Surprise! Your Insurance Rate is Going Up!

Some people are cynical and says, "Of course insurance rates are going up, they ALWAYS do!" Others respond, "What?! Again?! But they did that last year!" While it is possible for any company to raise their rates, there are 3 things American Family does to keep your rates low; Insuring for Replacement Cost and not Market Value on Homeowner's Insurance, Property Inspections on All Homes, and Annual Insurance Reviews!

Market Value vs. Replacement Cost
We see many of our competitors underinsuring homes. We understand that the market value (for selling or refinancing purposes) is lower than it was several years ago, but the fact of the matter is that rebuild cost are presently up. By not properly valueing you home you are saving dollars or even just cents to have increased cost to yourself when it does come time to file a claim!

Property Inspections
You probably have a newly placed roof, while your neighboor has not replaced theirs in 20+ years and it is looking bad. Your neighbor called in a claim to his current insurance company and they denied it saying, "This is not hail damage... your roof is just old." So your neighbor switches to a new company (your company) then it rains and he files a claim with the new comapny. They subsequently replace the roof and this in turn increases your rate! American Family tries to prevent this by having me inspect every property before we insure it, saving you $ in the long run!

Annual Insurance Reviews
Remember that basement you finished, remember that jet ski you bought, oh and the new ring you got for your anniversary. All these things add up and people often forget to insure them until it is too late. Our goal is to collect the correct the right premium year after year not little by little and then ALL at once.

Don't believe your rate are going up? See what the AJC published... http://bit.ly/o2nYzg

Have You Hosted a Kitchen Wares Party

Managing Residential Rentals is NOT for the faint of heart, but it just might be worth the investment. Many people just starting out in this process think they can keep their regular homeowner’s insurance, which is not true. The correct policy is often called a Landlord or Non-Owner Occupied Residence. One advantage I have in this market is that I do not need to insure an individual’s personal home or auto which is a common requirement of my competitors.* You may not know Mark (a landlord) but you certainly know Jennifer who rent’s from him. She is blonde and has asked you to host a Pampered Chef party. She’ll be stoked to have Renter’s Insurance with me and she'll open the door for me to meet Mark. Connect me to Jennifer through a three way e-mail (tschloss@amfam.com). No guarantee I’ll but that pizza stone from you though!

* - Let’s be honest, I'd like to insure everything and there is a multi-line discount, but it is not required.

Not Something to Crack-up About!

With our ever increasing dependency on cell phones... smartphones to be precise... people are looking to replace them when broken at the cheapest cost, and quick! Some people have even made claims on their homeowner's insurance as they believe there to be coverage under the 'Computers and Electronics' Endorsement.

American Family does not recognize this type of loss as covered. However, while some of our competitors will pay the claim and buy you a new phone, it may not be the smartest idea. Claims will stay on your Property Claims Loss Report for up to 5 years which means that you will most likely have a surcharge once your policy renews. What would be a better option is to purchase the insurance offered by your cell phone provider or just save up for that unfortunate day when, instead of butt dialing your Nana you crack the face of your iPhone sitting down on that not so soft chair at IKEA!

Are You Prepared?

Baden Powell the founder of Boy Scouts said, “A Scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens.” My adage, “the unexpected always happens, expect it.” Someone will get in a car wreck at the MOST inconvenient time and it will most likely not be their fault. That is why Rental Reimbursement at the cost of approximately $1 a week can be a true time & money saver. A wreck that would otherwise leave an individual stranded 7 hours away from home now places him at Enterprise Rent-a-car 7 miles away. The rule of thumb is, if the car is sound enough to go on a long trip it makes financial sense to add rental reimbursement. I’m a great referral for a Know-it-All Friend who has more than one car. He’ll tell me, No Tommy, I don’t need that coverage until he hears the story that triggered this info-minute. Connect us through a three way e-mail and he’ll reply with a Thank You.