Oklahoma Winter Storms Ahead:
Are You Ready?

We admit it: As insurance pros, our picture of winter isn’t exactly cozy. Oklahoma Winter Storms means traffic snarls, hillsides turning to sheets of ice, and cars sliding around like hockey pucks. Cold temperatures can cause pipes to burst, frost swells and other damage. Heating your home with fireplaces and holiday lighting can increase the risk of fire.

A picture-perfect winter requires a few precautions

Here are a few of our top tips to help reduce weather-related hassles this winter.

Winter-proof your car with good snow tires or chains, new wiper blades, antifreeze, and emergency road supplies.

Keep your attic cool to help prevent ice dams. Insulate the attic floor and make sure it is well-ventilated.

Do not overload circuits with holiday decorations.

When Oklahoma winter storms hit, be smart

If you do not have to drive, stay put. If you must drive, make sure you’ve winterized your car and have a full tank of gas.

When the air is cold, keep bath and kitchen cabinet doors open so warm air can circulate around pipes. If pipes do freeze, let them thaw normally—they’ll be less likely to burst.

And if the power is out, make sure you avoid leaving candles or fires burning unattended. If you use a portable generator, follow the instructions and do not use it indoors.

Know what your insurance covers

We want to help you rest easy.  You will be more relaxed when you know you have prepared your property to lessen the chance of winter storm damage. Your insurance policy covers repairs. Repairs can be anything from adding roofing cement to replacing shingles. I could also be a full rebuild. However, your deductible does apply. Check your policy to see what is covered and to confirm the deductible you have chosen.

If you have any questions at all about your coverage, call Tulsa Insurance Guy at 918-574-6262 and we will help you review your options.

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Although the Tulsa motorcycle insurance policy is very similar to the personal auto policy, you will never find a policy where they are combined. The personal auto policy is for vehicles with at least four wheels, and motorcycles will not qualify – at least not yet. The Tulsa motorcycle Insurance policy is a package deal made up of several different coverages:

• Bodily Injury Liability – This coverage pays for injuries or deaths you cause in an at-fault accident.
• Property Damage Liability – This coverage pays for property damage you cause in an at-fault accident. It will also pay to reimburse the other driver’s rental expenses.
• Passenger Liability – Pays for injuries to your passenger in an at-fault accident.
• Uninsured/Under insured Motorist – Similar to the personal auto policy, this coverage pays for your injuries if you are hit by an uninsured or under-insured motorist.
• Medical Payments – Since this coverage pays for your injuries and your passenger’s injuries, you should buy as much as you can afford. Especially if you don’t have medical insurance. States that don’t have a helmet law normally require riders to carry this coverage if they are going to ride sans helmet.
• Collision – This pays to repair or replace your motorcycle if you are in an at-fault accident subject to the deductible you select.
• Comprehensive – Will pay for damages to your motorcycle for reasons other than a collision. This is the coverage that pays for theft or damages resulting from hitting an animal or vandalism.
• Additional Equipment – Many riders will add additional equipment to their motorcycles such as saddlebags, windshield, custom crash bars, GPS equipment and communications This coverage will pay for this equipment if stolen or damaged in an at-fault accident.

There are many insurance companies offering Tulsa motorcycle insurance and some of them even specialize in this coverage. The motorcyclist should call or visit with an experienced agent or broker to determine which company offers the best value and rates.

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The answer to this question in the most simplest of terms is Risk. Every renter or property owner has an inherent risk of a liability claim simply because they own or rent property. Yes, your homeowner’s or renter’s policy will provide liability coverage , but the coverage is typically  limited to $300,000 and in many cases, this may fall short of your needs if an action is brought against you.

