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RANT Why Do Some People Hate Insurance Companies - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

RANT: Why Do Some People Hate Insurance Companies?

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Shield Insurance Blog | Insurance Companies | Contact Us Today!

Why do some people hate insurance companies?  

OK… The big giant asterisk here first… Some of what I’m about to say is unproven, although I believe it to be true.  Feel free to email me to dispute what I say and I will be happy to listen to what you have to say about this.  Education on a topic is sometimes skewed by one’s beliefs, so I’m going to try to be unbiased.  🙂

Insurance company’s profits are usually around 3% !!!  They are highly regulated by the States. People complain that their rates are too high.  Can people see that insurance companies are simply a pass-through for our money?

Car crashes… SOME car repair companies sometimes over-quote since they know insurance is involved.  We tell people to please get 3 quotes.  Sometimes, they are 50% apart!!  I KNOW this is true SOMETIMES for glass companies too.  You can tell them that there’s no insurance involved and get a quote for $180 for a windshield, and someone else calls back on the same day for the same exact car and they say there is insurance involved and it’s over $400??  The list of examples goes on and on and on.

How about Fraud.  

Insurance companies have to employ people to fight this!  I don’t have a lot of stats on this, but I know it’s a HUGE deal and it makes our premiums go up and up and up! Some fraud is black and white, but others… not so much… did you have a fire?  how much was that watch that got burned up worth?  Even some good people will stretch the truth!

Frivolous lawsuits.  

Yep, they’re out there… lots and lots and lots of them.  Here again, I don’t have stats at hand, but I know it’s another big deal that the insurance companies have to hire people to fight against and many times just payout to settle to reduce court costs whether right or wrong!  Not to mention valid lawsuits where people get more than they deserve?  OK… I know this is debatable on many levels, so please don’t grill me or razz me on this one!!

You can apply these issues to any type of insurance!  Car, Home, and Health (have you seen pharmaceutical profits!!??) are probably the big ones.  I know Medical Malpractice is a big one too, but I’m not much of an expert on this one, but I heard 1/3 of doctor’s salaries go to pay for this.

So the next time you want to complain about your insurance rates, trust me, I completely agree…. but please don’t blame the insurance companies!!!

Submitted by Andy

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How To Get Rust Off A Trailer Hitch - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

How To Get Rust Off A Trailer Hitch

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Shield Insurance Blog | Rust Off A Trailer Hitch | Auto Insurance

How To Get Rust Off A Trailer Hitch | Auto Insurance | Shield Agency

If you tow a camper, boat, or trailer you may notice your trailer hitch rusting. Prevent this with proper maintenance, regular use, and wax and/or painting. But if you have an existing hitch that’s rusted, there are several ways to remove the rust.

Removing Rust From Chrome Hitch

If you have a chrome ball or chrome hitch that’s showing signs of rust, simply ball up a piece of aluminum foil, dip it in white distilled vinegar or Coca-Cola and lightly rub the rusty spots. Rinse with warm water and dry with a soft clean rag. Follow up by polishing with two coats of any brand carnauba car wax.

Removing Rust from Iron Trailer Hitch

If you have an iron trailer hitch or hitch ball that’s beginning to rust you can remove the rust with Naval Jelly. First, remove any loose or flaking rust with a wire brush. Then apply Naval Jelly and allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes—no longer than 15. Rinse and repeat if any rust remains. Dry the metal and paint with an oil-based paint within 24 hours to prevent the return of the rust.

Rust Off A Trailer Hitch

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Home Safety Tips - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Home Safety Tips

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Home Safety Tips

​I follow the blog of a family friend who is a real estate agent and he recently had some great tips on keeping your home safe – safer than you think it might already be.  I thought this was too great of a list not to share.

A home is a place you should feel safe and secure. Sometimes, we take it for granted, and unfortunately, we do need to remain vigilant about things we do that could compromise our safety. Here are a few tips to consider:

Everyone loves an inviting home including burglars. Make sure it looks occupied and is difficult to break in. Always lock outside doors and windows even if you’re only gone for a brief time. Lock gates and fences. Leave lights on when you leave; consider timers to automatically control the lights. Keep your garage door closed even when you’re home; don’t tempt thieves with what you have in your garage. Suspend your mail and newspaper delivery when you’re out of town or get a neighbor to pick it up for you. Posting that you’re out of town or away from home on social networks is like advertising your home is unprotected. Equally dangerous could be allowing certain social network sites to track your location. Don’t leave keys under doormats, in flowerpots, or the plastic rocks; thieves know about those hiding places and even more than you can think. Trim the shrubs from around your home; don’t give criminals a place to hide. Use exterior motion detectors and yard lighting. Have an alarm system and use it when you leave home and go to bed. Put 3 ½” deck screws in door plates and door hinges. Have good deadbolts on all exterior doors. Exterior doors should be solid core. ​

submitted by Tammy

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Captive vs Independent Agents - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Captive vs Independent Agents

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Shield Insurance Blog | Captive vs Independent Agents |

Written by Shield Insurance Agency on Apr 11, 2018

Captive vs Independent Agents

Hello Friends, Family, Clients, Potential Clients. 

