Smart solutions to help you be better prepared today so you’re more secure tomorrow.
Less than a week after the last drops of Hurricane Harvey fell, Houston is just beginning to assess the damage. At least 46 people have died. More than 30,000 houses are flooded and as many as a million vehicles waterlogged. Early estimates suggest the hurricane has inflicted $120 billion in damage on the region, making it the most expensive natural disaster in the country’s history. Tell me more >>>
Whether you are a developer, builder, design professional, subcontractor, or supplier, one of the most important aspects of risk management is ensuring both you, and any entities with whom you contract, have good insurance. But, do you really know if you have enough insurance and the types of coverage you need? Ask yourself the following questions and speak to your insurance broker (or find a new one) if you cannot answer them. Tell me more >>>
Hurricane Harvey’s immediate impact on the construction sector will be a disruption in the supply chain for key materials, along with scheduling problems for projects that were under construction. As the cleanup and eventual rebuilding proceed, increased demand for materials and labor will push costs upward and contractors will be scrambling to secure supplies and workers. Read the full article >>>
By Cori Booth, Master Underwriter, Westfield Insurance, Pennsylvania Newsletter, August 2017 Many of our customers will face the worrisome prospect of sending their children off to college in the next couple months. It is a scary time for these parents because they know they cannot protect their ‘babies’ from the influences of newfound freedom and college life. We can alleviate at least one worry for these clients by automatically protecting their children and their children’s things while away at school. Home ‘Insured’ means: A student age 23 or younger who is enrolled in school full time and who was a resident relative of the household before moving to attend school. Personal liability and med pay is afforded. Premises liability is …
By Alexander Huls for The Hartford When the electricity goes out at home, it’s often a simple inconvenience. Usually you can remedy this temporary situation with a flashlight and a good book or some board games. But for small business owners, the cost of power outages due to bad weather, accidents, or construction, can be severe – especially if they don’t have business insurance. Tell me more >>> If you have questions about protecting your small business during a power outage, contact Kimberly Warner, Small Business Solutions, Murray.
President Donald Trump’s $1 trillion plan to rebuild America’s infrastructure may be unprecedented in size and ambition, but it mimics a controversial scheme championed by Vice President Mike Pence when he was the governor of Indiana. That’s why Pence is the public face of the Trump initiative, and executives from financial firms that helped privatize Indiana’s toll road are in the White House, busily sculpting Trump’s national plan. Read the whole article >>>
Seventy percent of construction contractors in the United State report having a hard time finding hourly craft workers, and more than 35 percent are having a hard time hiring salaried office and field employees, according to a study released August 29 by the Association of General Contractors of America and Autodesk. Read the full article >>>
Hurricane Harvey caused severe destruction in Texas with its significant winds and historic rainfall. But Harvey may also prove to be a costly lesson for many project owners and contractors. As Texas begins to focus on recovery in the coming weeks, Harvey will further serve as a reminder to all construction industry stakeholders that hurricanes, and other “acts of God”, are risks that must be effectively managed during the pre-construction and construction phases of every project. While it is difficult to effectively avoid the risks attendant to a highly-destructive, low probability event that occurs on short notice, owners and contractors have two primary tools at their disposal to mitigate the effects of such an event: (i) contractual force majeure provisions; …
This article was published by J.J. Keller on September 6, 2017, in Prospera Spotlight. Paying employees and administering benefit plans generates numerous records, often raising questions about how long specific records need to be saved. Several laws apply, but the retention period differs with each law. Under some laws, the retention period could be decades. Wages paid Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), you must retain payroll records for at least three years. Such records include hours worked, rates of pay, overtime pay, total earnings, and deductions from pay. Note that state laws may impose longer retention periods. For example, New York requires employers to keep payroll records for six years. Taxes paid You must retain employee tax records for …
A natural disaster can be one of the most devastating events in a person’s lifetime. Families can be uprooted and entire neighborhoods can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. If you ever have to endure such a crisis, it is important to know what resources can help you in the wake of a disaster. While many people are concerned with preparing for a crisis, the aftermath can be overlooked. Coping with the effects of a disaster are as important as preparing for the crisis itself. Unhealthy Conditions After a hurricane or large flood, there are huge amounts of water in places where there usually is not. This can cause a variety of health concerns for people living in …
