Showing posts with label insurance. Show all posts
Insurance: What the Self-employed Should Know
Self-employment can be
liberating but it does have its downsides. One of these is the lack
of health benefits. Thankfully, the Affordable Care Act allows for
entrepreneurs to acquire NJ health insurance plans much more easily–
here’s what you need to know about it:
Mandatory Health Coverage
One of the most prominent
provisions of the ACA, also commonly called Obamacare, is quite
simple: affordable (and mandatory) health insurance coverage for
every American. This provision gives employers the responsibility of
getting insurance for their workers– all taxpayers should have at
least minimal coverage by this year, otherwise the IRS might end up
penalizing offenders. For this year, the tax penalty will either be
1% of income or $95.00, whichever is greater.
No more Coverage Denial
Insurance providers are no
longer allowed to deny coverage to anyone with a preexisting
condition as part of attaining their primary goal– this is great
news for the self-employed who would otherwise have to pay the IRS
fine. Moreover, you can no longer be charged with higher rates based
on your race or gender, nor can your insurance provider hold your
claim back the moment you get sick. You can also obtain tax credits
from your insurance.
Look for a reliable provider
to gain these benefits. Many New Jersey health insurance providers
will be more than willing to help you get the best coverage you can
afford.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Posted by Unknown
3 Basic Insurance Needs for Small Business Owners
Insurance is something that
small business owners definitely need, but sifting through the
unfamiliar jargon can make anyone’s head spin. What do you need
coverage for? Here are three, put simply:
Insure the Things You Own
First, you need coverage for
your tangible property. This can be your physical store, the
equipment you have, your inventory, and other things you use to run
your business. In case of unfortunate events where these are damaged,
your insurance can help you recover from the loss.
Insure the People Who
Work for You
When you hire people to work
for your business, you are assuming responsibility for them.
Job-related injuries that may befall them, for example, are one of
the things that need coverage.
Insure Against Unforeseen
Events
You may be the most careful
business owner on the planet, but you can never fully control the
things that happen during your operation. Someone may get injured
inside your business premises, your product can cause unintentional
harm to its users, or someone may sue you for negligence. It’s
always a wise move to be prepared for these scenarios.
These three are just some
considerations you need to think about as you shop for the right
insurance policy. Consulting with a professional insurance agent,
however, is still the best way to understand and determine the right
blend of protection you need as a small business owner.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Posted by Unknown
When Good Employees Go Bad
You may not be the biggest
tech firm in your area, but you do have a talented team working for
you. As you might know, people are your biggest asset since it is
from their minds that innovative technologies and solutions spring
forth.
That being said, are you
prepared for a scenario wherein one of your staff goes rogue and
commits actions that may be detrimental to your bottom line? For
instance, he or she may misappropriate company funds or leak
proprietary software to a competitor firm. Or maybe that person
decides to overbill a client to pocket some extra cash? In all these
cases, you will definitely end up with a major headache, as you’re
left reeling in the aftermath of your employee’s dishonest actions.
Fortunately, you can protect
your company through Fidelity Bonds, a type of insurance specifically
designed to protect employers against the problems caused by errant
workers. If you suffer monetary loss, the insurer will pay out a sum
commensurate to your lost revenues. If a disgruntled client is suing
your company because of an employee’s wrongdoing, your insurance
policy will shoulder the litigations fees.
Indeed, brilliant minds are
the bread and butter of technology companies. At the same time,
though, one cannot be complacent about the problems that a few bad
apples can do to your firm. As such, get Fidelity Bonds now to
protect your small business.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Posted by Unknown
The Lowdown on Errors and Omissions Insurance
If you’re a typical
business owner nowadays, there’s a chance you might have heard
about the E&O
insurance
before. But what is it exactly?
E&O means Errors and
Omission. It’s a specific type of business insurance which covers
either your company as a whole, or yourself as an individual, from
damages that come after a failed product or service, or the latter
not living up to expectations.
In considering the need for
an E&O, you need to ask yourself first: How badly do I need it?
E&O insurance will work like a charm if your business’ line is
something that entails a great potential for liability (aka high-risk
fields). Medical professionals are more often than not protected by
E&O. In their case, however, the insurance is typically termed as
“malpractice insurance.”
