What happens if my car is stolen?

When your car is stolen there is a lot that goes through your mind. I dont need to explain why, but a million concerns immediately emerge. Who did this? Why? What was in the car? Who do I call? Whos going to pay? In this situation, having full (Comp and Collision) coverage proves to be very valuable. Full coverage is more than liability only coverage (damage caused to others due to car accidents), or collision coverage (damage caused by collisions to objects). Full coverage includes comprehensive coverage (damages other than collision) This coverage includes natural disasters and car theft. Many people have insurance and they do not know if they have this coverage. Comprehensive and collision deductibles can vary and I always recommend putting them as high as you are comfortable with to save on the monthly premium, as well as, prevent you from filing small claims. It is important that you understand your policy and what is/is not covered. One thing that you need to be mindful of is limiting keeping expensive articles in your vehicle that might entice a thief. So, plan early and that will be one less thing that your are trying to sort out should something happen to your car.

Renters Insurance..Is it really neccesary? Prove It.

Renters insurance is a confusing topic because many people who are renting might not be familiar with managing their assets. While home owners insurance is a must for the majority of those buying a house, a staggering number of renters do not carry renters insurance. In fact, according to MarketWatch nearly two-thirds of the 81 million people who rent their homes are uninsured for their contents or for any liability arising out of their tenancy. More and more apartments are requiring their tenants to purchase base amounts of insurance to move into a residence, but still the majority of Americans go without. So, what is the big deal and if so many don't have it is it really necessary? Great question and lets take a look at the two main reasons for purchase.

The first reason that people need to consider purchasing a policy is for replacement of personal effects. Some renters assume that they are covered by some magical insurance umbrella held by the landlord, and this is absolutely not true. The policy a landlord carriers does not cover your stuff. Even those of us who live modestly probably have a pretty substantial amount invested within those walls you do not own. A high-def TV, surround sound system, computers, a business and a leisure wardrobe, all of those small appliances in the kitchen, and even if your furniture was bought second hand or from WalMart it can and will add up and should disaster strike, and everything will have to be replaced out of pocket. The average renters policy costs about $10-15/month which equates to less than $200 a year. That means that you would have to pay 10 years of renters payments to compensate you for that wonderful mac book you love so much. Dumb. Now, if you still are playing the card that you don't have anything of value and you live life void of all nice things, then the next reason people get renters insurance should really make you perk up.

If something happens on your property you are held liable and will be forced to pay for damages. Here's an example: Should the repairman trip over your coffee table inside your apartment or if that sweet guard dog you bought to pick up chicks decides that his ankle looks like lunch it will not be your landlord's problem. It will be yours.

Renters insurance is an inexpensive way to protect you property and many times when paired with you auto it will discount both policies. In college the house I rented burnt down and my lack of planning left me with truly nothing. Trust me it is always better to pay a little for something you may never need then pay a lot when you need it immediately. If you have any questions we are always available to help you make the best decisions at the best price.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR SPENDING..ONE BILL AT A TIME

ARE YOU REALLY THAT IMPRESSED BY MARKETING AND CELEBRITY SPOKESMODELS?

In good times, it's natural that we pay less attention to our individual expenses. But in today's uncertain times, regardless of our current situation, everybody needs to save as much money as possible.

When it comes to saving money the best place to start is with your auto insurance.

Most Americans can point to a similar list of monthly expenses, including mortgage or rent payments, auto expenses, utility bills, food & clothing etc... Many of these expenses are fixed and can't be changed and so they offer few opportunities to save any significant amounts of money. Financial experts agree, however, that the one monthly expense, where people can, with minimal effort, often find real and substantial monthly savings is auto insurance.

Auto Insurance is a necessary evil that responsible people know they can't live without. In fact, for many of us, it's a payment we make month-in and month-out, and never see the benefit of. That's OK, because the coverage has to be there if we need it - but it's also makes it all the more important that we don't over-pay.

Why are you making the insurance companies rich?

Fortunately, today there are online services that let consumers quickly shop for the best rates from a nationwide selection of auto insurance companies, all competing for your business. You simply enter your requirements, and instantly receive quotes from a wide range of reputable companies.

One of the most comprehensive of these services is CompareMyInsuranceOnline.com They operate a free website service that will find you the best insurance quotes from a wide network of premium insurers. There are no fees and no suprises. Best of all if you need help there is someone who is able to answer questions. The site also contains a wealth of reference information that helps you understand how different policies work and how to save the most money possible.

