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The New Normal for Insurance Buyers

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Beyond Insurance… Risk Strategies

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Someone once said, “The only thing you can count on is change.”  When it comes to insurance buying, that is unmistakably true.  Today, people have more ways than ever to secure insurance coverage.  However, are they getting the coverage they need?  Another true statement is, “The more you have, the more significant risks you have.”

The combination of change and risk leads us to the understanding that people should be seeking an insurance partner who understands their changing needs in a risky world, rather than being able to secure a low-cost insurance program.  People who have a higher net worth should be primarily focused on protecting assets.

If a lawsuit threatens the lifestyle you have created, you want a partner to stand beside you.  You need personal liability insurance options to safeguard your family and assets in the event of personal claims against you at limits that exceed the liability protections provided by standard policies.

Many individuals have unique risks which can include:

  • A second home
  • Farm or rental income
  • In-home business
  • High valued homes
  • Watercraft
  • Foreign travel
  • Domestic employees
  • Identity theft

You need an insurance partner who can help develop a risk and insurance plan that will manage your risk at a competitive cost.   It’s not business as usual any longer.

When Searching for an Insurance Partner, Ask These Questions:

  • Does your agent educate you about your risk before trying to sell you a product?
  • Is their staff experienced and qualified to manage your needs?
  • Is your agent more interested in a relationship as a trusted partner rather than as another insurance client?
  • Is your agent committed to work for you rather than for the insurance company?
  • Does your agent design a program based on your individual needs and then give you options?
  • Does your agent advocate for you through customized analysis of your risk and needs?
  • Is your agent committed to leading the claims process to a satisfactory outcome?
  • Does your agent have access to sophisticated personal insurance carriers that offer specialty products and personal risk solutions?

Protecting your lifestyle goes way beyond insuring your car or home.  Proper insurance has to do with understanding the risks associated with your life and creating a plan to safeguard you and your family’s future. Our society’s way of managing COVID-19 has forever changed the way we work, play, travel, gather information and gather supplies for our daily lives.  Many of these changes are just new ways of doing things, however many can create new risks that your current policies do not address completely.  Do any of these sound like your new normal?

  1. More time buying products and services online from home.
  2. Increase use of home networks for business use.
  3. Using business owned office equipment at home for your work.
  4. Work meetings at personal residences or on-line.
  5. Connecting to open networks for work purposes at restaurants or other places.
  6. Use of personal vehicles to and from client’s offices.
  7. Use of personal vehicles for delivery jobs.
  8. The storage and use of paper documents for work at your home residence.

All these issues and others create a need for a conversation with your agent.  Policies are changing to accommodate some needs on a temporary basis while other do not.  The best risk management program is a combination of a strong relationship with a well-educated agency that can place and maintain your coverage with excellent insurers at a competitive price.  It’s not just getting a few of the above items, it’s about achieving the right balance to get all parts working for you and your family.

“Insurance is not a product, it’s a promise and a trusted relationship”, Perk Reichley.

Why We Stopped Selling Insurance and Started Educating our Clients

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Many years ago, our agency changed the way we operate. We saw that insurance could be viewed as a commodity like a car or home. But we know otherwise. There were two reasons for our change.

  1. If people saw insurance as a commodity, then the lowest price wins. And with insurance, low price usually means one size fits all coverage and low or no education or service that values the customer over the insurance carrier’s efficient transaction model.
  2. When we can educate and explain why you need or don’t need certain insurance coverage, the process becomes less about cost and more about purchasing the right coverage at the right prices, hence creating value.

Here is what we like to do before we even say the word insurance. We ask questions to understand your needs better. We share our knowledge about your risks, and we help identify the individual risks you face and start the process of putting together a plan to protect you with a combination of insurance, risk transfer and avoidance techniques.

Our clients routinely tell us that “this is the first time someone took the time to explain this to them”.  They feel empowered to control and have ownership of their insurance program.

Building a business populated by satisfied, repeat customers is our goal.  This benefits both parties and offers us the opportunity to invest our knowledge and expertise while sharing the relationships we have with community vendors and insurance carriers to benefit our customers.  This feels more successful that hitting a sales goal each year.

Insurance is not a product. It is a promise and a trusted relationship. Here at Reichley Insurance Agency, we are not going to sell you something you don’t need. We want to talk to you, determine your needs, and get you covered at the right price.

While the massive national agencies spend millions on television ads and offer barebones policies, they do not know you. When your needs change or your situation complicates, you don’t want an automated phone tree or cold cyber-agent. You want to talk to compassionate, honest insurance experts – that’s our team. You shouldn’t have to spend hours researching and comparing policies. Let the specialists at Reichley guide you through the complex insurance industry.

Call today to alleviate the worry and get covered – (937) 429-0655.

