Mark Kofalt, Author at Premier Insurance Services

Why Disability Insurance Can Save You from Ruin

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 19, 2020
Post category:Personal/Family

At least 51 million working adults in the United States are without disability insurance other than the basic coverage available through Social Security. These working folks are facing a growing crisis due to their lack of adequate disability coverage. You may think that disability payments from the government can help you get through tough times should you become partially, temporarily or permanently disabled, but government payments are extremely low. Today, many people are faced with an absence of emergency savings, rising medical costs, and an overall trend of fewer employers offering benefits to workers. This has created a critical blind…

Struggling for Survival: Businesses That Went Thin on Insurance

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 16, 2020
Post category:Business

Imagine several small businesses located around the country. Each is well-established and profitable. Each of them bought business insurance - property, liability, automobile and workers' compensation. They told their agents they wanted the lowest possible price for coverage, and the agents came through. But they didn't also take their agents' recommendations to purchase additional coverage. Unfortunately, they each suffered losses that threatened the very survival of their businesses. This is how they each got into such a fix: The underwater restaurateur The owner of a restaurant on the south shore of Long Island, NY, rejects his agent's offer of flood…

As Dump Trucks Grow Longer, Tip-overs Increase

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 13, 2020
Post category:Business

Dump truck and semi-trailer dumping rig tip-overs are occurring at an increasing frequency, often resulting in drivers and sometimes workers on the ground being injured or killed. The reason for the increase is that end-dump-truck bodies and semi-trailer dumping rigs are being built longer than ever before. For the most part, tip-overs are more often associated with semi-trailer rigs than with straight dump trucks, but both are susceptible to tipping over. If you have these vehicles in your fleet, you should be concerned about the main factors that can result in tip-overs: Truck stabilityPoor hazard controlsPoor maintenance Improper loadingImproper dumping…

Dog Owners Liable When Their Pets Bite — Are You Covered?

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 10, 2020
Post category:Personal/Family

There were over 90 million dogs residing in people's homes across the United States in 2018, according to the American Pet Products Association. Unfortunately, there are more than 5 million dog bites reported each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Of that amount, almost 900,000 require medical care, and about 50% of those cases involve children. While insurers will cover most dogs, some will not insure a long list of specific breeds. Dobermans and pit bulls are on many of the exclusion lists. Some insurers do not discriminate by breed and instead determine a dog's status by individual…

Train Your Workers in COVID-19 Prevention

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 6, 2020
Post category:Business

As the COVID-19 coronavirus spreads across the world and the number of cases growing in the U.S., there is a lot of hysteria and misinformation about how to protect yourself from this new virus strain. More and more people are wearing surgical masks when they go outside, thinking it will protect them. Some people have even stopped drinking Corona-brand beer because they believe it is the same as the coronavirus. (If that's not the definition of panic, we're not sure what is.) This has left plenty of people not sure what they can do to avoid catching it themselves. There…

Eight Insurance Cost-Saving Tips for 2020

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 2, 2020
Post category:Personal/Family

Follow these eight tips to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck with your home safety and insurance coverages in 2020. Home security system If you don't have a home security system, you should seriously consider getting one to protect your hard-earned assets and home investment. The good news is that if you get one that is monitored by a central station, or that is tied directly to a local police station, you don't only protect your home, as you may also receive a discount on your homeowner's insurance premium. Install additional smoke alarms As with a…

The Cost-Benefits of Employee Wellness Programs

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:February 26, 2020
Post category:Business

The key to getting the biggest bang for your buck in your wellness program is to focus on a few tried and tested offerings that studies have found result in better health for employees and reductions in your overall health care insurance costs. If you use a scattershot approach, the returns may not be as great, and the cost of a wellness program correlates directly with the width and scope of services offered. The following are the top wellness offerings by participation rate, according to a study by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans: Flu shot programs, 50%,Health screenings,…

Delicious Foods That Fight Diseases, Promote Health

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:February 19, 2020
Post category:Personal/Family

While you should exercise to take care of your health, what you put into your body can have a great impact on how you feel and your overall general health. And as part of your efforts to stay healthy, you're also trying to stave off diseases, like heart disease, cancer and other issues that unhealthy foods can help usher in. WebMD recommends that you incorporate these foods into your diet for their many health benefits. Berries - These delicious little numbers contain antioxidants that help neutralize "free radicals" (cell-damaging molecules) that can lead to chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease…