Courtesy of iii.org Walking is definitely good for your health. But it may be dangerous to your life in busy cities, particularly in Florida. A study by Smart Growth America ranked eight Florida metros in the top 10 after analyzing pedestrian deaths over a 10-year period. The group created a Pedestrian Danger Index to compare pedestrian safety in cities of different size, density, and rates of walking. So, it’s not only a factor of big cities with more cars and more walking. The study contends it is also due to “poor pedestrian infrastructure,” meaning roads are designed to move cars

Courtesy of iii.org Returning to your home after a flood is a big part of getting your life back to normal. But consumers and small businesses may be facing a new challenge: mold. What can you do to get rid of it? How do you get the mold out of your home or office and stay safe at the same time? CDC has investigated floods, mold, and cleanup, and offers practical tips for homeowners and others on how to safely and efficiently remove mold from the home. In 2005, thousands of people along the Gulf Coast were faced with cleaning

Courtesy of iii.org There are more options for renting a car than ever before—bricks-and-mortar, peer-to-peer and membership-based car sharing services. While this means more choice for renters, it also creates more questions about insurance coverage. Use these tips to properly insure yourself when renting a car, and avoid wasting money on duplicative coverage. If you’re looking to rent a car, depending on your needs and location, there are a number of alternatives—the traditional brick-and-mortar companies, peer-to-peer car services and car sharing programs—each with its own insurance parameters. It pays to understand your existing coverage first, and then look at your

Courtesy of iii.org Business interruption insurance can be as vital to your survival as a business as fire insurance. Most people would never consider opening a business without buying insurance to cover damage due to fire and windstorms. But too many small business owners fail to think about how they would manage if a fire or other disaster damaged their business premises so that they were temporarily unusable. Business interruption coverage is not sold separately. It is added to a property insurance policy or included in a package policy.  A business that has to close down completely while the premises

Courtesy of iii.org If you rent a house or apartment and experience a fire or other disaster, your landlord’s insurance will only cover the costs of repairing the building. To financially protect yourself you will need to buy renters or tenants insurance. Renters insurance protections Like homeowners insurance, renters insurance includes three key types of financial protection: The big difference is that renters insurance doesn’t cover the building or structure of the apartment—that’s the landlord’s responsibility. The following questions will help you choose the right coverage when you are shopping around for renters insurance or discussing your needs with an

Courtesy of iii.org Pop quiz: what’s one of the most common types of homeowners insurance claims? (Hint: it’s not fire.) It’s water damage. Maybe that’s not surprising – it rains a lot in many places. But what may surprise you is that things like pipe bursts and broken appliances are increasingly the main causes of water damage in homes.   In insurance-speak, these are called “non-weather water damage claims.” Worryingly, these claims are happening more often and are getting a lot more expensive. A Best’s Review article reports that the average homeowners water damage claim is now over $6,700. Large losses (over $500,000) have doubled in number over the past