Tips for Working at Home

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Does COVID-19 Have You Working From Home?

Due to the stay at home mandate, there are many people who are working remotely these days.  It appears this mandate will last at least another month.  Many people have thought that working remotely would be great, but working remotely is a double-edge sword.  Sure, you get to stay home, but studies show that it can be harder to focus on work.

Remote Workers Need to Be Aware of These Challenges:

  • Lack of a work routine
  • Tendency to over-work
  • Lack of human interaction
  • Prioritizing a work project
  • Interruptions from family, pets, phone calls, and the doorbell

How to Make Working Remotely Work for You

  • Confine your workspace to a specific area in your home.
  • Set up your workspace like your office.
  • Set a schedule and create a routine.
  • When in doubt, go with over-communication; update your boss frequently on everything you are doing, and whether your schedule and deliverables are changing in any way.
  • After work, stay off electronic devices for some time to transition to “home time.”
  • Take regular breaks.
  • Get dressed every day. Taking the time to get dressed and perform your usual self-care routine can prove a big psychological booster.

We are here to help you with any insurance related need you may have. Please be safe and stay healthy.

Your Personal Insurance and COVID-19

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As our country continues to manage through the COVID-19 crises, we thought it might be useful to take some time to remind you of the importance of your personal insurance during this time.  The coronavirus pandemic should not affect your auto or homeowner’s insurance too much, but there are a few coverages that could be impacted because of the temporary lifestyle change.

  • Do not cancel your auto insurance just because you are temporarily not driving.  Auto insurance is required by law.
  • Some auto insurers are considering offering discounts for a short period of time, due to the fact that there are fewer cars on the road. As of today, we do not know what this may look like, but when we do know we will advise our clients, and follow on our social media sites and web page as we will be posting update there.
  • Vehicles with loans need to maintain physical damage coverage on the vehicle.   We would love to talk with our policyholders to find creative ways to help with cost reduction.
  • Check out our COVID-19 resource page HERE
  • The Ohio Department of Insurance has issued a directive for all carriers that are billing for Property & Casualty, Life and Long Term Care that require a 60-day grace period for payments, however if not paid within the extended period – the cancellation will take effect back to the effective date of the coverage, leaving a gap in coverage. This is not a waiver of premium payments.  Those affected should contact the billing departments of either the insurance company or the agency, whoever is sending the invoices.
  • If you are working remotely via computer, there should be no issues with your homeowners or renter’s insurance.  However, this is true as long as there are no customers coming to your home.  If you are running a business from your home, you will need business insurance.  We are happy to help you with this.
  • If you have a claim, we are open, as are the insurers.  Give us a call, and we will be ready to help you. Your policy has toll-free claim numbers to help you get the process going.
  • Some health insurance providers are offering resources that include mental health issues. See attached from Anthem Health. http://www.anthem.com/coronavirus

Other Heath insurers are likely following suit with these added benefits that can be accessed online directly from home.

  • Some insurance companies are offering relaxed payment terms.  We suggest you contact them directly if you feel you may miss a payment. Of course, you can always contact our office to assist you.
  • Be aware of credit card and cyber scams. Unfortunately, criminals have ramped up their efforts during this crisis.  The fraud ranges from false claims of cures and treatments for the coronavirus to fake charities attempting to soliciting money to help those suffering.
  • As we all have so much time at home, now is a good time to complete a home inventory of your personal property.  Creating and updating an inventory of your personal possessions is one of the best ways to make the most of your homeowners or renters insurance, and it makes filing a claim easier and more efficient.  If your home is damaged or totally lost due to a fire or other event, having a home inventory will help you recover all your personal property with the least amount of time and stress.
  • Life insurance should not be affected because of COVID-19.  If you already have life insurance, you are covered, and a company cannot make changes to a policy that is already active.  If you do not currently have coverage, however, your application may be affected.  Keep in mind that each life insurance company is handling the pandemic differently.  It is important to have us shop your life insurance to make sure the company you choose meets your needs.

Our goal is to be here for you and to help answer any questions you have regarding your insurance. Please feel free to connect with us at any time.

This information seems to be changing and we will keep you advised as this relates to our customers

Is Our Sharing Economy Creating New Risks For You?

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Is Our Sharing Economy Creating New Risks For You?

