Insurance is a product that is meant to provide protection to policyholders and their families over the years. A properly developed insurance portfolio provides adequate protection for the policyholder’s property and risks while also sheltering them from too much in self-insurance liabilities.

If one isn’t careful about how they design their insurance portfolio, they could end up with a placeholder plan that provides a significantly false sense of security and very little real protection. 

There are four things you can do to fix your insurance portfolio if you think it doesn’t provide sufficient protection:

1. Increase your limits: If your limits are too low then you will not be reimbursed enough to make yourself whole after an insurable incident. Increase the limits on your insurance policies so that you have sufficient benefits.
2. Decrease deductibles: If your deductibles are too high, then you will be self-insuring a large portion of your potential losses. Decreasing your deductibles can raise your premiums, but in exchange for a more protective insurance portfolio.
3. Look for highly rated carriers: An insurance policy is only as good as the company that issues it. Your portfolio may be anemic for reasons you don’t expect—including that your insurance company can’t actually back their promise to pay you in the event of a claim. A.M. Best is an insurance rating agency that examines the financials of insurance companies and issues letter grade ratings to indicate how financially healthy a company is. Check out the ratings of your insurers and if you find them falling, consider changing to a more secure carrier.
4. Add additional coverage: Insurance policies can have different options for coverage that supplement the main purpose. For example, a life insurance policy can be designed to also provide living benefits in the event that the insured is diagnosed with a terminal illness. A Texas auto insurance policy can be restricted to just the state-required coverage or it can be structured to include loss of use and comprehensive benefits to reimburse in the event of theft or vandalism. Understanding these options and including them in your policies will help beef up your protection exponentially.

If you are ready to explore the gaps in your insurance coverage and limits and give your anemic insurance portfolio a boost, give us a call at (800) 212-2641.

As with every financial planning endeavor, there is a right way and a wrong way to approach auto insurance planning. Understanding both the dos and don'ts of auto insurance planning will help you get the best policy for your money and avoid creating a plan that crashes and burns.

• Do get multiple auto quotes in order to find the best rates. Every insurance company has its own formula for developing auto insurance rates. While some may look upon certain risks generously, others may overcompensate for them. By getting a wide range of quotes you can ensure that you've explored every possibility and gotten the best value for your money.
• Don't buy insurance based on price alone. Insurance policies are not always created equal. The cheapest quote you get may not offer the kind of protection you need. Evaluate your auto insurance options by comparing the protections that each policy offers and weighing the cost against those benefits.
• Do ask for discounts. Discuss with your insurance agent all the different factors that could go into qualifying you for auto insurance discounts. Talk about any driver’s training courses you've taken, any policies you can bundle, any payment options that offer discounts, any safety gadgets built into your car, and so on.
• Don't misrepresent the facts. Telling little white lies, misrepresenting the truth on your insurance application and leaving out important facts could score you a cheaper insurance quote, but at the end of the day when the insurance company finds that you were not completely honest, your policy could be rescinded and you may be left uninsured.
• Do comply with the auto insurance regulations of your state. Make sure that you get all the required coverages so that you are in complete compliance and face no penalties.
• Don't allow the state to dictate how much coverage you have. While you must, at minimum, comply with the regulations of your state, don't assume that those minimums are actually enough protection for you and your family. Instead, discuss with your agent the financial risks you face after an auto accident and buy sufficient insurance coverage to protect against them.
• Do consider a deductible. An auto insurance deductible is the amount that you are required to pay out-of-pocket after an incident occurs. Auto insurance deductibles offer a great opportunity to help create a manageable premium balanced with insurance benefits that are legitimately helpful.
• Don't take on too much deductible. Auto insurance deductibles are per incident, which means that you must pay them each time you have damages rather than on a cumulative annual schedule. If you agree to very high deductibles and have multiple incidents each year, you could easily find your savings depleted.

There are many things to consider when designing your Killeen auto insurance policy and at Shawn Camp Insurance, we’re here to help you work through the difficult decisions.

Fraudulent activities are an unfortunate reality. In the insurance industry, fraud frequently takes the form of overstated claims, the filing of several claims, filing a claim for an accident you weren’t really involved in, illegally registering cars in regions that make car insurance quotes less costly, and more.

Most people assume that when they commit these types of fraud, the only people they are hurting are the insurance executives. Of course, that fact alone is still not a good thing, but the suggestion that only those at the top get harmed by insurance fraud is wrong, because it is all consumers who must pay.

