Education Archives - Page 3 of 6

Keeping Your Commercial Property Safe

As a business owner, you understand the risks that your business faces each and every day. Even while you are not around—your company will still face the unexpected. Just because it is after hours, does not mean you do not need protection. To keep your company safe, it is important to take the proper precautions and prevention methods.

This week, our agents are here to extend a few pieces of advice to business owners. These preventative safety measures may help to keep a target off of your commercial property.

#1: Install an alarm system. Whether you look into a blaring alarm or a silent alarm, something should be installed. This tactic will not only scare intruders away and prevent crime, but will notify the police.

#2: Lock all windows and doors. Of course you remember to lock the doors, but how about the windows? Make sure you use deadbolts where need be and remember to lock ANY entrance points. Burglars do not mind climbing into windows and you should be prepared for this type of break-in.

#3: Keep it lit. A well lit place is more likely to keep vandals away than a building that is left in the dark. It is also important to remain well lit if you have security cameras on premises. If the area is too dark, the camera may not catch any action.

#4: Keep small amounts of cash at the business and make sure it is noted on the door that you do not keep large amounts of cash on premises

#5: Try to keep the cash register visible from the outside, so people can see if anything bad is happening inside

#6: If feasible, install security cameras. If there is a break-in, vandals will be caught on camera and it will be easier to find/arrest them. And if there is an unfortunate “inside job” you will be able to determine the employee(s), address the issue and determine action.

#7: Look into commercial property insurance. Having this coverage in place, you can be sure that your building and property is protected from vandalism, crime, fire damages, electrical issues and much more.

Though these tactics will help in preventing crime and damages, they may not be enough. Your best bet is to be prepared for the worst with a solid business insurance package. Not only can you protect your building with commercial property insurance, but you can also look into commercial vehicle insurance, general liability, excess liability, and much more. Your business is far too important to become a victim to vandalism!

Winter Driving!

Winter is here, the cold has set in and we have had our first snow. Driving in the winter can be tricky, but here are a few tips to improve your driving on the snow and ice:

Clean off your car completely! Even though it is not a law to remove snow and ice from vehicles, police can still ticket due to driving an unsafe car. If you cause an accident you could incur more penalties.
Make sure your tires are suitable for winter weather, check out these guidelines: winter tires
Consider changing your windshield wipers: Rain-X Latitude blades received the highest rating for winter blades
Do not make hasty driving decisions, no quick turns or braking
Do not use cruise control
Drive slowly, it is easier to stop on snow and ice when you are not traveling at high speeds
Bridges and ramps are the most slippery, use caution
In slippery conditions use the “4 Second Rule” for the amount of space you leave between you and vehicle in front of you
Make sure all vehicle fluids are at proper levels – antifreeze, wiper fluid, etc.
Keep warm blankets and flares in your car in case of a breakdown or accident

Please stay safe on the roads and allow a few extra minutes for travel during wintery conditions. Happy Winter!

It’s Leap Year!

Every 4 years we have a day added to our calendar, February 29th. It is called Leap Day which occurs during Leap Year. Why do we have Leap Year? Simply because it does not take exactly 365 days for the Earth to revolve around the Sun. The exact amount of time it takes the Earth to makes its journey is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 46 seconds. So every 4 years we need to make an adjustment to the Gregorian Calendar, the modern day calendar, and add a 366th day!

Some pretty interesting facts about Leap Year:

the year must be evenly divisible by 4
the year can not be divisible by 100, unless…
it is also divisible by 400
Ahh we learn something new everyday! Hope we shed a little light on why we have Leap Year. Enjoy your extra day and do something awesome!

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Buy Safe, Buy Smart – Toy Guide

The most popular and fun time to buy toys is in December. What better joy is there to see a child so excited to play with a new toy? Thankfully as a whole the toy industry has vastly improved in their toy safety guidelines since 2008 when there were 172 recalls with 19 of them due to lead. Thankfully toys are now required to pass 3rd party laboratory testing. With fewer recalls on toys, it is still important to look at the general safety of the toys you are buying.

Some of the toys to avoid buying this year are found in the New York Post: Dangerous Toy List

When purchasing toys there are general guidelines to keep in mind:

Age requirements are on toys for a reason, follow the recommended age
Keep toys with small objects or small removable parts away from children under 3 yrs old
Make sure any toys with small batteries have a screw driver required to open the battery compartment
All strong magnetic toys should be closely monitored and never given to young children
Toys with long strings or cords should never be given to infants or young children
Make sure any fabric, like pajamas, are labeled flame retardant

Shopping for toys this holiday season should be a less scary process than in years past. Have fun buying and playing with all the new gifts this year. And yes, adults are required to play with toys also, it’s half the fun in buying them! Happy Holidays!