We live in a digital world that now allows us to share our possessions, including our car, bike, boat, apartment, and even our home, for profit with total strangers.  Smartphones, and the applications that can be added, offer many useful tools for sharing, but some of these things create new and increased liability for you.  Before you decide to jump into the sharing economy, consider the following:

  • If you use Airbnb to sublease your apartment, you might check your lease.  Many lease agreements have “no sublease” clauses that do not allow for this kind of activity.  In addition, some big cities are now actually considering outlawing the Airbnb services as it reduces hotel/motel taxes.
  • Homeowner’s insurance will not cover rental property. You need insurance when you do not occupy the same residence as your tenant. You will also need special insurance if you are renting out your own home temporarily, or sharing accommodations such as your basement level, with a renter.
  • Uber offers a taxi service where individuals can offer rides to those who subscribe.  Are you confident that these individuals have had proper background checks?  Are they experienced drivers?  Do they have the correct insurance? Remember, even in states that have mandatory auto insurance laws, over 25% of drivers do not have insurance.
  • Commercial auto insurance should be considered if using your car for hire.  There is a big difference in the auto insurance world between a carpool for work and being paid to deliver people.
  • If you rent your primary home to others, it may limit your personal insurance coverage. Call our office for a review.

The new sharing economy will most likely continue and can be a good way to make money.  However, if you have an uninsured claim, the cost to you may be much greater than your profits.  Be aware that using these services may increase your risk of loss.

A professional insurance agent can help educate you on your risks, review your current program, and then create an individualized plan to fit your needs.

While the massive national agencies spend millions on television ads and offer barebones policies, they do not know you. When your needs change or your situation complicates, you don’t want an automated phone tree or cold cyber-agent. You want to talk to compassionate, honest insurance experts – that’s our team. You shouldn’t have to spend hours researching and comparing policies. Let the specialists at Reichley guide you through the complex insurance industry.

Call today to alleviate the worry and get covered – (937) 429-0655.

 

How We Help You Make Informed Insurance Decisions

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When it comes to your insurance, making the right decision can be the difference between a covered loss or a nightmare. Knowing what to look for is one thing, but it’s just as important to know what NOT to do when considering your insurance agent and the kind of insurance you may need. What your goal should always be is to get the best possible combination of coverage, price, and service. To help you get to this point, we have a process that we use that helps us known you better and educates you on your risk and how best to manage them. The process is the same for a family or a business.

Understanding

It is important that we have an understanding of your needs, concerns, and risks. Our goal is to gain knowledge of what risks you have and how we can manage these together. Some risks we can say for sure may need insurance, but there may be some risks where insurance is not the best solution.

Educating

Once we understand your risks and needs, we educate you on how to manage them best. We believe that our primary purpose is to educate and inform our clients so they can make the best possible decision.

Planning

Once we agree on what your risk is, we set up a plan. The plan may be to offer insurance options, increase deductibles, transfer your risk, or self-insure. Notice that this is the first time we mention insurance. If the first word out of an insurance professionals mouth is insurance, all they are doing is trying to sell you a product, not deliver on a promise.

Managing

We manage your program through insurance placement; risk reduction techniques claims assistance and customer service. We understand that our job does not end when your policy is delivered. We answer questions and solve problems throughout the entire year.

Evaluating

To continue the process, we assess your program and make corrections based changes in your needs and risk. We believe that your insurance needs change, and therefore, our approach needs to be flexible enough to adapt and change over time.

In the end, you have a better-designed insurance program and be more satisfied with the results. Just remember, cheaper is not better and better is not always more expensive. We offer a way to add value to your insurance purchases.

Agents Keep Changing And Evolving

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Things Every Agent Should Be Doing

In case you have not figured it out, I am on a mission to change the way agents/brokers and their clients interact with each other. There are three things that every agent should be doing with their clients; educate, educate, educate. Ok, I know what you are thinking. Just like real-estate, it is location, location, and location. But not so fast.

Here Is What I Mean By Educate

Educate Your Clients About Their Risk

The very first thing every agent needs to do is help their clients understand what their risks are. Not just simply fire, wind, and auto hazards, but rather the client’s complete risks.  These risks can include liability assumed in a contract, cyber risk, employment liability, and more. This involves truly understanding the client’s business and how to create and deliver real solutions; some of which may not include insurance.

Educate Your Clients About Insurance

Every agent needs to be providing information to their clients on how insurance works, and the pros and cons of the insurance their clients are considering. Do your clients fully understand all the terms, conditions, and exclusions of their insurance?

Educate Your Clients About The Market

It is very important that your clients understand how the insurance markets work, including market trends and market volatility. The swings in market pricing can actually provide opportunities for our clients. As prices go up, why not increase the deductible, thus keeping premiums level?

It should always be the goal of every agent to help your clients understand the value you bring to the relationship.

Filing A Claim Correctly Can Save You Time And Money

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We hope you never have an accident or loss.  But if you have a loss, knowing that your claim is covered by insurance will help.  That’s what insurance is all about.  And, if you understand the claim filing process, you will find that you will have fewer headaches and your claim will be resolved much faster.

Here are some tips to help you file your claim

Our agency is here to help you through the entire claim process.

