Remember getting all dressed in your costume to go trick or treating? Pure spooky joy. To keep it fun, everyone needs to stay safe. Here are 13 helpful tips to make sure your kids have a healthy and happy Halloween.

• Have adult supervision. Accompany your kids if you don’t think they’re old enough to trick-or-treat on their own.
• There is safety in numbers. If they’re old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, tell your kids to stay in a group.
• Map out your plan. Designate a route before your kids begin trick-or-treating, and make sure they stick to it.
• Take the long way ’round. Have your kids trick-or-treat in areas where there are a lot of people around. They should also avoid taking short-cuts through alleys and parking lots.
• Try tick-or-treat-friendly homes. Ensure your kids only visit houses with lights on. And, you might also suggest the houses they visit have some sort of Halloween decoration on the porch.
• Stay outside. Make sure your kids don’t go inside someone’s house. They can get their candy from the porch.
• Remain visible. Dress your kids in a bright costume so others can see them. If their costume is dark, have your kids wear reflective strips or carry a glow stick or flashlight.
• Remember, shorter = safer.Goes without saying but just in case you forget, ensure your kids’ costumes aren’t so long that they can trip over them.
• Don’t cover the face. Instead of masks, have your kids wear make-up so they can see better.
• Quality-check treats. Check your kids’ candy before they eat it. Throw out any candy that is not in its original wrapper or looks like it has been tampered with.
• Say “no” to strangers.Tell your kids to never accept a ride or go anywhere with a stranger.
• Obey the law. Encourage your kids to follow all the regular rules for walking around. That includes looking both ways before crossing, obeying all traffic laws and using cross walks and crossing lights where available.
• Have a great time! Finally, make sure your kids have tons of fun and get lots and lots of candy.

Don’t forget to stop by Penny-Hanley & Howley for our costume contest and treats.

Happy Halloween

source information: http://holidays.kaboose.com/halloween/halloween-safety.html

• Keep chimney clear and capped. Make sure tree branches and leaves are at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney. Contagious flames or sparks can jump from the fire source, quickly igniting other close objects, which can spread to neighboring premises. Installing a chimney cap can help prevent debris and animals from blocking the opening.

• Choose the right fuel. For burning firewood in wood stoves or fireplaces, choose well-seasoned wood that has been split for a minimum of six months to one year and stored in an elevated, covered location. Never burn Christmas trees, treated wood or wrapping paper in your fireplace or wood stove.

• Keep the hearth area clear and remove ashes. Combustible material too close to the fireplace or a wood stove, can easily catch fire. Be sure to keep furniture at least 36” away from the hearth. When you clean the fireplace, discard ashes in a closed metal container and place it away from the house until they have fully cooled.

• Install smoke detectors. Place detectors throughout the house and check batteries in the spring and fall. When you change your clocks for Daylight Savings Time, remember to check your batteries.

• Be on the safe side. Before using your fireplace, woodstove or furnace each season, the Chimney Safety of America recommends an inspection by a professional to ensure that your chimney’s interior has not suffered damage or significant creosote build-up that would allow heat or hazardous gases to invade your living space.

• Hire a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep®. When in doubt, ensure your home and family’s safety by hiring a chimney professional. CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps® have earned the chimney and venting industry’s most respected credential by passing an intensive examination based on fire codes, clearances and standards for the construction and maintenance of chimney and venting systems. This knowledge allows them to expertly diagnose and solve chimney and venting problems.

source information: http://www.csia.org/

While PCs are likely a prerequisite for school-bound young adults, securing laptops or desktops is unlikely to be a top priority. Don’t let high school and college students head off to the classroom or campus life without the knowledge they need to protect their computers and the valuable information on them. The strategies below – tailored specifically to young adults – will help to avert online disasters.

Be on guard when you shop online. You can save a bundle by buying books and other school supplies online. But, when it comes to giving out your financial information, stick to companies you know and trust or to well-established retailers. Before you click the buy button, always check out the seller, what you are buying, and the payment details.

