VU Resources

Building Your Own Home…Insurance Implications

It is not uncommon for a homeowner to serve as his or her own general contractor when building a new home. When doing so, there is an exposure to claims…

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Insuring Rental Dwellings

An insured has 15 rental properties, none more than 4 units. An insurer covers them under 15 dwelling policies and has endorsed his homeowners policy to extend liability coverage to…

2011 Changes in the ISO Homeowners Program

In 2010, ISO filed its first major revision to its homeowners program in a decade. In this article, Ted Kinney reviews the 27 major changes to HO forms and endorsements,…

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Top 10 Best Changes in the ISO HO2000 Program

In most major insurance filings there are policy changes that broaden coverage, some that restrict coverage, and some that claim to make “no change” in coverage. In this article, we’ll…

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Cash Management Services: What Difference Can They Make to an Independent Agency?

Independent agencies are not like many other businesses. They have unique cash management opportunities. A bank that recognizes this difference will offer a variety of specialized products, competitively priced, to help agents…

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Remote Deposit Offers New Road to Efficiency for Agencies

ATMs revolutionized banking more than 25 years ago and today online banking is now commonplace. And, now a new banking product, remote deposit, is being utilized to greatly improve business efficiencies,…

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Buy-Sell Agreements

Current working partners have to find a way and method of buying out a deceased or permanently disabled member. A well prepared Buy-Sell agreement prepares for this possibility. Once again,…

Federal Estate and Gift Tax Basics

Estate planning generally consists of a plan to distribute accumulated wealth upon death, using life insurance to protect survivors from financial distress, and minimizing taxes and expenses associated with this…

The Basics of Estate Planning

Estate planning can be defined as planning for the transfer of wealth (a large amount, a small amount, or something in between) at a person’s death, and the making of…

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