"An insurance policy may have a good price, but poor value."

- John H. Connors

Keep Personal Data Safe during College Application Season

Fall is college application season, and while most parents and teens are focused on getting into their top-choice schools, there’s something else to consider — protecting your personal information when submitting college applications online.

There’s a wealth of personal information sent online to school networks this time of year, including the following:

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Halloween Safety Tips

The annual apparition of spooky skeletons, broomstick-riding witches and carved pumpkins is a sure sign fall is well under way. Second only to Christmas in terms of how much consumers spend on decorations,¹ Americans of all ages seem to love celebrating Halloween.

The Halloween spirit has spread to the inside and outside of the home as well, with homeowners setting up elaborate displays that range from haunted houses in the basement to graveyards on the lawn, as well as high-tech LED lighting outdoors. When planning and setting up your Halloween decorations, it is a good idea to consider any potential risks involved. Taking steps to prepare your property and to protect any visitors can help spare you from a truly frightening night.

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Bouncing Back After a Career Break

If you take a career break — to raise children, care for a loved one, deal with an illness or a number of other reasons — will you have trouble finding a job when you’re ready to return to the workforce?

When you feel like you’ve lost your professional identity for a number of years, it can be hard to find it again. The thought of interviewing for a new job can be nerve-wracking — you’ll have to call on certain skills that you haven’t used in a while, plus you’ll likely have to address your career gap, which could be a deeply personal conversation. And some employers are hesitant to hire those who have been out of the workplace for an extended period of time. They might be concerned about your level of commitment to a full time position, and any disconnect you may have with current systems and technology. 

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The Use of Smart Home Technology in Fire Prevention and Detection

A handful of complementary smart devices could help prevent and/or detect a fire in your home, while minimizing even more serious damage by notifying you earlier. While traditional smoke detectors are designed to alert people inside the home of a fire so everyone can evacuate safely, some of the following smart devices can also provide alerts to you on your mobile device, and to the fire department, even if you are miles from home.

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