Blog

Why might have my insurance rates gone up?

By Mike on January 3, 2022

In case you wondered why auto and home insurance rates increase when your car is older and you haven’t had an accident…

We all know that miles driven on US roads dropped dramatically last year. In 2021, the rebound has been equally dramatic – returning to about 94% of the pre-COVID peak and continuing to increase.
The percentage of crashes with airbag deployment or non-drivable vehicles is the highest it’s been in 5 years suggesting more higher speed crashes are occurring.
Average vehicle repair costs are up over 30% in the past five years, with a good bit of that increase coming in 2021.
Parts availability is driving repair cycle time up, combined with the cost of parts, adding significantly to overall claim cost.
On the property side, while lumber prices have leveled, overall inputs to residential construction were up 19% since pre-pandemic.
In the mix as well is the steep increase of liability costs on litigated cases – which is a trend that predates the pandemic but was accelerated by it.

A Guardian’s Guide: How To Help Teen Drivers Be Safe

By Jacob Eastlick on September 30, 2021 0

Read time: 3 minutes

Hello, responsible guardians!

First of all, good for you. Good job researching how you can keep your teen driver safe. We hope we can help both you and your teen feel more confident about hitting the road with these tips.

Before you hand your teen the keys, establish some ground rules together to keep them safe. Keep in mind, every teen matures differently and will likely need different rules to help them be a safe driver.

Some rules to consider establishing with your teen driver can include:

mom-teen-driver

No passengers, especially other teens
Minimize distractions
- Make a list with your teen of specific things that may distract them (eating, music, phone calls, texting and social media)
Never drive under the influence of alcohol or any drug. Also, never get in the car with anybody under the influence
Follow the speed limit
Require everybody in the car to wear seatbelts
Be home by a set curfew
Follow traffic laws and signals

Consider utilizing videos and statistics from reputable safety organizations, like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to help explain why these rules are important.

Create a Parent-Teen Driving Contract using our template

To help your ground rules stick, you can create a Parent-Teen Driving Contract. Your teen will sign the contract to show they understand and agree to the terms of their driving privilege. Driving is a privilege and a responsibility, not a fun activity. To help you get started, we created this Parent-Teen Driving Contract template.

Download Parent-Teen Driving Contract [template]

Equip your teen’s vehicle with safe driving features

Beyond setting rules for your teen’s driving, evaluate the car they will be using. Is it safe? Consider finding a vehicle with some of the newer safety features, if possible.

Some car safety features that may help your teen include:

Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
Rear-view camera/360-degree camera
Blind spot detection
Lane departure warning (LDW)
Lane keeping system (LKS)
Forward collision warning

Read more: How to Avoid Distracted Driving

Use an app to track your teen’s driving

For ultimate accountability, consider using an app that tracks your teen’s speed, phone usage and location. There are several options in the app stores; some of them are even free. For most apps, you will need to download the app on both your phone and your teen’s phone.

Some popular apps include:

Mama Bear
Automatic
TrueMotion Family Safe Driving
Life360
AT&T Drive Mode

Some phones and apps out there may also have drive detection, which can track when certain apps are used while driving. So, research your teen’s phone capabilities to see what’s available.

teen-driver-in-car

We give discounts for safe teen driving because it’s worth rewarding!

When you and your teen feel confident about their safe driving, we want to celebrate with you. That’s why we offer the following safe teen driving discounts.

You could work this into your Parent-Teen Driving Contract as an incentive. If they achieve our discounts, you can reward them with a special treat of some sort.

Teen Driver Monitoring Discount: If your teen driver has a GPS unit attached to the vehicle they use most or an eligible app on their phone, they may qualify for this discount. You will need to provide proof of purchase or other documentation for the GPS unit or the eligible phone app. Talk to your agent for more information.

Good Student Discount: To qualify for this discount, your teen must be a full-time high school, college, university or vocational technical school student (under the age of 25). They will also need to show us their report card or scholastic record to prove they meet one of these requirements:
- - Rank among the upper 20% of their class
  - Have a “B” average
  - Have an average of three points on a four point scale
  - Included in the dean’s list or honor roll

How do I add my teenager to my auto policy?

Contact your agent and let them know you need to add your teen as a rated driver. They will need to know what vehicle they will be operating and their daily commute.

Summary: Helping your teen navigate the responsibility and privilege of driving is daunting. Set boundaries, make a contract, give them lots of practice, be a good example and keep the conversation about safe driving going!

Learn More: Making the Auto Insurance Switch

8 Steps to be Confident in Your Commercial Insurance

By Jacob Eastlick on September 30, 2021 1

So, how can you be sure that your commercial insurance policy is the best fit for your business? Here are eight steps you can take to feel like the confident and successful business owner you are.

