Happiest Time of The Year... And Most Critical

This time of year is very magical.  In the state of Missouri and Kansas it may not be the prettiest but it does have it's moments.  People are giving a hand up to those that are in need and giving more than they are receiving.  This blog is not about that though.  This blog is about what you need to do to be ready for next year since it is only a couple weeks away.

The first thing that should be done is look at how things in your life have changed.  Do you still have the same job?  Is there a new addition to the family?  Did you move to a new home?  Did you buy a new piece of property?  These are all questions that need to be addressed in your insurance protection.  You may have increased your self worth and didn't protect it.  You may have had a new son or daughter and haven't figured them into your will or life insurance policy.  Without staying on top of these things you could have severer gaps in your protection.

The next thing you should do is set up a time with your insurance adviser or someone licensed that you trust, like me.  It would only take 20-30 minutes for a quick review.  That would guarantee you knew what you were covered for as well as what could be at stake.  Many of us have the goal of always trying to better the situation of our lives and our family but if we don't protect it then it could all be for not.

The final thing you should do is ask about the new products that your adviser has to offer.  Most advisers like myself always have new products that can help our clients but there may be something you want we haven't thought about offering to you.  Are you looking for different endorsements on your home, ways to save for college or preparing for retirement. Advisers like myself can help you in all of those areas.

At the University of Farmers

To spend the short period of time needed with an adviser to get your complete these three tasks would be extremely beneficial to you and your family.  If these steps are taken you won't regret it.  You may spend some money, you may not.  As a hard working individual, you owe this to yourself and your family to make sure the money you are spending in protection is doing what you think is right.

What the Crawford Agency is Thankful For

It is the time of year when many reflect on what they truly value and what they are thankful for.  I would like to use this post to let everyone know what my agency is most thankful for.  It is a very long list but I will try and keep it short.

The first thing we are thankful for is our clients.  We truly appreciate each and everyone of them trusting us with their business.  Insurance may not be the shiniest thing but it is as important as anything.  We have enjoyed helping as well as getting to know each and everyone of you.  We know how valuable your time is.

The next thing we are thankful for is Farmers Insurance Group of Companies.  They have given us such a great opportunity and support.  My District Manager has been huge help in my business decision making.  Our underwriters, customer support and internal teams make it all possible to give the very best service.  I'd also like to thank the corporate people who take care of the legal information that make our industry run.  Without any of them we wouldn't be able to provide the service that they do.  They have all provided me an opportunity second to none to do something that I had only dreamed of.  That dream was to own a business and to build my own success.

Finally I must thank my family. They have truly supported every decision that has been made.  Like they say, nothing is possible for a man without the strength and support of their spouse which is true in my case.  Thank you to my wife who is always supporting me and my agency, putting up with me and driving me to be the best I can.

There are so many that I would like to thank but I could see myself going on and on.  I don't think you all would want to read something that just rambles on.  If there was anyone that I missed I apologize but don't think we aren't thankful for you all.  From all of us at the Crawford Agency

, Happy Holidays to you all and remember we just want to help and appreciate any opportunity.

It Has Been a While

Hey everyone,

It has been a while since my last post, so I'm going to do things different.  Instead of writing something completely about insurance or a circumstance, I'm going to tell you what has been going on in my agency.  It has been extremely busy but I won't overwhelm you with everything.  After this blog I will try to be more regular with my postings.

The biggest thing that happened since the last blog was that my agency, The Crawford Agency of Farmers Insurance, got to go to the Topper Club conference.  It was held in beautify Anaheim, California.  Like usual the plan ride was spent with my wife's finger nails in my arm on take off and landing.  She did great though even if this wasn't her first time flying.  I got to meet with agents from across the nation and attend some amazing workshops to learn better ways to serve you all.  We even got the luxury of spending some time in Disneyland's California Adventure.  That is a memory that will never be forgot.  What I got most out of the trip is the realization  is that I am apart of the Farmers Family.  Just like you all, my clients, are.  The way that Farmers comes together in time of need and support just astonishes me and makes me extremely proud.

On the agency front we have been continuing or mission of giving people the appropriate information so that they can make proper decisions for their family.  We are continuing to give people better coverage while saving them money.  It is always a great bonus to save someone money but our main priority to put in place proper coverage.

