Insurance Blog

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! With it being on a Friday this year – there is plenty of reason to celebrate after the work day. Drinking green beer, green eggs, and ham, and enjoying the celebrations with your friends. To make sure you stay lucky and safe this year, plan ahead and have a buddy with you while you are out and about.

Meow!....Meow!....Meow! That’s how my feisty, food--and attention-loving cat Olivia wakes me up every morning for her breakfast …at 6 a.m. Good thing I never bothered buying an actual alarm.

Perhaps you’re finally earning enough to leave your family’s home and get your own place. Or maybe you’re tired of roommates or recently uncoupled with your partner. In any case, you’re a part of the rising demographic of people living by themselves with no partner, no kids and no roommate.

There are many reasons people move. It could be for a job or a loved one. It could be based on the weather or just to experience a new place,. So where’s everyone going?

Public Wi-Fi helps us stay connected no matter where we go. It’s convenient to use at a coffee shop, a neighborhood restaurant or the airport, but how safe is it? Unfortunately, cyber criminals can log in to the same free network that you do and attempt to gain access to your devices and personal information.

With so much new car safety technology, it’s hard to believe that traffic deaths would be on the rise. Yet that’s exactly what a new release from the National Safety Council revealed.

One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. Now, researchers want to make the standard seat belt even safer for seniors who account for tens of millions of drivers in the U.S.

Whether it’s a hurricane or a routine power outage, navigating a dark house is never fun. That’s why many people choose to install backup generators in their homes. A backup generator can power your home until regular electricity resumes.

It’s easier than you think to take care of your health. Here are 10 things you can do that don’t take a lot of time and effort to get your hearth in shape.

You’re on your trip or away from home when something unexpected happens. Your luggage gets lost, or even worse, it’s stolen. Here’s what you need to know and what you can do.

We’ve reported before on how common—and how expensive—identity theft can be. Sadly, it appears that this is still the case.

Shoveling snow: great form of exercise or risk to your health? The answer is probably both.

Ah, there’s nothing like that new car feeling when you buy a car -- that distinct new car smell and the lush interior. The techy gadgets and the sweet sound system. But after you finish selecting all the options you want, there’s one more you might consider. And that’s a small add-on to your auto insurance policy.

It’s an unfortunate fact that space heaters, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves cause more structure fires than central heat and hot-water heaters combined.

A common question that we all must face at certain points in our life is: "Is it time for me to get a new car?". By taking this quiz, you should have more direction on your soul search for a new vehicle.

Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day—February may be the shortest month of the year, but there is a lot going on.

One of the top safety hazards for children in the home is being seriously injured from furniture or a TV falling over on them. We have all heard horror stories of kids getting trapped under a dresser after trying to climb up on top of it. This happens daily and it can happen to anyone.

Nashville rang in 2017 the best way possible–safe and sound.

This is the time of year when many people are busy making New Year’s resolutions. While it’s certainly a good idea to make yours about self-improvement, it might also be worth considering making one that benefits the ones you love the most.

There’s been a lot of concern about how technology is leading to more distracted driving. Yet we also know that drowsy driving is also a major culprit behind auto accidents.

Many start-up businesses launch at home. The amount of insurance coverage that you need for your business is based on several factors.

If you plan to travel over the holiday season, you’re in good company. In 2015, AAA reported that nearly 100 million Americans—nearly one-third of the population—packed their bags and spent the holidays at least 50 miles from home.

You know the old sayings about money going out the window or prices being through the roof? There is some truth to these statements when it comes to homes and energy use.

Let’s face it; nobody really wants to get bills. But, you kinda need them to go to the right place.

There’s nothing like returning to a warm home when it’s freezing outside. Yet cold air has many sneaky ways to follow you into your home. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to keep yours toasty all winter long. These 12 tips will help you keep cold air from entering your house.

There are lots of pluses to using compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). For one, they use less energy. That’s good for the environment—and for your wallet since they last six times as long as regular bulbs.

Last year, we reported that traffic deaths were on the rise in 2015. Sadly, things aren’t looking too much better in 2016.

