Ask the Insurance Expert
May 2012 Article
Why do insurance salespeople have a bad name? (Some TV ads even advertise that “no salesman will call.”)
Do you fear talking to your insurance agent? Are you afraid that you will end up buying even more insurance that you don’t really want and can’t afford? It seems a little crazy to be talking about it here, but it is something I’ve seen for years.
I think there are a few reasons for this fear:
1) “Hard sell” sales techniques that have been used over the years by some. A salesman using sales techniques can talk most people into buying anything: insurance, cars, houses, appliances etc.
2) Some insurance has been oversold; you naturally resent paying a large bill for insurance that was too expensive for your budget.
3) Insurance is an intangible product.
You can’t drive it, or live in it or sit on it. It’s a piece of paper with a lot of fine print; that you hope you never have to make use of. Psychologically, it’s hard to spend money on something you can’t touch and feel.
We don’t believe in “hard sell,” or “over-selling.” We work on your behalf to find you the best insurance and best price. You should only buy what you need and can afford.
What you get with an AWI insurance broker
1) Clear, easy to understand advice on insurance products that fit best with your individual needs.
2) An impartial comparison of competitive prices and products from leading insurance companies.
3) Many years of experience in the insurance industry and the independence to represent your interests when evaluating the fine print.
4) Personalized service. The same person will be there when you call back!
5) Individuals who live and work in your community and understand your needs.
We Work for You
We are independent insurance brokers and advisors. We don’t sell just one company’s products so you benefit from an unbiased view. Enjoy a simple, consultative process that results in the best insurance value for your money.
We have all the answers you need for Auto, Home, Life, Business, Group Insurance and other insurance products. AWI has provided a full range of insurance products in Calgary for over 20 years.
April 2012 Article
TIPS
1) Look into Life, Critical Illness and Income replacement at the same time. You can save time and money combining them and or doing the medical just once for all of them.
2) Buy Term Insurance – it’s the best buy and you can get it as “renewable & convertible,” which let’s you change it to a different type of policy if you want to later.
3) If you are healthy, don’t buy those life policies sold on TV that don’t require a medical. They are very expensive. Even if you have some minor health issues, you may still be able to get a better priced policy than those on TV.
4) Buy only enough insurance to cover your needs. Needs commonly are debts, mortgages; child’s education; loss of income to the family.
5) Get the best deal. Ask what limit you can get in the next “rate band” for close to the same cost. ie sometimes you can buy $250k for the same price as $200k!
6) Compare quotes from different companies (we can do it for you.) Make sure to get “standard rate prices.” Many quotes offered are “preferred rate prices” to get you in the door but then you end up with a “standard rate.” Insurance companies will automatically give you the better “preferred rates” if you qualify.
7) Workplace insurance is seldom enough and if you change jobs you will lose the insurance and maybe not replace it at your next job. Buy a personal insurance policy for better terms and price.
Be wary of “sales tactics.” Don’t be talked into buying more than you need or something that costs more than you can afford. Unfortunately there are still many fast talking, pushy sales people that give the rest of the insurance industry a bad name.
We Work for You.
We are independent insurance brokers and advisors. We don’t sell just one company’s products so you benefit from an unbiased view. We employ a simple, consultative process and present the best insurance value for your money. We represent you to the insurance companies.
We have all the answers you need for Auto, Home, Life, Business, Group Insurance and other insurance products. AWI has provided a full range of insurance products in Calgary for over 20 years. You can also get answers on the web, go to www.awinsurance.ca and click on ASK AN EXPERT® in the menu or by email to askanexpert@awinsurance.ca
March 2012 Article
TIPS of the Week
1) Life insurance protects your family. Income Replacement or Disability Insurance protects your lifestyle and ability to keep your family functioning. Critical Illness Insurance enhances your ability to deal with and survive a major health problem. Do you have the right balance of these insurance products?
2) Combining Home and Auto insurance into one policy or with one insurance company makes sense because:
- most companies offer additional discounts when you insure both home and auto with them.
- some insurance companies only give a discount on one product even if they have both home and auto while others give discounts on both. However, it’s the bottom line cost of both policies together that is important, not the names or types of discounts.