The agency has also added another to our staff.  We have added Mr. Brandon Trotter as an Associate Adviser.  His expertise are in commercial insurance but is licensed in all lines of business and is able to answer any questions that you may have.

Farmers has been adding some great things to better provide for our communities.  They have recently expanded our affinity discount to include: CPAs, lawyers, architects and pilots to go along with all the other discounts we already have.  Farmers has also added a 24 hour number to call of 1-800-Farmers.  They have also lowered the premium on our simple term products.  What does that mean?  It means you can now get better term life insurance without medical tests for a lot less!  There are so many great things going on that you are missing out if you don't give us a shout.

Our blog may have been neglected a bit but we are still keeping up with our other social media outlets, so make sure to check them out.  We are still available at all times of day.  I promise it won't be so long until our next blog but until then give us a shout because we would like to catch up.



The Crawford Agency

The Life of an Insurance Consultant

Insurance agents make all the money, don't work much and have the easiest job... WRONG.  This blog will talk about the what it is like for me to be an insurance consultant.  It is one the hardest, most challenging, stressful, as well as most rewarding things I have ever done.  There are days when life is grand and others where I feel as if I beat my head against the wall for a living.

One of the hardest things about what I do is I fight the bad reputation that has been set by a few who didn't provide the service which I do.  The most important thing to me is that I better your situation.  Which doesn't always mean save you money.  It could mean that I designed a proper package that protects you and your family.  It is more important to me that I educate you on your insurance which gives you the ability to make the decision of what is best for you.  Ultimately if my knowledge, care and service makes you happy that makes me happy.  I'm not in the business to write a bunch of policies that will cancel soon.  I want clients that will be with me for many years to come.

Many people say that an insurance agent never works.  I am telling you that it is clearly not that way.  A typical day for me is I wake up at 7 am.  I let my dogs out as my coffee is brewing.  As soon as I get in I fix a cup while watching the news and checking emails.  After that I get ready for the day.  As soon as I hit the car I start calling and receiving phone calls.  The rest of my day is filled with service work, quoting and building proposals.  Once it hits 4 pm I start calling again.  This goes until about 7:30 pm.  That is pretty much the same every day Monday-Thursday.  The biggest change is on Friday I get to go home at 4 pm.  I carry my cell with me at all times and answer it always.  I receive calls at all hours of the day, every day.  It is hard to say I am going to work because my work never leaves me.  The true way to describe it is that it is not a job because it is clearly a life style.

My biggest pet peeve is the statement that insurance agents make tons of money.  Yes there is potential to make a good living like there is in any job in sales.  A mass majority of our worth is tied into our business because we are business owners.  For me personally over 80% of my income is invested back into my business.  As everyone knows this is a business of renewals and it takes many years to build a stable about of renewals.  What most people don't understand is most business owners set a conservative take home salary for themselves which is the last expense paid.  If they don't make enough revenue to cover then the business owner takes it out of his salary.  Don't get me wrong, there are many people who make a very good living in this business but I guarantee it didn't start out that way.

As I previously stated being an insurance consultant is not a job but a life style.  Our whole goal is to make sure when the worst happens to you and your family that it will not ruin your life.  The rate at which it costs to do such is completely out of hands in a thing called, "Law of large numbers."  All we can do is make sure you understand what you have purchased.  This life comes with many days of stress and joy.  If I could save everyone money I definitely would but to me it is more important that if you lose your home, you won't be on the street; if you lose your bread winner in the family, you will not starve; and finally if you cause a major wreck, it will not ruin your life financially.  As an insurance consultant with Farmers Insurance we are the smartest in the field.  In stating that we may not always be the perfect fit but we can always guarantee that you will not regret having your insurance reviewed with a consultant like myself.

Why Review Your Insurance?

In our lives we are constantly striving for free time.  Sometimes it seems as if you will never have any.  The bigger question is why you should spend any of it on a boring subject like reviewing your insurance.  This blog will talk about how important it is to review you insurance on a yearly basis.

The most important reason to review your insurance is, "How often do you go a day little alone a year without something changing?"  How many years go by that one of the following doesn't happen: buy a new car, have a baby, get a raise from work?  Not very many if any.  Even at that consideration level your spending habits change, your driving habits change and your living habits change.  Our lives are constantly changing.

