Phishing is a type of online scam where cybercriminals send fraudulent emails or messages to trick individuals into giving away personal information like passwords, credit card details, or social security numbers. Their ultimate goal is to steal money or commit identity theft.

Check the Sender’s Email Address

Phishing emails often come from fake email addresses that may look like those of legitimate companies. To check if an email is legitimate, look at the sender’s email address. If it doesn’t match any known company domains or addresses, then you should be wary of opening the message and clicking on any links within it.

Look for Urgent or Threatening Language

Scammers often use urgent or threatening language to create a sense of urgency and get you to act quickly. Be wary of emails that demand immediate action or threaten consequences if you don’t comply with their requests. The following are examples of phishing emails:

“Your account will be locked if you do not update your information by [date].”

“We have detected suspicious activity on your account.”

Check for Spelling and Grammar Errors

Phishing emails often contain spelling and grammar errors. Legitimate companies usually have professional copywriters who ensure their emails are free of errors, so if you see one with a typo or two in it, that’s a good sign that something might be off.

Verify the Link’s Destination

To verify the destination of a link, hover your mouse over it. If the URL doesn’t match what you expect to see (for example, if it’s not https://www.google.com but instead something like http://wwwgooglecom), then it’s likely a phishing attempt. It’s safest to always type the URL into the browser yourself instead of clicking links unless it’s an email you expected.

Don’t Give Out Personal Information

Another thing to look out for is the request for sensitive personal information. Legitimate companies never ask for passwords or social security numbers via email, so if you receive an email that does, it’s probably a phishing scam.

Be wary of any email that asks for this type of information. If you’re not sure if it’s a real email, do some research on the company and call them directly before responding to any emails from them in the future!

Check for Generic Greetings

Phishing emails often use generic greetings like ‘Dear Customer’ instead of addressing you by name. Legitimate companies usually address their customers by name, so if you receive an email that does not use your name, it could be a phishing scam.

Be on the lookout for generalizations and vague statements in emails from companies you do business with. For example: “We need to verify some information about your account.”

If you have any doubts about whether an email is legitimate or not, contact the company directly using their official website or phone number listed on their website (not through email).

Be Wary of Attachments

If you receive an email with an attachment, be wary of it. Phishing emails often contain attachments that may contain malware or viruses. If you aren’t expecting the email and don’t recognize the sender, do not open the attachment.

Trust Your Instincts

If you get an email that seems suspicious. Take a moment to think about what you know about the sender and their organization. If you can’t recall any reason why they would send such an email or if it’s from someone who doesn’t normally contact you directly (e.g., HR), then there’s probably something wrong with the message itself–and it may be a phishing attempt.

If someone asks for personal information in an unsolicited email (like your Social Security number), delete it immediately! Don’t reply or open attachments; these could contain malicious software designed to steal data from your computer or infect it with viruses that could spread throughout your network.

By following these steps, you can better protect yourself from falling victim to a phishing email. Always remember to trust your instincts and err on the side of caution when in doubt.

Aspen Insurance Agency is a family-run business in Denver, Colorado servicing clients nationwide. We work with multiple insurance carriers to offer our customers a wide variety of risk reduction coverage at the lowest possible cost. We offer a wide range of personal, auto insurance, commercial and professional insurance to residential and commercial insurance customers enabling the best rates available. Call to speak to one of our insurance advisors for home or business insurance and see how painless insurance shopping can be.

Computer operating systems have become far more effective at blocking cyber-attacks. The newest release of Windows 11 requires TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chips on existing and new devices. The Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) is a chip either integrated into the PC motherboard or added separately into the CPU. The purpose is to protect encryption keys, user credentials, and other sensitive data behind a hardware barrier limiting access to malware and attackers.

Many computer and smart phone internet users have access to tools to limit exposure. One simple risk reduction is the use of VPN, or Virtual Private Network.

What Is A VPN?

VPNs are a straightforward method for protecting yourself online. Many browsers come with them, or you can purchase software, where the companies set the VPN up for you.

