Parties are a highlight of the holidays but have a Safe New Year’s Holiday Party. It’s fun to get together with family and friends to celebrate this festive season. If you’re planning a gathering, you know there is much preparation — from food and drink to decorations and music. The last thing on your mind at this happy and bustling time of year is your homeowner’s or tenant’s insurance policy. But, you’ll be thankful you have it should something go wrong.

Safe New Year’s Holiday Party Planning Checklist

When planning your party, this checklist can help you have fun and stay safe.

• Be sure your front walk, steps, driveway and sidewalk are cleared of snow and ice.
• Make sure your property is well lit so guests can see where they’re stepping.
• Place your valuables safely out of sight so they can’t be damaged or broken, and close doors to bedrooms and private areas.
• Serve plenty of food throughout the evening, but avoid serving too many salty foods, as these tend to make people thirsty and encourage them to drink more.
• If you’ll be serving warm appetizers and bites, remember to never leave stove top cooking unattended and keep the cooking area clear of combustibles—potholders, towels, and the like.
• Make sure your fire alarms work and have an extinguisher ready.
• Minimize the candles. While candles add to the festive atmosphere they can be dangerous if not placed strategically away from the activity and away from other flammables.
• Have plenty of non-alcoholic beverages on hand.
• Stay sober. As the host, you are responsible for your guests, and the only way to accurately assess whether a guest has had too much to drink is to avoid drinking yourself.
• Stop serving alcohol altogether about an hour before you expect the party to end. Switch to coffee and tea served alongside some nibbles.
• Should guests partake too much in the holiday cheer, be sure to have options available for getting them home, such as the number for a local taxi service, as well as cash on hand for the fare. Alternately, make sure you have plenty of extra blankets and pillows on hand and invite guests to stay the night.

Let The Safe New Year’s Holiday Party Begin

It’s a magical time of year, and a good host provides more than fun and refreshments; providing a safe place for guests to celebrate the holidays and ensuring everyone gets home safely are necessities as well. Take the time to accident-proof your home and your party, and head into the holidays ready to relax and enjoy all of the good times they bring.

For more tips for your location or party call or email Glenn at 1.888.256.8685 or glenn@cutthrisk.com

The post Tips For A Safe New Year’s Holiday Party first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

Distracted Driving is a leading cause of vehicle crashes in Canada.

Distracted Driving is broadly considered to be any activity the takes hands off the wheel of the vehicle, draws eyes away from the road or simply takes the mind to another place.

What distracts us

Implied in the definition is that Distracted Driving can be several things at the same time. For example, “rubbernecking” as you pass a crash not only takes your eyes away from the road, but also distracts your mind with questions like: “What happened?” “How badly were they hurt?” “Do I know them?”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) produced a study in 2010 listing the top causes of distraction and a measure

of the increased risk of each distraction (vs. normal driving.) Here are the results:

What the numbers tell us

• The average person reads a text in about 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, a car travels 80 feet every second. Reading a text while driving is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded)
• At any given time during daylight hours in the U.S., Canada would similar proportionally upwards of 660,000 drivers are using their phone or texting.’
• In 2012, distracted driving accounted for nine deaths and over 1,000 injuries every day.’
• According to the CDC, 7 in 10 drivers admitted to making a call while driving, and 3 in 10 admitted to texting while driving in the 30 days leading up to the study.’

Mitigating Distraction

Plan calls

Establish times during the day when the driver can pull off the road and be available for communications (whether text, email or telephone). Work out the frequency and times, based on expected needs and the job being done.

Ignore the phone

Calls cannot always be scheduled. Establish a culture where allowing callers to leave messages to be returned at the earliest convenience (i.e., when it is safe to do so) is acceptable.

Drive defensively

Defensive driving techniques provide more time to respond to changing driving conditions.

• Pre-set temperature and radio controls.
• Clear windows of frost, ice, snow or debris before driving.
• Increase following distance. (recommend at least four seconds in normal conditions in a sedan and longer in larger vehicles or adverse conditions.)
• Understand what is occurring ahead of the vehicle. (recommend scanning at least ten seconds ahead.)
• Drive for conditions. In inclement weather, slow down and allow for increased stopping distances and poor visibility.
• Deal with distractions in a safe location, while parked.

The post Distracted Driving first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

People today are living longer. Thanks to innovative diagnostics and medical treatments, it has now become the norm for people to be with more serious pre-existing health conditions to be enjoying a better quality of life, for many more years than in the past.

