http://www.winonaagency.com/blog/View WA Insurance Group & Winona Agency's Website Blogen-uspostmaster@www.winonaagency.comInsurance Website Builder - www.insurancewebsitebuilder.comurn:uuid:03c4fef2-ba31-4778-aa9f-6799f32852e2urn:uuid:c439742b-4404-4e8e-bd01-e4891ff6d7e7<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/crime%20tape.jpg' align='left' /> Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Ken Mogren, CPCU It&rsquo;s Insurance Fraud Awareness Week in Minnesota, but that&rsquo;s nothing to celebrate. Insurance fraud hurts us all, even though we hardly notice the pain. Every time we pay an insurance bill, we&rsq...Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:00:14 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="265" height="204" style="width: 271px; height: 172px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/crime%20tape.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Ken Mogren, CPCU<br /> <br /> It&rsquo;s Insurance Fraud Awareness Week in Minnesota, but that&rsquo;s nothing to celebrate. Insurance fraud hurts us all, even though we hardly notice the pain. Every time we pay an insurance bill, we&rsquo;re handing over money that will find it&rsquo;s way into the pockets of people who abuse the system.<br /> <br /> While many insurance bills break down the premium so you can see the cost of the coverages you&rsquo;ve purchased, they don&rsquo;t break out the cost of fraud. It&rsquo;s imbedded in your premiums. If it was a separate line item, you would be outraged.<br /> <br /> How big is the problem?&nbsp; $80 Billion nationally. That number doesn&rsquo;t mean much until it&rsquo;s put in perspective. One way of looking at it is to compare it to the cost of shoplifting. We all know we pay more at the store because retailers invisibly pass on their shoplifting losses to consumers in the form of higher prices. So do insurance companies, but the cost to the public for insurance fraud is&nbsp; about 6 times higher than the cost of shoplifting. It works out to an average of about $1000 per year for each US family. Even if your insurance needs and costs are low, remember the cost of insurance fraud is imbedded in the prices of everything you purchase because the providers of all goods and services price their insurance costs into what you pay.<br /> <br /> Why aren&rsquo;t the jails full if it&rsquo;s such a big problem? While some professional criminals do get busted, much of the cost come from normally law biding folks who abuse the system in ways they don&rsquo;t even think of as crimes. Padding a claim or fibbing a bit on applications for insurance is where much of the cost to insurers happens and this cost ultimately gets shared by everyone in society.<br /> <br /> To read more about insurance fraud, including some great stories about dumb crooks who got caught, check out www.insurancefraud.org.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"></p>urn:uuid:bb161aa4-9213-4a03-8a06-be722b99126c<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/Back-to-Basics-Theme-Graphic-small-e1323346544181.jpg' align='left' /> Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Garry Watts, CPCU, CRM Are you looking for ways to reduce your&nbsp;workers' compensation&nbsp;costs?&nbsp; Going back to the basics in establishing and managing safety programs allows you to control your premiums through mi...Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:30:37 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="316" height="227" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/Back-to-Basics-Theme-Graphic-small-e1323346544181.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Garry Watts, CPCU, CRM<br /> <br /> Are you looking for ways to reduce your&nbsp;workers' compensation&nbsp;costs?&nbsp; Going back to the basics in establishing and managing safety programs allows you to control your premiums through minimizing your losses.&nbsp; Here's how:<br /> <br /> <strong><br /> Get Management Behind It<br /> <br /> </strong>First and most importantly, the only way companies really control their workers' compensation costs is to convince all involved that controlling cost is worth the effort.&nbsp; Companies who have made the greatest strides do so because everyone is focused on the importance of safety. Your internal strategy - which centers on preventing claims - is a key strategic objective.<br /> <br /> <strong><br /> Use Modified Duty<br /> </strong><br /> If you don't have a company policy on modified duty, you're at a distinct disadvantage.&nbsp; It is an important practice that needs a comprehensive approach.&nbsp; The most successful Return-To-Work program can accommodate almost any restriction.</p> <p><strong><br /> Understand the Elements that Contribute to Your WC Costs<br /> <br /> </strong>Your classification codes, experience modification, sudden company growth or company acquisitions can all affect your premiums.&nbsp; It's important that you know the impact that each brings to your overall workers' compensation pricing.<br /> <br /> <strong><br /> Orient and Train Your Employees<br /> <br /> </strong>Orienting and training your employees is a crucial step in promoting a safe work environment.&nbsp; How you train and encourage your new employees in safe working practices will determine your insurance costs in the near future.&nbsp; During orientation, you'll find that many employees resist asking questions.&nbsp; To counter this reluctance, you, the employer, should use checklists and fill any gaps by explaining, in detail, what you expect of new employees.&nbsp; At the end of the training course, ask new employees to sign the checklist to confirm that they understand and have been instructed in the company's safety procedures.&nbsp; This signed checklist should become part of the employee's permanent record.<br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Put Policies into Practice<br /> <br /> </strong>If you don't have safety policies, we recommend that you develop and use them.&nbsp; Most companies have written disciplinary procedures but fall short when it comes to using them. Review your claim information - do the same people and injuries show up from year to year?&nbsp; If so, are your employees properly trained and do they understand disciplinary procedures?<br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Report Claims Promptly<br /> <br /> </strong>Insist that claims are reported immediately.&nbsp; Statistics reveal that for every week a claims goes unreported the cost increases dramatically, as much as 50 percent.&nbsp; When employees delay reporting an injury, find out why.&nbsp; Then turn to your policy statements and use the necessary disciplinary procedures on record.<br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Investigate Causes<br /> <br /> </strong>Even after a claim is paid, the incident is not over until you discover its cause.&nbsp; While one injury is behind you, others will take its place unless you do something to reduce the chances of the incident reoccurring.&nbsp; Assign the task of correcting the problem to your safety committee, supervisors or managers, and then ask for proposed corrective action.<br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Note:</strong>&nbsp; Always ask the injured employee how the injury could have been prevented.&nbsp; And do so while the event is still fresh in his or her mind.</p> <p>Do your research.&nbsp; Check out OSHA's website at <a href="http://www.osha.gov">www.osha.gov</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"></p>urn:uuid:f7f8a6da-f2a5-48c2-8941-1ab4e39dc621<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/career%20well%20being.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by:&nbsp;Jeanne Hines, SPHR We spend about 2,000 hours every year at our jobs.&nbsp; For some, the job is the best part of their day.&nbsp; For others, it is much less desirable.&nbsp; Which employee will make the best contribution?&n...Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:37:15 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="282" height="263" style="width: 308px; height: 263px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/career%20well%20being.png" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by:&nbsp;Jeanne Hines, SPHR<br /> <br /> We spend about 2,000 hours every year at our jobs.&nbsp; For some, the job is the best part of their day.&nbsp; For others, it is much less desirable.&nbsp; Which employee will make the best contribution?&nbsp; If everyone in your organization was positive and motivated, what kind of difference would that make?<br /> <br /> One of the five elements of our holistic approach to wellness is career well-being.&nbsp; Career well-being is concerned with how we occupy our time and how much we enjoy what we do every day.&nbsp; A healthy individual seeks things to do and has something to look forward to every day.&nbsp; It is what we spend our time doing each day that shapes our identity.&nbsp; For a lot of us, it's our job, but for others it's their role as a spouse, parent, student, volunteer, retiree, or something else. <br /> <br /> A healthy worksite culture encourages the growth and development of employees through a plan showing how an employee may advance to their next position.&nbsp; Once this foundation element is in place, you may chose to move onto adding a development plan to each of these levels that includes the skills, knowledge, training, education &amp; experience needed to achieve each step.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Many companies think they're too small to have career paths.&nbsp; If that's the case in your company, have you thought about other ways to encourage career well-being?&nbsp; A simple way to encourage positive morale is recognition for a job well-done.&nbsp; Depending on the person's preference and the company's culture, recognition could come in many forms.&nbsp; A written "thank you" from the supervisor or business owner is a meaningful way to express recognition.&nbsp; It is most effective when it states a specific accomplishment and what actions the person took that were outstanding.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Other ways to recognize people include gift cards, mention in the company's newsletter or other communication piece, flowers, time off and, of course, a bonus.&nbsp; All of these kinds of recognition serve to reinforce the positive behavior you wish to have repeated.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> The goal in this effort is to provide stability to the workforce, employees who can grow with the company, more productivity, and less stress for all.&nbsp; </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><br /> </p> <p >&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"></p>urn:uuid:687c3166-e9ab-4d91-82f1-673d0b2198f1<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/washer.jpg' align='left' /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU A typical home washer and dryer, sitting side by side, only take up about 6 square feet of space, but those 6 square feet are potentially the site of some very costly events. Overheated dryers are a common sour...Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:48:37 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="366" height="265" style="width: 315px; height: 234px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/washer.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU<br /> <br /> </p> <p>A typical home washer and dryer, sitting side by side, only take up about 6 square feet of space, but those 6 square feet are potentially the site of some very costly events. <br /> <br /> Overheated dryers are a common source of house fires and obviously can spread far beyond the laundry room.&nbsp; Lint is often the culprit, so the lint filter is your friend, provided you clean it out after every load.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s also a good idea to never leave the house with the dryer running.<br /> <br /> The hoses that bring water to your washer are also a potential trouble spot.&nbsp; They sometimes burst and when that happens, water will run until someone discovers it.&nbsp; Things could be floating before the discovery if the problem occurs while you are on vacation.<br /> <br /> The risk of a hose failing increases with age.&nbsp; Experts recommend replacing them every 3 to 5 years, even if they look fine.&nbsp; Buying the cheapest hoses increases the risk.&nbsp; Braided stainless steel hoses or high quality reinforced rubber hoses are your best bet, but even the best hoses can fail.<br /> <br /> It&rsquo;s also smart to turn off the water supply to your home if you will be away for an extended period.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"></p>urn:uuid:306d562c-d998-4282-a649-58089e612279<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/faq.bmp' align='left' /> Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Garry Watts, CPCU What benefits are available under Workers&rsquo; Compensation? Workers&rsquo; Compensation Benefits are available to employees who are unable to work because of a work related accident or illness.&nbsp; The...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:11:36 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/faq.bmp" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Garry Watts, CPCU<br /> <strong><br /> What benefits are available under Workers&rsquo; Compensation?</strong></p> <p>Workers&rsquo; Compensation Benefits are available to employees who are unable to work because of a work related accident or illness.&nbsp; The injured employee will be indemnified for lost wages as a result of the work related injury if he/she is medically authorized off from work.&nbsp; Typically, lost time benefits are a percentage of the injured employee&rsquo;s pre-injury wage.&nbsp; In addition to all medical expenses related to the treatment, rehabilitation is also typically covered.<br /> <br /> <b>What is a waiting period?</b></p> <p>It is the period from the date of the injury to when the workers&rsquo; compensation benefits start accruing.&nbsp; The waiting period may be paid retroactively as determined by your states designated retroactive period.<br /> <br /> In the tri-state area, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa all have three day waiting periods.&nbsp; There is a difference, though, in how the three days are applied in each state.</p> <ul> <li>Minnesota:&nbsp; Includes the date of injury plus two days = Friday injury means employee must return to work by Monday or it would become a loss of time claim.</li> <li> Wisconsin:&nbsp; Excludes date of injury and Sundays&nbsp;= Friday injury means employee must return to work by Tuesday or it&rsquo;s a loss of time claim.</li> <li>Iowa:&nbsp; Excludes date of injury and last day worked = Friday injury means the employee must return to work by Wednesday or it is a loss of time injury.</li> </ul> <p><b>What is the disability date for occupation disease?</b></p> <p>The date of injury is set by the first time an employee loses time due to the injury or disability.&nbsp; This time may be paid or unpaid.<br /> <br /> <b>What is an IME?</b></p> <p>An Independent Medical Exam (IME) is a medical exam of the injured worker by a medical professional other than the treating doctor who conducted the original examination of the injured worker.&nbsp; The insurance company or employers are entitled to an IME to challenge the treating physician&rsquo;s diagnosis, the recommended treatment plan, or whether the injury is work related.<br /> <br /> <b>What happens if parties have a dispute that cannot be resolved?</b></p> <p>Workers, employers and insurance carriers may file an application for hearings to resolve disputes.&nbsp; Employees file most hearing applications.&nbsp; The application notifies the state of the dispute and initiates the legal process.&nbsp; Legal disputes can be settled by stipulation, arbitration and proceeding with a formal hearing.</p>urn:uuid:1392cae0-8951-4176-a485-7c10363159eb<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/superbowlguestsweb.jpg' align='left' /> Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Ken Mogren, CPCU The Super Bowl has become a major event in terms of the number of house parties it has spawned. At the risk of being a spoilsport, here are some scary thoughts to consider before sending out those invitation...Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:25:12 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="270" height="287" style="width: 244px; height: 275px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/superbowlguestsweb.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Ken Mogren, CPCU<br /> <br /> The Super Bowl has become a major event in terms of the number of house parties it has spawned. At the risk of being a spoilsport, here are some scary thoughts to consider before sending out those invitations: <br /> <br /> Suppose a guest drinks too many alcoholic beverages and causes a serious accident while driving home. The victim(s) might not only sue your guest for his or her careless driving, but could also come after you for enabling the person to become impaired.<br /> <br /> Or, what if food that you serve gets someone, or worse yet, EVERYONE sick? Maybe it sat out too long. Maybe your hands weren&rsquo;t clean when you prepared it. Maybe you just happened to buy some contaminated ingredients. It doesn&rsquo;t matter how the people get sick, you might end up at the top of some attorney&rsquo;s list if this becomes a serious matter.<br /> <br /> Maybe the action on the field spills over into your living room. People have been known to get rowdy at Super Bowl parties. Furniture can fall victim to exuberant guests reenacting something that just happened in the game. Failing to hide any footballs you might own could result in red wine on your white carpet. <br /> <br /> The good news is your homeowners insurance covers incidents like these. The bad news is your deductible will probably mean you recover little or nothing on damage to your property. And it&rsquo;s never good news if you become a defendant in some type of legal matter.<br /> <br /> Despite all of the above, much fun will soon be had at countless Super Bowl parties. But it&rsquo;s far less risky to be a guest than a host!</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>urn:uuid:832db4ab-db44-401c-9490-dba8dd3f6d99<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/A+.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU Remember &ldquo;Report Card Day&rdquo; in grade school?&nbsp; I was always kind of excited to get my report card.&nbsp; I was never the model student, but I did well enough to be proud of what I usually achieved....Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:42:17 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="336" height="240" style="width: 308px; height: 240px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/A+.png" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU<br /> <br /> Remember &ldquo;Report Card Day&rdquo; in grade school?&nbsp; I was always kind of excited to get my report card.&nbsp; I was never the model student, but I did well enough to be proud of what I usually achieved.&nbsp; The expectation from my parents was that I was capable of earning &ldquo;A&rdquo; and &ldquo;B&rdquo; grades.&nbsp; And when I didn&rsquo;t get an &ldquo;A&rdquo; or &ldquo;B,&rdquo; my father usually sat down and talked to me about how I needed to do better.&nbsp; There was always something I could do to achieve more, and he would help me figure out what it was.<br /> <br /> Applying the letter grade system to your work comp experience modification factor is an easy way to understand where you are at.&nbsp; A 1.00 experience mod is the average mod for companies in your industry.&nbsp; A 1.00 mod is a &ldquo;C&rdquo; letter grade &ndash; average, right in the middle.<br /> <br /> A mod higher than 1.00 is leading towards a &ldquo;D&rdquo; or even an &ldquo;F&rdquo; as a letter grade.&nbsp; Debit mods, like a 1.25 or 1.50, cost your firm more money.&nbsp; There are definitely things you can do to improve your mod.&nbsp; (See &ldquo;Eleven Ways to Improve Your Mod.&rdquo;)<br /> <br /> A credit mod, which is a mod less than 1.00 such as a .90 or .75, gets you to a &ldquo;B&rdquo; or an &ldquo;A&rdquo; letter grade.&nbsp; The ultimate &ldquo;A&rdquo; grade would be to achieve your lowest legal mod possible.&nbsp; So do you know what that is for your firm?<br /> <br /> Is your firm better or worse than a &ldquo;C&rdquo;?&nbsp; What do you want to achieve?</p> <p style="text-align: left;"></p>urn:uuid:0015743a-cdea-407f-8b0e-3271c730b25c<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/wellness%20holistic.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR In my last blog, I addressed the benefits to companies that have a wellness program.&nbsp; &nbsp;They offer a way for employees to become engaged in improving their health, resulting in more productive employees...Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:30:07 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="272" height="230" style="width: 322px; height: 267px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/wellness%20holistic.png" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR<br /> <br /> In my last blog, I addressed the benefits to companies that have a wellness program.&nbsp; &nbsp;They offer a way for employees to become engaged in improving their health, resulting in more productive employees, less absenteeism and higher overall morale.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> If you are thinking about implementing a wellness plan in your company, we encourage you to take a holistic approach.&nbsp; Although physical well-being is of utmost importance, true well-being doesn&rsquo;t occur until other needs are met as well. Although Abraham Maslow&rsquo;s <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Hierarchy of Needs</span> was developed over 70 years ago, human development has not changed significantly since then to warrant a substantial rewrite!&nbsp; We still need to have our basic needs met before we can develop to our greatest potential.&nbsp; At WA Insurance Group, we encourage employers to include these five elements in their wellness program, Career, Social, Financial, Physical and Community.&nbsp; </p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<img alt="" width="315" height="664" style="width: 395px; height: 323px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/holistic%20wellness%20chart.png" /></p> <p>Look for more information about each of these elements in the coming weeks.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year to all!</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>urn:uuid:3dfff3c3-4b19-454a-b195-d0b69f93fe6a<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/winter_travel.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU Our luck has to run out soon with respect to Old Man Winter and what he does to drivers.&nbsp; Each year unprepared people die as a result of being caught in blizzards or breaking down in frigid winter condition...Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:49:22 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="336" height="234" style="width: 336px; height: 251px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/winter_travel.png" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><br /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU<br /> <br /> <br /> Our luck has to run out soon with respect to Old Man Winter and what he does to drivers.&nbsp; Each year unprepared people die as a result of being caught in blizzards or breaking down in frigid winter conditions.&nbsp; Don't be that person.&nbsp; Instead, remember the Boy Scout "be prepared" message.<br /> <br /> Packing a survival kit for your vehicle doesn't take much effort and could make a life saving difference.&nbsp; Start by packing things to help stay warm such as extra clothes and blankets.&nbsp; Even newspapers will provide insulation to help hold in body heat if you get stranded in your car.&nbsp; Also pack some food such as energy bars.&nbsp; Bottled water is likely to freeze and expand if kept in your car all the time, but it might still be useful.&nbsp; Better to take some along each time you venture out.<br /> <br /> A flashlight and extra batteries will come in handy.&nbsp; Booster cables and a small shovel may help you get back on the road.&nbsp; Don't forget a scraper and winshield washer fluid.&nbsp; Not having those can lead to problems even in decent winter weather.&nbsp; And don't leave home without your cell phone.<br /> <br /> If you get stranded in&nbsp;a blizzard in a&nbsp;rural area, it's probably best to stay in your car.&nbsp; Visibility can reduce to almost nothing and it's easy to get lost when you can't see anything.&nbsp; It's wise to fill up the gas tank more frequently in winter. Even a quarter tank can keep you warm for a long time if the engine is run just 10 minutes per hour.&nbsp; And that shovel should be used to keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow or carbon monoxide could be a problem.<br /> <br /> The best advice might be to just stay home.&nbsp; Check the weather reports if you'll be traveling.&nbsp; It's very rare for modern forecasters to completely miss the type of weather event that could bring about life threatening conditions.</p>urn:uuid:d0c1cf53-e877-499c-8102-4e9cd799e762<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/eleven22.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU The work comp experience modification factor is one of the most misunderstood components of the work comp system.&nbsp; In my own personal experience, 25% of all mods are inaccurate, and eight out of ten mods ar...Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:53:28 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="183" height="168" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/eleven22.png" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU<br /> <br /> </p> <p>The work comp experience modification factor is one of the most misunderstood components of the work comp system.&nbsp; In my own personal experience, 25% of all mods are inaccurate, and eight out of ten mods are mismanaged.<br /> <br /> Here are eleven ways to improve your work comp experience mod:<br /> <br /> 1.&nbsp;Prevent, eliminate, and/or reduce claims.</p> <p>2.&nbsp;Review loss and payroll data to make sure it is accurate.</p> <p>3.&nbsp;Make sure three years of data is present in the calculation.</p> <p>4.&nbsp;Develop an effective safety program.</p> <p>5.&nbsp;Execute an aggressive return-to-work program with light-duty jobs.</p> <p>6.&nbsp;Orientation of new employees should include their responsibility to operate safely and report violations.</p> <p>7.&nbsp;Implement an active injury management program to manage outstanding reserves and resolve open claims.</p> <p>8.&nbsp;Work with an occupational health clinic that uses medical evidence-based guidelines.</p> <p>9.&nbsp;Communicate regularly with employees on safety and safety training.</p> <p>10.&nbsp;Work with an insurance agency that acts as an advocate for you and represents your interest to the insurance companies.</p> <p>11.&nbsp;Develop an effective program for self-inspection and accident investigation.<br /> <br /> It's important to align yourself with a workers' compensation expert to ensure guidance and execution in the 11 areas above.&nbsp; Doing so will save you time, but more importantly, could have a significant impact on your bottom line.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><br /> <br /> <br /> </p>urn:uuid:41993d5c-3d3a-4cca-84cf-98d1cb5ad79f<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/healthy%20wealth.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR Now that we&rsquo;ve turned the calendar to December, it&rsquo;s apparent that the New Year is fast approaching.&nbsp; Many businesses began planning their strategies for 2012 some time ago.&nbsp; They made new ...Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:40:00 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="258" height="256" style="width: 328px; height: 275px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/healthy%20wealth.png" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR<br /> <br /> Now that we&rsquo;ve turned the calendar to December, it&rsquo;s apparent that the New Year is fast approaching.&nbsp; Many businesses began planning their strategies for 2012 some time ago.&nbsp; They made new plans to control expenses and increase sales, and set goals that are intended to result in increased profits.&nbsp; With a sluggish economy and belts still tightened, businesses continue to look for ways to do more with less.<br /> <br /> Over a hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin told us, &ldquo;Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.&rdquo;&nbsp; Perhaps this thought occurred to Mr. Franklin as a result of his dissatisfaction with the productivity of his assistants, or he knew that it was difficult to put in a hard day of inventing if he didn&rsquo;t get a good night&rsquo;s sleep.&nbsp; Whatever the case, he knew what a healthy lifestyle could do for people.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> With a passion to accomplish more, it&rsquo;s critical to be able to rely on members of the workforce to perform at high levels.&nbsp; In today&rsquo;s workforce, roughly, 10% of the workforce is at its healthiest.&nbsp; Another 10% has serious health issues, and the rest are somewhere in between.&nbsp; The &ldquo;tweeners&rdquo; are the ones with whom you can make the biggest gain. <br /> <br /> Making health and wellness part of your strategic plan helps to solidify its importance, resulting in an increased likelihood that you will achieve the most optimal results.<br /> <br /> You&rsquo;ll need a plan structured for success and a champion who&rsquo;ll keep the message alive.&nbsp; Those who need help getting started may take advantage of services offered by their health plan, their local fitness center, their physician, their insurance broker, or a wellness/lifestyle coach.<br /> <br /> The results of a well-run wellness program will drop to the bottom line.&nbsp; Reduced absenteeism and presenteeism, lower incidence of disease, along with the increased productivity make this investment worthwhile.&nbsp; Businesses report receiving a 3-6% return on their wellness dollars over a three year period.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Now is the time for making plans to more effectively support the development and implementation of healthy choices.&nbsp; We wish you good health and prosperity for this holiday season and throughout 2012!</p>urn:uuid:b3c54b10-4976-491b-90b7-f2ce31b5f24c<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/insurance%20agent.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU With all the opportunities to buy directly from insurance companies online or by dialing an 800 number, the above question may have popped into your mind. We&rsquo;ll admit a bias, but our answer is a resounding Y...Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:24:17 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="234" height="212" style="width: 298px; height: 247px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/insurance%20agent.png"></img></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU<br /> <br /> With all the opportunities to buy directly from insurance companies online or by dialing an 800 number, the above question may have popped into your mind. We&rsquo;ll admit a bias, but our answer is a resounding YES. Here&rsquo;s why:</p> <ul> <li>Insurance is not a simple commodity. It is actually a very complex legal contract with many variables a buyer should understand at a level where informed decisions are possible. Agents explain things and help you choose the right coverage.</li> <li>You might need help or advice if you have a claim. You can&rsquo;t expect every claim representative from every insurance company to be looking out for your best interests at the time of a claim, but a good agent considers advice and assistance at claim time to be of paramount importance.</li> <li>It&rsquo;s good to work with real people you know who care about you. Routine policy changes, billing questions, verification of coverage for lenders and a host of other service matters can be anything but routine when you must click all the right buttons on a website or navigate through a complicated phone menu where humans aren&rsquo;t part of the process. </li> </ul> <p>Best of all, the services of an agent don&rsquo;t have to cost you more. In theory, buying direct and cutting out the middle man sounds like a money saving strategy.&nbsp; But the hundreds of millions of dollars companies like GEICO and Progressive spend on their clever ads have to come from somewhere. Those advertising expenses add to the cost of every policy they sell. Companies that distribute insurance through agents compete very favorably with the direct insurers. In fact, far more insurance is written with agent involvement than without. So enjoy those insurance ads (we do), but buy your insurance through a good agent. </p>urn:uuid:d2beb962-04dc-4cb6-8ca3-b6c8c378f509<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/save%20money3.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU Do you think your organization pays too much for auto insurance?&nbsp; If you are like most business owners, your answer to that question is a resounding "yes!" There are four variables that affect the premium of...Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:31:47 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="275" height="189" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/save%20money3.png"></img></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU<br /> <br /> Do you think your organization pays too much for auto insurance?&nbsp; If you are like most business owners, your answer to that question is a resounding "yes!"</p> <p>There are four variables that affect the premium of a commercial auto policy.&nbsp; By understanding these variables, you should be able to properly classify your vehicles, thereby achieving the lowest possible premium that an insurance company can offer.&nbsp; If your policy contains mistakes in any of these four areas, your pricing will be affected, and your premium could be substantially higher than it should be.&nbsp; If an insurance underwriter has any doubt, they will always use the more expensive classification.&nbsp; This misinformation is not in the best interest of the business owner.</p> <p style="margin-right: 0px;" dir="ltr">The first variable in determining the premium for a commercial vehicle is to classify its "use" from the following categories:</p> <ol> <li>Retail Use - most expensive</li> <li>Commercial Use - moderately expensive</li> <li>Service Use - least expensive</li> </ol> <p style="margin-right: 0px;" dir="ltr">Given the nature of the classification system, it is important that you work with your broker to determine if any of your company's vehicles can be moved to a lower classification.&nbsp; If the insurance company's underwriter is uncertain about a vehicle's use, they will use the old adage "when in doubt, use the higher rate."</p> <p>The second variable in determining auto premium is the location in which the vehicle is garaged.&nbsp; Garaging location is defined as "the place where the vehicle usually stays each night," which is not necessarily the location of the company's main office.&nbsp; The insurance industry has divided states into territories and developed rates for each territory.&nbsp; The state of Minnesota, for example, has 19 different territories, resulting in 19 different rates for garaging locations.&nbsp; More populated areas will drive premiums higher.&nbsp; I recommend that you review the garaging location for each vehicle annually to make sure that you are achieving the lowest possible rate.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> The third variable used to determine auto premium is the radius of operation for each vehicle.&nbsp; This determines the distance surcharge for each auto.&nbsp; The surcharge classifications are: Local, Intermediate, and Long Distance.&nbsp; The more local a vehicle's usage is, the lower the premium; the longer the distance a vehicle travels, the higher the surcharge will be.&nbsp; To avoid unnecessary surcharges, make sure that your vehicles are being properly classified according to the distance they travel.</p> <p>The final variable determining auto premium is the gross vehicle weight, which is the manufacturer's capacity rating.&nbsp; The heavier the vehicle, the more damage it can cause, and the higher the surcharge will be.&nbsp; Heavier vehicles are also more costly to repair.&nbsp; There are four weight distributions for trucks and two distributions for truck-tractors.&nbsp; It is very important that your broker correctly identify the weight classification for each of your vehicles.</p> <p>Vehicle use, garaging location, radius of operation, and gross vehicle weight are the four variables that affect the pricing of your auto insurance.&nbsp; As a business owner, you want to obtain the optimum coverage for your auto fleet at the lowest possible cost.&nbsp; I recommend that you spend some time looking at each of these variables in order to eliminate errors and achieve your lowest possible auto premium cost.</p>urn:uuid:7867d4bb-f9e3-4015-8089-e2f86e748496<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/Xmas%20tree.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Jeanne Hines, SPHR Did you know that the week before a holiday is one of the most stressful times of the year for your employees?&nbsp; Workers are often less productive the week before a major holiday due to demands being m...Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:46:31 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="244" height="228" style="width: 308px; height: 258px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/Xmas%20tree.png"></img></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by:&nbsp; Jeanne Hines, SPHR<br /> <br /> Did you know that the week before a holiday is one of the most stressful times of the year for your employees?&nbsp; Workers are often less productive the week before a major holiday due to demands being made on them by family, work and others.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Workers who are planning to take time off during the holidays are generally doing their best to get ahead of their workload.