The main reason to use a VPN is it prevents monitors from tracking or watching what you access online. While you browse the internet through a VPN, your traffic is encrypted. No one can see what you are doing online, nor interfere in any way.

When using a VPN, instead of your browser directly linking to a page or a link, it first connects to servers provided by your VPN, then routing to the page you wanted to visit.  VPNs don’t make you anonymous online: Facebook, Amazon, or any other site you log into will still be able to track your activity on those sites, even with a VPN.

People use VPNs for three principal reasons:

1. Public Wi-Fi is regularly used

A VPN is your best friend when using public Wi-Fi. Criminals use many methods to steal your data on public hotspots. With a secure VPN connection over Wi-Fi, you can browse online in full privacy.

2. Users want to encrypt data

Even when browsing the internet from your home, using a VPN is a good idea. VPN encryption protects your internet traffic and keeps you from leaving online footprints. This way, your ISP won’t be able to sell your entire browsing history to the highest bidder. Encryption secures digital data using one or more mathematical techniques, using a password or “key”, which is used to encrypt and decrypt the information..

3.    Avoiding government surveillance

Government agencies track and collect your browsing activity, messages, social posts, and other private data. They even share this information across country borders. A VPN will make it difficult to do by encrypting digital traffic and hiding your computer’s IP, or Internet Protocol, the unique string of characters identifying each computer communicating over a network.

Be aware, adding a VPN can also have a negative impact on your browsing speed, as there is an additional hop now in going to a website. This is not normally a large impact, and most users believe their privacy and security to be worth the extra time.

Putting a virtual private network (VPN) between you and the internet doesn’t give total anonymity, but it makes it much harder for anyone else to break into your data stream.

How To Get a VPN

There are many VPN providers, who will set up the VPN service for you. A partial list includes:

• ExpressVPN
• NordVPN
• Surfshark
• ProtonVPN
• CyberGhost
• Hotspot Shield
• IPVanish.

Another option is using a browser with an integrated VPN.  Having a VPN inside your browser eliminates the need to have multiple or separate settings to configure. 

It is not difficult to find a browser with an integrated VPN, search for “browser VPN” to come up with a list. A partial list includes:

• Mozilla Firefox
• Epic
• Tenta
• Brave
• Opera
• Aloha
• UR

VPNs are cheap, easy to install and use and can be installed on Apple, Windows, Android computers and smartphones. Experiment with different approaches and products and decide which approach is best for you. 

Aspen Insurance Agency is a family-run business in Denver, Colorado servicing clients nationwide. We work with multiple insurance carriers to offer our customers a wide variety of risk reduction coverage at the lowest possible cost. We offer a wide range of personal, auto insurance, commercial and professional insurance to residential and commercial insurance customers enabling the cheapest rates available. Call to speak to one of our professionals for home or business insurance and see how painless insurance shopping can be.

Unfortunately, due to climate change, what was once considered a “100 year flood”, now seems to be an annual event. Daily rainfall totals of 12 inches, storm surges measured in feet and sea level rise are all contributing to increased water damage in the home.

In the “best” case scenario, flooding may only be a few inches in the basement, from a burst water pipe or a failed basement sump pump. In other cases, the flooding may be measured in feet, as in the coastal storm surge from hurricanes. Regardless of the cause, the homeowner is faced with the post-flood clean-up, which may pose health risks.

Flooding, even in small amounts, can create health hazards for you and your family entering the home. The building may no longer maintain structural integrity or there could be danger of electrocution. Finally, water in the home may spur the growth of mold or other substances which impair breathing. It may be worth the expense to engage a neighborhood professional to assess the danger of structural, electrical, or other hazards.

Home Clean-Up

One of your first calls post-flood should be to your insurance agent. Take pictures of the home and any affected belongings. An important first step is to dry your home and remove water-damaged items to prevent growth of mold. 

If you were not able to dry your home, including furniture and other items within 24 – 48 hours, assume the growth of mold. Mold may grow in clothing, behind drywall, on or under furniture, cardboard boxes, or books. Mold may also be hidden from view under or behind carpeting, furniture cushions, or walls.