The fact is that auto insurance rates are constantly changing, and for certain policies rates have actually dropped significantly in the past 12 months. You can be sure, however, that your insurance company is not going to call you up and let you know their rates have dropped. But, with a minimal amount of time on a service such as CompareMyInsuranceOnline.com you may be able to quickly save hundreds of dollars.

So, if you're into saving money, start by finding out how much you're over-paying for your insurance coverage. Click on www.CompareMyInsuranceOnline.com

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS: Can you use a personal vehicle for business use?

Owning and operating a vehicle is expensive at the best of times. If you are a small business owner looking to save some money, using your personal vehicle for business purposes may be an instant cost saving. It is true that purchasing a commercial auto policy can be an expense that you were not expecting. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether or not to use your personal vehicle for business use. The IRS classifies "business use of a car" as travel between two destinations, one of which may include your regular place of business. So you don't have to be a delivery truck driver to be caught using your personal vehicle for business.

Consider this:

Does your Personal Auto Policy Cover Professional Business Use?

This is an easy first step. At times (depending on the situation) we add business use to an individuals policy. Depending on the use of business this can be a easy fix. However, if you are involved in any kind of food delivery service, catering, landscaping services, operate a day-care or church van service, and a number of other risk you are well advised to do some simple research before you use your personal vehicle as these are usually specifically excluded.

Tax Deductions: Which is better Personal Use or Business Use

Tax deductions for business owners can be categorized in two core tax breaks. If you have questions on how to deduct these expenses contact a licensed tax professional.

-Actual Vehicle Expenses - If a vehicle is used exclusively for business purposes, you can usually deduct the full cost of operating the vehicle.

- Standard Mileage Rate - If you use your vehicle for business on a part-time basis (ex. your personal auto), then you must divide your expenses (in the first year that you begin using it with your business) based on actual mileage. Check with your tax accountant, but the average rate is 55 cents per mile.

**Please note that in addition to basic mileage, you can also deduct interest on an auto loans, registration and property tax fees, and parking and tolls, and many other eligible business expenses. Always keep detail accounts and records of all expenses.

It is always advisable to get a professional opinion on whether or not your personal insurance policy will suffice for your particular business. As always, we are always available to provide unbiased consultation on all of your insurance needs.

Health Insurance..you're on a need to know basis

Sorting through your health insurance can be about as confusing as putting a rubiks cube together blindfolded. The reality is that most people know very little about the benefits they have and many times this can cost people thousands of dollars. Here are a couple things that you might have assumed. Did you know that most of the time your co pay does NOT go towards meeting your deductible and/ or your maximum out of pocket? This is one big drawback on having a copay option and should be considered when looking at your different options. Second, if you are not on a group policy (and sometimes even if you are) maternity is not covered! Now, some companies might try and get you add maternity on as a rider but dont be fooled. The reality is as of now, in Texas, maternity is not a covered benefit on individual plans. The last thing on todays lesson plan is to understand that while deductibles are important to look at they are only one part of the puzzle. When it comes time to get your individual coverage put in place make certain that you understand what you do and dont have. This is why going through a brokerage is so important. When someone can give you unbiased advice AND provide you with a ton of options..its a win win.

Term Life Insurance..Common Mistakes

Shopping for life insurance can be a difficult and complicated process. I mean, your insuring your life...that's a lot of pressure. Well, for the purpose of this blog post lets assume you have figured out that Term Life Insurance is what makes the most sense for you and your family. Now what? Well there are some common mistakes that people can find themselves in when shopping for term life insurance. The first mistake is to focus solely on cost. Sure price is an important factor to consider when we buy insurance, but sometimes people start looking at it as a commodity and that is really dangerous. Not only are some insurance policies different, but in the past 15 years we are seeing a BOOM of life insurance companies that offer bottom dollar prices and go out of business leaving their policy holders holding a depreciated policy or worse.

The second biggest mistakes that shoppers find themselves in is not choosing the right face value. The tendency is to run arbitrary numbers based on what monthly payment you can afford. So then you have a $100,000 policy and have no idea what its going to pay for. Take some time when shopping and know what that policy is going to pay for (ie. mortgage, college, living expenses, etc). Most agents will offer different life needs worksheets that will give you a great understanding of what limits you need.

Another common mistake is not choosing the right agent. It is very important to choose a licensed agent that understands life insurance contracts and all of the options available within the contracts. There are to many fly by night insurance agents out there that are doing it as a hobby, and many times even people that mean well can end up getting you an option that was not right for you.

