Boat Insurance is valuable for many reasons. It protects your boat from physical damage caused by collision, theft, vandalism, fire, lightning or windstorm. The various parts of your boat are covered, including the machinery, outboard motors, boat trailer, fittings and auxiliary equipment, permanently attached equipment and your personal property. In addition to this protection, CT Boat Insurance also covers you in the case of medical payments, liability and legal expenses. Your policy varies based on the physical damage coverage you choose: Actual Cash Value or Agreed Amount Value. Actual Cash Value covers you for the market value of your vessel. Agreed Amount Value states that you and your CT insurance agent have agreed upon a value of your boat, and that is what you will be paid should something happen to your vessel.

There are typical deductibles for CT Boat Insurance policies, but your Connecticut insurance agent should also be able to walk you through choosing the proper coverage. Be sure to ask our agents at Encharter Insurance if you are eligible for any of the following discounts:

• Diesel powered craft, which are less hazardous than gasoline powered boats as they are less likely to explode
• Coast Guard approved fire extinguishers
• Ship-to-shore radios
• Two years of claims-free experience
• Multiple policies with the same insurer, such as an auto, homeowner’s or umbrella policy
• Completion of safety education courses

Photo: Jessie_088_2009

Pablo Picasso – Dora Maar au chat – $95,216,000

Pablo Picasso – Garcon a la pipe – $104,168,000

Most of us don’t have billion dollar paintings in our home, that in the event of a fire we need to rip off our walls and run out with, but we all photos that are valuable to us. If you are one of the lucky ones to own a valuable piece of fine art, make sure that you are protected in the event that it might be damaged, stolen, or there’s a fire, with CT Fine Arts Insurance. For the rest of us, we may not be able to replace our photos or even put a price tag on them.  However, if your home should unfortunately be affected by a fire make sure it is covered with CT home insurance . Suffering the loss of your belongings, and possibly your home is enough, talk to a CT insurance agent about protecting your home.

Photo Credit: DarFin Oil Painting & Oil Paintings Gallery

• In the 14^th century, Geoffery Chaucer connected Valentine’s Day with the birds’ mating season and having babies. This was the first instance of romantic connotations.
• In 1850, the holiday switched from religious to commercial when Valentine cards were mass produced. The cars were insult cards meant as a joke.
• Around this time, chocolate was given as a remedy for broken hearts. However, since chocolate is also known as an aphrodisiac, it became associated with Valentine’s Day.
• In the coming years, heart-shaped chocolate boxed, mass-produced Valentine’s Day cards, candy hearts and chocolate kisses were created.
• In 1969, the Roman Catholic Church took the holiday off the religious calendar, and it officially became a commercial holiday. During the ‘80s, the jewelry industry joined in on the promotion of the holiday.

So whether you get hyped up on the idea of Valentines, chocolate & jewelry (oh my!), or you prefer to stay away from the commercialized holiday, there’s still a need for Connecticut insurance. Valentine’s Day supporters – you may need to insure that new piece of bling you received from your Valentine with Connecticut Jewelry Insurance! For the rest of us, we always have the need for Connecticut Home Insurance and Connecticut Car Insurance. And hey, we can save even more money by bundling policies! Talk to your local CT insurance agent at Encharter Insurance about your policy needs!

Photo: Wikimedia.org

Stamford Museum and Nature Center: Stamford is known for being just a drive from NYC, but staying in the area can boost a fun day visiting the Stamford Museum or Nature Center. The museum is located just outside the downtown area is always offering events and fun things to do. Every Sunday there are “Sunday Explorers” where kids can take part in different winter activities. They also have Astronomy Nights on most Fridays in the Observatory that offers opportunities to see the stars in a whole new way.

Connecticut Sportsplex: If you’re looking to release some of the kids’ energy over their break and have a little fun of your own, the Connecticut Sportsplex is the right place. They have an indoor sports dome which includes soccer, football, and lacrosse. They also have an arcade, laser tag, and their very own “cybersport”.

Yale University: Aside from pretending to be a Yale Student for a day, a trip to take alone may be to visit New Haven’s Atticus Bookstore & Café. It has books and pastries for a relaxing couple of hours of reading. On campus, there is the Gothic Sterling Memorial Library and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. A trip to Yale could prove the perfect day to relax and enjoy that book you’ve been meaning to read or to buy a new one!

Road trips are an inexpensive way, especially when being more fuel-efficient, to do something exciting with the kids. Before a road trip, you may want to review your CT auto insurance and make sure that, if any accidents happen, you are covered. Having the right CT insurance can help protect not just your car, but also you and the kids. So feel free to contact Encharter Insurance and checkup on your auto insurance before hitting the open road.

Photo Credit: Hill Creek Pictures/age footstock

• A video game console
• A trailer rental for a family reunion
• A $12,000 family trip
• A birthday party for an employee’s child
• A golf trip for an employee and friends
• A day at the spa
• A wedding anniversary dinner
• A hotel charge for viewing adult movies
• A fine for crashing into a toll booth
• A teepee

I certainly got a chuckle out of reading a few of these, but these items could ultimately affect your bottom line. Make sure that your policies about expense reporting are clear and easy to find. Make sure employees are aware if there are any changes made. Another way to help your bottom line – talk to your Connecticut insurance agent about your Connecticut Business Insurance policy and make sure that you are not paying out extra arms and legs! In fact, you shouldn’t be paying arms and legs at all! Commercial line agents at Encharter Insurance can help you evaluate your current policy and help you find areas to save money. Additionally, by bundling your policies, you could save even more! Check this off your to-do list while you’re in the paperwork spirit!