Mold growing in the home can lead to asthma attacks, eye and skin irritation, and allergic reactions and can lead to severe infections in people with weakened immune systems. Prior to reoccupying your home, cleanup and remove all mold.

Standard homeowners insurance policies typically exclude damage caused by mold, fungi and bacteria, unless it results from a specific risk incident, such as a burst pipe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with a coalition of federal agencies created a guide for homeowner and renters responding to flooding and mold.

Download the Homeowner’s and Renter’s Guide to Mold Cleanup After Disasters, for detailed instruction on post-flood clean-up.

Aspen Insurance Agency is a family-run business in Denver, CO servicing clients nationwide. We work with multiple insurance carriers to offer our customers a wide variety of risk reduction coverage at the lowest possible cost. We offer a wide range of personal, auto insurance, commercial and professional insurance to residential and commercial insurance customers enabling the best rates available. Call to speak to one of our insurance advisors and see how painless insurance shopping can be.

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What’s Driving Auto Insurance Increases

It seems as if Covid is behind cost increases in many goods and services. For retail products, the cause appears to be a combination of supply chain issues and semi-conductor scarcity. Gas is increasing because after a year stuck at home, people are hitting the road in increasing numbers. The old law of supply and demand: in times of high demand, product costs increase.

But why car insurance? It’s not coming from Japan or China, so isn’t affected by supply chain woes. It’s no scarcer today than last year.

Why is car insurance going up?

Well, it appears that the cost of car insurance has increased over the last 10 years higher than the rate of inflation. So, …. why?

Read on the five factors causing rates to increase.

Factors Causing Increasing Claims

It should not come as a surprise that car insurance is based on history. Driver safety history (including prior accidents and traffic citations) and the cost of repair by make and model. It stands to reason: fixing (or totaling) a Porsche will be more expensive than repair of an econobox.

Bodily Injury

Over the most recent nine-year period, the number of auto claims involving bodily injury has fallen. But the average claim cost involving bodily injury increased by 32% over the same period.

One reason is that people are driving bigger and heavier cars when compared to 10 years ago. There are far more SUVs (from large 3 row SUVs seemingly larger than a time zone to compact SUVs) that are heavier and sit higher than cars. In the event of a collision, even at a relatively reduced speed increases the force of the accident, leading to skeletal and muscle injuries.

In 2020, traffic fatalities increased more than 7% over the prior year.

Call The Hammer!

Prime time TV ads no longer sell soap and laundry detergent as much as they do accident services. “In an accident? Call the Hammer”. “For the people” “Were you hurt in an accident? Get what you deserve”.

Attorneys now actively pursue auto accident business, even when the claim would seem to be somewhat phony. Once attorneys get involved, there are higher reimbursement rates for procedures and treatment.

Increased costs are then levied on all customers. What happened last year (in terms of costs) must reflect what will happen next year.

Distracted Drivers

There are simply more distractions for drivers now. Distractions from vehicle infotainment systems and mobile devices have taken drivers attention away from the road significantly increasing risk.

In a recent survey of 1,000 drivers, 77% reported making or taking calls while driving. 31% said they’ve had a near-miss crash because of distracted driving. Even with Bluetooth in the car, drivers may frequently become distracted by phone call.

Then, there is the little “ding” announcing a new message or email which…. simply….must….be….looked….at….now.

Increase of New Drivers

Commercial truck operators and increased delivery services (in both marked vans and unmarked passenger vehicles) means more commercial drivers on the road. Stuck at home, we ordered everything for delivery from Amazon, Grub Hub, restaurants, liquor stores: anything which could be delivered, we ordered. With that increase also means there are more less -experienced drivers behind the wheel.

Operators driving unfamiliar vehicles, covering new routes, and searching for addresses all contribute to increased accidents.

Vehicle Repair Costs

Autos have become much more expensive to repair. Many cars in the last 20 years adopted new engineering for increasing driver safety at the expense of repairing the car.

