Our Blog

[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] Small businesses in Maine have seen continued improvement in the cost of their health insurance policies since Maine’s health reforms were implemented in 2011. In the last three months of this year, one in four small employers saw their health insurance rates actually decrease when compared with one in ten during the last quarter of 2011. And the bad news is less bad. The data from the Maine Bureau of Insurance shows that the number of small businesses receiving increases...

[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] Company holiday parties are about to hit high gear which warrants words of caution for employers and revelers alike. From an insurance perspective, be sure to check your liability coverage well before the party begins and take all reasonable precautions to avoid an incident or accident. Your first call is whether or not to allow alcohol. Why? Whether they involve driving, injuries or harassment, most party problems are alcohol-related incidents. If alcohol is part of your planned holiday celebration, there...

[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] Business leaders attending the USM Corporate Partners breakfast last week learned that leaving the workforce any time soon seems less and less likely for an increasing number of baby-boomers. Since 2001, the percentage of full time workers over age 65 has been growing well beyond those working part time. What are the factors driving this shift and what should older workers and employers be thinking about? John Dorrer, a senior advisor at Jobs for the Future in Boston, told...

[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] This story is a short version of a longer and sadder tale. Mom was still working into her 70s but decided, on her daughter’s advice, to place her assets in an irrevocable trust of which her daughter would be the trustee. Mom was, in essence, saying she no longer owned the money though the trust was intended for her benefit. Unfortunately for Mom, her daughter later declared bankruptcy and her mother’s assets were considered to be the property...

[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 in the state. For you, we’re still the same people you’ve come to rely upon for your day-to-day insurance needs but now you have access to even more insurance companies with competitive rates and ample...

[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] Here are two truths: First, we tend to like people who show an interest in us and what we think. Second, we all enjoy receiving praise and recognition. Neither of these simple interpersonal exchanges costs a nickel yet they can be the best investment you make with your employees or co-workers. According to one study, employers and supervisors who made it a point to genuinely recognize people’s work on a daily basis saw productivity rise by 37%. The value of...

[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 trouble with trucks is not necessarily the trucks. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), about 10 percent of highway deaths involve a large truck but 70 percent of the victims are in a passenger vehicle. When the two collide, there really is no contest but there’s plenty of blame to go around when you consider that passenger vehicles far outnumber large trucks. Large trucks weigh about 20 to 30 times more than the average passenger car...

[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 Centers for Disease Control (CDC), CO poisoning is the leading poison-related death in cold, heating-dependent states like Maine and New Hampshire. Gratefully, these deadly events are preventable. Though many think that CO is heavier than air...

[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 keep you and your family safe. It’s a listing emergency responders are trained to find – if it’s available. Could you list all the medications and dosages for your spouse, parents or children? Doubtful. Such family information...

[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 though the average increase was lower than in many previous years, the fact remains that employers are still on the hook for a cost over which they feel little control. However, by addressing the underlying...