Todd Elliott Farm Bureau Insurance - Q&A
I was talking to Todd the other day and insurance usually comes up at some point (he’s really into it, that and Hartland football). I thought maybe it would be a good time for Todd to explain in his own words some of the things he sees as an insurance agent and how he approaches his job as an agent. There is some valuable insight in here for anyone who has insurance policies.
Where do you live/work and how long have you been doing it?
Howell, Michigan but my office is close by in Brighton. I’ve been a Farm Bureau Agent for 3 Years.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Hunting Fishing, Golf, I Spend most of my free time giving back to the community. I coach varsity high school football at Hartland, as well as do a mentorship program at Howell elementary schools.
What kind of insurance policies do you write?
Home, Auto, Business, Farm, Lake Estates, Rental properties, and Life Insurance
What is the best part about the job?
Simply helping people, every person who calls me gets the same experience. Yes I’d love to be your insurance agent, but I’m a big believer in leave things better than you found it. I focus on educating people on what they are covered for and why those coverages are in place. Then we go over what those coverages should be based on the conversations we have. Sometimes rates don’t work out to where I can get someone to come over to Farm Bureau. I’ll give them a detailed list of things they should take back to their current carrier or for other quotes to make sure they are covered correctly.
What are the most common mistakes you see with peoples insurance policies?
The most common problem I see is that people are just simply under insured. That comes in many different forms, from liability not being enough to cover their assets and future earnings ( yes you can be sued for money you haven’t even made yet). To policies that haven’t been looked at in 10 years, where the home value is now a $100,000 more to replace. The most common thing I do see, is that peoples other structures coverage isn’t correct. All insurance companies give the insured an automatic 10% on this coverage of their home value. So a 300k home gets 30k in other structures. But with the price of things and what people have built simply isn’t enough. Most good-sized pole barns are 80-100k to build now. With the crazy weather we have been having imagine getting a check for 30k when you built it for that much.
Are there any perks to Farm Bureau Insurance?
There are lots of perks that come with Farm Bureau Insurance, some seen and some unseen until you need them. First we do partner with many athletic programs like MSU Basketball, Michigan Softball, and the Detroit Pistons to give out free tickets to out members. There are also gas and hotel discounts as well as Ford, Dicks Sporting Goods, and OnX, just to name a few.
Some of the perks you don’t see is that we are a Michigan only Company. Insurance rates are only effected by what happens in Michigan. National insurance companies charge across the board for hurricanes and wildfires because they have to. Also when a claim does happen you get a person and not a call center that is with you through the claims process. We try to offer a very unique experience to our clients that most other companies cant replicate.
When is a good time for someone to review their policies?
NOW! Most people’s insurance simply isn’t done right. If you want to make sure you’re properly protected, don’t wait for your renewal to have an advisor go over it. Get in contact with someone you can trust. I know most people think that nothing bad will happen to them or their home (and lets hope it doesn’t). But sometimes it does, if you weren’t properly covered it could potentially cost you 10’s of thousands of dollars.
How can someone contact you?
Email, office phone, cell phone, or Facebook, I like to be open for clients when they have time. I Understand we all have Jobs and sometimes the 9-5 hours simply don’t allow for people to make the changes they need. Every one of my clients gets my cell for the times they just need to send a text, or are thinking of a coverage they heard about while out somewhere. Is it a immediate answer all the time? No, but I’ve never not responded within a few hours. I like to think that’s better service than places who are Monday-Friday 9-5.
Todd Elliott Agency
Owner
MultiLine Agent | Farm Bureau Insurance MI
210 S East ST, Suite 1, Brighton MI 48116
P: 517-312-1775 | T. 248.486.4160 | F: 810-518-8502