The cost of an E&O
insurance heavily depends on a number of factors. These include the
inherent risk of the business’ work, the rating category under
which your business is classified (i.e. high-risk or low-risk
industries), the amount of claims for inadequate service that have
been filed in your industry over the years, and in several cases,
your business’ locale.
Bottom line is, an E&O
insurance is critical for every business regardless of whether it’s
high-risk or not. Any company could make a mistake. It doesn’t
matter if your company has the latest equipment or the most skilled
employees. When things get sour with your customers, it is still best
to be covered.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Posted by Unknown
When Choosing Insurance, Have a Broker Help Out
For
small New Jersey companies, purchasing insurance is just like paying
taxes—it’s a basic part of any household budget. However, with
all the choices out there, choosing the right insurance company from
an array of popular insurance companies nationwide, can be quite
daunting. Fortunately, an insurance broker can make the process as
quick and hassle-free as possible.
What
does an insurance broker do?
Insurance
brokers, in stark contrast to insurance agents, are completely
independent and are able to represent many insurance companies. Thus,
in theory, an insurance broker can give you—the client—the best
coverage at the lowest price. Brokers can guide you through the messy
paperwork and help you understand the unintelligible jargon commonly
found in many insurance contracts.
How
are they different from insurance agents?
Generally
speaking, the work of an insurance agent and a broker are entirely
different. However, the line between the two can often get blurry in
the real world: good agents will be willing to refer their clients to
other popular insurance companies just to give them the best rates,
while some brokers have special relationships with particular
insurance companies because of stronger ties and a sense of loyalty.
Despite this common role-switching, it still pays to talk to an
insurance broker over an agent because of the broader reach and
choices they offer.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Posted by Unknown
Shielding Against Practice Liability
Not every business performs
like a well-oiled machine. Some companies may have a few bad seeds
that you found fit to dismiss or well-performing employees that left
because of a misunderstanding. Whichever the circumstances, it’s
not going to be pleasant when the former employee(s) serve a case on
you. Given the high costs of employment litigation, you don’t want
your finances sapped for a claim that may be without merit,
warranting protective foresight through an employment practices
liability insurance (EPLI) policy.
EPLIs are insurance policies
designed to shoulder a company’s legal costs in case they are sued
for workplace matters such as wrongful termination, discrimination,
or sexual harassment, among others. They are usually activated when a
claim is made upon occurrence of a sensitive workplace issue.
In arranging for an EPLI
policy, some legal experts recommend studying how to have all bases
covered. Your preferred insurer’s packages should contain coverage
for intentional acts, bodily injuries, and full prior acts, among
other elements. The latter is vital because the plaintiff can argue
that certain acts allegedly performed on them were carried out over a
period of time.
Being sued by an ex-employee
can be tough. Experts on insurance for small business owners will
help you with ample coverage.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Posted by Unknown
Why Insurance is a Protector of Business Operation
Owning a business, big or
small, means having a lot of things to protect.
Forbes.com put thirteen
things in their list that every small business owner should have: a
liability insurance, property insurance, BOP (business owner’s
policy), commercial auto insurance, worker’s compensation
insurance, professional liability insurance, directors and officers
insurance, data breach, homeowner’s insurance, renter’s
insurance, life insurance, personal automobile insurance and personal
umbrella insurance.
That’s quite a laundry
list, isn’t it? Believe it or not, though: insuring your small
business for the long run is actually a good thing. Business operates
on a 24/7 schedule, and any ripple from the flow will interrupt the
operations of your business. To achieve success in a business, there
must be consistency in the operations and processes. Once a business
owner gets full protection from insurance, he is freed from any
unwanted and harmful liabilities that he may shoulder. Providing
protection to your business, including your employees, would mean
better production and rendered service, because they know they are
safe and at ease.
It’s better to keep it
smooth by having all the protection you can get and being prepared
for anything that could happen, especially when the real world is
full of surprises and the unknown.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Posted by Unknown
Safeguarding your Business
After months or even years
of hard work, you have now reached stability in your business. Your
checklist for success has already been mostly filled, and now it's
time to move on to a very important step: business insurance. Not
wanting to see the fruit of your effort go to waste, business
insurance is highly recommended even for small businesses.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Posted by Unknown