The next reason is the world around us is constantly changing.  Inflation is a big thing to take into consideration.  A perfect example is to just look at the price of cars.  They keep seeming to go up and up.  There are also constant changes in the world of insurance.  Coverage with a company is constantly changing.  It can be as small a change of wording to what is allowed to be covered.  It is very important to be aware of what is going on and how it effects your insurance.

The final reason that you should review your insurance is to take advantage of all of the discounts.  Companies are constantly changing discounts.  Other than the changing of the discounts you could now be eligible for a discount that were not eligible for before.  The only way to do this is go over what has changed and what hasn't with your insurance consultant.

My agency is very aware of how fast things change.  That is why we constantly offer FFR's (Farmers Friendly Review) to all of our clients and even people who are not our clients.  The biggest pet-peeve of mine is when someone is paying thousands of dollars a year and have no idea what they are paying for.  These are the main reasons why insurance consultants like myself are so important to have.  As Professor Burke says,"We make you smarter about insurance."

My Personal Auto Claim

Recently, I personally, went through the Farmers claims process.  As an insurance consultant for Farmers I was very interested in the steps that my clients would go through.  This blog will talk about how easy the process was and what steps that I went through.

To start the blog I will tell you about my experience.  I had just left the bank in Gladstone, MO and was getting back on to US 169 highway headed north.  I got onto the highway with no issues but then all of a sudden traffic came to a stop.  I was struck from behind by a whit truck.  Everything in the car flew and even my CD player almost entirely slid out of the slot.  I was shook up and had some whiplash in my neck but I was okay.  I could still drive my car so I follow the MODOT (Missouri Department of Transportation) rule of thumb, "If you can steer it then clear it."  I did just that.  As I pulled over the car that hit me took off and left me as a "Hit and Run."  I was able to get his license plate.  I called the police to report the incident.  The police asked if I was okay and if I could drive to police station.  I told them yes, gave them all the information, then headed to the police station.  At the police station I filed the police report so that I would have it for insurance.

After all of those steps I headed home.  I was able to skip the step of calling my agent because of course I am the agent.  On my way home I called a body shop repairman to come give me a quote so that I could determine what my next course of action was.  The body shop was able to get me the quote by noon the next day.  The was about $4800 in damage to my little Ford Focus.  That was more than I could repair on my own so I called to file my claim.  Farmers was able to retrieve all the information and pictures from the body shop.  Since the value of my car was only about $4000 they sent a field adjuster out for a second opinion.  The field adjuster also applied all the necessary information to get the car value.  One thing that I did that is not a must is to find comparable cars online to get a price point.  I was looking for cars with same body styles, mileage and features.  This was to protect me so that I could see what a fair settlement would be.  Obviously the car was going to be a total loss.  Normally when the damage reaches over 80% of the car value is when they talk about totaling out the car.

The damage to my car

A couple days went by and Farmers apologized because things were backed up at this time on the claims department.  We reached a fair claim for both parties using the comparable cars they found and I found of around $4000.  After my deductible of $1000 the amount to be paid was $3000.  Since this was a hit and run which the other party didn't have insurance it was going to be a, "not at fault," collision claim.  It was unfortunate because I was legally stopped but that is the only way to cover that situation.  If Farmers can catch the other party I will receive my deductible back.

The final steps were extremely easy.  Farmers sent me an overnight shipping label to send in my signed title.  Once that was received they set up a date to pick up my car.  I had to go to the office so I set up a place where they could pick up the keys and they picked the car up from my home driveway.  The money was then directly deposited into my account and the claim was over.  Farmers was also able to send me a voucher for the sales tax of my car based on the $4000 value.

The guy that ran off.

This was not completely normal because of the circumstances of it being a, "hit and run," but that is just one of the curve balls that life throws us some times.  My claim was delayed but it was started and closed in 10 business days.  With the number of people that were involved and the set backs I was perfectly happy with how the claim turned out.  I just hope that Farmers can retrieve my money from the other party since I was not at fault.  If they are able to it would remove my claim, that since is not my fault doesn't hurt me, and get my deductible back to me.  Wish me luck.  I hope this blog simplifies how easy the claims process with Farmers is if you are a client.