The last common mistake is people that dont consider any conversion options. An important option to have in your term life policy is the right to convert to a permanent life policy with the same company without submitting any additional evidence of insurability. This is important to consider because it will allow you to increase your policy even if medically you are consider uninsurable. You will never regret having this rider, but not having can cost you.

Wedding Insurance..One of the most important things you NEVER heard of

Most times when I ask a question about Wedding Insurance I get a blank stare or maybe a courtesy laugh (they think its a bad insurance joke). We even spoke with a huge local wedding expo and the had never heard of wedding insurance. So, what is this elusive product that I am calling the most important thing you never heard of? Wedding insurance is a product that provides you with certain coverage that will be for property damage, lost deposits, cancellation fees, and most importantly LIQUOR LIABILITY. The average cost of a wedding in 2008 was $27,000. So name another thing in your life that you pay that much for without having any insurance to protect you. While most policies have slight variations they have one thing in common..they are very inexpensive. Wedding insurance can run anywhere from around $160 to $2000 if you were throwing an enormous celebrity style wedding. If you have to reschedule a wedding due to a bride or groom being ill, or if there is a horrible storm and you lose your deposit you will get reimbursed. The biggest thing that wedding insurance does is gives you protection from liability lawsuits resulting from consumption of alcohol. Did you know that if someone leaves your function and gets into a wreck and is found to be intoxicated, that you can and probably will be named in the lawsuit. Drunk driving accidents usually bring claimants millions of dollars due to negligence. If you are having alcohol served at your wedding, then this insurance is a must. At the end of the day your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and having the right protection gives you the piece of mind to focus on the things that matter most.

Tips on Shopping for Individual Health Insurance

Many people associate health insurance as a benefit that you get in a compensation package from your employer. However, over 46 million people don't have that option and are forced to fend for themselves. The problem with this scenario is that there are more and more people that put off coverage until they can manage it into their budget. Trust me, I can understand wanting to be careful about spending but health insurance isn't a great place to cut costs unless you do it responsibly. Did you know that over 50% of ALL bankruptcies deal with unexpected medical expenses? Most of these bankruptcies happened because people thought that they could put off medical coverage until they needed it. Here's a big problem with that arguement: Once you realize that you NEED it.. for an individual health plan you are now considered "uninsurable". This can be one of the most careless ways to save money and is comparable to buying a lottery ticket for retirement funds. The risk is too great to put your trust in "chance". There is a solution however, and there are many ways that you can have coverage without becoming insurance poor. Here are a few suggestions.

USE A BROKER
Using a broker can be a great way that you can save time and money. A broker is licensed to sell many different companies and their responsibility is to you..not the insurance company. Now, do your homework and find someone that you can trust, but once you do..let them help you through the process. Any time you deal with a broker you are able to get industry experience without the pressure of a sales person. Its like buying a house...you could buy a house without a Realtor, but the likelihood that you are going to end up with crummy options, and a high price is very good. Think about it..you don't buy a house this way and you shouldn't insure you body this way.

RAISE YOUR DEDUCTIBLE
This is an easy way to lower premiums, but you want to be careful and calculate the risk intelligently. If you save $20/month by raising your deductible $5000 and you have an accident you saved $240 and gained $5000. Thats not very good. So be smart and understand that when you raise the deductible you are taking on more financial responsibility.

USE AN HSA
If you are a healthy person or have a healthy family, an HSA is a great option to help you save money. HSA, or Health Savings Accounts, are a tax free savings account that you can use to help pay for medical expenses. These are paired with a high deductible health plan and usually dont have Co-Pays. So only use this option if you can take on more financial responsibility. If you would like to find a calculator that helps to determine whether this makes sense for you simply email me at j.marvin@comparemyinsuranceonline.com.

STAY HEALTHY
This sounds simple, but one of the best ways to prevent huge increases in premium is by participating in prevention medicine. Go in for yearly exams, and do the things that will help you stay in good health. Smoking, or tobacco use increases your premium by 25% minimum, and other weight and health factors will increase your premium as well.

At the end of the day, all people need to have health insurance and putting it off not only puts you at risk, but also the people close to you that would be responsible for paying bills if you cant. If you want a good tool to help you start evaluating prices you can visit our website (www.CompareMyInsuranceOnline.com) and click on the INDIVIDUAL HEALTH link and it will show you all top rated health carriers in Texas. Implementing these simple steps will give you the protection that you need and keeping the price manageable.

Buyers Beware! Free Windshield Repair could cost you!