I am writing this Blog Entry today, because my Dad, Andy, the owner of the Agency, is asking me to. We believe that a website with Blog entries every so often will get more views than one that has none. We are always looking for ways to get our Business more Business, and if a Blog is one, then we will have a Blog!

I was struggling very hard on what to write about for this blog, as I am not exactly a person who just writes for fun by any means. I thought that I would tackle the thought process of buying from an Independent Agency, versus Buying from a Captive Agency. Not a lot of people know the difference, and not a lot of people even know there IS a difference. 

First, let me explain the Difference between Independent Agency and a Captive Agency.  A Captive Agency is an agency that can only sell one single Insurance Company Product. For example; State Farm, Farm Bureau,  Farmers. These type of Captive Agents sell their Customers that specific companies Products, and then after the Policy renews, they renew with that Specific company. Year after year the customer stays with that specific company no matter what happens to the Price or coverage because that Captive Agency only sells that company. Captive Agencies have the Majority of Personal lines, customers, in the United States, but I personally think that is because of the Marketing these captive Agencies do. 

An Independent Agency sells many company’s products to their customers. Shield Insurance is an Independent Agency, we sell 8 different Home and Auto Companies to our Customers. Here is the List; Wolverine Mutual Insurance, Fremont Insurance, State Auto Insurance, Foremost Specialty Insurance, Progressive Insurance, AAA Insurance, Safe-co Insurance, Grange Insurance. When an Independent Agency Writes a policy for a client, they quote all of their companies to figure out which one is going to give that client the lowest price, with the best coverage, and that is who they put the client with. After 6 months when the Policy Renews, the agent will evaluate the Price, and if there is any sort of Increase, the agent will check all of the Other companies they Represent, and see if any of them have a cheaper price, and if they do, they will present that to their Client, and save them money on the renewal.  (Some agencies don’t check, but we do!).

This is the Process of a Captive Agency, Versus an Independent Agency. The Independent Agent Shops for you, Year after Year. The Captive agent, keeps you as a Client Year after year, while your Policies are stuck with one Company.  Obviously, I am a bit bias being an Independent Agent, but just think about the Thought process, would someone want to go somewhere they can only receive the same quote, or would they want to go somewhere that shops for them, and find the best price for them.  I have yet to find More Benefits to being with a Captive Agency, versus an Independent Agency, but if anyone knows any, feel free to email me about it! Thanks for reading my Blog Entry today Folks, Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

submitted by TJ


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Insurance for your Home-Based Business - To Have or Not to Have - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Insurance for your Home-Based Business – To Have or Not to Have?

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Shield Insurance Blog | Home-Based Business | Business Insurance | Start A Quote

Having a home-based business is a booming trend these days.  Who wouldn’t want to work from home (in their slippers if they want), be their own boss, and avoid the traffic and corporate office hassles?  Just a couple of examples are Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, Lu-La-Roe, Photography, Real Estate Sales and so many more. Most home-based business owners have homeowners insurance and assume they are completely covered for whatever goes on inside their homes.  This could not be more wrong!  It is important to talk to your insurance agent about what actually is covered & what is excluded since most business exposures in the home/on-premises are excluded.  Also, operating your business from home without telling your insurance company could also void your entire homeowner’s insurance policy and result in a claim being denied. So how will you know if you need a separate insurance policy for your business?  Answer these questions and talk to your agent:

  • Do I have clients come to my home?
  • Do I keep inventory or supplies in my home or in an off-site location?
  • Do I have client or employee records on my computer?
  • If I had to close my business due to damage to my home would I lose income?

Having the right coverage for these and many more scenarios is key to a successful and financially responsible business.  Why leave yourself financially responsible for lawsuits or issues related to data loss? There are so many options available for the right coverage for your small business!  Give us a call and talk to one of our commercial experts today & protect your investment!