Drowsy Driver Prevention Week

November 1-8 is Drowsy Driver Prevention Week. It is important to give attention to this hazard on the road, as many people every day get on the road that are too tired to drive. Half of drivers surveyed in the Sleep in America poll have admitted to driving while drowsy. As it is easy for police to detect when alcohol is a factor in a crash, it is much more difficult to conclude that drowsiness was a leading or contributing factor in a crash. The estimates from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conclude that driving while drowsy has caused 100,000 car accidents, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities. Statistics also show that more men than women drive while too sleepy to drive, 56% vs 45%.

How can we prevent drowsy driving accidents?

Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night
If you have been up for 24 hrs, do not drive
Take a break every 2 hrs of driving or every 100 miles
Open the windows and get fresh air…the colder the better!
Drink a caffeinated beverage
Have a passenger with you while driving. Have them talk to you and keep you alert.
Avoid alcohol as it can make you even more drowsy (and it is against the law to drink and drive!)
Avoid medications that cause drowsiness
If none of these tips work, just pull off the road and take a quick nap or stay somewhere for the night and continue the drive on a good nights rest.
If you are prone to getting sleepy while driving have someone else drive on longer trips and at night when falling asleep is more likely.

Protect yourself and the ones you love by not driving while drowsy, share with friends and family and on social media with #Awake2Drive.

Homeowners Policy: Basic vs Special Form

There are many confusing parts of insurance. One of them is the type of form/policy that you have for your homeowners insurance. There are a few different types of forms, but we will discuss a Basic Form or “Named Perils” versus a Special Form.

The Basic Form is commonly called “Named Perils” because it only covers the perils that are specifically named. If a peril is not named, there is no coverage for the loss. The common named perils are fire, lightening, windstorm, hail, explosion, riot, smoke, vandalism and damage caused by aircraft or vehicle. Some of the common losses NOT covered by a Named Perils form are water damage from a broken or frozen water pipe. Also, damage caused by ice dams, which are formed from the freezing and melting of snow on your roof. These types of losses are very common in Massachusetts. So even though a Basic Form is less expensive, it is rarely recommended.

The most comprehensive coverage will be the Special Form. This type of policy covers almost all losses to the building, with the exception of flood and earthquake damage. The Special Form is used almost exclusively on our homeowners policies. The Special Form pertains to the actual building and not to the personal property and contents of the building. The form can be extended to cover contents for an additional premium. There are a few occasions when a Special Form can not be used; such as, when a property has substandard conditions.

If you have any questions about your homeowners policy and what type of coverage you have, please call us to discuss. We are happy to explain all of your options and give you the best type of coverage for your needs. www.mancuso-nowak.com.

Pool Safety

June is HOT, especially this week! One of the best ways to cool off is a dip in the pool. Unfortunately, in the news recently there have been incidents of people, mostly children, drowning. You can prevent most pool accidents with some basic pool safety guidelines:

Have proper pool safety equipment readily available. Have a 4 foot tall fence surrounding the entire pool area with a quick latching door that locks.
If your house is the 4th side of the fence then make sure you have alarms on the doors and windows facing the pool. This will alert you if a child is outside near the pool.
Make sure the pool cover fits securely around the pool itself. The best type of cover is a lockable pool cover.
Have a safety flotation device located right next to the pool.
Keep a first aid kit in the pool area.
Post CPR instructions on a fence or pool house. It is much more helpful if you are CPR certified.
Make sure you are a good swimmer, if not take lessons. Same is true for your children. Start swim lessons early.
Never leave children unsupervised in the pool area.
Always have one person in charge of directly watching children in the pool. Never assume someone else is watching the kids. Talk about who is in charge before the kids go in.
If a child is in the pool and not splashing around…check them! This can often be “silent drowning.”

Pools are a fantastic way to beat the heat. If safety comes first everyone will have a great time! Look at our Homeowners page to find out more information on what your policy covers: mancuso-nowak.com/coverage/home. Call us with any questions!

