“The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can’t ask his patients what is the matter — he’s got to just know.”

Massive storms — thunder, lightning, heavy snow — can knock your power out for hours, even days. That can be more than an inconvenience, especially when it comes to keeping your food cool and in good enough condition to store and eat.The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that food can...Full story

“Hot work” uses heat in a manufacturing process or as part of specific activities. Some people work with heat consistently and there are safeguards in place to protect against fire and flame.

But that’s not hot work as it’s defined by the loss control and safety specialists at Hastings Mutual....Full story

The Hastings Mutual Insurance Company Charitable Foundation recognizes the contributions of nonprofit organizations in the communities we serve. Each month, we’ll honor one of those organizations as our Nonprofit of the Month.

The...Full story

If you’re a farmer, a farm isn’t just where you live, it’s your business. It needs protection, just like your business would if it was in an office or a factory. Hastings Mutual’s Agri-business endorsement builds on our Businessowners policy and is what you...Full story

Lifting seems like such a simple thing — just bend down, pick up whatever it is you need to move, and put it where it needs to go. Simple things need to be done the right way, though, or they can have a bad result. Sprains, strain, ...Full story

The American workforce is getting older. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of workers aged 65 or older has grown by 117% between 1994 and 2014. Their projections anticipate growth in industries that affect older people, including health care and social assistance....Full story

Some of the business insurance coverage we offer here at Hastings Mutual, including our main Businessowners policy (it’s an optional coverage) features the Employee Dishonesty endorsement, which we describe this way:

It’s unfortunate, but it doesn’t have to be a danger. This endorsement will pay...Full story

One of the things I like about TV these days is how few commercials there are. Once in a while an ad will play while I’m watching a video or before I listen to a song on a streaming radio station, but it’s usually only 30 ...Full story

It’s estimated that 59 million Americans had their hair cut at least four times in 2020. Even during the pandemic, people want to look good. Hair care and other beautification businesses will probably always have customers — but on the other hand, it’s a...Full story

In our six-state coverage area (Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin), there’s one thing that happens pretty regularly throughout the fall: a car/deer encounter. Often you see the deer quickly enough to stop before it crosses your ...Full story

The Hastings Mutual Insurance Company Charitable Foundation recognizes the contributions of nonprofit organizations in the communities we serve. Each month, we’ll honor one of those organizations as our Nonprofit of the Month. ...Full story

At Hastings Mutual, we offer a lot of coverage for homeowners (most prominently with our appropriately named Homeowners coverage). But a single-family house in a city, suburban, or rural area isn’t the only way to live. People who rent can benefit ...Full story

Pollution is something no one ever really wants to think about. It’s dangerous to the air, water, soil, human health, and so much more. Entire industries are devoted to preventing pollution and cleaning it up for years, even decades, after...Full story

I’m getting a new roof on my house. The home is in good condition, but the roof is getting a little old, and we’d like to rearrange things to keep more of the rain and snow away. Our home inspector introduced us to...Full story

Looking for Woodstove Safety Tips? Click here to see how to stay safe this winter!

During harvest season, fire is always a risk on a farm. It’s especially dangerous if the summer has been hot and dry, like 2021...Full story

There’s a lot of complicated and confusing jargon in the insurance business. Having a local independent insurance agent by your side can help clarify things. Reading about insurance words online (for example, in the Mutual Understanding blog) is another way to get more understanding of what something...Full story

Recently there have been a number of articles about the aging American workforce. In short, there aren’t as many people available for work in Generation X, the Millennial generation, and the generations in school right now as there were during...Full story

Like so many other things, the home construction business was turned upside down during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was even kind of uncertain for a while earlier this year. Despite all that, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that ...Full story

The Hastings Mutual Insurance Company Charitable Foundation recognizes the contributions of nonprofit organizations in the communities we serve. Each month, we’ll honor one of those organizations as our Nonprofit of the Month. ...Full story