Increased Premiums

The worst fallout of auto insurance fraud is the increased premiums that it causes all insurance customers to pay. In order to cover the cost of the excessive or improper claims, the cost of investigating claims, and the changes in risk that are assumed by the claims, insurers have no choice but to spread the losses by raising the premiums for all policyholders. This means the typical customer ends up paying for the fraudulent activities of others.

Increased Paperwork

When frauds are attempted and found, or committed and later discovered, insurance companies realize that they must change their processes in order to try to prevent them from happening in the future. This means they will take great pains to have applications and claim forms that attempt to weed out potentially fraudulent activity. This increases your work, however, because all of their insurance policyholders will need to use this paperwork. It also creates an extra expense for the insurance company which is, once again, passed on to policyholders.

Increased Taxpayer Dollars

Some claims involve police and arson investigations. When the claims are fake, these investigations result in taxpayer dollars being wasted on paying the payrolls of those who must investigate them. This also ties up law enforcement officers when they could be out preventing actual crimes.

Insurance fraud is a problem that we all must consider, even if we are not guilty of committing it. We should take whatever steps are rational and safe within our own lives to make certain that those we know and love are not encouraged to commit fraud and that potential frauds are reported to the appropriate entities.

Give us a call at (800) 212-2641 to get your free, personalized Texas auto insurance quote today!

Loss of Use—A Benefit Worth Keeping

Often, when we think about insurance, we think about how it covers many of the damages that occur during a covered peril such as a fire or flood. But there are more consequences to the damages these incidents cause to your property than just the loss of your tangible goods and shelter, because by making your property useless, insurable incidents force you to find a substitute until your repairs are done.

Loss of use is a valuable part of a home or auto insurance policy that can keep you and your family safe and active, even after a total loss.

Auto Loss of Use

If you are in an accident and your vehicle cannot be driven until repairs are made, the world doesn’t stop spinning. You still need to get to work, bring your kids to school, run errands, and more. When you have loss of use benefits in your auto insurance policy, your insurance company will pay for a car rental to get you around while you wait for repairs to be completed. You will be permitted to rent a car that is in a similar class to your own and the rental can generally last until you are able to pick up your own car again.

Home Loss of Use

There are some insurable incidents that do not require you to evacuate from your home or apartment afterward—such as damages that are limited to just one, small area of your home and carry no health hazards through the rest of your dwelling. But sometimes it’s not safe to be home until repairs are done, such as after a fire. When this happens, a loss of use benefit in your renter’s or home insurance policy will pay for a hotel or temporary rental until it’s safe to go back to your house or apartment. Your policy will have limits, restricting the total benefit to a certain percentage of the total limit of your policy.

It’s hard to imagine just how stressful it is to lose the ability to live in your home or drive your vehicle—even if the loss is temporary. Add in the extra burden of having to foot the bill for a short-term replacement and your life has become even more difficult than it needs to be—unless you have loss of use coverage is available. If you aren’t sure whether your home, renter’s or Texas auto insurance policy has this generous benefit or you want to add it to your policy, give us a call at (800) 212-2641.

In a 2009 article in Psychology Today, mindfulness was described as the practice of being in the present moment. This means that instead of being distracted, thinking about the future, dwelling on the past, or allowing lots of noise in your head over everything but “the now,” when you are mindful you are fully invested in the current moment and what's happening during that tiny piece of time.

Mindfulness and Insurance

When you buy insurance, it's important that you allow yourself to be quiet and mindful. It’s understandable to feel anxious when working on final expense and legacy planning, when thinking about all the perils facing your home and vehicle, when imagining your future potential disabilities and contemplating all the liabilities and other negative aspects of life that make insurance necessary, but if you want to be properly insured and prepared for the future, you must allow yourself to be fully invested in the process of insurance planning rather than distracted and intimidated by what-ifs.

Mindful Insurance Planning

Instead of being cowed by the unknown, when insurance planning you focus on the known: the risks that any individual in your situation may actually face and the value of the property you want to protect. It’s really as simple as that—and knowing this will allow you to create a much more secure financial future.

Being frightened of a potential future event that has not yet come to pass, or being overwhelmed by the amount of data you must consider as you buy insurance will not help you purchase and amounts you need to protect your family and it won’t make it any easier to select the types of policies that offer you the kind of protections you’re looking for. Instead, it makes you feel powerless during what should be a very empowering process.

When you give yourself the space and permission to be mindful, you allow yourself to approach the task of buying insurance as practically and unemotionally as possible. This makes it easier to be deliberate and reasonable as you assess the practical risks you face each day and assign a dollar value to them, and then make relevant adjustments as you consider your budget and potential premiums.

