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REDUCE PREMIUMS? REDUCE RISK — LOSS CONTROL STRATEGIES

[ 0 ] February 22, 2012

Business Protection BulletinBusiness owners know an injury to an employee or severe property damage destroys productivity; so all losses should be avoided or reduced. So why do insurance loss control representatives’ visits and the ensuing safety recommendations bother business owners so frequently? Is it a nuisance? Is it the money to implement loss control strategies? Insurance companies understand that the frequency of claims, that is the number of claims, predicts risk levels much more accurately than does the severity of claims.

For small business, as defined as those that cannot afford an in-house full time safety officer, the insurance company loss control representative acts in that capacity to review the overall loss control picture. Use this service to your advantage. The insurance company wants to reduce risk as much as you do. Of course, the company is less concerned about the budget to do so when you’re fulfilling their recommendations. So, what can you do about costly compliance measures? Ask the loss control representative for help. These professionals are in the field all the time and see many solutions to the same problems. They will have some cost effective ideas.

Manufacturers and contractors are familiar with equipment safety devices, such as guards on saw blades or operator cages. Ergonomics has become a popular form of loss control that ties into safety devices. Differing control knobs, placement of controls and sight lines improve operator efficiency and eliminate unsafe habits.

Environmental controls, for example ventilation and lighting, reduce worker fatigue, unhealthy air quality, and poor visibility. Injuries decrease in frequency as a result.

Proper protective gear might seem a bit old school, but goggles, gloves, hard hats, protective clothing, and even proper work clothing can help to reduce claims.

Installing guards and providing equipment protection is half the battle. Safety must be taught to employees at all levels for an effective loss reduction program. New and old measures should be embraced by management and implemented correctly.

Insurance loss control departments are a good source for safety lesson plans, posters, or even direct employee meetings to teach and discuss safety issues.

Loss control strategies eliminate or reduce risks. Prevention, avoidance, transfer, and separation are examples of viable strategies.

Visit our Business Protection Newsletter on our Newsletter page today. Also, you can subscribe by entering your email on “the subscribe to our blog”. Come in to Duncan Financial Group in Irwin, Pennsylvania and see what we are all about.

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John M. Duncan, Jr

[ 0 ] February 20, 2012

John DuncanJohn M. Duncan, Jr. has been President of Duncan Insurance Group, a division of Duncan Financial Group, LLC since 1997.  He originally joined the company in 1983 as a property and casualty producer.  His credentials include recognition as a Certified Insurance Counselor as well as a Certified WorkComp Advisor.  He also serves as President of the Norwin Public Library’s Board of Trustees, as well as holds a seat on the Board of Directors for Keystone Insurers Group and Norwin Chamber of Commerce.  John graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Business Management.

 

Meet the rest of The Duncan Financial Group Irwin, Pennsylvania team by visiting our Our Team page or stop in at Duncan Financial in Irwin, Pennsylvania

To contact John Duncan, please call 724-863-3420, ext. 3311 or email him at jduncan@duncangrp.com.

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Duncan Financial Newsletters!

[ 0 ] February 17, 2012

You can now subscribe to our monthly insurance newsletters.

Please take a look at our articles which offer an array of information for all your needs. Sign up if you like when you open the newsletter.

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Personal Protection Bulletin

Dont miss our important tips and latest facts for home owners, car owners and more!

 

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Business Protection Bulletin

Good advice for small to medium-size businesses. Hands-on, easy to read.

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[ 0 ] February 15, 2012

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Keeping Insurance Values Up-To Date

[ 0 ] February 13, 2012

A Quick Insurance Review

Let’s start with some basics about how insurance works. Insurance protects people and companies against major financial losses that occur because of damage of loss of property. Insurance companies determined premiums by taking into account the risks associated with the business. The amount of coverage they need to be fully protected, their past history and statistics that predict what percentage of businesses will suffer a loss or file a claim. The amount of property insurance coverage is based on the cost to rebuild and restore your business, not market value.

The rising cost of rebuilding

In recent years, we’ve experienced devastating weather events at home and worldwide. In 2011 alone, the U.S. experienced $12.3 billion in insured losses from 100 significant events, many unprecedented and unexpected. Some decimated entire communities. And, experts predict that severe weather will likely continue.

Add to that, skyrocketing building costs. As communities here and abroad rebuild, the demand for building materials and labor has intensified, driving up prices. For example, in the fifteen months between the second quarter 2010 and third quester 2011 the following materials increased significantly:

 

 

Insurance-To-Value (ITV)

Insurance-to-value is a critical element of any well-constructed property insurance program. If you are your agent or broker keep values up-to-date, this can protect your business by providing you with the coverage you need should a major loss occur.

Traveler’s gas easy-to-use tools that will help you and your agent or broker address this issue. For more information about our ITV and Business Income worksheets talk to you agent or broker.

At Duncan Financial, can help you find what coverage you need to feel most comfortable. Also being an independent insurance agency gives us the capability to write with multiple carriers. Call us today for a customizable package to fit your life style.

