Misconceptions about life insurance are surprisingly common. People tend to think that life insurance is only necessary for parents with dependents or older adults with health conditions, and 80 percent of people think life insurance is more expensive than it really is! Whether you’re a young and healthy student or a new parent with a mortgage, buying life insurance is a smart, affordable decision that will protect the future of your loved ones. However, it’s important to understand how life insurance works and the coverage options available to you before purchasing a policy. Here are some essential things to know.

What are the differences between HO-3 and HO-5 Insurance Policies? Why is one preferable for the client, and is an HO-5 policy really that much better? (YES!)
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Not all insurance policies are created equal.  I don’t know how many times I have had a conversation with a potential client about how you can’t just compare insurance quotes at face value or put two declaration pages against one another and consider it an “apples to apples” comparison.

Every policy starts with a quality action insurance plan to determine what coverages are needed and what limits best serve the insured party.  Here are some suggestions for developing an action insurance plan for various types of insurance policies.

In this episode, we are taking a much closer, fascinating look at home insurance and the way that you can protect your home should disaster strike. But first, as usual, we start off with a little bit of news. Tom and Ron talk about a survey regarding the lack of knowledge most buyers have regarding closing costs — and Tom reads them the riot act.

Permissive use related to auto insurance policies is a common issue that policy holders need to understand.  Our agency has noticed that many auto insurance policy holders have been misinformed by their previous agents, or have been operating outside the scope of their insurance policy’s guidelines regarding permissive use, and may have unintentional gaps in coverage of which they are unaware.

Uninsured motorist coverage is an often misunderstood auto insurance coverage and is far too often declined by the policyholder, but it does a lot more than most clients are aware. While uninsured motorist coverage is typically associated with an accident involving two or more cars, the coverage often applies when an uninsured motorist hits a bicyclist or a pedestrian.

Frequently I speak with condo and townhome owners that are misguided as to what they need to properly insure their residence.  HOA’s master policies are not sufficient on their own to insure a condo or townhome. 
Not included in the master policy is coverage for personal liability, personal property (contents), interior improvements and upgrades and more. Those who do not have an HO6 (walls-in) insurance policy in addition to their HOA master policy are risking more than they realize by not being properly insured – and most who do not have an HO6 don’t even know the difference.

We’re really tired of writing about beloved performance artists passing away this year. We bet you’re tired of reading about them, too. But just like David Bowie’s death taught us earlier this year, the unexpected demise of his high purpleness, Prince, provides a strong lesson in the importance of proper estate planning.

According to the latest reports, Prince’s sister, Tyka Nelson, has filed court documents stating her brother left no will . Tyka asks a probate judge to name Bremer Bank as official administrator of the estate. She said the bank provided financial services to Prince for years, is familiar with his affairs and is best suited to protect his assets.
The virtuoso musician died April 21 at 57 years old. His death sets off a countdown to see just how much the government plans to tax from his vast empire, estimated by various news sources to be in the region of $300 million.