But they probably don’t understand just how valuable those tools are from an employee’s perspective. A recent study found that employers consistently underestimate how important health, dental and retirement perks are for their workers.

Here’s an example: About a third of employers say non-medical benefits such as dental and vision insurance are very important for building employee loyalty. That compares with 51 percent of employees.

The perception gap narrows for health and retirement plans. Employees consider those benefits more important than their employers by 9 percent and 17 percent margins, respectively.

The bottom line is this: Benefits matter. And they matter more than most employers think. So here’s a look at the numbers, courtesy of MetLife’s 10^th Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends.

That’s scary, particularly when car crashes rank as the leading cause of death for children. Some parents are using seats that are too big for their toddlers. Others are buckling infants into forward-facing seats when those children should be facing backward.

So here are some tips that will help you decide which seat is best for your child.

Saving money on insurance starts long before you move the sofa and love seat into your new home. It starts while you are searching for the perfect piece of real estate.

Before you buy a home, here are some things to think about:

• Size of the home: Square footage matters when it comes to buying insurance. Generally, insurance costs go up with the size of the home.
• Condition of the plumbing, heating and wiring: Older homes may lead to a higher insurance tab because of potential risks associated with outdated electrical systems or aging pipes.
• Building materials: Think about the building materials used on the home. Homes built with sturdy fire-resistant materials such as brick, concrete and stone are cheaper to insure than softer, more-flammable materials such as wood.
• Crime rate: Neighborhood crime is never a good thing when it comes to insuring your home. A safe neighborhood will save you money.
• Response time for firefighters: Your insurance policy will take into account the distance of your home from a fire hydrant or fire station. It also will consider whether your home is protected by volunteer or professional firefighters.
• Natural disasters: Think about the threat of wildfires, wind, hail, tornadoes and other natural disasters facing your home.
• Credit history: Believe it or not, your own credit history matters when buying home insurance. If you’ve managed your finances and maintained a good credit score, you could save some cash on insurance. If not, you may pay a little more.

If you want to learn more, there’s a great article we found online. Check it out here. But feel free to give us a call if you have any questions. We’d love to help.

And just in case you’d like to see Taylor Swift’s home, here’s a sneak peak:

Habit 1: Chat a little longer on that cell phone. It’ll slow you down, make you less responsive to other cars and maybe even keep you from seeing your exit until the last minute. Combine those three and you’re sure to irritate the heck out of the person behind you.

Habit 2: Drive straight in turn-only lanes. This is a great prank to play on fellow drivers. Sitting in a turn-only lane through a stop light will give you plenty of laughs as nerves fray and birdies fly in cars that would have been able to turn otherwise.

Habit 3: Hold off on lane changes until the last second. Cutting through traffic and making motorists hit their brakes will win you plenty of road-rage points. So make sure not to plan too far ahead on the freeway. You wouldn’t want to pass up an aggressive lane change.

Habit 4: Ride the bumper of the car in front of you. Tailgating is a great way to get noticed by those pesky drivers that follow the speed limit. Ride ‘em close. And make sure you can’t count any “Mississippis” between them and you. The down side is that it will reduce your gas-mileage about 33 percent on the freeway and 5 percent in town. But it’s worth the money.

Habit 5: When merging onto the freeway, slow down. Better yet, STOP. That will irritate people to death. Motorists who can’t figure out how to merge into traffic are one of the top frustrations on America’s roads. So give it a try.

Habit 6: Hit your brakes on the highway. Sure, everybody does it. But repeated heavy-footed braking will set you apart from other motorists. It will wear on your brakes, decrease your fuel efficiency and make you a rear-end-collision-waiting-to-happen, but it will give you an edge over all those other annoying drivers.

Good luck! We’re looking forward to some great road rage stories to come!

Check out the flip side of this blog here:

We don’t want you to find yourself in the middle of a disaster only to realize that your property didn’t have enough insurance.

Ideally, we would recommend reviewing your policy annually. But, you’re busy, and we understand that. Chatting about insurance is something that can easily end up on the bottom of a to-do list.

Here are five really good reasons to re-visit your policy:

• You’ve just remodeled your home: Maybe you’ve added a basement office or replaced countertops in the kitchen. Whatever the change, make sure to update your policy so you’re not underinsured if an accident happens.
• You’ve bought new stuff: If you’re like most other Americans, your accumulation of “stuff” goes up every year. You may have purchased a flat-screen television, added an anniversary ring to your jewelry collection, or invested in a new dining set. Make sure to include those on your insurance.
• You’ve added some high-risk toys: If you’ve added a trampoline or a tree house to your property, come in and chat with us. Your policy may contain some exclusions – or safety requirements – when it comes to toys like that.
• You’ve decided to work from home: If you’re running a business out of your home, you may have limited coverage under your existing policy. Take a moment and find out if you have the right insurance.
• You’ve made your home safer: Installing alarms, deadbolts, sprinkler systems and other security devices can save you money on your insurance. Let us know if you’ve invested in making your home safer.

Does that help? We hope so. More than anything, we want to make sure you and your family are protected.

