Insurance Agents This week Etler-Kettenacker Agency posted and article on insurance agents; what they do, their responsibilities and their importance to you and our economy.  Check out the full informative page regarding insurance agents on Etler-Kettenacker Agency’s website  http://www.ekagency.com/insurance/agents.aspx.   Etler-Kettenacker Agency is an independent agency and employs independent insurance agents.  Every EK Agency insurance agent is licensed...

No one likes to talk about life insurance -- or really, any insurance, for that matter. Because insurance implies that something bad could happen -- and no one wants to think about that. The ultimate "something bad" is death, right? Not to get all philosophical before youve had your morning coffee or anything. Instead, lets just outline the basics of life insurance, and how you can save money by bundling it with your other policies. Life insurance is, by definition, protection against the...

Since today is tax day, it seemed as good a time as any to talk about spring cleaning. I mean, weve all filed those returns, March Madness is over, and the weather is gorgeous -- so theres no more excuses for not getting the cleaning done! We know how daunting spring cleaning can be, and were here to help! Heres a list of items that should be on everyones spring cleaning to-do: 1. Change the furnace filter: Just because youre not running the heat, doesnt mean you shouldnt change your f...

Weve all been there: youre signing the papers to rent a brand-new Ford Focus for a week, when the representative asks: "Are you interested in purchasing rental insurance?" Um... are you? Is it a good deal? Do you really need it? Today we are talking about Rental-Car Insurance -- the pros, the cons, and whether you do, in fact, need it. The 411 on Rental-Car Insurance Just like every other type of insurance, rental car insurance is there to protect you in the event of an accident...

Most of us probably remember the massive information breach at Target in late 2013. For many who shopped at the mega retailer between November and December 2013, the holidays werent so merry that year as their personal information was compromised. Its estimated that some 70 million records were stolen in the breach, which resulted in $40 million stolen from the company. As of January 2015 it spent $252 million in costs related to the data breach, which was partially offset by $90 million i...

Alright: its quiz time! Today we are going to play a round of "Would You File an Insurance Claim If...". Answer the following questions honestly -- and remember, this makes a great game for the next family get-together! Would you file an insurance claim if... you got into a fender-bender in the parking lot at Preschool dropoff? Would you file an insurance claim if... a tree branch fell and damaged your gutter? Would you file an insurance claim if... your teenage son backed i...

So youre at the checkout, about to click "purchase" on your online order, when a box pops up asking if youd like to pay an extra $70 for an extended warranty. Youre splurging on a brand-new, $600 DSLR camera... so you hesitate. Should you buy the extra insurance? Is the $70 worth it? Probably not, say the experts. Heres why: New products rarely require repairs. According to Consumer Reports, research reveals that most products usually dont break during the two-to-three-year period...

For many of us, paying our insurance premiums every month can feel like, well, a waste of money. If were lucky, we dont actually see our money being put to use -- because, the majority of the time, those worst-case catastrophes never happen. Heres the thing: insurance doesnt just protect you from worst-case, life-changing events, it also protects you from that annoying, ugh-why-is-it-happening-to-me-now stuff that can really put a damper on your monthly budget. Safeco coverage is added to...

Driver education classes, "practice" driving hours and memorizing road rules are all important parts of learning to drive -- but there are things only seasoned drivers know (like how you just know that guy in front of you is going to stop suddenly and turn, despite his turn signal not being on). A lot of driving is just getting experience, but you can do your best to set your teen up for success! Before you kid hits the road this spring, be sure you’ve shared the following 3 items: ...

Happy November! Fall is a great time to review your insurance policies and make any necessary changes. And, when it comes to making changes or asking questions regarding your policy, nothing beats one-on-one human interaction. Customer service is key when it comes to insurance. Nowadays, there are lots of options for purchasing insurance online; but, as a recent J.D. Power Studies U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study reports, customers are happier and more satisfied when able to deal di...

Mothers Day is this Sunday, and the most thoughtful gift for Mom may be a new insurance policy! If you can answer "yes" to any of the following scenarios, give your agent a call to see if you need to change or add an insurance policy: Is it Moms first Mothers Day? She may need life insurance. Becoming a parent is a game changer, and its important that both parents are covered by life insurance. Read all about life insurance here. Did Mom recently upgrade to a minivan? Hooray --...

Technology cant replace humans -- especially when it comes to insurance. However, a recent article published in VentureBeat, called "How chatbots can settle an insurance claim in 3 seconds," challenged this idea. Citing AmazonGo, the article presented the idea that chatbots, those "smart" robots a consumer texts with, offer a fast and convenient option that is especially appealing in the insurance industry. Writer Alex Sun argues that, since the insurance claims process is usually less t...

Summer breaks here, and more and more of us are likely hitting the road for vacation! And with increased driving comes increased risk for accidents. Before you hit the road, however, its important to be prepared in the event of an accident. That means having your car insurance agent on speed dial, and stocking up the glove box with the following: Insurance ID Card, Vehicle Registration Card, Medical Info Card, Emergency Contact Numbers, Pen and Paper, and P...

There are lots of ways technology can be seen as a negative: smartphones are to blame for the recent increase in car accidents, robocalls flood our phone lines, consumers have to worry about online identity theft, the list goes on. However. Insurance is a very personal industry, and technology has complimented and enhanced tactics that agents have been using since the beginning of time insurance. Dont believe us? Here are 4 ways technology makes the insurance industry better - and how clien...

“An independent agent is an insurance agent that sells insurance policies provided by several different insurance carriers, rather than just a single insurance company. The independent agent acts as a middleman to connect insurance buyers and sellers in order to facilitate a transaction. Independent agents are not considered employees of any specific insurance company."    I have found that many people dread talking about insurance or to anyone who works in insurance. This...