We make it our business to be ready, if and when our clients need us the most.  This comes at the time of an insurance claim.  Every insurance company works differently but we have found that there are specific measures every property owner should take when experiencing a claim.  Taking the proper precautions from the start can greatly reduce the time and energy spent by all parties.  Whether you’re talking home or auto, read on to find out what you should do to maneuver through your claim. Report all claims immediately – the sooner you report an auto or homeowners … Continue reading

Teen drivers continue to be an important topic for our clients. Lately, we’ve had many questions regarding different ways for parents to protect their teen drivers once they’re on their own. Letting go is the hardest part, so here are four ways you can make that easier. There’s an app for that In the era of the smart phone, there is an interesting spin on this. How about an APP to help protect your teen driver? There are many options out there including Protector which is an in-car tracking system that does some cool things like impair your child’s smart … Continue reading

This is the second in a series of video blogs designed to answer our customers most frequently asked questions. Today’s blog is about two things: What is an umbrella policy? How do you know if you need one? An umbrella is a liability policy, so it’s important to understand what liability protection actually means.  Liability is that thing that’s going to protect you and your assets if you’re found negligent and someone tries to come after you; often in the form of a lawsuit. So, liability is already found on most insurance policies that you can purchase.  For instance your … Continue reading

Today and we’ll start the first blog in a series designed to answer our customers most frequently asked questions.  Our first topic is no-fault insurance and what this means you as a driver in the State of Michigan.  No-fault insurance in its most basic terms means that if you are driver and you get into an accident with someone else on the road in the State of Michigan, you’re going to go back to your own insurance company and have your claim filed.  The other party is also going to go to their own insurance company and have their claim … Continue reading

When it comes to heating a home for the winter months, more and more people are turning to wood stove installations to supplement their heating costs. While the pros generally outweigh the cons, there are some important things your insurance carrier will ask about before approving coverage. 1. UL approval – acceptable wood stoves will need to carry a UL approved label including important information about the size, make, and model of the unit. A surprising amount of people have homemade style wood stoves installed in their homes. Due to lack of controls on these stoves, they are generally unacceptable and you could find yourself without an … Continue reading

Watching a recent episode of AMC’s Mad Men (set in the 1960’s era in New York) – I had to stifle a laugh at the character portrayal of the old school life insurance salesman. It was the typical middle aged man dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase with charts upon charts of life insurance prices. Yes, they made house calls. Oh, and sold primarily to men. Fast forward 50 years and the world of life insurance has changed dramatically. Approximately 35 million middle class households in the United States are with little or no life insurance. This number is up significantly from even … Continue reading

What is Buy-Sell Life Insurance? It is a tool that is used to help a business fund the purchase of a deceased partner’s shares. I am often approached by businesses that explain they need Buy-Sell Life Insurance. My immediate question following is, “What does your Buy-Sell Agreement State?” Many times I get a blank stare, a moment of silence, and a question: “Why do I need an agreement?” I am not an attorney, but I am certain that purchasing life insurance to fund a buy-sell agreement needs to follow a process and it does not start with a life-insurance policy.  Here are three things … Continue reading

One of the biggest hurdles to helping people put a life insurance plan into place is the uncertainty around how much to purchase.  There is often a lot of anxiety around the idea that the person may be under or over-shooting their needs.  This then become one of the most crucial parts of the conversation when speaking to new clients about their life insurance needs.  It would be easy to say that there is a magic formula which allows us to give each person an EXACT amount of coverage if that time ever arises.  The fact is, there is not … Continue reading

The state of Michigan has had many changes to auto insurance coverage and rates this past year. There also continues to be many items up for debate. This year one of those items revolves around the Michigan Mini Tort. With auto insurance policies in the state already being complicated for consumers to understand, this adds one more element or coverage that most drivers are unaware of or don’t understand. What is the mini tort coverage and why does it exist? With the no fault auto insurance system, there is often confusion as to how claims are handled in the event of a collision accident. For … Continue reading

As you shove that last box in your car for the upcoming college semester,take a second to consider that most likely everything you own is in that vehicle. As you arrive at your destination and begin to unpack, think about the impact of losing all of those things.  There is a greater risk of losing or having your personal property damaged when living in a rental property due to the number of other tenants on site. With that in mind, there are some compelling reasons to purchase renters insurance which provides coverage for your personal property as well as liability while living in a rental … Continue reading