Making Your PTO Holiday Program Inclusive in 2025

The U.S. government recognizes a list of holidays on its federal calendar. As our workforce, and the many ethnic and religious groups they represent, is far more diverse, the government calendar is not always consistent with each employee’s needs. To increase the inclusiveness of your Paid Time Off (PTO) program this year, consider a more open-minded approach to celebrated days in 2025.

Creating a Balance: Federal and Personal Holidays

Most staff enjoy celebrating New Year’s Day, and U.S. citizens may enjoy the 4th of July weekend, but not everyone celebrates Christmas and Thanksgiving. Other holidays during the winter season include Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the Lunar New Year, to name a few, all of which fall on different dates that don’t coincide with federally mandated holidays.

Allowing employees to take time off for their religious holidays, anniversaries, and celebrations fosters an improved work-life balance and worker satisfaction.

How Does PTO Work?

PTO is a group benefit that makes taking days away from work more inclusive. Instead of enforcing a holiday generally perceived as relating to one religious group, it allows staff to choose an alternative day with plenty of advance notice to plan for coverage. PTO groups previously separated categories of paid vacation, personal days, and sick days into one umbrella category to be more easily calculated by your HR department. PTO is primarily earned through work days on the job. For example, one works for one month and earns 1.5 PTO days. By the end of the year, they would have earned 18 days off.

PTO is often considered a “no questions asked” option, making it possible for employees to take the time to handle unexpected life or family situations without reporting being ill or giving a reason for their absence. Whatever the personal reason, the time is deducted from their overall PTO. This system has also been found to reduce the number of sick days employees take, as they prefer to use their PTO for vacation time.

Types of PTO

PTO is an all-inclusive system. Some types of time off that fall into this category include:

Vacation time
Sick days
Personal days
Parental leave
Bereavement leaves
Paid holidays
National holidays

Great Benefits Help Attract Higher Caliber Staff

By demonstrating your company’s commitment to employee well-being, your PTO program can help attract higher-caliber staff that expect more from their place of work. Increased job satisfaction and higher retention rates are two more reasons that adding PTO to your group benefits package is a good idea. When hiring and onboarding new staff, ensure your personnel director includes information about your PTO and group benefits plans in their welcome briefing.

Curious About More Group Benefits?

Our agents have you covered. If you are looking for new ways to increase the value of commitment in your employees’ eyes, consider discussing your group insurance plan with us. New hires want to know about their healthcare, well-being, and retirement package benefits. Let us help you sound like an expert and make it possible to deliver excellent benefits at a reasonable cost to you.

Navigating Cyber Insurance in 2025

With the New Year comes new possibilities. If your work includes online operations, e-commerce, or website hosting, it also comes with new dangers. Hackers have new skills, and the race to keep online security ahead of the ever-changing curve is of great concern. In 2025, cyber insurance will be a necessity like never before.

Cyber Insurance: What It Is and Why It Matters

Cyber insurance is a type of business insurance that protects against financial losses associated with cyberattacks and risks related to the company’s online activities. Due to the frequency and severity of online criminal activity, such as breaches and ransomware, cyber insurance has become crucial for any business with an online presence. While cyber insurance used to be a simple sign-up process, insurance companies are becoming increasingly wary of losses and have imposed new requirements for those applying for coverage.

Top Tips for Purchasing Cyber Insurance

Understand Your Risks

Before you talk to one of our cyber insurance agents, thoroughly review your organization’s operations to identify any potential risks. Your evaluation should include the protections for online sales, customer databases, confidential data storage, or patent-protected applications.

Study Your Options

Shop for the best policy. Have your agent help you review all the options that will best protect your enterprise if you have a breach.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Ask as many questions as needed to know which policy is best for you. Taking the time to sift through all the details can make a difference.

What Does My Business Need to Qualify for Cyber Insurance?

Ten years ago, applying for cyber insurance was as easy as filling in your company’s name, number of employees, revenue, and whether or not you had a website. Today, you have more requirements, and you must show that your operation has fairly robust online security to qualify for cyber insurance as part of your business insurance coverage.