The day after Thanksgiving is a popular time to set up and decorate Christmas trees. In previous posts, we talked about how to choose a Christmas tree and how to care for a Christmas tree. Now, we have advice about a popular ornament that pet owners will want to avoid.

The holiday season is nearly here, which means many shoppers will be driving in and out of store parking lots for the better part of a month. All that activity can up anyone’s chances of being in a parking lot accident. Which may lead you wonder: How does insurance cover parking lot accidents?

Whether you’re traveling over the river or through the woods this holiday season, these tips from travel experts will help you safely (and sanely) arrive at your destination.

Sick of shoveling? When winter sweeps in with a mega storm that blankets your neighborhood, a snowblower can be a saving grace. While you still have to go outside, a snow blower spares you from the back-straining labor of shoveling snow.

There’s no adventure quite like setting off toward destinations unknown on your own four wheels.

They say that the only constant in life is change. And that’s true whether you’re 18, 80 or somewhere in between. One thing to consider when life changes is your insurance coverage. Here are six common transitions that your Erie Insurance agent can help you navigate.

In order to best prepare for your Thanksgiving dinner you’ll want to start planning a few weeks out. After the hustle and bustle of Halloween is done and over with, it’s time to start thinking about your Thanksgiving feast.

What are the real reasons holding you back from getting life insurance? Are you like the majority of Americans who don't have it, but say that they know they need it?

Floods and hurricanes create an opportunity for criminals to defraud unsuspecting consumers by selling them flooded cars. Used-car buyers should always be aware of this risk—especially after an active hurricane season like we’ve had this year.

There are lots of choices when it comes to insurance. One of the biggest is how to choose a deductible.

You probably already have a child safety seat for your car, so now it’s time to make sure baby is safe at home too. Without a doubt, your little bundle of joy is probably making you consider a home makeover. When your baby starts to explore, you’ll want to be ready.

So you’re in the home buying market. Congratulations! You’re probably already overwhelmed by decisions: Colonial or ranch style? Stucco or stone? One or two story? Carpet or parquet flooring? And that’s not even including one of the most important factors in any new home purchase: location, location, location.

If you’re like many homeowners, you’ve received multiple solicitations in the mail persuading you to buy a protection plan for your exterior utility lines or pipes. It seems like they’re in the mail pile at least every month. And if you’re like most people, you’re not quite sure if this protection is something you might actually need.

Child safety seats can be lifesavers for your car’s smallest passengers.

They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That saying certainly applies when it comes to your car. By spending a little bit of time and money before things go south, you could potentially save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. Not sure what to do? Then check out these four tips.

With fall in full swing, a leaf blower is something many people simply can’t live without. And while using one is pretty straightforward, there are some basics about how to use and maintain a leaf blower that are worth keeping in mind. The following tips will help you stay safe, use your leaf blower the right way and even extend the life of your leaf blower.

What’s the hottest trend in real estate? Here’s one you may not be hearing much about: Cash-strapped Millennials are looking for roommates.

Being a pet parent comes with responsibilities. Just a few include making sure your pet is safe in a car and has access to great veterinarian.

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM), an annual effort that helps raise awareness among consumers and producers about the need for life insurance. As 2016 LIAM spokesperson and race car driver Danica Patrick explains, many Americans don’t have enough—or even any—coverage to protect the people they love most.

It's natural to wonder if all your stuff would be protected during the chaos of a move.

When a hurricane is about to hit, time is of the essence. That’s why weather forecasters try to give people in affected areas as much advance notice as possible.

Whether you live on a coast or inland, hurricane season can spell trouble if you’re not prepared for it.

At the heart of every great business is great service. And there are certain things that businesses with a reputation for incredible service all do.

Have you ever read the children’s book Love You Forever, where the mother cares for her growing son until, as a grown man, the son cares for his aging mother? The story depicts a parent/child role reversal that many experience in real life.

Yes, it may be time once again to schedule employee performance appraisals. Are you ready?

There are lots of ways to get insurance coverage these days, but working with one insurance agent and company for your business, home, auto and life insurance has a lot of advantages.

