Schmidt Insurance Services Inc

From adorable bunny cakes and cute chick cookies to classics like carrot cake and hot cross buns, these recipes are perfect for any sweet spread.

68 Easter Desserts That Everyone Will Love From adorable bunny cakes and cute chick cookies to classics like carrot cake and hot cross buns, these recipes are perfect for any sweet spread.

St. Patrick's Day observes the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Over the years, it has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking, and a whole lot of green. How does your family celebrate St. Patrick's Day? https://lmsafe.co/fNv8

This is some great information and doesn't just apply to commercial policies.

5 Forces Driving Commercial Auto Insurance Costs What's driving the increase in commercial auto insurance rates upward trend? Explore five factors that have significantly impacted the rates for commercial auto.

Make sure you get any changes made before Sales Closing!

There is some great tips throughout this post on preparing for Wildfire as well as great tips for what to do after there is a fire.

Consumer alert: Kreidler’s advice for claims from wildfire damage | Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner Notes for Washington consumers on preparing for, and recovering after, a wildfire

PSA: I don't usually post deep dive insurance information, but I definitely do when I feel it’s relevant for the masses. Right now, it’s that time. I hope that you find the below information useful, and I hope that it helps explain what is happening in the insurance world today. It won’t matter what carrier you are with, this is an industry wide issue.
The insurance marketplace is tightening up and it's happening fast. It’s happening especially fast for home and auto insurance companies. This is regardless of what state you are in, however California, Florida, Louisiana and Texas are being hit especially hard. Carriers are pulling a full hard stop on issuing any new policies across the country, and carriers that have NOT put a moratorium on binding new coverage, are actually just leaving the market or they are selling to other carriers/merging. They simply can't operate profitably in this inflationary market. *EVERY DAY* we are hearing about a pause on new business, or a carrier putting a full stop on writing new policies. Some carriers are requiring *full premium payment* up front for new business or requiring a 20 to 30 day hold on new applications. Carriers may shift underwriting guidelines, so they *only* want preferred business… no claims within 5 years (not 3 anymore), home and auto bundles, etc. Some carriers will NOT reinstate coverage if it lapses, no matter the reason.
The market is disrupted, and it WILL affect you. If it hasn’t yet, it will. I have personally seen premiums double and triple what they were the year before.
The cost of claims has risen exponentially in the past 2 years, thus resulting in the carriers having to raise premiums or pull out of some markets. In some states, carriers have applied for rate increases, but have not been able to get them approved, so they simply shut down for new business.
If you have an auto or home insurance policy, your rates have gone up, and if they haven’t, they will. This isn’t personal, it’s not based on a claim you may or may not have had, it’s simply the cost of doing business. If you have *not* gotten a rate increase, be prepared for one at your next renewal, if you get renewal terms at all.
♦The cost to rebuild your home is up dramatically due to the rising cost of materials and labor. Supply chain for materials continues to be an issue. We can all agree that everything has gone up in price. Carriers simply can’t survive paying these higher prices without charging more themselves.
♦The cost to repair your car is up dramatically due to the rising cost of auto parts and labor to fix your car. In addition, parts in vehicles now include some technology features. Replacing a side mirror or windshield used to be $500 - now it’s more than triple that.
♦The cost of medical care continues to skyrocket. Bodily injury on auto accidents is off the charts.
♦Litigation is expensive and settlements are rising at an unprecedented rate.
♦Both the frequency and severity of auto accidents are WAY up post COVID along with the rising frequency of auto fatalities.
♦Reinsurance (the insurance your insurance carrier buys to help cushion catastrophic loss) is at or approaching capacity in many markets, and rising rates are unsustainable.
This is a significant issue affecting the property & casualty industry, and pricing correction is anticipated at least through 2024. It won’t be for forever, but it is here now.
There are some things you can do to help get through this current insurance market:
📌Consider Higher Deductibles. This will help save some money on your policy.
📌Safe Driving Telematic Programs. Telematics can reward you by giving you a discount for good driving.
📌Discount Reviews - make sure you're getting everything you're entitled to. Every carrier has different discount opportunities. Make sure you go over those with your agent.
📌DO NOT let your policy cancel or lapse *for any reason*. Carriers are not reinstating coverage as easily as they once did. If it does cancel, they may require premium in full before reinstating. This is across the board for every line of coverage.
📌Bundle your Auto and Home for more discounts and more stable pricing. Bundled/Packaged policies most always include better coverage and benefits, and the cost savings is usually 10-15% (or more) on each policy. Many business risks can also bundle options.
📌Consider tenure - jumping companies too often will hurt you in the long run. In addition, some carriers won’t take you as a new client if you have less than two years with a carrier. And more importantly, carriers are getting off of some risks if a claim happens in the new business term or for the number of claims in a 3-5 year window. Tenure matters with a carrier.
📌Follow the laws so you don’t get any tickets. Those tickets really add rate to your policy and stay on your record 3-5 years, depending on the carrier.
📌Absorb small claims when you're able and save coverage for catastrophic losses. Talk with your agent and let them claims counsel you should a loss happen. Stop using your towing or roadside assistance as a maintenance policy. Frequency of claims REALLY matters. A lot.
Lastly, please remember that we are agents for the carriers. We don’t make the rules, we don’t have control over the rates, and we don’t make the decision if your policy is cancelled by the carriers. We are here to help educate, make sure you have the best insurance for your situation, manage your account with the carrier, and claims counsel when needed. We are doing our best to manage carrier changes with client needs.
I hope this message explains a little bit of what is going on in the insurance marketplace. Please be nice to your insurance agent - they are also taking the same increases, navigating carrier changes and doing their best to help you through this.
❤Thank you to some really smart agents that helped put this together and is being shared widely.