Special Limits in a Homeowners Policy

Everyone in this world has things that they collect or hold truly dear to themselves.  What if I was to tell you that your wedding set you wear everyday may not be covered?  What if I was to tell you that your collection of hunting rifles and shotguns may not be protected.  Finally, what if I was to tell you that the fine that you saved up for may not be replaced in full?  These are all questions that are going to be talked about in this blog.  We all know that these products along with furs, silver ware, and many other products along the same line are what people have spent the most on and burglars are wanting to steal.  Being a trained insurance consultant with Farmers Insurance will discuss the three ways to cover these items, how to cover them and why.

The first way is to extend the special limits listed in the policy.  Every homeowner policy has special limits that they will cover each category of items.  If you have a lot items from a certain category it would be easy just to expand this coverage to cover all the products.  There is a catch that you will taking if you the cheapest way out though.  For instance if the category is jewelry there will only be a certain aggregate limit that will take effect.  With Farmers before you expand this limit you will be covered to $1000 per item to a total of $5000.  After the limit is expanded you will be covered for $2500 per item to a total of $12,500.  That would only cover you in the case of theft and you would be subject to a deductible that is listed to the entire policy.  This would be best if you had a bunch of small items that you would only want to replace if they were stolen.

The next way is to place a special coverage on them within the homeowners that we call an unscheduled floater.  This coverage is best if you have several items of a category over $1000 per item.  With this coverage we would be able to replace the items in a loss of any peril (fire, theft, wind etc.) except mysterious disappearance.  The regular limits for Farmers is the same as jewelry, $1000 per item to a total of $5000 per aggregate.  With this coverage we would be able to extend the coverage to $2500 per item to a total of the lesser 60% of personal property or $75,000.  This would be a perfect for the person who has many hunting guns.  They would be able to cover the total amount with a deductible of whatever is less, the homeowners deductible or $500.  This coverage gives you a blanket over the category for a lower deductible allowing you to carry higher deductibles on the home itself.

The final way to protect the special categories is to place a coverage we call a scheduled floater.  This is the most customized coverage that Farmers has to offer.  This coverage would be best for you if you have any of the items over $2500 in the special categories.  The most common is a woman's wedding set.  For example the wedding set is worth $5000 we would place this coverage on rings with the client setting their own deductible.  In essence it is a policy within a policy.  This coverage would cover the rings in any loss that could happen including mysterious disappearance.  For instance if you have this coverage and the woman of the house goes out on the town and losses the ring it would be covered for the deductible that you determine.  The deductible could be even $0.00.  All you would need to do is get this coverage in place with a receipt or an appraisal.  Even better yet you could get this coverage for an agreed amount so that even if a cheaper replacement could be found you would be covered for the amount that was agreed upon.  This by far is the best coverage for special items.  The only restrictions are that the item cannot be worth less than $1500.

There are many ways to protect your belongings.  The first step is to just know what you are currently covered for followed by what do you need to have covered.  These are great questions for an insurance consultant such as myself.  Our first and foremost goal is to make sure that you are covered properly from all the things that can happen in this world.  As Professor Burke would say,"Get smarter
about your insurance."  

Why do you need insurance?

What is more important? Knowing they are protected or a few dollars?

The question that comes to every person's mind at one time or another is, "Why do I even need insurance?"  It seems like necessary evil.  What many people do not realize is of the benefits that will receive if they have proper coverage.  It is important that you have an agent, like myself, who strives to make sure you understand what your money is really going to.  This blog will talk about just a few of the benefits you receive from three of our main policies which are auto, homeowners and most importantly life insurance.

Auto insurance is all about price and that is most important benefit right?  WRONG!!!  Let's take a look at what is at stake with an example.  You are driving down the road when you start to hydroplane and hit another car.  That other car's driver is severely injured when the car rolls several times.  He has several broken bones, a concussion and is unable to work for many, many months because of his injuries.  You are responsible for his car, his medical bills, and his lost income.  Do you think your auto insurance will properly cover you in this situation?  If not, what will happen?  If you cannot cover all the expenses you will be taken to court for the rest of the damages where you would be responsible for legal representation.  Then if found guilty, which you will be in most cases, you will have a massive bill on top of what you owe your lawyer.  Can't pay it?  Guess that means they will start to liquidate your belongs, then your savings and financial plans, then finally if need they will take up to 25% of your earnings through garnishment.  Sounds like fun right?  This all could be avoided through proper placement of the appropriate coverage by a licensed insurance consultant.