Password protection: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) makes accessing sensitive data more difficult by requiring users to prove their identity using multiple factors.
Offline data backups: To recover from data being stolen or wiped out, backups that are “air-gapped” and not physically connected to the computer network are necessary.
Proactive vulnerability management: Online safety requires constant vigilance. Vulnerability management consists of conducting regular scans of your digital presence to locate and mitigate potential weaknesses that bad actors could exploit.
Real-time detection and response: Having an assigned cyber security employee or contractor responsible for responding to emerging cyber threats in real time helps to mitigate potential risks.
Security awareness training: Hackers can use the vulnerabilities of human staff to trick unwitting employees into giving away passwords or confirming confidential information. A vigorous security awareness training program keeps staff on their toes and vigilant against threats.

Protect Your Business with Cyber Insurance Coverage

Cyber insurance can help you recover quickly from losses sustained by downtime, business interruption, data restoration, and the reputational damage caused by a data breach. Our agents are available and ready to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a new cyber policy or your eligibility for coverage.

New Year’s Resolutions for Policy Holders

The New Year is traditionally the time we make decisions about the future. Most New Year’s resolutions focus on personal health or family and business goals. Don’t forget to include greater peace of mind and security for yourself and those you love as part of your New Year’s list. By reviewing your policy coverage and making the necessary changes based on your other annual targets, you will be well on your way to having a happier and more secure New Year.

Three Steps to Start Your New Year’s Insurance Policy Review

Changes are ahead, but are your personal insurance policies up-to-date? When you sit down to write out your New Year’s resolutions, be sure your policy matches your current situation by doing the following:

Review your coverage: If you have not recently reviewed your insurance policies, it is time to look at what is covered and at what value.
Note needed changes: As time passes, life comes with changes. It may be time to get more coverage, new coverage, a better deal, or another change that would benefit you.
Fill in the gaps: Contact one of our local insurance agents to help you understand the fine print on your existing insurance and discuss new options.

Do My New Year’s Resolutions Affect My Insurance Coverage?

Yes. Every life change is also an opportunity to ensure insurance protects you against avoidable losses. Here are some big decisions that may be on your list this year that will affect your coverage.

Improving your health: If you’re embarking on a major weight loss journey, the good news is that this could lower your risk rating and policy premium. Some health insurance also offers coverage for weight loss programs; ask your agent if you are unsure about yours.
Saving money: Some life insurance policies provide a cash value component that acts as a savings cushion that can be used in times of need.
Taking a road trip: Many choose to engage in this adventure, but it is always better when carried out with a reliable safety net of personal and auto insurance that covers any potential mishaps along the way.
Getting married: If you are looking forward to getting married in the next 12 months, be sure that you are ready to expand your coverage to include your spouse.
Growing your family: Children bring so much life and joy and many future responsibilities. Ensure your coverage is expanded to include considerations for your child’s future education. Our agents can also help you set up a life insurance policy for your child that will grow with them.
Buying a home: If you are taking the big step towards home ownership in 2025, congratulations! Home insurance can ensure that your home is protected from fires, floods, earthquakes, and other risks. Our agents can walk you through everything you need to know.
Remodeling an existing home: If you’re considering adding an extension or renovating your kitchen, your property’s inherent value will increase, and your policy will need to be adjusted appropriately.

Make Your New Year’s Resolutions a Big Success with Proper Coverage

As you set out to make your New Year a successful one, don’t forget one of your resolutions should be peace of mind for you and those you love. Following these guidelines and talking with one of our agents about any gaps and changes in your coverage for 2025 will help set you up for a truly happy and safe New Year.

New Year’s Resolutions to Help Improve the Workplace

The New Year is just around the corner. It is time to make some resolutions, not just for yourself, but to improve employee well-being, production, and loyalty. Take advantage of the New Year to make changes to help you have the best year ever in 2025.

Foster Open Communication

Ensure your work teams feel welcome to communicate. Arrange regular times, whether at staff meetings or departmental briefings, where employees can share input. Create a feedback channel so that internal issues are heard and resolved.

Prioritize Employee Well-Being

Invest in your staff’s wellness with a group benefits plan that is right for them and your business. Once you decide on a policy, share the news. Investing in a custom group benefits plan shows you care about employees, value them, and encourage employee retention.

Set Goals and Celebrate Milestones

There is nothing like pulling off a big win—as a team. Ensure all employees are informed of the weekly, monthly, and yearly targets and get involved. When a goal is achieved, celebrate the milestones! Show your appreciation with special events, such as a catered lunch, tickets to a sporting event, or that evergreen employee favorite: bonus checks.

