I hear this question from drivers in east Tennessee all the time. Sometimes it's because of your record, credit, type of vehicle, or age of driver. Sometimes it's because you're with the wrong company! Many people who are with one of the biggest US insurance companies (hint: rhymes with "Great Harm") can save almost 50% by switching if they have good credit and clean driving history. I know this is true because I've seen it/done it several times! The only way to find out if you are overpaying is to shop and do research. Who has time for that? So call us! As independent agents we shop for you. We do the research. Every week we save people money and every week we tell someone to stay right where they are. If we can't improve your situation today we'll try again later. We want what's best for you.

And what if the "it's because of your record, credit, type of vehicle, or age of driver" problem applies to you? An independent agent can help there too. We have ten auto companies to choose from. We work to match the risk to the company. Call us at 435-7470 or start your quote here.

MONEY SAVING TIPS

• Raise your deductibles for full coverage - especially collision
• Take advantage of all available discounts - low-mileage, safety features, alarm/theft prevention device, good student, drivers ed, multi-car, multi-policy, etc.
• Don't finance a car for a teen driver! Full coverage for a teen's car is crazy expensive! Call us for a quote before you choose a car. You don't want the insurance to cost more than the payments!
• Avoid tickets like the plague! Go to court if necessary to keep things off your record. Above all, slow down, don't text, and be careful.
• Preach safety constantly to younger drivers. The financial consequences of an at-fault accident for a young driver can amount to thousands of dollars over several years.

Cool new stuff! We have a terrific new source for property and liability coverage for photographers and videographers (wedding, portrait, etc.). You can buy lots of coverage for just a few hundred dollars a year. We can also cover WEDDINGS and other events with all types of coverage for again, just a couple hundred dollars. Call us at 435-7470. 

What's the average jury award for injury cases in US courts? $985,675. What does this mean? It means that even if you opt for the highest available liability limits on your home and auto policies (usually $500,000) you may still lose everything you own over an accident where you are considered to be at fault. The answer: the umbrella policy. It's ridiculously inexpensive for the coverage it provides. Adding a MILLION dollars of liability to your coverage can cost well under $200 a year. Can you afford not to have this?

I'll say it again -- if you're agent hasn't tried to sell you more liability then you may have the wrong agent!

Objections:

• "I'm careful." -- That's good. Lawyers are careful too. They will be careful to find a way to make you seem at fault even if you're pretty sure you weren't. And they will find every asset that you have. Careful is not enough. Everyone make mistakes, everyone gets sun in their eyes, spills their coffee, or sometimes changes lanes without looking. Even careful drivers cause accidents. And when someone falls down the steps at your house it won't matter how careful you were. 
• "I can't afford it." -- See above ... can you afford not to have it? Here's a secret: Raising your liability limits results in LOWER premiums in the long run. Companies fight for responsible customers. And they all think those who carry higher liability limits are better risks and they reward them with better rates.
• "It won't happen to me." -- I hope that's true. I especially hope it's true if you don't have enough liability coverage.
•  "I don't like to think about these things" -- Well, no one does. And no one likes the way things work in our society, but we have to deal with how things are. And prepare for them.
  
• "My dog doesn't bite" -- Ever? Dog bite claims can be HUGE. And nobody expects them to happen.

Never trust a quick or "instant" insurance quote. So many factors go into determining a final rate on an auto or home policy. It takes time and effort to get a real quote. If an agent hasn't run your motor vehicle report, claim history, and insurance credit score your "quote" is just a guess. We never throw out a number; we know that you, like us, don't like surprises at the end of the process. Unfortunately, some insurance people will pull a number out of the air to keep you on the phone or get you in the office -- not at Windrock. There's another reason not to be too quick: You don't want cookie-cutter coverage. The many coverage options and possible discounts need to be tailored to each customer. Remember when there were no special orders at McDonalds? You had to take what they gave you. It was fast, but it wasn't good. Is that sort of insurance service you want? Didn't think so.

Ah, the joys of home. So many comforts--and so many risks. The dog, the teenage driver, and the monster tree that hangs over your neighbor's yard can all become the stuff of lawsuits. And most homeowner's and auto insurance policies don't offer enough protection against major personal-liability claims. Especially now, with real estate values so inflated, the $250,000 to $500,000 (usually $100k or $300k in TN) liability limit in a typical homeowner's or auto plan may turn out to be woefully inadequate. "It's enough for your typical slip-and-fall situation," says Robert Hartwig, chief economist at the Insurance Information Institute. "But jury awards are becoming much larger and more frequent for serious incidents." 

The answer is an UMBRELLA. We have them. Finish the article here.

Admit it, there's a great feeling of satisfaction when you save a dime on gas. Many will go to great lengths, go out of their way and even burn gas to save a few pennies on gas. You'd be happy, I'll bet, if you could consistently save 10 cents a gallon on gas. If you drive 15,000 miles a year, get 25 mpg, and pay $3 a gallon for gas, how would all your bargain-hunting efforts be rewarded? Over the course of a year -- by  searching weekly for cheaper gas -- you'd save a glorious $60! Wow, one extra Friday night meal and movie -- maybe!

Instead of searching weekly to save a penny, call me once for a shot at saving HUNDREDS of dollars on your car insurance. We've saved some customers as much as 50% -- yes, $1200 a year in two recent cases. Sometimes it's $200 a year, sometimes it's $50 a month, sometimes we'll tell you to sit tight. But, do the math. And give us a call. 

And don't get me started on the potential cost of driving uninsured or carrying too little liability: We're talking several hundred dollars to several hundred thousand dollars in potential expense. Ask me how you can add an extra MILLION DOLLARS worth of liability to your auto and home policies for the price of three dinner dates or three tanks of gas.