Work securely from wireless networks. Today’s world means you can access the Internet from a variety of public locations, from a coffee shop to a library to a train station. But, open networks run an increased security risk and are vulnerable to security breaches. When you can, choose networks that have a network security key, which means information sent over them is encrypted. Connect to a standard or wired network for the most protection.

Steer clear of peer-to-peer and file sharing networks. You always need to pay special attention to what you download and share online – peer-to-peer networks are often swamped with malicious files. And it’s not just music and movie downloads that you need to be aware of; malware often piggybacks on other freebies that promise ringtones, smilicons, and screensavers.

Navigate social networking sites with care. Social networking and other Web 2.0 features make communicating, socializing, and sharing information easier than ever. But they also open you up to a variety of online threats, so you need to be on guard when logging into online hotspots like MySpace and Facebook. To avoid phishing and malware installations, use caution when you check messages, click on advertisements, and access links in other members’ profiles.

Be wary of sharing your PC. You should not loan your computer out to friends and peers but, if you do, make sure they are operating under a limited-user account and not the all-powerful administrator account. This will minimize infections in the event of an accident.

Create strong passwords and change them regularly. Passwords help protect your computer and your various accounts from unauthorized access. Use complex passwords of at least 10 characters, comprised of letters, symbols and numbers. Do not have your browser store passwords and log-in credentials – this is especially important to remember if you are using a shared computer.

Backup your data regularly.Even the most prepared and cyber savvy among us are bound to run up against serious PC problems at one time or another. Prepare yourself for worst case scenarios (your laptop crashing the night before a term paper is due) in order to avert a complete disaster. All you need to do is set up a regular backup system for yourself by saving critical information on a CD, external hard drive or online server.

Limit the information you give out online. Don’t post too much information about yourself, whether it’s on a personal website, blog, or chat room. Identity theft is a real and growing problem, and openness on the Web can lead to someone harvesting your information for their gain.

Be skeptical of e-mail and instant messaging. Do not open e-mail attachments or click on links in instant messages from anyone, including ‘buddies’, unless you expect it. Verify the attachment before opening and scan with updated anti-virus software first. Be especially leery of odd subject lines and suspicious links. You’ll also need to watch out for phishing e-mails that purport to be from familiar organizations.

While it may seem difficult to fit cyber safety steps into the busy lives of young adults, keep this in mind: it’s easier to prepare yourself and your computer than to recover from lost data and private information after an online nasty compromises your system. So, during this school season and for the rest to come, be proactive in keeping your PC safe and secure.

source: http://www.lavasoft.com/mylavasoft/securitycenter/articles/cyber-safety-101

Contact your local agent at Penny Hanley & Howley Insurance for more information on Cyber Insurance

]]> http://phhinsuranceblog.com/2012/10/16/cyber-security-awareness-month-tips-for-your-teens/feed/ 0 phhinsurance http://phhinsuranceblog.com/2012/10/05/cyber-attacks-on-small-businesses/ http://phhinsuranceblog.com/2012/10/05/cyber-attacks-on-small-businesses/#comments Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:13:36 +0000 phhinsurance http://phhinsuranceblog.com/?p=628 ]]>

Below you will find some great information on how to protect your Small Business from Cyber Attacks.

Recently cyber-attacks were back in the news, and the latest attempted victim was the White House. According to an October 1st report from the Washington Post the White House acknowledged that hackers attempted to remove data from a White House computer. While the attempt wasn’t successful thanks to mitigation efforts, the attack should serve as a reminder to all small businesses that they face risks of similar attacks from data thieves, and they may not have the same level of mitigation systems in place.

• Change the passwords you and your employees use to log into your technology systems on a regular basis
• Avoid emailing sensitive information, but if you do, use a secured email service
• Have employees lock their computer screens when they step away from their desks
• Avoid having un-escorted/unsupervised visitors walking through your office
• Don’t open strange email attachments or click unusual links in emails, especially from an unknown sender as they may be scams
• Have a written technology policy in place so that all of your employees understand the expectations and rules guiding how your business handles sensitive data

In less than 30 seconds, a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for a house to fill with thick black smoke and become engulfed in flames. By preparing for a fire emergency, you can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a fire casualty.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. For extra safety, install smoke alarms both inside and outside sleeping areas.
• Test your smoke alarms once a month and change the batteries at least once a year.
• Replace smoke alarms every 8-10 years or as the manufacturer guidelines recommend.
• Plan your escape from fire. The best plans have two ways to get out of each room.
• Practice fire escape plans several times a year. Practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.
• Purchase only collapsible escape ladders evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL).
• Check that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly, and that security bars can be properly opened.
• Make sure everyone in your family understands and practices how to properly operate and open locked or barred doors and windows.
• Consider installing residential fire sprinklers in your home.