Invest In Professional Development

It is well-known that human capital is one of your greatest assets. Consider investing in your staff this year to enhance that value. Offer training programs, workshops, mentorship opportunities, or continuing education credits for the people in your firm. As their skills and proficiency grow, your business will see the results on the bottom line.

Streamline Work Processes and Reduce Bottlenecks

You may have some areas of your business where work always seems to pile up. Take a step back to review these areas. It may need more staff, changes in management, or a fresh approach to resolve these issues. Your employees who likely feel stressed and overloaded will thank you.

Make Good Decisions and Benefit All Year

Even if you have only one New Year’s resolution, it can make a positive change. You know your business and employees better than anyone. It’s easy to see that investing in both with a group benefits policy can help you increase retention and employee satisfaction, thereby improving your overall production and profit. Is it time to upgrade the group benefits you offer your employees? Reach out to discuss how your benefits packages can be customized to your business needs. Our helpful agents can spend all the time you need to create a benefits package that suits your budget and attracts the employees you want on your team.

Preparing for Change in the New Year

A new year is upon us when we traditionally make resolutions about our health and plans—but what about resolutions for your business? The New Year is an ideal time to embrace growth opportunities and consider canceling programs that failed to produce results in 2024.

Look at Where You Are At

As the year comes to a close, it is time to take stock of how you and your team did. Review all company financial reports, including the following:

Year-over-year profit and loss
Year-end balance sheet
Cash flow analysis

Don’t just stop at the financial outlook. Look over the other key metrics. The review could include the amount of merchandise sold, the number of people reached with your message or brand, customer satisfaction and reviews, and other statistical data affecting the bottom line. A full review of this data can inspire new ideas for business growth in 2025.

Envision Realistic Growth Goals

Next step: the future. Discuss your business goals as a business owner or with your executive team. Whether you have a one-year or five-year plan, set realistic goals for production, sales, new customers, and other key metrics. Name precise numbers and quantities that must be attainable and reflect your vision for the ideal scene for your enterprise. Along with all your planning, the end of the year is the best time to review your business insurance policy. As your enterprise grows, your business insurance coverage may need to be updated.

Evaluate Existing Programs

After a full review of the year’s statistics, it is time to evaluate the programs you have running, including your marketing campaigns and the products or services that have been most successful. Do a comprehensive evaluation of customer reviews and create a plan to increase goodwill and brand recognition.

Throw Out the Bad, Reinforce the Good

Once you’ve determined what is working and what isn’t, decide the changes to initiate for the new year. It would be best to consider phasing out certain less popular or profitable products and investing in more promising products or services. Set achievable goals to quantify the “how” and “when.” For programs for the new year, your targets should be:

Specific: Be exact and name the precise quantity of sales, products, impressions, etc., you plan to achieve to attain the growth you envision for your company.
Measurable: Make sure the goal you set can be measured and tracked. “Lots of sales” is not the same as “Maintain an average of $50,000 in XYZ product sales each month, achieving $600,000 total annual sales by year-end.”
Attainable: Make your goal challenging but not impossible. Be honest with yourself and consider the actual resources you have.
Relevant: After your analysis, you should know what matters to your business and what doesn’t. Don’t waste time and effort setting and achieving goals that will not get you closer to the ideal you have envisioned for your company.
Time-bound: Set a deadline. And don’t make everything “by the end of the year,” either. Set realistic time targets so progress towards your goals happens regularly.

Plan A Smooth Transition

Now that you know where you stand and where you are going, ensure you issue a program to the relevant employees so they are onboard to move your enterprise forward. The plan could be as simple as a few steps for new staff to be hired and trained to expand your sales force or a complex plan for multi-location businesses.

Stay Safe While You Make Changes With the Right Business Insurance

The coming of the new year is a time to refresh and improve, not just as individuals, but to make resolutions regarding your company goals. As you plan for a new year of growth and change, business insurance will protect the progress you’ve made and cushion your business from financial losses from unexpected events that could arise.

If you need guidance on finding the most affordable business policies for your line of work, one of our helpful agents can discuss your options.

Preventing Package Theft

If you do a lot of online shopping during the holiday or year-round, be aware of the growing threat of package theft. Package thieves, also known as “porch pirates,” have become so brazen that some will even tail delivery drivers to swoop up packages the minute they are gone. In a recent year, over 260 million packages were stolen across the U.S., costing consumers millions of dollars.