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A History of the Home of Duncan Financial Group

[ 0 ] February 10, 2012

A small town, Irwin, Pennsylvania, was settled first by Mattias Cowan in 1761. However, the true founder of Irwin was Colonel John Irwin, an Ireland native and fur trader. He and his son led the construction of what is now Route 30 from Greensburg West through Irwin. The primary landmark in Irwin at this time was Fort Walthour, located in what is now North Huntingdon Square.

North Huntingdon Township was officially formed in 1773 when Westmoreland County was divided into eleven townships.

The 1800s in North Huntingdon Township were marked by the entrance of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Westmoreland Coal Company in 1852. Many immigrants settled in Irwin to work in the mines, and in 1890, building lots were established in North Irwin to start the residential community for families.

The 1900s brought much change for Irwin. For the most part, at the beginning of the 1900s, Irwin revolved around mines and small industries, but remained a largely agricultural and residential community. However, the thirties brought change for the working men in the community as the Jersey Cereal Company and the mines closed. World War I was over and the Great Depression had reached Irwin. It was a hard time for the people of Irwin, but they supported each other and kept strong as a community.

Fortunately, the business district thrived after a bypass of Route 30 was built to run right through North Huntingdon Township. The community worked hard throughout the week, and then they continued to bring more business to Irwin’s stores by taking their families to downtown Irwin on Saturday nights for their one night of relaxation. To further help business matters, a Turnpike exit was built in Irwin in 1940.

With the Turnpike exit, along came more accessible cars that kept the business district running. Drive-In movie theaters also came onto the scene, providing for a change from the Saturday nights spent in downtown Irwin. Things soon changed in the Irwin district with the Vietnam War in the sixties. Social change came with new fashion, politics, and music. The social changes were not all happy, though. Irwin lost fourteen of its men in battle during the Vietnam War.

With Woodstock ending the era of social generation, a new time was brought to Irwin. Families changed with the beginning of nuclear families. However, with the loss of family to other parts of the country, people became more dependable on their neighbors, thus strengthening an already strong Irwin community. The seventies also gave birth to latch-key children as mothers ventured into the workforce. Additionally, many community activities and leagues were developed with children and families attending more community events and going to the community pools that had been built.

From the eighties on, a new generation was born in Irwin. This generation has been forced to deal with many realities that no other generation had to deal with. However, the current generations in Irwin have much pride in their small and caring community. Despite all the societal changes, Irwin has managed to stay a strong, safe community that has just the right interdependence between residential and business areas. Irwin is a great small town that holds all the values of America, both old and new.

Stop in at Duncan Financial Group today to get the full flavor of Irwin, Pennsylvania. Our history rich company would love the opportunity to compete for your insurance needs. Contact us today!

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Insuring Tokens of Affection and Other Precious Possessions

[ 0 ] February 8, 2012

It’s the time of year when romance is in the air, but tender feelings could prove costly for couples who are moving toward marriage. According to one industry survey, the average price of a new engagement ring was $5,200 in 2010, and 12% of couples spent more than $8,000. For young couples starting their lives together, an engagement ring may be one of their most valuable possessions.

Do you have cherished jewelry or other items that would be expensive (or impossible) to replace? Most homeowners, condominium, and renters policies have limited coverage for your personal property. Adding an endorsement (or floater) to your policy (or a separate personal property policy) may provide additional coverage for especially valuable articles.

Pricey Personal Property

Basic homeowners, condo, and renters policies commonly have a maximum coverage limit for the combined value of certain property. Theft of jewelry, for example, may be limited to $1,000 or $1,500. There are other disadvantages to the personal property coverage in standard policies, including the fact that they generally protect you only from certain incidents (damage or accidental loss are typically excluded) and may be subject to a high deductible.

A Scheduled Personal Property, or SPP, endorsement to your homeowners, condominium, or renters policy can be customized to cover single items or a class of luxury goods, and it typically covers more incidents (except those that are specifically excluded), including theft, mysterious disappearance, and sudden, accidental loss. Examples of classes of personal property other than jewelry include silverware, computers, cameras, sporting goods, guns, musical instruments, fine art and antiques, coin or stamp collections, and other valuable collectibles.

So if your golf clubs never make it back from Hawaii, your diamond engagement ring is lost in the ocean, or your notebook computer accidentally takes a tumble, an SPP endorsement could help you recover the full replacement value, up to your policy limits. And your claim could be subject to little or no deductible.

Duncan Financial is here for you and your family no matter what part of your life you are in. We change as you need. Stop in or contact us today to find out what else we can do for you.

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Insurance to Value: Homeowners Beware

[ 0 ] February 6, 2012

Housing values have plummeted throughout the United States.

