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Last month's New Year celebrations had good cause; we have a chance to be grateful for the years behind us as we look forward to the years ahead. Chances are, as we clinked champagne glasses with friends and family, the idea of not being around to celebrate with them next year never crossed our minds.

But...what if?

In the event that something should happen to you, will your loved ones be protected? Now that we've embarked on another year of life, it's a good time to think about life insurance.

An Unselfish Investment

Life insurance is truly about ensuring your family has peace of mind if your life should end. Its potential benefits to your loved ones are many, including:

Times have changed, and Tennessee insurance options have followed suit. Today, most of us rely heavily on technology to keep both our businesses and our personal lives running smoothly. We store enormous amounts of valuable information on computers - everything from that data required to keep a business in operation to scans of precious family photographs. But technology is never flawless. Though it usually makes life easier, it's also subject to glitches and breakage, as well as vulnerable to viruses, hackers, and theft. Here are just a few examples of stressful situations that illustrate the importance - and the vulnerability - of the technology on which we so heavily rely:

• A doctor's smart phone is stolen from his vehicle; the phone contains numerous patient records.
• A laptop belonging to a small business owner is lost; it contains the names, social security numbers, and credit card numbers of various clients.
• A virus shuts down a company's order processing system, which causes damage to the company and its customers.
• An unencrypted flash drive containing private information about a company's employees is lost in the mail.
• A business loses valuable data, and cannot afford the cost to replace it.
• Hackers begin targeting small to midsize companies with increased frequency, finding it easy to obtain the personal information of countless individuals and perpetuate instances of identity theft.

All of these are real life instances that might affect any of us, whether we are the ones from whom the technology is stolen or the ones whose private information is stored on it. Fortunately, Technology insurance provides some protection against these and other misfortunes.
Technology insurance is often regarded as one of the four segments of professional liability insurance, along with malpractice insurance, directors and officers insurance, and employment practices liability. Technology insurance can be very comprehensive, covering not only the first party (the one whose technology is lost, stolen, hacked, etc.) but also the third party or parties (those whose information was stored on the technology). Technology coverage may be termed in a variety of ways, including:

• Data breach - This coverage is ideal for retail stores, medical offices, financial institutions, and auto dealers. It protects the insured in the event that confidential information is accidentally exposed, whether electronically or in paper form.
• Privacy - This type of coverage protects businesses in the event that they are sued by a client whose private information, such as medical records, is improperly released.
• Technology E&O - This type of coverage is ideal for the professionals who bring technology to others, such as software designers and developers, website creators, and IT consultants. As they develop technology for individuals and businesses, they need protection from technology exposures.

Other types of technology insurance include hacker coverage and network liability.

Think about the role technology plays in your life. Are you at risk for losing or unwittingly exposing valuable or private information? If so, Call or contact Wilkinson Insurance Agency about technology insurance, because the future is now.

Is there anything quite so pleasant as coming home to a warm and cozy house on a cold winter's day? Home isn't just where the heart is; in the winter, it's also where the hearth is.

Heat comes to us in many forms: electric, gas, portable space heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces. All of these can pose a threat to a Tennessee home's safetynot to mention that of its residentsif they are not properly maintained and managed. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, heating fires are the second leading cause of all residential building fires. About 50 percent of all fires that result from home heating equipment are reported during the months of December, January, and February. Fortunately, it is possible to stay warm safely this winter by following a few simple suggestions.

• Have your chimney professionally cleaned before lighting the first fire of the year. Removing all debris from the chimney and opening the flue will ensure that your home remains free of dangerous smoke.
• Use only seasoned hardwood such as ash, oak, or maple in your fireplace. Do not burn trash or cardboard boxes.
• Employ fireplace screens or glass fireplace doors to keep embers off of rugs and carpets.
• If you have a gas heating system, place carbon monoxide detectors in your home. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, carbon monoxidealso known as the "silent killer"kills about 300 people in their homes annually. There are small, convenient detectors that plug into electrical outlets and sound an alarm if carbon monoxide is in the air. Keep at least one near every sleeping area.
• Never leave electric space heaters on if they are unattended, and always position them away from flammable objects, as well as from people, pets, furniture, and curtains. Unplug them when they are not in use.
• Maintain a three-foot kid-free zone around all heating sources.
• Pay a professional to examine and clean your home's heating unit annually. He or she can repair potentially deadly leaks.
• Clean your home's air vents by removing their covers and vacuuming out any dust or debris that may have accumulated in them during warmer weather.
• Never use an oven or stovetop to heat your home, and always use gas or charcoal grills outdoors.
• If you ever smell gas, immediately extinguish all flames in your home, put out cigarettes, and do not operate electrical appliances because they may create sparks. Turn off all gas appliances and make sure pilot lights are out. If you still smell gas after opening windows and doors, turn off your home's main gas tap. Call the gas company immediately and evacuate.
• If a pilot light goes out, turn off the gas at that heat source and wait several minutes before re-lighting it.
• If your pilot light produces a red or yellow flame, call for service; the flame should be blue.
• Finally, make sure your smoke alarms are all functioning properly.

