October 14, 2015
In
Insurance
Buy the Umbrella before the Storm: The Importance of Flood Insurance
When thinking about risk management, floods – and by association, flood insurance – are often dismissed as a wasted expense or optional add-on. Buyers rationalize that flash floods and damage from rainfall are things that only happen to “other people.” It brings to mind Noah’s ark, surging rivers, and tsunami waves crashing on the coast. Sadly, however, this is actually something that every person should be thinking about. Damage from elements, particularly water, can have a serious effect on your life.
The top three causes of flooding are:
- Too much rain
- Broken water main
- Clogged/blocked external drains
Many parents in the Pacific Northwest choose to start saving early for their children’s education, including participating in Washington state’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program. However, as tuition starts lowering with the College Affordability Act, the state felt it was necessary to reevaluate the GET program. Board members announced this August that they would be implementing steps to protect participants who bought into the program and assumed tuition would rise. The plan, which goes into effect on August 19th, includes the following:
On July 1st, the insurance world experienced a major event. I woke at 4:00am for my pre-sunrise run and upon my return home was bombarded with the news: 
In estate planning, there are some common stumbling blocks to completing a plan. Who will care for your children? At what point do you end life-sustaining care? How much should you leave to your children? Perhaps the most challenging of these is the last. Picking a number that provides a leg-up for your heirs while protecting them from leading uninspired, unmotivated lives can seem like the work of a magician. Luckily, our wealth planning experts have put together three ways you can find your magic number.