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Posts Tagged ‘ auto insurance ’

Insurance Agency Blog Round-up: Rodent Insurance anyone?

Today, the IMHQ is taking a look around the country to see what independent insurance agents have been blogging about in the first month of 2010.
Rodent Insurance – If you think falling icicles and slick roads are the only threats to your car this winter, think again. Westchester Insurance in Texas reminds us of the grave threat small mammals pose to our automobiles when cold is in the air in this highlighted insurance blog post.

“… to a rodent your car provides an excellent temporary home.  And while they are there, they tend to make quite the mess, especially when they get into the engine compartment.  Rodents have a tendency for chewing certain types of plastic, wiring and rubber, which is commonly found under most hoods. The damage they cause can be quite expensive.  Luckily, if you have comprehensive coverage on your vehicle, it will be covered under your auto insurance policy.  This is just something to keep in mind while the weather is cold.”
Healthy Lifestyle Not a Reason to Cancel Life Insurance – From the west coast, Calabasas, California’s own Lifenet Insurance offers a compelling case study showing why it’s never a good idea to cancel a life insurance policy, even for a small window of time.

Craig T. wanted to apply for a new life insurance policy to replace his current policy that has 7 years of level premiums left.  The face amount would be the same, but he wanted to extend the term for another 15 years.  When we wrote Craig’s new application, we strongly advised him not to cancel his current policy. Craig insisted he hadn’t had any health or lifestyle changes.  We asked him to keep the old policy until we had the new one in force.  Well, good thing Craig listened to us, because his lab results weren’t as good as last time and he wasn’t able to get his new policy at a price that made sense. 

Now, if Craig had gotten ahead of himself and cancelled his current policy before underwriting was complete, he would have no coverage now and no chance of getting coverage at a reasonable rate today.  Fortunately, Craig still has his policy, and we will work with him to replace it as soon as he clears up the health issues.”

Security Systems Protect Your Home and Reduce Premiums – Even if you don’t feel at risk for a home invasion, simple security choices can reduce insurance costs while increasing peace of mind. Encharter Insurance, with offices in Massachusetts and Connecticut, is happy to help you apply insurance savings by offering this nugget:

“You can receive between a 5% and 10% home (or renters or condo) insurance credit depending on the type of protection device you have. Even if you cannot afford a central station security system, having deadbolt locks, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors will reduce your home insurance premium.

Facebook Fun Facts – Still up in the air about dabbling in Facebook? A savvy agent in the north, Michigan’s Rick Young Insurance, shares some compelling statistics that demonstrate just how much the social network is used. So, what are you waiting for?

More than 350 million active users, 50% of active users log on to Facebook each day. More than 35 million users update their status each day. More than 55 million updates posted each day. More than 2.5 million photos uploaded to the site each month. More than 700,000 local businesses have active Pages on Facebook. Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans.”

Despite the stodgy reputation, insurance agents are full of creativity and proving it every day. Blogs and other forms of social media are a critical part of any insurance web strategy since effective use humanizes your agency and provides clients a genuine connection beyond the policy you write.

If you have an interesting blog post or topic you’d like to share, let the IMHQ know.

Follow IMHQ: @InsuranceMHQ

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Viewed by some as lunatics who needlessly put their bodies in harm’s way for a thrill, realistically, storm and tornado chasers provide valuable, ground level data about the force and course of devastating storms. Information is relayed to a radio or weather update station and the public is warned, possibly saving lives.

Tornado chasing doesn’t pay well (at all?) and is more like a skydiving-type hobby, but anyone willing to confront a column of wind and debris swirling at hundreds of miles an hour would be wise to insure their body and car. Beyond insurance coverage, a customer like the storm chaser requires a local insurance agent who understands the perils of their hobby and the effect the storm has on the local community. 

An independent agents can explain liability and what’s at stake for the individuals auto, life and health should the worst occur.  Storm chasers are an extreme example but any profession or hobby that puts a person and their property in danger requires considerations when it comes to choosing insurance.

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RSS Sister Blog – Astonish Results News

  • Astonish Welcomes New CFO Eric Johnson January 27, 2012
    Astonish Results is pleased to introduce Eric Johnson, the latest member of our executive team. Eric has taken on the critically important role of Chief Financial Officer for Astonish, and will be ensuring that our finances will be managed properly and used effectively to serve our clients and help our company grow. Eric has an […]
    astonishnews-admin
  • Astonish Results 2012: Stand Together January 26, 2012
    “If you could get all the people in the organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.” – Patrick Lencioni The dream began with passionate, fervent determination under the 2010 slogan, “War is the Answer.” 2011 saw a carpe diem approach as the […]
    astonishnews-admin
  • Getting Psyched about Setting Agency Goals for 2012- Webinar Re-Cap January 9, 2012
    Recently, Jonathan Monterecy General Manager of Astonish Results, and Kelly Donahue-Piro the Vice President of Raving Fan Management hosted an enthusiastic and informative webinar on goal setting. In effort to boost their insurance marketing strategies, the webinar started with a very happy greeting for our listeners. Astonish certainly started the year out […]
    JSilverstein
  • Charity Recap: Astonishing Results for our “Make-A-Wish December” Initiative January 6, 2012
    This month we celebrate another Astonish Results success. Throughout the month of December Astonish has been united in raising awareness and funds for The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. With 2012 upon us, we are PSYCHED to announce that outcome of our “Make-A-Wish December” campaign, and share that we have successfully raised $28,9 […]
    JSilverstein
  • An Astonishing Community – Community Building 101 with Jennifer Fitta December 29, 2011
    With a passion for community building, Jennifer Fitta is Astonish Results’ very own social media specialist. Since joining the Astonish family, Jenn has successfully influenced how our company and clients connect through social media. Growing up in Fall River, Massachusetts, Jenn received her degree from Bryant University in 2008. Jenn was able to experience […]
    JSilverstein

