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] 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...

[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 Victor (second from left) of Peerless Insurance, the local division of Liberty Mutual. The Award of Excellence celebrates those individuals with superior underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and have qualified...

[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 mindful of the sense on which we rely most – vision. According to Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), there are six vision issues that can affect our ability to drive safely. 1) Good distance vision...

[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 coverage and pricing. The two agencies will move forward as Clark Insurance.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...