Summer Tips Every Driver Should Know

Warmer weather attracts different roadway users so stay extra aware!

DID YOU KNOW:

In 2011, 4,432 pedestrians and 677 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles?

 Tips for sharing the road:

• Don't assume that pedestrians see you or that they'll act predictably.
• If you expect to see pedestrians, you are more likely to detect them. Often we filter out things we don't expect to see, so always look for pedestrians, especially at intersections or in school zones.  

For advice as to how to properly protect yourself if/when a pedestrian accident would occur, contact Farmers Insurance - The Wertzberger Agency at 913-383-3276. If the right auto insurance liability levels are not carried, being held liable in a pedestrian accident could leave someone facing a significant judgment; which could lead to sacrificing 401Ks and garnishment of future earnings.

Burns and McDonnell Discount Farmers Insurance

Did you know: 

All Burns and McDonnell employees qualify for discounted home and auto insurance with Farmers Insurance?

Did you also know that Burns & McDonnell is significantly expanding their workforce in the Kansas City area? See a recent article here. Over the next few years, Burns & McDonnell plans to hire 1,000+ additional employees. Great for Kansas City and great for Farmers!

If you, or someone you know, works for Burns & McDonnell, reach out to The Wertzberger Agency for a proposal that would capitalize on the Farmers Insurance discount! The Agency can be reached at 913-383-3276

Preventing Auto Theft

Help prevent auto theft

Did you know: a motor vehicle is stolen every 44 seconds in the United States? The estimated total value of vehicles stolen nationwide is more than $4.3 billion!

 Tips to help protect your vehicle:

• Nearly half of theft is due to driver behavior. Make sure to lock your doors and remove your keys from the vehicle ignition.
• Use common sense when parking and exiting your vehicle. If possible, park in well-lit and familiar areas.
• Maintain comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance to ensure you can recoup the value of your vehicle if/when stolen.

For more helpful advice on Auto Insurance and how to properly protect yourself, visit The Wertzberger Agency or call 913-383-3276

Captive Insurance Agent VS Independent Insurance Agent

Prior to writing this blog post, I want to be up front in what some may consider a factor that could cloud my opinion; I am the owner of a Farmers Insurance Agency (The Wertzberger Agency). Although that is a valid argument, I will do my best to be as neutral as possible and leave my personal opinion aside.

I wanted to write a posting in regard to a question we very often get or hear; What is better, a Captive Insurance Agent or an Independent Insurance Agent?

Prior to answering the question, we first need to define them both so we can accurately compare them.

A Captive Insurance Agent is an individual licensed to sell insurance of a given carrier. Examples of Captive Insurance Agents would be Farmers Insurance Agents, State Farm Insurance Agents, AllState Insurance Agents, or American Family Insurance Agents. Captive Insurance Agents can sell the carrier they are aligned with an no other. That is the fundamental difference between a Captive Insurance Agent and an Independent Insurance Agent (commonly referred to as a "Broker").

An Independent Insurance Agent is licensed to sell insurance with a number of different carriers. Although an Independent Agent can sell a number of different carriers, they can not sell insurance of companies that have Captive Insurance Agents. Carriers often sold by Independent Agents are Travelers, SafeCo, Hartford, Progressive, and Kemper Insurance. While Captive Insurance Agencies will have agency names that regularly reference the company they represent, Independent Agencies will have names just indicating they are an insurance agency, for example, ABC Insurance Agency.

So...which is better?? A Captive Insurance Agent or an Independent Agent? The answer is simple; it depends.

When asked which is better, the correct response would be it depends. It depends on what the intent is of the individual asking the question. Normally the question is asked by an individual searching for new insurance and they don't know which type of insurance provider to reach out to. If someone is searching for the cheapest possible policy, well the answer to which is the better option would be the Independent Agent. The Independent Agent has many options at their disposal and they will be able to usually find a cheaper option than a Captive Agent who can only provide products of one carrier. If someone is searching for a more quality product and willing to pay a few dollars more, the Captive Agent will be the better choice. I give this answer of Captive Agent's products being superior based primarily on thought that carriers provided through Independent Agents have to either cut out parts of their products' coverage or provide inferior claim service that encompasses not paying out very much, very often.

Think about it....

Think of things from an insurance carrier's prospective. Let's say YOU are an insurance carrier. Your insurance carrier is not sold by Captive Agents but through Independent Agents. Now you are well aware that every given Independent Agent has many carriers at their disposal. Given that, the only way you are going to sell any business is if you are one of the cheapest carriers. You have to maintain an extremely low price in order for the Independent Agent to sell your product. However, you also need to make money as an insurance carrier. Insurance carriers that don't make money are not insurance carriers for very long. So, that puts you, the insurance carrier, in a position where you have to make money, but also can't charge very much for your product. A rational conclusion would be that if you aren't charging very much (because you can't if you want your product sold), you are likely going to be very tight with the pocket book if/when a customer files a claim OR the coverage within your policy is likely such that it is not very comprehensive; there are many things excluded or really not covered well. You literally can not afford to pay out very much for claims - it could cripple you as an insurance carrier because you simply don't have very much money coming in! The fundamental method of doing business by insurance carriers through Independent Agents is flawed and it will lead to inferior products being sold. Inferior products will then likely leave the consumer open to a bad claims experience when used.

In conclusion, if you're going for cheapest, call a Independent Agent. If you are going for quality at a competitive price, call a Captive Agent. 

