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Google Takes on Auto Insurance

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Is Google taking over auto insurance???

Big in the news is that you can now get auto insurance quotes from Google (CA only so far). They’ll shop a bunch of different companies and show you all the rates, then you can choose a policy and buy it. Pretty cool, eh? Many experts are kind of freaking out about how this will affect the independent agent and if it is the beginning of our demise! I absolutely beg to differ!!

Here’s (partly) why: When google asks a question “What liability limits do you want” and you see options of ‘state minimum’, ‘100/300’, or ‘500CSL’, do you know what to choose? And more importantly, WHY you should make a certain choice? An independent agent can help you answer that question. An independent agent can also help you make strategic decisions on deciding whether to decline a specific coverage. We are your partner in helping you get a policy that doesn’t over or under-insure you. Google also has tons of analytical data, such as speed limits, crash statistics, traffic stats, etc, which should help make it be able to estimate a price for insurance if they ever actually decided to sell auto insurance themselves.

But another great thing about independent agencies is that we can sell many other products along with auto insurance! Such as home, health, life, or business insurance. So, it makes sense for a person to keep all their insurance in one place, to take advantage of “multi-policy” discounts, and even just for simple ease of doing business. So, the customer doesn’t have to keep track of lots of phone numbers of places to call for insurance!! This is just the tip of the iceberg on this topic! But it’s definitely an interesting topic to see how certain groups are responding. Have a great day!


Thanks, Andy

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Why Flood Insurance is a Must-Have – Don’t Get Caught in the Storm!

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Shield Insurance Agency Blog | Flood Insurance | Start A Quote Today!

Many people think of flood insurance as only for those who live right next to a large river, lake, or ocean. Did you know that flood insurance can be purchased by almost anyone, whether you are in a flood zone or not? Your typical home insurance policy does not cover claims associated with a flood. So, what is the definition of a flood you ask? A flood is “a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties (at least one of which is your property) from Overflow of inland or tidal waters; Unusual and rapid accumulation or run-off of surface waters from any source; mudflow; Collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or a similar body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels that result in a flood.” (FEMA NFIP)

That definition doesn’t sound like it affects Michigan too much right? Wrong! Michigan ranked in the top 10 states for the total number of claims filed and the total claim payments for 2014. The NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) reports that in 2014 there were 495 claims filed in the State of Michigan with total claim payments totaling $8,816,751. That’s Michigan only! The NFIP paid out more than $345 billion total in flood insurance claims in 2014.

Is flood insurance right for everyone, not necessarily, but it is worth looking into to protect your family and your investment. It’s important to know what is covered under your regular home insurance policy and what would be covered under a flood insurance policy. Just a couple of inches of floodwater can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

The average flood insurance policy costs about $700 per year and there are a few different programs that homeowners fall into or qualify for. Every home location is different so it is important to check out flood rates for your specific location and not base your decision on your neighbor’s findings; yours might be very different.

I’ll blog next time about what is covered and what is not covered under a flood insurance policy. In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any questions or inquiries.

Tammy Kaptein

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Springtime in West Michigan means tulip time!

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Spring is here despite the snow and cold which means Holland’s Tulip Time is right around the corner! A long-established tradition for not only West Michigan but the world, Tulip Time helps Hollanders and others alike remember the area’s Dutch roots.  This year’s celebration is set for the second week of May from the 7th through the 14th. Starting with a 5k/10k run and ending with fireworks Tulip time has something for the whole family.

Did you know??

  • Tulip time started in 1928 to celebrate the area’s Dutch heritage. Only during WW2 did they discontinue the major festivities and only held a small flower show and music.
  • They first purchased 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands to plant around the city. They now have 4.5 million planted around the greater Holland area.
  • The festival activity of Klompen dancing started with just 12 dancers and has grown over the years to 1,000.

If you want to track the progress of the Holland Tulips you can visit the tulip tracker at http://www.cityofholland.com/parksandcemeteries/tulip-tracker-centennial-park 

Windmill Island is a special place during Tulip Time. The island is 36 acres with 150,000 tulips and a working 250-year-old windmill.

For more information on the parades, dancing, food, and tulips visit: http://www.tuliptime.com/

submitted by Autumn

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Social Media

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Did you know that Social Media could have a big impact on your insurance rates?

For Instance:

Selfies: Taken while driving and uploading them to social media could be a problem with your policy being non-renewed based on the fact that you are a distracted driver.

Text Messages: Texting and Driving Don’t Mix! Especially if you were involved in an accident around the time stamp of your convo, an Insurer may deny your claim or list you as at-fault.

Bad Habits on Social Media:

  1. Such as posting that you are divorced or married and not updating your insurance carrier of your status.
  2. Giving up smoking, and not informing your Life insurance carrier, then they find lots of pics of you smoking.
  3. Got a new dog in your home may be good but, if you don’t tell your insurance carrier certain breeds could cause a cancellation of your home policy.
  4. Geotagging while away on vacation can maybe cause an insurance company to deny your claim because you loaded your pics to social media with the geotags which can cause theft!

