EARTHQUAKES AND INSURANCE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Earthquakes can cause much harm to home structures. They can damage housing foundations and collapse walls; even relatively mild tremors can destroy furnishings and belongings.Homeowners and renters insurance does not cover earthquake damage. A standard policy will, however, generally cover losses from fire following a quake and, if such a fire makes your home unlivable, cover the additional living expenses incurred while you live elsewhere during repairs.

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HARCO Insurance Services

Welcome to HARCO Insurance Services! We are a firm of dedicated insurance professionals committed to providing our clients with caring, personalized service. HARCO remains one of Houston’s leading providers of Business Insurance, Personal Insurance, and Financial Services since 1969.

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Core Insurance, Risk Management

Cybersecurity Material for Private Companies

Article | September 22, 2022

Cyberattacks are one of the world's most pressing concerns. In fact, they were ranked among the top ten risks in the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Reports for 2020 and 2021. 1 According to the reports, cybercrime-as-a-service is becoming more affordable, accessible, and sophisticated. Though previously regarded as a technological issue, cybersecurity is now a growing ESG concern for private companies, investors, regulators, and consumers. Why cybersecurity is material for private companies Cyberattacks are significant issues for both private and public companies because they increase the risk of exposing confidential company information or sensitive customer data, disrupting supply chains, increasing regulatory scrutiny, and/or causing reputational harm. In 2021, the average cost of a data breach (including ransom payments and customer compensation) was $4.24 million per incident (the highest level in 17 years),8 and the global cost of cybercrime is expected to be $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. 9 Companies with marketable client or intellectual property information face increased financial risk as a result of the impact that data has on both their value and brand loyalty. Furthermore, firms that rely heavily on real-time operations can expect high per-minute costs of lost opportunity and revenue if a denial-of-service (DoS) attack occurs. As a result, while some attacks may result in no direct material loss, these risks can have a significant impact on a company's valuation by influencing brand perception and operating costs. Private companies should consider these potential risks when evaluating cybersecurity investments, as underspending can significantly increase long-term costs. Cybersecurity is a widespread and rapidly growing issue that has significant material impacts on private companies.These risks are especially relevant as private companies prepare to enter public markets, where strict oversight controls are regarded as good governance. Companies, in our opinion, must have the necessary expertise and infrastructure to navigate these significant risks and the corresponding increase in regulation and disclosure expectations.

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Core Insurance, Risk Management

How technology will transform life insurance

Article | August 4, 2022

Do you know what the UK insurance industry is going through? A disruption that calls for complete metamorphosis. Not so different from what the whole world is going through at the moment. Crafting one-size-fits-all products and expecting them to sell like hotcakes is a huge misconception. Customers want products to be as personalised as possible. Pay per mile insurance or lower car insurance premiums for safe drivers are some examples. In the current global crisis, personalised life insurance would look like factoring in the unique health/ living conditions of the person and then providing insurance options.

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Insurance Technology

8 POS Software Trends for 2022: New Forecasts and What's Next

Article | July 13, 2022

Online shopping is quickly becoming the new norm in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most retailers had to migrate their businesses to the cloud in order to meet the current demands of highly tech-savvy consumers, and the use of POS software has become more important than ever. A cloud-hosted POS solution is no longer an option for small and large businesses, but rather a requirement. POS systems have provided retailers with a more efficient way to track inventory and manage sales, replacing the old cash register and traditional methods of selling. As ecommerce grows, POS solutions play an important role in increasing convenience for online customers and providing a customer-centric experience. To keep up with the latest POS system developments, there is a list of the most important POS software trends to watch for. By understanding current POS software adoption reports and key insights, you can maximize the potential of your existing POS solution or, better yet, have better ideas on financing trends by POS that can bring value to your retail business. Consumers had to reorient their purchasing toward needs like food, medicine, and other home items as the viral pandemic threatened everyone's health and safety. The US Census Bureau recently released a report that found that throughout the pandemic, retail stores providing food and beverages saw the biggest monthly growth in retail sales. To better understand how POS systems are assisting retailers in overcoming the challenges posed by the rapidly changing retail landscape, here’s a list of the most recent and important POS software trends: Cashless Transactions via Mobile POS Systems Adoption of Cloud-Hosted POS Systems Multichannel Commerce Customer Layout Programs Personalized Shopping Experience AI Integration in POS Systems Use of POS Data Analytics Simple POS Hardware Investing in modern POS systems and maximizing their rich feature sets can help your retail business go a long way, from attracting new customers to retaining a loyal customer base that can drive sales and support your long-term growth.

