Years ago a high school student asked me how I handle my watch.  She asked how I felt about it and what I did with it everyday.  She wanted to know how often I wore it, where I put it when I took it off, etc…  I thought it was odd, but I answered her questions.

I told her that I always wear a watch when I go out.  I have a specific place near the door where I keep my watches so I can always grab one before I leave and that as soon as I came home I put them in the same place.  I glance at my watch often and keep a constant frame of time in my life.  If I don’t have a watch on, I feel a little naked.

The student was very happy with my answers.  When I asked her why, she said that how you value your watch is how you’ll marry your wife (I wasn’t married yet).   She said that I will always want to be with my wife, feel naked without her and I’ll value her so much that she’ll always have a special place and I’ll want to take care of her well. 

She believed this deeply.  These types of beliefs are common.  It’s very similar to the quote, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” – Derek Sivers. 

So, does this apply to business?  Yes.  How you protect your employees, is how you protect your customers, is how you protect your property, is how you protect your equipment, is how you protect your profits. 

Clients will think better of you if they know you protect your business.  Employees will feel more comfortable and stable if they know you protect your company.  This means that you are protecting your profits.

If you are not protecting your business and property then you are not protecting your lifestyle.  How you protect one thing affects all the others.

So, how much do you value your watch?  Is it time to review your protection?

Scientists have found an asteroid in space that may hit the Earth in 2182.  They believe that there is about a 1 in 1000 chance that this will happen.  So, if you live for another 175 year s or so, there is a 1 in 1000 chance that you will be directly affected.   Will you be looking into Asteroid Protection Insurance (API)?

Sounds crazy, right?  Well, there are people spending good money everyday on inappropriate insurance products that might as well be Asteroid Protection Insurance.   You may be one of them. 

If you have decided that the protection of your lifestyle, livelihood and property is just another commodity that can be shopped online, you may have just increased the odds that you are over insured and wasting money on “asteroids”.   Or you may be underinsured and all the money you are spending will be wasted because when you are affected by the unexpected, you may still be financially devastated!

What to do?  Use an expert broker that wants to create a relationship and NOT just another transaction.   This relationship will allow you to discuss your real life concerns and issues and find the RIGHT amount of risk management for your budget and lifestyle.  You can feel comfortable that you are spending the appropriate amount of money for the appropriate amount of protection.  No waste.

Thousands of people have the wrong plan.  We see it everyday in the news when people are financially and emotionally crushed.   Whether it’s property insurance, business insurance, health insurance,  life insurance or any other form of protection - talk to an expert.  It matters for your future and the future of those you love.

And what if you really think that asteroid will hit you in 2182?  OK, your expert will set you up with the appropriate API!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LQbDQjaMEs&feature=related

Philadelphia Insurance Company’s new boat dealers program is geared towards the comprehensive needs of boat dealers and marina operators. We offer in-depth product knowledge, underwriting flexibility, and comprehensive pricing. Our package policy includes coverage for property, stock inventory, boats/vessels in the insured’s care custody and control (MOLL), watercraft liability (P&I), business auto, and employment practices liability.

Please contact us @ www.sdlbrokerage.com or 212-779-4850 for more information.

Great News!! Chubb has included associations, organizations, and unions in addition to employee groups for their GROUP EXCESS PRODUCT.

Please contact us www.sdlbrokerage.com or 212-779-4850 x3030 to learn more.

On May 23, 2010, Travelers will introduce an annual auto policy option in your state. Now customers can choose an annual policy term option or six month policy term option.

Travelers’ annual policy provides the same array of coverages and discounts available on the six-month policy but does so at a price that is set for a full year. Annual policies eliminate the need to renew every six months, saving customers time.

For more information on the Annual Auto Policy through Travelers, please contact us @ www.sdlbrokerage.com

As one of our newer products for 2010, Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) rolled out a new product suite for Temporary Staffing Organizations. PHLY is pleased to bring one of the broadest admitted product offerings to the marketplace including General Liability, Property, Auto, Umbrella, Errors & Omissions, Crime and Employment Practices Liability.

For specific product information, please visit our website @ www.sdlbrokerage.com

Underwriting Appetite:

• Clerical, Computer/IT, Financial Accounting and Managerial
• Light Unskilled Manufacturing
• Retail Services
• Warehouse
• Janitorial
• Hospitality Services
• Sales
• Temporary Placements, Permanent Placements and Temporary to Hire

Benefits of the Program:

• Admitted paper
• Non-auditable
• Claims Made or Occurrence coverage trigger option for Errors & Omissions coverage
• Employment Practice Liability coverage extends to “placed employees” of the temporary staffing firm
• Interest-free installments available

To obtain a quotation, please complete our Temporary Staffing Agency Application.

Complementary Coverages

• Cyber Security Liability

• Directors & Officers Liability

Did you know that fiduciaries have an obligation to act solely in the interest of plan participants and beneficiaries – not the company – when making decisions about the plans?
Did you also know that fiduciaries can be held personally liable to the plan participants and beneficiaries for errors or omissions or any breach in their fiduciary duties as outlined in ERISA?
Those duties include:
- Making prudent investment-related decisions, including diversifying the investments
- Prudently selecting and monitoring outside firms hired to manage the plans
- Defraying expenses as is reasonable
- Following plan terms
Be prepared for today’s growing exposures. It’s never been more important than now to be protected. Risk has increased due to investment losses impacting plans, benefit reductions, downsizing actions, a rise in 401(k) litigation and changes in the regulatory and legal environment.
Please contact SDL Brokerage Inc for more information or visit us at www.sdlbrokerage.com

Geared for importers and exporters shipping up to $10 million annually, this policy offers:

- Easy,fast submitting/quoting/binding
- Lower Flat Premiums on new accounts, starting at $1,000 annually
- Broad “all risk” coverage even if destinations or commodities change during the policy year.

To learn more about Ocean Cargo Coverage, please contact SDL Brokerage Inc.

As homeowners across the country watch the values of their homes plummet, they may start to think that their insurance premiums should follow suit. Many people think it’s simple logic: Reduced market value equals reduced insurance premiums.

But many don’t know the difference between market value and replacement value or understand that they don’t often follow the same trend. In fact, even as home values continue their steep decline, the cost to rebuild a home continues to rise.

It’s now more important than ever to remind homeowners that their insurance premiums are not based on the current resale value of their homes, but on the cost to replace them.

Residential construction is a world-wide industry impacted not only by the cost of materials, but also the cost of new technology, new building codes and regulations, labor and materials. Home construction costs rose sharply after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as the demand for building materials, labor and energy outpaced the supply.

Prices continue to rise, according to recent statistics. Reed Construction Data estimates an increase of 4.2% on construction costs from 2007 to 2008, up from the 2.8% estimate from 2006 to 2007 for the same period. Marshall & Swift/Boeckh estimates a 1% to 2% increase on overall construction over the same time period, with higher increases in many metropolitan areas.

Several variables can contribute to the rise and fall of home prices, including: implications of the subprime lending crisis; foreclosure rates; new housing starts; housing shortages; and location. On the other hand, replacement cost variables can include material costs; fuel and energy costs; the cost and availability of skilled labor; and changing construction codes and standards.