In even slow speed accidents, cars are designed to crumple and drop bumpers to dispel the released energy from a collision. Keeps us safer, but also increases the cost of repair. Many newer vehicles use advanced materials and technology designed to make driving more comfortable and safer.

Titanium and aluminum body parts keep the vehicle weight down, at the cost of repair.

Also, over the last year, supply chain disruptions led to scarcity of manufactured car raw materials. Which in turn led to low inventories of both new and used cars and car parts. As a result, cars require longer repair times and are in high demand pushing the cost of repair and replacement higher (there’s that supply and demand again).

What is the best method for reducing insurance?

Drive safely, avoid distractions and slow down. Make sure your younger (new) drivers are aware of the dangers of distracted driving. Any accident, or ticket will lead to increased rates.

Aspen Insurance Agency is a family-run business in Denver, CO servicing clients nationwide. We work with multiple insurance carriers to offer our customers a wide variety of risk reduction coverage at the lowest possible cost. We offer a wide range of personal, auto insurance, commercial and professional insurance to residential and commercial insurance customers enabling the cheapest rates available. Call to speak to one of our insurance advisors and see how painless insurance shopping can be.

Travel insurance is a type of insurance that covers travel-related expenses. This can include medical emergencies, lost or delayed luggage, missed connections and more. The best way to protect yourself is by getting an affordable travel insurance quote before you leave on your trip.

It’s a good idea for anyone who travels—it’s better to have it than not. However, travel insurance is not a replacement for health insurance.

Top Reasons for Getting Travel Insurance

• You want to travel with peace of mind.
• You won’t have to worry about the cost of your medical emergency or flight cancellation.
• You won’t have to worry about lost baggage or a lost passport.
• Travel insurance covers you in case of an emergency, so you can focus on enjoying your trip without stressing about what could go wrong while traveling.

What Does Travel Insurance Cover?

Your travel insurance may cover a variety of things, including:

• Emergency medical evacuation. If you’re hospitalized for an injury or illness that occurs while traveling, your travel insurer can help pay for an emergency medical evacuation. This means that if you need to be transported from one hospital to another quickly and efficiently, the insurance company will pay for your transportation and any related costs.
• Trip delay and cancellation. If a covered reason prevents you from leaving on time (or at all), this coverage will reimburse any nonrefundable expenses such as hotel stays or airfare changes due to the trip being delayed or canceled.
• Lost luggage reimbursement. Just like your car insurance pays for repairs when something happens to your vehicle, travel insurance pays for lost luggage reimbursement—up to certain limits—when things go awry with baggage during a trip.

If you’re looking for travel insurance, make sure that it covers your needs. There are various types of travel insurance policies available and they all provide different types of coverage. You should look at these factors before deciding which policy is best suited for your needs as well as budget

Aspen Insurance Agency is a family run business in Denver, Colorado servicing clients nationwide. We work with multiple insurance carriers to offer our customers a wide variety of risk reduction coverage at the lowest possible cost. We provide a wide range of insurance products from personal to commercial, so you can find the best rates for your needs. Call to speak to one of our insurance advisors for home, auto or business insurance and see how painless insurance shopping can be.

Aspen Insurance Agency was recently awarded and name as one of the Best Health Insurance Agencies in Denver for 2022 by Expertise. We are thrilled to receive this recognition and continue to remain committed to delivering the best service experience for our clients.

Although we were founded in Denver, Aspen Insurance Agency continues to support clients nationwide.

Thanks for the support Denver – We appreciate your business!

In January this year the city of San Jose voted to require gun owners to carry liability insurance and pay an annual fee. The San Jose City Council overwhelmingly approved the measure despite opposition from gun owners who said it would violate their Second Amendment rights. The gun owners promised to sue.

At issue is the question of gun owner rights, versus the rights of the citizens for reasonable protection from irresponsible, or mentally ill, gun owners.

After all, the 2^nd amendment states: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”.

Gun rights opponents (and most historians) point out the phrase “well-regulated Militia “was not intended to give individual citizens the right to own assault rifles or other weapons of mass destruction (at the time of the amendment’s passing, guns were single shot muzzle loaders incapable of the dangers posed by today’s advanced weaponry). The amendment was intended to reduce the need for a standing army: the fear of democracy undone by a commander in chief wishing to crown themselves king.

