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Identity Theft Risk Management Strategies

Identity theft risk management will soon be available from GuideOne as an endorsement to your home policy. Contact us for info on this important coverage for today.

Risk Management : The process of making and implementing decisions that will minimize the effects of loss.

Identity theft, the problem today: Identity theft is an increasing concern today with the following startling facts:

      • Identity theft increased by 81% in 2002
      • 9.9 Million victims reported identity theft in 2003
      • 90% of homeowners fear identity theft, but few know much about preventing it
      • According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America.
      • Identity theft occurs when a criminal obtains a victim's name, Social Security number, address, credit card number, or other personal information, and then uses the information to commit fraud, or other crimes.
      • A person's identity can be stolen in a variety of ways. Someone's billfold might be lost or stolen.
      • A person may unknowingly give out personal information on the internet or over the phone.
      • A criminal may steal someone's mail, or even dig through their trash to find personal documents.
      • Once the criminal has the proper info, he or she is able to access the victim's bank accounts, use credit cards, apply for new credit cards, take out loans, and conduct other criminal activity.
      • Not only can the victim of identity theft lose property and cash, but large debts can be run up in the victim's name and their credit rating destroyed. 
      • It can cost thousands of dollars in legal fees, lost wages, and other related expenses to resolve it.
      • Victims can for months, and at times, years, trying to restore their identity, financial records, and credit. They may also lose job opportunities and even get arrested for crimes not committed.  

Tips that can help you prevent identity theft:

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Form (050511 Personal Property Form.xls vpppp789 by pfs)

Personal property is legally defined as any item that is not affixed in any way to the structure, such as items that you can pick up and walk out with. Examples would be books, chairs, tables, machines, etc. Please note it is important that items with serial numbers and/or model numbers and the such have those noted on the form properly. When you have completed your forms, send a copy to our office for your computer file; this will provide a secure copy of your work, should something happen.  This storage service is free of charge for our clients.  Those who have taken advantage of this have found it to be an easy way to stay on top of their inventory control, as well as being assured they have adequate coverage. Our suggested method for completing large tasks, which many have found really gets this important job done follows:  Have a pizza or ice cream party--have fun as you work to complete this; everyone in the family should be involved.  Divide your property or facilities into small sections, and divide into teams that go into the various sections and record everything they see, noting all necessary data for each item.  The completed list should then be returned to someone in the home who can complete the form, with its current replacement values from your supplier, for each item.  For supplies, you should use an average amount that you might keep at your location.

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Form (050511 Personal Property Form.xls vpppp789 by pfs)
Forms (050511 Scheduled Property Form.xls vppsp345 by pfs)
Forms (050511 Scheduled Property Form.xls vppsp345 by pfs)
It is critical that you schedule the following types of personal property on the scheduled property inventory form for them to be properly covered: items that appreciate in value (such as collectibles or antiques), are unique (such as some sports equipment or photographic equipment), or items that move from place to place like laptops, or cell phones.  These types of items, with few exceptions, have little coverage under the main property policy when they are moved from the insured building.  Please note your policy for these exceptions and limitations. Most clients have found this to be an easy form to tract their valuables and or portable property.  When completed, forward a copy by email to our office so we can process this data, and so have those items added to your policy. If there are some items on this schedule that you do not wish to have added to your policy, please indicate that on your schedule.
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COBRA Benefits and Info You Should Know

COBRA BENEFITS AND INFO YOU SHOULD KNOW*

As people move from work location to location health coverage usually is one of their major concerns today. There are a set of defined term and qualifiations to qualifiy if the emplorer must offer COBRA. *

  1. Qualified emplorer :  If the employer had 20 or more employees and offered a group health plans in the prior year COBRA must be offered.
  2. Employee count : Part-timers'  Part-time employee hours should be added together for determining full-time equivalents (40 hours) Add up each 40 hour equivalent individual or part-times for qualified employer.
  3. Qualified beneficiaries: Eligibility for COBRA is limited to qualified beneficiaries which are those covered by a group plan the day before a qualifing event.  These can enclude plan participants whether full-time or part-time, their spouses, dependents, and retirees not yet covered by Medicare.
  4. Qualifying events  for qualified beneficiiaries:  
    1. Employment termination voluntary or involuntary (exception gross misconduct)
    2. Reduced work schedule as from full-time to part-time
    3. Death
    4. Divorce
    5. Legal separation
    6. Medicare eligibility 
    7. Active military duty (if the employer does not maintain the reservist's health coverage)
  5. Coverage scope :
    1. Coverage must offere identical health care as was in polace before the qualifying event  to non-COBRA beneficiaries any chanages following the qualifying event will apply both to COBRA and non-COBRA employees.
  6. Coverage duration: 
    1. Most qualifying events will provide benefits for qualifed beneficiaries from the date of a qualifying event for up to 18 months.
    2. Exceptions may include an added qualifying event that could extend the covereage
    3. Employeers may also provide extended coverage.
    4. Coverage may end if the employer stop offering group health coverage
    5. Coverage may end if the beneficiary does not pay timely premiums.
  7. Beneficiary premiums:
    1. The full cost of the insurance premium though some companies do subsidize the COBRA premiums
    2. The former may change up to 102% of the planned premium for the insurance keeping the extra 2% to cover administrative costs.
    3. Prmemiums may increase if the plan offered has an increase
    4. Employers can terminate the COBRA coverage is payment are late.
    5. The Beneficiary must make the initial premium payment within 45 days after COBRA election
  8. Election and notification requirements:
    1. Employers must notifycovered employers and their spouses of their right under COBRA when they join the company's helath plan.
    2. Employers must inform the plan administrator within 30 days for these qualifying events for employee's death,termination, reduction in hours, or medicare entitlement.
    3. A qualified beneficiary must inform the plan administrator within 60 days of these qualifying events divorce, legal separation or a dependent's change of status.
    4. The plan administator must notify the person entitled to receive COBRA benefits within 2 weeks that they have 60 days whether to elect to accept or decline coverage. This is the point that usually causes the most grief for employers.  Sending the notices timely and to be sure all that need the notices receive them.
    5. Each beneficiary has the right to independently elect or reject COBRA whether the beneficiary is the employee or a dependent.