&nbsp; Unless your organization is unusually busy during the weeks closest to major holidays, you are well-advised to lighten up on the demands you make of your already-stressed-out workers.&nbsp; It will help to create the kind of culture where people want to stay and help encourage staff retention.<br /> <br /> Before you hang the stockings at work, here are a few suggestions to make it a more pleasant holiday season:</p> <ul> <li>If you have any gift exchanges at your workplace, keep the dollar limit to a minimum.</li> <li>Consider surveying employees to determine whether they would rather have a company party, gift certificate, or cash payment in the amount you budgeted for your holiday party.</li> <li>If you have a party, encourage casual dress so employees won't have the extra expense of purchasing special clothing.</li> <li>Encourage your employees to volunteer or participate in a company-sponsored fund-raising event such as Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, or gift tree.&nbsp; Helping others will not only boost their morale, but it will also boost your brand in the community.</li> <li>If you have one, distribute your company policy or guidelines on holiday decorations and music well in advance.</li> <li>If you have an employee assistance program, make your staff aware of it through payroll stuffers or posters.</li> <li>Be sensitive to people who don't wish to participate in holiday events for religious or personal reasons.&nbsp; Make sure everyone understands holiday events are voluntary.</li> <li>Plan your payroll so that it doesn't coincide with bank holidays which can cause a delay in the availability of earnings.</li> </ul> <p>These simple tips can help to make the season a little brighter.&nbsp; We wish you and your family our best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!</p>urn:uuid:19d0fb38-6fcb-4c34-874d-049a34872345<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/home%20business.png' align='left' /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU There are more people than ever who work at home or operate small businesses from home. If that&rsquo;s you and you are relying on your homeowners insurance to cover property and liability losses, chances are yo...Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:30:01 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="282" height="243" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/home%20business.png"></img></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU<br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p>There are more people than ever who work at home or operate small businesses from home. If that&rsquo;s you and you are relying on your homeowners insurance to cover property and liability losses, chances are you could be in for a costly disappointment. Homeowner&rsquo;s policies were created for the purpose of covering risks associated with a residence situation and provide very little automatic coverage for occupational and business risks. <br /> <br /> Typically, there is a modest amount of insurance on work or business related property in your home, but it would be rare to find a policy with more than $2,500 coverage. There is usually no liability coverage for business related situations, so if a customer or delivery person falls on your steps and sues you; you are on your own. &nbsp;Another nasty provision found in most homeowners policies says that outbuildings used in a business aren&rsquo;t covered, so if your garage is part of your business operation, it&rsquo;s probably not covered. And if an employee is hurt on the job, there is no work comp coverage under a home policy.<br /> <br /> The solution might be as simple as an inexpensive endorsement to your homeowner&rsquo;s policy that fills your gaps. Eligibility for this approach varies from one insurer to the next. In general, only businesses with insignificant liability exposures and fairly small need for property coverage can meet their needs this way.<br /> <br /> A separate Business Owners policy may be the best and only solution. A conversation with the agent who handles your home insurance is probably the best place to start if you use your home for work or business.</p>urn:uuid:06b801f2-9908-4ada-bdfc-71d975c448d3<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/top%205.png' align='left' /> I have had several recent conversations with business owners and CEOs, and I&rsquo;ve asked them all the same question:&nbsp; &ldquo;What will be your top five risk issues in the next 12 to 18 months?&rdquo;&nbsp; Here&rsquo;s how they answered: 1.&...Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:11:46 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="294" height="209" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/top%205.png"></img></p> <p>I have had several recent conversations with business owners and CEOs, and I&rsquo;ve asked them all the same question:&nbsp; &ldquo;What will be your top five risk issues in the next 12 to 18 months?&rdquo;&nbsp; Here&rsquo;s how they answered:</p> <p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt 0.75in;">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We need to grow, either organically or through merger and acquisition.</p> <p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt 0.75in;">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We have to maximize employee productivity.</p> <p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt 0.75in;">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We&rsquo;re struggling to attract and retain high quality employees.</p> <p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt 0.75in;">4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our equipment is outdated; we need to invest in something new.</p> <p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt 0.75in;">5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We don&rsquo;t have an effective system for training employees.</p> <p style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt;">It&rsquo;s interesting to note that these answers include both business risk issues and strategic risk issues.<br /> <br /> Traditional insurance agents just want to quote your insurance; they still think it&rsquo;s all about the premiums.&nbsp; Traditional agents might say that they understand your business, but what they really mean is that they understand how insurance coverages translate into your business.<br /> <br /> Based on their answers, business owners and CEOs are looking for solutions that focus on issues relating to both business risk and strategic risk.&nbsp; These are issues that, if they aren&rsquo;t costing the businesses money already, will be costing them money in the very near future.<br /> <br /> We recommend that business owners and CEOs work with an agent or broker who can help them identify and prioritize all of their risk issues.&nbsp; There are agents and brokers in the industry who can help businesses address both business risk and strategic risk issues.&nbsp; The first step in this process is an assessment to identify the top five business risks the business owner or CEO will likely face in the next 18 to 24 months.&nbsp; Then the agent or broker can create a comprehensive plan to systematically address these issues.&nbsp; There is absolutely no doubt that this type of approach will increase profits for a business.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Which approach do you think makes the most sense: getting a quote from a traditional agent with the focus on quoting insurance premiums, or working with someone who can help you identify, prioritize, and address your business and strategic risk issues?<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU</p>urn:uuid:d02ed793-8561-47e1-b96e-d224e0cdbbda<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/explaination%20point.png' align='left' /> The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued their final rule requiring employers covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to notify employees of their rights under the Act.&nbsp; Although the posting deadline has already been dela...Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:57:04 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="230" height="212" style="width: 270px; height: 227px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/explaination%20point.png"></img></p> <p>The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued their final rule requiring employers covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to notify employees of their rights under the Act.&nbsp; Although the posting deadline has already been delayed once, the current deadline is January 31, 2012.&nbsp; The notice must be posted in a conspicuous place, where other notifications of workplace rights and employer rules and policies are posted.&nbsp; Employers should also publish a link to the notice on an internal or external website, if other personnel policies or workplace notices are posted there.<br /> <br /> The notice could have a significant impact on work places.&nbsp; There are seven actions listed that employers will want to pay attention to.&nbsp; The notice gives examples of possible actions employers and unions may take that are grounds for charges of unfair labor practices.&nbsp; The poster states:<br /> <br /> &ldquo;Under the NLRA, you have the right to:</p> <ul> <li>Organize a union to negotiate with your employer concerning your wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. </li> <li>Form, join, or assist a union. </li> <li>Bargain, collectively through representatives of employees&rsquo; own choosing for a contract with your employer setting your wages, benefits, hours, and other working conditions. </li> <li>Discuss your wages and benefits and other terms and conditions of employment or union organizing with your co-workers or a union. </li> <li>Take action with one or more co-workers to improve your working conditions by, among other means, raising work-related complaints directly with your employer or with a government agency, and seeking help from a union. </li> <li>Strike and picket, depending on the purpose or means of the strike or the picketing. </li> <li>Choose not to do any of these activities, including joining or remaining a member of a union.&rdquo; </li> </ul> <p>Employers are advised to continue to be vigilant in monitoring their policies for gaps that may leave them vulnerable to union organizing activities.&nbsp; Pay particular attention to employee satisfaction areas including grievance and complaint procedures.&nbsp; Other areas to review include whether your wage and salary program is competitive in your market, your job descriptions are up to date, and your safety program protects your employees.&nbsp; Are your supervisors and managers trained to recognize the early signs of union organization?&nbsp; Do they know what to do and what NOT to do if they suspect an organizing attempt? <br /> <br /> The poster is available at <a href="http://www.nlrb.gov/poster">www.nlrb.gov/poster</a>.&nbsp; The website also offers a Q &amp; A section that addresses many common questions regarding the requirement.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR</p>urn:uuid:9f581784-9c60-42f4-9ecd-dfadfbcfcec8<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/renters%20insurance.png' align='left' /> We all see this TV news story several times each year:&nbsp; First, the on-the-scene reporter stands&nbsp; in front of the smoking ruins of a big apartment building&nbsp; interviewing the fire chief who still doesn&rsquo;t know for sure how&nbsp; th...Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:45:26 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="253" height="230" style="width: 271px; height: 230px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/renters%20insurance.png"></img></p> <p>We all see this TV news story several times each year:&nbsp; First, the on-the-scene reporter stands&nbsp; in front of the smoking ruins of a big apartment building&nbsp; interviewing the fire chief who still doesn&rsquo;t know for sure how&nbsp; the blaze started. Of course, there will be an investigation.<br /> <br /> Next, we see an interview with a distraught tenant who lost everything and didn&rsquo;t have any renters insurance. The news crew never has to look very hard to find this person because generally at least 2/3 of the residents didn&rsquo;t carry any personal property coverage. Many had thought about getting it but had just put it off.<br /> <br /> What we don&rsquo;t see is the hardship these victims have to deal with in the weeks and months that follow from the financial setback caused by the fire. People tend to underestimate the value of their possessions until they go about replacing them. We also don&rsquo;t see the reaction of the victims when they eventually learn how inexpensive it would have been to have had insurance to cover their loss.<br /> <br /> Renters insurance is surprisingly inexpensive. A $20,000 policy typically costs in the range of $100 to $125 per year in our area. &nbsp;People who have car insurance might find an even lower cost because some insurance companies offer a multi policy discount. In such cases, the discount also applies to the car insurance!&nbsp; We&rsquo;ve actually seen cases where the reduction in the auto insurance premium was enough to pay for the renters policy.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU</p>urn:uuid:fffa37bb-c6a9-4e03-b74f-bdac778399da<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/open%20enrollment.png' align='left' /> Renewal for many benefits plans occurs each year in January.&nbsp; We&rsquo;re currently in the 90-day window when most renewal and open enrollment meetings are held for those plans that renew in January.&nbsp; Employers have an opportunity and an o...Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:53:38 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="228" height="215" style="width: 288px; height: 239px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/open%20enrollment.png"></img></p> <p>Renewal for many benefits plans occurs each year in January.&nbsp; We&rsquo;re currently in the 90-day window when most renewal and open enrollment meetings are held for those plans that renew in January.&nbsp; Employers have an opportunity and an obligation to help ensure that employees are getting the best value from their benefit plans.&nbsp; Employees should be afforded the chance to better understand the plans they are enrolled in and the options being offered for medical, life, dental, and disability insurance. <br /> <br /> MetLife&rsquo;s 9th annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends found that employees who report that they are very satisfied with their workplace benefits are about three times as likely to indicate that they are highly satisfied with their current job.&nbsp; They feel more loyal toward their employer compared with those who are very dissatisfied with the benefits program.&nbsp; Employers who want to gauge employee satisfaction with current benefit plans could conduct a <b>benefits survey</b>.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Another way to begin the process of educating employees is to provide a <b>benefits statement</b>. &nbsp;It lists all benefits provided to employees and has separate columns to show employer and employee contributions, which highlights the significant contributions many employers make.&nbsp; Many companies refer to this information as &ldquo;your hidden paycheck.&rdquo;&nbsp; Your insurance agent or benefits carrier may be able to assist you in developing a benefits statement.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Employees with a greater understanding and appreciation of their workplace benefits are likely to have improved job satisfaction resulting in feelings of loyalty toward their employers.&nbsp;Some ways to create more knowledgeable employees are through benefits surveys, benefits statements, and employee meetings during open enrollment.&nbsp; Partner with your agent to plan and execute these steps toward improved employee satisfaction.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR</p>urn:uuid:08b26279-51b9-4d0e-bf0d-0d411d8a7034<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/college%20campus.png' align='left' /> Parents often ask about coverage for personal property their kids take with them when they go off to college.&nbsp; The car loads of stuff that get unloaded outside of dorms this time of year can easily each be worth thousands of dollars. Theft from...Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:26:04 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="242" height="216" style="width: 280px; height: 226px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/college%20campus.png"></img></p> <p>Parents often ask about coverage for personal property their kids take with them when they go off to college.&nbsp; The car loads of stuff that get unloaded outside of dorms this time of year can easily each be worth thousands of dollars. Theft from dorms or off campus housing is usually the biggest concern.<br /> <br /> For traditional students, the homeowner&rsquo;s policy of their parents is generally sufficient and there is no need to buy separate renters insurance. The type of student least likely to have a problem at claim time would be one who carries a full time class load, comes home in the summer and graduates in 4-5 years. Most policies don&rsquo;t differentiate between on campus and off campus housing.<br /> <br /> But we want to stress that policy language isn&rsquo;t universal from one insurance company to the next when it comes to property of students. It&rsquo;s also a topic that needs to be revisited if a student&rsquo;s situation deviates from the above &ldquo;traditional&rdquo; model.&nbsp; For example, most policies wouldn&rsquo;t cover a part time student or a student who decides to take a semester off and live somewhere other than the parent&rsquo;s home.<br /> <br /> Age limits appear in some policies. This can mean a separate renter&rsquo;s insurance policy would be needed for a grad student or older undergrads. Property of students can be a murky area so it&rsquo;s wise to check back frequently with your agent and when there is any doubt; an inexpensive, separate renter&rsquo;s insurance policy is the best solution.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU</p>urn:uuid:194c2df3-ff48-4de4-bfa0-273cf502ff85<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/checkbook.png' align='left' /> If you could write a check to cover everything your family needed in the event that you weren&rsquo;t there to help them, for how much would you write it?&nbsp; Let&rsquo;s say you&rsquo;re a healthy 35-year-old with a spouse and 2 children.&nb...Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:09:54 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="323" height="215" style="width: 310px; height: 231px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/checkbook.png"></img><br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p>If you could write a check to cover everything your family needed in the event that you weren&rsquo;t there to help them, for how much would you write it?&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Let&rsquo;s say you&rsquo;re a healthy 35-year-old with a spouse and 2 children.