As a child, I never dreamed of being an insurance agent. I dreamed of being a missionary in a remote part of Africa, a professional baseball player or even a marine biologist. Insurance was always just a fee or an expense I heard adults complaining about. I saw the commercials about saving money on insurance or the trustworthiness of a certain company along with a silly mascot. All I knew was that insurance was expensive, but you had to have it. When I was offered a position as an insurance agent with Farm Bureau, I began studying the company, the industry, and the products. I realized that most people have absolutely no idea what kind of insurance they have and there is no education about insurance in our schools. We get a car or house in our name and we go to an insurance company we recognize and we ask for the cheapest insurance they sell that will make the banks happy. The only people that seem to know anything about insurance, are the people that work in the industry and the people that have already had a life changing insurance claim.

 

As an agent it is my responsibility to make sure that my clients understand their coverages before they have a life changing claim. It is my goal to make sure that they are putting their hard-earned money into the policies that protect the things that matter most. Many people spend thousands of dollars insuring things that are only worth thousands of dollars. It is important to make sure we are insuring our greatest assets first and insuring them appropriately.

 

My first priority when putting together an insurance plan for a family is to cover the greatest asset first. The greatest asset any of us have is our life and our ability to provide for those that we love. Life insurance that covers 10-12 years of income on the primary income earner is paramount.

 

My second priority is the home. Appropriately insuring one’s home is not as simple as it sounds, especially in Louisiana. Insuring your house with replacement cost, a reasonable and affordable deductible, and enough coverage to rebuild the house at today’s cost of construction is next.

 

My third priority is liability. This is the one most people neglect. The state of Louisiana only requires $15,000 of bodily injury liability coverage ($30,000 in aggregate coverage) and $25,000 in property damage coverage. With the cost of medical care and vehicles, this would barely scratch the surface of a serious vehicular accident. Having enough coverage to pay for injury and damage to others ensures you can keep your hard-earned assets even in the most litigious state in the country.

 

 All of these coverages vary on a case-by-case basis. The important thing is to sit with an insurance agent that you trust and be honest with them. Insurance, done right, can provide peace of mind in good times and stability in bad times. If insurance just feels like a bill you must pay, you are not alone, but it does not have to be that way. Taking the time to create an individualized insurance plan for your family can have life saving benefits, and you may even find a few ways to save some money!

 

Now, I am very happy I did not pick my career at nine years old. I love what I do, and I am so grateful to my customers and company for allowing me to continue doing what I love here in my hometown.