​What Is Artisans Insurance?
If you're a carpenter, plumber, electrician, mechanic, mason, or any other sort of skilled artisan contractor, you probably qualify for artisan's insurance.
You may have heard of this type of insurance before as it’s sometimes referred to as contractor’s insurance. So, if you’re an artisan or contractor asking yourself, “what is artisan’s insurance,” know that it is very similar to contractor’s insurance.
So why call it something different? Because artisan’s insurance is a different product than contractor’s insurance and it’s sold through different insurance companies in different states. Understandably, this can be confusing to a contractor who just wants to make sure they are properly insured.
What Is Artisan's Insurance and Why You Need It..?

• The thing to remember about artisan’s insurance is that it is strictly liability insurance. Artisan’s insurance does NOT cover things like your business office, your supplies, or your work vehicles. Artisan’s insurance is liability insurance and only liability insurance, it covers what are essentially mistakes made by you or damages done because of craftsmanship errors. If you're a contractor that specializes in a certain area, you probably already know how important it is to fully insure and protect your business.
• Unfortunately, mistakes happen each and every day for businesses. But if you're a contractor that deals in repairing, creating, or installing things in homes or businesses and something goes wrong...it could very easily be the end of your business and your livelihood if you're not properly covered.
• Again, the reason that you'll want artisan's insurance is for the liability aspect only. To cover your business office, supplies, work vehicles, and other things you will need to purchase a separate insurance plan.
• If you work in someone's home, or work on a business’s property, there's a certain amount of inherent risk involved. When people get hurt because of your craftsmanship, they'll have to be compensated financially somehow. This means that they'll come after you to pay for their medical expenses and/or damages.
• If you are part of a group of different skilled artisans working on the same building or same large project and one of the other artisans makes a mistake that results in damage or injury guess what, all the artisans in the building could be held liable, not just the one who made the actual mistake. So, artisan’s insurance doesn’t just protect you from your own mistakes, it protects you from the mistakes that other artisans can render you liable for as well.
• If you’re an artisan contractor the brutal fact is it only takes one mistake, one incident to ruin you financially and no one deserves that. Make sure you’re properly covered for that liability so one mistake doesn’t spell the end.

Want to know more? Contact our agency for a no-obligation review of your insurance needs. We can get you a quote in minutes when we have your complete information on hand.

According to the CDC, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. Make sure your child is truly prepared on the road with these helpful tips.

• Follow the speed limit. I know, it's an obvious one. But when you go too fast, you have less time to stop or react. Speeding is one of the leading causes of teenage accidents. Another obvious and important reminder – always wear your seatbelt! According to the CDC, wearing a seat belt can lower the risk of death in car accidents by nearly 50%.
• Make sure your seat is adjusted properly to your height. This is very important because if you can't see through your rear-view mirror, it can affect your driving. A good way to tell if the mirror is in the right spot is if you can see the headlights of the car behind you. Also, make sure to adjust your door mirrors on the drivers and passenger side.
• Keep that windshield clean. Keeping your car clean isn't just about style. In the morning and evening, light reflecting off a dirty windshield can temporarily blind you while you're driving.
• Always check your blind spot. This is something I can't stress enough! Thoughtlessly changing lanes can lead to a dangerous situation, especially with smaller vehicles like motorcycles.
• Use your turn signals. Whether you're turning or changing lanes, you need to give the car behind you enough time to react.
• Be cautious for aggressive drivers. If you do encounter an angry driver, back off and give them space on the road. The best thing is to stay calm to avoid getting into an accident with this person, or another driver on the road.
• Don't use cruise control in the rain or snow. Using this feature during heavy rain, snow or ice can cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
• Keep your hands on the wheel, and off your cell phone! Texting and driving has become the number one distraction for teens and adults. A text isn't worth anyone's life, and each time you take your eyes off the road, you put yourself and others at risk. Another reason to keep your eyes on your phone – you will get a ticket! According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 47 states have banned text messaging for drivers. If you get caught, you may get slapped with a big fine, and get points on your driving record. A good way to avoid this is to keep your phone in a place that you can't reach while you're driving.

