harassment is illegal. However, what employers might not be aware of is that the U.S. Supreme Court issued two rulings in June of 1998 that expanded what is termed sexual harassment; expanded the responsibility that employers have to provide a work environment that's non-hostile; and did away with harassed employees having to prove that their company holds some responsibility or that their career suffered from lack of promotion, firing, demotion, or such. Employers are now directly responsible for employee behavior, thereby giving harassed employees more recourse in bringing about legal actions against employers.</div> </span> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Work-related harassment and discrimination cases have been steadily climbing since the Civil Rights Act of 1991 allowed for trial by jury, compensatory damages, and punitive damages in legal cases involving discrimination. In fact, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commision, the amount of annual employment harassment and discrimination cases being filed grew by more than 13% between 1997 and 2009. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Any employer that's ever been involved in a sexual harassment suit can attest that the cost to settle or defend a sexual harassment lawsuit can be jaw dropping. The average award for damages in these types of lawsuits is around $650,000, and that isn't even including the secondary cost from workplace disruption, bad publicity, and those involved in the suit being absent from work.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">What Constitutes Sexual Harassment?</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">The first step in protection is understanding what is defined as sexual harassment. State and federal law prohibits behavior that involves an employee in authority basing professional expectations or decisions regarding a subordinate employee being willing or unwilling to exchange sexual acts. The following are examples of such behavior:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">* Altering expectations of job performance when a subordinate repeatedly refuses advances for a date or sexual encounter. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">* A superior demanding sexual acts in order for a subordinate to receive a raise or promotion. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">* Disciplinary action, including termination, of a subordinate that refuses sexual advances or ends an existing romantic relationship.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">However, sexual harassment doesn't always involve a subordinate/authority figure relationship. An offender can be anyone from a coworker to a customer or business vendor. The offender can be male or female, as can the victim. Furthermore, the victim doesn't even need to be the employee actually harassed. Anyone that's affected by the harassing or offensive behavior can be termed a victim; for example, an employee that overhears two other employees discussing a taboo subject. The two employees directly involved might not be offended, but if the overhearing employee is offended, then it can constitute sexual harassment.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Verbal, visual, physical, or written, any behavior that causes another employee to view the work environment as hostile, are unwanted, or focus on the sexuality or gender of another person may constitute as sexual harassment. Specific examples of such would be teasing, suggestive objects or pictures being displayed, and repetitively requesting sexual acts or dates verbally or in writing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Protection With Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">After knowing what constitutes sexual harassment, businesses can further financially protect themselves with employment practices liability insurance (EPLI). This is an insurance to protect employers when an employee makes the claim that their legal rights have been violated.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">While policies vary, EPLI generally doesn't cover criminal or civil penalties and punitive damages. EPLI does generally cover settlements, judgments, and incurred legal costs arising from an array of incidences - wrongful termination, employment contract breaches, employment and promotion failures, wrongful disciplinary actions, wrongful emotional distress infliction, negligent employee evaluations, employee benefit plan mismanagement, discrimination, and sexual harassment.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Coverage is specific. So, before purchasing a policy, decide who should be covered. For example, should full and part-time employees, contracted persons, supervisors, department heads, subsidiaries, company divisions, and so forth be covered or not?</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">One other note about EPLI is that it's mandatory for employers to report incidents within a reasonable amount of time. Some policies may feature an ERP (extended reporting period) or prior acts. The length, cost, and availability varies by carrier.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Purchasing EPLI has been challenging for small companies in the past. However, the 2004 rate increases have somewhat plateaued. Some rates have even decreased. Keep in mind that EPLI cost is figured based on the business type, employee numbers, and past lawsuits associated with the business.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Prevention Of Harassment Lawsuits</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">Prevention is the cornerstone in decreasing the risk of a sexual harassment lawsuit. Prevention steps include the following key elements:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">* If the business has EPLI, any incident should be reported immediately.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">* Create, communicate, and enforce a zero-tolerance policy for workplace sexual harassment.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;">* Have an effective harassment complaint process in place and take immediate, consistent, and appropriate action when a complaint is made.</span></p> <span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 16px;"> * Thoroughly document all complaints and the following investigation and actions. &nbsp;</span> <div><span style="white-space: pre; font-style: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;"><strong><br /> </strong></span></div>