Life Insurance Archives - Dickey Mccay Insurance

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Shopping Cheapest Insurance

November 12, 2018/in Community, Dickey McCay News /by Dickey McCay Team

Shopping the Best Insurance Quotes

When you begin looking for a new insurance plan, it can become quite overwhelming with the masses of insurance companies as well as each of their unique websites and the online insurance quotes they offer. Many of these services willgive you an insurance quote quickly, and on the surface they seem to offer a cheap quote for different types of coverages. If you are young, single, and not paying a mortgage, then getting insurance online on something small such as your car may be a great option. However, purchasing insurance via the internet which can seem like a cheap solution can often lead to more hassle than it is worth. We suggest using these online quotes as a means of understanding insurance rates and using what you learn about pricing to use as a reference when calling your local agent to get their expert opinion and direction moving forward. The online quote you find can be your guide when discussing what you do and do not need covered in your plan. For instance, last month I was searching for new car insurance, so I did what most do and got online to shop around for the best rates. After gathering quotes and a detailed list of what is covered, I took these reports to my local insurance agent. Small, local agencies like Dickey McCay provide not only excellent insurance support based on their expert knowledge of the insurance industry, but they are also able to sit down with you one-on-one to discuss insurance rates, what is covered in what instances, and the best policies for you and your family.

Does Cheaper Insurance Rates Mean Cheap Insurance?

These days, companies and online platforms market to potential customers as an opportunity to shop for the “cheapest ” car insurance or purchase insurance at perhaps a cheaper rate than what the customer is currently receiving. While we are all looking for the best rates on different types of insurance, it is important to understand the value of talking with a local insurance professional who specializes in listening to the customer’s insurance needs, sharing their understanding and then researching the best insurance policy and price for them. For example, when I was looking for car insurance, the quote I found online had a low deductible for collision insurance making my premium higher. After speaking with my local agent, she suggested that I did not need a lot of collision insurance as I have an older vehicle; however, my father has a new car, so his collision coverage needs to be able to cover the cost of any fixes his car may need, thus a lower deductible. Often these rates depend on your age, assets, etc. which is why an insurance agent can help guide you towards the perfect plan for you.

Local Insurance Agencies with Experience Provide Value

As you attain more assets, you will also benefit from having someone in the business who has experience handling multiple insurance policies and/or umbrella coverage. When you are looking for an affordable rate, you may get what you ask for from an online insurance tool in finding a cheap insurance rate, but what you may not get is the the best policy for you to protect your insurance assets – you, family, healthcare, auto insurance, life insurance, etc. Online quotes are simply a starting point when shopping around.

Finding quotes online through automated search platforms can be helpful, but the local agencies with trained insurance professionals you know bring added value to ensure you get the best deal (value) for the money you are investing each month. Then when the time comes to get a claim paid, the same agent you have been working with all along will then assist in ensuring you get what you are owed. At a small, local agency like Dickey McCay, you will have an agent who answers the phone and goes to work for you so that you are covered when needed. Smaller, experienced, hard-working local insurance agencies like Dickey McCay Insurance will fight for you and aid in helping you create the best policy for you and your family. These are a few of the important benefits you should consider when searching for the best quote. Sure, there will be some pricing online that will look tempting and even push you hard to hit the enter button to complete the transaction, but one needs to think and weight out personal touch, pricing, experience, community support (giving back) and background of insurance company, etc.

At Dickey McCay, you will sit with a trained professional insurance agent (person) and be able to call him/her as needed. You are not just a number in a huge corporate insurance agency but a personal name with a face who needs insurance support.

Local Insurance Agencies Care About their Community

What Dickey McCay Insurance wants is what is best for you. They value and support the communities they serve, and as your local insurance agency, they can guide you to secure the best insurance policy for you at the most affordable price based on the highest quality of the insurance company when it comes to purchasing an insurance policy and supporting a future claim. It’s all about treating people like you want to be treated – fair, honest and caring.

Life Insurance Provides Financial Security

Life Insurance Offers Smart Investment Opportunities

How do you know when it is the right time to purchase life insurance? Should you wait until you have a job that offers life insurance as an employee benefit, or do you think you should wait until after a certain age when you feel you are closer to death?

