We are at a turning point today as technology advances at a speed that is changing the face of risk. What is the future of risk and how can risk managers and the insurance industry adjust and prepare?

It remains one of the most difficult issues to deal within the world of property insurance. Homeowners’ insurance policies usually contain a provision obligating the carrier to repair or replace an insured’s damaged property with “material of like kind and quality” or with “similar material.”

For independent adjusters, the need to replace retiring workers is becoming more urgent.

While "getting to simple" may take hard work and persistence, there are some core ways to help those in this important endeavor.

Unconscious biases, which are attitudes, behaviors, and actions prejudiced in favor or against specific groups of people that everybody holds, and are formed automatically and unintentionally, according to the National Institutes of Health, create challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.

One of my claims managers was given the opportunity to become a risk manager. Although I hated to see her go, I was proud of her and excited for her to move up in her career.

Historically, the insurance claims process for property damage starts with a claims professional assessing damage on-site and ends by giving a homeowner a check for fixing the damage. This old model places the responsibility on the property owner to research and vet qualified contractors to start the restoration process, a particularly heavy burden to bear in moments of crisis.

As an attorney with more than 20 years of litigation experience, several themes have recurred over that time. And while we are bound to see these themes again in the future, we can take steps to control them.

The resolution of a claim involves much more than simply attending a mediation session to negotiate a settlement. The final negotiation of the settlement is often only a small percentage of actual claims activity. Yet there seems to be a greater focus among claims professionals on negotiation than on persuasion.

The ability to communicate effectively with all levels of colleagues and clients is one of the most important skills you can have to lead to success. In today’s high-tech and high-speed world, communication is more important than ever.

I have been asked a number of times to provide my perspective on the insurance industry in the time of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. In this piece I’ll do so, but first, how did we get to 4.0? What preceded and led to this brave new world of what’s now called “IR4”?

Firefighting is a hot, exhausting, and dangerous job, and it’s one in which 75 percent of the people doing it do it for free.

This year’s Cyber Monday became the highest online shopping day of all time with a reported $8 billion in sales. That means billions of dollars in products are on their way to the front porches of many homes where package thieves may be waiting.

Claims professionals are very DIY-types. So, this information is aimed at helping develop your DIY resume writing skills to avoid the many pitfalls that will prevent your resume from being selected to that one great job that you really want, whether that means a better company, more substantial claims and smaller caseload, newer technology, or more money.

One huge fire was caused by a spark set off by a man with a hammer, working on a fence post in a field of dry vegetation. Another began at a backyard barbecue. A 2007 fire on Santa Catalina Island was ignited by workers cutting metal wires with a torch.