Insurance is undeniably one of the best investments to make in (and for) yourself. When shopping for insurance, whether for replacement coverage or for an initial policy, you must do your homework. You work hard for what you have, so when it comes to covering and protecting what you care about, your insurance should work even harder than you! You should not trust the most valuable things in your life to just any insurance company writing any policy. Not all insurance companies, and thus not all insurance policies, are created equal!
As with many things, you must thoroughly research the carrier (company listed on your insurance policy/quote). No one is surer than an insurance agent when it comes to a carrier, their features, and how they can best meet your needs. If you go the route of looking for an agent and you find one you like, be sure to ask whatever questions are on your mind. The more the agent knows, the better they can help. It is, after all, easiest to talk to a person about your needs and get your point across than it is to talk to a person on a company line somewhere perhaps thousands of miles from your community who cannot personally know you.
Do yourself a favor, make sure whatever carrier you choose for business/personal insurance has a local agency that is staffed by its own in-house agents. Do not solely trust an internet search for ‘insurance near me’, and do not trust a witty commercial to answer all questions that take you to a faceless 800-number. Those mediums can lead consumers astray, as they do not tell the whole story – for one, no underwriting is done (and no price decided) until you have officially applied.
Would you not want to entrust your situation to a person present and involved in your community, someone who will look out for you and always be there for customers no matter what? If your answer is yes, there is no better option than working with an agency that will assign you to an own agent to act as your representative. If you want honest, personal service to steer you in the right direction, your best bet is an independent insurance agency like Zimmer Insurance Agency.
Insurance is understandably very confusing for the average person, but that is why Zimmer is here. Admittedly, insurance is not something many people think about – until something bad happens and they do not have the option to ignore it any further. If you are unsure about anything related to insurance, you should speak with an agent. Their job is to know every in-and-out of the business, and they will advise you accordingly. At Zimmer Insurance, the best service is the only kind we give. Zimmer’s agents are licensed in personal, commercial, and life policies so they are well prepared for whatever clients require. Over time, all insurance agents are even required to take continuing education to keep them up to date on ever-changing industry standards. Because of this, you can rest assured that Zimmer will always adapt to your needs.
Further, agencies such as Zimmer Insurance are a great resource due to our status as an “independent” agency. This status means we can work with more than one company to find the best fit for prospects and any current clients that might wish to explore other options. Some companies have “captive” agencies and agents that can only sell that carrier’s product. The founders all the way up to the current leaders of Zimmer do not feel that a captive system is in a client’s best interest, so that will never happen. With such a wide array of insurance risks, an equally diverse array of carriers is an extremely important method to appeal to more clients.
Consider the following scenarios, and bear in mind that all are perfectly plausible:
- If your home got struck by lighting and burns to the ground, with all your possessions inside, could you pay out of pocket to rebuild the home, replace everything that you lost, and for your living expenses while all of that was done? What if your insurance policy only paid a portion, despite being from a huge company with plenty of money to pay for damages? It is all well and good if the policy was cheap, but if it goes cheap on you when you need it most then that is almost like having a policy in the first place! Zimmer would not let that happen. You are advised on all the proper coverages and coverage levels from day one.
- What if you crashed your car into a telephone pole and did $5,000 in damages to your vehicle, but you only have ‘state minimum’ required insurance amounts (financial liability against injury to others, but no physical damage coverage to your vehicle)? Yes, those policies are cheaper since they do not cover things like physical damage to your vehicle, but the savings clearly would not be worth it in this case since you would have to pay for the repair out of your own pocket. Zimmer Insurance will not write policies at that level, because we know they cause more harm than good. As the name suggests, ‘state minimum’ required coverage only provides the bare minimum needed to legally register and drive your car. This is merely an amount required to protect other drivers by showing you have financial support (insurance) behind you. In the state of Ohio, for instance, that liability amount is $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident TOTAL. There is not only no coverage to your auto if its bumper and fender get smashed, but with the way lawyers pounce on injury claims it is guaranteed that those minimum limits will be eaten up practically instantly in court!
- Further, what if you ran into a pedestrian that was in the process of crossing in a crosswalk, they sue you, and then you are deemed liable? Further, what if damages awarded in that case were say, $500K, but you only have state minimum required limits ($50K max) and thus not enough liability coverage? The court will still hold you liable for the rest, and they will get it somehow. Could you pay for that out of pocket? If not, wages can potentially be garnished, your house or other assets seized, etc. It can get very ugly.
Too often, wrong insurance choices such as these have cost consumers hugely. Do not let that happen to you, it is very easily preventable! For instance, Zimmer Insurance would write the appropriate auto limits that would not have you at a disadvantage and facing these dire financial consequences.
All these calamities (and more) are why you absolutely must purchase insurance from a quality source that you trust will be there for you. When you understand and appreciate the importance of having quality insurance, it is because you realize that life is unpredictable, and that bad things can happen no matter how prepared you are, so you want to do your part to safeguard yourself as much as possible. Insurance cannot prevent unfortunate occurrences, but it can surely help alleviate any resulting financial pressures. You should not go the cheap route, too much risk in the long run!
An often-repeated, very concerning statistic suggests barely 30% of Americans have even one savings account. So, both for the little stuff and for bigger things it is imperative that you make the right decision when it comes to your insurance. If you make the wrong choice, it could cost thousands to tens of thousands. As the saying goes, it is certainly better to ‘do it right the first time’. Most people cannot afford to pay even a small claim out of pocket, let alone any of the above scenarios. There is no shame in that, after all that is why insurance exists – to protect clients from financial hardship after a calamitous event.
Zimmer Insurance Agency has been in business for over half a century, protecting generations of clients with service and support that sees new relationships forming every day. An agent’s heart is always in the right place, and with four full-time agents on staff at Zimmer Insurance, each prospect and current client alike can rest assured they will have personalized service. Zimmer Insurance has a clear mission, to find insurance coverage that is appropriate for each of their clients’ individual situations. Because clients have individual requirements and desires, it is important they feel like people and not anonymous, faceless numbers that cannot forge a meaningful connection with a representative. Having the right agency representing you, advising you, and supporting you is extremely important, in good times and bad. Buying the right coverage during the ‘good times’ that do not see you experiencing a loss, means you will not regret anything or be at any sort of financial disadvantage when and if ‘bad times’ occur.
Call today and ask to speak with Baker, Paddack, Tom, or Chris. Any one of these agents can assist you with business (including business auto), personal (home, auto, renter’s, personal articles), watercraft, motorcycle/ATV, and life insurance questions. Between them, there are decades upon decade’s worth of experience that you can trust.
We sincerely thank you for reading, and hope this was informative and interesting. If you have any questions, we are more than happy to assist. Do not trust the 1-800 number companies that make folks jump through hoops just to get on the phone with someone! We at Zimmer strive to fill you with confidence if you do business with us.
