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Immigration Consultant Bonds Overview — Immigration Consultant Bonds from Allstar Fina...r the risk. How quickly can you get a bond issued?Turnaround varies by state a...

Miguel Angel Fragoso-Hernandez sets goal of medical career in Watsonville WATSONVILLE >> At Pajaro Valley High School, Miguel Angel Fragoso-Hernandez is known as Nino, or Kid, a nickname bestowed during his freshman year, when, a year younger than most students after skipping first grade, he was the smallest player on the junior varsity soccer team. But Fragoso-Hernandez, now a 17-year-old graduating senior and class valedictorian, has another title in mind: doctor. He'll take a step toward achieving his career goal when he enrolls at UC Berkeley in the fall to study biology or biochemistry. At a graduation ceremony Thursday, he plans to remind his classmates how they reached this point in their lives. "It's not like you did it on your own. Your teachers helped you. Your parents helped you all through your life," Fragoso-Hernandez said. "At the same time, (the graduates) sit here because they worked for it." Fragoso-Hernandez will speak from experience. His parents, Martin Fragoso and Julia Hernandez, emigrated from Santiago Tulantepec in Hidalgo, Mexico, to the U.S. in their teens. They were very poor, Fragoso-Hernandez said. His father scrounged from garbage cans to get enough to eat. His mother, living on a rural ranch, watched two siblings die in childhood. Here, they worked in the fields at first, but later Miguel's father became an auto mechanic and eventually bought the business from his boss. After volunteering at Freedom Elementary School, his mother was hired to supervise students at recess. As the family's income improved, they were able to move from a series of crowded garages into a three-bedroom apartment in a Holohan Road complex. Though he was only 7 at the time, Fragoso-Hernandez recalls his amazement at the space and the fact that the apartment had its own kitchen. Growing up, he watched his father work two jobs at times, and his mother devote herself to work and raising three sons. But he didn't understand what they were trying to accomplish until high school. "I thought they came to find a better life for themselves," Fragoso-Hernandez said. "I didn't realize until my sophomore year that the ultimate goal was to have a better life for their children." Though neither Fragoso nor Hernandez went to school past the sixth grade, they knew education was the key to reaching that goal, and they instilled that value in their children. Fragoso-Hernandez said math and science captured his interest at any early age. He paid attention as his older brother did his homework, and by the end of kindergarten he had mastered multiplication. He finishes high school with a 4.24 grade point average. In addition, he was a forward on the varsity soccer team for three years, and has worked as a math tutor in an after-school program for elementary students since he was 14. His father's struggles with poor health led him to decide on a medical career, either as a general practitioner or a surgeon. "I grew up seeing him with all these problems, and I wanted to be able to do something but I couldn't," he said. "I want to be able to do something for someone in the same situation." When Fragoso-Hernandez was in middle school, the family moved to Gilroy, but he and his two brothers, Eric, a sophomore at Cal State Monterey Bay, and Marco, a seventh-grader at Lakeview Middle School, elected to commute each day so they could remain in Watsonville schools. The three brothers were born in Watsonville, and Fragoso-Hernandez considers the city home. Once he earns his medical degree, he plans to return. "Without Watsonville, I wouldn't be where I am today," he said. "I want to give back to this community." Content provided by http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/education/ci_25899165/valedictorian-credits-immigrant-parents-providing-opportunity

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — After 17 years on the force, San Jose Police officer Huan Ngyuen had learned not to get emotionally involved in his work. But then one got through. On May 6, a road rage slaying in his Little Saigon neighborhood, on the streets where he grew up and now patrols, took the life of a Vietnamese immigrant like himself. The victim was a 37-year-old bus driver who left behind a widow and two young children, one with severe autism. "We try not to get emotional, but sometimes these things really affect me," Nguyen said. "It kind of hit the soft core of my body." Ngyuen and his colleagues sent texts to friends and family asking if they could help the widow. Then, at his friends' urging, he launched a website, hoping to raise a few thousand dollars. Word spread quickly: Now, less than three weeks since the murder, nearly $100,000 has poured in from the local Vietnamese community and far beyond, including Houston, Boston, New York, even London. "I'm very thankful, and I'm very surprised," said widow Dieu Huynh, a limited English speaker whose husband's cremated remains were buried last weekend. Sinking into her couch with her 4- and 7-year-old sons, she fought back tears, telling Ngyuen in Vietnamese how her youngest son, Steven, keeps asking her to call his father. Her older son, Henry, can't talk, but hugs and kisses her. Unable to function independently, Henry dashes out the door into the street if left unattended, has seizures, and will need a lifetime of constant care. "When I met this family, I could see they were going to need help," said Ngyuen, himself a father of two. "It really, really got to me." National Center for Victims of Crime Executive Director Mai Fernandez said online, crowd-sourced fundraisers are increasingly common for crime victims, but usually it's friends or family who launch them. "I've never heard of a police officer stepping in like this. This sounds like a really special person," she said. "When there's a tragedy out there, there are a lot of heroes who step up. It's amazing to see the outpouring of generosity of the public. Humankind really does care about each other." Ngyuen, who sought approval before reaching out publicly and has the full support of San Jose Police Chief Larry Esquivel, said he's shy about being in the spotlight. "But this isn't about me at all," he said. "My job is to help others. No amount of money can replace their dad, but this can help those boys as they grow up." Ngyuen also is keeping an eye out on his patrols for the suspect who shot Huynh's husband, Phuoc Lam. That morning, with a rare few hours free, Lam and Huynh were doing errands for her upcoming birthday party. Suddenly Lam slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting two men in a Volkswagen Jetta who pulled out of a mobile home park driveway in front of him, police said. Lam climbed out of the driver's side to survey the scene. Words were exchanged, and as Huynh was stepping out to see what was going on, her husband was shot. Police said she told them she saw Lam fall. Huynh doesn't speak of it in front of her children. But at that moment her life crumbled. Read the entire story here. Content provided by http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/26/san-jose-police-officer-raises-money_n_5393027.html?utm_hp_ref=good-news

...s like regular insurance, a surety bond guarantees that the bonded party will meet certain obligations,... specific project or time period. The bond form or agreement should outline th...