A Personal  Tulsa Umbrella Policy adds an additional layer of protection on top of all your underlying personal policies. It will provide additional liability coverage for:

• Homeowner’s coverage
• Renter’s coverage
• Personal auto insurance
• Watercraft Insurance
• Motorcycle Insurance
• RV Insurance

Since most personal insurance policies have maximum limits of only $300,000, you are at risk if the claim can’t be settled for the limit in your policy. For example, if you are in an at-fault car accident, it would not be difficult for the injured driver or drivers and passengers to accumulate over $300,000 in injury expenses that you would be held responsible for. Any amount of awarded damages over your liability limit is going to come out of your pocket. Remember, car accidents are not always the result of one car versus another car. Many times they are the result of one car, causing a multi-car pileup or driving through a convenience store. Without a Personal Tulsa Umbrella Policy that would increase your liability limits to a million dollars or more, say goodbye to your investments, savings accounts, and any other assets that are not protected from a lawsuit.

How do I know if I need  Tulsa Umbrella Policy?

The easiest way to determine if you need a Personal Tulsa Umbrella Policy is to add up the value of your assets. Anything over the liability limit of your auto, home, renter’s, boat, motorcycle, and RV insurance policies is at risk of being lost if an action brought against you.

The good news is that most Personal Tulsa Umbrella Policies are very affordable. A typical one million dollar policy can cost as little as $175 per year depending on your situation. Most insurers will offer limits of $1 million to $5 million dollars without many underwriting questions. Call your agent or independent broker and find out how little you’ll pay for so much coverage.

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For most people, their home is their most valuable asset and should be insured properly to preserve the value for the life of the home. The homeowner’s insurance policy plays an important part in making certain that you have the funds needed to make repairs to your home or contents when the worst happens. The policy is typically issued as a packaged product and can be customized to meet your needs and budget.

Dwelling Coverage

The dwelling coverage on your Tulsa homeowner’s insurance is what pays when repairs or replacement of your home is needed in the event of a covered peril such as fire, windstorm, hail or lightning strike. Your dwelling limit should equal the replacement cost of the home, which is typically higher than the market value or loan amount. Most insurance companies will require the home to be insured for replacement cost, and your agent will use an approved method to determine this amount. Your lot or land is not part of the equation when determining this limit of coverage.

Other Structures

The other or unattached structure coverage is for paying for repairs or replacement of structures not attached to the dwelling such as Gazebos, workshops or unattached garage.

The limit provided is usually a percentage of the dwelling limit, but can be adjusted up or down with most insurance companies.

Contents Coverage

This coverage on your Tulsa homeowner’s insurance pays to repair or replace your home’s contents in the event of a covered peril. Anything in your home that does not leave a scar when removed is considered the contents. Items that are attached to your home are considered part of the dwelling and are insured under the dwelling coverage. Many policies have sub-limits for items like jewelry, guns and collections so be sure and speak with your agent on how to best cover them. All contents coverage claims are subject to a deductible you select.

Personal Liability

Anyone who owns or rents a home can be held personally responsible if someone is injured while on the property. The Personal Liability coverage is available to pay for legal defense, settlements or a judgment awarded by the court. Most homeowner insurance policies provide limits starting at $100,000 which can be increased to $500,000 or higher depending on the company. In most cases, a deductible is not required for this valuable coverage.

Medical Payments

Your Medical Payments (med-pay) coverage on Tulsa homeowner’s insurance protects you in the event that someone suffers a minor injury on your property. Unlike the Personal Liability coverage, an action does not have to be brought against the homeowner or renter to trigger this coverage. For example, if a visitor were to slip and fall on your property and suffer only a minor injury, your insurer would offer the med-pay coverage for an ER visit or diagnostic tests. You select your med-pay limit which normally starts at $1,000.

Living Expenses

Most homeowner’s policies include coverage for living expenses. A typical example would be when your home is partially damaged by a covered peril, and you are required to live in a hotel or apartment while repairs are being made. This homeowner’s insurance coverage will reimburse you for these additional living expenses up to the limits you select. Many companies provide limits of 10% of the dwelling as part of the policy package.