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​Pools require a surprising amount of maintenance, so if a pool is part of your rental property, it’s important to know who’s in charge of maintenance.
It’s not just about whether the pool looks good, it’s about hygiene and safety. Landlords should consider these issues carefully before handing over the keys. Our agency welcomes the opportunity to review your current insurance and point out possible gaps in coverage.
What Can Go Wrong?
A poorly maintained pool creates liabilities for the landlord and can make the property on which it’s located a less desirable place to live. It can affect children, neighbors, and renters alike.
Liability Issues
A landlord renting a property with a swimming pool can potentially be liable for any death or injury that results from people using the pool. Landlords have a duty to keep their properties safe for habitation, and if an accident happens, a court can hold a landlord negligent for failing to rectify a known dangerous condition, such as slippery decking material or a broken fence. 
This doesn’t mean the landlord is responsible for every accident that happens around a pool. Renters can also be negligent if they fail to keep the fence locked and the pool deck clear of obstructions, especially if the landlord has provided them with a safety brochure, which is a must-do. The landlord is probably responsible, however, if all the following conditions are met:

• He fails to make a necessary repair within a reasonable amount of time, and the repair is not unreasonably expensive.
• The accident is a direct result of the failure to make the repair.
• The accident was foreseeable.

​With burglaries constituting approximately 50 percent of all on-campus crimes, it's important for college students and their parents take steps to prevent theft, adhere to safety measures—and review their insurance coverage.
Campus coverage basics
It's best to consult one of our insurance professionals for the details of your family's specific coverage and where you might need additional protections, but here are some general guidelines:

• Students who live in a dorm are covered under their parents' standard homeowners insurance policies – That is, their possessions are protected by "off premise" coverage. However, some homeowners policies may limit this amount of insurance, so make sure you understand your own policy.
• Students who live off campus are likely not covered by their parents’ homeowners policy – Your insurance professional can tell you whether your homeowners or renters policy extends to off-campus living situations. If it does not, to protect student belongings, those living off campus may need to purchase their own renters insurance policy.
• Computers and smartphones may carry stand-alone insurance – If you're getting these items new, at the time of purchase you may be offered insurance or other protections against theft or loss. Also, check the credit card used for the purchase, to see what protections might be available.
• Consider a stand-alone policy specifically designed for students living away at college – This can be an economical way to provide additional insurance coverage for a variety of disasters.
• If your college-bound student is leaving the car at home, make sure to tell your insurance agent – Depending on how far he or she is going away to school, you might be eligible for a premium discount.

Most homeowner’s insurance policies provide coverage for your personal possessions for approximately 50 percent to 70 percent of the amount of insurance you have on the structure of your home. So, if you have $100,000 worth of coverage on the structure of your home, you would be covered for $50,000 to $70,000 worth of the contents of your home, depending on the policy.
The best way to determine if this is enough coverage is to conduct a home inventory, which details everything you own and the estimated cost to replace these items if they are stolen or destroyed by a disaster. Keep your home inventory in a safe place if you have physical copies; or store it in the Cloud if you are using a home inventory app.
You can insure your possessions in two ways: by their actual cash value or their replacement cost. Make sure you review with one of our insurance agents which type of coverage is best for your situation.
Actual cash value policy
This coverage pays the cost of replacing your belongings minus depreciation.
Replacement cost policy
This coverage reimburses you for the full current cost of replacing your belongings.
​To illustrate the difference between the two types of policies, suppose, for example, a fire destroys a 10-year-old television set in your living room. If you have a replacement cost policy for the contents of your home, the insurance company will pay to replace the TV with a comparable new one. If you have an actual cash value policy, it will pay only a small percentage of the cost of a new TV set because the old TV has been used for 10 years and is now worth a lot less than its original cost. Some replacement cost policies specify that the new item be purchased by the insurance company as they may be able to purchase at a bulk or special rate. The price of replacement cost coverage is about 10 percent more than that of actual cash value.