Central Insurance
Is Your Internet Connection Slowing You Down?
With Christmas approaching, my wife has spent the last week uploading pictures to Shutterfly to create the cards we send out annually to our family and friends. It was taking her a considerable amount of time to get the photos uploaded. Some were taking more than 15 minutes and she was running into timeout issues. We’ve started to take a look at our Internet connection speed and may purchase a different package. I’m guessing some of you may have run into a similar issue, so I thought I’d pass along a few things to consider.
6 Ways to Minimize Winter Slip and Falls
It’s hard to believe that winter is upon us. Those of us who live in areas where snow is abundant anticipate this change of season; shortly after the leaves have changed color and dropped to the ground you know snow and/or ice are right around the corner. Those of us who deal with this change of season also understand the need to be more cautious while driving, packing extra clothes in the car in case you get stranded, and giving yourself more time to arrive at a destination.
The Invisible Criminal
I receive e-mails periodically from industry sources that share information on various insurance topics. One thing that’s certain is that communication has changed since I entered the industry. From the not-so-green printed manuals to Facebook and digital newsletters, information flows fast and furious with no end in sight.
Mother Nature Takes a Toll on Homeowners Insurance
If you’re like me, you’ve probably noticed an increase in your homeowners insurance premiums. While it doesn’t make it any easier, it’s important for you to know that you’re not alone. Most homeowners insurance companies across the nation are increasing the price they charge to protect your home and its contents.
Love Thy Neighbor But Beware of Their Trees
I’m not sure what the weather has been like in your area over the last couple of days but in Northwest Ohio it has been crazy windy. Since becoming a claims adjuster, I think in a completely different way when it comes to the weather. All I think about are the weather-related claims that will be rolling in.
Deer in the Headlights: 6 Tips to Avoid an Accident with Our Furry Friends
According to Car-Accidents.com, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there are approximately 1.5 million car crashes each year as a result of deer. Deer are especially active during fall, which coincides with their mating season. Although we cannot stop deer from entering roadways at inopportune times, there are steps we can take to diminish the chance of having an accident if a deer crosses our path while driving.
Be Ready, Be Safe
My community experienced an F4 tornado on November 10, 2002. Unfortunately there were two deaths in the community but there could have been many more. The local cinema was full of people out for a movie on a Sunday afternoon. Cinema employees moved everyone to the safest part of the building when the warning alarms were sounded.
How Do You Go Mobile…App or Website?
The cell phone is quickly becoming a thing of the past, while the smartphone is quickly becoming the latest trend. Here are a few interesting facts:
- Of the 4 billion mobile phones in use, just over 1 billion are now smartphones.
- Apple has over 400,000 mobile apps available; Android has over 200,000 available.
- In 2010, there were 8.2 billion downloads of mobile apps and that number is expected to grow to 17 billion in 2011.
- The mobile Internet is expected to overtake the PC as the most popular way to get on the Web within five years.
Employee Theft Can Lead to Unhappy Holidays
It’s hard to believe the Christmas season is just around the corner. Large amounts of money will be spent on the perfect gifts or donated to favorite charities. To handle the volume of additional business and customers, many stores and organizations hire seasonal employees to maintain great customer service. After all, for many stores, a large percentage of their total annual revenue is generated during this two-month period. With so much money changing hands, I have to ask myself if these businesses are doing everything possible to minimize employee theft.
Coming of Age in the Workforce
My oldest daughter works at a local fast-food restaurant. While she has just entered college, she started working at the restaurant during her senior year in high school. And, like all younger workers, she was worried that college students would come home for summer break and take some of her hours to make some money. Jobs are at a premium these days as you know, with a national unemployment rate hovering around 9.1% as of August 2011. Fortunately, her hours did not decrease much even though, as was broadcast this year, college students were having difficulty landing summer work.
