Quiz: She Said What? Name These Famous Women’s Quotes
Throughout history, women have shaped the world with their courage, wisdom and determination. From groundbreaking activists to trailblazing leaders, their words continue to inspire change and progress. And it’s certainly do different at Erie Insurance. Since our founding in 1925, and for the 100 years to follow, women have played major roles in shaping ERIE […]
Diabetes & Exercise: Connecting the Dots
Diabetes has become a widespread health concern, affecting millions of people of all ages. CDC reports that 11.6% of the U.S. population – 38.4 million individuals – had diabetes in 2021. While medications and dietary adjustments tend to take center stage in diabetes management, exercise is an equally critical component and is often underutilized. For anyone managing diabetes, understanding the relationship between exercise and blood sugar regulation can be a game changer.
The Science Behind Exercise and Blood Sugar
When we exercise, our muscles use glucose as a source of energy. This simple fact has profound implications for people managing diabetes. Regular physical activity improves insulin sensitivity, meaning the body uses insulin to move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells more efficiently. This is not a short-term effect. With consistent effort, exercise can help stabilize blood sugar for long-term health improvement.
Impact of Different Types of Exercise on Blood Sugar
Different types of exercise affect blood sugar in different ways:
- Aerobic exercise: Walking, cycling, and swimming can elevate the heart rate and burn calories. Aerobic exercise is a rhythmic and repetitive physical activity that uses the body’s large muscle groups. It helps lower blood sugar during and immediately after the activity.
- Weight-bearing exercise: Resistance training, such as weightlifting and bodyweight exercises, builds muscle mass, which increases the body’s capacity to store glucose.
Benefits of Exercise Beyond Blood Sugar
While the main focus of diabetes is often blood sugar management, the benefits of regular exercise extend far beyond that. Here are some reasons to begin and maintain an exercise routine:
- Improved heart health: Diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Exercise lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, and strengthens the heart.
- Weight management: Excess weight can exacerbate insulin resistance. An exercise routine, combined with a balanced diet, can support sustainable weight loss and management.
- Better sleep quality: Regular exercise can help regulate sleep cycles for more restorative rest.
- Enhanced energy levels: Although it may seem counterintuitive, exercising can increase one’s energy levels throughout the day.
- Mood boost: Physical activity releases endorphins, reducing stress and elevating mood.
Building the Right Exercise Routine
Starting a new exercise routine can be intimidating if you have been inactive for a while. The key is to start small and gradually build up your routine. It is equally important to find activities you enjoy. Exercising does not have to mean hitting the gym. Dancing, gardening, bowling, hiking, martial arts, playing with kids or grandkids, household chores, or any activity that gets your body moving counts as exercise.
Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Check your blood sugar levels before and after exercise, particularly when engaged in a new activity, to see how your body responds and help prevent hypoglycemia. Be consistent and aim for at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise weekly, plus resistance training twice a week.
Proper health care is particularly important for those who are managing diabetes. Our experienced agent can help you find a health plan that suits your needs at the best available rates.
Here’s What Road Salt Does to Your Car
When the season changes to spring, our cars often wear the scars of the winter they’ve just endured. And not just from the harsh weather. Road salt helps melt ice, which definitely makes the roads safer. However, there are some definite downsides when it comes to your car. Read on to learn exactly how road […]
The Newlyweds’ Guide to Life Insurance
Marriage is about building a life together. Life insurance is a safety net that helps protect what you are creating. Although it may not be the first thing on your mind after the honeymoon, creating a strong financial plan should be high on your to-do list. Your financial strategy should include planning for risk and buying life insurance.
Why Should Newlyweds Consider Life Insurance?
After marriage, your financial lives are intertwined. If you are supporting each other’s career goals, sharing a mortgage, or planning to start a family, life insurance can be a cornerstone of financial security for the following reasons:
- Income protection: If one partner dies unexpectedly, the other could be left shouldering financial burdens alone. Life insurance can allow the surviving spouse to maintain their standard of living without added stress.
- Debt coverage: Shared debts, such as mortgages, car loans, and student loans (if you live in a community property state and the debt was incurred after the marriage), do not disappear if a spouse passes away. Death benefits from a life insurance policy can cover these obligations, so the surviving spouse is not left in financial distress.