Here are some tips to keep your packages safe from being ripped off:

Hide The Goods

A simple way to avoid theft is by making sure thieves can’t find your package. Leave instructions for delivery personnel to hide your package behind a fence, bench, shrub, or planter to be hidden from package thieves.

Use a Lockbox

These days, a host of lockbox options offer varying degrees of security for package deliveries. They range from extra-large post-mounted mailboxes and sturdy metal cabinets to fancy expandable doormats that transform into package receptacles with a combination lock. Choose what works for you and tell your delivery service how to use your setup.

Sign For Your Packages

If you can, a simple way to keep your packages safe without any extra technology is to request that they require a signature. If you plan to be home when your delivery arrives and sign in person, it doesn’t allow package thieves to steal your items.

Install Security Cameras

While cameras cannot prevent theft, they can undoubtedly deter thieves and help the police identify the culprit after the fact. Good options include those that are motion-activated and connected to your phone. This feature lets you get real-time alerts when someone is on your property. Some home security systems even have the option to turn on a siren or engage in two-way communication to scare off an intruder.

Consider Personal Insurance

When your property is stolen from your home by a porch pirate, this is covered by personal insurance. Most individual insurance, including renters and homeowners insurance, cover property theft. If you are only missing a dog toy you ordered, you may not want to file a claim, but having personal insurance coverage can protect you from the financial losses of expensive items.

Track Your Deliveries

Take advantage of online package tracking and plan to be home or nearby when your package arrives. You could ask a friend or neighbor for help picking up the goods and storing them safely until you return.

Arrange a Pick-Up Location

Maybe your home isn’t the ideal place to have an expensive item delivered. Why not use one of the many pick-up locations available? Often, big-box stores and online merchants have lockers, counters, or stations at the Post Office where packages can be retrieved. Check out what is available in your area, and have it delivered to one of these secure areas, where it will be stored until you arrive to pick it up.

Don’t let Porch Pirates Ruin Your Day—Protect Yourself with Insurance.

Personal property theft still happens even with cameras, lock boxes, and GPS tracking systems. Whether it’s your latest online purchase or an expensive item for your home, you can protect your financial health with personal insurance coverage. No matter how brazen thieves become, with the right insurance policy, you can have peace of mind that you are safe from unnecessary financial losses and the hassle of trying to resolve a stolen package.

Contact us for more information about individual insurance and how it can cover property theft losses. Our agents would be more than happy to answer your questions about the types of personal insurance that suit your budget and lifestyle.

Retain Top Talent with Retirement Plan Vesting Schedules

Your people are your most valuable resource, but how do you keep the stars in your company from moving on? Fostering employee loyalty in a hybrid and work-from-home environment could require more effort. Several strategies can inspire greater loyalty from the employees you want on your team. One effective method for incentivizing your employees is a well-structured vesting schedule.

How Vesting Works

“Vesting” means to give or confer full ownership to an employee of a share in a pension fund. In the case of a joint contribution retirement account, such as a 401(k) pension plan, the employer-funded portion of the policy would become available to the employee to be used at their sole discretion. You can give ownership to your employees all at once or over time. By implementing a vesting schedule as part of your group benefits plan, employers can encourage longer-term commitment and reduce employee turnover, a win-win proposition for both employees and the organization.

Types of Vesting Schedules

Immediate Vesting: Employees gain immediate access to full ownership of the employer’s contributions to their retirement plan. While this is attractive to employees, it does little to incentivize long-term commitments.
Cliff Vesting: This is where full access to employer-funded benefits “drops” after a specified period, usually three years. This approach encourages new hires to stay with the company long enough to get the full benefits of their pension.
Graded Vesting: Graded or gradual vesting allows employees to become partially vested over a period of time. For example, they might gain access to 20 percent more employer-contributed funds each year for five years. This method gives employees an added reason to stay on and achieve full ownership of their pension fund.

Benefits of Vesting Schedules for Employee Retention

When structured strategically, vesting schedules can help you reach your employee retention goals in several ways.

Build connection: Employees who see you investing in their future feel valued and more inspired to stay.
Financial Security: Encourages employees to stay so they can benefit from employer-contributed retirement funds or stock options.
Equity Ownership: This strategy grants employees some ownership in a company with time, allowing them to benefit from its success.
Fosters a Positive Work Culture: Creates a long-term partnership between employees and employers for a collaborative work environment.
Encourages Performance: Aligns employees’ financial benefits with work performance, inspiring higher production levels.
Adds Value to Compensation: Offers long-term rewards beyond salary and benefits, an appealing situation for employees.

