November 2021 – InterWest Insurance Services

4th Quarter IWGB-Walnut Creek – Oakland Leaf is building a more loving, just, and vibrant Oakland.

2021, Community OutreachBy Valerie Albert November 29, 2021

The Walnut Creek office is supporting youth in Oakland schools through their support of the Oakland Leaf organization. Oakland Leaf serves more than 800 students annually through afterschool programming in high-need neighborhoods, paid internship programs for teens, and a summer camp. With an emphasis on social-emotional learning, critical thinking, creative expression, physical activity, urban ecology,…

Pandemic Spurs Supplemental Benefits Uptake Among Workers

UncategorizedBy InterWest Insurance Services November 17, 2021

A new study has found that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic nearly half of U.S. workers added one new supplemental health-related benefit on top of their group health coverage. The 2021 “Aflac WorkForces Report” found that 44% of employees bought one additional benefit, with life insurance policies seeing the biggest uptake. The fact that…

Paid Ransomware Demands Fall Sharply as Businesses Wise Up

BlogBy InterWest Insurance Services November 17, 2021

Businesses are getting better at beating ransomware extortionists and more victims are refusing to pay to unlock their systems, according to a new report. The ratio of ransoms that the cyber criminals demand to ransoms actually paid fell to just 12% in the third quarter of 2021, compared to 44% in the same period in…

Large Employers Must File ACA Forms, Not the Insurers

BlogBy InterWest Insurance Services November 10, 2021

One mistake more and more employers are making is failing to file the required Affordable Care Act tax-related forms with the IRS. If you are what’s considered an “applicable large employer” (ALE) under the ACA, you are required to file with the IRS forms 1094 and 1095, often separately and before your annual tax returns…

Big Changes to Construction Dual Classes in the Works

BlogBy InterWest Insurance Services November 10, 2021

There could be significant changes coming for a number of construction dual-classification codes that could see the threshold for the higher-wage workers jump by as much as $5 per hour. Currently, 16 of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s construction and erection class codes are divided into two separate classifications based on the hourly wage…

The Importance of Succession Planning

Agency OperationsBy InterWest Insurance Services November 10, 2021

The point comes in every insurance agency principal’s career that they start thinking about retiring or transitioning into a different line of work they always have dreamed of. Or perhaps life complications arise, such as divorce, serious illness or the death of an agency partner that spurs the agency owner to hang it up. Whatever…

401(k) Contribution Limits Jump for 2022

BlogBy InterWest Insurance Services November 9, 2021

The IRS has announced the 2022 maximum contribution limits for 401(k) plans. Individual employee contributions are capped at $20,500 per year, up from $19,500 for 2021. The $6,500 maximum allowable “catch-up” contribution for those aged 50 or older will stay the same as in 2021. Additionally, the maximum combined employee and employer contribution per employee…

Train Your Driving Staff for Rainy, Slippery Conditions

BlogBy InterWest Insurance Services November 2, 2021

When it’s the rainy time of year, companies with staff that need to drive, delivery drivers or those making sales calls, and all in-beteen need to double down on road safety. A good idea is to hold a training session on “Driving in the Rain”. While it may seem redundant, it’s an important exercise to reinforce the importance…

Monthly Archives: November 2021