Agent vs Online Quote

Agent vs. Internet—Which One Gets the Best Deal on Auto Insurance?

The internet gives consumers access to multiple insurance quoting systems that can help them save time and money when shopping for auto insurance. Often, consumers assume that these valuable quote algorithms give them access to the same service as a local agent and choose to use them instead of an insurance professional. Unfortunately, this is probably a mistake.

Discovering Opportunities for Discounts

An insurance agent can interact with you, find out about your life and driving habits, and help identify possible discounts that you are qualified to get. This one-on-one contact better allows an agent to ferret out these important discounts, something that an internet algorithm simply can’t do. Each day, insurers are developing new opportunities for discounts including for items like cell phone apps that can be employed while driving to keep a driver’s focus on the road. Online algorithms don’t stand a chance against an agent when it comes to keeping up with these developments.

Reviewing and Understanding Coverage Options

There are many different coverage options that you can choose from when shopping for auto insurance, and each will affect your quote and risk exposure differently. When sitting at home, trying to navigate online quote systems, it can be next to impossible to figure out what coverages you need, what limits to choose and what deductibles are reasonable. Agents can help you go through the coverage options and tweak limits and deductibles so you get a policy that is both affordable and helpful in the event of an accident.

Working with Various Companies

The algorithms you use online for auto insurance quotes have access to a limited and fixed number of insurance companies. This does not give you the broad range of options that your local auto insurance agent will. In addition, because agents work with these companies on a one-on-one basis every day, they know how each company handles its underwriting and this can help get you matched up with a company that is going to get you the best rates for your situation.

Auto insurance is an important and often required coverage to carry. In order to get multiple quotes and the best price for you, there’s no need to rely on websites. Instead, you can get the service of a live and thinking agent who knows how to get you the best deals on insurance and where to put your policy so you can afford the premium.


Be sure you're getting the best deal on your Austin Car Insurance from Evans Ewan & Brady Insurance today!

Austin Car Insurance - Adjusting Your Car Insurance Policy

A car insurance policy is not a static line of coverage. Oh sure, it can be, but it really shouldn’t be. After all your life changes, as do the medical and liability expenses that can accompany an accident.

This means that you must make an effort at least annually to make adjustments to your car insurance policy in order to ensure that it is as effective and accurate as you need it to be.

Annual Car Insurance Adjustments to Consider

Adjust your average annual miles driven: Your insurer needs to know about how many miles you drive per year in order to assess what kind of risk you pose to them. Every year, make sure you report any major changes to them.

Take advantage of applicable discounts: You can get discounts when you add anti-theft devices to your car, such as alarms and steering wheel locking devices. In addition, some apps—like the State Farm iPhone app, Steer Clear—offer drivers discounts when they are downloaded and utilized. And don’t forget the discounts you get for taking defensive driving classes. Every year before you renew, consider which of these discounts you might now qualify for.

Learn more about some of the other things in your current life that could affect  your car policy.

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006. Austin has a population of 790,390 (2010 U.S. Census). The city is the cultural and economic center of the Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos metropolitan area, with a population of over 1,716,291 (2010 U.S. Census), making it the 35th-largest metropolitan area in the United States.

Evans, Ewan & Brady Insurance Agency, Inc has been serving the needs of Texas drivers since 1928.  There are many options when it comes to car insurance and our agency can help tailor a policy to fit your specific needs. Now is the best time to get your car insurance information to us. Regardless of the renewal date of your current policy, we always recommend you submit your information to us and allow us to comparatively quote your car insurance. Better price is just a click away!

Call us today at (512) 869-1511 for a free Austin car insurance quote.

Understanding the Difference between In-Network and Out of Network

Between deductibles, limits, maximums and co-insurance percentages, it can be pretty challenging to understand all the ins and outs of your health insurance policy. But in order to utilize the policy properly and make health care decisions that your policy affords you coverage for, you need to take the time to understand all of these terms. By far, one of the most confusing concepts is that of in-network and out-of-network providers, but it’s also one of the most important when it comes to choosing health care providers.

In-Network Providers
Your insurance company has worked with a group of medical treatment providers and facilities to deliver treatment to insurance policyholders at a pre-negotiated price. When you see one of these individuals or go to one of these centers, it is considered to be an in-network visit. This entitles you to in-network coverage which will have a lower co-insurance cost and lower overall service price than an out-of-network visit.

Out-of-Network Providers
In some insurance policies, you might have no coverage at all if you see an out-of-network provider unless it’s an emergency and there was no in-network option available. Some policies allow for a reduced co-insurance payment if you see an out-of-network provider.

Find out more about your Round Rock Health Insurance options from Evans, Ewan & Brady today!

Recovering from a Fire

Putting your life together is difficult after any traumatic event, but after a fire it can be especially challenging. Not only will you need to deal with the emotional aftermath of the event, but you also need to organize the belongings that you have which are salvageable while arranging a place for your family to live for as long as it will take to make your home livable again. When you understand all the steps you need to take after a fire BEFORE it happens to you, you might be better prepared to deal with the aftermath. Here is a list to help you in the event that you are affected by a fire.

1. First, make sure you and your family have a safe place to stay. Make sure you have a place to sleep, clothes to wear and a place to bathe. If you need certain medications that you no longer have access to or you need eyeglasses, prosthetics, food or any other basic living essential, contact your local charitable and emergency management organizations like the Red Cross and they should be able to offer you a temporary supply or contact information to a group that can.
2. Notify your loved ones about where you will be so that they know you are in a safe place. Your fire might make the evening news, and leaving your friends and other loved ones to find out about it that way is probably not a good idea. Make some calls and ask others to spread the word for you so that no one in your circle is unduly concerned about your family’s well being.
3. Do not linger on the premises until you get the all-clear from the police and fire department.
4. Call your insurance company to have an adjuster come out as soon as possible. You should do your best to leave the site intact until the adjuster arrives. Do not sort through the rubble or begin any cleanup efforts until after the insurance adjuster has met with you and completed the list of personal effects that are missing or damaged. You should also give your adjuster copies of any pictures you have of your home and contents taken before the fire.