Optional Coverage

Optional homeowner’s insurance coverages can be added (endorsed) to your policy with an additional premium paid. While many companies offer different optional coverages, the list could include:

• Identity Theft
• Water backup and sump overflow
• Scheduled personal property
• Mold
• Golf cart coverage
• Business property

Since your home is probably your most important asset, it seems logical that you would purchase complete and affordable homeowner’s insurance coverage to protect it. Speak to an experienced agent to get the advice needed to make an informed choice about this important coverage.

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Thank you!

We at Tulsa Insurance Guy are constantly striving to improve the Client Experience.

Our Mission Statement

“Our commitment to integrity is evident in everything we do. We empower our clients to choose an insurance solution that provides the best protection tailored to their needs. We act as consultants rather than insurance agents and take on the challenges of our clients. We believe that doing the right thing pays off in the long run and have this philosophy to thank for our loyal and growing clientele.”

The basis of Tulsa Insurance Guy’s Philosophy is we understand our clients deserve more from their insurance agency. I believe Jeff Bezos said it best, “We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.”

So everyday as the owner of Tulsa Insurance Guy, I’m inspecting what I expect from my team members. I relentlessly believe my team has to be on board with the philosophy of “clients deserve more”. So it starts with how I treat them. Richard Branson has proven this style of leadership works!

We as leaders of our companies have to be intentional, clear, and provide support. This means working 40 hrs a week, Doesn’t cut it! Our Team Members deserve more. They deserve leadership that paints a vivid picture of small action items clustered into various client experiences. Whether it be on the front end of providing initial consultation, a welcome package of detailing how they can enhance their experience with us, to setting a time frame expectation of an endorsement like adding a vehicle when you are at the tag agency or having the best claims experience. Swapping pain for that sigh of relief you have when you say, “Ah” and then on subconscious level you have this peace knowing with strong conviction that we care as much as you do if not more to help you resolve the situation.

We at Tulsa Insurance Guy breakdown each segment our Clients experience and ask ourselves as a team how we can improve our Clients Experience.

I know as we continue down this path of “Kaizen”, continuous improvement, we will achieve what I believe Taiichi Ohno envisioned for Toyota:

“Why not make the work easier and more interesting so that people do not have to sweat? The Toyota style is not create results by working hard. It is a system that says there is no limit to people’s creativity. People don’t go to Toyota to “work” they go to Toyota to “think.’ ”

So let me end by saying, Thank you for allowing us to listen, learn and create action items to improve your experience at Tulsa Insurance Guy, Your Local Insurance Solution!

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In case the insurance industry isn’t confusing enough with all the flavors and sizes of products, let’s talk a little about the distribution of all those products. Is your insurance guy an agent or a broker? Do they have a local office or are they in a cubicle somewhere on the continent? Are they licensed by your state or not? This may sound trivial but could be important to you, the consumer. There are basically three types of distribution systems that an insurance salesperson will work in:

Direct Writer

The Direct Writer has become more popular over the last decade because they usually offer the lowest priced product. These are insurance salespeople (not always licensed) that offer insurance products directly from the company they work for. GEICO is probably the best known example of a direct writer. Their rates are normally lower because they do not pay a commission to an agent or agency. They typically only sell their branded product but sometimes act as a wholesaler for other non-owned companies. If you are looking for only the cheapest insurance product available, the direct writer will usually make sense. If you are looking for multiple products such as auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance and an umbrella product, they will in most cases not have this available. The agent working for a direct writer is considered to be a captive since the products they represent are controlled by the company they work for. A consumer that prefers risk management services from their agent is typically not a good fit for the direct writer.

Captive or Captured Agency

Probably the most well known type of agent, the captive or captured agent represents only one company. A typical example would be an Allstate or State Farm agent although there are many more. This agent signs an agreement with the company that they will not represent any other insurance companies without written permission provided by the company they represent. Some captured agents do gain access to other companies but only for providing products that their flagship company will not offer. These agents have a local brick and mortar presence in their communities and invest substantial capital to open their office. The captured agent is at somewhat of a disadvantage in the marketplace because they have no control over products or pricing. They typically can offer most any type of product required but in most cases, all customers must fit in a cookie-cutter mold and it’s a take it or leave it conversation. The captured agent is more inclined to offer risk management services since they offer most every type of product needed. The consumer can visit their offices anytime and they are active in their community. The captive agent can access resources provided by their company so that if they

are uncomfortable presenting a certain product, the company will typically send in someone who is very familiar with the product to assist in the presentation. Many of the major carriers have moved toward an emphasis on financial products and expect their agents to become very familiar with these as well.

