What Insurance Should a Technology Start-Up Consider?

Is your tech company protected properly?

At different stages of the Start-Up process, you may want to consider different policies. 

In the beginning stages you may want to pick one or two of the following policies because of limited resources. 

Once you procure funding and are trying to attract the best of the best, you may want to purchase all of the policies below.

Here are the policies you may want to consider in no particular order:

•Technology Errors & Omissions (Tech E&O) – Insurance for failures in your technology service that could cause customers damages. Tech E&O is most likely your most important policy because most everything you do would be considered a professional service and is excluded from the General Liability policy.

•Data Breach/Privacy Coverage – In case you lose sensitive employee or customer data, this policy pays to notify, monitor credit, and anything else you need to do in case of a breach.

•Media Coverage – If you are doing any kind of media/social networking. Some of these coverages are added automatically to the Personal & Advertising injury section of the General Liability policy, but are explicitly excluded for companies with a media focus. Examples of these exposures include: unintentional copyright violations, libel, slander, etc.

•International Coverage – If you have operations outside the coverage area (US, US Territories, and Canada)

•General Liability Coverage – This is your most basic insurance that most contracts will require: covers basic trip and fall. You can also add supplementary auto coverage for rented and non-owned (including employee) vehicles. If you have company vehicles, you should consider purchasing a Business Auto Policy.

•Property – Cover your computers, servers, tenant improvements. In addition, business income is added to this policy; look for coverage including business income for Denial Of Service attacks, etc.

•Directors & Officers – Insurance if you have investors or stakeholders. Directors and Officers can be held personally liable for decisions of the company, so this coverage can be crucial in securing high profile board members.

•Disability – Insurance for the owners if they are in an accident and no longer able to work.

•Key Man Life – Insurance policy in case something happens to your partner. Both partners buy life insurance policies on each other, so they can buy out the partner’s share. This way you avoid becoming partners with that person’s significant other.

•Health Insurance – Great way to keep your employees on board and attract great talent.

•Workers’ Compensation – Mandated by CA state law even if you just have one part time employee. Good news is that rates for most technology workers are very inexpensive.

•Employee Practices Liability – Protect yourself from employment related lawsuits: wage & hour, wrongful termination, discrimination, etc.

Some of these policies are offered in packages, while others are sold separately. Most large companies that contract smaller technology services companies will require you to have General Liability, Technology E&O, Workers’ Compensation, and Business Auto.

Talk to an independent agent to see which of these coverages would be a best fit for your business.

This article was originally published on the Co-Merge website on Jan 11, 2013. 

Raymond Ankner -Expected to be the biggest life insurance failure in Illinois : IRS Attacks CJA & CJA and Associates’ plans

Raymond Ankner -Expected to be the biggest life insurance failure in Illinois : IRS Attacks CJA & CJA and Associates’ plans: To Read More: http://taxshelteraudits.org/2011/10/14/irs-attacks-cja--cja-and-associates-plans.aspx

Liquidation Comes For Lavish Insurer

January |By Laurie Cohen

      In 1990 Chicago insurance executive Raymond Ankner flew about 100 of his top agents to Germany to celebrate Oktoberfest in Cologne. The cost of the trip was $800,000, billed to Ankner`s businesses.

But insurance regulators were already beginning to question expenses at his main insurance unit, InterAmerican Insurance Co. of Illinois. When the Illinois Insurance Department obtained a court order last month to liquidate the company, court papers showed a balance sheet crowded with overvalued real estate and questionable intercompany transactions and reinsurance arrangements.
The collapse of InterAmerican is expected to be the biggest life insurance failure in Illinois history, with a gap of more than $30 million between assets and liabilities. It has placed in the hands of state regulators the largest real estate and mortgage

Portfolio.         

ever managed by the department. InterAmerican`s $33 million portfolio of mortgages and real estate covers several investments on Chicago`s Near West Side, including a loan on its headquarters at 901 W. Jackson Blvd. There also are more far-flung holdings, such as loans to donut shops in Michigan and a bed-and-breakfast in Vermont. Nearly half the $20.5 million in mortgage loans are behind on payments, according to department officials.
Regulators are still investigating the possibility that company funds were improperly used. No charges have been filed, and Ankner denies any suggestion of wrongdoing.
A report by an independent accountant hired by the Insurance Department highlights several questionable charges, such as a $53,681 check to Neiman-Marcus Co. for catering a 1989 Christmas party at Ankner`s apartment here, the company`s payment of most of his $5,200 monthly rent and even a portion of the salaries of Ankner`s gardener and housekeeper in Vermont.

The information provided herein is not intended as legal, accounting, financial or any other type of advice for any specific individual or other entity.  You should contact an appropriate professional for any such advice.

Protecting Your Business With The Right Kind of Insurance

If there’s one thing you can do as a business owner to minimize the sleepless nights, it’s ensuring you've got the right level of insurance. 

