During this very challenging and hardening insurance market, we recognize that eliminating certain types of insurance can be tempting. We often see requests to reduce or remove coverages like directors & officers liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, and comprehensive crime coverage to allow for upfront premium savings. However, it is important to understand that eliminating these policies results in a gap in coverage and can actually increase your costs. Defending claims for actual or alleged wrongful acts related to managing your organization, your employees, and your employee benefit programs can be very costly. Any claim settlements would be an additional out-of-pocket expense to your bottom line.

Life insurance is one of those necessary evils that many of us don’t like to think about. While you hope you never need it, the chances are at some point you will. Life insurance is a wonderful way to help protect your family’s financial future whether you have a spouse, kids, parents that depend on you for financial support, or just debt. Life insurance provides a tax-free benefit to fulfill your needs, and those of your family, should you pass away andcan help your family pay for, and pay off, expenses such as:

• Funeral cost
• Uncovered medical expenses
• Mortgage
• Loans and credit card debt
• College funding
• Retirement funding
• Ongoing living expenses for your dependents

 Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Anita S. Knudtson, Consultant/Owner of Experient Consultancy. We hope you enjoy Anita's wisdom and perspective.

Celebrating one of the nation's most historical holidays can be festive, but has the potential for risk. So we bring you a look at the 4th of July by the numbers with interesting statistics and facts. As with any holiday celebration, have fun and stay safe!

Each year, National Work Zone Awareness Week brings attention to these safety, mobility, and constructability issues. As a driver, you must use extra caution in work zones to keep yourself and others safe. 

We often think cyber-attacks only affect large corporations like Equifax, Home Depot, Uber, and Target. While these are extensively covered in the national media, what we don’t hear about are all the school districts across the country also being hit by cyber thieves.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) was created with the intention of giving people more time to either work or enjoy the sunlight during the summer months. So, every year, on the second Sunday in March, our clocks “spring forward” an hour. One hour might not seem like a big deal, but for many, the transition can be hard on our bodies and psyche.  

Do you know “who” and “what” you are getting during a merger or acquisition and have you done your safety due diligence?  If your organization is in the process of an M&A, a question to ask yourself is: Does environment, health, and safety (EHS) and sustainability have a seat at the M&A table? If not, you’ll likely miss out on valuable insights that can help ensure a smooth process from start to finish.

September is healthy aging month. While this campaign is aimed at individuals 45 or older, it’s also a great opportunity for EVERYONE to take some time to evaluate their life and recognize the possibilities that come with getting older.

Risk is defined as the potential gain or loss of something valuable. Many risks are easily identified as physical, financial, or strategic loss. Others, like emerging risks, are difficult to identify or quantify. They typically have a high degree of uncertainty and there tends to be no common approach. Emerging risks often start as a trend, or slight shift, that will ultimately have impact years down the road.
New risks often take years to mature and are very complicated in the process. As little as five years ago, cyber risk was considered an emerging risk. Today, it is better known, but arguably still emerging due to the highly uncertain, unpredictable, and rapidly changing nature of the risk.