Surprise Insurance Agent

I’m an honest person so there’s no way that I would commit insurance fraud!!!!  That’s how most of us feel.  I know most people are honest and they wouldn’t think of doing something like insurance fraud.  Insurance fraud cost consumers about $40 billion a year according to FBI statistics .  That cost to every family in the U.S. $400 - $700 a year.  There are two types of fraud.  One is called hard insurance fraud and the other is soft insurance fraud.  Hard insurance fraud is committed by people that scheme against the insurance company for profit.  Some examples of this would be. 1.       Someone that files a theft claim and declare items stolen that weren’t. 2.       Setting fire to a vehicle to get the full payout.  3.       Someone that fakes an injury to be able to not work and get paid. 4.       Agent takes money for a ...

One of the most overlooked, but probably the most important coverage on your auto insurance is the UM/UIM coverage.   Why is it important?   UM/UIM coverage goes to cover your medical bills, rehabilitation, and loss of work if someone injures you in an auto accident and they don’t have insurance or enough liability insurance to cover your bills.     In AZ it is estimated that 12% of the people driving on the streets don’t have auto insurance according to an  insurancejournal.com report.   That is about the same as the national average.   On top of that there are a lot of people driving around with state minimum coverage or one step above state minimum.   If there is a major accident this coverage isn’t going to cover everything.         Just to give an example this story from azfamily.com is about a teacher whose son was hit in an auto accident.   He has had to stay in the hospital for a while and the...

Congratulations to the High School Graduates!!!!!   It’s that time of year that every high school is having their graduation ceremonies.   It’s an exciting time that the end of the year and primary schooling is done.   For some it is the beginning of their college years.   Not all kids and parents can afford to pay for the college up front.   Some have to take out student loans to fund their child’s college education.   Below are some thoughts as students prepare themselves this summer to attend college.          Life Insurance   Students for the most part are not in a position of having someone dependent on them.  But it’s a good idea to have some sort of life insurance for the following reasons.  1.       Any student loan that the parent co-signs could be a debt that would have to be paid in case of the death of the student. 2.  ...

Is price the most important part of shopping for insurance?   If you say yes you could be setting yourself up for a large headache down the road.   If you are responsible for a serious accident, the last thing on your mind is how much am I paying for insurance.   You’re going to be concerned if or if not your policy will cover the injuries, loss of work, damages, or rehab of the party injured in the accident.     If the injured party gets an attorney the first thing they will do is find out what your limits are on your insurance policy.   The second thing they will look at is the possibility of collecting a settlement over the limits of your insurance, if the injuries are projected to be over the limits.     What can the attorney of the injured party go after?   Most everything in your financial portfolio is on the table.   They can come after all assets including, checking accounts, savings accounts, and...

The night of October 31 st has become a night of kids and families going door to door trick or treating.   When I was a kid we just went door to door and didn’t see any decorations or anything.   Now it seems that more and more people are putting out decorations and setting up their own mini scare house.   Your home can be a great place for families to visit.   If someone gets injured on your property while trick or treating that could spell for some very bad news.   It could open you up for a lawsuit.   Here is a list of things to be aware of to make your home as safe as possible for your visitors on Halloween. Turn on your lights and make sure the walkway is well lit. Remove any potential tripping hazard Place a divider where your decorations are to prevent kids from running to them.   Make sure your decorations aren’t in the way of walkable traffic If it’s windy, remove anything that is hanging that might get blown awa...

One more moment.   What if we could have one more moment with that loved one that has passed?   What would we say?   What would we do?   The events in Las Vegas is a sobering reminder of the fragility of life.   One moment we are alive and enjoying the finest things in life.   Then the next, tragedy has happened.   We are never guaranteed tomorrow.  As a young man I always made it a habit of saying “I love you” to my kids whenever I dropped them off at school.   For some reason if something happened to me they will remember that daddy’s last words spoken to them was, I love you.   Always be kind to your loved ones.   At times we get upset with each other.  But let’s do what the good book says.   That is “do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” Ephesians 4:26.   Make sure your conversations reinforce your love for your spouse and kids.   Let your last words be of love before departing...

Using caution when buying an automobile is always important.   But now it is more important than ever and I will tell you why.     Personal Experience!!!   Let me start off with a personal story.   A number of years ago I was searching for a vehicle to replace one that was just totaled out because of being rear-ended.   I was looking for a specific kind of car and went to many places to try and find one at the right price.   I found what I was looking for at a good price from a private seller.   I went and met with him to look at the vehicle.   As my wife and I were driving we noticed a couple weird little thinks that didn’t seem normal.   For one the CD player was flashing an error code.   The seats were leather but they didn’t have a normal leather feel to it.   So when I got back to the house I talked to the seller a bit more.   He told me that he owns a mechanic shop and this was a vehicle he got fo...