New beginning, for an old dude!

At the start of each year we all kind of take stock.  I look back at what I've accomplished, and what I failed to accomplish.  I also look forward at what needs to change and what I want to make better in my life.  We all do that to some degree, don't we?

Sometimes it's more a function of what really works and what is most practical.  My friend Else sent me this week's picture.  Her friends all had their iphones with their Otterboxes to protect them in the rain and she has a nondescript phone in a ziplock baggy!  We joked about it being a redneck Otterbox but in truth it is a wise use of her resources for a tool that will be out dated before she can graduate college and find a job that will pay her enough to afford the iphone in the first place.  That's sort of what I've done this new year.

I left the insurance agency I was with to join one that will offer me greater opportunity to help people find the right policy for the right price.  I now have 20 or 30 different companies to write insurance through, not just one.  So now I can focus in on what a person needs not what I can insure ('cause now I can insure it all).

Life insurance, commercial policies, homeowners, auto policies ... coal trucks, restaurants  homes, antique autos, and just about anyone's life.  Better products, better prices, and most importantly better coverage.  

Yes this year I'm making the best use of my resources and I'm using those resources to help my friends and family insure the things they own.  So, call me for you insurance needs at 812-384-3575 for my Bloomfield office or 812-847-8141 to reach my Linton office.

I hope your new year inspires you to make the most of what you've got and perhaps create a unique style all your own.  See you soon!

Life insurance is more important than any other type of policy, let's talk about why!

How high should your liability limits be???

People always ask "how much liability do I really need?” Well, just read the news and then you tell me what you think. What happens if you are driving along and the kids in your back seat get a little out of control, you look back for just a second to yell "stop that!" (so they aren't distracting you) ... but when you look back at the road you realize you are running a red light and hitting a car. Did the passenger in the other car get hurt? Did they get air lifted to an ER in a distant town? Did they die? Lawsuits today are seeking higher and higher amounts ... Here's a case filed late last month where a semi ran a light and killed a girl, and the parents are seeking 5 million!

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/6733258-417/parents-sue-trucker-over-daughters-death.html

In the next one a hunter (drinking beer and hunting on the property without permission) is suing the homeowner because he fell out of the tree.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/269283/hunter-falls-from-tree-sues-property-owner?SESS0cea5da24a95806adb56788ec0433e9c=ysearch

So, in answering the question, you need enough liability insurance to protect your assets in the event you found to be responsible for injuring someone or destroying their property. Your assets are you home, land, autos, boats and other property and you cash, retirement, and income for the next two years. Add it all up and ask yourself this question. "if I hit someone in my car and hurt or killed them, what would the family likely try to get from me?" The answer is that number you just came up with ... in other words 'the most money possible given your personal financial picture.'

Don't think that state minimum coverage for auto liability is enough because it won't help you keep your house if you get in a bind. Keep your homeowners at least as high as your per accident BI limits and always do what is reasonable to protect the general public from injury associated with you and your property. You can't stop someone from suing you, not to mention you can't stop a jury from awarding a settlement from your pocket to theirs.

Some things should not be skimped on.

J

After the Storm!

After a thunderstorm blows through, I always feel lucky.  First off, if I'm there to see the end of the storm then I survived it ... plus there is a feeling of calm once nature is done beating you down.  Of course there are times that I will have damage to deal with and sometimes my community will be suffering in the wake of what ever has blown through Southern Indiana this time.

In recent years because I'm in the insurance field, I find myself looking at the damage done by a storm and accessing the possible cost and such.  Even if I don't know the people who's home, or yard I viewing ... I will still try to imagine the cost and coverage that they would need (or perhaps not need) and what the out come would be for them in different scenarios.

It's a fun exercise for me, but the same thoughts are unnerving for the person with a storm loss.  Are you covered?  How much will this cost you?  How long will you need to wait for the repair?  As an agent I would recommend that you review your coverage each year and ask those questions.  Most of you won't remember the answers at first but it's important that you get your agent thinking about it because it's their advice that you rely on to protect your family from loss.

No one really wants to take time out of life to spend it talking about storms, wrecks, and death, but just an hour a year to review your coverage and ask (or answer) tough questions about the risks you and your family face can make all the difference when something happens to your home, or auto or even the loss of a life.

J