It's that magical time of year when you get to play the guessing game of "Is that a fire?" NOPE just a farmer prepping his field for planting.

Add these ten national parks to your summer must-see travel list.

The 10 Best National Parks To Visit In The Summer These parks in Washington, Montana, North Carolina and other states are perfect for a summer visit.

Safeco Home or Landlord Protection® policyholders: Did you know you have a free wildfire response benefit? That means Safeco's partner will remove combustible items, apply a fire gel or take other proactive steps to protect your property in case of a wildfire. Contact us to learn more. Available in AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA and WY.

Free wildfire response benefit Safeco Home or Landlord Protection® policyholders: Did you know you have a free wildfire response benefit? That means we’ll remove combustible items, apply a fire gel or take other proactive steps to protect your property in case of a wildfire. Contact us to learn more. Available in AZ, CA, CO, I...

Check out these great reminders for Safe Summer Driving.

Summertime Safe Driving Summer is here and that means that there will be more people on the streets making neighborhood driving more dangerous! Keep these reminders in mind for a happy and safe summer season.

This is a great Spring Checklist. Things you should check now for maintenance before they become an issue.

Spring Cleaning: 6 Ways to Help Homeowners Prevent Losses Agents can help clients understand that spring isn't just a time to prepare their home for the season ahead, it's also a time to check for damage done during the winter months before it becomes an insurance claim.

Did you now we also sell Life Insurance?

Spring is almost here - Time to thing about those Spring Chores!

I'm thinking they need both!

So who watch's the game and who watch's the commercials?

The Best Super Bowl Commercials of All Time From Volkswagen to Budweiser to Old Spice, these advertisers have proven that you don't need much more than a minute to make something memorable

Now that you have learned the different ways to stay safe while riding your snowmobile. Take this quick quiz to test your knowledge. https://safecosocialshare.page.link/B7A1z

Snowmobile Safety Test | Safe Riders! Safety Awareness Course Test your knowledge of snowmobile safety with this comprehensive test based on the Safe Riders! Snowmobile Safety Awareness Program course.

Today's snowmobile safety section provides tips on how to avoid dangers like impaired operation, speed and careless operation, roads and railroads, ice, and avalanches. https://safecosocialshare.page.link/zYuXY

Impaired Operation | Dangers to Avoid | Safe Riders! Using text and videos the Safe Riders! Snowmobile Safety Awareness Program explains how alcohol and drugs affect operation of a snowmobile.

In today's snowmobile safety week post we'll learn a wide range of safe riding tips including starting your snowmobile; riding positions, and hand signals. https://safecosocialshare.page.link/bDd6P

Starting Your Snowmobile | Riding Tips | Safe Riders! Safe Riders! Snowmobile Safety Awareness Program’s tips for starting your snowmobile and pre-ride checklists for safe and enjoyable snowmobiling.