Insurance Agents Provide “Personalized” Service

A recent study performed by AutoInsuranceQuotes.com found that out of 264 respondents who visited the site while shopping for auto insurance, 94 percent claimed to prefer shopping via email as opposed to other shopping methods including online; in person with a local agent; or over the phone.

I see a few problems with this study.  First, where were these respondents?  They were ONLINE!!  Secondly, who were the control group of the study? Did the company use an independant polling company to conduct a telephone survey of possible insurance shoppers?  Lastly, look who conducted the survey – an auto insurance quoting site!!!

The J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Insurance New Buyer Study found that last year only 21 % of  new customer insurance sales were processed entirely on the web.  That leaves 79% of the buying public in contact with their or other insurance agents.

Jana Bell, Director of Business Operations at HomeInsurance.com said “Customers who work with a licensed agent before purchasing their auto insurance policy have a better chance of finding the right coverage and qualifying for all available discounts.”

Remember, the agent represents a company or companies, but works for you.  You pay his/her bills, and you are the most important person to the agency.  At Tim Hawley Insurance Agency, we try our best to tailor an insurance program that fits b oth your needs and budget.   Sure, we have a website.  That is for the ease and convenience of our clients and potential clients.    We do not sell policies without meeting with the client.  We are proud that we know each insured and what they want in the insurance process.  And, I hope they are please with how we provide the personal touch.

We  aren’t an impersonal drone in a cubicle processing paperwork.  Neither is your agent, if they are give us a call.

You Need to Re-evaluate Life Insurance

I knew this older couple, he was in his late 60′s and she was in her early 60′s….they were not financially saavy and struggled to make ends meet for many years. He was stubborn and usually resisted good advice, like buying life insurance. 
Finally an agent convinced him to buy as much permanent converage as he could afford, which at age 68 (depite being healthy) was $20,000…she was uninsurable with heart disease.  Three years later (1994), he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and passed away.  That life insurance was all the money the widow had, as there was no retirement, no pension, and no savings.
And for the rest of her life (she lived 6 more years) her 2 oldest children each contibuted to paying her rent, assisting with living costs, etc as she sparingly used the life insurance proceeds to make ends meet…When she passed away, they paid her final expenses.
This story is an example of how life insurance was there at a time of need, however little it was. But it’s also a story of an older individual whose age probably led most to believe he was ‘all set,’ but really was in need of help but didn’t have it until it was really too late to make much of a difference.
This story is close to home because it’s the story of my District Manager’s  parents, and he was the agent who convinced him to buy as much coverage as they could afford when he became an agent back in 1991.
I share this story from time to time, and it’s time now.  We have a responsibility…call it a burden, to make sure we all have enough life insurance. 

Go to my website’s life quote page and request a quote today!  I will give you 2 or 3 options that may fit your budget.

Identity Theft and You

If you have a bank account, credit card, social security number or driver’s license, pay close attention: you’re at risk for identity theft.  

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In fact, you or someone you know may have experienced some form of identity theft.
The crime takes many forms. Identity thieves may rent an apartment, obtain a credit card, or establish a telephone account in your name. You may not find out about the theft until you review your credit report or a credit card statement and notice charges you didn’t make—or until you’re contacted by a debt collector.

To see a video on Identity Theft CLICK HERE

Identity theft is serious. While some identity theft victims can resolve their problems quickly, others spend hundreds of dollars and many days repairing damage to their good name and credit record.  Some consumers victimized by identity theft may lose out on job opportunities, or be denied loans for education, housing or cars because of negative information on their credit reports. In rare cases, they may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit.

Farmers Insurance offers Identity Theft Protection in its Next Generation Homeowners Policy.  Farmers Identity Shield provides you with the opportunity to proactively manage your identity through credit reports and credit and public records monitoring. Also, should you become a victim of identity theft, Farmers provides professional assistance in identity restoration 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

CLICK HERE to get a home quote with Identity Theft Protection.

Hartford slashes dividend after posting second straight loss

By Andrew Frye

Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., the Connecticut-based seller of life insurance and property coverage, plans to slash its dividend by 84 percent after posting a second straight loss on investment declines. The insurer dropped 13 percent in extended trading.

Capital Injection

Hartford, based in the city of the same name, is seeking as much as $3.4 billion from the U.S. Treasury’s $700 billion rescue fund and agreed to buy a Sanford, Florida-based savings and loan to qualify for federal aid. In October, Ayer secured a $2.5 billion investment from Germany’s Allianz SE to shore up Hartford’s finances.

The net loss was $806 million, or $2.71 a share, compared with a profit of $595 million, or $1.88, in the year-earlier period, the company said today in a Business Wire statement. The loss excluding some investment results was 72 cents a share, missing the average estimate of $1.28 profit in a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

To Read more go to http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aRjWcWaC__vE

Opinion:

Is this who you want to insure your Life?  Your Home?  Your Auto?  I don’t.  Hartford wants Federal money from the bailout funds, I guess they mishandled the premium dollars enough that they feel that taxpayer dollars should be next. Bail them out?  I say No!! In fact,  I say HELL NO!!

Find another company to buy them out.  Sell the units one at a time to different insurers.  All I know is that I would’t give Hartford  one thin dime to insure my home or my family.  If they can’t handle their own money, how can they handle mine?

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is irked by State Farm’s plan to stop all property insurance in his state. I can see his point of view, if State Farm wants to leave, then leave with everything, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. But, all is not what it seems. Florida wants to tell insurers how much they can make, without limiting how much they pay out. Also, Florida’s government backed insurance carrier, which is supposed to be a “last chance” carrier is offering rates that no company can compete with.

Louisana seems to have it right. At least they won’t be footing the bill for a hurricane. The government backed program there is insuring only about 130,000 residents, and it wants to be at about 100,00. It is primarily for the parishes that no other insurer want to cover due to the risk factors. As such, private insurers are doing well in Louisiana. Even though prices are high, with private insurers, the regulators ensure the companies have the funds to cover insured losses. Florida residents might not be so lucky. Simply stated, the taxpayer should not be the insurance company. It seems to be the case in Florida. So, why not force your competition to leave the state….. like the Governor of Florida is doing

Related News Stories:

http://www.ifawebnews.com/articles/2009/02/02/news/property/doc498363949f96b335050179.txt

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/02/02/ap5995694.html