See the educational video below

Install, Inspect, Protect

Information gathered from http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/focus/emergency.shtm

In January of this year the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) banned the use of cell phones in commercial, regulated vehicles unless they are accessed via a hands free device. The driver cannot reach for, dial or hold the cell phone. Only Commercial Driver License holders are subject to these requirements while they are driving a commercial vehicle. Wired or wireless hands free devices are allowed under this requirement.

Another recent development is the National Transportation Safety Board recommending last December that all states ban the use of cell phones while driving, whether using a hands free device or not. This recommendation was made after a review of some large auto, bus and train crashes the last several years where they determined that using the cell phone and being distracted was the main cause of these crashes.

Unfortunately, this has also gained the notice of the trial attorneys. In any major crash where a cell phone may be involved, plaintiffs’ attorneys are going after the cell phone records. They have been successful in using these records to increase jury awards. A Florida family was awarded $21.6M from the employer of a driver that was using their cell phone; an Alabama trucking company was ordered to pay $18M; an Arkansas lumber company paid $16.1M; a paper company paid $5.2M in similar circumstances.

What can an insured do about it?

With the employer being the target in cases like this, insured’s need to have a strict written policy banning the use of cell phones (talking or texting) while driving. Compliance with state and federal regulations should be considered a minimum standard.

With increased accidents surrounding cell phone use while driving you must be sure you have a policy in place to protect yourself and your employees.

Does your company have a policy regarding the use of cell phones?  If not, have you considered putting one in place?

Be safe, use a hands free device while driving.

Penny-Hanley & Howley Insurance

reference  source http://qbena.com/personal-business.aspx

Fall is always a great time to start preparing your home for the colder months ahead.

A few things to keep in mind to help prepare your home.

Check your gutters – clean any debris from them now, so they are able to work properly throughout the season

Check your windows- check to be sure the seal around your windows is still good.  A good seal will save you money throughout the heating season.

Check your roof- see if there are any broken shingles or holes that need repair.  Fix these now before the snow settles in.

These simple maintenance tips can help you save money on heat, as well as help prevent future damage to your home.

Here is a little history on voting:

Only Free White Men with Property Can Vote

There is no right to vote in the United States Constitution, so each state’s standards have evolved separately unless federal laws were passed that applied to every state. When this country was founded, only white men with property were routinely permitted to vote (although freed African Americans could vote in four states). White working men, almost all women, and all other people of color were denied the franchise.

By the time of the Civil War, most white men were allowed to vote, whether or not they owned property, thanks to the efforts of those who championed the cause of frontiersmen and white immigrants (who had to wait 14 years for citizenship and the right to vote, in some cases). Literacy tests, poll taxes, and even religious tests were used in various places, and most white women, people of color, and Native Americans still could not vote.

African American Men Get the Vote

In 1866, the 14th Amendment to the federal Constitution was passed, guaranteeing citizenship to the former slaves and changing them in the eyes of the law from 3/5 of a person to whole persons. Then, in 1869, the 15th Amendment guaranteed the right to vote to black men, with most women of all races still unable to vote.

1869 also marked the beginning of “Black Codes,” or state laws that restricted the freedoms of African Americans. Among the freedoms restricted was the freedom to exercise the right to vote. Literacy tests, poll taxes, hiding the locations of the polls, economic pressures, threats of physical violence, and other strategies to suppress the African American vote were either found in the Black Codes or flowed from them.

While strategies such as these are no longer legal, some have argued that the misallocation of voting machines in 2004 so that whites in Republican-leaning districts had short lines and minorities in Democratic-leaning districts were forced to miss work to wait in long lines was equivalent to placing a new poll tax on African American and other minority and poor voters.