Farmers Insurance - The Wertzberger Agency is happy to be a resource for Captive Agent seekers in the Overland Park and surrounding Kansas City area. Call us at 913-383-3276.

Grouping Insurance Upon Tying the Knot

June is one of the busiest months for weddings. Insurance is not often one of the first things newlyweds discuss upon tying the knot, but it should be!

One of the easiest ways for newlyweds to save money after the wedding is to combine their insurance needs with one company - The Wertzberger Agency of course!


We will be putting together a series of post on how to save money after the wedding on insurance; the first of which is utilizing a Multi-Line discount.


When two single people bring their car insurance together under one policy with Farmers, they both can save money by utilizing a multi-car discount. Also, if the couple has more policy needs than just vehicles; such as a boat insurance, motorcycle insurance, renters insurance, home insurance, or business insurance then they can get additional discounts for more than one type of policy! For example, if the couple has two cars, a house and a boat, combining all the policies with Farmer’s could result in 50% discount compared to insuring them separately!

Give us a call today to have your grouped insurance proposal put together! 

The Wertzberger Agency can be reached at 913-383-3276

Garmin Discount - Home Insurance AND Auto Insurance

BIG NEWS: Farmers Insurance has very recently partnered with Garmin to be able to provide ALL Garmin employees with discounted home insurance and auto insurance. Farmers Insurance has already partnered with many other local employers to be able to extend this discount and Garmin is the newest addition to the list.

If you are already with Farmers, call your Agent and make sure you are getting one of Farmers' occupational discounts, if not, tell them to add the Garmin discount!

If you are not currently with Farmers, call The Wertzberger Agency at 913-383-3276 and have a proposal put together.

The Garmin discount is the same discount that Farmers Agents get!

Preparing for Vacation Advice

With the school year coming to a close, the time of year of family vacations approaches. Typical vacation planning involves selecting the right hotel, making flight arrangements, and purchasing tickets for events and attractions. While the dizzying array of vacation options can keep you focused on your trip, it's also important to prepare your home for your time away. Before heading off to your destination, you want to make sure everything will run smoothly in your absence so you can really leave home behind while you're relaxing and rejuvenating. Keep your family, friends, and coworkers at bay during your trip by including advance planning on your to-do list, before your vacation has begun. Below is a list of helpful advice.

• Make arrangements for pets, plants and mail. If you are leaving pets at your house to be tended to, have your pet sitter water the plants and pick up the mail. You can also use Aqua Globes or other types of devices that will water your plants in your absence. If you won't have anyone tending to the house, contact the US Postal service to arrange to have your mail held until your return.
• Tie up loose ends at work. set up an away message for your e-mail and voice mail, giving your return date and the names and numbers of coworkers who can be contacted in your absence.
• Send out an itinerary and instructions for reaching you. Let a family member, trusted neighbor or friend know where you will be at all times. Give them flight numbers, hotel names and addresses and a rough schedule of your activities. Arrange for a way for them to reach you in the event of an emergency. Make sure they have the phone numbers for the places you're staying as a backup to your cell phone number. If you will be hiking or camping, schedule regular check-in times for calling your family.
• Set up payment for bills that are due while you're away. The last thing you want to come home to is a disconnection notice or unexpected late fee. Most bills can be scheduled online for payment on the appropriate day. If you cannot schedule bill payment for while you're gone, pay the bill early.
• Clean out the refrigerator. Toss out leftovers as well as any items that will expire before you return. Limit your grocery shopping in the weeks leading up to your vacation to the bare essentials. Keep the ingredients for at least one or two meals in the freezer so you won't have to go on a last minute shopping trip as soon as you get home.
• Empty the trash cans in the house and arrange for your trash and/or recycle cans to be set out for collection and then returned to their normal storage place.
• Set timers on three or four lights throughout the house and set them to go off at various intervals. This will help the house looked lived in while you're away. It is a good idea to have timers running even when you are home, and then no one knows if you are really there or not. Putting extra timers on your TV or radio as well will also help create the illusion someone is home.
• You should also arrange for a friend or neighbor to mow the lawn if you will be gone for an extended period of time, as an unkempt yard is a big indicator for burglars that a house may be unattended.
• Inform your neighbors of the exact dates you will be gone on vacation. Ask them to watch for suspicious activity around your home.
• Leave a key to your front door and emergency numbers for your vacation destination with a trusted neighbor or friend who is willing to watch your home and enter if needed.
• Keep the air conditioner on, but adjust the thermostat. This will save energy by not running as often. Without air, mold and mildew will grow, not to mention your favorite candles may melt!
• Mute the ringer on the phone so unanswered calls go unnoticed to others. If you have an answering machine, shut off the volume so no one can hear a caller leaving a message.
• Lock the garage door. If the door has an automatic opening device, unplug it. Also lock all gates and doors on your property. Having an uninvited visitor in your yard can lead to numerous problems.
• To conserve water and prevent flooding, make sure all faucets inside and outside the home are turned off and no water is dripping.
• Place any valuables in a locked safe or safety deposit box.
• Make someone aware of any life insurance that is in force. For options on life insurance, please feel free to contact The Wertzberger Agency at 913-383-3276.
• If possible, leave a car in your driveway, or ask a neighbor to park there on occasion.
• Do NOT post about your upcoming vacation on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media site. This can be an invitation for trouble. By giving the countdown to your vacation or posting pictures from your vacation, you have just told the world, no matter your security settings, you are not home and to just help themselves.

By preparing for your vacation properly, you can more fully relax while you are away from home.