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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CR’s Guide to Getting Better Internet Without Busting Your Budget

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By Consumer Reports | July 13, 2021 | Better Internet |

How to solve WiFi problems and trim your monthly bill. Plus, what CR is doing to get everyone faster, cheaper broadband.

Over the past 18 months, our home internet connections have helped us reach family, friends, and colleagues. They’ve been both practical tools and a needed source of entertainment during a difficult time.

That may be why 76 percent of Americans agree that internet service is as important as electricity or water, according to a February nationally representative Consumer Reports survey of 2,514 U.S. adults (PDF).

But using the internet at home can be frustrating, too, as many people confront dropped video-calls and sputtering movies—along with confusing bills and poor customer service. The good news is that some broadband problems are easy to fix. The following information can help you do that and maybe even help you save a bit of money.

To learn more about the issues that affect internet customers, Consumer Reports is launching a project called Broadband Together along with several other nonprofit organizations to collect and analyze tens of thousands of internet bills. You can read more about the project, and then consider joining the effort by taking an internet speed test, sharing a bill, and providing us with some basic information. 

The information we gather will help us learn how much people are paying in neighborhoods across the country, whether they’re getting what they were promised, and whether prices are fair.

If the internet is glitchy in your home, the first step toward a solution is to pinpoint the problem. And it helps to understand how online material—be it a Netflix show, Zoom call, or social media post—gets to you.

As you can see in the illustration below, movies, email, and other data are funneled by internet service providers (ISPs) through a series of cables and wires to homes with wired service. 

If something’s not working, the problem could lie outside your home and may require a call to the company to fix. Or the trouble could be with your home WiFi network, which distributes information wirelessly to your computers, TVs, and other devices.

Which is it? To figure that out, an easy first step is to test your internet speed.

How to get Better Internet

It’s useful to know how fast data moves into and out of your home. To find out, you can check your speed at Measurement Lab or Speedtest. With a click or two, you’ll learn your download speed (how fast data such as a movie streams into your home), and your upload speed (how fast data like your end of a Zoom call streams out). The numbers, measured in megabits per second (Mbps), will vary a bit each time. If possible, first run a test with a computer that’s physically plugged into your router using an Ethernet cord. The results may vary a bit each time you run the test. But if the speeds are consistently much slower than the maximum speeds promoted by the ISP for your plan, call the company. Then do the same test wirelessly (over WiFi) throughout the house. If it’s only the WiFi speeds that are slow, focus on your router to find a solution. 

Is Your Service Level Fast Enough?
ISPs generally offer several plans, each promising a different range of speeds—the faster the connection, the more you pay. So which plan is right for you?

It depends on how many people you have at home and what they do online. You need only around 1 Mbps to listen to a Spotify song and 4 Mbps for a Zoom call—but 25 Mbps to watch a 4K movie on Netflix.

The numbers are cumulative. If two TVs are streaming 4K movies at the same time, that’s 50 Mbps.

Every ISP has its own tiers, but you can use the speed ranges below to see where you fit in. Many people may pay for more speed than they really need.

Up to 100 Mbps
This is plenty for two or three people with routine needs. That includes Zoom calls, high-definition movie viewing, and some online game play.

100 to 300 Mbps
These speeds should accommodate even a data-hogging family that plays several 4K movies and taxing online games all at the same time.

300-Plus Mbps
Few households need more than 300 Mbps. If you have internet problems, the solution is probably not to slap down the plastic for your ISP’s priciest superfast service.

Make Your WiFi for Better Internet

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5 tips for contractors moving from nonstandard to standard surety

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Moving from nonstandard to standard surety

It’s been a challenging and uncertain year for the construction industry. According to Deloitte, construction was finally returning to pre-recession levels of employment and economic growth in February 2020. Then COVID-19 hit, and the industry lost more than $60 billion in gross domestic profits and nearly one million jobs. Although 2021 projections are looking up, this unprecedented economic situation put many contractors in a tough spot, with uncertain financials making them only eligible for more expensive nonsurety bonds.

While it’s not always a quick fix to move back into standard surety eligibility, there are concrete steps you can take. The ultimate goal of any underwriter is to help contractors move back to standard surety — whether you’re new to the industry or you’re an experienced business owner going through a period of financial difficulty. In this piece, we’ll share five best practices for a return to the standard market.

1. Clean up your financials.

In general, it’s a best practice for contractors to work with a trusted CPA to maintain clean books. As Brian O’Neal, director of Liberty Mutual Surety Vista, a specific program for nonstandard contract accounts, says, “Multiple irregularities or errors in a contractor’s financials are going to raise red flags.” To move out of nonstandard surety, underwriters need to see that contractors are doing their due diligence to improve accounting procedures and correct these irregularities. 

