Life Happens 365 - Are You Managing the Risk?

By Diane Tait Image courtesy Pixabay With the Fourth of July just around the corner, I thought I’d take the time to give all my readers some advice about fireworks.   While I know that fireworks are something that no Fourth of July celebration could do without, when consumers choose to light them off the results can sometime prove catastrophic.   Like it or not, in 2016 there were more than 11,000 injuries and four deaths attributed to fireworks in Florida.   In addition, there were numerous incidents of collateral damage caused when errant fireworks set structures or vehicles ablaze.   Below are several actual incidents to consider before you fill your garage or shed with pyrotechnics.

By Diane Tait Image courtesy flickr Have you decided where you want to go for summer vacation?   That question is easier said than done whether we’re talking about jumping on a jumbo jet or packing the family up in the car to head out on the road.   The biggest bugaboos for most families are making connections and finding accommodations sight unseen.   I’m sure you can remember a time or two when you arrived at a resort only to realize the photos online were decades old.   Of course, if you own a recreational vehicle, most of these hassles are a thing of the past, since both transport and accommodations are built in.   If you own or are thinking of renting an RV this summer, there are a few things you need to put on your checklist.

By Diane Tait Image courtesy needpix Now that summer break is here, there comes the pitter patter of little feet around the house.   Since kids spend a lot of time indoors or close to home when the temperature is in the 90’s, we parents need to take the time to make sure that our home and yard are safe havens.   On the average, more than 12,000 deaths to young people aged 0-18 years happen every year in the US from injuries.   Plus, there are many more times that number when injuries occur to kids that are serious enough to warrant a visit to the emergency room.   While all these incidents are tragic, what’s even more tragic is that many of them were preventable.   To help you keep you keep your kids out of harm’s way, I’d like to devote this week’s blog to household safety tips.

By Diane Tait Image courtesy flickr If you’re like me, you probably never go anywhere without your smartphone.   You probably also have a plethora of web-enabled devices around your home and office.   If you drive a late model automobile you realize that everything from your vehicle’s GPS to the satellite radio you love to listen to as you motor down the interstate are all tracking your location and your preferences with every mile that passes by.   While most modern Americans would be lost without many of the modern technological conveniences that we feel we can no longer do without, I’m here to tell you that all those electronic bells and whistles don’t come without a certain amount of baggage.   Today’s smart devices track our movements, listen to what we say and records all our interactions with our friends, family and coworkers.   With the loss of privacy come several perils to not only our freedom, but our financial security as well.  

By Diane Tait Image courtesy wikimedia Calling Florida the Sunshine State is somewhat of a misnomer during the summer.   That’s because nearly every day we Floridians can expect to see a thunderstorm.   As bad as it is to try to see where you’re going through the windscreen when the rain is coming down in buckets, there’s an even more insidious hazard contained within the heart of every thunderhead: Hail.   Known to crack windshields and ding hoods, hail is a hazard that can cause damage to cars and homes anytime a thunderstorm decides to pop up during the dog days of summer.   To give you a leg up on how to deal with these frozen pellets of peril, I thought I’d devote this week’s blog to the ins and outs of hailstorms.