 

The pace of existing-home sales dropped more than 8 percent from January 2008 to January 2009, reported the National Association of Realtors. Home values declined for 76 percent of all U.S. homes during 2008, estimated Zillow.com. And housing prices have fallen in 70 percent of all metro areas over the past several years, according to Moody’s Economy.com. What’s more, the rate of new-home construction is now at its lowest in 50 years, noted the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Duncan Financial also sees what’s not going down, though, is the cost of rebuilding and repairing houses. Construction costs rose by more than 4 percent between 2007 and 2008, according to a report in Best’s Review magazine citing Reed Construction Data figures.

Rising reconstruction prices are contrary to the economic news of recent months. And it’s contrary to consumers’ expectations that lower home values should mean lower homeowner’s coverage is needed.

What’s more, homeowners are already cutting back on insurance expenses. Nearly one in four households already have changed their insurance coverage in the past year to reduce costs, according to a recent survey by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) and local Trusted Choice® member agencies.

With these conflicting pressures, what should a homeowner do? The first thing: Recall what homeowners insurance is designed to do.

Insurance should “make whole” the policyholder after loss or damage to the home from an unforeseen event such as a fire, lightning strike or windstorm. In the case of rebuilding a home, “making whole” means rebuilding the same or similar structure.

When a home is damaged or destroyed, there are several issues that factor into its repair or replacement cost:

  • Debris must be removed and discarded.
  • Lumber, concrete, and other building materials are in demand on the worldwide market, even if demand is slumping in the United States.
  • Building materials are purchased for just one home, not on a large-scale basis as is for most housing developments.
  • fuel costs, a big part of construction costs, are higher than just a few years ago.
  • Natural disasters in the United States have left a shortage of building materials and labor in certain areas.
  • Homeowners want to get back into their home as quickly as possible, and speed drives up costs.

If you would like more information on Duncan Financial Group and how you can save money on your homeowner’s policy without jeopardizing coverage, we have a great website 

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Does Travel Insurance Provide Coverage For Catastrophes

[ 0 ] February 3, 2012

Duncan Financial Group

When booking a vacation, many people wonder whether or not it is truly worth the added expense to purchase a travel insurance package, and whether or not it will cover them in case of a disaster such as what occurred on the Costa Concordia.

Cruise passengers did indeed benefit from their protection when they were evacuated from the ship. While they waited for Costa Cruise Lines to provide their assistance, those who had purchased Travel insurance were already served by the insurers who relayed messages back to the loved ones of the travelers, replaced identification documents (as many of the passports were left behind on the ship) and quickly arranged flights for the passengers to return home again.

The most common policy sold for vacationers on that trip cost about 5 to 7% of the total vacation cost. Its coverage included trip interruption and cancellation, as well as emergency evacuation, medical expenses, and baggage protection.

The covered passengers on the Costa Concordia were reimbursed for any of the emergency medical evacuation and medical expenses that they faced. Their policies also included $10,000 for Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage.

Some of the people who were evacuated from the ship will also likely make claims for their baggage protection benefits in order to be reimbursed for their lost personal items. That said, Carnival Corp., the parent company of Costa Cruise Lines, will also be “addressing personal possessions lost on board.” according to a statement they released.

It’s clear that regardless of any compensation that will be provided by the cruise line, those passengers who insured themselves before leaving on their vacations were provided with peace of mind and assistance that made it much easier to cope with the disaster.

You never know when disaster is going to strike. Do the one thing you can to keep you and your family protected from the unexpected, call Duncan Financial Group today to see what we can do for you.

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Are You Prepared for Space Travel?

[ 0 ] January 29, 2012

Duncan Financial GroupIt’s predicted that this year will bring the first commercial flights into space, and with them, those space tourists will also be purchasing travel insurance to provide them with additional coverage for their trips.

Among the leading space tourism companies is Virgin Galactic, which is offering coverage directly through its Web site, although though these travelers can also speak with their travel agents if they want to obtain the coverage they need, just as they would for any other type of traditional vacation.

The ultra-wealthy have already been taking space flights aboard a Russian rocket to the International Space Station (at a hefty price of tens of millions of dollars per trip), However, Virgin Galactic’s trips are being offered at a much more “affordable” rate of $200,000 per seat.

The experience includes a trip aboard a rocket ship which will travel just beyond the barrier into space and will feature a full five minutes of feeling weightless. The entire trip takes about two and a half hours.

Virgin Galactic isn’t the only one in this market; two other specialty airlines are also taking their first steps into space tourism, including accepting deposits for reservations for flights into space.

Allianz,will offer a space travel insurance product this year. According to one of 58 of Virgin Galactic’s accredited space agents in the U.S., and the president of Saratoga, California-based Alpine Travel, Lynda Turley Garrett, “Just to be able to sell space travel as a regular part of your business;; really, just how cool is that?”

Space travel coverage will include a number of different potential risks, such as medical issues before or after travel, and last-minute cancellations.

This may be coverage of the future, but Duncan Financial Group presently is helping thousands of people with feeling comfortable with their insurance policies. Find comfort today, call Duncan Financial Group today.

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