- Family planning: If you plan to have a family, life insurance can provide financial support for your spouse and future children, funding everything from daycare to college tuition.
- Lower premiums: If you buy life insurance when you are young and healthy, you can lock in lower premiums, making the policy more affordable in the long run.
How Much Life Insurance Do Newlyweds Need?
Not everyone needs the same amount of life insurance. A general rule of thumb is to aim for coverage at seven to 10 times your annual income. However, as specific needs can vary, newlywed couples should consider their unique situations to determine the right amounts of coverage for them. Key questions to ask include:
- What are your current financial obligations? Add up the total of your car loans, mortgage, and any other shared debts.
- How much income would your spouse need to maintain their current lifestyle? Consider monthly expenses and how long your partner will need financial support.
- Are you planning for future expenses? Factor in the costs of raising a family, saving for your retirement, and your financial goals and dreams for the years ahead
What Types of Life Insurance Are Best for Newlyweds?
After you have an idea of how much coverage you need, the next decision is what type of life insurance is right for you. The choice usually comes down to either of the following two types of policies:
- Term life insurance: This is straightforward and affordable coverage for a specified period, such as 10, 20, or 30 years. It is a practical choice if you need substantial coverage, but your budget is tight.
- Whole life insurance: This type of policy provides lifelong coverage and builds cash value over time. Although the premiums are higher, it doubles as a financial asset and a savings component to provide long-term security.
If you are newlyweds considering life insurance, speak with our friendly agent. We can help you find the best available life insurance coverage rates that suit your needs.
How Lithium-Ion Batteries Are Transforming—and Challenging—Businesses
The business world is becoming increasingly dependent on lithium-ion batteries. These compact, rechargeable power sources have become an essential part of daily operations in industries ranging from construction and retail to restaurants and logistics. Their widespread adoption is largely due to their high energy density, efficiency and reliability. However, as businesses integrate more battery-powered tools […]
How to Design a Top-Notch Employee Benefits Package
A well-designed employee benefits package is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. Beyond salary, benefits like health care, retirement plans and paid time off play a major role in employee satisfaction and loyalty. But what makes a benefits package truly stand out? It’s about offering the right mix of coverage, flexibility and financial security. […]
Spring Cleaning for Your Small Business: 7 Ways to Refresh and Refocus
Each year, 80% of Americans roll up their sleeves for spring cleaning, clearing out clutter and refreshing their spaces. But what about your business? Just like your home, your business can benefit from a seasonal refresh—no mop and bucket required. Taking the time to tidy up your operations, streamline processes and review your goals can […]
5 Essential Compliance Tips for Restaurant Owners
Running a restaurant is a complex task that requires managing staff, pleasing customers, and marketing to keep customers coming in. Amid the daily hustle, compliance with regulatory requirements can slip down the priority list. Overlooking these requirements can lead to serious financial and legal consequences that can jeopardize your business. The following five essential compliance tips can help restaurant owners navigate this complex landscape:
Understand Food Safety Regulations
Food safety is crucial for every restaurant. Regulators rely on the Food Code published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Violations could tarnish the reputation of your business or even lead to closure. A thorough understanding of all food safety laws, including hygiene practices, storage guidelines, and temperature controls, is crucial.
Do not skimp on equipment such as refrigeration units and thermometers, and invest in regular training for your staff. General business liability insurance is essential to cover medical expenses, legal fees, and settlements if a customer claims to have contracted food poisoning at your restaurant.
Stay Compliant with Wage and Hour and Employment Laws
Managing workers involves more than giving instructions and writing paychecks. You must also comply with wage and hour law and other employment law issues, ensure tips are distributed correctly, and maintain accurate records. In an industry with high employee turnover, disputes over pay are common. Noncompliance with state and federal employment laws can lead to expensive fines or lawsuits.
Restaurant staff face unique risks daily, from slip and fall accidents to kitchen cuts or burns. Workers’ compensation insurance is required in most states. It also protects your business from financial fallout if an employee is injured.
Obtain the Right Permits and Licenses
Restaurants are heavily regulated, from food handler permits to liquor licenses. Operating without the proper documentation can lead to fines, forced closure, and legal action. Acquiring the necessary permits initially is not enough. You must also stay on top of renewals and any changes in regulations.
