Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Welcome to the Shield Insurance Agency Blog. 

Here you will find a ton of articles on each of these topics: Auto Insurance, Boat/Watercraft Insurance, Business Insurance, Flood Insurance, Health Insurance, Home Insurance, Insurance, Life Insurance, Michigan Auto Insurance Reform, Recreational Insurance, Renters Insurance, RV Insurance, Things To Do At Home, Umbrella Insurance, and even a list of the Shield Agency Weekly Gift Card Winners,

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6 Ways a Garage Makeover Can Create More Living Space

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With a little elbow grease, create a home office, gym and more

by Sheryl Jean | AARP | July 29, 2021 | Garage Makeover | Auto Insurance

A Los Angeles garage converted into a home office kept the garage door in place.

En español | If you no longer use your garage for a car or simply want extra living space, repurpose it.

A garage makeover can be as simple as redecorating or as complicated as a full-scale conversion to an in-law apartment. Turning garages into home offices has been a popular option during the coronavirus pandemic, experts say, but other uses include a larger kitchen, yoga studio, crafts room, children’s playroom or entertainment center.

It might take a little elbow grease — nearly two-thirds of Americans have a garage or carport, but only about a quarter of them can park a car in it because of clutter, a 2015 survey from Gladiator GarageWorks found. But the effort can expand your living space.

“It’s the kind of thing people are talking about now with everyone home trying to use their home better,” says VW Fowlkes, half of the architect couple behind Fowlkes Studio in Washington, D.C.

Regina Samani, 68, was living with her son and daughter-in-law in Los Angeles, but with a second grandchild on the way, they converted the garage into a separate living unit for more space and privacy. They don’t miss the garage because they park their cars in the driveway.

“It’s very nice,” says Samani, who moved into the apartment last year. “It doesn’t even look like a former garage.”

Before beginning on a garage project, check with your zoning or building department to determine if a building permit is needed. If you belong to a homeowners association, check the rules.

If you plan to use the space year-round, you may need to install insulation and a mini-split heating and cooling system. If you plan to power bright lights, kitchen appliances or many electronics, you may need to upgrade the electrical system. First, check if the garage can piggyback on your home wiring or ventilation system.

That said, here are six ideas for a garage makeover.

1. Home office

Paint the walls white or a bright color and add some bookshelves, good lighting and a large table for a desk, and voilá! Ron Cohen, a garage conversion expert and cofounder of Pearl Remodeling in Los Angeles, recommends painting the floor, adding an epoxy coating to the concrete or installing a peel-and-stick vinyl floor. Keep it uncluttered and professional looking for Zoom meetings.

2. Home gym/yoga studio

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How does my home deductible work?

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Safeco Insurance & Liberty Mutual Small Commercia

A home insurance deductible is what you pay out of pocket to repair your home if you have a claim. For example, if you have a $500 deductible and $2,000 in repair costs, you’ll pay $500 and Safeco will pay the remaining $1,500. You have a choice of deductible amounts; choosing a higher deductible lowers your insurance rate but requires greater out-of-pocket expenses should you have an accident. Connect with your Safeco independent agent today to get the details and determine the deductible options for your home.

Disclaimer: Subject to policy terms, conditions, and limitations. Discounts and savings available where state laws and regulations allow and may vary by state. State insurance requirements apply. Insurance offered by Safeco Insurance Company of America and affiliates, Boston, MA

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How to Get Rid of Stuff at Home

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Our decluttering tips will help you figure out what you no longer need

By Kevin Doyle | August 05, 2021 | Consumer Reports | Get rid of Stuff | Home Insurance

Sealed in a plastic bag in the back of Kris Schwartz’s bedroom closet is the student nurse’s uniform that her mother wore 80 years ago, complete with pinafore and removable cuffs. Her mother’s nursing cape hangs in a downstairs closet, and a journal her mother-in-law kept is safely stashed in the desk drawer of a home office. These relics are just a metaphorical speck in the “tsunami of stuff” Schwartz says she and her husband have accumulated in their Maine home over the decades.

“I have loads of books, mementos, baby clothes, and letters from people I’ve forgotten about stuffed in my closets and my cellar,” Schwartz says. “The garage is so full it’s sometimes hard to get a car into. Most of it serves no purpose or function, but I can’t get rid of it.”

Marie Kondo’s approach to tidying up may have inspired her fans to fold their underwear like origami, but it took a pandemic for many Americans to start to deal with their surfeit of stuff. “A lot of people suddenly needed to find space for two home offices as well as schooling at home,” says Cindy Sullivan, president of the nonprofit Institute for Challenging Disorganization. “The pandemic definitely contributed to a lot of decluttering.” Many secondhand and resale stores, hauling companies, and professional organizers have reported an uptick in business.