- Some companies’ home and auto discounts are substantial. So much so, that many renters can get their tenant’s insurance for free when the home and auto are with the right insurance company.
- Some insurance companies will only charge one deductible instead of two separate deductibles on a claim involving both home and auto.
- We think it’s such a good deal for you that we even have a contest for airline tickets to encourage you to get a combined quote. Go to
www.home-auto.ca to enter.
What you get with an AWI insurance broker
1) Clear advice on which insurance products and companies are best for your needs.
2) An impartial comparison of competitive prices and products from leading insurance companies.
3) Years of Experience in the insurance industry and the independence to represent your interests when evaluating the fine print.
4) Personalized service. The same person will be there when you call back!
5) Individuals who live and work in your community and understand your needs.
We Work for You
We are independent insurance brokers and advisors. We don’t sell just one company’s products so you benefit from an unbiased view. Enjoy a simple, consultative process that results in the best insurance value for your money.
We have all the answers you need for Auto, Home, Life, Business, Group Insurance and other insurance products. AWI has provided a full range of insurance products in Calgary for over 20 years.
January 2012 Article
TIP of the Week:
Choose the Right Deductible
1) It may sound odd to hear it said this way but… plan NOT to use your insurance! The objective is to enjoy low insurance premiums and have the coverage available for a big claim, when and if disaster strikes. While big claims rarely occur, the benefits of having the insurance coverage at times like this far outweigh the cost of increasing your insurance premium with small claims.
2) Increase your deductibles to save money now and in the future. It’s not just the immediate savings in the price of the premium. An equally important reason is, that by self-insuring small claims, you won’t lose your substantial claims free discount.
3) Keeping the discount $ in your bank account, adds up over the years.
4) Build a little extra for deductibles into your financial plan as part of your 3-6 month emergency fund.
5) Ask your insurance professional what the real long term cost is for a small or medium size claim. Find out what the formula is, so that you can choose the right deductible and know how much you should self-insure.
What you get with an AWI
insurance broker
1) Clear, easy to understand advice on which insurance products and companies are best for your individual needs.
2) An impartial comparison of competitive prices and products from leading insurance companies.
3) Many years of experience in the insurance industry and the independence to represent your interests when evaluating the fine print.
4) Personalized service. The same person will be there when you call back!
5) Individuals who live and work in your community and understand your needs.
We Work for You
We are independent insurance brokers and advisors. We don’t sell just one company’s products so you benefit from an unbiased view. Enjoy a simple, consultative process that results in the best insurance value for your money.
We have all the answers you need for Auto, Home, Life, Business, Group Insurance and other insurance products. AWI has provided a full range of insurance products in Calgary for over 20 years.
October 2011 Article
TIPS of the Week
1) Life insurance protects your family. Income Replacement or Disability Insurance protects your lifestyle and ability to keep your family functioning. Critical Illness Insurance enhances your ability to deal with and survive a major health problem. Do you have the right balance of these insurance products?
2) Combining Home and Auto insurance into one policy or with one insurance company makes sense because:
- most companies offer additional discounts when you insure both home and auto with them.
- some insurance companies only give a discount on one product even if they have both home and auto while others give discounts on both. However, it’s the bottom line cost of both policies together that is important, not the names or types of discounts.
- Some companies’ home and auto discounts are substantial. So much so, that many renters can get their tenant’s insurance for free when the home and auto are with the right insurance company.
- Some insurance companies will only charge one deductible instead of two separate deductibles on a claim involving both home and auto.
- We think it’s such a good deal for you that we even have a contest for airline tickets to encourage you to get a combined quote. Go to www.home-auto.ca to enter.
What you get with an AWI insurance broker
1) Clear advice on which insurance products and companies are best for your needs.
2) An impartial comparison of competitive prices and products from leading insurance companies.
3) Years of Experience in the insurance industry and the independence to represent your interests when evaluating the fine print.
4) Personalized service. The same person will be there when you call back!
5) Individuals who live and work in your community and understand your needs.
We Work for You
We are independent insurance brokers and advisors. We don’t sell just one company’s products so you benefit from an unbiased view. Enjoy a simple, consultative process that results in the best insurance value for your money.
