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Some of the riskiest locations for roadway collisions are work zones, as they often result in changes in traffic patterns and right of way, along with workers present and large commercial vehicles on the scene.

Work zone accidents accounted for 899 people dying in 2023 and the numbers keep rising. Driving in and into a road work zone requires special care and attention. Here's what you should know so you don't become a statistic.

Some of the riskiest locations for roadway collisions are work zones, as they often result in changes in traffic patterns and right of way, along with workers present and large commercial vehicles on the scene.

And large trucks account for 33% of all fatal accidents in work zones. You need to make sure your drivers are trained in negotiating work zone conditions as well as how to avoid the most common accidents they may be involved with.

Few homeowner nightmares compare to sewage backing up through a toilet, shower or basement floor drain.

Beyond the mess and health concerns, sewer backup events can cause extensive damage to flooring, drywall, furniture and personal belongings — and many homeowners are shocked to learn that their standard homeowner's insurance policy typically does not cover the loss.

Fires are the most common claim for homeowners and they can start in a variety of ways.

The causes of these fires range from food left unattended on the stove to candles left burning. A majority of these fires are preventable with some forethought and care to minimize the risks. Here are the eight most common causes of house fires and how to prevent fires from starting.

As we ring in the New Year, one of your resolutions for the year should be to improve safety for you and your family.

There are many things we can all do better in terms of ensuring that we are safe and that our home and valuables are protected.

This year we offer up these five actions you can take to reduce the chances of one of your family members or a house guest getting hurt, and to see your possessions are well protected.

A new model law adopted by the executive committee of the National Council of Insurance Legislators could spur more states to adopt legislation to regulate health insurers' use of prior authorization.

While prior authorization remains an important tool for managing utilization and costs, insurers' rules are often opaque, which leads to confusion and frustration among patients who have been denied or experienced delayed care. As a result, lawmakers in many states are looking for guardrails that improve transparency and predictability without dismantling the process altogether.

One of the biggest challenges as we age is the prospect of having to spend days, weeks, months or even years in a hospital.

If you're enrolled in Medicare Part A (hospital coverage) it can help foot the bill for the first 60 days, but far less in the following 30 days, and after that you will pay full price out of pocket. Also, the number of days in the hospital that Medicare will cover over your lifetime is capped and once you burn through those days, you are on your own for the costs. 

As employers face rapidly rising health insurance costs for their employees, industry pundits are increasingly urging benefit leaders to confront "stealth" cost drivers that quietly inflate spending year after year.

While headline issues like premium increases draw the most attention, some of the most meaningful opportunities to control costs lie in areas that are often underinvested or poorly integrated into benefit strategies.

When people sign up for a new health insurance plan, be that an employer-sponsored plan or one purchased on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange, they can often be confused about when coverage starts, what is covered and whether they have to share in the costs of a medical procedure.

Here are tips on avoiding the most common billing issues that arise and how to avoid paying more than necessary.

Employers face a familiar but unforgiving task each winter: reporting their group health coverage details to the IRS. With key Affordable Care Act filing deadlines falling in early 2026, employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees should already be reviewing records, reconciling data and preparing required forms to avoid penalties.

ACA reporting is largely about accuracy and timing, and problems often stem from waiting too long to pull information together. Here's how to get it right and avoid penalties. 

The IRS imposes an estate tax on any amounts over an exemption of $15 million per individual. For married couples, the exemption amount is effectively $30 million with proper planning. If your heirs inherit more than that, the top tax rate is as high as 40% on assets they may receive after you die. 

That can be a painful tax bill for your heirs — especially if your assets are illiquid, because they may be forced to borrow money to pay the estate tax or sell assets at fire sale prices.

If you believe estate tax may apply after your death, you can take steps now to minimize your heirs' exposure to estate taxes.

One great way of creating a gradually disbursing retirement benefit while still keeping the long-term savings portion of your money conservatively invested is to create a bond, annuity or CD ladder.

These ladders are separate investment instruments with varying maturity dates that allow you to take advantage of long-term savings rates while still making sure that some of your money is readily liquid when you need it. Here's how each one works and how you can benefit.