Most of us are familiar with the adage.."Nothing in life is free", and if you don't live by this advice you usually end up becoming a horror story that warns others. Many people, especially after a hail storm or in a car wash, see the advertisement for FREE WINDSHIELD REPAIR. The selling point for this service is that your insurance company will cover the cost. What they don't tell you is that they repair company files a comprehensive claim on your behalf and it will count against your when you renewal comes around. Our brokerage just ran into someone that had a couple of these claims and if he gets one more claim he will be dropped and it will be difficult for him to get a competitive policy! Many insurance companies have a threshold of claims that they allow before they will drop the customer and each windshield repair counts as a claim against you. If you want to get it fixed, just pay the $50 bucks out of pocket and save yourself the grief of putting yourself at risk for a rate increase or worse. Be very very careful when coming across "free" ads and understand that these companies are not charities and they are getting paid from someone...usually YOU! 

Ways to cuts premiums for teen drivers...Finally

Many times parents of young drivers experience a little sticker shock when it comes to auto insurance. Lets start by saying...there IS a reason for this and no matter how great your kids are the statistics are not in their favor. The likelihood that a teen driver will receive a violation or be in an accident is higher than most "seasoned" drivers. However, there are some ways that you can lower the boom of that premium by implementing some pro active measures. Trust me, in the end the savings are out there you just have to grab on to them. Now if your hope is to have a full comp/collision policy for junior for $60 then you are in Dreamy Dreamtown...its not going to happen. However if you want to save 5% here and maybe 10% there then this is the blog for you. Also note that some of these discounts apply for adults so pay attention for ways YOU can cut costs as well.

Good Grades

The first discount that you can get for you new driver is a good grades discount. The type (A's, B's) of grades that are required varies within each company but you will save a pretty good chunk of change. Most carriers require brokers to show a report card or get a school administrator to sign off on the grades, but this is a great place to start getting those savings.

Safety Features

The second way that you can save some green is to make sure that your teen's car has as many safety features on their auto as possible. Airbags, anti-lock breaks, alarm, etc will make a difference when it comes to premiums. Make sure you articulate this to your broker when you are describing your auto. Whenever we are running a quote we have a checklist of safety features that we want to ask about to give a better chance of a better rate.

Defensive Driving

This is a good one for drivers young and old. By taking a defensive driving course you are communicating a increased driving awareness. This can make a huge dent in your premiums and is as easy as going to a website or taking a Saturday morning course. I have found online courses for $20 and you will make this back 10 fold in premium savings. Make sure you keep the certificate of completion to prove that you took the course

Shop Around

If you haven't shopped your insurance in a while...what are you thinking? There are a lot of companies out there that change their pricing fairly often. Make sure you are with a company that is going to stay competitive for your business. Even if you have a broker who has access to many different companies how do you know that you are actually being shopped around. I give a written handout of all the companies that we shopped it with and show them where they actually stand. Take a little initiative and find a broker that you trust to help you make the right decisions.

Reward Safe Driving

The best way to save money is to keep as much off your record as possible. One great way to do this is communicate the importance of safe driving with your teens and try rewarding them for safe driving. If they are on your policy..they affect your driving record and you want to protect yourself at all costs.

In the end..its expensive to have teen drivers, but by taking certain steps to lowering your payments you can rest easy. While the odds are not in your favor statistically for teen drivers by educating yourself and finding a good broker you can cut costs and keep more money for the non-insurancey things.

Life Insurance: How much are YOU worth to your FAMILY

I have heard life insurance called a lot of different things and most of them are not very positive. Some people say.. well, its really death insurance. Really? Life insurance is payable at death, but it protects the lives you left behind. Another term I have heard life insurance called is un-necessary or a bad investment. Well, I guess that depends on why you bought the insurance in the first place. If you bought a $100,000 term policy for your kids and paid $18/mo for 15 years you would have spent $3888. Now after the 15th year you get into a car accident and lose your life. Tell me another product that you can swap out $4000 for $100,000. I am a huge believer in life insurance because it is the most selfless product you can buy. The intangibility of life insurance makes it easy to procrastinate purchasing it because you think if I just put it off a few more weeks, months, years I wont waste all that premium. The problem with this argument is that hospitals and morgues are filled with people that had the best intentions of purchasing a life insurance policy but are now gone or un-insurable. If you haven't looked at term life insurance do it. If you have looked at term life insurance and keep putting it off, do it today. Term life insurance is a very very inexpensive option but will be a huge blessing for your family in the event that you are no longer with them. With any insurance product there are many different options (riders) you can add to the policy. I will cover these at a later time so I don't cloud the intention of the message which is to buy life insurance, NOW. Find someone that you trust, and someone that will help you shop around for the best product at the best price. The reason you should go through a trusted broker is because there are a lot of start up insurance companies that are a very unstable but they have "too good to be true" prices, like $8/year for $100,000 term! If it sounds to good it probably is. Also you want someone that can provide you with the resources to help you find the amount of insurance that is right for you. Buying arbitrary amounts is better than nothing but your family deserves better than that. If you want to know more about the different riders and options or want help shopping around you can get me at my office (972-930-7086) and I would love the opportunity to speak to you about something that I am very passionate about. The bottom line... get life insurance for you loved ones. You will never regret doing this for the people you love the most. At the end of the day ask yourself...is my families financial future more important to me than the montly payments.

