Social-Media

MAKE
Elon Musk’s Hard Childhood;
What Millennials Mean to
Family Businesses; Return of
a Rebel Restaurateur
GROW
Golf Icon Gary Player;
Emerging Markets’
Edutainment Boom;
Retirement at Any Age
LIVE
Why Families Fly Private;
6 Great Hotel Suites; Aged
Tequilas for Summer Sipping;
Watches for the Next Century
THE EVOLUTION OF FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE
THE
FAMILY
ISSUE
HOW TO BUILD
A LEGACY OF WEALTH
AND PURPOSE
THAT ENDURES FOR
GENERATIONS
WORTH.COM
36
VOLUME 24 | EDITION 03

Tampa, FL
Leading Insurance Advisor
Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners
Jennifer Fell Berry, Private Risk Advisor, BKS-Partners
Social media: How much are
you sharing?
By Jennifer Fell Berry, Private Risk Advisor, BKS-Partners
The explosion of social media platforms
like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
and LinkedIn has drastically
changed the way we connect. Confidences
we once shared only with close
friends and family have morphed into
information we now openly promote
to our digital networks for hundreds
to see. While we’ve expanded our social
network and evolved our means of
communication, these advancements
have not come without consequences.
The ease of sharing information on
social media presents us with exposures
to risks we should be thinking about
before we ever click “post.”
LIBEL AND DEFAMATION
OF CHARACTER
Social media sites provide an open
forum for people (especially teenagers)
to share their opinions and vent
their frustrations. The perceived anonymity
of these posts or tweets makes it
easier to write emotional rants in the
heat of a moment. But in the event that
your teen’s rant targets a specific person,
you, as his or her parent, can be sued for
libel or defamation of character. And
because this action took place online,
the statement is archived as evidence
for the injured party (even if you erase it).
TWITTER LIBEL
(“TWIBEL”) CASES
Cases are reportedly up 300 percent
in the last year. Rocker Courtney Love
recently paid $430,000 to settle a lawsuit
in which she was accused of defaming
a fashion designer, in a series
of tweets.
The best way to avoid twibel is to
educate your family on what types of
comments are appropriate to share on
social media. It is also important to ensure
that your homeowners policy has
personal injury coverage, which expands
the definition of bodily injury to
include libel, slander and defamation
of character. If it does not, the liability
portion of your policy will not respond
in the event of a lawsuit. Your insurance
advisor can instruct you on how
you can further protect yourself with
an umbrella policy.
PERSONAL AND
HOME SECURITY
You wouldn’t proclaim to the world, “Attention,
my home will be unoccupied for
the next two weeks,” so why would you
post this on social media? By talking
about your upcoming vacation or sharing
pictures of your family in real-time
while on vacation, you are alerting your
network that your home is exposed.
Even if you think your Facebook is private,
your information could still be
leaked or found by others not in your
friend group. In order to protect yourself
and your family, share photos of vacation
only after your trip, and educate
your children not to post about their
outings or about being home alone.
CLAIM SETTLEMENT
Social media profiles are a great source
of information for insurance companies
and courts when it comes to claim
settlements. For example, it may seem
harmless after an auto accident to put
your friends and family at ease by assuring
them you are “okay.” But if you
are seeking payment related to injuries
caused by this auto accident, your post
may work against your claim in court.
When in doubt, speak with friends and
family privately.
LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT
A recent Florida case awarded a fired
private school headmaster $80,000 after
he sued his employer for age discrimination.
The school later refused to pay
the settlement after reading a post
written by the ex-headmaster’s daughter.
Her post boasted about her family’s
win and how the settlement was paying
for her upcoming European vacation.
The courts agreed, confirming that
the post violated the settlement agreement’s
confidentiality provision.
In short, we live in a digital age,
where information sharing is common
and expected. There are many upsides
to this, but beware of the downsides,
and watch what you—and especially
your teenagers—say online.

