California Insurance Guru

Years ago when I first started as an insurance agent, I went on an appointment to write a car policy.  The customer was a old gentleman living in the Los Angeles area.  I asked the normal questions about accidents and tickets.  The insured replied that he never had any tickets or accidents.  The prospect had […]

Winter is upon us and if you live in cold areas you need to winterize your home.  The following is  a checklist to protect your home from below freezing temperatures.

• Shut off house stop and drain valve.  Make sure the valve is completely shut off.  This will turn off the water supply to the home and will drain the house of water.
• Flush toilets and open all faucets.  This should remove all water from your pipes.  Pour anti-freeze into all sinks and toilet bowls.  Its okay to turn off your faucets after the pipes have drained.
• Lastly, shut off and drain outside sprinkler systems.  Most automatically drain when shut off. [Read the rest of this entry…]

I received a call today.  The caller expressed to me that she didn’t like her insurance agent and wanted a new home insurance quote.  I asked what insurance company are you currently with and who is your agent?

She told me her agent did not process a mortgagee change months back and her current mortgage lender has now added their own insurance.  She further explained that the forced insurance costs more and there is less coverage.  She began to cry.

I tried to settle her down and told her there is a solution and not to worry. 

I asked her if she has contacted her agent to tell him or her what has occurred and to please fix it.  Her response was no.

I advised her to call her agent and tell him or her the situation.  I further told her that the agent will be happy to call the mortgage company and fax the proper forms and make the appropriate changes.  I let her know that if she has current insurance and has not had a lapse that her agent needs to fix the problem.  I’m sure the agent was not contacted or simply lost or misplaced the original fax request.  Remember, no one is perfect and sometimes errors occur.  Always communicate to your agent and make sure changes are completed and you are notified.  [Read the rest of this entry…]

I received a call today.  The caller expressed to me that she didn’t like her insurance agent and wanted a new home insurance quote.  I asked what insurance company are you currently with and who is your agent?
She told me her agent did not process a mortgagee change months back and her current mortgage lender […]

The end of the year is upon us and that means a new year is to begin.  There have been no changes in the minimum car or motorcycle insurance requirements for California. 

The requirements are as follows:

• $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for liability.
• $5,000 for liability property damage.

Other coverage that you will be offered is optional.  I advise that you discuss what those coverages are with your agent to make an informed decision.  [Read the rest of this entry…]

A person was in my office yesterday.  They were buying car insurance.  The person stated, ” I hope I’m not making a mistake”.

Well, I was alittle taken back.  I asked what was meant by that.  After listening to the reply I realized that this person and most people felt the same way when buying insurance. 

“I hope I didn’t make a mistake”.

Most people buy insurance from a large company as this person did in the past.  You might think there is nothing wrong with this and maybe not.  But, more than likely if you buy from a large company, you will never talk to the person who wrote your policy.  When you call you will most likely get a different person every time.  This person is referred to as a customer service representative.  What companies am I talking about?  You know them, Auto club, 21th century, Geico, Esurance, Insweb, just to name a few.  Now, I’m sure most of the customer service representatives are good at their job, but most of them aren’t agents.  Unfortunately, when you call you will most likely get a different customer service person every time you call.  And with that being said, you could get a different answer or incorrect information. [Read the rest of this entry…]

A person was in my office yesterday.  They were buying car insurance.  The person stated, ” I hope I’m not making a mistake”.
Well, I was a little taken back.  I asked what was meant by that.  After listening to the reply I realized that this person and most people felt the same way when buying insurance.
“I […]

I would like to invite anyone with questions for California insurance to email us your query. 

We are actively seeking people who have questions concerning California insurance.  We write weekly articles on questions or concerns for California residents. [Read the rest of this entry…]