Often, these errors and inconsistencies occur because of poor internal controls. Along with providing a CPA-reviewed Percentage of Completion statement, contractors should work with their CPA to improve their internal processes. Those processes will vary based on the size and scope of the business.

2. Maintain quality Work in Progress reports.

Work in Progress reports, or WIPs, are critical pieces of information to help underwriters determine the current state of a contractor’s business. WIPs include ongoing projects and income for the current period and help underwriters evaluate future profits, on-time payments, and cash flow. Contractors need to keep WIPs up to date and ensure the data they include accurately reflects the current state of their business. After all, a report is only as good as the data it contains.

3. Understand loan requirements.

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How to Transform Your Backyard Into a Restaurant-Worthy Oasis with Outdoor Lighting

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FoodNetwork.com | Outdoor Lighting

We asked the pros how to install magical, twinkling outdoor lights — on a budget.

This year’s hottest venue? Your own backyard. Maybe you’ve got the plants and furniture down, but you want to take the space truly over the top, so it looks just as incredible as your favorite restaurant’s outdoor dining setup. Short of splurging on a fancy firepit area building outdoor awnings, there’s a functional, budget-friendly move you can make that’ll totally set the mood. And that’s installing outdoor lighting like a pro.

Many restaurants hire lighting companies to put up their twinkly string lights, but that can set you back thousands. With the right tips and tricks, you can totally DIY. That’s why we turned to event and experience production company Cloth and Flame. Their team is so adept at installing lighting, they can rig it up in the even the most remote places (think: the top of the Grand Canyon or the middle of a dessert). Here is their creative, resourceful advice.

Choose the Right Type of String Lights

Google “string lights” or “café lights” and hundreds of different varieties will pop up. Nathan Lesueur, the lead designer at Cloth and Flame gives us guidance.

Avoid interior lights. Stay away from Christmas lights or anything that’s labeled as an interior light, because these won’t be weather-proof.

Read buyer reviews. Amazon and Costco are great sources for inexpensive string lights, but terms on sellers’ pages like “industrial” or “commercial” don’t mean much. “My only reliable source, no matter what I’m buying is doing the research and reading verified reviews of what other people have experienced that item,” Lesueur says.

Make sure the bulbs are generic and replaceable. Bulbs might break when you install the lights, and they’ll burn out over time. You want to make sure that you can buy generic replacements that screw in. Proprietary bulbs will be more expensive and harder to source down the line.

Click here for the rest of the story… and some great photos too!

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7 Tips For Finding Flight Deals Now That Everything Is So Expensive

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By Caroline Bologna | 07/01/2021 07:00am EDT | Updated July 2, 2021 | Huffpost.com | Flight Deals

It feels impossible to book cheap flights at the moment, but experts say there are still deals to be found.

If you’ve tried to book a flight lately, you might have noticed a couple of things: The prices are looking high, and the options are looking limited.

This isn’t particularly surprising. On Sunday, the Transportation Security Administration says, it screened 2,167,380 passengers at airport security checkpoints, the highest volume since the beginning of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, airlines have not yet resumed offering as many flights as they did pre-pandemic, after making schedule reductions over the past 15 months. The result is higher demand and lower supply ― ergo, expensive tickets.

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Property losses to anticipate after a severe weather event

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Recovering your business after a storm: 5 property losses to anticipate after a severe weather event

As natural disasters become increasingly costly, property damage claims are on the rise. Since 2011, the U.S. has seen at least $20 billion a year in estimated insured property losses. Alarmingly, that number has risen annually, culminating in a 2020 insured property loss of more than $74 billion, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Property claims are often a given in the aftermath of a severe weather event, meaning that business leaders need to have a plan to prepare for potential property loss or damage. Follow along to learn about five common property losses businesses can expect after an extreme weather event.

1. Property damage

After the storm has passed, evaluating and addressing the damage done to your business’ infrastructure is a pressing concern. Extreme weather events like hail, tornadoes, flooding, and even strong winds can cause extensive property damage, and you’ll need to work with your insurance provider to determine the extent of the damage and the estimated funds required for repair. If property damage has destroyed your building or rendered it temporarily uninhabitable, you should have a contingency plan in place to resume normal business operations, store equipment, and protect existing inventory.

2. Equipment breakdown

Weather events, particularly those that involve flooding or heavy rainfall, can damage equipment needed to maintain business operations. Servers, electrical systems, heavy machinery, and other equipment might be damaged or destroyed entirely. Before reopening, ensure your equipment is functional and safe for use. You should also talk to your insurance provider about how to account for unexpected wear and tear, which may shorten the life of your equipment and lead to financial losses down the road.