You have to have homeowners insurance just to protect your mortgage right?  Wrong!!!  It most cases you home is your largest investment.  That is your castle which means you are responsible for everything in, on and around it.  If you are spending $100,000 plus over the next 30 years don't you want to make sure you are protected.  If someone gets hurt on your land they have every right to sue you.  It could be your neighbor walking up your drive when it is slick out or even a dog bite.  There has even been instances where a burglar sued the homeowner because they were hurt on the property.  Same things are at risk as an accident in your car.  That is why it is important to understand your personal liability in your policy.  We can help you decipher what you have and what you need.  That is why we are in the business.

Finally why would you ever need life insurance?  You will never receive the benefits.  WRONG!!!  The most important benefit you will receive is peace of mind.  Every dollar that you bring into you home is relied upon. It would be bad enough to lose a loved one but to have your life change dramatically if that loved ones income is lost is salt in the wound.  Even if you are a stay at home parent, there is a lot of hidden finances.  You could have to find another job that pays less because you are needed at home, you have to hire someone to help out in the home, you have to find time to complete the chores and many more things.  According to Salary.com recently calculated that, in 2013, a stay-at-home mom in the United States was worth about $114,000 per year. While that six-figure salary may sound good, in order to earn it, Mom put in a 94-hour work week. If a full-time job is 40 hours per week, this outcome means that Mom's base salary is $37,549.  That would be a huge burden to take on if you lose a loved one on top of the feelings of loss.

Insurance is a thing that we never want to use but definitely need.  I personally pay a ton in insurance but that is because I know how important it is to have.  It only takes one bad thing to happen before your world can be flipped upside down and that is why I carry the coverage that I do as well as why I pay so much.  That is where my agency's motto came from," Hope for the best, but be protected from the worst."  I close in one question, "Is a few dollars now better than thousands at a later time?"

Why Have an Agent?

There are lots of companies flooding the insurance industry that don't have an agent.  You have Progressive, Geico and Esurance.  All of these companies have a hands off approach to how they handle their business.  This post will talk about all of the benefits of having a Farmers agent like myself.

It is hard to talk about the best part about having an agent because there are so many great things.  The first is having a consultant.  As a consultant we break down the policy bit by bit and customize it to the clients needs.  How much liability do you need, what deductibles do you need, what loss of use coverage do you need and many more aspects.  An agent is also able to search for discounts and savings that you might not have know about.  Finally they are trained to help you make decisions that may better your situation.  For instance should you file that small claim, what to do in a claim or even what kind of car should I purchase to promote a better premium.

The next thing that is great about having an agent is the ability to sit and talk with a real person.  This is someone who actually knows you by name, makes time for you and doesn't want to kick you out to move to the next person.  When you call into a call center for insurance they have an ideal time that they should spend with you on the phone.  They also don't care what you outcome is.  They are paid by the hour and expected to service as many people as fast as they can.  This may also lead to large wait times because of the volume of calls.  I know I am not a fan of waiting on hold to talk to someone who clearly does not want to talk to me.

Agents play a major part in our communities.   Would you rather do business with someone who just takes your money that never does anything for you or would you have someone that is helping out in your community.  How often have you seen Flo from Progressive out running a clothing drive or teaching a lifetime sport to boy scouts so they can get their merit badge.  I have done both in the last month.  Agents want to be apart of the community because they are real people who live in the community too.  They want to make sure the people in that community are successful.  Don't you want to see a return on your investment?

My favorite part about Farmers is that you receive all of these great things for no extra cost.  You have the same competitive rates and get the benefits of an agent like myself.  So in closing who do you want to do business with, the fictional Geico gecko that you will never meet or Dan Crawford the Farmers agent who is willing to come sit with you at your kitchen table and do all he can to better your situation, your community and your environment? I know which one my clients prefer.

Umbrellas Are Not Just For Rain

It raining... It pouring... The old man is snoring...  With the next month bringing April I though it would be a great time to talk about umbrellas.  Just not that kind of umbrella that keeps the rain of you.

What is an umbrella in the insurance world?  An umbrella is a policy that covers you in excess of your current liability limits.  In stating that it can provide the ultimate protection.  We live in a world where law suits have become everyday life.  I read a story where Tiger Woods' company lost a law suit because they didn't pass out enough autographs.  This should bring to mind what you can be held liable for.