Your insurance agent can be a big help in keeping your emotions on track and your approach to insurance planning practical. If you are ready to start searching for insurance policies that will protect your family, give us a call at (254) 547-2381 for a Killeen insurance quote.

When shopping for a new home, it's easy to get drawn in by what you may consider the perfect house. Finding the perfect house, in your ideal price range, located in your dream neighborhood can cause you to overlook minor details and run forward to submit an offer and secure this perfect home. But after the shininess has worn off and it's time to get home insurance coverage, you may regret this impulsive decision.

Instead of giving in to the desire to own the home of your dreams, take the time to have a new home inspection completed. Even if your home is of completely new construction, a home inspection can save you time, money, headaches, and risk.

Types of Home Inspections

There are many different inspections that can be done on your new home. In order to get the most comprehensive inspection and the most thorough understanding of the condition of your home, a new home buyer should consider a general home inspection, a termite inspection, a radon test to check levels of this unscented, cancer-causing radioactive gas, a septic system inspection (when a septic system is present), and, when appropriate, an oil tank testing.

Each of these inspections will give you a difference assessments regarding the health of your hew home. You may think that it’s enough to simply get a general inspection, but each of the specialized inspections mentioned above allow for a deeper look at areas that can be the source of major potential problems.

The Cost of Home Inspections

Home inspections cost both time and money, and that can lead many to skip them, conduct their own, visual inspection and hope for the best. But when you consider the benefit of professional inspections and weigh them against the actual cost and time involved, you will see that the cost is far outweighed by the benefits.

Generally, you can expect to pay between $300 and $500 for an inspection. The Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website also states that that price can be variable depending on the size of your home and its age since older homes may need more thorough examinations. Each inspection will generally take two or more hours, again, depending on the size of the property.

But to help ensure the safety of your family and the security of your financial investment, the price and time commitments are more than worth it.

The Effect of an Inspection on Insurance

Your home inspection will illustrate deficiencies in your electrical system and plumbing. It may also indicate water damage that exists but isn't immediately visible. It may show signs of an insect or termite infestation, and could illustrate problems with your septic tank, water heater and other important appliances. Since some of these problems can create a high-risk situation for perils covered by your home insurance policy, a new home inspection could result in certain improvements being made before you buy the home that will prompt a lower insurance premium once you own it.

Because the age of your home is taken into consideration when you apply for home insurance policy, it can also be part of the reason for a declined application. By completing certain home improvements on the property based on the results of your home inspection, you might ensure that your home insurance policy is approved after all.

To get insurance quotes on your current home or on the home you are considering buying, give us a call at (254) 547-2381. We can help you discover what your potential home insurance rates might be and assist you in setting reasonable limits based on your risk and budget.

Auto insurance policies, when not planned out carefully, can have dangerous gaps in coverage that leave the policyholder at risk for financial problems after an accident, theft, fire or other insurable incident. This year, update your auto insurance policy to consider the following:

Is your limit on pace with car repair costs and value? Auto repair costs don’t always stay the same from year to year; labor, parts and shipping costs can all change drastically leaving you little actual recompense from your policy unless you adjust your limits. Work with your agent to determine what your limits should be based on these expenses and your Kelley Blue Book value.

Do you have enough coverage for the average liability claim? Your automobile coverage will offer you protection from both bodily injury and property damage liabilities, but will it offer you enough? Talk to your agent about a limit that gives you protection based on current-day claims averages and talk about the possibility of adding an umbrella policy for your auto and home liabilities.

Do you need uninsured motorist coverage? You may be insured, but that doesn’t mean every motorist on the road is. Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage supplements your damages when the person who causes your accident doesn’t have the insurance policy to pay them.

Can you reduce your overall risk exposure? If you’ve just gotten state-required coverage then you’re doing little to protect your own interests in an accident. Without collision and comprehensive you could be exposed to financial losses after an accident, theft, vandalism, fire or other natural disaster.

How affordable are those deductibles? Make sure your deductibles are still practical for your lifestyle. After a job loss, big expense or other life change, large deductibles can become a greater burden than they initially were.

Do you need to add roadside assistance? A breakdown, flat tire, or depleted gas tank can happen to anyone. If you don’t currently have roadside assistance on your policy, don’t wait until you wish you did before you add it.

Should you add loss of use? If you can’t use your car after an insurable incident damages it, how are you going to run errands, get to work and bring the kids to school? With loss of use coverage, your auto policy can keep you on the road by paying your emergency rental car expenses.

We have all the tools you need to compare premiums, set limits and deductibles and choose coverage options. Give us a call to complete your annual auto insurance review and you can start 2012 out on the right foot.