The intent of the passing of the ordinance is to encourage people in the 55,000 households in San Jose who legally own at least one registered gun to have gun safes, install trigger locks and take gun safety classes, Mayor Sam Liccardo said.

Gun owners who choose not to get insurance won’t lose their guns or face any criminal charges, the mayor said.

San Jose Police Gun Removal Effort

In a parallel effort, the city’s police are also taking guns off the streets.

As of Monday night, San Jose has recorded just three homicides in 2022 — a dramatic drop in killings for the Bay Area’s biggest city. None of the homicides have involved a gun, and police believe that is due to their efforts to get guns off the streets.

“We have officers going out there every day, approximately 200 officers across three shifts. If people pay attention to our social media, they’ll see the vast amounts of firearms that are being taken off our city streets,” San Jose Police Sgt. Christian Camarillo said.

Many of the guns being seized are homemade guns without serial numbers making them nearly impossible to track.

“How do you prevent violent gun crime? By being proactive, by going out there and removing these guns off our streets before they’re able to be used in a crime, in a shooting, in a robbery,” Camarillo said.

Risk of Death by Gun

Just how pervasive is the potential for death by firearm?

US Deaths By Firearm
	Number	Percent of Total	Change
Deaths by Firearm	2019	2020	2019	2020
Suicide	23,941	24,292	60.3%	53.7%	351
Assault	14,414	19,383	36.3%	42.9%	4,969
Legal Intervention	520	611	36.3%	1.4%	91
Accidental Discharge	486	535	1.2%	1.2%	49
Undetermined	346	400	0.9%	0.9%	54
Total	39,707	45,221	100.00%	100.00%	5,514

Between 2019 and 2020 the number of firearm deaths increased. The largest increase in deaths through assault.

Which begs the question: how pervasive the potential for accidental death by firearm is compared to other potential accidental causes.

US Accidental Deaths 2019
Cause of Death
Accidental Poisoning	65,773
Drug Poisoning	62,172
Opioids (Legal and Illegal)	45,489
Firearms	39,707
Motor Vehicle Accidents	39,107
Fire	2,692

Of course, these numbers do not reflect the horror of school shootings or the increasing number of mass shootings (as an example, the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas only killed 59 people, though 441 were injured).

Even at Sandy Hook, only 22 individuals were killed: the fact they were under the age of 10 made the act particularly horrific but wasn’t high in number of fatalities.

Gun insurance would not prevent the acts of crazed or angry gunmen. It is intended to motivate all gun owners to be attentive to the inherent dangers of firearms and the need for security in storing their firearms (as an example, the Sandy Hook shooter had ample access to an assault rifle and ammunition. Had it been securely locked, the outcome may have been far less deadly, especially to the twenty-one murdered primary school students and their teacher).

Aspen Insurance Agency is a family-run business in Denver, Colorado servicing clients nationwide. We work with multiple insurance carriers to offer our customers a wide variety of risk reduction coverage at the lowest possible cost. We offer a wide range of personal, auto insurance, commercial and professional insurance to residential and commercial insurance customers enabling the cheapest rates available. Call to speak to one of our advisors for home or business insurance and see how painless insurance shopping can be.

On Dec. 30, 2021, a wildfire swept through suburban neighborhoods in Boulder County destroying nearly 1,000 homes and forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate. The fire spread with astonishing speed prompting the evacuation of 35,000 people and burning about 6,200 acres

The wildfire, which Gov. Jared Polis called a “force of nature,” came unusually late in the year for Colorado, where a severe, multiyear drought set the stage for the fire to spread with ease. The Boulder area was hit with high winds, including gusts of nearly 110 miles per hour, fanning the flames coming two weeks after a powerful storm system generated dust clouds in Colorado and other extreme weather across the Midwest.

The fire was compared to the 2013 Black Forest fire, at the time the most destructive in Colorado’s history, destroying about half as many homes.