1. Meet with an expert – Your local, independent insurance agent

An independent insurance agent understands your business needs because they run a business too. One of the best things you can do is contact your local, independent insurance agent. The reason this is first on our list is because of all the advantages that working with an independent agent provides business owners. To name a few:

Local support from somebody you know. If you need to file a claim you will know whom to call. Not to mention, if you have questions about your policy you can call your agent rather than waiting on hold for what feels like forever.
Local-area expertise. They understand the insurance needs specific to your area because they live and work in your community.
Expert advice and guidance. An independent insurance agent will review your business’ operations to find you the best coverage.
Support your community. You are supporting a fellow local business when you work with an independent insurance agent.

2. Evaluate all your business’ services

You’d be surprised how many business owners forget to consider all the services they offer when shopping for their insurance. For example, a restaurant that also has food trucks. While they may only use their food trucks for part of the year, it’s important that the trucks and equipment are properly insured. A policy that only accounts for their restaurant may not cover a claim for their food trucks. The restaurant and food trucks require unique coverages that need to be included in their policy.

business-owners-reviewing-commercial-insurance

So, take the time to evaluate the services you offer. Nobody wants to file a claim and discover that their policy didn’t account for part of their business’ services. Talk it over with your independent agent. In some cases, your agent will be able to get your business’ services accounted for in the same policy.

3. Factor in replacement cost to set your policy limits, rather than the market value of your business’ property

Many business owners buy insurance with limits that are the approximate market value of their business’ property. Remember, you are not insuring your building’s market value. Instead, you want your insurance to cover the cost to rebuild your building after a covered loss. This is called replacement cost.

Replacement costs can be higher than the market value. So, it’s important to select a limit that will cover the replacement cost. Otherwise, you may be underinsured. Your local, independent insurance agent will be able to walk you through these limits or evaluate your current policy.

4. Don’t forget liability coverage for your business

Liability coverage is crucial for businesses. Injuries and false advertising are just a couple situations in which your business will be grateful to have liability coverage. It’s hard to put a price tag on this because of how much these situations and legal proceedings can vary. So again, we recommend discussing your potential liability risks with your independent agent.

For contractors, your liability limits are often required by contract with set limits. However, it may be worthwhile to consider additional coverages like Voluntary Property Damage to Others and Errors & Omissions.

5. Be aware of the environment that surrounds your business

Is your state prone to lawsuits? Does your area flood often? What kind of storms and big weather events come your way? Knowing the environment can help you objectively evaluate what additional coverages and limits may be best.

6. Consider cyber liability coverage even if you don’t sell your goods or services online

Generally, your commercial general liability policy will not cover a data breach. Even if your business doesn’t sell goods or services online, you have valuable personal information that hackers may want. Many network hacks start with some sort of phishing scam to infiltrate your network, often through your employees. Imagine if a client’s personal or financial information is stolen from your network – you may be responsible! Consider the cost of losing all the credit card numbers in your business’s database, not to mention the cost to your business’s reputation.

Cyber liability insurance is a coverage you want to have before a data breach occurs.

7. Take advantage of multi-policy discounts

Most insurance companies offer a discount when you purchase more than one policy with them. For example, we offer multi-policy discounts for commercial policies and personal policies. Beyond the cost savings, a multi-policy discount streamlines your bills and renewals. Who doesn’t love a little more time in the day? It also helps you avoid gaps and overlaps that can happen when you have policies with multiple insurance companies. Bonus: You can manage your Auto-Owners policies with our Customer Center app.

8. Check the financial stability of the insurance company

Your insurance policy is only as good as the insurance company behind it. You want a company that is established and will not go out of business after the next big storm. Financial rating services, like AM Best, evaluate and then rate insurance companies’ stability. Did you know we are ranked A++ with AM Best? Now you do!

If you didn’t notice, we highly recommend talking with your local, independent agent. They know what it’s like to work hard to grow a business and how important it is to protect it. To get started, you can find a local, independent agent near you with our Agency Locator.

Learn More: Business Insurance Coverages & Ways to Save

Who can be a life insurance beneficiary?

By Jacob Eastlick on September 15, 2021 0

Every life insurance policy requires you to name a life insurance beneficiary. A beneficiary definition is simply who gets the payout on the life insurance policy in the event you pass away.

Your beneficiary can be:

A person
Several people
An estate
A trust
A charity

Life Insurance Beneficiary Tips

Here are some basic things to know about naming a life insurance beneficiary along with a few helpful tips:

Know that you can name more than one beneficiary. You can name one beneficiary or two or more beneficiaries. You’ll typically be asked which percentage of the payout goes to each person— for instance, you could designate 70% to a spouse and 30% to an adult child.
Make sure to name a secondary beneficiary. Think of a secondary, or contingent, beneficiary as a backup. He or she receives the life insurance payout in the event the primary beneficiary is no longer alive when the payout is being made.
Be specific with names. It’s best to list the name and Social Security number of each beneficiary rather than something generic like “my children.” This will prevent any confusion and speed up the payout process.
Keep your beneficiaries in the loop. Tell your life insurance beneficiaries about your plans and give them copies of the policy.
Review your life insurance policy and its beneficiaries once a year. In addition to an annual policy review, you’ll want to revisit your life insurance policy after any major life event like a marriage, birth, divorce, or death.

