Getting insurance, especially when you’re stepping into the world as a young adult, can be intimidating. Once you move beyond the catchy jingles and memorable mascots, insurance involves a lot of numbers and even more jargon. Sure, you can get a quote online, but are you getting the protection you really need for your car, your personal possessions, or your health?   

That’s where having an insurance professional can really help – especially an independent professional who can work with dozens of insurance companies to find you just the right coverage at a price that fits your budget.

Midwest Select Insurance Group (MSIG) of Eau Claire is a place where you can find such professionals. Their experienced agents can walk you through the process of insuring not only your car, apartment, or home, but also getting health and life insurance. That’s the reason Midwest Select Insurance Group was voted Best Local Insurance Office in the most recent Volume One Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll.

Here are five things that the agency can help you with when it comes to insurance.

1. PERSONAL SERVICE.

Chances are you’re comfortable filling out forms and doing business online, which MSIG has built their website around to save time with the quoting process. But having a real, local human as an insurance agent is helpful – and comes at no direct cost – says Chris Dooley, one of the owners and founders of MSIG. Yes, you read that correctly: Insurance agents are compensated by insurance companies, not by clients, so there’s no cost in chatting with one, exploring what kind of coverage you need, and getting a quote.

2. AUTO INSURANCE.

If you’re a driver, chances are you already know a little about auto insurance: You pay a premium to an insurance company, and if you get in a fender-bender, they help pay to fix the damage.

But that isn’t all auto insurance does. “It’s not necessarily about the car you’re driving,” Dooley says. “It’s about the car you bumped into.” And that means making sure you have enough liability coverage. Dooley and his colleagues at MSIG see plenty of people who’ve bought policies online who don’t carry enough liability insurance – and that can mean getting sued if you’re found to be at fault in an auto accident.

“People are not educated enough on liability limits,” says Elice Seebandt, MSIG’s operations manager for property and casualty. After chatting with an insurance professional, you may find that these limits need to be higher than they are on that name-your-price policy you got online. This will provide you with far better protection.

3. RENTERS INSURANCE.

Renters insurance is one of the biggest bargains in the insurance world. For around $15 or $20 per month, you can protect your belongings from unexpected events, such as theft or fire. In addition to protecting your property, Elice Seebandt says, getting renters insurance can build your insurance score, which can help you in the future. And by bunding, renters insurance can also help you save money on your auto policy – and vice versa.

4. HEALTH INSURANCE.

If you don’t have health insurance through Mom and Dad anymore, and it’s not offered through your employer, MSIG can help. Many of their customers have just gotten off their parents’ insurance and want to get covered, a process an agent can walk you through.

“Health insurance is a math equation a lot of the time,” Dooley says. Costs and coverage availability can vary greatly, depending on where you live, your income, and other factors. However, because of government subsidies, health insurance purchased through the health insurance exchange (a.k.a. Obamacare), can be surprisingly affordable, he says.

“What we will do is based on their income, we’ll give them the very best plan we can at the premium level they choose,” he adds.

5. LIFE INSURANCE.

You may not realize it, but the time to buy life insurance is now. As Dooley explains, “Money doesn’t buy life insurance. Youth and health buy life insurance.” Dooley advises that you should first take whatever life insurance your employer offers (if they offer it). You should also explore getting a mix of whole life insurance (which requires regular payments for the rest of your life) and term insurance (which only lasts for a specific amount of time and is generally less expensive).

Fortunately, depending on your age and health, life insurance can be inexpensive. In fact, if bundled with auto and renters insurance, sometimes the resulting discount will almost be enough to pay the life insurance premium!

Whatever your age or insurance needs, MSIG can help. A quote from one of their helpful, knowledgeable agents is just a phone call – or a few clicks – away.

Midwest Select Insurance Group

Phone: (715) 309-5495

Address: 1101 W. Clairemont Ave., Suite 2E, Eau Claire

Online: www.ms-ig.com  • Facebook • Instagram • LinkedIn

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