In California, the wildfire season experienced an unusually early start amid an ongoing drought and historically low rainfall and reservoir levels. In January 2021 alone, 297 fires burned 1,171 acres (4.74 km²) on nonfederal land according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, almost triple the number of fires and more than 20 times the acreage of the five-year average for January.

Unfortunately, these were not one-time freaks of nature.

Analyzing Wildfires

A new University of Colorado Boulder-led paper shows that large fires have not only become more common, but they are also spreading into new areas, affecting land which previously had not been in danger.

The paper’s writers analyzed data from over 28,000 fires occurring between 1984 and 2018 using the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) dataset. Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) is an interagency program whose goal is to consistently map the burn severity and extent of large fires across all lands of the United States from 1984 to present.

MTBS examines all fires 1,000 acres or greater in the western United States and 500 acres or greater in the eastern Unites States.

Data analysis confirms fires have gotten larger, more frequent, and more widespread across the United States since 2000.

“Projected changes in climate, fuel and ignitions suggest that we’ll see more and larger fires in the future. Our analyses show that those changes are already happening,” said Virginia Iglesias, a research scientist with CU Boulder’s Earth Lab and lead author of the paper.

Analyzing the data, the report compared the 2005 – 2018 fire seasons to the preceding two decades. In both the West and the East, fire frequency doubled. In the Great Plains, fire frequency quadrupled. The amount of land burned each year increased from a median of 1,552 to 5,502 square miles in the West and from 465 to 1,295 square miles in the Great Plains.

Over the course of 20 years, the amount of land burned each year more than tripled.

Additionally, the analysis concluded that the size of fire-prone areas increased in all regions of the contiguous United States in the 2000s meaning the distance is smaller between individual fires and that fires are spreading into areas which had not burned in the preceding time periods.

These results confirm what had been suspected by the media, public and fire-fighting officials: fires are getting bigger, affecting more populated areas and are harder to fight. These results align with other troubling risk trends: “These convergent trends, more large fires plus intensifying development, mean that the worst fire disasters are still to come,” said William Travis, co-author, and Earth Lab deputy director.

In other words, with more development, and spreading populations, more homes, people, and towns are at risk of fire.

The Camp Fire of 2018 in Northern California is one of many examples. The fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history and the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018 in terms of insured losses.

Drought was a factor: Paradise, in the Sierra foothills, which typically sees five inches of autumn rain by November 12, had only received one-seventh of an inch by that date in 2018.

The fire, ignited by a faulty electric transmission line, caused 85 civilian fatalities, injuring 12 civilians and five firefighters. It covered an area of 153,336 acres (239.6 sq mi), and destroyed more than 18,000 structures, with most of the destruction occurring within the first four hours. The towns of Paradise and Concow were almost completely destroyed, each losing about 95% of their structures.

Aspen Insurance Agency is a family-run business in Denver, Colorado servicing clients nationwide. We work with multiple insurance carriers to offer our customers a wide variety of risk reduction coverage at the lowest possible cost. We offer a wide range of personal, auto insurance, commercial and professional insurance to residential and commercial insurance customers enabling the cheapest rates available. Call to speak to one of our professionals for home or business insurance and see how painless insurance shopping can be.

 

Of life’s major milestones, the happiest must be the wedding. Months before, the blushing bride and her entourage (Mom, Aunts, besties, cousins, sisters, etc) decide what dress should she wear? What venue? What band or entertainment? Which caterer and what menus?  Dad meanwhile is off in the corner calculating the cost of each decision.

Yes, a wedding is a happy occasion, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t potential problems. After all, weddings represent a considerable investment and have become big business. The Wedding Report states there are 2.1 million weddings in the U.S. each year, with a total value of more than $54 billion.

According to the 2020 American Wedding Survey from Brides.com, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is $28,964 with the actual amount varying by geography, preferences, and available budget. However, as the saying says: “the best laid plans of mice and men….”.

The Covid pandemic is an excellent example. The pandemic caused many planned (and paid for) weddings to be cancelled with many couples losing deposits placed on venues, caterers, and bands.

