Agency Yu

We all know there is a rowdy group of bandits circling Houston, smashing people’s car windows and running away with anything they can grab. It’s happened to two of my friends in the past month. And they didn’t leave their cars parked in some ghetto club parking lot either. It happened in a business parking garage in the Galleria area in the middle of the day.

So until the bandits are caught, here’s some inside scoop to help you out.

If your car window is smashed by the bandits, your car insurance will pay the cost to repair the window. But do you know who pays for the items stolen?

Well, probably you.

Here’s why. Your vehicle is covered under your auto insurance policy. But auto policies do not cover the contents inside your car, like the purse you leave in the seat or the laptop you hide under your coat in the back. Those items are covered under your homeowners insurance. Even if your car is broken into while parked at HEB, the contents still fall under homeowners insurance policies.

There is a reason this matters to you.  Lately Leash and his office are answering phone calls from window smashing victims calling in and wanting to file a claim on their homeowners insurance in order to recoup the losses from a stolen two thousand dollar purse plus the four hundred dollar phone that was inside it. However, the average deductible is around $2500. And when you take into account losing any “claims free” discounts, which could be up to $500 annually for five years after the loss, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to file a claim on your homeowners insurance policy.

A good rule of thumb is this: If the items stolen from your vehicle would cost $2500 over your deductible to replace, then you should file a claim. Totally the thing to do if one of the bandits is hanging out with his bandit gang and carrying your $5000 handbag to the clubs. The nerve…

The moral of this story is, don’t leave anything in your car unattended for any amount of time. Several of these smash-n-go’s have occurred while someone was simply running back into the house to grab a forgotten grocery list.

Or, just make sure you leave really pricey stuff in your car so that insurance will cover it when it’s lifted.

Finally, one more bit of juicy gossip I’ve picked up at Agency Yu. The typical homeowners insurance policy only covers a maximum of $1000 for stolen jewelry.  Fine if you own a grand of jewels, not so fine if you are like a guy I know whose home was robbed of $75K jewelry.  But ah HA! –  He didn’t have the TYPICAL home insurance policy. Second lesson of the day: review your insurance policy with your agent to make sure that you have adequate coverage.

Happy Ten Year Anniversary to Agency Yu! For the big day, the insurance agency has decided to borrow some ideas from my own technology themed tenth birthday (it was a Nintendo party), and incorporate some innovative gadgetry into their celebration. Specifically, Agency Yu has created a website.

Yep, in 2012 … just now getting a website.

Turns out, the only web addresses left were www.AgencyYu.com and www.AwkwardPsychoKillers.net. Whew! That was a close one.

Let me explain. While some other insurance agents have been squandering their time tinkering with flashy websites and holographic business cards for the past ten years, Agency Yu has been insuring people just like you (and decorating the office). They’ve been securing an awesome team of people who know what they’re doing, and wowing their clients with their personal approach to doing business.

I sat down with Leash Yu to find out a bit more about how they’ve been so successful. I kind of hoped he’d be wearing a pin striped suit while propping his feet on a really high desk and smoking a cigar. No luck. He was just a very friendly guy dressed even cooler than me (and I spend a lot of time thinking about clothes):

Office Snoop: So, Leash, with no website, how in the world do you get business?

Leash: I think people just feel sorry for me. And I return calls. I heard once that you’re eighty percent more likely to get someone’s business if you return their call.

Office Snoop: Good thinking Leash. What do you insure?

Leash: Homes, cars, jewelry, wine … everything.

Office Snoop: How does that work? You give someone a check when their car is wrecked?

Leash: I’m kind of like a Target. You can go to Target and buy lots of things, but Target gets those products from somewhere else. So I’m the guy who gets on the phone with Nationwide, Pure, Safeco, Progressive, Chubb, or whoever, and makes sure my clients get the best policy. I’m a middleman. Do you like this belt? (Motioning toward an open catalog on his desk)

Office Snoop: Um, yes that’s a nice belt. So, what do you do for fun?

Leash: Hang out with my family. I also run a lot and work out.

Office Snoop: Have you always worked in insurance?

Leash: No! I used to be a toilet paper salesman. Do you want something to drink? Water? Dr. Pepper? Candy corn?

Office Snoop: I’m good, thanks. That’s all my questions for now. I’ll pick your brain more later when we want to fill folks in on the ins and outs of insurance. This was just for people to see how nice you are. Thanks for your time, Agency Yu! (Exits, with no candy corn in hand)

For the next few months, I’ll be poking around Leash’s office and learning everything I can about the inner workings of this business. I vow to write about it in a way that hopefully won’t leave you slumbering on your keyboard (I mean, it is insurance), and might even provide pointers on protecting your goods. Stay tuned to find out more about insurance, Agency Yu, candy corn, and how to insure your 1947 Château Cheval Blanc.