Women Get the Vote

Initiatives to promote voting for women have been traced back to the 1770s, but the modern movement for a vote for women traces its beginning to the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, when supporters of a Constitutional Amendment to allow women to vote came together. While their movement was slowed during the Civil War years, the two major suffragist organizations united after the war and pushed forward with a movement that culminated, after many difficult years, in the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.

Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos Get the Vote

Some Native Americans became American citizens if they gave up their tribal affiliations in 1887, but many did not become United States citizens until 1924. Many Western states, however, continued to deny the right to vote through property requirements, economic pressures, hiding the polls, and condoning of physical violence against those who voted.

Asian Pacific Americans were considered “aliens ineligible for citizenship” since 1790, and interim changes to naturalization and immigration laws in 1943, 1946, and 1952 give the franchise to some but not all immigrant Asian Pacific Americans. Nevertheless, because citizenship is a precondition of voting, immigrant Asian Pacific Americans did not vote in large numbers until after 1965, when the immigration and naturalization laws were changed.

Asian Pacific Americans born on American soil were American citizens and had the right to vote. When 77,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were put in American concentration camps during World War II, however, their right to vote was not allowed.

For Mexican Americans, those in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas were supposed to get voting rights along with American citizenship in 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the Mexican American war. Property requirements and literacy requirements were imposed in those states to keep them from voting, and violence and intimidation were used against anyone who dared to exercise the franchise.

The Sons of America organized in 1921 to fight for equality and the right to vote, but all Mexican Americans did not receive the right to vote until 1975.

If you would like to read more on Voting History check out http://www.iwantmyvote.com/recount/history/

Casting your vote on November 6, 2012 is your right and freedom.  Please be sure to vote.

Held each September, Life Insurance Awareness Month is an industry-wide effort that is coordinated by the nonprofit LIFE Foundation. The campaign was created in response to growing concern about the large number of Americans who lack adequate life insurance protection. Roughly 95 million adult Americans have no life insurance, and most with coverage have less than most insurance experts recommend. For more information on life insurance, visit LIFE’s website at www.lifehappens.org.

Facts from LIMRA

Who’s at risk?
 Three in ten American households (35 million) are
uninsured and half say they need more life insurance.
 More than half of Gen X and Y households – representing
30 million people – need more life insurance.
 The middle market represents the largest segment of
uninsured households, with half (36 million) admitting
they need more life insurance.
 Seven in ten women agree that life insurance is a
necessity and all people should have it (only 62 percent
of men believe this to be true).
 One-third of wives own no life insurance at all – despite
the fact that 7 in 10 households are dual-income
households, and nearly 30 percent of wives earn more
than their husbands.*

Is your life Insurance Policy adequate?  Take this time to review your policy with us.  We will be happy to help you make any changes you need to your policy.

If you don’t have a Life Insurance Policy, give us a call to see what options we have to offer you.

Penny-Hanley & Howley Insurance

860-684-2721

What is the meaning of Labor Day?

 We all tend to look at Labor Day as a celebration of a long weekend, cookouts, parades and the end of summer vacations.  Many consider this the official end of summer and the beginning of the fall season.

But there is a true meaning and background to Labor Day.

Here’s how the U.S. Labor Department describes the holiday: “It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.”

The Central Labor Union held the first Labor Day celebration in 1882 in New York City. The AFL-CIO, which represents about 12.2 million members, says that first holiday was marked by a march to demand an eight-hour workday and other labor law reforms. About 20,000 workers made their way up Broadway carrying signs that read “Labor Creates All Wealth” and “Eight Hours for Work, Eight Hours for Rest, Eight Hours for Recreation.” (The AFL-CIO site offers a chronological look at such events via a timeline.)

 Who was the Founder of Labor Day?

 Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”

 But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic. (http://erstarnews.com/2011/08/29/what-does-labor-day-mean-to-us/)

 So while we are enjoying our three day weekend, cookouts and last summer vacations stop and think about the true meaning of this holiday.  Labor Day directly affects each and every one of us.

Enjoy your weekend and take a minute on Labor Day to remember the true meaning of the day.