Call or contact Wilkinson Insurance Agency today to make sure your home insurance policy is up to date.

In these cost-conscious days, everyone is trying to save money wherever and whenever they can. It seems that people may especially look to their insurance policies as a place to realize some savings.

More customers are now requesting a reduction in the dwelling limits on their homeowners policy or a reduction in the policy's liability limits.

Some customers are even requesting a reduction in the limits of liability on their auto insurance policies. In most cases, these types of requests are not wise ones. We cannot stress enough how much you have to lose if a liability judgment goes against you -- for example, in an auto accident or if someone gets hurt at your home.

A wiser and certainly more consumer-friendly way to save money on your insurance premiums is to increase your property deductibles. On a homeowners policy, going from a $250 to a $500 deductible may result in a savings of between 10 and 15 percent on the premium. We understand; we've heard customers tell us previously: "But if I have a claim, I can't come up with $500 at one time." The important thing for you to remember is this: you only have to come up with $250 more than you would right now (the difference between your current deductible and $500) -- not a big amount. And remember, with the savings you will experience in the premium, you will probably save that $250 in less than 2 years.

Higher deductibles on the physical damage section of your auto insurance are also a good way save some money on the premium. A $500 deductible on both comprehensive and collision can save you to 30 percent on these coverage lines. A $1,000 deductible may result in savings of up to 40 percent.

If you cannot take the big leap from a $250 deductible to $1,000, consider a graduated approach. We'd like to suggest going to a $500 deductible now and putting the premium you save into a "deductible fund." Then in a couple of years, you will have enough in that fund to increase the deductible to $1,000.

The point to remember is this: don't risk a lot in order to save a little.

Copyright 2008 Insurance and Risk Management Institute, Inc. (www.irmi.com) reproduced with permission

If you have a domestic employee, such as a gardener, housekeeper, or nanny, who drives his or her own auto while working for you, there is a potential for you to incur liability arising from their driving that would not be adequately insured. If your employee negligently causes an accident, you as the employer can be drawn into the lawsuit and held liable. Your employee’s own insurance, if any, will protect you up to its policy limits, but you are on your own after that. And your personal auto policy may not respond to cover the difference. The courts have ruled in different ways on these types of loss situations.

For example, assume your housekeeper negligently injures someone in a serious accident in her own vehicle while out buying groceries for your household. Further assume she has low liability limits or even no auto liability insurance. If she is sued, the injured party may uncover information about you, her employer, and how her driving in this incident was related to her employment with you. As a result, your “deep pockets” may just get you named in the lawsuit.
If you engage domestic employees or contract workers who may drive their vehicles in their work for you, the following tips may prove helpful.

Ask any employees or prospective employees to provide you a current copy of their driving record. The employee can order this online through http://www.dmv.org/driving-record.php. If they do not have a good driving history, do not allow them to run errands for you.
If the domestic employee has a good driving record and you ask her to occasionally use her own car to run errands, ask for a copy of her current auto policy and verify that it has at least moderate liability limits.

Ask your insurance agent to confirm with your auto insurance company underwriter that your PAP policy will provide a defense and cover judgments in excess of your employee’s limits if you are ever named in one of these suits. If possible, get a copy of a letter from the underwriter.

If the domestic employee has an excellent driving record and a sterling employment history with you, consider having her use your auto to run errands to avoid any question that your PAP will protect you if she negligently causes an accident while working for you.
Periodically review your employee’s driving record and auto insurance policy.
Consider procuring a personal umbrella policy that will normally provide coverage on top of your PAP. However, if the loss is not covered under your auto policy but is covered under the umbrella form, you would only be responsible for the retained limit or deductible amount, which ranges from $250 to $1,000.

Copyright 2008, International Risk Management Institute, Inc. (www.irmi.com) reproduced with permission.