3 Tips for Buying Life Insurance in Missouri

Living in Missouri comes with so many advantages; the great outdoors, friendly people, and great sports. If you’re lucky enough to call Eureka, MO home, then you’ve found your paradise. Now, you’ll want to protect this amazing life you built by purchasing life insurance. Not sure how to get started? At Focus Insurance, we’ve put together three quick tips that will help you navigate the process a little better and show you how to save money on your life insurance policy in the process.

1. Compare Several Quotes

Your first step should be to compare several life insurance quotes. Not all policies have the same coverage and costs, so be sure to go over these factors with an insurance agent to fully understand what you’re getting and for what price. 

2. Bundle Your Policies

To save money on your new life insurance policy, bundle it with your other policies. Insurance companies love to reward their customers and will offer you a discount on your premiums when you bundle.

3. Work with a Reputable Agent

The purpose of life insurance is to financially protect your loved ones after you pass. Once you’re gone, your life insurance policy will kick in and help cover costs like burial expenses, paying off debt, day-to-day living expenses for your family and more. By working with a reputable agent from Focus Insurance, you will be able to find the right policy for your particular circumstances. A trusted agent will answer all your questions and concerns, help you compare quotes, and find ways to save you money on your premiums.

To learn more about purchasing life insurance, contact us today by calling or visiting our office in Eureka, MO. Our friendly agents are standing by to take your call. 

When Minimum Liability Coverage Doesn’t Cut It

In Missouri, drivers are required to carry two types of auto insurance:  liability and uninsured motorist.  Minimum liability amounts are defined by the state as 25/50/25.  The first 25 represents $25,000 in bodily injury for each person.  Fifty thousand is for bodily injury per accident.  The final $25,000 is for property damage.  While this seems like a lot of coverage, liability insurance only covers the medical expenses of the other person in an accident where you’re are at fault.  In the Eureka, MO area, the agents at Focus Insurance can answer all your questions.

If you cause an accident, your liability insurance will cover the other person’s expenses.  You will be responsible for your own medical and repair costs out of pocket.  Moreover, if their medical expenses exceed the policy cap, they have the right to sue you for the additional funds.  In that case, you will also be responsible for their legal fees.  Suddenly those minimum liability insurance coverage limits seem rather limiting.  

To protect yourself financially, the better option is a more comprehensive insurance policy.  A comprehensive and collision policy will take care of you even if you are hit by an uninsured/underinsured motorist.  It will cover your repair costs and medical expenses.  Many policies will also provide a rental car while your own is being fixed.  If the vehicle is a total loss, it will pay to replace it in most cases.  It will also support you if the vehicle is stolen.  It’s easy to see that for a small investment, this is a better, safer option for you and your family.

The team at Focus Insurance work with drivers throughout the Eureka, MO area.  Don’t wait until an accident happens, visit them today to discover the better way to protect yourself and your car.

3 Tips for Protecting Your Home While You’re On Vacation

Going on vacation is a time to relax and let go of the frustrations associated with everyday life. The agents of Focus Insurance are dedicated to helping Eureka, MO residents relax while they are away by giving them the peace of mind they need to feel secure. They can provide many tips on how to protect your home from intruders, keeping everything safe and secure until you arrive home.

Set a Timer for Your Lights

Timers can be used for both your indoor and outdoor lights, making it look like you are at home and that you are moving from one room to another. Timers are set to times that recreate your normal schedule so that it appears you are keeping the same routine.

Stop Newspaper and Mail Delivery

Piles of newspapers and mail in the mailbox are a dead giveaway to intruders that no one is home. Make sure to stop both deliveries prior to your leaving. The post office will hold your mail and re-establish service once you return home. 

Install a Home Security System

Installing a home security system will accomplish several things. First, a professionally monitored system will ensure that any alerts will result in local authorities being notified. Secondly, most systems offer a mobile app that can be placed on your smartphone or tablet, allowing you an opportunity to view your home at any time and from anywhere.

The agents at Focus Insurance will help you prepare for your vacation and give you a variety of tips you can follow to secure your home before you leave. If you live in Eureka, MO, schedule your meeting today so you can enjoy your vacation tomorrow. 

Insurance Coverage for Teenage Boat Drivers

Is your teen looking forward to being able to drive your family’s boat this summer? If you are adding a teenager to your crew, you may want to take another look at your boat insurance policy. The team at Focus Insurance understands that as your family grows and changes your insurance needs do to. Boat owners in the greater Eureka, MO area have long relied on our professional team to get the information and guidance that they need to better understand their boat insurance options. Because teenaged captains are less experienced, you may want to review your current policy and ensure that it provides the protection that you need.