Business insurance plays an essential role in shielding your restaurant from financial and reputational harm. If you serve alcohol, liquor liability insurance is a must. This coverage protects from lawsuits stemming from alcohol-related incidents, such as an accident caused by a patron after leaving your establishment.
Protect Customer Data
In addition to employee data, many restaurants in today’s digital age collect customer data through credit card payments, online reservations, and loyalty programs. With that comes responsibility for safeguarding sensitive, personal information. Safe data storage and access procedures and compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards are essential. A data breach can damage your restaurant’s reputation and lead to significant financial losses.
Cyber liability insurance is essential coverage for restaurants. It can help cover the costs of data breaches, including legal and notification expenses and public relations efforts. Cyber liability insurance is a wise investment in a time when one security lapse can put your business in the headlines for the wrong reasons and lead to the high costs of resolving claims.
Be Prepared for the Unexpected
Compliance is more than simply following the rules. It also means being prepared to bounce back during natural disasters, equipment breakdowns, and other unexpected events. Business interruption insurance can replace lost income if your restaurant is temporarily closed due to a covered peril.
Our knowledgeable agents can help you find the coverage you need to protect your business and comply with the industry’s many rules and regulations.
Cyber Insurance: Why Every Small Business Needs It
When you think about cyber threats, you might picture a large corporation battling a data breach, not a small construction firm, local brewery or veterinary clinic. But here’s the reality—cybercriminals don’t just go after the big guys. In fact, small businesses are often prime targets because they typically have fewer security resources. If your business […]
How Does My Credit Score Affect My Insurance Rates?
March is National Credit Education Month—and many of us could use some help. When we think about credit scores, most of us are aware that our credit scores can affect loan approvals, car financing, credit card limits, or whether you are at the top of the list of tenants a landlord will consider.
Another area where credit score plays a critical role is in determining insurance rates. Your credit score, calculated from the information in your credit report, directly influences how much you pay for auto, homeowners, or renters insurance.
What Is the Connection Between Credit Scores and Insurance Rates?
Insurance companies are in business for profit and are concerned with managing risk. Each policyholder represents a unique set of probabilities. The goal is to assess the likelihood that you will file a claim, the potential payment for that claim, and your overall reliability as a customer. They use a combination of factors, including your credit score, to assess the risk.
They do this because studies have shown a correlation between claim behavior and credit scores. Insurers assert that individuals with lower credit scores are statistically more likely to file claims, and those claims tend to be costlier. Although this is not true for every person, data-backed trends provide insurance companies with the rationale for factoring credit scores into their calculations.
Insurers do not look at your raw credit score like a bank or lender might. Instead, they use a specialized “insurance score” that considers credit history but focuses on factors insurers believe are more predictive of your risks as a policyholder. Outstanding debts, late payments, and the length of your credit history could play a role in determining your insurance score.
What Impact Does Credit Score Have on Insurance Rates?
Your credit score could influence your rates for auto, homeowners, or renters insurance as follows:
- Higher score = lower rates: If your credit score is strong, insurers perceive you as financially responsible and less likely to file frequent or frivolous claims. Consequently, you are likely to have access to better insurance rates.
- Lower score = higher rates: On the flip side, a lower credit score may signal financial instability to insurers. They may require higher premiums to offset the perceived risk.
- Exception to the rule: In some states, insurance companies are restricted or prohibited from using credit scores to determine insurance rates. Your credit score may not affect your insurance premiums if you reside in one of these states.
How Can You Improve Your Insurance Rates?
If your credit score affects your insurance rates, taking the following steps can improve your credit score. While it will not happen overnight, these actions can make a significant difference over time:
- Pay bills on time: Payment history is one of the most significant factors affecting credit scores.
- Reduce credit card balances: A high ratio of balances to limits can negatively impact your score.
- Avoid opening new credit accounts: It can temporarily lower your score due to hard inquiries on your credit report.
- Check your credit report: Review the report for errors that could drag down your score unnecessarily.
- Meet with our experienced agent: We can work to get you the best available rates for the insurance coverage you need.
Review Your Insurance Rates
It’s always smart to review your insurance policies regularly and shop the market to see if you can save on your rates. Contact our agency today to speak with an experienced agent who can help you find the best coverage at the right price!