Though Covid may have been a once-in-a-lifetime situation, there are other kinds of event mishaps during event planning and execution creating financial loss for the bride and groom, or the family, when covering their own expenses.

Wedding Insurance

Wedding insurance is available to help reduce the risk of unplanned whoopsies. For instance, covering presents damaged when over-exuberant dancers knocked the gift table into the wedding cake.

Depending on coverage required, wedding insurance could cost anywhere from $95 to more than $500. Travelers Insurance recommends purchasing coverage sufficient to cover the loss from a worst-case scenario if the wedding needs to be cancelled or rescheduled for some reason.

Wedding insurance usually covers non-refundable deposits and some purchases if circumstances require you to cancel or reschedule the wedding, assuming the circumstances are beyond your control. Getting cold feet and backing out of the wedding is typically not covered.

Wedding Day Problems

Wedding venue

The bride found the perfect setting for her dream wedding. An antique restored farmhouse on a manor farm, which caught fire and burned to the ground days before the wedding. Wedding insurance would have covered the cost of cancelling the wedding, as the fire was outside of the insured control. Insurance will also cover venues that may be inaccessible due to weather, such as flooding after a hurricane. Other situations covered by insurance include banquet halls losing their license or going out of business.

Insurance covers rescheduling the wedding and the cost of items such as flowers, tent rentals and the reception. Some venues require proof of liability insurance. Some special event policies have endorsements which allow the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception to also be included within the coverage.

Weather

Planning a wedding six months in advance is far enough out to only have a general idea of the weather.

In some parts of the mid-west, a late spring wedding could be in a sunny, 80-degree day, or be held in the middle of a snow or ice storm.

Wedding insurance will cover the cost of cancelling a wedding if conditions prevent the bride or groom, key family members or the majority of guests from getting to the wedding site.

This can be important if the wedding is planned to be a destination wedding to a remote island, or even if the plan is to have it in hurricane season or the middle of winter.

Vendor issues

According to Travelers Insurance, 44% of wedding insurance claims are for vendors hired for the event but failed to perform as promised. Vendors may be caterers, officiant or limousine driver who fails to show up as promised. It may also cover a photographer’s camera bag stolen during the wedding or a dress shop or a florist who files for bankruptcy just before the wedding.

Insurance might cover a range of risk reduction including covering lost deposits or the cost of photo reshoot.

Property Damage

My mother always said, “to have a successful party, get very tipsy first thing”. That’s great but being a bit too tipsy could be the reason for inadvertent property damage. Say a reception at a historic venue has artwork or furnishings damaged, or an inebriated guest falls into the champagne table, damaging both the table and the Oriental rug underneath.

Travelers Insurance says 28% of its claims involve wedding-related property damage to a location.

Other coverages include:

Cancellation Coverage: Travelers Insurance states 8% of wedding claims involve illness or injury to the bride, groom, or a key member of the bridal party, requiring the wedding to be cancelled or rescheduled.

Bridal Attire: Travelers Insurance says 6% of its claims involve problems with bridal attire, with insurance covering a wedding gown that is lost, damaged or stolen.

Wedding insurance will also cover a bride or groom in the service who is unable to attend due to deployment, or having their leave revoked. Other coverage includes special wedding jewelry, liquor liability, wedding gifts that are stolen or damaged at the wedding, and personal liability covering accidents which occur during the event.

You should decide if you need wedding insurance based on numerous factors. The higher the overall event cost the higher the potential loss. Other situations such as a wedding participant in the service, or the event scheduling may cause more risk than others.

But, it’s nice to know you have options.

Aspen Insurance Agency is a family-run business in Denver, Colorado servicing clients nationwide. We work with multiple insurance carriers to offer our customers a wide variety of risk reduction coverage at the lowest possible cost. We offer a wide range of personal, auto insurance, commercial and professional insurance to residential and commercial insurance customers enabling the cheapest rates available. Call to speak to one of our insurance advisors for home or business insurance and see how painless insurance shopping can be.