“You wouldn’t proclaim to the
world, ‘Attention, my home will
be unoccupied for the next two
weeks,’ so why would you post
this on social media?”
—Jennifer Fell Berry
How to reach BKS-Partners
Any member of our team may be reached at 866.279.0698.
We look forward to speaking with you.
OUR PROMISE TO THE COMMUNITY...
To us, giving it all means giving back. We are heartily committed
to sharing with the world not only our passion but our compassion.
Since day one, we’ve made it a priority to serve the communities
where we live, work and play. Our colleagues spend over 2,500
hours volunteering annually and we are happy to support over 40
local nonprofit organizations.
LIVE GROW MAKE
BALDWIN KRYSTYN SHERMAN PARTNERS
Left to right: Laura Sherman,
Lowry Baldwin, Elizabeth Krystyn
About Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners
Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners (BKS-Partners) is an award-winning independent insurance brokerage firm
providing private risk management, commercial risk management, employee benefits and Vitality programs
to clients wherever life takes them throughout the United States and internationally. One of the largest
privately held firms in Florida, BKS-Partners takes a holistic and boutique approach to insurance architecture
and risk management. The firm builds personalized client relationships and utilizes a proprietary process
called RiskMapping to examine client lifestyles, passions, professions and business ventures, generating
a 360-degree view of each client’s unique risk profile. BKS Holistic Protection is then custom designed,
providing integrated coverage for all areas of a client’s life. Headquartered in Tampa, with six offices located
throughout the state of Florida, BKS-Partners is driven to make a difference in its communities, rewarding
employees for their community involvement and supporting more than 40 charitable organizations.
ILLUSTRATION BY KEVIN SPROULS
Insurance Services Experience
60+ years (combined)
Offices
Tampa, Naples, Sarasota, Ft. Myers,
Tallahassee and The Villages
Total Colleagues 85
Website
www.bks-partners.com
Professional Services Provided
Specializing in private risk management, commercial risk management,
employee benefits, asset & income protection and wellness & safety programs
Accomplishments 2015 Tampa Bay Times Top Workplace; 2015 Tampa Bay
Business Journal Best Places to Work; 2014 Tampa Bay Business Journal
Healthiest Employer; 2013 IIABA Best Practices Agency; 2014 Gulfshore Business
Best of Business; Inc. 500 | 5000; 2014 Florida Trend Best Companies to Work For
Email lsherman@bks-partners.com
lbaldwin@bks-partners.com
ekrystyn@bks-partners.com
Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners 4010 West Boy Scout Boulevard, Suite 200, Tampa, FL 33607 866.279.0698
WORTH.COM JUNE-JULY 2015
075

Laura Sherman
Partner
Lowry Baldwin
Partner
Elizabeth Krystyn, CEBS
Partner
Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners
4010 West Boy Scout Boulevard, Suite 200
Tampa, FL 33607
9140 Corsea del Fontana Way
Building 110, Suite 200
Naples, FL 34109
1990 Main Street, Suite 750
Sarasota, FL 34236
5237 Summerlin Commons Boulevard, Suite 222
Fort Myers, FL 33907
Tel. 866.279.0698
lsherman@bks-partners.com
lbaldwin@bks-partners.com
ekrystyn@bks-partners.com
www.bks-partners.com
REPRINTED FROM
®
the evolution of financial intelligence
Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners is featured in Worth ® 2015 Leading Wealth Advisors , a special section in every edition of Worth ® magazine. All persons and firms appearing in this section
have completed questionnaires, have been vetted by an advisory group following submission by Worth ® , and thereafter paid the standard fees to Worth ® to be featured in this section.
The information contained herein is for informational purposes, and although the list of advisors presented in this section is drawn from sources believed to be reliable and independently
reviewed, the accuracy or completeness of this information is not guaranteed. No person or firm listed in this section should be construed as an endorsement by Worth ® , and Worth ® will not
be responsible for the performance, acts or omissions of any such advisor. It should not be assumed that the past performance of any advisors featured in this special section will equal or be
an indicator of future performance. Worth ® , a Sandow Media publication, is a financial publisher and does not recommend or endorse investment, legal or tax advisors, investment strategies
or particular investments. Those seeking specific investment advice should consider a qualified and licensed investment professional. Worth ® is a registered trademark of Sandow Media LLC.
See “About Us” for additional program details at http://www.worth.com/index.php/about-worth.