(NAPS)—This time of year, thoughts turn to year-end financial matters: paying holiday bills, preparing your tax return and more. It’s also a great time to review the general state of your finances to see if you need to make any changes in the coming year.
Many people don’t consider the importance of insurance in an overall financial plan. But the fact is, no matter how hard you work to build wealth, failure to purchase adequate insurance can be your undoing. On the other hand, pay-ing for coverage you don’t need can also sap your budget. Finding the right balance can be a challenge.
That’s why now is a good time to sit down with an independent insurance agent and review your needs. Think of an insurance agent as a vital information source, one that can help think through an individual situation and can put together a package of policies, coverage and price that meets specific needs.
An independent agent can ask the right questions to help better determine the kind of insurance needed.
Because an independent agent can check prices from many different companies, he or she can help get the maximum coverage at reasonable cost.
Here are just a few of the questions to ask an independent agent as you consider an overall financial plan:
What type of policy is right for me? This depends on factors such as budget, the amount of coverage needed and the level of service you want from an insurance company. Finding the appropriate level of coverage is important. You don’t want to overpay for coverage not needed, but you also want to keep in mind that the worst experience is to have a claim, then discover there’s not enough coverage.
How do rates from different companies compare? Independent agents are licensed to represent multiple insurance companies, so they can shop multiple companies to get the coverage you need at an attractive price.
Are there other ways to save? As a person’s situation evolves—he or she gets married, have kids, buys a new car—check in with an independent agent. Companies offer various discounts for such life changes, and this information could help the agent find additional savings.
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