The Importance of Communication About Vesting Schedules

As part of your group benefits, contributions to employee pension funds add to an appealing benefits package—and you gain tax benefits. Ensure your benefits package and vesting schedule are clearly explained to potential hires, new hires, and your existing personnel in employee meetings with the following actions:

Meetings: At employee meetings, explain the program in simple language, focusing on the win-win nature of the plan.
Highlight milestones: Celebrate vesting milestones to reinforce the value of long-term employment with your company. Get managers to acknowledge employees for their longevity and recognize the increased value of their pension fund due to their hard work.
Regular reviews: During regular HR reviews or one-on-one meetings with staff, ensure that retirement benefits are part of the conversation to remind employees of the rewards of staying with your enterprise.

Invest in Your Team with a Vesting Schedule

Putting together a mutually beneficial vesting schedule could pay off with happier, long-term employees committed to helping your business thrive. If you have further questions about the best vesting schedules or need to review or update your group benefits policy to ensure you get the most out of it, talk to one of our agents today. Your business is our business, and we look forward to helping you succeed.

Winter Weather Preparedness for Small Businesses

Winter weather can take a heavy toll on small businesses. The risks posed by storms, slippery walkways, and power outages can lead to financial losses. Taking steps to prepare your company and employees for the winter season can minimize business disruptions and claims filed for slip-and-fall accidents.

The best overall advice is to be proactive. Evaluate any risks on the property to determine where problems could arise and resolve any issues. While you know your business, here are some common areas for a winter weather preparedness plan.

Employee Safety and Communications

Create a Winter Communications Plan

Get your team on a group text or chat so that when storms hit, you have a coordinated method of informing all personnel regarding whether your business will be operating that day, so employees are updated on changes in business operations and delivery times during storms or other inclement weather.

Train Your Staff for Cold Weather Safety

If your work is outdoors, train staff to identify the symptoms of illness, frostbite, and hypothermia and what to do when these symptoms are observed. Training should include preventing these emergencies by dressing appropriately for the weather and taking regular warming breaks.

Stock a Storm Emergency Kit

Prepare for the possibility that staff and customers could have to shelter on-site in the case of a severe weather event. A standard emergency kit should include the following items:

First-aid supplies
Blankets
Non-perishable snacks
Bottled water
Flashlights and extra batteries
Phone chargers or power banks
Battery-powered radio

Public Information and Wellness

Keep Customers Informed

The storm season comes with unpredictable hours of operation. Ensure you have a communications plan to let your loyal customer base know what to expect in extreme weather. You can use social media or email blasts to keep employees, customers, and clients informed. Publicizing any storm-related closure times increases trust with customers and employees.

Prevent Snow and Ice Hazards

Keep your business safe and accessible by regularly removing snow and ice from walkways and entrances to your property. Salt can be put on sidewalks before a storm; snow melts faster and is easier to remove. After a storm, sand can help increase safety in icy areas. For rainy days, place anti-slip mats at entrances for added protection.

Property Protections

Prepare for Outages and Delays

When the wind and snow kick up, power outages and shipping delays are to be expected. If you are prepared, you can make the best of the situation. Invest in a generator if your business relies on power for the refrigeration of food items or medicine. Backup generators must be correctly installed at a safe distance from vents to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Increase Your Efficiency

Seal all windows and doors against cold drafts to lower the cost of heating and energy. Replace your air filters and service your HVAC units. A programmable thermostat can save energy when your location is closed.

Conduct Post-Storm Assessments

Always check your property for damage after a major storm. Business insurance can cover property damage or losses that affect your ability to serve your clients. Make a list of cracks, leaks, or damaged equipment or inventory. If you have a business insurance policy, keep all receipts so your provider can reimburse you.

Protect Your Business with Insurance Coverage

We do our best to prepare for dangerous rain, snow, hail, or wind storms. Even with the best plans, disasters happen, and that’s when your business insurance policy can prove to be one of your smartest investments. It’s essential to customize your business insurance policy to match your enterprise. Call our agents today to discuss insurance options that help protect your business against the risks associated with dangerous winter weather.

Safety Tips for Online Shopping

It is that time of year again. Whatever holiday you celebrate, Americans nationwide go to their favorite online retailers to buy holiday decorations, party supplies, and gifts to make the season merry and bright. The convenience of the internet is hard to resist, but the freedom and flexibility of online buying come with some grave risks.

