types of insurance

Protect Your Business With The Right Insurance

Starting a business is expensive and the capital that you’ve poured into your company can disappear in an instant if, say, a major weather event damages your offices or one of your products injures someone.

Having the right kind of insurance is critical to your business, which is why multiple insurance policies should be in place before you even open your doors for business. In addition, they should be reviewed every year or, when a business change occurs such as stocking new products or moving to a new location.

Commercial Business Insurance

Commercial Property Insurance policies protect your office and its contents from damage caused by natural disasters, fires, or vandalism. They are either all-inclusive or risk specific.

Product Liability Insurance is necessary if you manufacture or sell products and safeguards you if a product defect causes injury to someone.

For protection against lawsuits related to negligence claims, you need to consider both General Liability Insurance and Professional Liability Insurance.

Other types of insurance your business might need include:

  • Coverage that protects Directors and Officers from personal liability
  • Key Executive Life Insurance
  • Business Interruption (covers lost profits and expenses)
  • Commercial Vehicle Insurance
  • Website Insurance (protects you from legal claims)

Employer-Related Insurance

Workers’ Compensation Insurance (administered by individual states) and Unemployment Insurance (under certain conditions) are mandatory in the United States. Some states require employers to provide other types of insurance. For example, if any of your employees are located in California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, or Rhode Island you will be required to provide Disability Insurance. Disability Insurance is a benefit provided to employees who are unable to work because of illness or injury.

Employers are not required to provide Life, Medical, and Dental Insurance for employees.

Make Sure You Get the Correct Insurance for Your Business

Some tips:

  • Don’t under-insure, but don’t over-insure either.
  • Assess your liability risk honestly and thoroughly.
  • Ask your lawyer for advice.
  • Get quotes from several companies.
  • Talk to your insurer about how you can minimize risk and premiums.

Your insurance company will be your ally if you encounter legal problems because of an accident or injury that happens to someone on your property, to an employee doing business for you, or if a service you provide causes harm to someone.

Avoid lawsuits by making sure you have the right insurance for your business. If you need help figuring out which insurance is best for you, then give us a call now.

How to Prepare for a Successful Retirement

As you approach retirement, it’s vital that you pay attention to key financial matters. Here are some of the items that you should check:

Health Insurance.
Are you among the lucky few who will continue to be covered after retirement? If not, then you’ll need to replace your health coverage.

If you will be eligible for Medicare at the time of your retirement, then you may want to start checking into “Medigap” coverage. Medigap insurance is a supplemental health insurance sold to individuals age 65 and older that covers medical expenses not covered or only partially covered by Medicare.

Tip: Before you retire, take care of any non-emergency medical, dental, or optical needs (if your employee plan coverage is broader than Medicare).

Other Types of Insurance.
Once you retire, you may need to replace employer-provided life insurance with extra coverage. You should also consider purchasing long-term health care insurance in case of a lengthy nursing home stay in the future.

Social Security.
Decide whether you want to take early Social Security benefits if you’re retiring before your full retirement age, which is currently 66 years of age for people born between 1943 and 1954. You can get 75% of your benefits at age 62.

Tip: For most people, taking Social Security benefits at their full retirement age makes the most financial sense. If you think you might need to take early benefits, give us a call. We’d be happy to discuss this with you.

Company Plan Payout.
You should plan well in advance how you’ll take the payout from your pension plan or 401(k) plan. For example, will you transfer the funds to an conventional or Roth IRA? How will the funds be invested?

Relocation.
If you’re planning a move to another state, make sure that you fully explore the financial ramifications of living there–before you move. Cost of living rates can vary significantly from one region of the country to another.

We Can Help. Retirement is an exciting time and planning in advance can make it a much smoother transition. Please contact us if you have any questions, need assistance or just want some additional guidance.

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