3. Theft and vandalism

During and after natural disasters, many business owners worry about theft and vandalism, although sometimes it can be hard to determine whether looting has occurred, given the existing property damage. Regardless, vacant buildings can be susceptible to vandalism and theft without proper security and oversight. If your property requires post-event construction, you should work with your insurance provider and contractor to discuss potential liabilities during rebuilding. You can also take precautions, like hiring security, to help reduce your risk.

4. Business interruption and continuity plans

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Best podcasts for when you’re on vacation, traveling or taking a road trip

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Mashable.com

Let these podcasts take you away from it all.

Entertainment > Podcasts

After over a year of isolation, wanderlust is swirling in the air, as many seek safe ways to re-emerge into the world with much-needed vacation or reunion trips. Whatever that re-emergence looks like for you, there’s definitely a podcast that can help heighten the experience.

But make no mistake: mid 2021 is certainly not the wholesale Back To Normal we might’ve hoped for, especially in countries and communities with low vaccination rates. The delta variant of COVID-19 is a real threat for the unvaccinated. The only way to move toward a true return to life before the pandemic is to increase vaccination rates around the globe.

With the right safety measures, though, vaccinated folks are now being given the green light to travel and reconnect with each other in person again. That also means you’re going to need travel-friendly entertainment to keep you company along the way.

As an audio-only medium that doesn’t require eyeballs or even WiFi to enjoy, podcasts make for ideal travel companions. Whether you’re getting to your destination via road trip, train, or airplane ride, a great podcast can make the boring parts of going on vacation more exciting. Even if you’re just taking time off to go on a local stay-cation or far-off hiking trail, you’ll have some free time to kill.

Whatever your travel plans may be, these podcasts can help you kick back, relax, and explore the big wide world. Just be sure to remember to pack your AirPods.

1. Atlas Obscura

What it is: This 15-minute daily travel podcast is home to all the world’s strangest, most unbelievable wonders. Host Dylan Thuras and other Atlas Obscura field reporters transport you to a variety of incredible places around the globe, be it a museum or ancient monument. Listen to the people, stories, and histories that make these amazing destinations ideal spots for the curious traveler.

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Regain that sense of wanderlust that reminds us why every corner of the globe has a unique adventure worth exploring.

2. Stuff You Should Know

What it is: A favorite of many podcast listeners, the long-running Stuff You Should Know was so popular it spawned its own dedicated network (including other daily podcasts in a similar vein, like Stuff You Missed in History Class.) Since it covers everything under the sun, it’s important to note that hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant admit to not being experts on all these topics. Some with deep knowledge of certain subjects might even find their summaries frustratingly surface level. But they do a great job of at least sparking interest in a lot of important things we should all know about, which hopefully inspires listeners to research beyond what can be tackled in only an hour. [From our Best Daily Podcasts roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Regain that sense of wanderlust that reminds us why every corner of the globe has a unique adventure worth exploring.

3. The Experiment

The American experiment, often repackaged as the American dream, is one of the biggest sources of miseducation in our country. In this WNYC Studios and Atlantic collaboration, host Julia Longoria applies the ideals of America’s past that were held to be self-evident, then measures them up against our current reality. Bringing the high ideals of this country’s founding to everyday experiences, The Experiment can even find lessons in trash reality TV shows like 90 Day Fiancé. [From our Best Educational Podcasts roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Even if you’re a resident of the country you’re traveling through, there’s still so much to learn about the place we call home.

4. Blood Ties

What it is: Fiction podcasts are going through something of a renaissance lately, with Blood Ties as a great example of the genre’s evolution in the mainstream. While it isn’t “true” crime, the wildly popular mini-series scratches that same itch for an engrossing story. Follow Eleanore Richland (voiced by Community’s Gillian Jacobs) as her annual family vacation turns to catastrophe after her parents’ plane crashes under mysterious circumstances. While the story itself may not be real, the themes certainly apply to the real world, as Eleanore uncovers family secrets that test her ability to stay true to her morals even when it hurts her loved ones.

Be sure to check out the other 18 podcasts in this great article!

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Retail banking, bonds, and Bitcoin: 3 financial institution trends to watch in 2021

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Liberty Mutual | financial institution | Business Insurance |

“The banking industry can uniquely act as a primary source of stability,” McKinsey journalists wrote in an article on U.S. banking and the pandemic in May 2020. Despite the fluctuating economy, financial institutions rose to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic. They stayed strong for the last year and a half, acting as a stabilizing force for both national and local economies—and that stability makes them an attractive market for sureties in 2021 and beyond. But stability isn’t permanent. In this piece, we’re investigating three trends that will likely shape financial institutions and their relationships with surety agents this year.