How does an umbrella work?  An umbrella gets it name from the idea that it over shadows or covers all that you own.  So if you have a house, boat, 2 cars, a motorcycle and a golf cart it would apply additional liability coverage to each of the policies.  This is a convenient coverage because it applies to all of them with just one policy.

Here is an example so that it will make a better picture of how the policy works.  For this example you are carrying bodily injury liability limits of $500,000 and $500,000 per occurrence.  You are driving on the highway and you are running late when you run into some bad weather.  You should slow down but you don't because you are late.  You then slide into a intersection and hit a mini van filled with a mother, father and their two kids.  Each one has severe injuries of about $300,000 per person.  For those not wanting to do math that is $1,200,000 of damages you need to pay for.Which is no stretch by any means in today's world.  Well your coverage would completely cover the father of $300,000, most of the mother of $200,000 and you would be out of coverage for the two kids.  You would then have to pay the rest out of pocket which would be 700,000.  I don't know about you but I wouldn't be able to pay for that.  In which case they would take your personal property, savings, retirement, anything they could turn into liquid assets and if that is not enough in the state of Missouri they can garnish wages up to 25% for 30 years.  That is quite a punch.

How do you prevent this?  A $1,000,000 umbrella would prevent this.  You would be carrying coverage $1,500,000 in the two areas that you were only carrying $500,000.  Meaning in this example you would still have you would have covered everything you were liable for.  Not only would you have protected everything you have worked your whole life for but you would have been a responsible human being because you would have paid for what you did.

Umbrellas come in increments of $1,000,000.  How much protection do you need?  That is a perfect question to present to a qualified insurance consultant such as myself.  In our day in age you must know what can happen at any given time and protect yourself from it.  Law suits over a $1,000,000 have over quadrupled in the last 4 years.  The biggest question is would you rather pay for the coverage or put everything at risk with just one accident.

Why Life?

In my agency there is one policy that is truly important for every person to have.  That policy is life insurance.  Why, you may ask.  I will let a life policy tell you all the benefits you may receive from owning such a policy.

How do you pick your homeowners coverage?

   

We live in a very competitive world where things are constantly changing.  I am sure that you receive things by mail, email or phone of how this company will save you money or that company will save you money.  When comparing policies "price is king" right, WRONG!!!  The coverage looks to be the same so there is no difference right, WRONG!!!  This blog will tell you about the things to look for to evaluate what something is worth so that you will have more tools to draw upon when making a decision.

    In life we have choices that we are faced with everyday.  The most common are quantity over quality and price over value.  Take a minute and think about some everyday choices that you make.  First lets start with food.  Are you a person that prefers name brand products or generic?  Does it make a difference, sometimes it actually does.  I'll admit I am a person who buys all generic food but when it comes to other products like
golf products I buy the best.  For instance, to me, ketchup is ketchup but there is a huge difference between Golden Bear clubs from K-Mart and custom fit Titleist AP2 714.  These are the things that must come to mind when you chose your homeowners coverage.

    When choosing the proper homeowners coverage here are a few of the things you should think about:  Is the company I am going with reliable enough to pay their claims or find escape clauses;  Is the company I am going with going to have the money to pay for my claim if there is a major catastrophe; and if there is a major catastrophe in another state will effect my rate and coverage.  I can tell you that a company such as Farmers will take care of all of those questions and more.

    Since I am a Farmers consultant I will use the Farmers Next Generation Homeowners Coverage to make some comparisons.  In all policies they have the dollar amounts for each coverage listed.  That is an easy comparison to make because we all know how to count and which number is bigger but that isn't the only important thing to know.  There are two more things that you need to know about that number.  The first is, how many months does the numbers give coverage for.  A good example is that the Farmers policy gives you 18 months to rebuild while most companies only allow you 12 months.  I once watched a neighbor try to put a pool in and the weather dragged it out 8 months.  The estimated time was only 6 weeks.  Is that a risk you 'd like to take then it doesn't matter but that is a large one if you ask me.

    The next thing you need to know about that number is what exactly does it cover.  Every policy ever written has special limit clauses in them.  Those are things such as jewelry, guns, furs, rare metals and coins, silverware and securities.  Obviously we all know these are the hot ticket items that don't depreciate.  Farmers has the largest coverage of these items in the industry with additional ways to cover them if they exceed the limits.  It is important to have an insurance consultant that knows how to apply the appropriate coverage.