Did you know you spell "pit bull?"........ L-I-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y

So we have found that a very popular question recently deals with homeowners insurance options for people with "aggressive breeds". I got the question.."will my homeowners policy go up if I get a pit bull?" Unfortunately, the question that they should be asking is "Am I going to be able to get insurance?" The fact of the matter is that very very few insurance carriers will allow you to have an "aggressive breed" at all. Here is a why..Over 90% of ALL liability claims on homeowners are due to dog bites. 75% of the bites were done by pit bulls, rottweilers, chows, dobermans, and wolf breeds. So it isnt hard to recognize why an insurance company would be hesitant to insure a homeowner that is going to pay $80 a month and have a possible million dollar lawsuit arising from a dog attack. I am not suggesting that pit bulls are bad dogs and I have know some great examples of how proper training is a bigger factor than breed, but that is not going to convince any insurance companies to put themselves into a liability exposure like that. Anytime you have a liability magnet on your property (ie. pool, trampoline, dog) you are going to pay higher premiums and/or get a cancellation notice. If you are thinking about getting a dog I suggest that you look at how much "mans best friend" will cost you in the long run when you have limited options for insurance and possibly put yourself into a position where you have to come out of pocket 100% for a lawsuit. Understanding your options before you make dog purchase will help you make the best decision for you and your family. If you have any additional questions as to your options if you already have an "aggressive breed" you can give me a call and I can hopefully point you in the right direction. My number is 972-930-7086.

UM UIM is a fancy term for..if you dont got it..you dont like yourself

There is a lot of fun jargon out there for fancy insurance terms. It is almost like it should be a required second language in high school. Today I want to focus on an important acronym that has some people confused. UM UIM stands for "Uninsured and Under Insured Motorist" and is a coverage that some people view as an "optional coverage". Optional...what?!? Let me tell you the type of person that doesn't need this coverage...NOBODY. I guess it would be beneficial to describe what this coverage is and why it is such a no brainer to throw on your policy. UM UIM is a coverage that protects YOU (the owner of the policy) if you were to get into an accident with someone that didn't have insurance or didn't have sufficient limits. The limits are chosen, similar, to the liability limits, and are for your own protection. Now, why some people put 100/300/100 on liability but only 25/50/25 on their UM UIM is beyond me. When you do this you say... I am not as concerned with my family and I as I am with some random person I might get in an accident with. This doesn't make sense to me and it shouldn't to you. The best thing to do is to set good limits (ie. 100/300/100) for BOTH your liability exposure and your personal exposure with UM UIM. Now that I told you what this coverage is, here is the the why. The Insurance Research Council estimates that roughly one out of every six drivers may be driving uninsured by 2010. Now add in the fact that many people are dropping their insurance down to "legal minimums" (25/50/25) to save a little money and you realize that you are one of the very few people in this country that is properly covered. The fact is that this coverage is your way of protecting your family from a huge financial pitfall and since it only raises the premium around 7%, it is a no brainer. So do that right thing and protect you and your loved ones because if you don't..nobody will.

To HSA or Not to HSA, That is the Question..