Cybercrime is on the rise. In a recent year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 2.6 million fraud reports, with losses totaling over $10 billion. A significant portion of these incidents were directly related to online shopping scams and identity theft. By being alert and educated, you can keep your holidays truly happy this year.

Use the maxim, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” Scammers often use unbelievable deals to lure in naive shoppers or give a false impression that something is free when it’s just a ploy to grab your bank details. An offer to earn “$17,000 in Bitcoin for free!” when you sign up sounds great, but the platform won’t let you withdraw anything, even after you input your credit card number.

Stick with brands you know; research those you don’t. Big-name brands have a reputation to uphold. They have a duty to the public to ensure online transactions are safe and secure and a more extensive process for protecting against identity theft. When attracted to an item a new e-retailer offers, verify its legitimacy by looking it up on independent review sites. Only purchase from an unknown retailer after some research.

Make payments with credit instead of debit cards. Credit cards work better than debit cards for fighting fraud. You can get actions reversed or canceled by speaking with the company. When a debit card is used, the money is gone as soon as it leaves your bank, and it can be more complicated, or in some cases impossible, to have your money returned to you.

Access only secure websites. Another good tip on website security is to look at the lock symbol in the search bar at the top of your web browser. The symbol means the page is secure; passwords and personal information entered will be private. Another safety indicator is if the URL starts with HTTPS, the “s” stands for secure. If there is no “s,” the site may be more easily hacked—and your information with it.

Consider getting personal cyber liability insurance. Most people do not know that you can purchase insurance that will protect you against certain types of online cybercrime. Personal cyber liability insurance can cover fraud losses, identity theft, and even data restoration after a cyber incident.

Avoid public Wi-Fi while shopping. Public Wi-Fi is precisely that: public! A hacker’s dream. Cyber thieves can record your keystrokes from afar if you enter your details using the public internet. Avoid using public Wi-Fi services if you need to shop online when you are out and about.

Open email links with caution. Scammers are getting smarter every day, posing as your bank, the retailer you just visited, or the store where you recently purchased an item. Look out for messages that pressure you to urgently take action or ask you to “re-enter your credit card details” because your transaction failed. Rather than click the link, visit a reputable website or call the retailer to see if the email is legitimate or a scam.

Use secure passwords. A unique password with upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols is one of your best defenses against cyber criminals trying to access your accounts.

Track your bank statements regularly. If you keep an eye on your spending as a matter of course, you’ll be able to catch odd charges or indicators of fraud right away before it is too late to have your money returned to you. If you see something suspicious or off, call your bank immediately to report the matter or get the charges reversed.
Avoid storing financial information online. Yes, it is easy to save your credit card details with every retailer you love, so you can “click and go” when at checkout. Remember that any retailer can run into security issues—as has been proven repeatedly. If there’s a breach, your data is at risk. Take an extra 30 seconds to re-enter your card data so your personal information is not saved on dozens of sites across the web.

Stay Safe, Shop Smart

Remaining vigilant and aware can save you from the incredible hassle of resolving financial fraud or identity theft. With these tips, you can shop safely and enjoy the winter holiday.

If you want to know more about personal cyber liability insurance benefits, our local agents are happy to answer any questions. We’re here to help you achieve peace of mind, knowing your financial health is protected online.

PREPARE FOR FREEZING TEMPS!

Dear ALL Valued Homeowners,

Just a quick note to let you know freezing temperatures are already in the forecast. See attached for some reading material which includes preventing frozen plumbing. Please check the forecast and plan accordingly: www.accuweather.com

Winterizing your outdoor faucets
Freezing temperatures are right around the corner, so now is the time to winterize your exterior water sources. Here are instructions on winterizing your hose bibs (outside water faucet)
STEP 1:
Disconnect any hoses from the hose bibs. Drain the water from the hoses. Store the hoses inside during the winter to prevent damage.
STEP 2:
Turn off any valve inside your home that supplies water just to the outdoor faucets. These valves will be located at your water heater or under a sink inside the house (kitchen, owner’s bath, guest bath or upstairs bath).
STEP 3:
Turn the handles to open the hose bibs. Let the water in the pipes drain. Leave the faucets open throughout the winter to release the pressure caused by the freezing of any remaining water inside the pipes.

We wish all a Happy Thanksgiving!

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