John M. Biggio Lighthouse Weekly - Issue #11

Article of The Week

Nearly two-thirds of homeowners are underinsured. Make sure you're not one of them. Hunkered down at home in Great Falls, Va., during the blizzard of 2010, Doug Colley and his wife, Christina, discovered a sparking surge protector that quickly set their bedroom on fire. Engulfing smoke drove the couple out into the cold with only their coats and Christina's purse. Fire trucks from several area firehouses responded, but they couldn't reach the house because 3 feet of snow covered the couple's half-mile-long driveway. The Colleys watched as the fire consumed their home of 32 years and, along with it, a lifetime of belongings.

Upgrade Your Home Insurance

Automobile

Cruising down a desolate two-lane highway in an unknown town, the needle on the speedometer is pushing 55 miles-per-hour when the cell phone on the dashboard vibrates. It's a text message: "Who is your favorite athlete and what sport do they play?" Around a corner there's a red SUV stopped in the middle of the road. At this speed, the brakes lock. There's no time to swerve, and little time to brace for the impact of the high-speed rear-end collision. It would have been an ugly wreck...had it been real.
Local Teens Get Crash-Course In Distracted Driving

Homeowners

Between the Colorado wild fires, Tropical Storm Debby and the record heat wave, Americans have already been faced with Mother Nature's fury quite a bit this year. A fire or a flood may not have destroyed your home in 2012, but nobody knows what's coming in the future. Because of that, it's important to plan for how a natural disaster may affect your finances. Here are a few ways to prepare for an event you hope will never happen.

5 Ways To Financially Prepare For A Natural Disaster

Commercial Line

Investing in a company-owned fleet or hiring drivers who provide their own vehicles is among the many choices facing delivery businesses. Whether your company delivers pizza, flowers or restaurant supplies, this decision can affect business insurance premiums, as well as how much you can afford to pay your drivers. When it comes to delivery businesses, there are many risks to insure. Drivers often are required to work alone and drive at night. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, truck drivers and driver/sales workers accounted for one of every six job-related deaths in 2007.

Commercial Auto Insurance Covers The Vehicles That Drive Your Business