If you’re like me, you carried around paint samples and fabric swatches for weeks before finally settling on the choices. Now that my room is coming together, I’m still in love with the color scheme I chose. But with the heat of summer here and sunlight streaming...

Surprises are great — but not when you’re closing on your new home. Even if a house passes a pre-close inspection, environmental hazards like mold, asbestos, radon, and lead may still be lurking. According to 2013 data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the...

There is a lot we can do to ensure our family’s health and safety. In our daily lives, we can encourage healthy habits and identify potential safety hazards to avoid. Looking toward the future, we can seek home, vehicle, and life insurance in case of an emergency....

For many families, summer vacations are the highlight of their year. Hectic schedules are put aside for rest, relaxation, and quality family time. No matter where you go this summer, family memories will be made that will last a lifetime. A bad vacation memory is...

While summer is a great time to enjoy many outdoor activities, it can take a toll on our pocket books because of increased utility costs. Air conditioning units and dehumidifiers are working overtime to keep our homes comfortable. With the kids home from school,...

Every year millions of Americans enjoy celebrating America’s birthday with family and friends. Back yard barbeques, pool parties, and boat rides are a few of the activities we enjoy during the day. When the sun goes down, booms, crackles, and pops fill the warm summer...

Traveling with your family is a great way to create memories that will last a lifetime. Whether traveling to a new destination or a traditional family destination, planning for each trip is important. If you’re traveling this summer, here are some flight attendant...

Most parents would agree that the safety of their family is a top priority as they make purchases for the home. Smart home devices are helping parents protect their families in entirely new ways, making their lives safer and healthier, while providing peace of mind as...

Recently, my wife and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary. Every year we look at our photo album together and chuckle about how young everybody was. It’s amazing how fast time goes! As I continued to page through the album, I was struck by sudden panic. Someday...

For many, the fall season is a busy time of year. High school, college, and professional sports are in full swing. Kids are participating in homecoming festivities and many families are making trips to their local pumpkin farms. These activities don’t leave much time...

Autumn is a great time of year to enjoy your new motorcycle license. Enjoying the vivid colors and sights of the season helps riders truly appreciate how this experience is simply different from riding inside a car. Unfortunately, that difference can also put new...

House fires are something most homeowners live in fear of, but today’s technology can help you ensure the safety of you, your family, and your home. Here are five high-tech ways you can reduce fire risk. 1. Install smart smoke detectors for added efficiency and...

As the days get shorter, and the leaves start changing, you may be tempted to light a fire in your wood burning fireplace. While it’s enjoyable to sit and relax by a nice, warm fire, if you haven’t had your chimney inspected or cleaned this year, I would recommend...

If you’ve watched the news lately, there has been significant coverage on wildfires, severe storms, and most recently, Hurricane Florence. As we transition through the seasons, we encounter different perils that could pose risk to our vehicles. With all these...

Swat, splat, bang. These are common sounds at my house. The reason for these sounds is mosquitos are invading us. I don’t recall them ever being this bad! Strong storms accompanied by heavy rain, and warm temperatures in Wisconsin at the end of August have caused the...

Last week’s blog identified areas of your property you should inspect after a severe storm. Some of those areas include roof, siding, outdoor structures, and fallen trees. A common claim scenario that insureds deal with after a storm is fallen trees. High winds and...

Severe weather can pop up in your neighborhood quickly. If severe weather strikes, your first priority should be taking cover and protecting your family. Unfortunately, the damage after severe weather can wreak havoc on your home and neighborhood. Common types of...

Now that spring’s here, it’s time to give your home a post-winter scrub down. While it feels great opening the windows...

After a long, cold winter, many of us yearn for the transition to spring. More daylight, chirping birds, increased...

If winter 2019 was your first winter with a teen driver, you’re probably relieved spring is here. Hopefully no more...

If you have pets in your household, you understand the benefits they bring to your family. Their inquisitiveness,...

Power strips and surge protectors are a necessity in many homes today. With smartphones, tablets, streaming media...

Buying a new vehicle can be very exciting. I remember purchasing my first brand new vehicle. Ahh, that new car smell....