Rule 1: Get Ready to Let Go

For Dawn Castagna, a health industry executive in New York, getting started is the hardest part. “Analysis paralysis definitely applies to me,” she admits. “My wife says, ‘We haven’t used it, so it’s going.’ But I’m like, ‘Well, I don’t know. Who would be the right person to give it to? Should we sell it?’ And when I’m not sure about the right way to get rid of something, I just stop.” If you’re facing similar struggles, these three questions can help jump-start the process:

1. Do you really need it? Anything you don’t use or have multiples of can probably go. “Nobody needs 18 spatulas,” Ferrari says.

2. Can you easily replace it? Amanda Scudder, MSW, a professional organizer in Richmond, Va., recommends the $20/20-minute rule: Anything that would cost $20 or less and take 20 minutes or less to acquire again can probably go without creating much regret.

3. If you’re not using it now, will you want it in five or 10 years? “If it’s already in storage, ask yourself why you need to keep it,” says Amy Tokos, president of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals.

You also want to start small. Instead of tackling the garage, start with clothes. “Once you see how much lighter and more energized you feel after decluttering your wardrobe,” Scudder says, “you can take that energy into tougher categories.”

Ferrari recommends not handling anything you’re considering getting rid of. “It’s better to have a friend or professional organizer hold it up for you,” he says. “Once you touch it, you’re more likely to keep it.”

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4 Symptoms of Stress You Should Never Ignore

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Mental health focus at Tokyo Olympics is a reminder of the role that pressure plays

by Sarah Elizabeth Adler |  AARP | August 2, 2021| Symptoms of Stress | Health Insurance

En español | Wins and medals aren’t the only things grabbing attention at this year’s Olympic games in Tokyo: Mental health awareness is also in the spotlight, after U.S. star gymnast Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from some events in order to focus on her emotional well-being. 

Olympians or not, we’re all susceptible to stress, whether from job or family pressures or obligations like caregiving. Here are the physical and mental signs that experts say could signal trouble.  

1. Insomnia and difficulty sleeping 

Can’t fall or stay asleep? Insomnia is a classic symptom of stress, says Connecticut-based clinical psychologist Holly Schiff. For example, Biles said she “could barely nap” before the Olympic team gymnastics final. And the consequences of lack of sleep, including fatigue and problems concentrating, can make it even harder to get through the day, creating a stress snowball effect. 

To break the no-slumber cycle, Schiff recommends that you keep a bedside journal to jot down the worries keeping you up at night, whether that’s tomorrow’s to-do list or other preoccupying thoughts. “Getting it down on paper and theoretically out of your mind can be helpful and free up some mental space, so you can focus on getting a restful night’s sleep,” she says. 

2. Changes in mood and thinking 

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Technology is the tool, people are the foundation

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Liberty Mutual > Business Insurance > Insights > Technology is the tool, people are the foundation

How claims technology is part of our people-first mission

Over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, technology has played a key role in helping insurers manage business insurance claims and serve customers safely from afar. But the focus on technology leaves out an important aspect of the story. In a recent interview, Steve Deane, Liberty Mutual’s chief claims officer of the North American commercial and specialty insurance division, got to the heart of successful technology implementation: people. After all, he says, “technology is only as good as the people who are responsible for using it.”

In this article, we’ll explore how focusing on people first allows businesses to integrate technology in a way that aligns with their mission – and we’ll look at how Liberty Mutual’s claim management system was built with that in mind.

Making sure injured workers stay connected

Many companies have implemented new technologies to keep business going and serve both employees and customers during the COVID era. But, according to Deane, these investments in improved user interface are most effective when they are grounded in helping people. When businesses start with people, they can make smarter, more impactful decisions around technology implementation that maintain brand integrity and support overall user experience.

One example is Liberty Mutual’s new injured worker portal, a system that makes the claims process simpler and more transparent for businesses and their employees. Though the technology aspect is “critical” to making the system work – especially during a pandemic – it is second to the insurer’s mission to “[put] the injured employee’s well-being first and [identify] ways to reduce stress and anxiety that often comes with a work-related injury, so the worker can focus on recovery.”

 “That mindset — of putting people at ease and focusing on recovery — is enabled by the technology of the portal,” says Deane. “Rather than using highly technical language – essentially claims jargon — in our written and verbal communications, we’re striving to help explain the process in ways that people who aren’t workers comp experts can understand.”

Technology is only as good as the people who’re responsible for using it.

By focusing on its people-first mission when implementing this new portal, Liberty Mutual was able to address common customer pain points and improve overall user experience. People were at the root of this decision; technology was just the right tool for the job.