  1. Always read your insurance policy so that you know what is covered and what is not covered.
  2. If you are unsure if your claim is covered, it is always good to call our office, or your agent. This is another good reason to have an independent agent to help you through the claim process. Don’t rely on the insurance company to interrupt coverage for you. Sometimes, just a conversation with the insurance company can be logged as a claim, even though no claim was filed.
  3. For auto accidents (depending on the damages), you will need to gather as much information as you can. Call your agent to obtain a check list to keep in your car. You can call our office for help, even right after the accident we are here to help. We offer a 24/7 client emergency number directly to our staff. It is ok to wake us up in the middle of the night; we may be in our pajamas, but we care about you.
  4. Document as much as you can. If you are involved in an auto accident, take photos with your smart phone. Get as many witnesses as possible.
  5. You have an obligation to prevent further damage. For example, if you have roof damage you will need to patch the roof with plastic or other material to prevent any further water damage.
  6. Understand that the claim process will involve working with a number of people. Our office can help take some of the work off your plate, but you will have to talk to the adjuster at some point to review the claim and settlement.
  7. Before accepting any settlement, make sure you are satisfied with the amount. Also make sure you read all the documents.
  8. Remember, all property losses may be subject to your deductible and deductibles may vary within the policy. This will help you understand the expectations of what is covered and what is not.
  9. Use our agency as your resource; we are here to help you manage the claim process.

 

 

What Is Risk Analysis And Why Is It So Important?

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What Is Risk Analysis And Why Is It So Important?

The term risk analysis tends to sound like a complicated thing. But simply put, risk analysis is a review of the things that might create a loss for you, your family, or business.

Why Is This important?

You have so much invested in your family, home, and business. You need to have an understanding of things that might happen, which will create a negative impact on your family and business.

What Role Does Your Agent Play?

Your agent will be your guide, consultant, and advisor through this process. It is important that you have an agent who is not interested in selling you insurance. Your agent needs to educate you on your risk, offer options, and work with you to make sure you are correctly protected.

If your agent does not understand or is not interested in this process, you will be left with inadequate protection.

If your agent offers an off the shelf homeowners policy, without asking questions and educating you might get stuck in the event of a claim. For example, you have a fire in your business and have to move out for three months during reconstruction. Do you have the right coverage to help you with temporary rent, and other expenses? What if you have to close your business and you have a loss of revenue? Knowing the right coverage and limits you need is the responsibility of your agent.

We Help Make The Complex Simple

We offer a series of questions to help our clients understand their risk and what options they have to manage them, based on their individual situations.

We educate our clients so they can make informed decisions. For example, if you are renting out a part of your home, you will need special insurance, as your homeowner’s policy excludes operating a business out of your home.

If you own a home and have other financial assists, you may need a personal umbrella policy. This protects you against litigation or claims where your primary coverage is exhausted.

Let’s start a conversation on how we might be able to educate you and design an insurance program that fits your individual needs.

After Recent Storms Agents Show Their Value.

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The recent storm and resulting damage have offered a reminder just how important the right kind of insurance can be. It also      re-enforces just how important your agent can be in helping you through the claim process.

People buy insurance to protect their family and financial assets from a loss. So when a loss occurs, most people expect their insurance to step up and take care of the issue.  Understanding insurance and the process involved in designing a policy can help prevent a standard claim from turning into a disaster.

How We Are Adding Value Post Storm

  • Helping clients finding contractors.
  • Offering ideas regarding money clients received from the insurance adjuster.
  • Communicating how the claim process works. For example, why the insurance company only paid a portion of the damage estimate at first.
  • Reminding people that claims are a “process’ of steps, not a one and done approach.
  • Helping to match volunteer disaster relief with clients in need.
  • Acting as a location and resource for internet, meeting space for adjusters and contractors to meet with clients displaced by the storms.
  • Helping clients with a final proof of loss.
  • Providing information on how to present your claim in a way to obtain the best payment based on your coverage terms.

Why Your Agents Knowledge And Experience Matters

Having a well-written policy at the time of a loss will make the entire process easier and more efficient.  Every insurance policy offers basic coverage like coverage for your home and personal property.  A trusted insurance partner will go beyond this and counsel you on how much coverage limits you may need and the benefits of modifying deductibles based on your financial capabilities.

The Value of Annual Insurance Reviews

An annual insurance review can offer time for the client and agent to sit down and determine what kind of coverage is needed based on your unique needs. This has become increasingly important after the recent Memorial Day tornado.

Your policy has coverage limits and deductible that will apply to each loss or claim. We can help you understand how these work and the value to you of adjusting these based on your individual needs.

We help you understand the value of viewing insurance as more than just a policy. It is a relationship with your agent and the insurance company. Your agent can become a trusted partner and help you with many areas of your personal insurance. This involves building a relationship of trust. You will want to have a comfortable, professional