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Insurance Technology

Security Think Up: It’s Time to Give a Thought About Cyber Insurance

Article | July 7, 2022

The rise in remote work during and after the pandemic has increased cyber vulnerabilities significantly. Cyber insurance protects your company from the financial consequences of cyber threats or data breaches involving computer systems and data. Credit card numbers, social security numbers, account numbers, health records, and driver's license numbers are examples of sensitive customer information. According to a recent SBA survey, 88% of small business owners believe they are vulnerable to a cyberattack. If your company is a victim of cybercrime, the cost of recovery can be prohibitively expensive, including specialized repairs and legal fees. One of the most difficult challenges is quantifying cyber risk. Although approaches and frameworks like NIST CSF, CIS 20, NCSC Cyber Essentials, and ISO 270001 aid in the development of cyber security capabilities, they do not provide the tools to quantify risk. As a result, leaders frequently overestimate their cyber maturity while underestimating cyber insurance premiums. Potential Cyberattack Types are: Breach of data: A breach occurs when critical information, such as personal financial information, is stolen. Cyber-attacks on computers:Your computer system is hacked and compromised in this type of cyberattack. Extortion via the internet:During an extortion threat to your company's computer system, thieves may demand ransom payments. To address these issues, a variety of approaches can be used, ranging from zero-trust models to multi-factor authentication (MFA) and end-point detection and response (EDR) (EDR and XDR). Protective monitoring, encryption applied to the most critical aspects of your network, and patch management processes can also provide insurers with the assurance they require. There are options for both small and large amounts of cyber liability coverage. A small cyber liability insurance policy could be added to the policy of a business owner. A larger cyber liability policy with higher limits would necessitate its own policy. Furthermore, they provide a real-time view of compliance through a risk-based approach that is consolidated, consistent, and aggregated across the entire organization. Workflow automation can help the IRM system become more efficient. By consolidating your risk management processes, you can ensure that controls continue to deliver on their objectives and demonstrate compliance with policies, standards, and regulations while having a lower impact on your day-to-day operational demands. All of this will make it easier to meet cyber insurers' requirements and give organizations confidence that their policy will protect them when they need it.

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Spotlight

HARCO Insurance Services

Welcome to HARCO Insurance Services! We are a firm of dedicated insurance professionals committed to providing our clients with caring, personalized service. HARCO remains one of Houston’s leading providers of Business Insurance, Personal Insurance, and Financial Services since 1969.

Related News

Valued Policy Law and Total Loss

inredisputesblog | May 21, 2019

Typically, a fire insurance policy pays a policyholder for the actual cash value or the replacement value of the property destroyed. But in 20 states, if there is a total loss, the amount the insurer must pay is equal to the value of the property at the time the insurance policy was issued. What happens if the policy covers a multi-building complex and one of the buildings is destroyed? The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals recently addressed this issue. In Norwood-Redfield Apartments Limited Partnership v. American Family Mutual Ins. Co., No. 18-2618 (8th Cir. May 16, 2019)(Unpublished), the appeals court affirmed a judgment in favour of the insurance company denying the policyholder’s claim to recover the full value listed on the policy of an entire complex of buildings when only one of the buildings was destroyed. The policyholder sued its insurance carrier after a fire destroyed one of the buildings out of 32 in the complex. The insurance carrier paid nearly $3 million for the loss, but the policyholder wanted the policy limits of over $31 million.

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Valued Policy Law and Total Loss

inredisputesblog | May 21, 2019

Typically, a fire insurance policy pays a policyholder for the actual cash value or the replacement value of the property destroyed. But in 20 states, if there is a total loss, the amount the insurer must pay is equal to the value of the property at the time the insurance policy was issued. What happens if the policy covers a multi-building complex and one of the buildings is destroyed? The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals recently addressed this issue. In Norwood-Redfield Apartments Limited Partnership v. American Family Mutual Ins. Co., No. 18-2618 (8th Cir. May 16, 2019)(Unpublished), the appeals court affirmed a judgment in favour of the insurance company denying the policyholder’s claim to recover the full value listed on the policy of an entire complex of buildings when only one of the buildings was destroyed. The policyholder sued its insurance carrier after a fire destroyed one of the buildings out of 32 in the complex. The insurance carrier paid nearly $3 million for the loss, but the policyholder wanted the policy limits of over $31 million.

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