...ely on surety. Our Contract Surety Bond program helps agents and brokers place...dmission is appropriate, depending on bond class and carrier. How quickly can I get a bond issued?We offer fast turnaround, especially for bid and performance bonds. Actual timing depends on submission completeness and bond type. Do you work with new or finan...

A Site Improvement Bond is a type of contract surety bond that guarantees a developer will prope...cally, you’ll need the project scope, bond amount, financials, and any applica...

Real Estate Development Allstar Financial Group offers Real Estate Development insurance solutions, including casualty and umbrella placements tailored for developers, general contractors and owners of apartment and condominium projects. Our small-business solutions division provides a streamlined quoting and binding process for habitational and mixed-use development accounts—call to speak with one of our underwriters for program specifics and submission requirements. Overview of the Program From Allstar Financial Group This program is designed to help agents place construction and development risks with flexible casualty and excess/umbrella options. Policies can be written on a project-specific basis or as broader packages where appropriate. The program supports both primary liability needs and excess limits to protect insureds from construction and premises exposure during development, lease-up and early operations. Casualty Coverage Highlights Monoline or package options Minimum premium starting at $500 Primary limits available up to $5,000,000 / $5,000,000 Project-specific policies available Uninsured subcontractor coverage Optional coverage enhancements, including: Blanket additional insured Waiver of subrogation Primary, non-contributory wording Per project / per location aggregate Hired & non-owned auto (certain classes) Miscellaneous professional liability (certain classes) Umbrella Coverage Highlights Limits available up to $5,000,000 Minimum premium starting at $750 Supported or unsupported placements Underlying Requirements and Underwriting Standards AM Best A-VI or better for auto or general liability AM Best B++ or better for employers liability Typical underlying GL limits: $1,000,000 / $2,000,000 / $2,000,000 Ideal Accounts and Appetite The program fits a broad range of real estate development risks, including: Contractors and general contractors Habitational developments (apartments, condos during construction and lease-up) Office, retail and mixed-use projects Vacant or phased occupancy projects Wholesale and institutional developers (subject to underwriting) Agents should submit accounts with clear project details, GC/subcontractor relationships, and reasonable loss control measures. The program can accommodate many common construction classes, but higher hazard or heavily insured-loss accounts may require referral. Coverage Advantages Flexible placement: monoline or packaged casualty options with project-specific policies when needed Enhanced endorsements available to satisfy owner/GC contract requirements (AI, waiver of subrogation, primary/non-contributory) Excess/umbrella capacity up to $5M with supported and unsupported structures Quick quoting and binding through a dedicated small-business solutions team Underwriting Notes and Minimums Minimum premiums noted in the program materials start at $500 for casualty and $750 for umbrella; actual minimums can vary by state, class and coverage structure. Project-specific placements are available—include scope, schedule, values and subcontractor controls with submissions to speed review. Territories and Availability This program is available in most of the southeastern U.S., including: AL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN and VA. Availability may vary by class and limit—please check with underwriting for territory-specific acceptances and any admitted vs. E&S placement requirements. Why Work With Allstar Financial Group on Real Estate Development Business Underwriter access: program administered by a managing general underwriter with excess & surplus lines brokerage capability, providing flexibility where admitted markets are limited. Practical endorsements to meet contract needs and reduce coverage gaps during construction and early occupancy. Responsive small-business solutions team that helps generate quick indications and bind policies for typical apartment and condo developments. Project and location aggregate options that help manage complex multi-site exposures. Example Accounts That Fit the Program A regional developer building a 150-unit apartment complex seeking primary GL with project-specific wording and a $2M primary limit, plus supported umbrella capacity. A general contractor on phased retail redevelopment needing blanket additional insured endorsements, Waiver of Subrogation and per project aggregate limits. Frequently Asked Questions What types of accounts are a good fit for this Real Estate Development program?Accounts that commonly fit include apartment and condominium developments, mixed-use retail/office projects, general contractors and owners with manageable loss histories and clear subcontractor controls. The program handles project-specific placements and multi-location risks within the stated territories. What are the minimum premiums and available limits?Casualty minimums start around $500 and umbrella minimums start around $750, though actual minimums can vary by state and submission. Primary limits are available up to $5M/$5M and umbrella limits up to $5M. Can the program provide contract language required by owners or lenders?Yes. The program offers a range of optional endorsements—blanket additional insured, waiver of subrogation, primary/non-contributory wording and per project/per location aggregate—to help satisfy contract requirements where available. Which states are supported and will you place on an admitted basis?The program is available across most southeastern states, including AL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN and VA. Placement (admitted vs. surplus) depends on the class, limits and state regulations; underwriting will advise the appropriate market for each submission. Need help placing an account? Connect with a market specialist.