Assessing property damage – online

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5 tips to help you lower your monthly mortgage payment

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CNN —  Mortgage Payment

Having a smaller monthly mortgage payment is helpful in all sorts of ways. Not only does a smaller payment mean having to spend less money each month on your home, but a large mortgage payment can make it more difficult to cover your everyday expenses or to save money for retirement, family vacations or a rainy day.

Many lenders also want borrowers to have a debt-to-income ratio below 43%. This means that, generally speaking, all your monthly debt payments need to make up no more than 43% of your gross monthly income. A smaller mortgage payment makes it easier to reach this benchmark.

So, if you want to secure a lower mortgage payment on a home you’re looking to buy, or if you want a lower monthly payment on a home you already own, how can you do it? Fortunately, there are quite a few ways to accomplish this goal. Here are five of the easiest ways to lower your mortgage payment, some of which can lead to considerable savings over the long term.

1. Extend the length of your mortgage to lower the Mortgage Payment

If you already own a home with a monthly mortgage payment you’d like to lower, one strategy is to extend the length of your mortgage term. This is generally done by refinancing your home to pay off the existing mortgage with a brand-new one.

When you refinance, there are two ways to lengthen your mortgage. One is to simply start your mortgage again from the beginning, but another option is to change your loan repayment terms altogether.

Let’s say you’re currently seven years into a 30-year mortgage. If you refinance whatever principal is left on your current mortgage into a new 30-year mortgage, your monthly payments will drop because you’re now spreading out the payments across a new 30-year period and at the same time starting with a lower principal since you’ve already paid off a portion of the original mortgage.

Or, if you currently have a 15-year mortgage, you could refinance into a new 20-year or 30-year home loan, thus lengthening your loan term and spreading your payments out over a longer timeline.

How much can you lower your payment by extending your home loan? While the specifics will vary depending on your circumstances, a borrower who just started a 15-year mortgage for $250,000 with a fixed APR of 4% would fork over $1,849 per month in principal and interest. If that person switched to a 30-year home loan with the same APR, their payment would drop to $1,194 per month.

2. Refinance to get a lower interest rate

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What commercial insurance is required in Michigan?

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Protecting your business takes the right commercial insurance. Your policy can be customized by your insurance agent to give you all the protection you need and none that doesn’t apply to your business. At Shield Insurance Agency in Michigan, we have the commercial insurance policy experience you are looking for. We will make sure you have the commercial insurance mandated by the state of Michigan. 

Mandated insurance

Commercial auto insurance

In the state of Michigan, all business-owned vehicles must be covered by commercial auto insurance. The required amount of commercial auto insurance you must carry is 20/40/10. That is $20,000 for injuries to one person in an accident with a total of $40,000 for the entire accident with $10,000 property damage. While this is the required amount, it may not be the correct amount for your business. 

Workers’ compensation insurance

If your business has one or more full-time employees, you must have workers’ compensation insurance. 

While these are the mandated commercial insurances, they are not the only ones that can benefit your business. 

Not Mandated but a good idea

Commercial liability insurance

Between 36% and 53% of small businesses are sued every year. That means that your chance of being involved in litigation is pretty high. Not only could there be a judgment against you, but you would also be responsible for the legal fees that go along with defending yourself. Commercial liability insurance can make the difference between surviving and having to close your doors. 

Commercial property insurance

If a covered peril hits your business, it could destroy everything you need to do business. Your inventory, your machinery, your raw materials, your office equipment, and your records. Without commercial property insurance would you be able to replace all these things and get back to work? If the answer is no, this is the insurance you need. 

Contact Shield Insurance Agency in Michigan when you are ready to customize your commercial insurance.

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8 Lasting Changes Experts Think We’ll See In Kids After This ‘Lost’ Year

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The COVID-19 pandemic changed all of our lives, but for developing kids, its impact may have more long-term effects.

By Caroline Bologna | 07/28/2021 04:52pm EDT | Huffpost.com

“Every kid’s experience of the pandemic is different based on their temperament and their home life,” Jacqueline P. Wight, director of mental health services at DotCom Therapy, told HuffPost. “Many children have experienced mental health challenges, and we anticipate that for some of these children, there will be lasting effects. For others, the challenges were more situational and will subside as life returns to normal.”

There’s no easy way to know which camp your child may fall into, but parents can take note as the situation evolves.

“Children are starting to experience the ripple effects from the collective trauma of the pandemic, and the long-term implications of this ‘lost’ pandemic year may not be fully understood for years to come,” said licensed clinical social worker Nidhi Tewari.

“The good news is that children ― and humans in general ― are resilient beings, and we will begin to recalibrate as the threat of COVID-19 dissipates in the coming months and years,” she added. “If we take steps to attend to our mental health and well-being now, then we can mitigate some of the long-term impact of this pandemic.”