For quite some time, Google Glass is one of the most buzzed-about technologies around. Yet while most people would want to use it for fun, Erie Insurance is looking to use it on the job.

Teen drivers have always been at risk due to their inexperience behind the wheel. Today, they face another obstacle in the form of constantly buzzing phones, screens built into cars and more. The facts show that distracted driving is a major danger.

Did you know that August to October is known as the “heart of the hurricane season?” And that September is the month in which tropical storms and hurricanes hit their peak?

The very best business insurance policies offer you more than just a piece of paper outlining what they do and do not cover. They also offer valuable services that benefit your business in a variety of ways. These services should not only take care of you when something goes wrong, but help you avoid it in the first place.

The World's Largest Rubber Duck is a sight to behold. And people all over the country have had the luck of spotting her as she makes her way through waterways this summer.

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM). This industry-wide campaign from the LIFE Foundation is aimed at educating Americans about the importance of life insurance and helping them get the coverage they need.

It’s no secret that teens and cars can be a dangerous combination.

When my husband and I first decided to go with a natural gas grill that hooked up directly to our home gas system, we were thrilled to say farewell to propane canisters and the hassle of refilling them. But a 600° overnight mistake has me wondering if it was such a great idea.

Even if your funds are limited, there are lots of easy ways to make your home safer. Not sure where to start? Then check out these five easy ways to improve home safety on a limited budget.

Red light cameras are becoming more and more popular since they first appeared in New York City back in the 1990s. And research confirms that this is a very good thing when it comes to safety and saving lives.

Mexican Fiesta offers more than just food and entertainment, though. It’s also an important celebration of Hispanic culture and a major fundraiser for the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation. That organization sponsors the event, with all proceeds going toward higher education scholarships for Hispanic students in the state of Wisconsin.

While most young adults have already moved out for college, I went to a university close to home and commuted. After graduating, it just made sense to live at home and make the 30-minute drive each way to work to help save up money. After a year and a half though, it was time – time to totally gain my independence. (Sorry Mom and Dad, love you!)

Part of the issue with having so many books, decorations, lamps and any other college necessities is space. Extension cords became my savior. This past year, I had a piece of furniture covering every single outlet my teeny tiny room offered--and an extension cord peeking out of every end. I relied heavily on these magnificent creations, as did all of my friends. Extension cord safety was far from my mind.

As the owner of a technology business, you most likely need coverage for your building, your business personal property, the personal property of others in your care, liability and employee on-the-job injuries.

What does a trans-Atlantic journey, a giant rubber duck, and Erie Insurance all have in common? They’re all part of the 2016 Tall Ships Challenge, taking place now throughout the Great Lakes.

After a close call in my apartment–who knew olive oil is bad for high-heat cooking? – it dawned on me that I had never used a fire extinguisher. I’m no fire chief, but learning on the fly while your smoke detector is blaring seems like the wrong time to figure that out.

As the mom of a daughter getting ready to pack up her yoga pants, shower shoes and Ramen noodles, my world has been nothing but calls to the university, FAFSA forms (if you don’t know what the heck that means, you soon will if you have a child in high school!) and researching student loan interest rates.

In the vast majority of cases, you won’t get a payout when your term life insurance policy expires. The exception is a return of premium policy, which returns all of the money you paid over the years back to you. However, the premium is usually much higher for this option than it would be for the average term life policy.

You’ve probably heard of Pokémon GO, the digital-meets-real-world scavenger hunt that’s got players glued to their phones all around the world. What you might not have thought about is the opportunity that it presents for business owners to attract new customers.

You’ve probably heard of Pokémon GO, the digital-meets-real-world scavenger hunt that’s got players glued to their phones all around the world. What you might not have thought about is the opportunity that it presents for business owners to attract new customers.

Most people know about the dangers of rip tides, swimming without a life jacket or venturing out too far. Yet there’s another danger that many aren’t aware of.

This summer’s blockbuster movie “The Secret Life of Pets” might have you thinking about your furry friend more than usual lately. After all, what pet owner wouldn’t want the best for his or her pet if the unthinkable happened? Maybe you even want to leave your pet in the lap of luxury, like the movie’s fictional Max and Duke.