As health care costs rise higher and higher, consumers are looking for ways to make their health care dollars go farther. One way to do that is to create a Health Savings Account or "HSA" to help. A few questions might come to mind when looking at an HSA. The first one for many Americans is..what is an HSA? The second question is..would this be a good option for me and my family? Lastly, where would I find an HSA? These are great questions and finding the right answers can help you manage your health care expenses. An HSA is a personal, tax-advantaged saving account that works with an qualified health plan these plans are known as high deductible health plan (HDHP). Like the name implies these plans come with a minimum deductible of $1,150 for single coverage, or $2,300 for family coverage, and will go up as much as $10,000 a month. When shopping for HSA qualified plans make sure you see the word "HSA compatible". There are three main reasons that someone would use an HSA. First, contributions and investment earnings are tax-free up to the specified limit. Finally, withdrawals used for qualified medical expenses are also tax-free. Sounds pretty good right? Understand that HSA's are not for everyone and there are few things you want to consider before taking out a HDHP.
The person that is right for an HSA is one who is wanting to save some money on monthly premiums and self insure yourself on small claims by using your own tax deferred dollars. Since this is not a “use it or lose it” provision, the account stays with you through your entire lifetime. Also, someone who has a family will typically spend more than 10% of their entire income on medical care (check ups, glasses, braces, etc). An HSA is a great way to make these dollars stretch. If you have any questions you can email me personally at j.marvin@comparemyinsuranceonline.com to get more information and find out if this step is right for you. Finally, there are many places that offer HSA's. Many financial planning institutions, banks, insurance companies offer these plans. A great website that I have found for having a policy that is not connected to a specific product (so if you change carriers you still have the same HSA card) is hsabank.com Before you take the plunge into the HSA pool make sure you get all of your options and understand these options to guarantee you make the best decision for you and your family.

dont throw out your life raft when your in dangerous waters..

There is no doubt that we are faced with tough economic times. As more and more people are re-evaluating their monthly expenses, there is a tendency to cast out anything that doesn’t provide a tangible benefit. Insurance is a product that many people have, but don’t fully grasp the overall concept of how it is intended to protect you. When you reduce (significantly) coverage you are agreeing to "self insure" any risk that could happen to you. Now, if you are trying to figure out how in the world you are going to make the electricity payment at $200 then how are you going to be able to pay a $80,000 liability lawsuit. Now I am not saying that you might be able to save some money by shopping around, but you do not want to just cast aside your safety net because you haven't used it yet. Lets put it in another way, if you were on a cruise ship, how would you feel if they took away 1/2 of their emergency boats because they were having trouble paying for the slot machines. Well, I surely don’t want to be floating in the cold, dark, shark infested waters clutching to a slot machine, would you? If you need help with your insurance you can call us at 866-452-4344, and we can help you find ways to cut costs without cutting your families main security net. If you don’t think planning ahead for catastrophes is important think about how the story of the Titanic would have been different if everyone had a seat on an emergency life raft.

Shopping Insurance Online..

Just like everything, we are buying these days, more and more people are heading to the internet to shop around for their auto insurance. A recent study found that the just under fifty percent of buyers who bought a new auto insurance policy did so via direct channels (including insurer Web sites and call centers), this is a 3% increase since 2007. Among buyers who changed their shopping channel, more buyers also changed to direct purchasing methods (22 percent), compared with those who switched to using an agent (15 percent). Interestingly the study found that those buyers who purchased auto insurance via local agents were significantly more satisfied with their customer service, compared to those who bought direct. So, what are we as consumers suppose to do? We want to shop online, but also want a good experience. The best solution is to find an agency or brokerage that allows you to shop and compare online. A site that offers this capability is http://www.comparemyinsuranceonline.com/ and they can show you why more and more people are shopping online for their insurance needs.

Am I really protected?

Many people do not understand the purpose of insurance. For example, a business owner has a huge fire that destroys most of his store. Well, the immediate concern would be..how am I going to pay for all my stuff, right? A couple days later, that same business owner is realizing that he is taking money out of the settlement to pay for bills and expenses that he is incurring outside of the rebuild. Here is where understanding insurance is vital and can save you thousands. Many business owner policies have a coverage that pays for any lost income that occurs due to a covered loss. What does that mean to the insured? It means that for as long as it takes to get back up and running, the insurance company will pay him outside of the initial settlement so that he can pay his mortage, put groceries, on the table, and even pay your employees to make sure they are still there when you back to work. Understanding what is included and excluded from your policy is as important as understanding how to drive a car. A car isnt there to sit in your garage and collect dust, but rather to get you from point A to point B. If you bought a car and never drove it..why did you buy the car. Take some time and look at your insurance policies and make sure you understand it. If you get confused, make a call to your agent, or call 866-452-4344 and find someone to help you. Protecting yourself properly and understanding those coverages before something happens can save you thousands in the end.

Getting Started

Many times a consumer finds him or herself searching for a product that they know very little about. Usually this ends in getting too much of one thing and too little of another. This blog is set up to offer free advice in making hard decisions on protecting the people and the things you love. I hope that you can use these tips and of course reference the information found here to make the right choices. Good luck