Comprehensive Boat Coverage for All Drivers

Boating is something that most of us get better at with experience. As we understand how the water behaves we are better able to captain a boat safely. Even the most conscientious boat drivers can make mistakes, and when a young person is just starting to learn the ropes accidents can happen. Don’t let your teenager cause a mishap that could potentially cause your family to lose your craft. There are policies available that provide protection from liability, damage, and other losses. It is important that everyone who operates your boat understand how to keep the vessel and its passengers safe. Many policies will recommend that all operators take a safety course each year to refresh their skills and stay abreast of new information and regulations. When a teenager is starting to learn more about safe boat operation, these courses are quite helpful.

Want to find out more about how a comprehensive boat insurance policy can protect all operators of your vessel? The professional team at Focus Insurance is here to help you fully protect your Eureka, MO area boat.

How Do I Keep From Losing Everything If I Get Sued?

Besides worrying about making payroll and increasing sales, small business owners say that what keeps them up at night is worrying about being sued. There are plenty of good reasons to worry about this. Statistics about lawsuits in America show that businesses have a 100% probability of facing a lawsuit if they have been operating for more than a few years. In other words, it is not about if the business will be sued, it is simply a question of when it will be sued.

Protecting Your Net Worth

As a business owner, you are at risk of losing your business and potentially losing everything you have if there is a lawsuit against you and you lose. Statistic show that 75% of these lawsuits experienced by small businesses are frivolous. Even those may represent significant expenses in legal fees that are needed to be paid to protect yourself. The insurance solution that may provide protection for some of these risks is umbrella insurance.

How does umbrella insurance work?

Umbrella insurance extends the policy limits of other policies that are covered by the umbrella insurance. For example, a business may have a $1 million policy limit on commercial vehicle insurance. If the business loses a lawsuit and the claim is more than $1 million, umbrella insurance may cover the difference. If the business also has umbrella insurance coverage, which extends the commercial vehicle insurance policy limit, it will pay the amount of the claim over $1 million up to the limit of the umbrella insurance.

Typical umbrella insurance limits are in the many millions. Frequently, umbrella policies are $5 million or more. Umbrella insurance may cover the cost of legal expense and risks that are not covered by other policies.

Work with your agent at Focus Insurance, serving Eureka, MO and the surrounding area to design a custom solution of umbrella insurance coverage to protect your net worth, which provides protection for the risks experienced by the business.

Contact your agent at Focus Insurance in Eureka, MO by calling toll-free 866-523-6287 to get a quote for umbrella insurance.

Life insurance as you enter your senior years

Obtaining life insurance when you are first starting out in life makes perfect sense. You will want to provide for your spouse and children should an accident or a fatal disease takes you away from your family. But what about life insurance in your senior years? Focus Insurance serving Eureka, MO would like to explain.

First and foremost a life insurance policy as you enter your senior years is a way to pay for your final expenses. These include funeral costs, paying off any outstanding debts, including hospital and other medical bills, and a home mortgage. In that way, your heirs will not be burdened with paying the cost of such expenses.

Second, a life insurance policy is a great way to leave an inheritance to your loved ones. The payout from a life insurance policy is not subject to probate and thus can be distributed to your beneficiaries relatively quickly after your death. Your beneficiaries can include your spouse, your adult children. Or anyone else you choose to designate, such as a business partner.

It should be noted that the younger you are, the less expensive that your premiums will be. That means that you could use the same life insurance policy that you took out when you were young, adjusting details such as the identity of the beneficiaries and other details depending on your changing life circumstances. The older you are, the more difficult it will be to obtain life insurance, though with professional help it is certainly possible.

For more information on the benefits of life insurance as you enter your senior years, feel free to contact Focus Insurance serving Eureka, MO.

Tips for First Time Car Buyers Looking for Auto Insurance

For first-time car buyers, purchasing auto insurance is a big "next step." You probably have many questions regarding how much insurance you need, what it will cost, and how you can save money on an auto insurance policy in Eureka, MO. At Focus Insurance, we’re here to help. Read on to learn some important tips for first time car buyers looking for auto insurance.

The Title

Who owns the title to your new car? If you have a loan, then the bank does. But if you own the vehicle outright, then you own the title. If you’re dealing with a bank loan, then you will need full coverage. However, if you own your car, you only have to purchase the state minimum required by Missouri law.

What Type of Car Did You Buy?

This will affect the price of your insurance. For example, if you purchase a fast sports car, you can expect your insurance to be higher than if you purchase a small, four door sedan. Take this into consideration before you start looking for auto insurance in Missouri.