Attention All Drivers! Watch Out and Yield for Bikers and Pedestrians

As you navigate the local streets in your vehicle, it is your responsibility to be aware of your surroundings. This is especially true when lots of bikers and pedestrians are around during the summer months. Making sure you yield when necessary and watching out for unexpected risks is the best way to take caution. This way, sharing the road won’t be so difficult.

Following the rules of the road will promote safety within your community. If you or someone else fails to do this, serious collisions and injuries could occur with bikers and pedestrians. As a driver, it is important to remember that a bicycle is considered a vehicle too, so it has the same rights as any other form of transportation. In addition, if you are near a cross walk, you should always expect someone to be walking across it. Here are some safety tips for you to follow as a driver to keep the roads safe:

Do not pull out in front of a stop sign too far. If you disobey this law, you could hit a cyclists or walker. Therefore, you should stop with enough room for anyone to get by.
At nighttime, always ride with the lights on. If you don’t do so, this puts you and others in danger of a collision.
If you are in a city, side street parking is common, as is bicycle riding and walking or running. Therefore, you should look outside before opening a door to avoid hitting someone.
Stop behind the white line at an intersection and not in the crosswalk.
When turning at an intersection, be sure to look both ways for pedestrians and bikers.

At Mancuso-Nowak Insurance Agency, we hope that by following these safety tips, you can stay in control on the road. We know that you may take every precaution to stay safe, but there is still always the possibility for an accident or injury. This is why you should have the proper auto insurance during unpredictable events. Our team understands that your needs differ from those of other drivers. This is why we are committed to building a life-long relationship with you. Let us guide you through this process so you may find peace of mind.

Marriage and Insurance

The summer is the most popular time to get married. With marriage comes a lot of important financial decisions to make. One of these financial decisions is on insurance. Do you combine and have one auto policy or do you keep your policies separate? Do you need life insurance?

Here are some factors to consider:

Married couples have lower auto rates. Actuaries determine insurance rates. They base their rates on statistics. Statistically speaking, married people get in to fewer accidents. Non-married people actually get into twice as many auto accidents.
If you are buying a new house/condo now that you are married you can receive multi-policy discounts with your home and auto together.

On the other hand:

If your spouse has a bad driving record with lots of tickets and accidents, your premium will go up. So it would be better to keep separate policies.
If your spouse has a much more expensive car to insure than you, you may want to keep your policy separate.

Life insurance is always important to have, but once you are married many of your finances are combined. You make joint investments, such as buying a house/condo. With such large joint investments, it would be difficult for just one of you to make all the payments if something happened to your spouse. This is why life insurance is so crucial. It not a fun thing to do…thinking of a loved one passing away, but preparation is the best policy. Even if both of you have life insurance through work, it is also smart to buy a separate policy for each of you. If one of you loses his/her job, all the money invested into the company life insurance is gone. You don’t have life insurance anymore. On the other hand if you are putting money into personal life insurance policies they are always there. Think of your husband/wife, would you want them to struggle finically if something happened to you? Buying life insurance could be the most thoughtful and caring thing you buy!

If you have any questions on your policies after marriage, please call us and we can discuss all of your options! mancuso-nowak.com/coverage/personal/#/

* Beautiful wedding picture from one of our employee, Nina Arroyo!

Spring Cleaning: Your Car

Our spring cleaning series now travels to your car! Yes, that vehicle you have neglected all winter because you figured it will just keep getting worse with every snow storm. This weekend will be a great time to really scrub your car to sparkly clean. Best tip: always clean from the top down, both inside and outside of the car. Follow these steps to get your car ready for the spring and summer:

Remove all the clutter.Get a bag and throw out the trash. Then clean out all the stuff that doesn’t need to be in there, extra winter hats, gloves, snow removers, etc. Don’t forget the trunk!

Clean the inside windows with special car window cleaner. Some window cleaners with ammonia make your car windows more foggy, so getting the special car window cleaner is worth it.

Wipe down front dash with cleaners made for car interiors.

Take your car mats out and power wash them. This is an easy task for rubber winter mats, but can also be done with carpet mats, just make sure you let them completely dry before putting them back in your car.

Use a heavy duty vacuum (like the ones at the car wash) to completely vacuum the interior.
Change your tires if you put on snow tires. If you didn’t change your tires, check your tire pressure and treads.

Check the fluid levels to make sure everything is adequate.

Wash the outside of your car from the top down. Getting an undercarriage wash at the car wash is also a good idea, to really get at any of the left over salt under your car.

Now you are all set to hit the open road! Drive safely this spring and summer!

Mancuso Nowak

Category: Education