Broker or Independent Agency

Agents that represent multiple insurance companies are referred to as brokers. These agents are always licensed and may or may not have a brick and mortar office. They are at an advantage since their insurance carriers are actually competing for their business. Typically, a broker will provide a wide range of products with many companies to choose from. This translates into an advantage for their customers. For example, if they have placed your auto insurance business with Company A whom then takes a large increase, they can simply re-write that policy with Company B who is more competitive. The independent agency has much more control over their business compared to the captured agent which can result in better rates and larger product availability for their customers. They are also usually more knowledgeable about products and the marketplace since they are getting information from many different sources instead of just one company. The consumer may benefit greatly by accessing a reputable insurance broker through better pricing, larger product selection and risk management services.

The type of agent a consumer chooses should be based on their current and future needs. It makes much more sense to establish a trusting relationship with an agent or broker that can meet all your insurance needs and can act as a risk manager rather than an order taker.

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Wikipedia provides a great a detail explanation on telematics. Find below excerpt on this topic:

Telematics are an interdisciplinary field encompassing telecommunications, vehicular technologies, road transportation, road safety, electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc.), computer science (multimedia, Internet, etc.). Hence the application of telematics is with any of the following:

Lexus Gen V navigation system

• The technology of sending, receiving and storing information via telecommunication devices in conjunction with affecting control on remote objects.
• The integrated use of telecommunications and informatics, for application in vehicles and with control of vehicles on the move.
• Telematics includes but is not limited to GPS technology integrated with computers and mobile communications technology in automotive navigation systems.
• Most narrowly, the term has evolved to refer to the use of such systems within road vehicles, in which case the term vehicle telematics may be used.

Find more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telematics

According to Lexis Nexis during the first quarter of 2014, they commissioned an independent firm to conduct two studies. The first was a study of 2,000 insured consumer drivers, ages 21-74, who were the policy decision makers for their household. The results of the study were compared to similar research LexisNexis had conducted in 2010 and 2013. The second was a study of 409 small fleet managers who were policy decision makers coordinating fleets of 2 to 20 vehicles.

For further reading and info graphic to better depict their study click here.

Lexis Nexis help insurers assess their risk and streamline the underwriting process in 99% of all U.S. auto insurance claims and more than 90% of all homeowner claims. LexisNexis C.L.U.E.® Auto, the industry standard loss underwriting database for the U.S. auto insurance market, represents a 99.6% industry contribution.

To learn more about Tulsa Insurance Guy Click Here.

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The Tulsa Insurance Guy is Ready To Innovate!

Your Local Insurance Solution!

We had a very exciting year at Tulsa Insurance Guy. Many ideas that were discussed were expanded upon and implemented. These concepts that were materialized allowed The Tulsa Insurance Guy team to be more efficient resulting in enhancing our ultimate vision, a Client Centric Atmosphere!

As we approach 2014, Tulsa Insurance Guy, Agency Owner of Tulsa Insurance Guy, has been bouncing around the office with ideas that encompass this philosophy. Soon will be announcing some of the new technologies that Tulsa Insurance Guy plans to execute.

Thank you all for choosing to be a part of our growing family! We look forward to many years of serving you with all of your Tulsa home insurance, roof insurance, Auto insurance and life insurance needs.

If you love to create new ideas for work or home projects including kitchen remodels, bath remodels, flooring or fencing…Tulsa Insurance Guy, The Tulsa Insurance Guy recommends looking at buying http://www.ideapaint.com/spaces/work

Auto Home Business Life

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