Although congested roads are a chronic problem in cities such as Los Angeles – ranked the nation’s worst place for traffic delays by the Texas Transportation Institute – gridlock happens just about everywhere.

It happens before and after work. It happens when children are heading to and from school. It happens during holidays when people are bustling to the store or visiting family.

So how can you stay safe when traffic is at its worst? Here are some pointers, and a little perspective, about how to drive safely during peak traffic hours.

Did you know?

• Congested roads delayed commuters an average of 34 hours in 2010. That’s up from 14 hours in 1982, according to the Texas Transportation Institute. When you factor wasted time and gasoline into those delays, the cost is about $750 per traveler per year.
• Although motorists generally cite traffic congestion as one of the nation’s leading transportation issues, car crashes have a far greater economic impact on society. The AAA Foundation found that crashes in 2009 were three times more costly than all the wasted time and fuel of bumper-to-bumper traffic: $299.5 billion, compared with $97.7 billion.
• The Los Angeles freeways are more congested than anywhere else in the United States, according to the INRIX National Traffic Scorecard. The next-worst cities included New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Dallas.

How to stay safe:

Plan ahead: Allow extra time for driving when traffic, for whatever reason, is expected to be heavy. You will be less likely to tailgate, weave across lanes or vent frustration on other drivers when you aren’t pressed for time.

Minimize distractions: If you plan to drive on congested streets, make sure that your attention is on the road. Avoid behaviors such as talking on a cell phone, sending text messages, eating messy foods or putting on make-up in the car. Your chances of being involved in a crash will drop considerably by taking those steps.

Avoid rubbernecking: Just as there are distractions inside a vehicle, there can be distractions outside a vehicle as well. Don’t let your attention wander when passes a crash scene, a window display or a pretty girl. You may find yourself kissing the bumper of the car in front of you.

Relax: Don’t take unnecessary risks to shorten your commute by a few minutes. You could end up spending a lot more time beside the road. Take it easy, be courteous and know that you’ll get to your destination safer and less stressed.

Just for fun:

Sure, there will always be risks, even if you somehow manage to steer clear of the most dangerous rooms in your house: the kitchen and bathroom. But maybe we can help reduce those risks through some simple and easy steps.

Some suggestions may seem obvious: Replace the batteries in your smoke alarms. Others may seem more obscure: Stuff towels beneath book shelves to avoid tipping. But hopefully all of these tips will help make your home a little sweeter, and a little safer, for you and your family.

First things first

Smoke detectors: You’ve got to have them. Make sure to install smoke detectors on every floor of your house. If they’re already installed, make sure they work. A good rule of thumb is to replace the batteries every time you change the clocks for daylight savings. Carbon monoxide detectors are a good idea, too. They should be mounted outside all sleeping areas.

Overloaded outlets: Avoid a love affair with extension cords and power strips. An overloaded outlet – or an extension cord that isn’t suited to a major appliance – can create a fire hazard.

Step into the kitchen:

Stovetop cooking: When you’re making dinner, use the back burners first. This is a simple, but effective, technique for avoiding burns when a child’s hand wanders a little too close to the stove. If you need to use all the burns, turn the handles toward the back of the stove to keep hot pots from being spilled.

Now to the bedroom:

Furniture fears: Make sure that heavy objects such as dressers and bookshelves can’t tip over if a child decides to climb. The Consumer Product Safety Commission ranks furniture tip-overs No. 3 on its list of hidden home dangers behind magnets and recalled toys. You can either anchor furniture to the wall (there are gadgets for that) or stuff a towel beneath the front feet to angle it backward.

Outlet covers: An plastic plug is all it takes to keep curious fingers out of electrical outlets. It’s cheap and it could save a life.

How about the bathroom:

Locked cupboards: Keep medicines and cleaners locked safely in the cupboard. We’re not talking about padlocks, but rather about childproof latches that would prevent toddlers from ingesting something that could be poisonous.

Turn down the thermostat: Turning down your water heater to 120 degrees to avoid potential burns in the bath. It will reduce your energy bill and, perhaps, avoid an ER visit.

Can you guess which problems lead to the most insurance claims?

House fires? Nope.

Nationwide, wind and hail generate more claims than anything else. Those maladies of Mother Nature tear off shingles and leave divots in roofs that eventually lead to leaks. But those claims – which average $6,881 apiece nationwide – are not the most expensive for insurance companies.

Fires are considerably more expensive. The average claim, according to the national ISO, which compiles property/casualty insurance data, runs $27,691. Those tragedies don’t happen nearly as often though, arising on only a half-percent of policies nationwide.

Want to take a look at the numbers yourself? Enjoy. Or, if you want some additional information, here is a great source.

So what do you do? Call the police? Then what?

With hundreds of crashes happening every hour in the United States, causing an estimated 1.5 million injuries and $230 billion in damage, it’s important to know what to do if you find yourself in a fender bender, or worse, on the nation’s roads.

Knowing whose insurance company to call, for example, could save you from having to pay a deductible. Or knowing that police want you to drive to the nearest exit after knocking bumpers on the freeway might avoid putting an officer at risk when responding to the crash.

