The annual holiday search is on for the perfect gift for your children or grandchildren. You can spend a lot of time and effort buying gifts ... it can be overwhelming. You recognize that as children grow, their...

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You can take steps to ensure your home is well prepared for winter weather – and that your family doesn’t get any colder than they want to be. Consider these suggestions for your comfort and safety. INSPECT THE HEATING...

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Snow can mean more than a temporary loss of electrical power or inaccessible roads. Unless you prepare for snow, excessive accumulation can also cause a building’s structure to fail or even collapse. The northeastern...

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Claims experience shows that theft losses can be prevented when a central station burglar alarm is installed and activated in your home. Improve your family’s security and reduce the potential of home intrusion by...

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It takes only minutes for a fire to escalate. Even with the responding fire department’s prompt arrival, a home could be destroyed. To help avoid this, have your home fitted with a residential sprinkler system. A...

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Many people struggle to understand annuities and wonder if they really need one or not. To help shed light on this situation, let’s look at one example. “Tom,” a 60-year-old widower, purchased an annuity 20 years ago....

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Corporations are no longer the only ones looking at cyber security. Increasingly, homeowners whose networks can make them vulnerable to cyber extortion, cyberattack and online fraud are seeing cyber security as a...

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Water damage is consistently a common and severe cause of loss to homeowners. It is amazing to see the damage that water can do. Water carved the Grand Canyon – just think what it does to drywall or plaster! The good...

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It’s easy to get caught up in excitement when you’re looking for a new home. Keep in mind, though, when a home is listed for sale, it is being presented as positively as possible. As a prospective buyer, you will want...

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We’re less than four weeks from the start of fall: time to start thinking about some annual tasks if you live in a part of the country with seasonal temperature changes. INSPECT YOUR HEATING SYSTEM - Whether it’s a...

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Back in the early days of home security "systems," around the end of World War I, it was common for homeowners to hire "door shakers"-night watchmen who would literally walk around and check doors to make sure they were...

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One of our family’s most favorite vacations was almost over before we left town. A few summers ago, I pre-paid for a week in the Rocky Mountains. It was going to be five FUN-tastic days of dude ranching and whitewater...

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Every year nearly 300 children under the age of 5 drown in swimming pools in the United States, making it the leading cause of death for children in that age range. Tragically, 87 % of these deaths occur in backyard...

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Congratulations on your new car! Purchasing a new vehicle is exciting, and insurance isn’t normally the first thing on your mind. When you finally think of it, you may be overwhelmed and not sure what to do. Here are...

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Does your homeowner policy have sufficient coverage limits to help you recover fully after a loss and avoid incurring serious financial burdens? It’s a question many people don’t ask, and if they have a claim, it can...

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While tornadoes can occur throughout the year, spring and early summer are peak months in most of the United States. Prepare to respond to a tornado by stocking your emergency kit, updating your family’s emergency...

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Spring weather brings hope for new beginnings and warmer temperatures. Plants, welcomed or not, start to burst out of their winter slumber. Sunshine fills the house, prompting us to spruce up indoors and outdoors. ...

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High winds are a danger to people and property. Learning what to look for and how to properly prepare can save lives and minimize damage. WIND CHARACTERISTICS - Wind damage can come from wind alone or from severe...

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Home improvement projects seem to have no season. While many big outdoor projects happen in spring and summer, homeowners may find the best time to work on a renovation project is when contractors are available or...

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Did you know most Americans (78 percent) agree that preparing financially for life’s unknowns is a way to show that you care? In fact, a little closer look at the data finds almost 2 in 3 (65 percent) think that having...

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If you live near a fault line, you likely are no stranger to tremors or other earthquake activity. Preparation may be an ongoing process for your family. The Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.gov website offers a...

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If you live near a fault line, you likely are no stranger to tremors or other earthquake activity. Preparation may be an ongoing process for your family. The Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.gov website offers a...

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Your business, whatever its size, most likely processes and maintains information every day. At least annually, take time to review your data privacy practices to reinforce your information security and to reassess your...

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While you work hard to earn money, criminal enterprises are working hard to steal it. So let’s take a minute to brush up on the latest tricks, scams and methods criminals are using to steal data and money from you and...

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