* Please note that this information is not designed to be all inclusive on this matter but given as a general over view of the Federal laws concern this. Since COBRA and other health continuation provisions can vary from state to state this information is give to alert you to the fact that you need to review your rights and privildges for the continuation of your health benefits before you have a change that could leave you without coverage.  Some states laws cover all employers even those with less then 20 employees which is different then the Federal laws affecting this subject.  To determine your state's laws refer to your state's labor agency or a legal professional.  Plan requirements, notification requirements, denifination of terms and length of coverages all may vary from state to state as well.  Please note that provisions can change from time to time as well.  The above information is current as was made known to us as of the date noted below.

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COBRA Benefits and Info You Should Know
Pastor & Church Staff Scheduled Property Inventory Forms (050301 Pastor & Church Staff Scheduled Property Form.xls vpppsp1 by pfs)

Please note that the Pastoral & Staff form is for recording items that are not organizational-owned but personally owned by the individual, and which are used in their work.  This would include personally owned items with incidental use as well, whether located at the person's place of work, their home, or other location.  Items should be listed for their current replacement cost. 

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Personal Property Inventory Forms (041115 Personal Property Form.xls vpfsppi1 by pfs)
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The Vacant or Unoccupied Property Issue
The Vacant or Unoccupied Property Issue

The Vacant or Unoccupied Property*

Vacant Property

If you are presented with a vacant property issue for your property, you must be aware of this important exclusion if you are to have valid property coverage.  If your property becomes vacant, that is, it does not have most of the furishings or other items needed for human occupancy for thirty days or more, your property coverage will be made void according to the provision in almost all dwelling policies. It may be possible to add a rider for coverage to override this exclusion if you notify our office timely.

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The Vacant or Unoccupied Property Issue

The Vacant or Unoccupied Property*

Vacant Property

If you are presented with a vacant property issue for your property, you must be aware of this important exclusion if you are to have valid property coverage.  If your property becomes vacant, that is, it does not have most of the furnishings or other items needed for human occupancy for thirty days or more, your property coverage will be made void, as is the provision in most all dwelling policies.  It may be possible to add a rider for coverage to override this excludion if you notify our office timely.

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The Risk Management Report Card
                                                                The Risk Management Report Card
Your position with us.  As a client we would like you to know that your efforts are an important part of your insurance program with us today, and we need your help. For an insurance program to provide the best possible benefit, at the best possible price, it is critical that we have current data that is specific to the risks of your organization which have been properly reviewed for their frequency and severity. 
Risk Management, it's importance today.   The risk management that we assist you with is the foundation upon which a good insurance program is built. Without this relationship, which we build with you, you may have a policy with great provisions, but do they meet the specific needs of your organization?  I am sure you have known of people and organizations that have coverage with good insurance companies, but when a loss was presented, they were often left with no benefits to assist them with their loss.  Perhaps the proper risk management may lessen your risks; some may be spared moral loss, loss of sight, limbs, life, health, property loss or financial loss.  Insurance can assist with the aftermath of a risk loss, but only proper risk management may prevent or lessen the effect of risk loss. For a sound risk management program, it takes a team effort that is built on a solid on-going relationship with people who care enough to take the time to be involved with us. We can help you with current training, materials, resources, and our personal involvement to review and encourage your efforts, plus be your advocate to represent your risks and how they are being dealt with to the insurance company. Only an on-going relationship with our clients can offer these benefits for your organization.
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The Risk Management Report Card is the data I must collect and review ninety days prior to your renewal with the insurance company home office underwriter.  This report has a major impact on your renewal premium.  Please take some time to review the elements of this report so that we can work together for your best premium and less risk. To assist us with the advantage of being on the same page, we have included on our website many sample form suggestions, data collection forms, and other helpful data which cover a wide variety of the risks that you may be presented with today.

Risk Management defined The process of making and implementing decisions that will minimize the effect of accidental loss on an organization. 

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Church Disaster Recovery, Developing Effective Plans For A Dynamic & Growing Ministry

Developing An Effective Disaster Recovery Plan *

Assisting ministries with developing, perserving and restoring trust, with excellence.

These principles are designed for ministries that desire to be dynamic and growing by bringing effective balance to the demands of our challenging culture.

As a person boards an airplane today, they may find the screening and checking which is required bothersome, but most would not think of boarding without it being done, because of their perceived view of the risk involved today. In like manor people are likely to avoid attending or working with your ministry when these are missing for the same reasons. We believe effective risk management is necessary for a ministry to be dynamic and growing today. We offer to assist your ministry with time saving up to date information, suggested safeguards and other written procedures, workshop at your ministry location, that are effective in bringing your risks into a more manageable position.

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Site last updated 03/20/2024