&nbsp; Although you could never be replaced, how much income would be needed for your family to be comfortable?&nbsp; As an estimate, let&rsquo;s say you earn $45,000 per year.&nbsp; Many people take home about two-thirds that amount, or in this example, $30,000 per year.&nbsp; Using very simple math, if your family needed your support for 35 more years, they may need over a million dollars!&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Considering that many people obtain life insurance through their employer, it&rsquo;s not surprising that the number of households in the US who have life insurance coverage has declined from six years ago.&nbsp; According to the industry research group, LIMRA, 30 percent of US households have no life insurance at all.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Employers are in a great position to help their employees reduce the chances that their families will be at risk.&nbsp; Many options are available to employers that include both employee-paid and employer-paid products.&nbsp; Other options include offering a flat amount of life insurance, multiples of one&rsquo;s annual salary, and a variety of plans including term insurance, universal life, and whole life policies.&nbsp; Rates for group insurance are very affordable for most and may be converted to individual policies if the person leaves your employment. <br /> <br /> To remind Americans about the security a life insurance plan can offer them, the not-for-profit LIFE Foundation coordinates Life Insurance Awareness Month.&nbsp; LIFE&rsquo;s website, <a href="http://www.lifehappens.org/">www.lifehappens.org</a>, provides a great deal of objective information about life insurance including an interactive tool, the Life Insurance Needs Calculator.&nbsp; There&rsquo;s also an interactive life insurance product selector, as well as tips to select a good agent.&nbsp; If life insurance is already offered where you work, see your benefits administrator to learn more about what is offered.<br /> <br /> As insurance consumers, we traditionally concentrate on protecting our homes, automobiles and other possessions.&nbsp; If you were to compare the amount of money you pay to protect your possessions to that which you spend for your life insurance, how would the totals look?&nbsp; If the balance is heavier on the side of your possessions, it&rsquo;s time to re-evaluate how well you are protecting your most important asset, your family.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR</p>urn:uuid:850d20fa-be40-43d8-a97b-0a5752f03726<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/house.png' align='left' /> Your home&rsquo;s market value vs. cost of replacement You probably couldn&rsquo;t sell your home for what it would have fetched two or three years ago.&nbsp; Does this mean you need less insurance?&nbsp; Probably &nbsp;not. Homes are typically ins...Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:34:29 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="254" height="223" style="width: 308px; height: 258px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/house.png"></img></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Your home&rsquo;s market value vs. cost of replacement</strong></span></i></p> <p>You probably couldn&rsquo;t sell your home for what it would have fetched two or three years ago.&nbsp; Does this mean you need less insurance?&nbsp; Probably &nbsp;not.<br /> <br /> Homes are typically insured based on their replacement value, not market value.&nbsp; Even before the big decline in home values, there was generally a gap between the typical home&rsquo;s replacement value and market value.&nbsp; That gap has widened.&nbsp; This seems to be causing some people to consider reducing their insurance as a way of reducing their premium.&nbsp; This probably isn&rsquo;t a good idea.<br /> <br /> First, it may be difficult to get the insurance company to agree to this.&nbsp; Since most &nbsp;policies promise to pay on a replacement cost basis, insurers don&rsquo;t feel they get enough revenue to keep that promise unless the premium is also based on replacement cost.&nbsp; It may be difficult to find an insurance company willing to insure a home based on its market value if that value is way below the replacement value.<br /> <br /> Even if you find a willing insurance company, you could be in for an unpleasant experience at claim time.&nbsp; The policy might pay on a depreciated basis or have a penalty provision that reduces your payment in proportion to how far below replacement value your coverage was.<br /> <br /> How do you know the replacement value of your home?&nbsp; Most insurance agents have calculators that are pretty accurate at estimating this, based on the size and features of your home.&nbsp; The replacement value may be shocking compared to your market value, but a worse shock is to hear that your claim will only be partially covered because you insured based on the wrong value.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU</p>urn:uuid:6f0d2443-752d-4cfb-a5ae-b6ffce9853f6<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/leadership%20growth.png' align='left' /> We have all heard the saying &ldquo;what got you here, won&rsquo;t take you there.&rdquo;&nbsp; In other words, what you did to get to your present level of success won&rsquo;t get you to the next level of success.&nbsp; For the most part, I belie...Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:28:06 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="246" height="172" style="width: 304px; height: 210px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/leadership%20growth.png"></img><br /> <br /> </p> <p>We have all heard the saying &ldquo;what got you here, won&rsquo;t take you there.&rdquo;&nbsp; In other words, what you did to get to your present level of success won&rsquo;t get you to the next level of success.&nbsp; For the most part, I believe this to be true.&nbsp; Principles never change, but means and methods always do and it takes both to achieve success.<br /> <br /> Consider your personal growth plan for the next year:</p> <ul> <li>What will you do differently to take your leadership to the next level?</li> <li>What books will you read?</li> <li>What CD&rsquo;s, and podcasts will you listen to?</li> <li>What experiences do you want?</li> <li>What person(s) do you need to meet?</li> </ul> <p>Motivational author and speaker Charlie Tremendous Jones says:&nbsp; &ldquo;You will be the same person 5 years from today except for the people you meet, and the books you read.&rdquo;&nbsp; <br /> <br /> A leader&rsquo;s personal growth plan should also include time to reflect on what&rsquo;s happening in&nbsp;his or her&nbsp;life.&nbsp; Most people today don&rsquo;t slow down long enough to think, and reflect. Looking back to see what&rsquo;s happened in the rear view mirror will allow you to purposefully plan the future.&nbsp; Living your life on purpose will allow you to keep growing and fulfill your dreams.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Leaders need to have a personal growth plan to keep leading effectively.&nbsp; So what does your personal growth plan look like?<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU</p>urn:uuid:f89dde95-8ef3-42fa-924a-1268d9f70df1<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/risk.jpg' align='left' /> &nbsp; In today's economy, there are many risks and threats to your business.&nbsp; Some of these risks and threats include: Employee engagement Employee productivity Attracting the right employees Retaining the right employes ...Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:12:11 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="300" height="234" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/risk.jpg"></img></p> <div style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;<br /> <br /> I<span style="font-family: tahoma;">n today's economy, there are many risks and threats to your business.&nbsp; Some of these risks and threats include:<br /> </span></div> <ul> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Employee engagement</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Employee productivity</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Attracting the right employees</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Retaining the right employes</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Compliance issues</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Health Care Reform</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The economy itself</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">There are literally hundreds of issues.&nbsp; These risks and threats create complexity in businesses. And complexity can lead to chaos.<br /> <br /> Well stop the chaos!&nbsp; How do you do that?&nbsp; Identify the biggest risks and threats that are facing your business.&nbsp; Prioritize them in the order in which you want to deal with them.&nbsp; Then create a strategic plan to either prevent, mitigate, or transfer the risks and threats.<br /> <br /> We think there are two ways to do business.&nbsp; One way is to show up every day and not have a plan or a sytematic way of dealing with the chaos and complexity.&nbsp; This type of response is all reactive.&nbsp; In this case, a company would be trying to out-produce it's problems.<br /> <br /> The second way is to implement a proactive plan to identify the risks to your business, prioritize them and then&nbsp;create a systematic plan for controlling or eliminating the biggest issues...and then keep score.<br /> <br /> We think you'll agree.&nbsp; Having a proactive plan in place to deal with risks and threats that are either costing you money now, or that could cost you money in the future is the right way to do business.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU</span></p>urn:uuid:1c7fac81-bd50-4eaa-8135-d0c36fb568e4<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/cost%20per%20hire.png' align='left' /> In these days of slow economics and budget restraints, one metric getting a lot of attention is Cost Per Hire (CPH).&nbsp; Just how much is it costing to hire great people?&nbsp; Figures vary widely, depending on the level of expertise, geographic l...Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:18:54 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="243" height="236" style="width: 297px; height: 244px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/cost%20per%20hire.png"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">In these days of slow economics and budget restraints, one metric getting a lot of attention is Cost Per Hire (CPH).&nbsp; Just how much is it costing to hire great people?&nbsp; Figures vary widely, depending on the level of expertise, geographic location, industry type, the labor supply, and whether the recruitment is done internally or outsourced to a recruiter.&nbsp; The effectiveness of the hiring process, called Cost Per Hire, is defined as &ldquo;hiring the best talent, in the shortest period of time, for the least external/internal expense.&rdquo;&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Cost Per Hire data may be used in a variety of ways, including benchmarking data, to compare with other companies, as a budgeting tool, or as a component of tracking and assessing the total cost of workforce turnover.&nbsp; For example, a 2010 study done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found a 30% variation between the South and Central regions of the United States.&nbsp; They reported that, on average, it costs companies $8,947 per college graduate hire, an increase of over 50% from the previous year.&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Cost Per Hire Internal (CPHI) is recommended for use inside of any organization that wishes to measure Cost Per Hire using a standard methodology.&nbsp; It is a management tool and not an accounting methodology.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"><b>CPHI</b>= </span><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sum(external costs) + Sum (Internal costs)<br /> </span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Total Number of Hires in a Time Period</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">The standard Cost Per Hire model being formulated by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) includes expenses for advertising and marketing, background checks and eligibility to work expenses, campus recruiting expenses, contingency fees, consulting services, pre-employment testing, job fair expenses, relocation fees, sign on bonuses, and travel expenses.&nbsp; The standard may be available from SHRM as early as this fall.&nbsp; If you&rsquo;d like to do the calculations using an automated system right now, there are many to choose from.&nbsp; Enter &ldquo;cost per hire calculator&rdquo; in your search engine.&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></p> <p>It&rsquo;s important to keep in mind that cost per hire is only one measure of recruitment success.&nbsp; It represents how much it costs to get someone in the door.&nbsp; The real cost per hire metric comes from how successfully the person performs the job. After the hire, I suggest that you also assess the quality of the hire by conducting surveys regarding performance quality and manager satisfaction.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Whether you calculate your costs manually or utilize a cost-per-hire calculator, it&rsquo;s important to understand how much your hiring process is costing your business and to set goals to make improvements.&nbsp; These costs are quite often hidden or ignored and can have a significant impact on your profitability.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR</p>urn:uuid:010d944f-f215-48a6-9ccc-06bab63518b1<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/tornado.png' align='left' /> People in Minnesota and Wisconsin need not be told we&rsquo;ve had more than our fair share of damaging storms during the past couple of years. No region of either state has been spared. Just about every area has seen at least a few severe thunder...Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:04:04 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/tornado.png"></img><br /> <br /> </p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">People in Minnesota and Wisconsin need not be told we&rsquo;ve had more than our fair share of damaging storms during the past couple of years. No region of either state has been spared. Just about every area has seen at least a few severe thunderstorms with damaging straight line winds, lightning and small hail. But what&nbsp; causes the most damage are tornadoes and very large hail, and Mother Nature has delivered unusual numbers of those events, too.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">We all pay for those losses even if we aren&rsquo;t the primary victims. Insurance is an efficient mechanism for collectively sharing the risk of financial loss from storms and when there are many losses, we all end up paying more. We are seeing many insurance companies raising rates these days for property insurance because it seems no insurance company has been spared.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">When we compare the rates of insurers we represent and compete against, we are commonly seeing increases in the 10% to 20% range. Most companies could actually justify even higher increases based on their actual payouts. But increases always tend to be softened by competition. Most companies believe things will average out over time and &nbsp;are willing to absorb a big chunk of&nbsp; the losses themselves as they await a return to better days.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">So what&rsquo;s a policyholder to do, aside from just swallowing hard and paying more?&nbsp; It&rsquo;s a good time to consider things like raising deductibles and capturing additional discounts if possible. A new roof or furnace will usually earn a discount, as will packaging auto and home insurance with the same insurance company.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU</span></p>urn:uuid:1f290767-06ad-487a-b93d-f8e3c8aa0dca<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/stethescope.png' align='left' /> On August 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopted additional Guidelines for Women's Preventive Services requiring new health insurance plans to cover women's preventive services such as well-woman visits, breastfeedin...Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:36:05 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="302" height="256" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/stethescope.png"></img></p> <p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">On August 1, 2011, the </span><a href="http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/08/20110801b.html" title="U.S. Department of Health and Human Services" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</span></a><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"> (HHS) adopted additional </span><a href="http://www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines/" title="Guidelines for Women's Preventive Services" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Guidelines for Women's Preventive Services</span></a><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"> requiring new health insurance plans to cover women's preventive services such as well-woman visits, breastfeeding support, domestic violence screening, and contraception without charging a co-payment, co-insurance or a deductible starting in August 2012. The guidelines were recommended by the independent Institute of Medicine (IOM).