How Often do You Drive?

If you’re commuting only five or so miles a day, this makes a big difference compared to a commute that takes an hour or longer into a big city. The less you drive your car, the more you can save on your insurance. Talk to an agent at Focus Insurance about this to find out how you can save money by keeping the miles you drive on the low side.

Compare Quotes and Bundle

When looking to purchase auto insurance, you can save money by bundling any other insurance policies you have under one insurance agency. It’s also a good idea to compare at least two or more auto insurance quotes to find the best policy at the right price.

To find out more about purchasing auto insurance in the Eureka, MO area, contact the reputable team at Focus Insurance today.

Because the Home is Where the Heart Is

Insurance is one of the most common ways people protect the things they value. For many in Eureka, MO, that means home insurance because, like most of us, the home is where the heart is. That doesn’t mean, however, than any home insurance policy is the right policy for you. At Focus Insurance, the goal is to do more than offer you home insurance but home insurance that fits.

The Right Insurance Policy

Everything changes and that includes your home. From the size to improvements and upgrades and even location, the right insurance partner is the one that will change with you. One article that discussed the increasing home appreciation value in places like Eureka, MO said this:

"Buyers want to know that the property they are buying is well worth what they are going to pay for it. Fortunately, for those living in or relocating to Missouri the options are plentiful."

While the appreciation of your home is one change, countless others will also contribute to determining what the best policy is for you. That means coverage that meets your needs and protects what you care about because the best plan is the one that fits your home and your life.

Because It’s Home

It may be your first home or your fifth, it is yours, and it is the place you call home. We know all the practical and responsible reasons for protecting our investment, but this is about more than money – this is where the heart is. 

If you need to update your policy, want to compare plans, or if you would just like to know more about our home insurance options, contact us today to schedule an appointment. Home is where the heart is – and we can never be too careful with our heart.

How Boat Insurance Protects Your Passengers

For boat owners, taking on the lakes and rivers of Missouri is one of the best ways to spend your day off. It is even better when you have family and friends on board with you. Before you take your loved ones out on your boat, protect them with quality boat insurance. Focus Insurance, serving the Eureka, MO area, has a boat insurance policy that will protect your guests on the water.

Boat Insurance Requirements and Recommendations

While all boats in Missouri are required to be registered, insurance is highly recommended but not required. However, since boating has become an increasingly popular activity for Missouri residents over the last decade, a relaxing day on the river should be prepared for the unexpected, especially when you are carrying your family and friends out of the water with you. 

Collision

A responsible boat owner is always prepared for unexpected circumstances, including the lack of responsibility by other boat owners. With the increase in watercraft purchases, the traffic on the lake or river will increase, also increasing the risk of accidents. Purchasing boat insurance protects your passengers during these circumstances when they are victim to a collision. Circumstances around these events are already stressful enough with damages and potential bodily injury.

Liability

Unfortunately, liability can also fall to you in certain situations. When this happens, you, as well as your passengers, are also affected. Even if you are not directly responsible, but one of your passengers is, your insurance will cover them, further protecting them in the accident. If this unforeseen event happens to you, any passengers riding with you will be protected by your boat coverage. 

Contact Us Today!

If you reside in Eureka, MO or the surrounding areas and are in need of boating insurance, Focus Insurance has an agent ready to assist you today. 

 

 

What is Umbrella Insurance

When it comes to protecting your home and family, insurance is a significant investment you need to take advantage of. There are a number of insurance possibilities, each with many advantages, including umbrella insurance. At Focus Insurance, our team is here to assist you with all of your insurance needs, so whether you live in Eureka, MO or the surrounding communities, we want to make sure you’re covered. 

What does Umbrella Insurance do?

You invest in specific insurance coverage for varying aspects of your personal and professional life. You have home owner’s insurance, car insurance, boat insurance, and other kinds of coverage based on what you own. However, these kinds of coverages only provide certain levels of liability insurance. If someone slips and falls while they are inside of your home, or walking past on the sidewalk, you may be held responsible and not have the kind of financial assets available to pay for the legal costs. 

This is where umbrella insurance comes in. It provides coverage for everything you own, such as with your boat, car, or your home (it is called umbrella because it covers everything). If you are curious as to whether umbrella insurance is right for you and what you own, you can talk it over with your insurance agent and go over all the details. This way, you’ll know if it is a kind of policy you should add. 

Umbrella insurance is a valuable addition to add to your insurance portfolio. You need to determine what is best for your personal and household needs. Whatever your needs may be, the team at Focus Insurance is here to assist you. So whether you live in or around Eureka, MO, all you need to do is pick up the phone and give the team a call.