    The largest part of a policy, in my opinion, is the personal liability.  This is the coverage that will cover you financially if something was to happen to you.  The world we live in today requires you to have protection.  First thing that comes to mind is dog bites.  No one ever expects a dog to bit but they are animals just like us.  We all have our snapping point and do things that we regret.  Do you have enough coverage?  Another example is you are going out of town for the weekend and while your gone your neighbor is collecting your mail and checking on the home.  While you are away the weather gets bad and covers your drive way in ice.  The neighbor slips falls and breaks her arm.  Do you have enough coverage for that?  The possibilities are endless as well as the extent of the financial responsibility.  Finally, does that liability only apply to your property?  With Farmers you liability follows you.  If you are liable for an accident away from home do you have coverage?

    I could go on for hours about this subject buy you all would stop reading.  The biggest thing to realize is what coverage do you have protecting your largest investment.  Not just a financial investment but personal investment.  This is the place where you raise and shelter your family.  I would like you all to think about your homeowners by thinking of this analogy.  Is your homeowners like a Mercedes with luxury, comfort and value or a the Ford Festiva covered in rust, not sure if it will start and very small.  If you ever have any questions your are more than welcome to contact a Farmers Insurance Consultant like myself.

Golf Carts and Unlicensed Vehicles

Why you should cover it and how.

     Golf carts are something that may be a huge part or not a part at all in your community.  In my experience they are found in smaller towns that have little golf courses, retirement communities or both.  There are a few occurrences of when they are classified as farm equipment and are driven around town but again smaller towns.  When you have an unlicensed vehicle that you use the some questions arise. A couple of those are do I need to insure it and if so how.

     Let's start with the first question.  Do you need insurance if you don't have to license it?  The answer is yes and no.  It all depends on how you use the vehicle.  If you own it and leave it at a golf course that is fully staffed and the golf course carries adequate coverage for their grounds then no.  If you ever drive it off the property then that is another story.  Keep in mind though that if you wreck the golf cart or damage it that will not be covered by the golf course since it is your personal property and you did it.

    To continue on the subject on if you need to cover it we will talk about another situation.  If you drive the cart on your land only which it never comes off do you need coverage for the golf cart the answer is no.  The golf cart will be covered on your homeowners with your liability covering any damage to others.  Some homeowners policies have endorsements on their policies to allow you to place the risk.  That leads to the next issue.  What if you damage the cart? Will the homeowners pay for it?  It depends on how much damage you have.  Your homeowners isn't designed to cover such a risk in most cases, unless you have an endorsement, so the deductible is very high.  If you have an average golf cart then the deductible will be 25%-80% approximately to pay for the damages.  Not a great return considering the claim will show up on renewals the next year and you will be faced with that claim showing for the next 3-5 years.  Some companies would be faced with the issue of dropping you for number of claims.  That wouldn't be much fun would it.

    There is one more option, which I believe is the best.  Place a small policy on it.  The risk is very low but you will be happy that you had it if you need it.  Why, you may ask, because of all the ways you would benefit if something was to happen.  The first coverage would be bodily injury.  This would be beneficial in that it would cover you if you broke a traffic law or created a wreck.  Instead of paying out thousands of dollars in liability for damages done to all parties, your policy would take care of it for you.  Next would be in a situation you damaged  something in a wreck, again your policy would take care of it.  If someone was riding with you and fell out of the cart again your policy would take care of it for you.  Finally if the cart was stolen, vandalized, started on fire, damaged by weather, you hit a deer or run into something you would be covered for a much lower deductible than you home.  This part is the best part,  it doesn't effect your home owners because it only effect the policy the golf cart is on.  Yes it will go up a little I'm sure but to compare if your home policy is $1000 per year and your cart policy is $100 per year, which would you prefer take a 5 % rate increase.  I think we all know that answer.

    In closing I believe it is important to have coverage on your golf cart and the best way is to cover it with a specialty coverage.  The first step in doing such it to speak with an insurance consultant such as myself to draw up the best plan.  It is important to have the right coverage because you must protect yourself in all possibilities.  The question we face now days is not if something will happen but when it will happen.