</span></p> <h2 style="background: white; margin: auto 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Coverage of Recommended Preventive Services Under the Affordable Care Act&nbsp;</span></h2> <p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Last summer, HHS released new insurance market rules under the </span><a href="http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/healthreform/" title="Affordable Care Act" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Affordable Care Act</span></a><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"> requiring all new private health plans to cover several evidence-based preventive services like mammograms, colonoscopies, blood pressure checks, and childhood immunizations without charging a copayment, deductible or coinsurance. Note that these required preventive services do not apply to </span><a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/keeping_the_health_plan_you_have_grandfathered.html" title="grandfathered plans" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">grandfathered plans</span></a><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">. </span></p> <h2 style="background: white; margin: auto 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">New Guidelines Expand Required Preventive Services for Women &nbsp;</span></h2> <p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">As a result of the </span><a href="http://www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines/" title="new guidelines" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">new guidelines</span></a><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">, additional women's preventive services that must be covered without cost sharing requirements include:</span></p> <ul style="list-style-type: disc;"> <li style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Well-woman visits; </span></li> <li style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Screening for gestational diabetes; </span></li> <li style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing for women 30 years and older; </span></li> <li style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Sexually-transmitted infection counseling; </span></li> <li style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and counseling; </span></li> <li style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">FDA-approved contraception methods and contraceptive counseling; </span></li> <li style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling; and </span></li> <li style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Domestic violence screening and counseling. </span></li> </ul> <p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">New health plans will need to include these services without cost sharing for insurance policies <b>with plan years beginning on or after August 1, 2012. </b></span></p> <p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">The administration also released an </span><a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-08-03/pdf/2011-19684.pdf" title="amendment to the prevention regulation" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">amendment to the prevention regulation</span></a><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"> that allows religious institutions that offer insurance to their employees the choice of whether or not to cover contraception services. This regulation is modeled on the most common accommodation for churches available in the majority of the 28 states that already require insurance companies to cover contraception.&nbsp; </span></p> <h3 style="background: white; margin: auto 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Additional Information&nbsp;</span></h3> <p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">For more on the requirements for coverage of recommended preventive services under the Affordable Care Act, please visit:</span></p> <p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></p> <p style="background: white;"><a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">www.healthcare.gov</span></a></p> <p style="background: white;"><a href="http://www.hhs.gov/"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">www.hhs.gov</span></a></p> <p style="background: white;"><a href="http://www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines/"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines/</span></a></p> <p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></p> <p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></p> <p><span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><br /> <span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-size: 13px;">Blog Information Provided by: HR 360</span></span></p>urn:uuid:78629cdd-45fa-44c8-87fa-e0d94447dc80<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/name%20your%20price.png' align='left' /> A &ldquo;name your price&rdquo; approach might get you a good deal on a hotel room or rental car that would otherwise have gone unused on a particular day, but is that a good way to buy insurance? At least one major company is advertising that they&...Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:55:20 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="256" height="195" style="width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/name%20your%20price.png"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">A &ldquo;name your price&rdquo; approach might get you a good deal on a hotel room or rental car that would otherwise have gone unused on a particular day, but is that a good way to buy insurance? At least one major company is advertising that they&rsquo;ll do business with you that way, but be careful if you go down that path.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The laws of the marketplace suggest that sellers should discount products subject to spoilage from age. That&rsquo;s why day old bread is cheaper. An unused airline seat or hotel room represents spoilage in the travel industry, so getting any revenue at all is better than getting nothing. A name your price deal truly is a win-win for both you and the seller.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">But insurance doesn&rsquo;t spoil. The insurance company can provide all the fresh insurance you want any time you want it, so the principle that makes name your price work in travel doesn&rsquo;t exist in insurance. It&rsquo;s a clever marketing approach to attract your attention, but there&rsquo;s no bargain in it for you. <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">You will simply get less insurance for a lower price. That might mean extremely high deductibles or very low liability limits. Either of those choices might mean owing a pile of money out of pocket because you bought inadequate coverage.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU</span><br /> <br /> <br /> </p>urn:uuid:7c6a3134-0d80-4048-8421-330930c93b0e<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/change-ahead.jpg' align='left' /> The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is the largest provider of workers&rsquo; compensation and employee injury data and statistics in the nation.&nbsp; Most states subscribe to the NCCI for rules and regulations pertaining to wo...Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:13:45 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="285" height="218" style="width: 313px; height: 218px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/change-ahead.jpg"></img><br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p style="margin: 6pt -9.35pt 0pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is the largest provider of workers&rsquo; compensation and employee injury data and statistics in the nation.&nbsp; Most states subscribe to the NCCI for rules and regulations pertaining to workers&rsquo; compensation.&nbsp; NCCI has just published a summary of changes that will be occurring to the experience modification calculation.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">In essence, the major change will be that the threshold of the dollar amount of loss that is split between the frequency and severity point is increasing.&nbsp; The threshold has been at $5,000.&nbsp; NCCI will be moving the threshold to $15,000 over a three-year transition period.&nbsp; These changes will be filed in the third quarter of 2011.&nbsp; The changes will be adopted by NCCI states and will roll out to the marketplace late 2012 and early 2013.&nbsp; At this point, the implications of how it will impact specific companies are not completely known.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The split point of losses at the $5,000 threshold has been in place as long as I can remember.&nbsp; Losses under $5,000 are considered primary losses.&nbsp; Primary losses are an indication of frequency.&nbsp; Losses over $5,000 are excess losses.&nbsp; Excess losses are an indication of severity.&nbsp; With the threshold changing to $15,000, more losses will be considered primary losses and will indicate a frequency issue.&nbsp; One implication of this change could be that mods will be increasing as a result of the frequency issue.&nbsp; NCCI will be making other changes to help offset the threshold change.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Here are three recommendations in light of this change:</span></p> <ol> <li> <p style="margin: 9pt -9.35pt 0pt 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Employers need to reduce their number of workers&rsquo; compensation losses.&nbsp; Executing safety policies and implementing good hiring practices can help reduce the number of losses</span></p> </li> <li> <p style="margin: 9pt -9.35pt 0pt 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">It will remain very important to control losses so they remain medical only claims.&nbsp; Implementation of a return-to-work program is the key.</span></p> </li> <li> <p style="margin: 9pt -9.35pt 0pt 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Companies that bid projects with an experience mod currently of slightly under 1.00 to slightly over 1.00 will need to pay greater attention to claims in the next 12-24 months.&nbsp; More and more entities are requiring experience mods under 1.00 before they can bid on a particular project.&nbsp; Controls need to be put in place so that your losses don&rsquo;t take you out of the bid process.</span></p> </li> </ol> <br /> Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCUurn:uuid:bd9811a5-6bac-4ea2-820a-9480495f11d3<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/audit%20checklist.jpg' align='left' /> The HR function often has broad responsibility for a many functions.&nbsp; Most HR managers have a specialty in one or two areas but have limited knowledge of others.&nbsp;&nbsp; A well-performed and presented Human Resources Audit can serve as a...Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:46:21 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="306" height="210" style="width: 272px; height: 190px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/audit%20checklist.jpg"></img><br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p style="margin: 0in -6pt 0pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">The HR function often has broad responsibility for a many functions.&nbsp; Most HR managers have a specialty in one or two areas but have limited knowledge of others.&nbsp;&nbsp; A well-performed and presented Human Resources Audit can serve as a resource to the HR provider.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">A Human Resources Audit is a systematic process of examining an organization&rsquo;s HR functions including policies, procedures, requirements, practices, documentation and systems.&nbsp; Some common areas examined in an audit include communication, recruitment practices, employment documentation, compensation practices and systems, benefits, performance management, employee separation procedures, safety, and federal and state legal compliance.&nbsp; Organizations should be advised that no audit is ever fully-inclusive and there may be additional areas that need to be reviewed based on their organization&rsquo;s design.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">An HR Audit is most useful when an organization is ready to examine their practices and make changes to address identified issues.&nbsp; It is a diagnostic tool, used to identify what is working well, what is in need of improvement, or what is missing.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Given our litigious society and the fines at risk when businesses do not comply with federal and state labor and employment laws, a Human Resources Audit is one way to ensure compliance.&nbsp; It is commonly used by business owners, boards of directors, and corporate legal services to fulfill their fiduciary duty.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Audits may be conducted by internal staff from another department or by utilizing a consultant.&nbsp; It is always recommended that an unbiased third party complete the audit.&nbsp; Results are reported not only to the HR staff, but also to whoever makes the request, such as a business owner.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Once completed, an audit will help shape direction for the department.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s important to note that an audit does not indicate how to address the issues.&nbsp; Whether to address the identified issues and how to remedy them is a choice made by the organization.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR</span></p>urn:uuid:39837539-6016-400c-9ef3-e7488fa9cb24<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/suv.png' align='left' /> We sometimes get asked by clients to comment on the above. When you lease a car, the leasing company still really owns the car, but the general requirement is that you, the lessee, buy the insurance and that you name the leasing company as an additi...Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:55:43 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="232" height="229" style="width: 272px; height: 219px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/suv.png"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">We sometimes get asked by clients to comment on the above. When you lease a car, the leasing company still really owns the car, but the general requirement is that you, the lessee, buy the insurance and that you name the leasing company as an additional insured on your policy. Insurance companies will do this and generally don&rsquo;t charge you any more than they&rsquo;d charge if you owned the car outright.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Where you might pay more is that your lease will probably specify the amount of insurance you are required to carry. Leasing companies typically require you to carry more liability insurance than just the minimum amount your state requires. They also limit the size of your deductible. Really large deductibles are usually forbidden in leases.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">People who lease should consider lease gap insurance. This coverage can save the day if you total out the car and collect less for it than your lease pay-off amount. This can be a real problem early in your lease when depreciation usually devalues the car at a faster rate than your pay-off amount is decreasing. Lease gap coverage pays the difference between the pay-off amount and what you were paid based on the car&rsquo;s value at the time of the loss. <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">You can buy lease gap coverage as part of your regular auto policy. Leasing companies usually offer this, too and roll the cost into your monthly payment. You should compare costs before you buy. There could be several dollars per month difference between the two choices.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU</span></p>urn:uuid:ee4cb035-c6d0-48cd-9427-f0484c0d10b4<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/survey%20says.png' align='left' /> There&rsquo;s been a buzz in the benefits community lately about a recent survey published by McKinsey &amp; Company, a global management consulting firm.&nbsp; Although the survey was quite extensive, the noise centered around whether businesses wi...Wed, 29 Jun 2011 07:44:14 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/survey%20says.png"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">There&rsquo;s been a buzz in the benefits community lately about a recent survey published by McKinsey &amp; Company, a global management consulting firm.&nbsp; Although the survey was quite extensive, the noise centered around whether businesses will discontinue offering health insurance in response to the Affordable Care Act.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">When McKinsey explained to survey respondents that employees could purchase their insurance at a low cost through state-run Exchanges, 30% indicated they would definitely or probably stop offering employer-sponsored insurance (ESI), while over 63% said they were either undecided or would not make the change.&nbsp; Interestingly enough, well over 50% of those surveyed said they hadn&rsquo;t calculated how many of their employees would benefit from such an arrangement and only a little over half said they were &ldquo;somewhat familiar&rdquo; with health care reform.&nbsp; At best, McKinsey was getting educated guesses from decision-makers who are not familiar with health care reform and its impact on their employees and financials.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Nancy-Ann DeParle, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for the White House commented in her June 20^th blog post about this recent statement from McKinsey:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;"></span></p> <p class="rteindent1" style="background: #fafafa; margin: 0in 0in 15pt 30pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><i>&ldquo; </i><i>The survey was not intended as a predictive economic analysis of the impact of the Affordable Care Act&hellip; We understand how the language in the article could lead the reader to think the research was a prediction, but it is not.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</i></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">DeParle&rsquo;s June 20^th blog referenced another recent study by Avalere Health, a respected consulting firm, which predicts market stabilization after 2014.&nbsp; Other studies were cited in her June 8^th blog, including those done by The Rand Corporation, The Urban Institute and Mercer, all of which predict minimal change in employer-sponsored insurance.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Whether you choose to side with the White House or McKinsey, at the end of the day what matters most is the level of satisfaction business owners and their employees have with benefits.&nbsp; At issue are the &ldquo;me too&rdquo; companies who may emulate the decisions of others, prior to having a thorough understanding of their options.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Business owners can expect their benefits specialists, to help them understand the intricacies of Health Care Reform and work with them to determine their benefits goals and develop strategies and tactics to support them.&nbsp; As part of that process, we recommend surveying employees to find out what they value most and tailoring programs around those desires.&nbsp; It is through close communication and soliciting input from all sides that a benefits specialist can assist business owners in making sound decisions regardless of what the survey says. <br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR</span></p>urn:uuid:8b285f77-7ccd-4111-819d-cfa9b8560b26<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/leadership.png' align='left' /> Many people talk about it; few understand it.&nbsp; Many people want it; few achieve it.&nbsp; As I&rsquo;ve studied leadership over the last eight years, I&rsquo;ve found that there are many definitions and descriptions.&nbsp; Ask ten people to def...Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:59:00 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="368" height="317" style="width: 330px; height: 278px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/leadership.png"></img></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Many people talk about it; few understand it.&nbsp; Many people want it; few achieve it.&nbsp; As I&rsquo;ve studied leadership over the last eight years, I&rsquo;ve found that there are many definitions and descriptions.&nbsp; Ask ten people to define leadership, and you&rsquo;ll probably receive ten different answers.&nbsp; The best definition of leadership I&rsquo;ve found is from John Maxwell&rsquo;s book <i>Developing the Leader Within You</i>. In it, he says that leadership is influence.