Insurance exclusions

Technology and social trends have driven a wave of telecommuting. Many of us work at home at least on some days while some may work from home all the time. For that reason, more and more homes contain a designated office area; with increasing frequency that area is a room.
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Your son or daughter headed to college will most likely need computer equipment, cell phones and sometimes tablets.
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According to the U.S. Fire Administration, clothes dryerscontribute to nearly 3,000 fires, 5 deaths and over $35 million in property loss each year. So making sure your dryer vent is clear is a simple but important way to keep your home and family safer. Even in the absence of fire, clogged vents cause your dryer to be less effective resulting in greater use of electricity and more breakdowns. If you find your dryer is taking longer and longer to fully dry a load of laundry, chances are your vent has become blocked with lint.

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Have you heard of supermodels insuring their legs or singers taking out a policy on their priceless vocal chords? That's probably not necessary for most people, but many of us probably do have a few valuables that can and should be insured separately.

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Last week, we discussed what other personal belongings you may want to insure separately. Here, let's look at some business assets that might warrant additional coverage.

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For those of us in Michiganwith a yard to take care of, by the end of summer, your outdoor living spaces are probably looking pretty sharp. You may have spent a lot of time and money on the outcome, but did you know that your homeowner's policy may value high quality plants, mature trees, and landscaping at just a fraction of what they are worth? Fortunately, there are things that you can do to protect your precious live assets. Here's more information:

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A standard homeowners insurance policy includes four essential types of coverage. They include:
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Sometimes, what appears to be an impenetrably solid roof above your head actually has little openings through which the rain can leak. The same is true of some car insurance and homeowner's insurance policies; they can appear to provide sufficient coverage, but, in the event of an accident of some sort, you may find yourself drowning in debt. To avoid getting soaked by surprising expenses, use an umbrella; umbrella insurance, that is.
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First let's tackle the question of whether you need a separate insurance policy for your boat at all. If your boat is small and has limited or no power, the chances are that your homeowner insurance policy will afford you all the protection you need, although you may need to modify, or endorse, your homeowner policy.
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If you have a domestic employee, such as a gardener, housekeeper, or nanny, who drives his or her own auto while working for you, there is a potential for you to incur liability arising from their driving that would not be adequately insured. If your employee negligently causes an accident, you as the employer can be drawn into the lawsuit and held liable. Your employee’s own insurance, if any, will protect you up to its policy limits, but you are on your own after that. And your personal auto policy may not respond to cover the difference. The courts have ruled in different ways on these types of loss situations.
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What do real estate firms, golf courses, law offices, banks, farm owners, contractors, dry cleaners and gas stations have in common? Exposure to environmental or pollution lawsuits. Companies that deal with the transfer and storage of hazardous materials, like waste haulers, or fuel oil distributors all have an obvious need for insurance against environmental hazards. But businesses involved in property sales transactions (banks, realtors, lawyers) can pick up the pollution liability that comes along with the subject property. Many businesses use chemicals and substances that are benign, when confined to intended purposes (golf courses, farms, dry cleaners). But improper storage of these materials, inappropriate use, or run-off (pesticides and herbicides) can lead to environmental damage, personal injury and a lawsuit.
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Yes. Floods, earthquakes, and acts of terrorism are typically not included in coverage.
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Professional Liability Insurance...what is that and who needs it? If we changed the name to 'malpractice insurance' most of us would answer the question right away by responding 'doctors'. But the fact is 'malpractice' is a concern for professionals across many fields of endeavor.

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What is a small business? Small is a subjective word, meaning different things to different people. As we explore the kind of risks you face and the kind of insurance you might need we're going to take a life-cycle approach, starting with the most incidental of business pursuits and work our way up to the Fortune 500 level.
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