Brooke Jensen Alvino: Allstate Insurance

Today, let us be reminded of the brilliance of our country's founding fathers.

Having the right insurance policies in place can make all the difference. Let's talk!

While floods are best-known for causing extensive water damage to homes and businesses, sewage from sanitary sewer lines can back up water through drain pipes. So what are the most common causes of water backup? It's the blockages that can occur when tree roots seek moisture. ... Or when a city sanitary main gets clogged. Property insurance policies do not generally cover water backup unless additional water backup coverage is added to your property policy before the incident. While this isn't the most exciting thing to think about, we want to make sure you have the coverage you'll want in the event of a claim. Let's talk about it.

Minimum state required liability limits are the lowest limits you can carry. Let's face it. They may not necessarily be enough.... If you are found responsible for damages that exceed the liability limits on your auto policy, you'll have to pay the difference out of pocket. Increasing your liability coverage doesn't cost that much, and if you need it, you'll be glad you have it.

A few years ago, Sheila launched a small side hustle dog-sitting for neighbors. It was a profitable side gig that allowed her to earn extra cash in her spare time. But one of the things she hadn't prepared for when budgeting her startup costs was insurance for her business. She quickly found out it was necessary. ... When she was pet-sitting a dog for a client, Sheila must not have closed the dog's crate all the way, and he escaped one night and destroyed the owner's expensive silk Oriental rug. The owners took her to court, and she ended up owing them over $30,000. Because she didn't have insurance, she was on the hook for the replacement cost herself. Unfortunately, Sheila's story isn't that uncommon. Many side hustlers run businesses without insurance, leaving them at risk if there's ever an accident or error. Whether you're a freelance graphic designer, dog-sitter, baker, ride-share driver, or housekeeper, insurance can be an essential safeguard for your business. You might think insurance is unnecessary because your gig is too small, or perhaps you work solely from home. However, mistakes and accidents happen all the time in all industries.

These days, the majority of teens spend time online. That is why it is vital to help the teens in your life understand appropriate Internet usage and the risks involved with social networking. Open communication. Ask your teen to walk you through their regular Internet routine. What sites are they visiting regularly? Get to know their favorite websites and apps to understand potential risks better. Personal information. Remind your teen never to share personal information... without your permission. This includes their full name, birthday, contact info, school name, passwords, etc. Privacy settings. Make sure your teen has strict privacy settings enabled to protect their photos and updates from strangers. Also, ask your teen only to befriend people online if they know them in real life. Photos. Discuss the types of pictures that are appropriate to post online. In-person meetings. Share the dangers of an in-person meeting with someone they met online. Cyberbullying. Teach your teen not to post embarrassing photos, send mean texts or spread hurtful rumors online, and to report any cyberbullying they witness or become a victim of. Taking time to create this awareness with our teens is so crucial to their safety!

Smoke alarms in your home help play an important role in keeping you and your family safe. However, they are of no use if they do not have working batteries. Experts suggest checking your alarms at least once a month to make sure they are working properly. ... Batteries should be replaced every 6 months, and the alarm itself should be replaced once every 10 years.

When a button battery is swallowed, the saliva triggers an electrical current. This creates a chemical reaction that can severely burn the esophagus within a couple of hours. The disturbing part is that it might not be so obvious at first that there is an issue.... Instead, it may seem like a child has a cold or flu. Repairing the damage caused by button battery ingestion is painful and can involve multiple surgeries. It's a good reason to keep loose batteries locked away and to place a piece of duct tape over remote controls and toys to create a more secure battery compartment. Here's to keeping our children safe!

In today's lawsuit-happy world, being sued is a real possibility if you're ever found at fault in a major auto accident or if you experience a serious mishap on your property. That's why carrying higher liability limits and/or a personal umbrella policy makes sense. If you select lower limits to save money, it could end up costing you BIG in the long-run.... Do you own a home? Do you let someone else occasionally drive your vehicles? Do you sometimes drive on icy roads? Do you have young drivers driving your vehicles? It's better to have higher liability limits and never need them than to need them and not have them! May all of the drive-thrus you use already exist before you get there!

There’s just something inspiring about the start of the year and that clean slate a new calendar delivers. It’s an opportunity to throw out last year's script and write a fresh new story. Yet, despite the best of intentions, more than one-half of New Year’s resolutions fail. ... How can you improve these odds? Put things in place to help automate your end-result. It starts by making sure that your insurance program is doing all of the things you want for the short term as well as the long term. It's a solid reason to request a policy review.