The good news is that there are some insurance companies that offer life insurance to people with pre-existing health conditions. For instance, health conditions such as those listed below are most likely insurable through Canada Protection Plan, Canada’s leading name in No Medical and Simplified Life Insurance:

Crohn’s/Colitis | Diabetes (Insulin) | Epilepsy | Heart Attack/Stroke | Lupus/Parkinson’s | Multiple Sclerosis | Sleep Apnea | Benign Tumors (Excluding benign brain tumors) | Blood Disorders | Depression/anxiety | History of Cancer (No reoccurrence and in remission for 3 years) | Schizophrenia/Bi-polar Disorder

If you are living with any of the conditions above, your main focus will be on maintaining or bettering your health. But at the same time, you will want to ensure that your family will be well taken care of financially. That’s where life insurance is vital. Know that there are insurance companies that could give you coverage. So do your homework and look into your options – don’t wait to be declined. And if you have been declined, you may still have an option to get coverage with a company like Canada Protection Plan.

Here’s something else important to bear in mind: insurance companies don’t merely look at the condition itself; they also look at its severity and how well you are managing it. Are you using medication consistently to keep it in check? Have you changed your diet and bumped up your exercise in an effort to maintain your health level? How much time has elapsed since your diagnosis and how long have you maintained your current health status? All this matters to an insurance provider considering your application, and could very well lead to lower premiums for you.

Also know that there are a variety of insurance plans, each offering different coverage amounts, terms and premiums. So be sure to contact Glenn Stewart a Trusted Insurance Advisor to determine which are the best options are available for you.

Finally, if you or someone you love suffers from one of these health conditions or illnesses, know that there are life insurance options out there that can provide security and peace of mind. You just need to know where to start.

Or view www.cuttherisk.com

The post Kitchener -Life Insurance with Pre-existing Health Condition first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

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Your Summer Planning Checklist

Fortunately, finding time to put Life Insurance plans in place doesn’t need to take up a lot of your time.

The summer season can mean time for barbeques, biking, soccer, baseball, watching beautiful sunsets and having s’mores around the campfire. The season conjures up images of lazy days in a hammock or lying poolside. However, the reality for many people consists of hectic schedules and very busy summer calendars. With kids out of school, summer camps, and running to scheduled sporting events, getting some spare time can seem challenging at times.

It’s also one of the busiest times for travel as many individuals start planning their coveted summer vacation. Out come the checklists of what needs to get packed, who needs to look after the family pets, and when the car or boat maintenance appointments are scheduled. Also do I have enough Life Insurance to pay all my liabilities or debts?

There is an easy-to-use online Life Insurance application processes such as the Fast & Full Life Application that can be completed in the comfort of your own home while Glenn Stewart walks you through the process. This process can be completed over the telephone and with computer screen sharing software, or by meeting with you in person, whichever you prefer. Online quotes exist so that you can get an understanding of how inexpensive life insurance can be.

Prioritizing the need for Life Insurance is not typically the norm, especially as thoughts turn to beaches and ice cream. However, as we head into the summer season, the reality is that we need to plan for the unexpected.  The busy summer season unfortunately, can also mean more car accidents¹.

With vacation time just around the corner, consider adding Life Insurance to your summer planning checklist.  It’s simple peace of mind knowing that your family’s financial future is more secure, making your summer that much more carefree and enjoyable.

Call me now while you are at your computer now at 1.888.256.8685 to get Life Insurance now.

The post Consider Life Insurance first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

The average claim costs $32,072

Dog-related injuries account for more than a third of U.S. homeowner liability claims paid out 2014, according to the Insurance Information Institute and State Farm. The Canadian figures would be similar

While the number of dog injury claims decreased 4.7 percent, the amount per dog homeowner liability claim went up 15 percent to $32,072. Accidents include bites, as well as dogs knocking down cyclists, children and the elderly, which can lead to blunt force trauma.

“The average cost per dog homeowner liability claim nationally has risen more than 67 percent from 2003 to 2014,” says the I.I.I.’s vice president Loretta Worters, “due to increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards given to plaintiffs, which are still on the upswing.”

How are you controlling your dog? Dogs are not always as friendly as you think. Do you have your home premise signed saying you have a dog that may be vicious. It is better be in control of your Dog instead of losing it because it bit someone and has to be put down and you still have the bills to pay for the damage caused.

The post Dog-related homeowner liability claims first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.