We have all the answers you need for Auto, Home, Life, Business, Group Insurance and other insurance products. AWI has provided a full range of insurance products in Calgary for over 20 years.
September 2011 Article
TIPS of the Week
1) When buying or renewing life insurance ask us about a new product – combining life insurance, income replacement, and critical illness insurance in one policy.
2) Call us for a competitive quote before your insurance comes due. You will have more time to make comparisons without feeling rushed.
What to watch out for when buying online or over an 800 phone line
1) You are only getting one companies product. How do you know that there isn’t a better product for the same money or less? They won’t tell you!
2) Are you getting expert advice? What kind of experience and expertise are offered? If their sales people only know one product, how experienced are they?
3) Will the call be answered 3000 miles away or even 10,000 miles away?
4) Will you get an independent person who will fight for you if you have a problem? Not if they are an employee of that insurance company!
5) Are you supporting the local economy where you live and work?
What you get with an AWI insurance broker
1) Clear advice on which insurance products and companies are best for your needs.
2) An impartial comparison of competitive prices and products from leading insurance companies.
3) Years of Experience in the insurance industry and the independence to represent your interests when evaluating complex, competitive insurance products.
4) Personalized service. The same person will be there when you call back!
5) Individuals who live and work in your community and understand your needs.
We Work for You
We all buy complex insurance and financial products but not everyone understands what insurance actually means. You pay a lot of money for a piece of paper that promises to help. And the paperwork you get is full of legal “fine print.”
People rely on whomever they bought it from and assume they have the right insurance for their needs. Unless you actually have a claim and get the promised help, you probably don’t really know what you have or don’t have in your insurance policy.
We are independent insurance brokers and advisors. We don’t sell just one company’s products so you benefit from an unbiased view. We employ a simple, consultative process and present the best insurance value for your money. We represent you to the insurance companies.
We have the answers you need for Auto, Home, Life, Business, Group Insurance and other insurance products. AWI has provided a full range of insurance products in Calgary for over 20 years.
August 2011 Article
In this first edition of Ask the Experts, let me introduce AWI Insurance Brokers. Whether your question is on Auto, Home, Life, Business, or Group Insurance or other insurance products, we have the answers. AWI has provided a full range of insurance products in Calgary for over 20 years. Our team leaders average almost 30 years experience in Auto, Home, Business, Life and Group insurance.
We Work for You.
We are independent insurance brokers and advisors. We don’t sell just one company’s products so you benefit from an unbiased view. We employ a simple, consultative process and present the best insurance value for your money. We represent you to the insurance companies.
Although all of us buy complex insurance and financial products from time to time, not everyone understands what insurance actually means. You pay a lot of money for a piece of paper that promises to help. And the paper you get is full of legal “fine print.” Research indicates that most people don’t even read their insurance policies. People rely on whomever they bought it from and assume they have right insurance for their needs. Unless you actually have a claim and get the promised help, you probably don’t really know what you have or don’t have in your insurance policy.
Here’s are some of the topics we will discuss in future editions:
- The value proposition of good price / good product / good service. (Saving $50 when you buy the insurance will seem a little foolish, when you’ve bought the wrong insurance and lost thousands of dollars in a claim.)
- What is the right deductible? Is there a way to calculate it? (Yes)
- Why do insurance salespeople have a bad name? (Some TV ads even advertise that “no salesman will call.”)
- Do I need all the insurance that I have? (Probably not!)
- Am I supposed to buy every kind of insurance? No! There are some basics that you should have though, unless you’ve got mega-millions in the bank and don’t care.
- Did you know that a single business owner can buy “group benefits” (Life Disability, Health and Dental) just the same as if he/she was part of a large company?
- What are the dangers and pitfalls of where to buy insurance? Should I buy my insurance online or through an 800 phone line or through a local agent?
What else would you like to know about your insurance and the insurance industry? Ask us some questions and we’ll tell you the truth!
Please send your questions in care of the Calgary Herald. You can also get answers on the web, go to www.awinsurance.ca and click on ASK AN EXPERT in the menu or by email to
askanexpert@awinsurance.ca
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