Just Remember: Always tell your Agent the truth and be honest. Don’t put yourself out there on social media where it could cause any problems with your integrity. Remember, the whole world can see you!!

submitted by Dawn

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Giving Back To The Community

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Shield Insurance Blog | Giving Back | Contact Our Office

Giving Back To The Community

With the holidays right around the corner, it seems like we get busier and busier every day. We have to plan for Thanksgiving with family, Christmas celebrations, presents, and celebrating the start of a new year. We all tend to get so busy that we don’t always stop to look around and notice that not everyone might be as lucky as we are. 

There are many families that won’t be able to sit down to a nice meal at Thanksgiving or be able to provide even the most basic of necessities for their children. There are homeless people who won’t have a home to go to, children that won’t have gifts to open on Christmas, and families who won’t have enough food to celebrate Thanksgiving. 

As we enter the Holiday Season we should stop and reflect on how much we have and how much we can give back. It can be a simple as donating a toy to Toys for Tots or donating the clothes you no longer wear to a men’s or women’s shelter. We can also go as far as starting food drives, toy drives, and clothing drives. Nothing is impossible when we choose to give to those who are less fortunate. Take it upon yourselves this year to give back and bring a smile to those in need. There are a lot of non-profit organizations that would be very happy to work with those who want to give back. You can also provide children in the hospital with toy donations. We should want to give back not only during the holiday season, but every day, but this time of year seems to make a difference for a lot of people who are in need. It is a beautiful thing when we can give back to those in our community. While there is a lot of people who volunteer with organizations they never seem to have enough to fulfill all the responsibilities. I encourage you this Holiday Season to give back to at least one person who is in need because we never know whose life we could be changing by doing a simple act of kindness. 

Submitted by Gabi

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Happy Groundhog Day, 2018

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Updated: Aug 6, 2018

Written by Shield Insurance Agency on Feb 2, 2018

Groundhog Day 2018

Punxsutawney Phil indeed communicated in “groundhog talk” that he had cast a shadow. According to legend, that means the weather will be wintry for the next 6 weeks.   OK! So if he wouldn’t cast a shadow, then we would have an early spring. Which either way you look at it, March 20th is the 1st day of Spring regardless. I will always remember when the first day of Spring is because it is my sweet Mother’s Birthday, a nice way to welcome the season.

Of course, visually seeing the 1st Robin of the season helps too! 🙂   In the meantime, we are getting a bunch of snow right now and still have to be extra cautious when we are driving. But, if you are a true Michigander, you do appreciate the beautiful, majestic, gorgeous Wintry splendor. The warm weather will be on us soon enough, but sit back and read your favorite book by your crackling fire or take a walk outside and marvel at the beautiful snowflakes casually drifting down on you and realize that the warmer weather is just around the corner. 

submitted by Dawn


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Captive vs Independent Agents

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Shield Insurance Blog | Captive vs Independent Agents |

Written by Shield Insurance Agency on Apr 11, 2018

Captive vs Independent Agents

Hello Friends, Family, Clients, Potential Clients. 

I am writing this Blog Entry today, because my Dad, Andy, the owner of the Agency, is asking me to. We believe that a website with Blog entries every so often will get more views than one that has none. We are always looking for ways to get our Business more Business, and if a Blog is one, then we will have a Blog!

I was struggling very hard on what to write about for this blog, as I am not exactly a person who just writes for fun by any means. I thought that I would tackle the thought process of buying from an Independent Agency, versus Buying from a Captive Agency. Not a lot of people know the difference, and not a lot of people even know there IS a difference. 

First, let me explain the Difference between Independent Agency and a Captive Agency.  A Captive Agency is an agency that can only sell one single Insurance Company Product. For example; State Farm, Farm Bureau,  Farmers. These type of Captive Agents sell their Customers that specific companies Products, and then after the Policy renews, they renew with that Specific company. Year after year the customer stays with that specific company no matter what happens to the Price or coverage because that Captive Agency only sells that company. Captive Agencies have the Majority of Personal lines, customers, in the United States, but I personally think that is because of the Marketing these captive Agencies do. 

An Independent Agency sells many company’s products to their customers. Shield Insurance is an Independent Agency, we sell 8 different Home and Auto Companies to our Customers. Here is the List; Wolverine Mutual Insurance, Fremont Insurance, State Auto Insurance, Foremost Specialty Insurance, Progressive Insurance, AAA Insurance, Safe-co Insurance, Grange Insurance. When an Independent Agency Writes a policy for a client, they quote all of their companies to figure out which one is going to give that client the lowest price, with the best coverage, and that is who they put the client with. After 6 months when the Policy Renews, the agent will evaluate the Price, and if there is any sort of Increase, the agent will check all of the Other companies they Represent, and see if any of them have a cheaper price, and if they do, they will present that to their Client, and save them money on the renewal.  (Some agencies don’t check, but we do!).