Nobody likes to think all their hard work might go up in smoke or be washed away in a flood. Unfortunately, it can and does happen. Choosing the right insurance cover will allow you to pick up the pieces and resume operations with minimal financial loss and disruption to business should such an event occur. 

There are a few simple ways you can work out what kind of insurance is right for your business. Ask yourself the following questions: 

• What is the most catastrophic event that could befall my business? 
• What is the most likely adverse event we’re likely to encounter? 

Each business has its own inherent risks.  Don't roll the dice when it comes to your business. 

The answers will be very different according to what kind of business you run and where you’re located. If you sell outdoor furniture, the worst case scenario may be all of your merchandise getting destroyed in a warehouse fire. You’ll definitely want Property Coverage, which insures you against damage to buildings, contents and stock caused by fire and other perils. 

Conversely, if your run a website design business based in a small office space, you may find Property Coverage less critical. What you willneed is Computers and Electronic Coverage, which insures you against theft, accidental damage, breakdown, fire, and business interruption.

This was a guest blog from Belinda J Darling. To learn more about how you can protect your business with the right insurance coverage, contact the experts at www.mckenzieross.com.au

Worker's Compensation Decreasing Rates: Is this Good for Employers?

Worker's Compensation Increases:I wrote this article about how to reduce your workers' comp insurance costs on my company's blog last week based on the report that workers' comp rates were set to increase at least 7% based on new legislation and company projections.

Employers will have less choices for workers' compensation 

Since then, there have been some more news on workers' comp where State Fund, CA's largest insurance company for workers' comp, has said that they will lower rates by 7%.  This sounds like good news to most business owners on the surface, but insurers lower rates are motivated by many factors.  See Insurance Journal's article: Calif. State Fund Board: Drop Rates 7%

As the CA workers' comp market begins to tighten, the State Fund is putting itself in the position to gain more market share in a shrinking market.  When an insurance market tightens it means that consumers will face higher rates, less discounts, tougher underwriting, and less choices of companies.  These market conditions are good for companies such as State Fund because they can entertain many risks that other private insurers will not be able to contemplate.

Lowering rates may force other private companies out of the workers' comp market because they will choose not to compete where they can't make a profit.  This is bad for the business owner because it will mean higher overall costs.   

The State Fund decreased rates will start January 1, but not all class codes renewals and will most likely not be in affect till second quarter of 2013.

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Report: Higher-Priced Drugs Added $2.1B to 2011 Workers' Comp Pharmacy Costs

Who is paying for these drugs?

When the insurance company foots the bill, some people tend to treat themselves to higher cost medicine.  If the insurance company is paying, why not get the name brand?  

I'm not blaming people for going for the higher cost meds because it is human nature to perceive a better quality from a higher priced product.  The consumer needs to realize though that the system can't sustain such high prices without them being passed on to the consumer.

Employers must pay the premiums for workers' comp, but when people take advantage of the system, we all pay for it.  It might result in higher medical insurance costs, higher prices to make up for business owners' increased over head, and higher prices for over the counter and prescription drugs.
Take a look at some of these statistics from a study highlighted in the Claims Journal's article below:

• $2 billion of waste resulting from use of higher-cost medications when therapeutically equivalent, lower-cost alternatives are available.

• $107 million of waste through use of out-of-network pharmacies and third-party billing.

• $40 million of waste from use of higher-cost delivery channels such as retail pharmacies instead of home delivery for long-term medications used by injured workers.

Its in all our best interests (insurance companies included) to keep workers' comp premiums down.  Hopefully, we can find a way to curtail useless spending and price gouging by pharmaceutical companies.

To read the full article, click the link below:
Report: Higher-Priced Drugs Added $2.1B to 2011 Workers' Comp Pharmacy Costs:

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Insurance Implications of a Double or Triple Net Lease

You've saved up your pennies and invested in a commercial building.  You find a nice tenant and start leasing the space.  You decide to do a triple net lease to keep your overhead down.  

Photo by Margan Zajowicz

Why that wasn't such a good idea:

1. This is one of your biggest assets, wouldn't you want to make sure it's covered properly?  Tenants don't have skin in the game when it comes to your building and are going to do the least possible to adhere to your requirements.  They are already paying you rent and see the insurance as an additional cost.
2. Your tenant could forget to pay the premium and you could be on vacation when the warning of cancellation comes in the mail.  The policy cancels, there's a fire, and you don't have coverage.



 Photo by  Alex Patru   

3. Crimes committed by the named insured (your tenant) are excluded.  For instance, your tenant could purposely burn down the building (commit arson) and the insurance company would deny the claim.  Yes, this would be the worst case scenario, but a disgruntled tenant who vandalizes your building would also leave you with uncovered property damage.

Please consider the three points above when insuring your commercial property.  

Disclaimer:

This blog post is not a substitute for professional legal advice. This blog does not create an insurance agent-client relationship, nor is it a solicitation to offer legal/insurance advice. Seek the advice of a licensed insurance agent in the appropriate jurisdiction before taking any action that may affect your rights.