Widening Inequality

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The rise of modular construction

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The rise of modular construction: the pros and cons of modular builds and how to reduce your risk

Modular construction is on the rise, and it’s not just for small-scale builds anymore. In 2016 the first modular skyscraper—made from 930 prefabricated units—opened its doors to residents in Brooklyn, New York. Research suggests the modular construction industry will continue to grow by nearly 6 percent between 2020 and 2025.

Why is modular construction becoming a trend? Contractors cite the perks of a controlled building environment, significant cost savings, and shorter build times. But like any project, prefab construction brings along its own unique challenges. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the pros and cons of modular construction and share strategies that could help reduce your risk when taking on a modular build.

Four benefits of modular construction

1. It’s fast.

Because the majority of the building happens off site, modular construction is significantly faster than traditional builds. Construction of the modules can happen concurrently to on-site building, which cuts down build times considerably. The factory environment and standardization of the build also mean contractors can take advantage of automation to speed up build time drastically and avoid weather delays or on-site changes that slow down the project. According to McGraw Hill, modular construction cut down build times for 66 percent of building professionals, with nearly 35 percent reporting that they saved more than a month on a single project.  

2. It’s more environmentally friendly.

Creating modules in a factory environment cuts down construction site waste significantly because it is more controlled, more automated, and more flexible. Construction companies don’t have to worry about damage to materials from poor air quality or weather. They can even refurbish modules that are damaged or no longer in use. The same research by McGraw Hill shows that 77 percent of contractors reduced waste by switching to modular construction.

3. It’s safer for workers.

Indoor construction environments are typically less hazardous than their traditional, outdoor counterparts—and that’s good news for construction workers. In a factory environment, workspaces can be designed ergonomically to reduce regular wear and tear on the body. The controlled environment means better air quality, access to tools, lighting, and more.

4. It’s cost-effective.

One of the biggest perks of modular construction is cost-effectiveness. With less waste, a more efficient building process, and greater reliance on automation, modular builders save money on materials and labor. And the factory environment reduces the risk of theft and vandalism on project sites, saving even more money and time. McGraw Hill reports that 41 percent of builders lowered their costs by as much as 6 percent by shifting to a modular model.

Addressing modular construction challenges

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Is the formal ‘suited and booted’ office dress code extinct?

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By Bryan Lufkin | 15th July 2021 | BBC

We’ve been drifting away from formal office dress codes for years. The pandemic may have finished them off for good.

If you didn’t buy any new clothes during the pandemic, you’re far from alone.

In the UK, clothing sales plummeted 25% in 2020, the largest annual drop since record-keeping began 23 years ago. The picture was similar in the US, where fashion companies saw a 90% decline in profit in 2020. Particularly hard hit was the business-fashion sector, as workers swapped offices for their homes, in-person meetings for Zoom – and downgraded their outfits accordingly.   

Now, as vaccine rollouts move many countries closer to returning to the office, many of us may be realising it’s time to sideline our athleisure and slip into something a little more presentable.

This realisation might be particularly acute, and indeed unwelcome, for people employed in sectors where formal attire – like business suits, ties and high-heels – is more common. Yet we’ve been drifting away from these kinds of office dress codes for years, and experts believe that the pandemic will have further reduced the need for this kind of attire.

As we transition to the post-pandemic era and its new forms of flexible work, companies may well focus more on functionality – and care even less about staff showing up in formal office wear.

Formality’s rise and fall

It’s abundantly clear that the pandemic has accelerated a long-standing discussion around whether business attire is still relevant. Lockdowns were barely a few weeks old before we began prognosticating about the future of slacks and blazers. By May, we were already debating why the office dress code should never come back, or whether the suit was finally dead.

At first, some experts encouraged us to dress up for work video calls anyway, as it could bolster our mental health and increase our sense of purpose and productivity. (Most of us dropped that pretty quickly, though). Instead, during the past 18 months, most of us have worn what’s comfortable – and the overall consensus is that we’ve been pretty productive, regardless.

That’s a far cry from the idea that to do your best work – and cultivate the best impression – you need to look the part. That kind of thinking dates back to the Victorian era, when professional, educated and wealthy men wore wardrobes of velvet and fur, which signaled status and influence.

Raissa Bretaña, fashion historian and adjunct professor of art history at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, says that from the 19th Century to the post-war years, tailormade suits were the norm for both working men and men of leisure – and, eventually, women of the same classes. “It was only in the later part of the 20th Century – when dress became more casual and democratic – that the idea of the ‘business suit’ became almost exclusively associated with white collar workwear,” says Bretaña.

Our obsession with business suits peaked sometime in the 1980s, with the rise of the ‘power suit’: the outfit that defined the ‘greed is good decade’ and communicated wealth and power even in pop culture, whether it was the movie Wall Street or the TV series Dynasty. 

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