Forward Mutual Insurance Company is proud to announce it has earned a Financial Stability Rating® (FSR) of A’ (A Prime), Unsurpassed, from Demotech, Inc. This level of FSR is assigned to insurers who possess unsurpassed financial stability related to maintaining positive surplus as regards policyholders, liquidity of invested assets, an acceptable level of financial leverage, reasonable loss and loss adjustment expense reserves (L&LAE) and realistic pricing. [Read more…] about Forward Mutual Earns Unsurpassed Rating
National Preparedness Month: Make a Plan
Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make a family emergency plan today. September is National Preparedness Month. Photo by Jana Baldwin. Photo and content used with permission of National Preparedness Month.
September is National Preparedness Month (NPM) and Forward Mutual encourages you to be prepared. Remember, “Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You can.”
Make a Plan
Make a plan today. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.
Step 1: Put together a plan by discussing these four questions with your family, friends, or household to start your emergency plan.
- How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
- What is my shelter plan?
- What is my evacuation route?
- What is my family/household communication plan?
Step 2: Consider specific needs in your household.
As you prepare your plan tailor your plans and supplies to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities. Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, business, pets, or specific needs like the operation of durable medical equipment. Create your own personal network for specific areas where you need assistance. Keep in mind some these factors when developing your plan:
- Different ages of members within your household
- Responsibilities for assisting others
- Locations frequented
- Dietary needs
- Medical needs including prescriptions and equipment
- Disabilities or access and functional needs including devices and equipment
- Languages spoken
- Cultural and religious considerations
- Pets or service animals
- Households with school-aged children
Step 3: Fill out a Family Emergency Plan
Download and fill out a family emergency plan or use them as a guide to create your own.
Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household
Shareables
- Wallet Sized Emergency Communication Plan (PDF)
- Family Emergency Communication Guide (PDF)
- Emergency Plan for Parents or (PDF)
- Emergency Plan for Kids or (PDF)
- Emergency Plan for Commuters (PDF)
- Pet owners PDF
- Steps to make a plan (PDF)
- Tips on emergency alerts and warnings (PDF)
- Protect Critical Documents and Valuables (PDF)
- Document and Insure Your Property (PDF)
- Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (PDF)
- Make A Plan (Video)
By the Minutes: Our Dairy Heritage
By HOWARD WIEDENHOEFT
Our summer is drawing to a close and just like generations before us, we reminisce of the season’s county fairs and the judging of livestock. Forward Mutual participates in two fairs: the Jefferson County Fair and the Dodge County Fair. We do so because farming, particularly dairy farming, is part of our Forward Mutual heritage. Let’s look back at this history and how it affected mutual insurance.
Let’s look at our area in 1913. [Read more…] about By the Minutes: Our Dairy Heritage
By the Minutes: Changes of Bylaws, 1875-1899
Photo used with permission from the book Heritage of Ixonia, by Carl and Alida Jaeger.
By HOWARD WIEDENHOEFT
The bylaws of any mutuals are its insurance policy and throughout the years they change to meet the times. This was true in the 19th century and the early days of Ixonia Mutual Fire Insurance Company and Watertown Mutual Fire Insurance Company, when one of the more interesting items addressed was the ownership of farm steam engines. [Read more…] about By the Minutes: Changes of Bylaws, 1875-1899
Forward Agency Earns Highest in New Business
Service Insurance Agency recently won Grinnell’s new business incentive award. From left, Bill Gallagher, Grinnell Mutual sales director; Trent Haldiman, Service Insurance Agency; Tim Haldiman, Service Insurance Agency; and Adam Hade, Grinnell Mutual sales manager.
Forward Mutual is proud to announce Service Insurance Agency, of Waterloo, Wis., was recently presented with Grinnell Mutual’s new business incentive award. Service Insurance Agency is one of 18 independent agencies carrying Forward Mutual insurance products.
The award, offered by Forward’s reinsurer and partner, Grinnell Mutual, was an incentive to agents for writing new private passenger auto business. First prize, for the highest number of new policies written, was an Apple iWatch. Also, all auto advertisements (approved by Grinnell Mutual) qualified for 100 percent co-op during the incentive period.
Forward Mutual Insurance Company offers an auto/home discount with their homeowner and farm product lines. Congratulations to Trent and Tim for their win and for all their new business!
By the Minutes: A Year of Neighbor Helping Neighbor: 1885
This photo is used with permission from the book Heritage of Ixonia, Vol 1, and is of a sawmill owned by O.H. Wills and Mr. Gulliskson. It likely is similar to the Piper Gibb & Co. mill which was lost by fire in 1885. Local sawmills were necessary providers of lumber for the construction of homes and barns.
By HOWARD WIEDENHOEFT
As much as we enjoy our Wisconsin summers, we all know the improbability of the weather. Thunderstorms, lightning, and even tornados are events we Midwesterners unfortunately must deal with. For the insurance industry, these often mean mass damage and expensive payouts. In the 1880s, neither Ixonia Mutual Fire Insurance Company or Watertown Mutual Fire Insurance Company offered coverage for storm damage. But they knew the difficulties of large payouts due to the ravages of fire. Last month, we learned how in 1879 Ixonia Mutual used an assessment to help finance a large payout. In 1885, the company was once again challenged with a series of losses, each of them beyond the capabilities of the company’s treasury. [Read more…] about By the Minutes: A Year of Neighbor Helping Neighbor: 1885