&nbsp; That&rsquo;s it.&nbsp; Nothing more; nothing less.<br /> </span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Leadership is the ability to obtain followers.&nbsp; To obtain followers, leaders need to have influence with those people &ndash; no influence, no followers.&nbsp; A leadership proverb says: &ldquo;He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.&rdquo;<br /> </span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">It&rsquo;s interesting that many people define leadership as the ability to achieve a certain position.&nbsp; Once they&rsquo;ve attained a certain position, they think that they have become the leader.&nbsp; You may be a leader that does have a certain &ldquo;position&rdquo;; however, there are many leaders who often experience the frustration of few followers.&nbsp; And then there are those who lack proper titles, who may not see themselves as leaders but really are and never develop their leadership skills.<br /> </span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Sociologists say that even the most introverted individual will influence 10,000 other people during his/her lifetime.&nbsp; Every one of us influences someone.&nbsp; We may not know who or how much, but we all influence other people. </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The most effective way to understand the power of influence is to think of the times that you&rsquo;ve been touched by the influence of another person.&nbsp; In reflecting on my own life, I think of my parents, my eighth-grade basketball coach, Gib Felton, one of my employers when I was in college, John O&rsquo;Connor, and a former manager, Bob Swygman.&nbsp; The list is probably endless.&nbsp; Influencers have helped mold us into the persons we are.<br /> </span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">What kind of influencer will you be in the life of other people?&nbsp; Will you grow your leadership skills?&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve come to realize that influence is a skill that can be developed.&nbsp; Not everyone will become a great leader, but everyone can become a better leader.&nbsp; Will you unleash your leadership potential?&nbsp; Will you use your leadership skills to better your organization, your family, and your own life?<br /> </span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Influence is a skill that can be developed.&nbsp; Increase your influence and you will increase your leadership potential.<br /> </span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Blog Authored by: Garry Watts, CPCU</span></p>urn:uuid:f2c82310-21ed-42b0-8bc0-c54ef81134e6<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/improve_your_credit_score_fast.jpg' align='left' /> What does credit score have to do with a person's ability to drive a car?&nbsp; That's a legitimate question we sometimes hear, especially from people who are paying more for auto insurance, despite a good driving record, because of a low credit ...Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:02:04 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="322" height="200" style="width: 294px; height: 185px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/improve_your_credit_score_fast.jpg"></img> <div style="text-align: left;"></div> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">What does credit score have to do with a person's ability to drive a car?&nbsp; That's a legitimate question we sometimes hear, especially from people who are paying more for auto insurance, despite a good driving record, because of a low credit score. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The insurance industry has discovered that when they look at large groups of people, credit score is a very reliable predictor of the amount of losses they are likely to pay. So it's common to see people with good credit scores rewarded with low rates and the opposite for people with low scores. Insurance companies have long believed that mature, stable, responsible people are the best auto insurance risks and regard credit score as a proxy for those qualities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Using credit score in car insurance rating has certainly been challenged for its fairness. When called upon to defend the practice, insurers typically respond that they can't look at any one individual and make accurate predictions about future claims, but they can look at groups with common characteristics and make very accurate predictions. That's why 16 year old drivers pay more than 50 year olds, even though there are some excellent 16 year old drivers and some lousy 50 year olds. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Regulators of the insurance industry have generally accepted the practice, so fair or not,&nbsp; that's how the system works. Our best advice is to pay attention to your credit score and work to make it as high as possible. Doing so will pay off in many ways. <br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Ken Mogren, CPCU<br /> </span></p>urn:uuid:1e8f0257-8f17-4270-848a-571ebb92e6ba<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/inspector_clouseau.jpg' align='left' /> The Pink Panther movies&rsquo; lead role was that of Inspector Clouseau, a bumbling detective whose investigations were filled with chaos and destruction.&nbsp; Surprisingly, Inspector Clouseau had excellent results, obtained purely by accident.&nbs...Fri, 03 Jun 2011 07:18:05 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="160" height="265" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/inspector_clouseau.jpg"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The Pink Panther movies&rsquo; lead role was that of Inspector Clouseau, a bumbling detective whose investigations were filled with chaos and destruction.&nbsp; Surprisingly, Inspector Clouseau had excellent results, obtained purely by accident.&nbsp; When you&rsquo;re adding staff, are you successful despite risky hiring practices?&nbsp; Let&rsquo;s see if you&rsquo;re more like Inspector Clouseau or the FBI.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><b>Clue #1--If you asked for a cover letter, resume and references, was everything included?</b>&nbsp; Did they arrive by the deadline stated in your advertising?&nbsp; A poor response to your requests now is likely the kind of response you would get, were you to hire the individual.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><b>Clue #2--Do you pay attention to details?&nbsp; </b>Are all documents well-prepared with no typographical errors? Ensure that all of the details have been addressed.&nbsp; Carelessness here is likely to translate to carelessness on the job.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><b>Clue #3--Are there gaps in employment?&nbsp; </b>Any gaps in employment should be addressed in a phone screen with the candidate. &nbsp;Does the candidate use complete dates or only years?&nbsp; The larger the time span, the easier it is to cover up gaps in employment.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><b>Clue #4--How well does the person&rsquo;s previous employment compare to the job you are filling?&nbsp; </b>Look for evidence that the duties of previous positions have prepared the candidate to fulfill the role you have in mind.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><b>Clue #5--Has there been career progression?</b>&nbsp; Is the job you&rsquo;re filling a step up, a lateral move or a step down from where the candidate has most recently worked?&nbsp; Be sure to address any concerns if everything else looks good.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><b>Clue #6--Do the candidate&rsquo;s knowledge, skills and abilities closely match the job description?&nbsp; </b>A current job description should be prepared prior to filling any position.&nbsp; To be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the job description must include Essential Functions, or fundamental job duties of the position, as well as any Marginal Functions.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">If you&rsquo;re already doing each of the items listed above, congratulations!&nbsp; You are more like the FBI than Inspector Clouseau.&nbsp; Conversely, if you&rsquo;re missing some of the steps, begin adding them now to obtain improved and more consistent results.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><b><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Footnote:</span></i></b>&nbsp; Inspector Clouseau is a fictional French police detective in Blake Edward&rsquo;s <span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Pink Panther</span> series.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Blog Authored by: Jeanne Hines, SPHR</span></p>urn:uuid:fc476483-894c-4091-b079-b9c31f0f23c9<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/checkbook.png' align='left' /> Paying off a mortgage or car loan can lead to a short term feeling of euphoria.&nbsp; Don&rsquo;t let that feeling later change to one of frustration.&nbsp; That can happen if your lender&rsquo;s name isn&rsquo;t removed from your home or auto ins...Fri, 27 May 2011 09:28:59 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="225" height="252" style="width: 267px; height: 218px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/checkbook.png"></img><br /> <br /> </p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Paying off a mortgage or car loan can lead to a short term feeling of euphoria.&nbsp; Don&rsquo;t let that feeling later change to one of frustration.&nbsp; That can happen if your lender&rsquo;s name isn&rsquo;t removed from your home or auto insurance policy.&nbsp; Here&rsquo;s something we see often.&nbsp; Someone gets a claim check on their house or car which includes the lender&rsquo;s name as a payee, even though the loan was completely paid off.&nbsp; People then have the hassle of either getting the lender to endorse the check or having to wait for the check to be reissued.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">In a perfect world, lenders would notify insurance companies when loans are repaid and policies would be endorsed to remove the lender as an interested party.&nbsp; In the real world, many lenders don&rsquo;t consistently do this.&nbsp; We frequently see lenders listed many years after a loan has been repaid.&nbsp; Our best advice is to assume your lender isn&rsquo;t going to notify the insurance company and do it yourself.&nbsp; One quick phone call is all it takes and it could save days of delays and frustration later.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored By: Ken Mogren, CPCU</span></p>urn:uuid:c82c5126-62b3-4b15-97e1-0d7480d51c50<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/key.png' align='left' /> There are many definitions of success and the one I like best is from John Maxwell.&nbsp; He says &ldquo;success is the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal or dream.&rdquo;&nbsp; This definition indicates that the discipline to prioritize a...Fri, 20 May 2011 07:46:18 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="311" height="258" style="width: 293px; height: 234px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/key.png"></img></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">There are many definitions of success and the one I like best is from John Maxwell.&nbsp; He says &ldquo;success is the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal or dream.&rdquo;&nbsp; This definition indicates that the discipline to prioritize and the ability to work toward a stated goal are essential to a leader&rsquo;s success.</span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">One of the most useful tools for determining priorities is the Pareto Principle.&nbsp; The Pareto Principle says that 20% of your priorities will give you 80% of your results if you focus your time, energy, money and personnel on the top 20% of your priorities.</span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">This Pareto Principle applies to all areas of your life. The following are some examples:<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull; Time:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;20% of our time produces 80% of the results.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull; Products:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 20% of the products produce 80% of the profit.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull; Job:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;20% of our work gives us 80% of our satisfaction.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull; Reading:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 20% of this article contains 80% of the content.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull; Donations:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 20% of the people will give you 80% of the money.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull; Customers:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 20% of your customers produce 80% of your profits.<br /> </span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Many times, priorities are not black and white but appear gray.&nbsp; The following questions will help you with your priority process:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull; What is required of me?<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull; What gives me the greatest return?<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull; What is most rewarding?</span></p> <p style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Success can be greatly increased if the answers to these questions are similar.&nbsp; Therefore, if the requirements of your job are in line with your personal strengths, and that gives you the highest return, and doing these things gives you great pleasure, then you will be successful if you act on your priorities.<br /> <br /> Blog Authored By: Garry L. Watts, CPCU</span></p>urn:uuid:b4e466eb-4480-493e-a753-76de33e6d29e<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/broken%20leg.jpg' align='left' /> Among the many new things health care reform has brought us is the term, &ldquo;young invincibles.&rdquo;&nbsp; To some extent, we all feel young and invincible, but this particular term refers to those ages 18-34 who have chosen not to carry heal...Wed, 11 May 2011 07:45:13 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="319" height="246" style="width: 309px; height: 240px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/broken%20leg.jpg"></img><br /> <br /> </p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Among the many new things health care reform has brought us is the term, &ldquo;young invincibles.&rdquo;&nbsp; To some extent, we all feel young and invincible, but this particular term refers to those ages 18-34 who have chosen not to carry health insurance.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Many of us have the same attitude toward disability and disability insurance as the young invincibles do about health insurance.&nbsp; We don&rsquo;t think anything will happen to us.&nbsp; According to research done by the Council for Disability Awareness, 64% of wage earners believe they have a 2% or less risk of being disabled for 3 months or more during their working career.&nbsp; In reality, the Social Security Administration says the odds of experiencing a disability for a worker entering the workforce today are 3 out of 10, or closer to a 30% chance. <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">To better understand how well-prepared you are, should you experience a loss due to an accident or illness, the Council for Disability Awareness has provided five questions every worker should ask:</span></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; list-style-type: decimal;"> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">What are my &ldquo;necessary&rdquo; monthly living expenses that would continue if my income stopped (e.g., rent or mortgage, utilities, food, medical insurance, etc.)?</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Would my personal savings pay for my &ldquo;necessary&rdquo; monthly expenses&mdash;for one month, three months, 6 months, longer?&nbsp; Would my savings cover my &ldquo;out of pocket&rdquo; medical expenses (deductibles and co-pays)?</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Does my employer have a sick pay plan or long-term disability program, or both?&nbsp; Am I participating?&nbsp; When would it start, how much would it pay me and for how long?</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">What other sources of income might be available to help me pay for my expenses, and for how long?&nbsp; My spouse, family, second mortgage, credit cards?</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Could I afford my medical COBRA premiums, and what would happen to the contributions to my 401k account?</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">In the absence of private disability insurance, wage earners will have to rely on the Social Security Disability Income program for assistance during a disability.&nbsp; According to the Social Security Administration, 65% of initial SSDI claim applications were denied in 2009.&nbsp; For those who received approval, the average monthly benefit paid was $1,065 per month, with over half receiving less than $1,000 per month.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">There are many risk reduction strategies available to business owners and individuals who want to protect what they have, in the event that they become disabled.&nbsp; Of course, taking better care of one&rsquo;s self is paramount.&nbsp; In addition, there are many options including short and long-term disability plans as well as key person income replacement, overhead expense and even a disability buy-out plan.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">If you or your employees are currently not protected, we encourage you to take the time to better understand the potential risk and costs.&nbsp; For more information on disabilities, see </span><a href="http://www.disabilitycanhappen.org/"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">www.disabilitycanhappen.org</span></a><span style="font-family: tahoma;">. </span></p>urn:uuid:6310d334-7398-44a7-9666-53825f2b78b8<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/digital%20camera.png' align='left' /> &nbsp; The recent Alabama tornadoes bring to mind a situation most of us are not well prepared for. If all of your personal property is blown away by a tornado or reduced to ashes by a fire, your homeowner&rsquo;s insurance policy promises to pay fo...Wed, 04 May 2011 08:06:09 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="241" height="220" style="width: 277px; height: 213px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/digital%20camera.png"></img></p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The recent Alabama tornadoes bring to mind a situation most of us are not well prepared for. If all of your personal property is blown away by a tornado or reduced to ashes by a fire, your homeowner&rsquo;s insurance policy promises to pay for it. That&rsquo;s the good news.