Special Beneficiary Considerations

Think carefully about the following special considerations when naming a beneficiary.

Think through how to provide for a minor. Providing for kids is a big reason why many people buy life insurance. Most people name a surviving parent or partner as the beneficiary, with the understanding that the payout will help cover kid-related costs. But that’s not a possibility if you’re widowed or if you and your spouse or partner pass away at the same time. In situations like this, it’s best to name a highly trustworthy adult custodian as the beneficiary or to work with an attorney to set up a trust to manage and distribute the funds. Whatever you do, don’t name the child as the beneficiary—the law prohibits anyone from receiving a life insurance payout if they aren’t the age of majority (which could be 18 or 21 depending on your state).
Consult with an attorney if you have a disabled or special needs child. You’ll want to set up life insurance for a disabled or special needs child in a way that doesn’t impact his or her eligibility for certain government programs like Medicaid. The best way to do that is to work with an attorney to set up a trust to benefit the child.
Avoid naming your estate as a beneficiary. Naming your estate as a beneficiary is a bad idea because it leads to a long (and potentially costly) legal process known as probate. For this reason, it’s a better idea to name a person, people or organization as the life insurance beneficiary.
Know that there’s several ways to benefit a charity. Leaving money to a nonprofit organization is one reason people take out a life insurance policy. There are four ways to benefit a charity: by naming it as a beneficiary; by making it both the owner and the beneficiary of a life insurance policy; by adding a charitable-giving rider to a life insurance policy; and by working with a community foundation.
Get help with other special situations. There can be tax consequences and other issues if the policyholder and insured aren’t the same person. Ditto if you live in a community property state and don’t name your spouse as a beneficiary. Avoid any tangles by turning to your insurance agent or attorney for advice.

Get help with naming beneficiaries and with all things life insurance by contacting a licensed insurance agent who can walk you through the entire process. If you don’t have an agent or advisor to work with, check out our agent locator. You can also work directly with an insurance company. Here are company partners that support our non-profit mission and can assist you in getting coverage directly or through one of their agents or advisors. The key is to start today.

LEARN MORE

Is Life Insurance Taxable? Here’s What You Need to Know

By Jacob Eastlick on September 15, 2021 0

We get it: Life insurance can be complicated.

It’s further complicated by the fact that everyone’s situation is different. So, it’s a good idea to contact your tax professional/financial consultant for specific advice about your situation. But, for the more general issues, we hope to help guide you through the winding paths of the tax implications of life insurance.

So, lace up your boots and pack your bag, because we’re headed straight into your FAQ:

1. Do you have to pay taxes on money received as a life insurance beneficiary?

Generally speaking, you will not have to pay taxes on life insurance proceeds you receive as a beneficiary. If life insurance premiums are paid with after-tax dollars, there should not be a taxable event to the beneficiary.

A possible exception is if the life insurance policy was part of a compensation package. In some cases, the employer may pay the premiums and write it off on their taxes as a business expense. This could possibly result in the beneficiaries paying taxes on the funds they receive.

Typically, beneficiaries are not taxed.

2. Are life insurance premiums tax-deductible?

If you are an individual paying life insurance premiums on your personal policy, no. Your premium payments are not tax-deductible.

If you are an employer, it’s best to talk to your tax adviser. It is possible that if you, as an employer, are paying the premiums for your employees’ polices they may be tax-deductible.

3. How can somebody be sure their beneficiaries won’t have to pay taxes on their death benefit?

The short answer: pay your premiums with your taxed earnings. Easy, right?

Basically, taxes have to be paid at some point. So, as long as you are making the premium payments, your beneficiaries shouldn’t have to pay taxes on their funds.

However, if your life insurance policy is part of a compensation package from your employer, your beneficiaries may need to pay taxes on the funds they receive. This is because your employer may write off the premium payments they provide on their taxes, which means the taxes aren’t paid.

4. What is taxable gain on life insurance?

The taxable gain is the dollar amount you receive from the cash value of your policy, minus the premium payment(s) you paid into your life insurance policy.

This only applies to life insurance policies that generate a cash value, and are surrendered before the death of the person whose life is being insured.

An example might help!

Let’s say you have a whole life insurance policy with Auto-Owners (of course). If you decide to “cash out” or “surrender” your policy early, you will receive the cash value of your policy.

