R&R Insurance Blog

To illustrate the benefits of rebalancing an insurance program to strengthen wealth protection and better manage expenses, the following example presents a before-and-after comparison for one of our newest valued clients.

Jeff and Tracy recently purchased a secondary home in beautiful Door County, Wisconsin. While they look forward to spending summers on the lake, they have realistic expectations about the amount of time they'll be able to spend in their new vacation home. With this in mind, they intend to rent out the property approximately 5 weeks out of the year. Unfortunately, in the world of home insurance, most carriers will not insure a secondary / seasonal property that is rented on a short term or weekly basis.

With the help of Tammy Cross, Jeff and Tracy were given a policy which provided full coverage of the home, including theft of personal property while rented. Without the experience and insight of Tammy, this commonly overlooked coverage would have been missed.

Click here for additional coverage information when renting your home. Or contact a Private Client Knowledge Broker!

*Client names have been changed to maintain anonymity.

To illustrate the benefits of rebalancing an insurance program to strengthen wealth protection and better manage expenses, the following example presents a before-and-after comparison for one of our newest valued clients.

Jason and Susan are a successful couple in their early 40’s, with two young children.  They have two autos and a new home in Colgate, WI.  They said they had a good relationship with their previous agent, however during a discussion with their wealth manager realized that they hadn’t had a coverage review in quite some time.  During our initial 30 minute meeting at Jason’s office, we discovered some major coverage deficiencies:  unfortunately a vehicle that had been traded in a few months ago and replaced with a newer vehicle was not accurately updated on their auto policy, leaving the vehicle uninsured.  While that issue was quickly remedied, we also significantly reduced their risk exposure while decreasing their total premium 20% by rebalancing their program as follows:

Savings Opportunities:

• Incorporate an association discount related to Susan’s profession.
• Correct an error on their prior policy related to an auto claim: they were being charged for an “at-fault” accident, despite being rear-ended two years ago.
• Add a valuable discount for having a central alarm in their home.

Program Improvements:

• Decrease their homeowner’s deductible – including wind/hail – from $4,000 to $1,000.
• Add full value replacement cost on their home.
• Add personal injury protection.
• Despite having a recognizable name in the community, they did not have a personal umbrella. The cost to add $1 million of coverage was just $260 annually.  $5 million? Just $500 more.

*Client names have been changed to maintain anonymity.

To illustrate the benefits of working with one of the largest independent agencies in the Midwest, the following example presents a recent claim situation for one of our newest valued clients.

Steve is a middle-aged profesional with a beautiful home that he’s proudly invested money into to finish the basement, add a mother-in-law suite, fence the yard, and add additional sump pumps. He and his wife of 15 years also own a boat, 2 cars, and a few pieces of valuable jewelry.

Steve has worked with the same insurance company for years – and had what he thought to be decent coverage for his lifestyle. After meeting with his Financial Planner one afternoon, it was brought to Steve’s attention that he should consider getting a second look at his home and auto coverage. In fact, the Financial Planner recommended he reach out to an independent insurance agency (much different than who he was currently working with) for an ‘apples to apples’ quote as well as recommendations on new options to consider.

After a quick phone call with Tammy Cross at R&R Insurance, Steve knew he was in good hands.

Savings Opportunities:

• Reduced Home Deductible to $1,000 (was $7,000)
• Eliminated Duplicate Boat Liability Coverage
• Premium Savings of over $428 - on top of additional coverage endorsements

Program Improvements:

• Current policy was considerably underinsuring home
• Single deductible, in the event a claim involves both home and auto(s)
• Addition of sewer back-up and ID theft coverage
• Correction of scheduled jewelry and addition of blanket on smaller items
• $1 million umbrella policy

*Client names have been changed to maintain anonymity.

To illustrate the benefits of working with one of the largest independent agencies in the Midwest, the following example presents a recent claim situation for one of our newest valued clients.

Shortly after Julie was introduced to Jeff Wolfgram, Knowledgebroker at R&R Insurance, she was involved in an unfortunate car accident. Due to the nature of her situation, Julie continued working with her current insurance agent to file the claim.

During the next several days, Julie’s agent never got back to her and found it easier to get in touch with Jeff for questions. Jeff provided guidance on filing the claim, managing the claim process, etc.

Because of the level of service and the expertise Jeff provided, Julie ultimately decided to switch agents and begin working with Jeff Wolfgram and R&R Insurance Services.

Contact a Private Client Executive for more information.

*Client names have been changed to maintain anonymity.

After attending last week’s FPA of Wisconsin Symposium the resounding message still ringing in our ears is “team.” Despite how cliché it may sound, we left those few days reminded of how valuable R&R’s partnership with the FPA truly is.

Our Private Client Division is excited to be a part of your team. We understand how important your clients are to you and value your goal of growing their wealth. We take it upon ourselves to properly protect those assets with the very best coverage. We’ve been there before - and will continue to provide unparalleled service.

Below is a quick preview of the fun we had last week!

We’re proud to be supporting the Financial Planning Association of Wisconsin at their upcoming Symposium!

As the largest independently owned insurance agency in the Midwest, R&R Insurance is more than just an agent. We understand that as a Financial Planner your objective is to grow your clients’ wealth – which is why we make it our priority to help protect those assets.