-Tammy

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O' Christmas Tree Don't Burn Down On Me! - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

O’ Christmas Tree Don’t Burn Down On Me!

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

‘Tis the season, the busy Christmas season. All of us are busy decorating our homes, buying gifts, and preparing to spend time with family and friends.

For some of us, myself included, decorating our homes for the Christmas season is a longstanding tradition. Based on data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated 240 home fires involving Christmas trees and another 150 home fires involving holiday lights and other decorative lighting occur each year. Together, these fires result in 21 deaths and $25.2 million in direct property damage.

Here are some tips to protect your Christmas Tree:

  • Keep the tree watered
  • Choose a freshly cut tree. You can tell if the tree has been cut for a long time by bouncing the trunk on the ground. If needles fall off the tree, it’s been sitting too long and will be a fire hazard.
  • Do not place your tree near a heat register or heat source like a fireplace.
  • Do not block doorways or exits.
  • Turn the lights off when you leave or go to bed.
  • Test the lights to be sure they are all working to prevent and electrical short.
  • Do not overload your electrical outlets.
  • Do not connect more than 3 strands of lights together, unless the package says that it is safe.
  • If you have an artificial tree, choose one that is fire resistant. This may not always mean the tree can not catch fire, but if it does, it will be more easily extinguished.

Taking just a few extra steps and precautions will help protect your home and family this time of year. We hope that you all have a safe and blessed Christmas Season!

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10 Safety Tips To Follow During Halloween – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Halloween Safety

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

If a survey asked what the most celebrated holiday in the fall season is, the answer would most likely be Halloween. Every year on this day, kids dress up in the most unimaginable characters walking around town with their parents getting candy from decorated houses, attending Halloween parties, or meeting up and going through haunted houses or haunted corn mazes.

If your house is one of the “popular” houses to go to, you’ll want to make sure your house and yard are safe and hospitable for Halloween. Before trick or treaters come to your doorstep take the necessary precautions to decrease your chances of having an unfortunate accident happen.

The following list are some pointers in making sure your house is a harmless place for kids and parents!

Clean up for Halloween Safety.

As much as we would like kids to just walk on the sidewalk and not all over our yard, that is not going to happen on Halloween! Make sure to clean up your entire yard free of debris such as tools and toys. Even take precautions against natural elements such as tree roots, plants, and gaps in your sidewalk, put yard light on, and block off hazardous areas.

Watch out for pets.

Most owners know if their pets are friendly or if they do NOT invite strangers close to their homes. If you are going to offer goodies to trick or treaters, make sure you have your pet in a secure place in your home. You would not want your dog or cat to get loose and bite a little kid or parent-even if they are just thinking they’re protecting you.

Be respectful.

Parents and kids should treat the houses they go to, as they would want their home to be treated. It’s easy to get caught up in the “Halloween” mood and want to celebrate this holiday with tricks and pranks. Just remember, vandalism is a crime. Plus, you wouldn’t want other people to be harmed by your mischief.

At Shield Insurance Agency, we hope you have a safe but enjoyable Halloween, with no tricks and lots of treats!

Let Halloween Safety be your number one priority!

Visit our Shield Agency Blog for some more great Halloween Articles!

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Halloween Driving Tips For Safety - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Halloween Driving Tips For Safety

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Halloween Driving Tips

At a glance: Help protect trick-or-treaters by following these Halloween driving tips, or on the night your community hosts Halloween activities.

Be especially careful between 4 and 8 p.m., when most severe vehicle/young pedestrian collisions happen.

  • Drive slowly, and don’t pass stopped vehicles. The driver might be dropping off children.
  • Park your mobile phone. Avoid distractions by waiting until you’ve stopped to call, text, or surf.
  • Watch for children darting into the street. Kids can cross the street anywhere, and most young pedestrian deaths happen at spots other than intersections.
  • Yield to young pedestrians. Children might not stop, either because they don’t see your vehicle approaching or don’t know how to safely cross the street.
  • Communicate with other drivers. Always use your turn signals. And if you have to pull over to drop off or pick up your kids, turn on your hazard lights.

And, to keep your own trick-or-treaters safe on Halloween:

Teach them how to safely cross streets. They should look both ways and cross only at corners and crosswalks.

Consider indoor community Halloween programs for younger kids. Some communities also offer to help you inspect your kids’ treats to make sure they’re safe to eat.

Brighten them up. Give them flashlights and glow sticks, and/or use reflective tape on their costumes, so drivers can see them.

