3 Questions You Should Ask Your Insurance Agent
February 12, 2020
Knowledge is Power - The Power to Insure Your Future!
Whether you are buying a home or car or simply looking for a new policy, it’s a good idea to slow down and take the time to ask your prospective agent a few questions. Plenty of errors can slip through the cracks if you don’t take your time when shopping for home and auto insurance. Here are a few questions to ask before you sign on the dotted line.
How Much Insurance Do I Really Need?
Insurance is an essential part of everyday life here in the Elmira area. Whether it's for your home or auto it’s a necessity. For example, if you are taking a loan out for a new home, it is required by your mortgage lender or if you own and drive a car it is required by the state. But how much Insurance do you really need? Is an important question to ask your local independent insurance agent.
The bare minimum may suit some, but most need additional types of coverage that the minimum policies do not include. So it’s important to understand the types of coverage insurance policies provide. How do you determine how much insurance you really need? The Balance offers these tips.
If you are buying insurance to protect something that would not really impact your life, or that you can handle yourself using savings, then you probably don't need that insurance.
If you are buying insurance to protect your livelihood, your living conditions, or your family's financial stability because you would not be able to have the same kind of financial compensation otherwise, then you are probably making a good choice in buying the insurance.
What Discounts Do I Qualify For?
No doubt there is a lot of chatter when it comes to discounts for home and auto insurance. Commercials for various big name companies blast viewers with all the discounts they have available. Most insurance companies will have a few ways you can get better rates, and some are common and well known, while others are carrier specific. You may not qualify for every discount, but you can make sure you are getting all the applicable discounts on your policies. All you have to do is ask.
What Insurance Companies are Available to Me?
Insurance agents that only sell products for one company are known as captive agents, while independent agents like us here at the Wallin Insurance Agency have access to multiple insurance carriers and products. This question will help you determine whether they are a captive or independent agent. There are pros and cons to each type of agency, but with an independent agent you may have more options for your particular situation. The more carriers an agent works with the more choices you have when it comes to your coverage. This is especially helpful to ensure you are getting the best possible rate.
The Takeaway
At Wallin Insurance, we are transparent with all prospective and current clients. It's always a good idea to ask upfront to be clear on the services we provide.
Hundreds of people can visit our agency each year to discuss their insurance. Although it's relatively simple to give a quote and talk about prices, it's sometimes difficult to explain the coverages. Yet, to make the proper decision about what to buy, it's worth it for you to understand all of the components of insurance fully.
Our message is simple: "We Help You Find Good Insurance." Call us today at 607.734.8799 or stop into see us.
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