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The bad news is you have to make a list of everything you lost&hellip;..everything from the big stuff like your refrigerator and flat screen TV, down to your toothbrush and the half empty bottle of ketchup in the refrigerator. It&rsquo;s easy to write down the major items, but could you remember how many pairs of socks were in the sock drawer or what exactly was in the fishing tackle box? <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">You probably have hundreds, maybe thousands, of individual items in your home. How would you even remember what you lost?&nbsp; We suggest pictures. Walking around with a camera that takes either still photos or a video will provide you with pictures to jog your memory. They will also help convince any doubting claims adjuster that you actually owned what you are claiming.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">People often ask if they need to keep and show receipts or other documentation for everything. Lack of receipts is almost never a problem for ordinary property most people would be expected to have. But we do suggest taking extra steps to document unusual or high value items. And of course, those pictures and other records should be kept somewhere where the fire or tornado won&rsquo;t destroy them too. &nbsp;</span></p>urn:uuid:809de016-4238-4f05-bd46-873c6e90ce9c<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/HC%20REform.png' align='left' /> Repeal of Free Choice Vouchers &amp; 1099 Tax-Reporting Less than a month after the one-year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known PPACA or The Affordable Care Act), two provisions of the health care reform law h...Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:57:04 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="297" height="267" style="width: 297px; height: 234px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/HC%20REform.png"></img></p> <p><b><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Repeal of Free Choice Vouchers &amp; 1099 Tax-Reporting</span></b></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Less than a month after the one-year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known PPACA or The Affordable Care Act), two provisions of the health care reform law have been repealed.<br /> <br /> </span><b><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Free Choice Vouchers</span></b></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Although not scheduled to take effect until 2014, this voucher repeal significantly changes the employer responsibility provision under PPACA and should simplify employer strategies for implementation due to reduced administrative and compliance burdens.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Under PPACA, employees who were required to pay between 8% and 9.8% of their household adjusted gross income toward the cost of employer-sponsored health coverage would have been able to receive the employer&rsquo;s contribution as a &ldquo;voucher&rdquo; they could use to purchase coverage through a state-based Health Insurance Exchange.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Under the guidelines of the state-based Health Insurance Exchange, if the coverage purchased through the exchange cost more than the voucher, the employee would be required to pay the difference.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><b>Minnesota</b><b> and Wisconsin State Exchanges</b></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Concerning the Wisconsin and Minnesota state-based Health Insurance Exchanges &ndash; both are moving forward toward meeting the state-based mandate under PPACA.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><b><span style="font-family: tahoma;">1099 Tax Reporting</span></b></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">In another concession, President Obama signed a repeal of the 1099 tax reporting mandate that was also part of PPACA.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The repeal returns the 1099 reporting requirement to its pre-PPACA state.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><br /> <br /> </span></p>urn:uuid:c9e998a4-2b4c-4220-bfdf-a5ebdb56b6bb<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/can't%20say%20something%20nice.jpg' align='left' /> Most of us can finish the above sentence using the good advice a parent or teacher gave us somewhere in the past. We&rsquo;re talking of course about badmouthing some person or business, and that sage advice probably means more today than ever. F...Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:44:23 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="257" height="259" style="width: 265px; height: 249px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/can't%20say%20something%20nice.jpg"></img><br /> <br /> </p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Most of us can finish the above sentence using the good advice a parent or teacher gave us somewhere in the past. We&rsquo;re talking of course about badmouthing some person or business, and that sage advice probably means more today than ever.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">First, society has become more litigious and it&rsquo;s more likely you&rsquo;ll get sued if you make defamatory remarks verbally or in writing. Secondly, there are more opportunities to slam somebody these days to larger audiences, thanks to social media like Facebook and Twitter. <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">So what happens if in a thoughtless moment of anger you push send and get some attorney for the offended party on your trail? Can insurance save the day for you?&nbsp; It could. If you carry homeowners or renters insurance, the liability portion of the policy might come to your aid IF it includes Personal Injury coverage.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Not all policies include this. The insurance industry makes a distinction between Bodily Injury and Personal Injury. Bodily Injury refers to physical owies you might cause others. Personal Injury refers to damage to the reputation of others by things you say or write. Bodily injury is almost universally covered but Personal Injury is often an extra cost option. Obviously it&rsquo;s good to know if you have such coverage, but it&rsquo;s even better to never make the kind of remarks that might offend someone.</span></p>urn:uuid:8d666db6-4f89-4a38-b539-0b36c112178e<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/self%20worth.png' align='left' /> Do you understand what your "why" is?&nbsp; What is it that causes you to do what you do every day?&nbsp; When I was in my 20&rsquo;s and 30&rsquo;s my motivation was centered on proving to myself that I could be successful in sales; there was a c...Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:28:10 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="319" height="271" style="width: 319px; height: 245px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/self%20worth.png"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Do you understand what your "why" is?&nbsp; What is it that causes you to do what you do every day?&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">When I was in my 20&rsquo;s and 30&rsquo;s my motivation was centered on proving to myself that I could be successful in sales; there was a certain amount of money I wanted to make.&nbsp; I had bills to pay and a young family to take care of.&nbsp; A</span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">s I satisfied my goals&nbsp;I found myself at a plateau.&nbsp; I found&nbsp;that to go to a new level of life, I needed a </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">different "why".&nbsp; It was the Maslow&rsquo;s Hierarchy of needs model&hellip;&hellip;.A new level of needs had to be identified to go to a higher level of life and accomplishment.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><b><span style="font-family: tahoma; text-decoration: underline;">Business Coach<br /> <br /> </span></b><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Within the last year I was at a seminar in which a business coach asked the group of attendees &ldquo;what is your why?&rdquo;&nbsp; The exercise would go something like this&hellip;<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Coach: Why do you do what you do?<br /> Me: Well it&rsquo;s to make money.&nbsp; <br /> Coach: Why is that important?<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Me: I need to pay my bills.&nbsp; <br /> Coach: Why?&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Me: I don&rsquo;t want to go to jail.&nbsp; I need to take care of my family.&nbsp; <br /> Coach: Why is that important?&nbsp; <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Me: Well I want my family to have opportunities, to be successful.&nbsp; <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Coach: Why is that important?&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The process can become rather annoying...but, e</span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">ventually you get to the core beliefs that are really driving your "why". <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">I found that one of my core "whys" that drives me to do what I do is: </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">I want those closest to me to love and respect me the most.&nbsp; That&rsquo;s a good definition of success and why I do what I do each day.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">So is 2011 the year you need to identify a new "why"?&nbsp; </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Is there a cause in your community, in the world that stirs passion in you?&nbsp; Think of the causes: hunger, the homeless, children, poverty, orphans, many parts of the world do not have drinkable water, the issues are endless.&nbsp; What can you do that will make a difference one life at a time?<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">If you&rsquo;re stuck in a rut, you have reached a plateau.&nbsp; If you can&rsquo;t understand why your results aren&rsquo;t better-----find a new "why" that causes you to take action!</span></p>urn:uuid:49197814-81c7-4a99-8e91-5286853a26a9<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/i9.png' align='left' /> Is your business diligent about ensuring that all newly-hired employees are completing their I-9 form upon hire?&nbsp; If not, you could be facing stiff penalties for noncompliance ranging from $110 per I-9 to $3,000 per employee and/or 6 months of ...Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:45:07 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="269" height="223" style="width: 283px; height: 244px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/i9.png"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Is your business diligent about ensuring that all newly-hired employees are completing their I-9 form upon hire?&nbsp; If not, you could be facing stiff penalties for noncompliance ranging from $110 per I-9 to $3,000 per employee and/or 6 months of imprisonment.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) requires all employers to verify the identity and employment authorization of newly-hired employees to work in the United States.&nbsp; Enacted in 1986, it was designed to prohibit the hire of unauthorized workers.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">The form has three parts.&nbsp; </span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; list-style-type: square;"> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Section 1</span> requires the newly-hired individual to attest to their eligibility for work.&nbsp; This section must be completed no later than the time of hire.&nbsp; </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;">In <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Section 2</span>, employers verify documents that prove an individual&rsquo;s eligibility to work.&nbsp; This section must be completed within three days of hire.&nbsp; If a person is hired for less than 3 days, it must be completed upon hire.&nbsp; If an employee is unable to present the required documents, a receipt showing that he or she has applied for them will be sufficient for 90 days.&nbsp; </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Section 3</span> is used to update or re-verify information, as needed.&nbsp; </span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><br /> Forms and additional information are available from the Department of Homeland Security&rsquo;s website, </span><a href="http://www.uscis.gov/forms%20or%20by%20calling%201-888-464-4218"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">www.uscis.gov/forms or by calling 1-888-464-4218</span></a><span style="font-family: tahoma;">.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Employers must retain an employee&rsquo;s completed Form I-9 for as long as the individual works for the employer. Once the individual&rsquo;s employment has terminated, files must be retained for either three years after the date of hire, or one year after the date employment is terminated, whichever is later. Forms I-9 can be retained either on paper or microform, or elec­tronically.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">A good way to ensure compliance is to do an I-9 audit.&nbsp; If you don&rsquo;t have a document or a process, check with your insurance broker.&nbsp; Full service brokers who provide value-added services will likely have the information you need to audit your records for compliance.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>urn:uuid:6c1b7f61-d5f3-42a5-a976-e6a4f7e04f27<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/teamwork.png' align='left' /> Americans are some of the most generous people on earth when it comes to sharing their time, energy and talents for the benefit of others. Churches, schools, youth sports programs, service clubs, etc. depend on volunteers, and many people step up. B...Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:37:16 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/teamwork.png"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Americans are some of the most generous people on earth when it comes to sharing their time, energy and talents for the benefit of others. Churches, schools, youth sports programs, service clubs, etc. depend on volunteers, and many people step up. But what happens if something goes wrong and somebody gets hurt? Can you be sued even if you were doing a good deed?<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">You sure can, but before you walk away from your volunteer activities, here&rsquo;s the good news: Insurance will probably save you from any financial loss. Many organizations that use volunteers will have liability insurance that protects volunteers. It&rsquo;s fair to ask about such coverage before signing up to help. Also, the liability coverage under a homeowners policy provides insurance for many such activities.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Serving on boards or getting paid for what you do changes things. Your homeowners policy is less likely to protect you. When asked to serve on a board, it&rsquo;s smart to be sure the organization carries Directors and Officers Liability Insurance. If they don&rsquo;t, you are taking on some risk. If you get paid, even if it&rsquo;s not your primary job, it means you&rsquo;re really not a volunteer. You especially want to know under such circumstances if the organization that&rsquo;s paying you has appropriate insurance.</span></p>urn:uuid:9d206a1f-6318-42a1-91d6-5313fbf07d88<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/blog%20pic%20nurse.png' align='left' /> If you weren&rsquo;t feeling well and had questions, where would you turn if your mom wasn&rsquo;t available?&nbsp; For several years, many insurance companies have offered nurse lines to give advice about whether to seek medical attention.&nbsp; No...Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:22:28 -0500<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="263" height="218" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/blog%20pic%20nurse.png"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">If you weren&rsquo;t feeling well and had questions, where would you turn if your mom wasn&rsquo;t available?&nbsp; For several years, many insurance companies have offered nurse lines to give advice about whether to seek medical attention.&nbsp; Now there&rsquo;s another option!<br /> <br /> Minnesota&rsquo;s major health insurance carriers have added online medical clinics which allow you to interact with a nurse practitioner or physician and receive appropriate treatment.&nbsp; These online clinics offer direct access to a medical provider right from your computer.&nbsp; One plan also offers phone or an on-line chat.&nbsp; Depending on your plan, you may be using an on-line diagnosis tool or speaking directly to a physician. <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">You can use the online clinic for fairly common illnesses and conditions such as:</span></p> <p style="margin-right: 0px;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Cold and sinus<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Skin conditions<br /> Eye conditions<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Allergies<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Ear pain<br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><br /> The schedules of these online clinics vary, depending on the insurance carrier.&nbsp; One offers service 24/7, while another has specific hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">If your condition requires a prescription, with some restrictions, the provider can call it into the pharmacy of your choice.&nbsp; There&rsquo;s a fee for this service, usually around $40.&nbsp; Depending on your benefits, some insurance carriers will even waive the fee. <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">This is one innovation that is sure to save time and money by providing low-cost, convenient services to members!&nbsp;&nbsp; To find out if your plan offers this service, contact your benefits specialist where you work or call your insurance carrier.&nbsp; </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">And Mom?&nbsp; You can still call her for moral support.&nbsp; You&rsquo;ll both feel better knowing that you&rsquo;re on your way to good health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>urn:uuid:38a0ac68-41b7-46bd-963f-b3343c5d314a<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/blog.png' align='left' /> I have a question for you to consider today.&nbsp; Are you living your life on purpose and by priority? Ten&nbsp;years ago I taught my first leadership class at my Church.&nbsp; In it we worked on a life mission statement.&nbsp; The group was chall...Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:52:16 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="172" height="241" style="width: 276px; height: 232px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/blog.png"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">I have a question for you to consider today.&nbsp; Are you living your life on purpose and by priority?<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Ten&nbsp;years ago I taught my first leadership class at my Church.