Our experienced team of professionals will work with you to provide a comprehensive review of your clients’ unique exposures, evaluate their current insurance, and then recommend a program to increase protection, ease administrative burden and manage cost. The insurance plans we provide are custom-tailored and hand-selected from a variety of carriers and products, which are unmatched by most mass market insurance companies.  

If you’ll be attending the upcoming Financial Planning Association of Wisconsin Symposium, we invite you to stop by, shake some dice, win great prizes (including cash!), and learn more about the strong partnership we can provide. We promise to be a resource you can count on. We’ll also be sponsoring Trivia Night on Monday, October 9 and would love to have you join us.

Have questions? Contact a member of our Private Client Division!

It’s an unfortunate fact that accidents happen – and it’s not uncommon for jury awards and out-of-court settlements to run into the millions.  While it’s difficult to pinpoint the monetary consequences of the risks you and your family take each day, are you certain your current liability insurance offers you enough protection?

For example, what if:

• You accidentally run a stop sign, causing a serious accident?
• The Amazon delivery person falls on your sidewalk and is seriously injured?
• You are sued for liable/slander for posting a seemingly harmless comment on-line?

If you are found to be legally responsible for injuring someone or damaging their property, without a personal umbrella, anything beyond the limits of your standard liability insurance coverage will come out of your own pocket.  A personal umbrella liability policy protects your personal assets – and future earnings – by kicking in when your standard liability coverage is exhausted.  Additionally, a Personal Umbrella will cover the cost of a legal defense if a suit is filed against you.

How Much Coverage Do I Need?

You’ll want to take into consideration not only your total personal assets but also your potential personal risks.  For example, does your profession or location of your home make you an easy target for a big settlement?  Do you have a busy lifestyle that puts you behind the wheel frequently?  Coverage starts at $1 million, and it’s not uncommon to see limits as high as $10 million. 

How Much Does Coverage Cost?

Additional liability insurance is inexpensive when compared to the added coverage you gain.  A $1 million umbrella policy typically costs less than $300 a year, and increases by $50-$100 annually for each million thereafter.

To illustrate the benefits of rebalancing an insurance program to strengthen wealth protection and better manage expenses, the following example presents a before-and-after comparison for one of our valued clients.

Dave and Nicole are a couple in their early 50’s, with two grown children and one still at home.  They have four autos, two homes in Oconomowoc, WI along with a boat, a jet ski, a converted school bus used for tailgating and a moped.  Dave is a business owner and Nicole also works for the business.  They recently purchased a rental property in Madison, WI, and will act as property managers each fall when they spend their weekends cheering on the Wisconsin Badger football team. 

As their previous captive agent recently retired without an adequate perpetuation plan in place, their relationship with their insurance provider was non-existent.  This led to a lack of consistent coverage reviews and resulted in some major coverage deficiencies:  unfortunately a recently constructed detached garage, along with their boat and jet ski, were uninsured.  Dave and Nicole significantly reduced their risk exposure while decreasing their total premium 30% by rebalancing their program as follows:

Savings Opportunities:

• Incorporate substantial “prior carrier” discount provided to direct insurance policyholders.
• Combine all policies into one program, with one bill, and save on service fees by paying in full.
• Extend liability from the primary home to the two other locations.

Coverage Improvements:

• Acquire 30% more replacement cost coverage for their primary and secondary homes.
• Add Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts coverage to their 2016 Mercedes.
• Increase Other Structures coverage in order to fully protect the newly constructed garage.
• Include coverage for both the boat and jet ski, and incorporate them onto their $2,000,000 umbrella.
• Add Identity Theft and Sewer/Drain Backup coverage to their homes.
• Add Full Glass Coverage and increase Rental Reimbursement Coverage on their autos.
• Include Deductible Dividends and Waiver of Deductible program features.

Contact a Private Client Executive, to learn more about properly protecting your most valuable assets.

*Client names have been changed to maintain anonymity.

To illustrate the benefits of rebalancing an insurance program to strengthen wealth protection and better manage expenses, the following example presents a before-and-after comparison for one of our valued clients.

Steve and Julia are a couple in their late 50’s whose children have started promising professional careers and live independently.  They have two vehicles and live in a newly constructed home in Waukesha, WI.  They also have a second home in Minocqua, WI with a boat and boat house.  Both Steve and Julia serve on various boards and are active volunteers in their community.  Their previous insurance plan exhibited many of the typical patterns of overpaying and underinsuring for their homeowner, auto, valuables, boat and umbrella liability coverages.  Steve and Julia significantly improved their financial security while reducing their total premium 18% by rebalancing their program as follows:

Savings Opportunities:

• Move coverage from a national company to a regional company, to take advantage of the homeowners pricing in an area that is not subjected to the impact of coastal claims.
• Raise the deductible on their primary home to $1000, to match the deductible on their seasonal.
• Take advantage of loss prevention credits for a heat loss detection system and an automatic standby generator.
• Incorporate a 13% association discount related to Julia’s profession.

Coverage Improvements:

• Acquire full replacement cost coverage for their primary and seasonal homes with no cap.
• Increase “other structures” coverage in order to fully protect the boat house from loss.
• Combine their existing boatowners policy with their new package policy to improve coverage, which also reduces expenses and paperwork.
• Add identity theft, special personal property, and increase rental reimbursement coverage.

Contact Brandy Enger, Private Client Executive, to learn more about properly protecting your most valuable assets.

*Client names have been changed to maintain anonymity.