As the Covid related restrictions are being lifted and we are slowly returning to our pre-pandemic routines, we are all looking forward to celebrating Independence Day.

Fireworks are a staple of Fourth of July celebrations in the United States, and while some small towns are still scaling back their professional fireworks displays, Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks on the East River are back in full force.  People are gathering again for cookouts in their backyards, parks and beaches to barbecue and put on their own firework displays. 

The ALS team is celebrating our first Independence Day in our new home and, as always, our mindset is that of mitigating risks.  To that end, we wanted to share some important points on the fireworks safety. 

Despite being full of positive, useful and educational information, the internet is chock-full of potential dangers, and your children can unintentionally get into quite a few uncomfortable and, sometimes, dangerous situations. These risks are even more prevalent now, as many parents are working from home and children are attending classes remotely. As highlighted in our past blogs on this topic, if you have a standard Homeowners policy, you will likely have little protection from the legal liabilities that can result from inappropriate actions via the internet. So, what can you do?

As September approaches, college students are collecting textbooks, polishing up their class schedules, and shopping for that perfect dorm room setup. Insurance is probably not the first thing on their minds. Unless - you are a Risk Management undergrad at Temple University. ALS Intern, Jason Glickstein, outlines why insurance should be on every college students’ back to school checklist.

Fireworks are a staple of Fourth of July celebrations in the United States, and many towns put on their own professional fireworks displays which are monitored for safety by local fire departments.  This year, many of these have been cancelled due to the pandemic, but people still want to celebrate, and many take it upon themselves to set off the fireworks at home. 

These days, with most of us stuck at home and doing the majority of shopping and banking online, the risk of cyber criminals hacking into our networks to get to our bank accounts and/or personal information is greater than ever. While we have made considerable advances in cyber-security, so have the cyber criminals which is one of the reasons we are starting to see insurance policies that protect personal information in the event of a breach.