BROUGHT to you by PROGRESSIVE

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Fall Into The Season and Fix Up The House - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

“Fall” Into The Season and Fix Up The House

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Shield Insurance Blog | Fix Up The House | Home Insurance

Here are a few things that we should be thinking about, with the snow right around the corner, to help you fix up the house.

Gutters: If they are filled with leaves and debris, the backed-up water will begin seeping into your home if it has nowhere to go. It’s recommended that we always clean them out every fall and spring. 

Tree Limbs: Make sure that all tree limbs are trimmed higher and away from the home or power lines, when they get covered with snow they will become very heavy and will break and could cause damages.

Windows:  Clean, store, and replace the screens with storm windows, this will make a huge difference when it comes to your heating bill for the season.

Ceiling Fans:  Hot air rises, so if your ceiling fans are able to have their rotation reversed, be sure to do so to help bring that warmer air back down toward you. It could help you save money on heating costs by not wasting the hot air at the ceiling. 

Smoke & CO2 detectors: Be sure to change out your batteries, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. 

Heater Filter: Change out your heater filter, this should be done every 90 days without pets and every 60 days with pets. 

Outdoor furniture: Clean it and store it away so it doesn’t get wrecked from the winter elements.

Faucets & Hoses:  Drain all garden hoses and disconnect the outside spigots. Shut off all exterior faucets. Store everything in a dry place. 

Also, remember any liquids that you may have that are in your shed or garage may freeze, be sure to find a home for them in a cool dry place that isn’t in the frigid temperatures. 

I know that these are only a few of the tasks that we have to do before winter, to fix up the house, but I hope this helps get you started on the right foot. 

I hope you have

Have a wonderful Autumn season. 

Dawn

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Thinking of Buying a Pool or a Trampoline - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Thinking of Buying a Pool or a Trampoline?

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Fun in the sun with a pool or trampoline may cost you more than you thought!

Sun. Ahhh yes, the thought of having some warm sunshine on a glistening pool after a long winter would be lovely but unfortunately, here we are in Michigan, a few weeks past Easter and there are snowflakes falling outside my window.

What is a Michigander’s favorite saying?… If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes and then it will change. True. That is what provoked my thoughts for this entry. 

You see…I was at Walmart the other day and I noticed that there were some people buying trampolines and above-ground swimming pools. Was there a sale? Was it the desire to have warm weather and have entertainment for the kids and family? Could be, but did you ever stop and think about the risks involved? (Insurance agent mentality at its best).

“The kids want a trampoline and this one is on sale for 60% off, let’s buy it!” “It gets so hot in the summer that the kids would love a quick set up above ground pool.”

Well, my friend, have you thought about whether or not your current home insurance company would surcharge you for having that trampoline or pool in your backyard, or maybe they won’t even want to insure your home any longer if you end up getting one!  I bet you didn’t. You just want to find a way for the kids to remain physically active, off the computer/cell phones, and out of the house for some decent “me time” or “clean time”.

Actually, you might be one of the people whose insurance company will NOT want to insure if you have one of these items. Some insurance companies will not allow a trampoline or a trampoline without a net guard all around it. Worse yet, a swimming pool with a diving board or a slide can be taboo for some insurance companies. Think of the risk involved? Someone can fall off the trampoline and break a bone or drown in a pool. Heaven forbid a toddler finds their way to the pool and falls in somehow.

If an insurance company allows the items, it can be with certain stipulations, and watch out for the surcharge or “penalty” for having one. Don’t you dare have a pool without a fence around it or enclosing your backyard! Worse scenario, a trampoline next to the above-ground pool. Sounds like it could be fun. You could treat it as part of the course in a Ninja Warrior extreme sporting course, right? WRONG! That’s a big fat negative. 

Listen, I am just trying to save you some time, money, and feelings of disappointment from the kids by saying, “Call your insurance company and ask them if you are allowed to  have a trampoline or an above ground pool in your backyard BEFORE YOU GO OUT AN SPEND THE MONEY ON IT.” Your insurance may say no. or yes, you can have it but the cost would be……fill in the blank.

If you already bought a pool, set it up, the kids are playing in it, and then you learn that you have to tear it down or pay more to have it…..this will just disappoint everyone.  All insurance companies do not have the same rules and conditions. Call and find out what’s allowable before you spend the money for the purchase and the energy setting it up. Once you get the “OK” or you agree to pay if there are extra charges….let me know, invite me over so I can take a dip, soak up the sun, or jump ’till my heart’s content because my insurance won’t allow me to have one.

How ya like them apples? COME ON SPRING…….HURRY UP AND GET HERE!

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