1. Banks expand in underserved communities

In the surety underwriting space, larger financial institutions remain strong, particularly in major metro areas like New York City. While the pandemic has shifted the need for retail space across the industry, many banks continue to grow their retail footprint in select growth markets and underserved communities. According to a recent article from S&P, many large consumer banks experienced a net growth in retail space—particularly ATM locations—in select urban areas, despite a net decline in retail space for financial institutions nationwide. JP Morgan’s 2020 Annual Report reflects that trend. The report states that the bank will open “16 new community branches in traditionally underserved neighborhoods and hire 150 community managers by 2022… Another 100 new branches are being opened in low- to moderate-income communities across the United States as part of the firm’s market expansion initiative.”

For surety underwriters, this trend offers the opportunity to provide major consumer banks with several types of bonds:

  • Mechanic’s lien bonds, which protect contractors that have filed a lien by guaranteeing that any payment that is due to them (including interest) will be paid should they win the case.
  • Site improvement bonds, which protect the local government by guaranteeing that the improvements will be done in accordance with the applicable regulations.
  • Utility bonds, which protect utility companies by ensuring the banks pay for their utilities on time

3. The rise in court bonds

In the aftermath of Covid, many industries—not just financial institutions—will likely experience a greater need for appeal bonds. A type of court bond, surety firms offer these bonds to guarantee payment of monetary damages from civil lawsuits during and after the appeals process.

The need for additional appeal bonds across industries is due primarily to pandemic-related litigation. One study by an analytics company tracking the rise in Covid-related court filings found more than 1,500 cases in just four months, from March 1 to July 4, 2020. By May 2021, that number had increased to 6,900 Covid-related cases, with pandemic-related filings likely to continue for months, or even years. For some companies, audits and investigations prompted by pandemic-related suits may uncover other areas for potential scrutiny—for example, if a company is not following a proper procedure.

Surety companies should anticipate a rise in appeal bond demand for years to come, both from pandemic-related filings and cases brought to light by Covid-era investigations.

3. Accelerated interest in cryptocurrency

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Should You Buy a Refurbished Phone?

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Consumer Reports | Refurbished Phone |

A pre-owned model can be a great deal, according to CR members, as long as you know what to look for.

Refurbished phones account for a small fraction of industry sales. But they can be a great option for anyone looking for significant savings—especially these days, when the price of a new model can easily exceed $1,000.

On Apple’s website, for example, you can purchase a refurbished iPhone XR with 128 gigabytes of storage for $470. A new XR with that much space costs $550.

Samsung offers a refurbished Galaxy S20 for $650, and that’s pretty much the only way to get one of those. All three of the S20 models scored well in Consumer Reports’ labs, but they were discontinued earlier this year. Buying the latest version, the Galaxy S21, will cost you $800.

And according to a spring 2018 survey, CR members have been generally satisfied with purchases like those, not to mention their overall shopping experience.

Among the 3,211 people who reported buying a refurbished phone since Jan. 1, 2016, 82 percent said they were highly satisfied with the product.

In fact, in our survey 67 percent of the owners of refurbished phones said they had no complaints. That’s just a hair less than the 69 percent of new smartphone owners who said the same thing.

“People are way more satisfied with refurbished phones than I would have thought,” says Karen Jaffe, who oversaw the refurbished phone survey

Know What You’re Buying

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Off-road ATVs: Coverage for your off-road ATV

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Safeco® Off-road ATVs: Coverage for your off-road ATV

Do you have an off road vehicle? Safeco will insure all-terrain vehicles with four or six wheels, a wide variety of utility-terrain vehicles (UTV), side-by-sides, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, golf carts, and other select off-road vehicles. Talk with a Safeco agent to get details about all the vehicles types we cover. Connect with your Safeco independent agent today to get the details and determine the best coverage options for your off-road vehicle: http://spr.ly/6053yTUUv 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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Set sail with peace of mind

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Safeco® Captain’s Package Coverage: Set sail with peace of mind

Four reasons you can set sail with peace of mind when you enroll in the Safeco Captain’s Package. One New Boat Price Protection: in the event of a total loss, replaces boats/watercrafts less than two years old with a new boat/watercraft. Two Roadside Assistance: covers the boat/watercraft, trailer, and the car or truck you tow it with. Three Personal Effects Protection: increased protection limits to your base coverage. Four Emergency Assistance: Increases this coverage to $1,000. Connect with your Safeco independent agent today to find out more: http://spr.ly/6051yTUv3 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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