Call us today at (254) 526-0535 to make sure your car insurance in Killeen Texas is up to par or visit our office.

Buying Used Motorcycles

Motorcycle enthusiasts sink a lot of money into their rides by adding extra equipment, personalizing and modifying them. One way to help reduce the overall amount that you spend on your bike is to start with a used motorcycle that you can customize the way you want.

Before you Buy: Get the Bike’s Story

While buying a used motorcycle is, in theory, a perfect solution, insurance doesn’t cover the damages that come when you purchase a bike that is mechanically unsound, so you need to take care in getting the whole story about the bike’s history.

·         Ask if this is the bike’s original owner: If you are buying the motorcycle from its original owner, then they will know the bike’s whole history. If not, there may be skeletons sitting in the bike’s closet.

·         Ask if the bike has ever been in an accident: If the motorcycle’s been in an accident or has been dropped, it’s possible there is irreparable damage to its frame. You can also enter the bike’s VIN number into the Carfax system to get a report.

·         Get the maintenance records: A properly maintained bike can be a good buy, but a bike that has had no tune ups and little attention paid to oil and other fluids could be a nightmare.

Before You Buy: Test Drive It

You should never purchase a new or used vehicle without first test driving it. When you test ride a used motorcycle, take care to wear a helmet and only test drive it if you have a Class M license. When test driving, About.com suggests that you check the bike’s acceleration, clutch, and brakes after you’ve gotten used to the way that particular model rides.

About.com also suggests that you listen to the bike as you test drive it. Listen for excessively squealing brakes, a loud muffler, rattling in the shocks and a “droning” sound from older bearings.

Before You Buy: Bring the Bike to Your Trusted Mechanic

When buying any used vehicle it’s a good idea to run the vehicle by your mechanic before you fork over any cash. Unless you are a mechanic yourself, it would be difficult to get a more thorough endorsement.

If you are concerned about insurance on your new used motorcycle, give us a call before you buy. We can discuss the many discounts, benefits, limits and deductibles available to you so you understand how your insurance policy will impact your bike-buying budget.

Contact us at (800) 212-2641 for a free Texas motorcycle insurance quote or visit our office.

We are excited to announce that with Progressive Insurance you can now quote and  purchase your policy online!  If you want an agent that is personally available to you 24 hours 7 days a week Shawn Camp Insurance is your agency.

Just fill in the form to the left and get started with your customized policy!

When you work with an insurance agent, you aren’t simply striking up a deal, you are creating a partnership for risk hedging and liability planning. The agent you choose will have a tremendous influence on your family’s and asset protection, making this an extremely important partnership. You must find an agent that you not only trust, but one whose knowledge and experience are vast enough to ensure that he or she will cover all the bases while still being personally compatible with you.

If it seems like choosing an insurance agent is almost as intense as choosing a future spouse, you aren’t exactly on the wrong track. But before you start going to speed dating events to find your ideal agent, here are a few tips you can try:

1. Ask friends and family for referrals: If you know someone who has an agent, and loves them, then finding out who that agent is. Doing some research on them is a great way to weed through all the options.

2. Do a web search: Most agents are on the web now. If you do a web search in any search engine for the type of insurance you are shopping for and your location, you will turn up hundreds of results that allow you a starting point to further your research.

3. Read an agent’s blog: Blogs are a less formal way of communicating with potential clients. Often, a blog post will give readers a hint about the underlying personality of the agent while giving an indication of how knowledgeable they are.

4. Read newsletters: Agents who offer newsletter subscriptions to visitors of their website are educating people at no charge. These articles can help you determine what the scope of the agent’s business is and what lines of insurance he or she   specializes in. Newsletter articles can often point out how a new line of insurance, one you hadn’t previously considered for your financial plan, will benefit you.

5.Read the agent’s About Me page: It’s nice to have something in common with the person who will be helping to design your insurance plan. Read your agent’s About Me page to get an idea of what personal and professional things you have in   common.

It’s important that you take the time to find the right agent for you, the first time around. Once you’ve developed this relationship it is valuable to keep it going through the years. This will make claims, premiums and renewals so much easier. Also, you’ll know that you have a knowledgeable professional watching your back, even when you don’t know it needs watchin’.

We at Shawn Camp Insurance know that making sound decisions about your coverage is one of the most important things you can do. We stand committed to providing the best combination of service, price and products to meet your individual needs. We specialize in Killeen auto insurance as well as homeowners & business insurance in Copperas Cove, Temple, Gatesville and across Texas. Contact us for at (800) 212-2641 for a  free Houston insurance quote.