Depending on the type of life insurance policy you decide to get, you could be covered anywhere from one year to five years or even for the rest of your life; this depends on if you decide to purchase term life insurance or permanent life insurance. One thing to be wary of is that if you bought your policy a ways in your past it might not be enough.

As your life and your family’s lives change, your insurance needs will inevitably change as well. Depending on events that have happened, it is a good idea to make sure you have enough coverage. Here are five signs to watch out for that may indicate that you need to get life insurance coverage or that you may need to change what kind you have.

1. Starting a Family: The cost of raising a child through age 17 is, on average, $233,610 according to 2015 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and this figure does not include college costs if you plan to help your child in that department. If you have had a recent addition to your family, your spouse or partner mighty not be able to afford those costs if something were to happen to you- this is especially the case if you are the financial breadwinner.
2. Buying a Home: Two of the top five reasons people get life insurance is to cover mortgage debt and to pay for home expenses, so if you have a family, the last thing you want is for them to be forced out of their home because they cannot keep up with the payments. If you have just bought your first home or a new home with a bigger mortgage, make sure you have enough coverage to at least make the monthly payments.
3. Increase in Income: Two-thirds of people who buy life insurance do so to replace the income that is also lost after tragedy. If you have recently earned a significant raise or perhaps your income has increased steadily since you last bought insurance, check to make sure your insurance coverage is still enough to replace it.
4. A Lifestyle Change: While income increases often come with lifestyle changes, it is also possible to sort of upgrade your lifestyle after you have paid off any debts or maybe you have improved your income/cash flow of your household in some way. If you notice that you have been spending more per month than you were in the last few years of your life, your current life insurance policy may leave a gap between its coverage and what your family needs/has grown accustomed to.
5. Estate Planning: Another people tend to purchase life insurance is to transfer wealth or leave an inheritance. As you grow older, you may start to think more about what kind of legacy you want to leave behind. If you have been focused on other life insurance needs up to this point, it may be time to take a new look to see if you will owe any estate taxes upon your death and/or what expenses your estate might incur. You will also want to consider whether you would like to leave behind any finances/property for your children, beneficiaries, or a favorite charity.

Life Insurance Creates Financial Safety and Security

Do you fit in any of these categories? Is there a sign for you to seek financial coverage for you or your family? Sometimes, the right Life Insurance can provide an excellent financial investment option for your future loved ones.

If one of these top five reasons is currently going on in your life or you are unsure if you should increase your coverage, give Dickey McCay a call and we will be happy to guide you in the right direction with years of experience and expertise on our side. Together, we will take the time to determine whether your life insurance coverage is still enough to take care of the people you love.

Life Insurance Tips

May 27, 2018/in Life Insurance /by Dickey McCay Team

LIFE INSURANCE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A CHORE

Life insurance is a topic none of us really enjoys talking about because doing so acknowledges the fact that someday all of us will pass on. They say the only certainties in life are death and taxes but we don’t agree. Life is another certainty – not our own but those around us. It is for them that life insurance serves a vital purpose – to provide a financial safety net for those left behind.

Starting a discussion with one’s family about life insurance is hard enough. Here are some suggestions that we have found to be effective.

Do Some Initial Research Before the First Conversation.

Go online to familiarize yourself about the different types of life insurance options available. Just as important, learn about some actual, real-life situations in which life insurance has helped people avoid difficult financial situations.

Think Affordability

In our conversations with people in our area, we hear worries about the cost of life insurance and then pleasant surprise about its actual cost. Past studies indicate that as much as eighty percent overestimated the cost of life insurance. Term life insurance, which provides coverage for a specified period of time, can be very affordable, fit tight budgets and can often be converted to a permanent policy within a certain period. Term life is also easy to understand and to obtain a preliminary quote.

You can then explore other options such as whole life and universal life.

When’s The Right Time to Talk?

Pick a time when you and your spouse are not stressed out and short on time. Explore your options, discuss your concerns and write down any questions you need answered.

Don’t Wait Too Long

Knowledge is power as the saying goes. If you do some basic research upfront it will become easier to talk about specific s instead of in the abstract. Life insurance costs rise with age so it pays not to put if off.