&nbsp; In it we worked on a life mission statement.&nbsp; The group was challenged to identify what their life mission was. T</span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">hey struggled&hellip;&hellip;.some of them for months.&nbsp; It was interesting in the beginning, they wrote long paragraphs trying to articulate the essence of their life.&nbsp; It looked something like the Constitution of the United States - for fear of leaving something out.&nbsp;&nbsp; But the goal was to boil it down into a few words.&nbsp; One of the attendees boiled his life mission down to one word: <b>&nbsp;Serve&nbsp; </b></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">I thought it was a powerful statement!<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">What have you been called to do?&nbsp; What are the gifts you have been given?&nbsp; What talents do you have?&nbsp; What are the opportunities that are before you?&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">There is a great book called &ldquo;Halftime&rdquo; by Bob Buford.&nbsp; He is a business man and very successful.&nbsp; He got to his 40&rsquo;s and he had accomplished many things.&nbsp; And yet something was missing.&nbsp;&nbsp;He came to the realization that more stuff didn&rsquo;t motivate him any longer.&nbsp; There had to be something else&hellip;&hellip;<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">He had a life changing moment.&nbsp; As a result, He prioritized his life differently and decided to focus on building a legacy, to pour himself into other people, projects, causes that helped others.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">So again are you living your life on purpose? Are you living your life by priority?&nbsp; Or is life passing you by <span style="text-decoration: underline;">quickly</span>?&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">A study was done of 50 people over the age of 95.&nbsp; They were asked &ldquo;if you had to live life over again, what would you do differently?&rdquo;&nbsp; Their answers are interesting&hellip;&hellip;<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">I would reflect more.<br /> </span>I would risk more.<br /> I would do more things that would live on after I am dead.<br /> <br /> What ever your answers are, you might want to start doing them today.&nbsp; You will make a difference in someone&rsquo;s life!</p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>urn:uuid:6daaeaa0-b3fb-474e-bfd3-1e6c3cb6d32e<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/Bene101.png' align='left' /> Determining the best choices for employee benefits can be a complicated and worrisome process for employers.&nbsp; Benefits Administration 101 is typically not part of any degree program in human resources, yet human resources managers and other off...Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:11:57 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="295" height="193" style="width: 302px; height: 235px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/Bene101.png"></img></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Determining the best choices for employee benefits can be a complicated and worrisome process for employers.&nbsp; Benefits Administration 101 is typically not part of any degree program in human resources, yet human resources managers and other office personnel are often tasked with the job.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">You could hire an independent benefits consultant to review and analyze your plans and make a recommendation for your next steps.&nbsp; Did you know that you may already be paying for a benefits consultant but not getting any consulting services?&nbsp; <br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Does your current agent&hellip;</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">-&nbsp; seek to understand the role you want benefits to play in your strategic plans?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">-&nbsp; bring you options that fit within your strategies?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">-&nbsp; have experience with fully-insured and self-funded plans?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">-&nbsp; represent several carriers?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">- &nbsp;explain the plans well and educate you and your employees?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">-&nbsp; reduce your total cost of benefits?<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">When doing a thorough job, your benefits insurance agent will get to know you and your company and work with you to design a program that complements your strategic direction.&nbsp;&nbsp; Talk to your agent to learn more about how he or she can help you maximize the investment you&rsquo;re making in your benefits plans.</span></p>urn:uuid:93bda920-dafe-4f41-bb10-cb81b306ed2b<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/flood%20watch.jpg' align='left' /> The National&nbsp;Weather Service continues to predict a high probability of Spring flooding in our area.&nbsp;Homeowners&nbsp;policies&nbsp; do not cover flood, but separate flood insurance is&nbsp;available&nbsp; to cover this risk.&nbsp;However,&...Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:48:11 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="285" height="137" style="width: 257px; height: 117px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/flood%20watch.jpg"></img></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The National&nbsp;Weather Service continues to predict a high probability of Spring flooding in our area.&nbsp;Homeowners&nbsp;policies&nbsp; do not cover flood, but separate flood insurance is&nbsp;available&nbsp; to cover this risk.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;flood insurance&nbsp;must be&nbsp; purchased at least 30 days prior to any damage to be valid.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> A check of the records for Winona's&nbsp;5 worst high water years shows the Mississippi River&nbsp;has crested at Winona between the dates of April 11th&nbsp; and April 19th. Obviously, anyone considering flood insurance should make a decision very soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> </p>urn:uuid:e0a195e7-44c8-45f3-910e-bfdc085c50a9<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/key%20to%20success.png' align='left' /> Do you remember the movie City Slickers?&nbsp; Billy Crystal and Jack Palance were in it.&nbsp; Crystal and Palance are riding out on the range, and Palance says to Crystal &ndash; &ldquo;You know what the secret to life is?&rdquo;&nbsp; Palance hol...Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:26:56 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="246" height="267" style="width: 336px; height: 267px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/key%20to%20success.png"></img></p> <p>Do you remember the movie City Slickers?&nbsp; Billy Crystal and Jack Palance were in it.&nbsp; Crystal and Palance are riding out on the range, and Palance says to Crystal &ndash; &ldquo;You know what the secret to life is?&rdquo;&nbsp; Palance holds up his finger and says &ldquo;the one thing.&rdquo;<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span></p> <p>Crystal asks &ldquo;what&rsquo;s the one thing?&rdquo;&nbsp; Palance says &ldquo;that&rsquo;s what you have to figure out.&rdquo; <br /> <br /> What is the one thing that brings out your passion for life?&nbsp; What brings you energy and success when you do it?&nbsp; What is your strength area that gives your organization its best return on investment?<br /> <br /> Some days it seems the noise in the marketplace takes me away from what I do best.&nbsp; Larry Linne, author of the book Make the Noise Go Away, states that the typical CEO or business owner spends less than 20% of his or her time doing what brings the greatest value to the organization.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> In the last 30 days I have done a survey of 10 CEOs and business owners and asked them the following questions:</p> <ol> <li>What do you do that brings the most value to your organization? </li> <li>How much time each week do you spend in your area of strength?</li> </ol> <p>One business owner said he is in his strength area 75% of the time.&nbsp; The other 9 said that they are in their strength area no more than 25% of their time.&nbsp; </p> <p>Do you know what one of the greatest risks and threats is to your business?&nbsp; The NOISE that is in the marketplace.&nbsp; The noise that takes you away from what you do best.&nbsp; </p> <p>There is so much chaos and complexity in the marketplace today, so many things that can take you away from the one thing that you do best, that provides the highest ROI for you.&nbsp; (Finance, sales, client-relationships, supplier issues, employees, e-mail, contracts, litigation issues.)&nbsp;&nbsp; All of this is noise in the marketplace.&nbsp; This noise can make you fail and keep your business from growing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p>So how do you keep the noise, failure and stagnant business growth at bay?&nbsp; Find your &ldquo;one thing&rdquo; and figure out a way to do it 80% of the time.&nbsp; </p> <p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>urn:uuid:87f3b4e5-357e-4523-92dd-ccd28417a143<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/sleeping.jpg' align='left' /> Do you remember the last time you made a bad hire?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There was a gut-wrenching feeling that something must have gone wrong in the hiring process.&nbsp; You probably spent many days hoping things would turn around and gave the person ...Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:15:33 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/sleeping.jpg"></img></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Do you remember the last time you made a bad hire?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There was a gut-wrenching feeling that something must have gone wrong in the hiring process.&nbsp; You probably spent many days hoping things would turn around and gave the person extra attention and training, hoping that something was missed during the onboarding process.&nbsp; You probably did everything you could prior to making the decision you knew you had to make.&nbsp; The termination was difficult.&nbsp; You and the employee were left wondering what went wrong.<br /> <br /> I</span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">n addition to the extra stress the bad hire put on you, it had a significant cost to the company.&nbsp; The cost of unwanted turnover in a position can be from 50% to 150% of total annual compensation for the position.&nbsp; If it is a sales or managerial position, the cost can be as much as 250% of total annual compensation.&nbsp; In addition to the wage or salary paid to the individual, costs come from recruitment, training, and productivity losses.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Many businesses laid off workers when the economy tanked over a year ago.&nbsp; There are at least some small indicators that the economy is starting to pick up.&nbsp; Businesses seem to be hiring again.&nbsp; Below are some key ideas to aid in implementing a successful hiring process:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Have a current job description from which to create a recruitment campaign.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Screen candidates according to the criteria listed in the job description.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Craft behavioral interviewing questions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Perform background or reference checks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Make a job offer that contains complete information about the job.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Happy hiring!</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"> <br /> <br /> </p>urn:uuid:2b14fd51-2d83-4055-8af1-2c134ff73314<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/blog%20flood2.jpg' align='left' /> Weather forecasters are predicting a higher than normal probability of spring flooding this year.&nbsp; Here are some things you should know about flood insurance:&nbsp; Homeowners insurance doesn&rsquo;t cover flood.&nbsp; Flood is a major ex...Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:38:57 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px;"><img alt="" width="272" height="243" style="width: 316px; height: 243px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/blog%20flood2.jpg"></img><br /> </span></p> <p>Weather forecasters are predicting a higher than normal probability of spring flooding this year.&nbsp; Here are some things you should know about flood insurance:&nbsp;</p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; list-style-type: disc;"> <li><b>Homeowners insurance doesn&rsquo;t cover flood.&nbsp; </b>Flood is a major exclusion which is clearly spelled out in virtually every homeowner&rsquo;s policy.<b></b></li> <li><b>Nearly everyone can buy flood insurance.</b>&nbsp; You need not live in a high risk area to be eligible to purchase coverage.<b></b></li> <li><b>30 day waiting period.&nbsp; </b>From the time you buy coverage, no claims are covered for 30 days.&nbsp; Waiting until the last minute to get insurance is a bad idea.<b></b></li> <li><b>Federal disaster assistance is not the answer.</b>&nbsp; While flood victims often get government help after a disaster, the process is cumbersome and aid is usually only partial<b>.</b></li> <li><b>Flood insurance isn&rsquo;t always expensive.</b>&nbsp; Most people in our region live in areas not considered &ldquo;high risk.&rdquo;&nbsp; Yearly premiums typically fall in the range of $250-$400 for such properties.<b></b></li> <li><b>Flood insurance isn&rsquo;t just for homeowners.&nbsp; </b>Tenants and businesses face the same risk and are also eligible for flood insurance.<b></b></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>urn:uuid:37de60cf-2dd3-4368-a5b9-e502c86ab7ab<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/car%20for%20blog.png' align='left' /> Car rental companies charge hefty fees for collision damage waiver insurance.&nbsp; There are things you should know before you buy or reject this coverage.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Your personal auto insurance policy may pr...Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:02:56 -0600<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="246" height="194" style="width: 204px; height: 187px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/car%20for%20blog.png"></img> <div></div> <div style="text-align: center;"></div> <p style="text-align: left; margin-right: 0px;" dir="ltr">Car rental companies charge hefty fees for collision damage waiver insurance.&nbsp; There are things you should know before you buy or reject this coverage.&nbsp; </p> </div> <blockquote style="margin-right: 0px;" dir="ltr"> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-family: tahoma;">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Your personal auto insurance policy may provide coverage for this, especially if it is a Minnesota policy. <br /> <br /> &nbsp; 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Policies written in other states generally provide collision coverage on rental cars if you have collision on one of your own vehicles. <br /> <br /> &nbsp; 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I</span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">n addition, many credit cards include collision damage waiver insurance as one of the benefits of being a card holder.&nbsp; <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;"><br /> Despite these apparent solutions, there are still some situations where you might end up wishing you had bought the rental car company&rsquo;s insurance.&nbsp; Two areas which have caused problems are:<br /> <br /> &nbsp; 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">When the rental car company adds an administrative fee for claim process involvement.<br /> <br /> &nbsp; 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">If the car rental company wants additional damages paid for the diminished value they claim their car has suffered beyond&nbsp;repairs.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Your insurance company may consider these latter two types of charges to be unreasonable and balk at paying them.&nbsp; If the car rental company then wants to collect such charges from you, they have your credit card number on file.</span></p> </blockquote>urn:uuid:98e08848-0c01-4ece-9766-2aded18e90de<img src='http://www.winonaagency.com/img/~www.winonaagency.com/who%20are%20you.png' align='left' />&nbsp; &nbsp; Has your insurance agent or broker ever sat down with you and asked you what the company goals are for the next three years?&nbsp; Has your agent or broker ever asked you what your single biggest challenge is in the next 12-18 months?&...Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:18:38 -0600<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" width="309" height="195" style="width: 272px; height: 200px;" src="/img/~www.winonaagency.com/who%20are%20you.png"></img>&nbsp; </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Has your insurance agent or broker ever sat down with you and asked you what the company goals are for the next three years?&nbsp; Has your agent or broker ever asked you what your single biggest challenge is in the next 12-18 months?&nbsp; What does your agent or broker really know about your company?&nbsp; An even better question is: <em><strong>What do they present</strong></em> to the insurance company underwriter when they market your renewal?</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">You may be thinking &ldquo;What difference would it make?&nbsp; Isn&rsquo;t the insurance all about the numbers and premiums?&rdquo;&nbsp; My answer to you would be: &ldquo;<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Absolutely not</span>!&rdquo;&nbsp; Underwriters price for what they know and <strong><em>what they don&rsquo;t know</em></strong> about your account.&nbsp; What they know and what they don&rsquo;t know drive the amount of premium that you have to pay.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">So, if you go to market your renewal, and you are dealing with two or three brokers, what&rsquo;s their story?&nbsp; Who is presenting you the best to the marketplace?&nbsp; Has any broker ever <em><strong>shown you the information they send to the underwriter</strong></em>?&nbsp; An agent&rsquo;s goal should be to lower your Total Cost of Risk, thereby making you more attractive to the insurance marketplace and increasing your profits.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Even though the direct premiums are the smallest part of Total Cost of Risk, it is a very important part of the risk management process.&nbsp; <em><strong>Ask your agent what they&rsquo;re presenting to the underwriters</strong></em>.&nbsp; Ask your agent if what you&rsquo;re doing, as it relates to risk management, and what&nbsp;they're presenting, is getting you to your lowest band of pricing.</span></p>