It’s easy to see why thieves love the summer months. So many things are left out in the open—and it’s easy to steal them when people leave their windows open or they are on vacation.

Everyone knows the saying about the grass being greener on the other side. If you don’t take care of your lawn mower, the grass will be shorter on the other side, too.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that more people die in motor vehicle crashes on Independence Day than any other day of the year. (New Year’s Day is a close second).

Perhaps you already have an idea for a home-based business—and maybe you’ve even thought through the risks as well as logistics like buying business insurance. If so, you’re probably focused on one of the more enjoyable aspects of your new enterprise: setting up your home- based business office.

Employee engagement is a burning business topic. Why? Study after study has shown that an engaged workforce ultimately leads to greater productivity, profitability and a healthier bottom line.

Employee terminations and payroll record keeping are just two examples of routine business matters that if not handled properly could quickly spiral into a serious problem for business owners.

Most business owners know that it’s far easier—and cheaper—to keep a satisfied customer than to acquire a new one. And research confirms this, with studies showing that it costs anywhere from five to 10 times more to gain a new customer than it does to sell to an existing one.

Here’s a tale of Benny and his pup Banjo on the day Banjo’s cone came off. As it does in the life of any puppy, mischief abounds. Luckily, most pet care providers vets, groomers, dog park owners, dog daycare centers, pet spas and more–have insurance coverage that help protect against minor (and major) mishaps common in the lives of customers like Benny and Banjo.

Many trends in today's business world are exciting and encouraging. Unfortunately, the number of lawsuits and high-dollar awards in liability cases are not one of those positive trends.

As a store owner, you most likely need coverage for your building, your business personal property, the personal property of others in your care, liability and employee on-the-job injuries.

You probably never want to imagine that a customer would sue you or your business for discrimination or sexual harassment, but it does happen unfortunately.

In the wake of an insurance claim, it’s common to feel stressed and unsure of your next step. If you’re ever in this situation, it’s possible that you’ll encounter someone falsely claiming to be acting on behalf of an insurance company.

Safety may not be the sexiest part of running a business, but it’s an essential one. No one wants to work in an unsafe environment. And no company wants to be responsible for putting the life and well-being of its workers at risk.

If you’re searching for business inspiration, how about looking at what’s playing on the big screen?

Feeling the effects of cabin fever? If so, stop by the Pittsburgh International Auto Show this weekend.

It’s safe to say that many people’s biggest asset is their home. That’s why it’s so important to have the right homeowners insurance for it.

October marks National Cyber Security Awareness Month, a time when every American is encouraged to learn more about staying safe in the digital world.

It's no secret that Pittsburgh has undergone a metropolitan makeover in the past few decades. The city's rise and fall as an industrial powerhouse -- with the smoke and soot to prove it -- has given way to a new generation of entrepreneurs and industries that have earned Pittsburgh major props as one of the top places to live, work and visit in the United States.

Get ready to grab life by the handlebars as ERIE's "Summer of No Regrets Road Trip" rolls into our hometown of Erie, Pa.

Long winter days got you down? If so, stop by the Pittsburgh International Auto Show this weekend!

Many people feel pressure around the holidays. But imagine if you had to grow, cut down and deliver a Christmas tree to the leader of the free world. Yet that’s exactly what Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, recently did.

Holiday shopping can take a toll on your energy. Fortunately, you can kick back a little if you’re shopping at the Mall at Robinson in Pittsburgh this weekend.

Ridesharing – [rahyd-shair-ing]* Noun 1. An act or instance of sharing rides or transportation. 2. Services that arrange one-time shared rides on short notice via smartphone apps. 3. One of the hottest and fastest growing trends in transportation.

How do you measure success? How about 284 golfers, 8,712 holes played, 285 ERIE volunteers, 48 charities and more than $92,000 for charity? Those are some of the numbers behind ERIE’s Charity Challenge Golf Tournament, which celebrated its fifth anniversary on Sept. 8.