[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]Carbon monoxide (CO) doesn’t discriminate – it sickens or kills anyone in its path. There are about 450 deaths from CO poisoning each year in the U.S. but more than 20,000 reported cases of poisoning from this odorless and colorless killer. According the...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] In this hyper virtual world, putting emergency contact information about you and your family in a place that is accessible and current is a no-brainer. You just have to do it and keep it current. In case of emergency (ICE) is essential to...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]Annual premiums for employer-sponsored health plans increased by 4% in 2013 hitting a new high of $16,351 for family coverage. Of that amount, employers paid $11,786 (72%) and employees paid $4,565 (28%) according to the Kaiser Family Foundation 2013 Employer Health Benefits Survey. Even...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]Denise Douglass (left) and Evangeline Irish (second from right) of Clark Insurance have received the 2013 Safeco Award of Excellence, recognition for their outstanding front-line underwriting, service and results for the Liberty Mutual-owned company. Presenting the awards are Stephanie Davis (R) and Joanne...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] headlights at nightIf you haven’t heard it enough, Maine has the oldest median age in the nation (43 years old) which means we have more physical challenges in our working and everyday lives. Not least among those challenges is driver safety and being...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Two of Portland’s oldest and largest independent insurance agencies have completed not only the merger but the consolidation of offices! By merging Turner Barker Insurance with Clark Insurance, customers will have the same commitment to service and access to more competitive options for...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] There now are applications that prevent texting on smart phones while driving. None of the resources with links listed below are endorsements by us but all are worth your while to learn more about preventing accidents and fatalities. When a traffic fatality involves a...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] In May, Turner Barker merged with Clark Insurance and will now be doing business under the Clark Insurance name. This is a merger of two of the oldest insurance agencies in Portland, Maine creating one of the largest and most versatile insurance agencies...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]The following is a bulletin distributed by the Maine Insurance Agents Association that corrects erroneous information being distributed by agencies of the U.S. Government and some consumer groups regarding the Affordable Care Act. We hope you find this information of use. Please contact...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]September is National Preparedness Month for your property or business – a time to think about everything, from what Mother Nature can throw your way to mechanical failures that cause floods or fires. The object of being prepared is to be sure you...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]“READY!” On or before October 1st, employers across America are required to inform their employees of their health insurance options under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as ACA). By January 1st of 2014 (just around the corner), individuals and...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Last year, Maine and New Hampshire escaped serious damage during the hurricane season (June 1 – November 30), nevertheless, government agencies say there were 19 tropical storms, 10 of which became hurricanes in the North Atlantic. The most notorious was Superstorm Sandy that...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Denise Douglass (center) of Clark Insurance has received her third Safeco Award of Excellence, recognition for her outstanding front-line underwriting, service and results for the Liberty Mutual-owned company. Hosting her award dinner are Stephanie Davis (L) and Joanne Victor (R) of Peerless Insurance,...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] How many times do we have to hear that what we post on Facebook matters? A Facebook page creates risk and can undermine a career or personal standing in the community if it appears inconsistent with our public persona. Social media web sites...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] For those with students starting their freshman year or returning to college later this month, you ought to be thinking about a variety of insurance issues not the least of which is health care coverage. Depending on how far afield your student is...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] There now are life insurance policies that will pay a benefit if you suffer a heart attack, stroke, cancer, kidney failure, blindness and major organ transplants – and you don’t have to die to collect. This policy will pay even if you have...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Is your dog worth a $5,000 veterinary bill? The relationship we have with our pets has evolved when it comes to how we view their health and well being – but $5,000!?!?! Well, think about this scenario. For five years, Buddy, the family dog,...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Press Herald recently reported that the City of Portland has authorized a $15 increase for towing charges – from $70 to $85. In the sample of charges among Maine cities, only Biddeford was more expensive for towing charges clocking in at $90....
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]The issue of college debt is beginning to hit the press on a regular basis. Why? Congress is discussing doubling interest rates on federal loans. College tuition costs are twice the rate of inflation. Prospects for well compensated employment remain dim for recent...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]A man walks into his doctor’s office and complains that when he raises his arms, his shoulders hurt. He asks, “What can I do to stop the pain, doc?” The doctor replies, “Stop raising your arms!” An old joke but a good lesson. A...