Photo: psychiatrist-blog.blogspot.com

As a business owner, you need to be prepared for everything. This is not the first time someone has drove their vehicle into a restaurant, or other establishment. I’m sure it won’t be the last either. Connecticut Business Insurance can protect you from these unexpected accidents. You can protect your property AND your customers with various CT Business Insurance policies. Coverage varies from business to business, but local Connecticut insurance agents at Encharter Insurance can show you your options and make valued recommendations. Owning a business is quite the investment, and a rewarding one at that. Don’t lose all your time and money that you put into your business because of a lack of insurance.

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• U.S. workers spend more than $1000/year on coffee
• U.S. workers spend about $2000/year on lunch

Men and younger workers are more likely to spend around $5 for a coffee, whereas women and older workers are more reserved.

• Per week, workers spend about $37
• Men spend more ($47/week)
• Women spend about $27/week

The biggest differences are seen when broken down by age:

• 18 to 34 year old professionals spend around $25/week on coffee
• Workers over 45 spend around $14/week on coffee

Keep in mind that the money spent on coffee and lunch (around $3000/year) is double the average commuting expense ($1500).  You can probably guess that many of these “youngsters” made a New Year’s resolution to save money by bringing lunch to work this year. Trying to think of more ways to save money? Try talking to your Connecticut insurance agent about bundling your CT Home Insurance and CT Auto Insurance. Agents at Encharter Insurance can save you money in multiple ways; all it takes is a quick phone call! Think of it this way: if you save money on your insurance, maybe you won’t have to cut back on your other indulgences (because I’m with those of you who say that coffee indulgence gets you through the week!)

Photo: delish.com

• Melbourne, Australia
• Vienna, Austria
• Vancouver, Canada (I speak from personal experience when I tell you this city is breathtaking!)
• Toronto, Canada
• Calgary, Canada
• Sydney, Australia
• Helsinki, Finland
• Perth, Australia
• Adelaide, South Australia
• Auckland, New Zealand

Although these cities look amazing, for the time being, you should enjoy your time in Connecticut. To protect your joys and your memories, talk to your Connecticut insurance agent about the proper insurance for your home. Whether you’ve been in your home for years or you’ve recently moved in, Connecticut Homeowner’s Insurance policies vary. Different homes need different coverages. As years go on, you may need to adjust your CT Home Insurance policy. What better way to find out what you need than to talk to a knowledgeable agent. Encharter Insurance can get you the coverage you need, and maybe some discounts to go along with it. Your dreams don’t have to wait, but don’t wait to protect what you’ve got. Happy traveling!

Photo: wallpaperbase.com

• Virtual Farming – People in China make money by playing an online game. They earn gold and then sell it to other players!
• Doggles – UV protective doggles started this trend. Now there is a whole line of dog gear!
• The Million Dollar Homepage – A guy sold one million pixels on his webpage for $1 apiece.
• WhateverLife – A teenage girl offered various layouts for MySpace, as well as free tutorials.
• MyYearbook – Simple: an online yearbook on social networking sites.
• Cameron Johnson – At 9 years old, he created greeting cards. At 12 years old, he resold TY Beanie Babies on eBay. He has gone on to various other business ventures.
• LuckyWishbone – The company manufactures and sells plastic wishbones.
• Steve Pavlina – He writes on his blog about life hacks.
• Hungry Pod – One women has made thousands by loading music onto people’s iPods.
• Antenna Balls – You’ve probably seen the things on top of some people’s car antennas. Someone made millions.
• The Laser Monks – Refills for ink cartridges save you money and save the environment.
• I Do Now I Don’t – One man is successful after getting dumped by his fiancé, and has created a site to help other men who are stuck with engagement rings.
• SantaMail – Parents send $10 to this company for a letter to their kids from “Santa.”
• Amazing Butterflies – He sells butterflies and makes millions. By the way, it all started from a bet!
• FitDeck – Playing cards which feature fitness workouts from Phil Black’s experience as a Navy SEAL and a trainer.

Whether your business is as creative as this, or if it’s a little more standard, everyone needs business insurance. Talk to your Connecticut Insurance agent about Connecticut Business Insurance. Agents can get you set up with all of the various insurance coverage needs that your business requires. Questions? Agents at Encharter Insurance are knowledgeable in commercial line insurance. Based on the success of others, have your friends put you up to a bet, or roll out of bed and make one of your spontaneous dreams come true. Hey, these people had some good luck!

Photo: financialhighway.com

For those of you who are traveling to attend the big event, or having people at your home for your own (cheaper) fun, make sure your Connecticut Insurance is keeping up with you. Expert agents at Encharter Insurance can advise you towards the appropriate coverage, and save you money while they’re at it! Don’t get stuck on the side of the road on your way to the Lucas Oil Stadium without CT Auto Insurance. Don’t get stuck with liability charges beyond your CT Home Insurance coverage during an out-of-hand Super Bowl party in your home. Get ready for the thrills of the next month!

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