Ask the Insurance Expert From Strive Insurance

Insurance Question We Most Often Answer
As professional insurance agents, we are asked many questions regarding personal insurance.  We thought it might be good to offer answers to the most common kinds of questions we receive.

“Why buy from an agent when I can go online?”
When you buy insurance online, you are forced to become the insurance expert and if there is ever an issue, you have only yourself to blame.  In most cases, we can offer the same, or better, coverage with a licensed professional agent who is willing to actually meet with you and educate you on your choices.  The cost for these services is included in the cost of your insurance.

“How much insurance do I need?”
That depends on your personal situation.  If you have a number of vehicles, recreational vehicles, or a boat, we might recommend higher limits than if you are a renter with no “toys.”  We also recommend that you buy auto insurance coverage/limits above the state minimum.  If you have a growing family and own your home, we suggest higher limits and a personal umbrella policy to protect your assets.  A personal umbrella policy is very competitive and can provide an added layer of coverage and security.

“Which deductible should I select?”
The higher the deductible, the lower the premium.  In the long run, it may benefit you to increase your homeowner’s insurance deductible above a minimum amount, especially if you are claim free for a number of years.
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Striving for High Levels of Service
As our name implies, we strive to make your insurance experience positive. We understand you have many options when it comes to getting insurance, so we are going to strive to give you first class customer service you deserve.

​An Auto Insurance Update
Are you a high-risk driver?  Incurring too many accidents or violations on your driving record can have a negative impact on your auto insurance coverage rates.  High-risk drivers do have options, and we certainly do not want you to go without insurance.
Find the right auto insurance company
Insurance companies differ in what they are willing to insure. It is important to shop your insurance with us to make sure you find the best possible combination of coverage, price, and service.  Some insurers will charge much higher rates if you have a record of accidents or violations.  We know the insurers that are willing to take high risk drivers.
Make sure you have the basic auto coverage
We can design a policy for you to help you minimize the high cost of insurance. We recommend auto liability and physical damage coverage. Whatever you do, do not go without auto insurance as that can create many more problems for you.
Striving for High Levels of Service
As our name implies, we strive to make your insurance experience positive. We understand you have many options when it comes to getting insurance, so we are going to strive to give you first class customer service you deserve.

A Business Insurance Review
Many businesses are preparing to have their annual company picnic.  These are great events to gather team members and families together to celebrate, bond and have fun.  Like other company social events, there are a number of actions to consider in order to minimize risks.  Your business insurance policy may cover some of the risk associated with these events, but it is a good idea to have us review the issues and help you understand how best to manage your risk.

Here are a few questions that may help you understand your risk:

• Is the event mandatory?  We recommend that you make these events voluntary.  If the event is mandatory, your business could be held strictly liable.
• Where are you holding the event? It is best to use a third-party location to avoid potential liability.
• Are you serving alcohol? Always hire a third party to manage the alcohol service and require them to have appropriate liability insurance.
• Is there a workers’ compensation exposure? 
  
• Regardless if the event is mandatory or not, if an employee is injured it is likely to be a workers’ compensation claim.

As an Independent Insurance Agency we represent many insurance companies to fit your businesses dynamic needs.  Whether you're a new business or a small business, we can help. Being an Independent Agent means we are not only your agent, but we are your insurance broker as well.  We understand every business and industry is unique, so we will work with you to find the best business insurance coverage at the lowest rate. Contact us today for a free quote. 

Every business needs business insurance.  But business insurance policies are all different. That is why it is always better to use an independent agent who knows and understand your business and industry. The insurance needs for a restaurant are much different than the insurance needs of a manufacturer, and the coverage should reflect that.
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If you own or operate a business, you may want to consider these coverages as part of your business insurance package. Our keys to coverage will assume some of the obvious coverage such as property and liability.  We also want to identify some business insurance coverage you may not have considered.

• Sprinkler leakage insurance--If your sprinkler system leaks and causes a loss to equipment or documents, do you have coverage?
• Business income insurance--After a covered loss, you may have a period of recovery time when you are closed. Without business income insurance your business may run out of funds.
• Umbrella Insurance--An umbrella policy provides extra insurance protection over your commercial general and auto liability policies. It is not uncommon for a business to be sued for over $1,000,000.
• Cyber liability--Cyber breaches are the fastest growing causes for loss for most businesses. Every business needs the protection provided by cyber insurance.
• Employee dishonesty--This policy protects employers from workplace theft and fraud.

As an Independent Insurance Agency we represent many insurance companies to fit your businesses dynamic needs.  Whether you're a new business or a small business, we can help. Being an Independent Agent means we are not only your agent, but we are your insurance broker as well.  We understand every business and industry is unique, so we will work with you to find the best business insurance coverage at the lowest rate. Contact us today for a free quote.