Read the full story. For more details about how to safely handle yourself after a fire, you can visit the U.S. Fire Administration website.

Call us at 512-869-1511 for more details on home insurance in Round Rock, Georgetown or Killeen Texas.

Homeowners Insurance Covers more than Your Home

When many people think of their homeowners insurance policy, they think simply of the actual home itself; of the structure whose roof rests over their head each night. But your homeowners insurance policy, when understood properly, is so much more than just simple protection for your dwelling and attached structures. In fact, it contains many different categories of coverage that you may eventually find useful.

1. Loss of use: Have you ever considered where you would go if there was a fire in your home that made it uninhabitable until repairs were completed? And who would pay for the temporary dwelling you must inhabit? Your homeowners policy, if it has loss of use coverage, would pay for the hotel, apartment or other suitable dwelling you need to run to for safety after an insurable event.
2. Liability: Sure, a pool party sounds like a lot of fun, but you never know whether or not one of your guests might get hurt during a backyard brouhaha. And it isn’t just parties that keep you exposed to injury liability—a neighbor tripping on your walkway or a stray branch falling on someone’s car can also result in a costly claim against you. Your homeowners insurance liability portion can protect your personal finances against these claims.

If you are unsure of all the different items your Round Rock homeowners insurance protects, find out more at Evans, Ewan & Brady today.

Insuring Your Jewelry

If you just look at its surface, you can see that jewelry is made up of precious gems and metals. But if you take a deeper look—into the lives behind the jewelry—you can see its additional, and staggering, significance in our lives. A ring symbolizes a husband and wife's pledge to build a life together, a gold bracelet demonstrates parents' love for their daughter as she enters adulthood, or an antique heirloom brooch represents a family's legacy, lovingly passed down through multiple generations. Losing jewelry, or having it damaged or stolen, often hurts us more than the loss of a television or a wallet because not only must we cope with the loss of an item of financial value, we also must grapple with the loss of a cherished memory and tangible representation of emotion. Fortunately, a jewelry insurance policy can go a long way toward mitigating the loss.

Homeowner's insurance policies usually cap the maximum amount paid out for jewelry.

To learn how much of your jewelry is covered by your Georgetown TX Homeowners Insurance policy, read the rest of this story from Evans, Ewan & Brady Insurance Agency.

The facts about insurance regulation in Texas

by Steve Pociask | Star-Telegram | October 20, 2010

When an industry is subject to government price regulation, it becomes a political issue in every election. This year is no different.

Bill White and Rick Perry are trading barbs about the regulation of insurance prices in Texas, with Perry bragging about his strong regulation and White complaining about lax regulation. Driving the discussion is the high price of homeowners insurance in Texas.

As Patrick Moynihan once said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." So when politicians call for increased regulation of homeowners insurance rates and portray the industry as profitable price-gougers, it's worth noting that these positions miss some very important facts.

First, Texas does have large coastal areas and severe weather in other parts of the state, which explains in part why rates are higher.

Second, insurance rates are already subject to extensive price regulation by the Texas Department of Insurance, to the point that the insurance commissioner can force companies to lower rates and refund premiums even if they have been in place for years. The commissioner also approves or disapproves the rates for the state-governed high-risk pool for coastal and other high-risk properties, disallowing rate increases requested by the staff and board, and thereby putting the fund at risk of insolvency. So, if the current regulatory system is a failure, it can hardly be blamed on the lack of price regulation.

Third, what politicians do not point out is that the regulations themselves are partly responsible for the state's higher rates. Regulators routinely try to push mandated benefits and extra costs into premiums, including regulatory compliance costs, evacuation costs and so on. The state windstorm fund and high-risk pool are undercapitalized for the next major storm, but they will be bailed out by forcing assessments onto insurance companies, who include these regulatory risks and costs into the rates of other consumers. One American Consumer Institute study estimated that regulations add $200 to Texans' average premium. If you want to find a state with lowest homeowners insurance rates, just look for the states with competition-driven insurance markets and less regulatory interference.

Fourth, there is no economic theory that justifies the rate regulation of an industry with so many competitors -- about 125 in Texas. If one company raises its prices too high, there is an opportunity for 124 others to win market share. That is how price competition works. However, when regulators set the price, there is no price competition -- and consumers lose.

Fifth and last, average underwriting profits for the homeowners insurance industry has been negative over the last 10 years. Artificially decreasing prices through more rate controls would send companies packing, decrease underwriting capital that protects consumers, and increase insolvencies. This is already the case in Florida, where politically motivated rate regulation has run amok, many insurance firms have left or gone belly-up, and some consumers are buying two homeowners policies because of insolvencies -- and all of this without a single hurricane in Florida in the last five years. Did I mention that prices are the highest in Florida?

Price regulation is a failure and harms consumers. Demonizing the insurance industry may be a short-term political strategy, but it's a reckless one, because solvency regulation is much more important than price regulation. When prices go too low, consumers aren't assured that their claims will be paid. What then is the purpose of insurance? Some politicians need to check their facts, if they really want to "stick up for consumers." A better public policy would be to attract capital into the state, prevent insolvency and encourage price competition. That is, if the facts matter.

Check with us at Evans, Ewan & Brady to see if your Georgetown TX Homeowners Insurance is right for you!