So here are some pointers to help you cope with a collision.

Did you know?

• A car crash happened once every six seconds in 2009, amounting to 5.5 million collisions by year’s end. Most of those accidents caused only damage. But 1.5 million people were hurt and 30,797 died.
• Car accidents are costly. The annual price tag for collisions runs about $230.6 billion.
• The nation’s worst city for car crashes is Baltimore, Md., where the average driver is involved in a collision once every 5.3 years, according to a recent analysis. That’s nearly twice the national average of 10 years. Drivers are least likely to crash in Fort Collins, Colo., where motorists typically go 14 years between crashes.

What to do if you’re in a crash:

1. Take a deep breath and then check for injuries. If you suspect that you or anyone else involved in the crash are hurt, call an ambulance. Otherwise, turn on your hazard lights and notify police about the accident.
2. If your vehicle is in a dangerous position where it might cause a traffic hazard, move it to a safe location. This may include a parking lot or a highway off-ramp. On a freeway, officers encourage drivers involved in minor collisions to take the nearest exit to avoid putting themselves and officers at risk. However, if you can’t move your vehicle, get your hazard lights flashing. Road flares also are effective.
3. While you are waiting for police to arrive, get your driver’s license and proof of insurance ready.
4. Jot down some preliminary information about the other driver. Although police likely will provide much of this information for you, it would be wise to get the other driver’s name and phone number, for instance. Include the name of his or her insurance company with a policy number and information about how to contact the company. Note the driver’s license plate number, plus the vehicle’s make, model and year.
5. Avoid discussing details about the crash with the other driver. Steer clear of any conversation that may imply fault in the crash.
6. Take immediate notes about the crash. Draw a diagram, if necessary, to help you reconstruct the accident scene when police ask for your side of the story.
7. Once the police officer determines fault in the crash, he or she will write a police report. Make sure to get the accident claim number. This will be a must-have number in the weeks to come as you are trying to repair the damage.
8. Now comes the call to the insurance company. If you caused the crash, call your insurance company. If not, call the other driver’s company to avoid paying a deductible. Whichever insurance company you call, expect more questions about the crash. The company also will ask you questions about what you want done with the vehicle. Don’t be afraid to suggest a particular body shop or mechanic to do the work.
9. An insurance adjuster will come look at your vehicle shortly after the collision to assess the damage. Remember, it’s still your vehicle. You have the right to have the job completed to your liking. If the insurance company proposes a fix you don’t approve of, you have the right to say no and have it done to your standard.
10. At last, you can return to the road. It may feel a little awkward driving after a collision, but you’ll work back into it, slowly.

Source: Autotrader

Just for fun:

We’re not talking about flashing your pearly whites at everyone on the road, but rather remembering five steps – matching those five letters – that could make America’s highways a whole lot safer.

The S is for Scan Ahead. That means keeping a lookout for possible hazards.

The M is for Maintain Your Lane. Unless you are using your turn signal, stay in your lane.

The I is for Increase Your Distance. No need for kissing the bumper of the next vehicle in line. Keep your distance and allow time to stop if something happens.

The L is for Lower Your Speed. As difficult as that may be, take it easy and avoid speeding.

The E is for Eliminate Distractions. Talking on the cell phone, applying makeup, reading the newspaper and texting all have something in common: They shouldn’t be done behind the steering well.

So remember to SMILE. It will make everyone a little happier.

Why SMILE?

No need to look farther than America’s highways for the answer to that question. There are bumps and bruises that happen every day that easily could have been avoided. So take a look below. Hopefully these numbers will give you an idea why it’s so important to SMILE.

(S)can Ahead – Inattentive driving contributes to 8 out of 10 crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

(M)aintain Your Lane – Fifty-eight percent of all fatal crashes share a common denominator: Improper lane departures. When it comes to total crashes, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that 483,000 could be avoided each year by keeping drivers in their lanes.

(I)ncrease Your Distance – The average driver brakes 50,000 times a year to avoid a rear-end collision.

(L)ower Your Speed –  Speeding is a factor in almost a third of all fatal crashes. But get this, most speeding-related fatalities happen on local roads with speed limits less than 55 mph, rather than on highways.

(E)liminate Distractions – Distracted driving contributes to about 8,000 crashes every day.

How to protect yourself:

DON’T: Stare at the road directly in front of your vehicle.

DO: Scan the road 10 to 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle so you can spot hazards early.

DON’T: Drive when you are feeling drowsy. Lane drifts cause hundreds of thousands of crashes a year.

DO: Use your turn signal and side-view mirrors when changing lanes.

DON’T: Tailgate the car in front of you.

DO: Relax. Leave about two seconds of distance between your car and the next.

DON’T: Get heavy-footed on the highway, even if you’re running a little late.

DO: Stay within 5 to 10 miles per hour of the posted speed limit.

DON’T: Put on makeup, talk on the phone, change clothes or text while driving.

DO: Pay attention to the reason you are on the road – to drive.

Just for fun: