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Posts byjake:


    Seven Changes to Social Security in 2013

    16 Mar 2013 in California News & Family Care & Insurance & Long Term Care Insurance & News & San Rafael & Wise Insurance Agency

    Social Security is an important part of any retirees’ income.  By collecting taxes from paychecks, the program supports people who are unable to take care of themselves.  Current estimates are that 40% of Americans over the age of 65 are kept out of poverty from the benefits proved by the Social Security Administration. 2013 brings 7 new changes to a social service that has existed since 1935, as follows: 1. Payroll Tax Increases There was a temporary tax cut in...

    New California Law Gets Mixed Response

    02 Mar 2013 in California News & Car Insurance & Insurance & News & San Rafael & Wise Insurance Agency

    Governor Jerry Brown signed an amendment to California’s vehicle code which became effective on January 8th.  The amendment to Assembly Bill 1536 now allows drivers in California to text while driving, as long as they don’t use their hands.  It is an attempt to manage the emerging smart phone technology while still maintaining public safety, just as California did when they allowed people to make phone calls via Bluetooth technology. This has become a hot button issue because police officers...

    News about California Worker’s Comp Reform

    17 Feb 2013 in California News & Insurance & Insurance for Contractors & San Rafael & Wise Insurance Agency & Workers Compensation

    Insurance companies have a history of problems with the State of California and it seems to be happening again.  During a period between the 1990s and early 2000s, many workers compensation carriers either left the California market or stopped writing insurance in the state.  Then in 2003, former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger helped create reforms which stopped the exodus of workers comp insurers from California. During that period of 1997 to 2006, the California Department of Insurance was compelled to take...

    How Premiums are decided in Business Insurance

    05 Jan 2013 in Insurance & San Rafael & Wise Insurance Agency

    Business insurance intends to transfer risks associated to running a business to a company who takes some financial liability.  For example, if a worker slips and hurts themselves on the job, without insurance, the business would absorb the costs of healthcare.  The same way that health insurance is based on gender, family history, and other factors, there are factors which influence business insurance premiums also. The first factor that influences premium costs are industry related risks.  If a company is...

    The Pitfalls of Medicaid

    29 Dec 2012 in Family Care & Insurance & Long Term Care Insurance & News & San Rafael & Wise Insurance Agency

    As people get closer to retirement, they start to think about how costs will seemingly pile up.  Most will hope that they have enough money to take care of their medical bills.  Medicaid and Medicare is what they hope will bridge any deficiencies in their pocketbooks.  But Medicaid is an imperfect system and has seen decreases in funding both from the federal and local governments. It also isn’t available to everyone.  According to a survey of financial advisors, people are...

    New California Task Force to Stop Uninsured Contractors

    15 Dec 2012 in California News & Insurance & Insurance for Contractors & News & San Rafael & Wise Insurance Agency

    California recently created the Joint Enforcement Strike Force’s Construction Enforcement Project.  This was a collaborative effort by the Contractors State License Board, Employment Development Department, and the California Department of Insurance.  The main concerns of this task force was to stop construction orders to uninsured employers, reduce owner-builder permits, target contractors who evade payroll taxes, and increase criminal charges for license and insurance violations. The results have been hugely successful to date.  The Construction Enforcement Project has been able to...

    The Risks of Legionella Disease for Contractors

    08 Dec 2012 in Family Care & Insurance & Insurance for Contractors & Personal Injury & San Rafael & Wise Insurance Agency

    Contractors know of the dangers of construction sites.  With many moving parts, there are dangers from vehicles that have obstructed views as the roll around a job.  There are also a look of power tools and hardware which can lead to bloody accidents and bad falls from ladders. But there are also unseen dangers present at every turn.  In renovations and new construction projects there might be something which can be more dangerous than errors and accidents. The multiline insurance...

    New Study about High Prices of Car Insurance

    01 Dec 2012 in California News & Car Insurance & Insurance & News & San Rafael & Wise Insurance Agency

    During the months before the holidays, people are shopping around for the best deals on presents for their family and friends.  People will stay up all night for the best deals for the most popular toys or electronics.  If people are that willing to save money, then they should be more aware of cost saving opportunities with car insurance. Research complied by the Consumer Federation of America has shown some interesting results about car insurance in America.  Compiled from data...

    New Workers’ Compensation Bill in California

    24 Nov 2012 in California News & Family Care & Insurance & Insurance for Contractors & Personal Injury & San Rafael & Wise Insurance Agency

    The state of California is subjected to the third highest workers’ compensation rates in the entire US, trailing only Alaska and Connecticut according a survey completed this year.  The rate that California businesses pay out is $2.92 per $100 of salary, which is 55 percent greater than the national median rate.  In 2010, California was the fifth the last time this survey was taken, so it has been trending upward. This spurred California governor Jerry Brown and the state government...

    The Bad News about Flood Insurance

    17 Nov 2012 in California News & Family Care & Insurance & News & Property Damage & Wise Insurance Agency

    On the heels of devastating damage on the East Coast due to hurricane Sandy, there has been a renewed concern about homeowners’ lack of flood insurance.  While people in California don’t have to be worried about massive hurricanes, there are other dangers which are present.  The Association of  California Water Agencies has data to show that over the last 20 years, every county in California has at least one federal flood disaster declared.  Rainwater from storms, tsunamis, mud and debris...