RSS Brother Blog – Astonishing Agencies

  • “Liking” GHT Insurance’s Facebook Page will help to Change a Child’s Life December 30, 2011
    Local Virginia insurance agency, GHT Insurance, is using social media to make a difference in their insurance marketing strategy; and is certainly on the path for success. Recently, the agency has launched a social charity initiative which involves generating more Facebook fans. For every “like” GHT gets on their Facebook page they are donating a […]
    JSilverstein
  • Ross Insurance Agency Leverages Social Media, Gives Back to Local Community December 28, 2011
    Ross Insurance Agency has always believed in the power of blogging and social media and has developed into quite the community building rockstar! By actively utilizing various social media tools, the agency has seen great branding success and has allowed themselves to proactively position Ross Insurance Agency at the forefront of their community members’ min […]
    JSilverstein
  • Spivey Insurance Group is Building a Strong Community through Social Media December 21, 2011
    Community building at Spivey Insurance Group is what is keeping their social media outlets active and fun to read! The North Carolina insurance agency has very involved employees commenting, “liking” their page and posts, as well as actively interacting with clients! Angie Griffin Cassada, a Spivey Insurance Agent, is actively posting local deals and coupons […]
    JSilverstein
  • 128 Years of Continuing Success- Trust GDC December 13, 2011
    Astonish Results is constantly highlighting agencies that have gone above and beyond to modernize their insurance agency marketing strategy. Recently Missouri- based Trust GDC has made significant strides in regards to their agency Facebook Fan Page. Trust GDChas been promoting not only their company culture as a whole, but also leveraging Facebook to public […]
    JSilverstein
  • Astonish Coaching Announces December Winners December 9, 2011
    Fargo Insurance is ahead of the game when it comes to leveraging social media. This past month, the agency was named Astonish Results E-Agency of the Month! The company executed a dense multi-level campaign to promote breast cancer awareness on their Facebook Fan Page and agency blogs. With a the goal to create about the […]
    JSilverstein

RSS Cousin Blog – Ganis Consulting

  • Monitor and Measure Everything in your Insurance Agency June 3, 2011
    As we travel the country and meet with insurance agency owners, they often tell us they’re a referral based business. When we ask how many referrals they received in the past month the answer is always “not sure”. The reality is, these agency owners have no idea how many referral quotes come into their agency […]
    Stuart Ganis
  • Insurance Agency Coaching and Consulting is a Great Investment May 31, 2011
    I’ve been in nearly 300 insurance agencies in the past 5 years for training, coaching, consulting, marketing and M&A services. It’s amazing how much the business has changed in the past 5,10,15 years. Days of running a yellow page ad, sponsoring a little league team and ringing phones are long gone for most. The fact […]
    Stuart Ganis
  • Happy Memorial Day May 31, 2011
    We’d like to thank all of the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom. Sometimes we take freedom for granted and it’s important for us to recognize the people that make it all possible. As we head into the summer, keep in mind that your charisma, motivation and attitude […]
    Stuart Ganis
  • This is a Great Time to Sell your Independent Insurance Agency May 22, 2011
    Many agents that own insurance agencies are under the impression that this is a bad time to sell their agency. Our statistics show that over the past 5 months, we’ve received 32 buyer inquiries to every 1 seller. Many agency owners that are considering selling, are afraid that the soft market and bad economy will […]
    Stuart Ganis
  • Personal and Commercial Lines Departments need to Collaborate April 17, 2011
    As I tour the country and meet with countless insurance agencies about building a sales culture, it amazes me how many agency departments don’t collaborate with one another. We’ve implemented numerous ideas into agencies for Personal Lines to contact Commercial clients and cross-sell clients Personal Lines products. In most cases the Commercial Producers are […]
    Stuart Ganis

RSS Insurance Journal

  • Out of Trust C.M. Meiers Brokerage in Southern California Fetches $1.375 Million at Auction February 4, 2012
    Woodland Hills, Calif.-based C.M. Meiers Co. Inc. was auctioned on Friday at a U.S. bankruptcy court near Los Angeles, with three competing bidders pushing the sales price to $1.375 million for the troubled brokerage’s assets and assumption of its liabilities, … […]
    Don Jergler
  • Virginia Court Grants Rehearing of Global Warming Claims Case February 3, 2012
    The Virginia Supreme Court has recently granted rehearing of a closely followed legal case involving global warming, The AES Corp. vs. Steadfast Insurance Company. The court says its previous decision on the case has been “set aside.” On Jan. 17, … […]
    admin
  • Judge Certifies Investor Class Action Against Goldman Sachs February 3, 2012
    Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was ordered by a federal judge to face a securities class-action lawsuit accusing it of defrauding investors about a 2006 offering of securities backed by risky mortgage loans from a now-defunct lender. U.S. District Judge Harold … […]
    Jonathan Stempel

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