This is the Process of a Captive Agency, Versus an Independent Agency. The Independent Agent Shops for you, Year after Year. The Captive agent, keeps you as a Client Year after year, while your Policies are stuck with one Company.  Obviously, I am a bit bias being an Independent Agent, but just think about the Thought process, would someone want to go somewhere they can only receive the same quote, or would they want to go somewhere that shops for them, and find the best price for them.  I have yet to find More Benefits to being with a Captive Agency, versus an Independent Agency, but if anyone knows any, feel free to email me about it! Thanks for reading my Blog Entry today Folks, Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

submitted by TJ


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Why You Should Buy Term Life Insurance

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

This Blog is about life insurance. I honestly don’t understand why people don’t buy more term life insurance. It’s so dang cheap!!! And so so smart!! And for the people that have life insurance through their employer, I can guarantee you that it’s not nearly enough!!!

Some people do get more voluntary life insurance through their employer which is sometimes portable, but most employers don’t offer that and even if they do, most employees don’t buy it!

So if you have a policy through your employer and you get sick and lose your job, then what? Well, you can’t buy a different policy since you’re sick, so you’re just outta luck!

I keep hearing stories of people dying and their family having to scrounge money together for a cheap funeral… can’t afford even an obituary…. can’t even rent a casket…. stories like that…. C’mon, man! Take better care of the ones you love!!! That doesn’t even address lost wages or other future financial plans that are now demolished…. Take care of your loved ones!!

This stuff costs SO little! And the younger and healthier you are, the cheaper it is. So your best bet is to get a policy that lasts 30 years while you’re in your 20’s. How much coverage should you purchase? Well, Dave Ramsey says to get a policy for about 10 times what you earn in a year, but for most people, that just seems like too much! Most people end up getting $250 or $500K. If a healthy 25-year-old guy buys a $250K plan that lasts for 30 years, it could cost as low as $18 a month or $215/year with that price locked in for the whole 30 years. That’s so cheap for great peace of mind!!

So buy this stuff… take care of your loved ones!!!

Thanks and have a great, SAFE day!

Andy

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Halloween Driving Tips For Safety

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Halloween Driving Tips

At a glance: Help protect trick-or-treaters by following these Halloween driving tips, or on the night your community hosts Halloween activities.

Be especially careful between 4 and 8 p.m., when most severe vehicle/young pedestrian collisions happen.

  • Drive slowly, and don’t pass stopped vehicles. The driver might be dropping off children.
  • Park your mobile phone. Avoid distractions by waiting until you’ve stopped to call, text, or surf.
  • Watch for children darting into the street. Kids can cross the street anywhere, and most young pedestrian deaths happen at spots other than intersections.
  • Yield to young pedestrians. Children might not stop, either because they don’t see your vehicle approaching or don’t know how to safely cross the street.
  • Communicate with other drivers. Always use your turn signals. And if you have to pull over to drop off or pick up your kids, turn on your hazard lights.

And, to keep your own trick-or-treaters safe on Halloween:

Teach them how to safely cross streets. They should look both ways and cross only at corners and crosswalks.

Consider indoor community Halloween programs for younger kids. Some communities also offer to help you inspect your kids’ treats to make sure they’re safe to eat.

Brighten them up. Give them flashlights and glow sticks, and/or use reflective tape on their costumes, so drivers can see them.

BROUGHT to you by PROGRESSIVE

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“Fall” Into The Season and Fix Up The House

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Shield Insurance Blog | Fix Up The House | Home Insurance

Here are a few things that we should be thinking about, with the snow right around the corner, to help you fix up the house.

Gutters: If they are filled with leaves and debris, the backed-up water will begin seeping into your home if it has nowhere to go. It’s recommended that we always clean them out every fall and spring. 

Tree Limbs: Make sure that all tree limbs are trimmed higher and away from the home or power lines, when they get covered with snow they will become very heavy and will break and could cause damages.

Windows:  Clean, store, and replace the screens with storm windows, this will make a huge difference when it comes to your heating bill for the season.

Ceiling Fans:  Hot air rises, so if your ceiling fans are able to have their rotation reversed, be sure to do so to help bring that warmer air back down toward you. It could help you save money on heating costs by not wasting the hot air at the ceiling. 

Smoke & CO2 detectors: Be sure to change out your batteries, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. 

Heater Filter: Change out your heater filter, this should be done every 90 days without pets and every 60 days with pets. 

Outdoor furniture: Clean it and store it away so it doesn’t get wrecked from the winter elements.

Faucets & Hoses:  Drain all garden hoses and disconnect the outside spigots. Shut off all exterior faucets. Store everything in a dry place. 

Also, remember any liquids that you may have that are in your shed or garage may freeze, be sure to find a home for them in a cool dry place that isn’t in the frigid temperatures. 

I know that these are only a few of the tasks that we have to do before winter, to fix up the house, but I hope this helps get you started on the right foot. 

I hope you have

Have a wonderful Autumn season. 

Dawn

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