So, let’s say you paid $15,000 in premium payments on your policy so far. During this time, your policy accumulated a $20,000 cash value. So, that $5,000 difference is considered your gain and is therefore taxable because of the interest that accrued on your policy.

Now, before you get any ideas, please remember the goal of life insurance is to provide financial help after the loss of a loved one. It is not an investment strategy.

5. Do you have to pay taxes when cashing in a life insurance policy?

This is an emphatic yes!

Remember, the goal of life insurance is to provide financial help after the loss of a loved one. It is not an investment strategy. This is why the federal government taxes the gains when an individual cashes in the life insurance policy.

When you “cash in” a life insurance policy with a cash value, you are taxed on the gains. Your taxable gain is the dollar amount you receive from the cash value of your policy, minus the premium payment(s) you paid (read question four for a detailed example).

Each situation will be different, but expect taxes.

Overall, it’s a good idea to talk with your financial consultant/tax adviser/independent insurance agent/attorney/CPA/accountant. It’s worth the time, and your peace of mind.

Published February 17, 2021

Learn More: Life Insurance Needs Estimator

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need? [Free Calculator]

By Jacob Eastlick on September 15, 2021 0

Read time: 4.5 minutes

You know all those inspiring songs and speeches that encourage you to live like it’s your last day on Earth? Turns out that’s a good mindset for calculating how much life insurance you may need.

And, to make it easier, we created a life insurance needs estimator to walk you through the many factors to consider.

Start Now: Life Insurance Needs Estimator [Free Calculator]

The fields in our Life Insurance Needs Estimator are listed by importance. So, as you fill it out, pay special attention to the first three fields: paying off your mortgage, replacing your income and final expenses. The other fields are good to consider but not a necessity.

1. Pay off your Mortgage

Keeping with the “if I die tomorrow” mentality, enter in the amount you owe on your mortgage right now. This eliminates a huge financial burden from your family.

What if I don’t own a house yet? Or, what if I’m planning to move?

If you’re planning on moving or buying your first home, you should still consider including a mortgage amount on the estimator. Since you don’t have an exact number for your mortgage, you will need to estimate it. Here are some ways to estimate an amount for your future mortgage:

Research the housing market and the cost of homes in the area you hope to live.
Consider your monthly household income and the amount you’re able to pay toward your mortgage.
Ask your bank how much they might finance you for, given your current income.

While you may not end up using that full mortgage amount to buy your future home, it’s better to be a little overinsured than underinsured. Those extra funds can still benefit your family in the other areas the estimator includes.

Should I include the mortgage of my second home?

Generally, no. The priority for your policy should be your primary residency.

Second homes aren’t usually considered a necessity. But, it’s your policy and if your second home is important, you can certainly include it.

2. Replacing your income

For this field, enter your current annual income. This is not the same as household income. This is just your individual, annual income.

To figure out the number of years to replace your income, consider the number of years before you retire. If you’re 30 today and you expect to retire at 60 years old, you will want to replace your income for the remaining 30 years.

If you’re still in school or planning on a big career change, you can enter an estimate of your annual income. Look at projections and estimates of earnings for the job you hope to have. Consider where you plan to work, as that may affect your income.

3. Final costs

This field includes the expenses that go into funeral and burial. Specifically, things like the cost of the funeral home, flowers, programs, an officiant speaker, the burial site, cemetery plot and anything else you may want at your funeral. You will see that our estimator states the typical funeral costs around $10,000. That’s a good number to put in.

Reasons to consider a higher amount include inflation and additional expenses for funeral and burial arrangements. If cremation is a potential option, consider an amount lower than the suggested $10,000.

4. Pay for your children’s college

This is the hardest field to calculate because there are so many unknowns. It’s common to leave this field blank unless you know you want your child to go to a certain school. If you want to include an amount, but don’t have a school in mind, you can always base it on your experience and factor in inflation.

5. Pay off your debts

For this field, think of any outstanding debts beyond your mortgage that may be a burden on your family. For example:

Student loans
Auto loans
Mortgage on your second home (if you have one)
Credit card debt

6. Donate to charity

If you want to leave a charitable contribution to a cause you support, this is where you can enter the amount you want to leave as your legacy. If you enter an amount here, keep in mind you will want to record which organization you want the funds directed to in your will.

Do I need my own life insurance policy if I have one from my employer?

The short answer: yes.

If you have a policy with your employer, you may not consider an individual life insurance policy. However, typically, your employer’s life insurance policy only covers you for as long as you’re an employee there. So, if you live into retirement, you won’t have that benefit anymore.

Once you fill out the estimator, you will see your total estimated need amount at the bottom. From here, it’s a good idea to print it out, or save it, and talk it over with your local, independent insurance agent. They will show you different life insurance products and help you find a suitable fit for your family and budget

Start Now: Life Insurance Needs Estimator [Free Calculator]