Hey guys. Welcome back to another Minute Monday. I'm here to talk about FEMA flood insurance 2.0. What does that mean? For the first time in 50 years, FEMA is changing their flood insurance rates. In the past it was pretty black and white. If you're in a high risk flood zone, you got to get a survey, an elevation certificate and your rate can vary based on your elevation. If you were in a low risk zone, then you had a standard rate. It was the same for everybody. The problem was a lot of people in those low risk zones had six feet of water during Harvey so they really weren't low risk. So now FEMA is actually rating every property individually for its own flood insurance rate, which is fair because that's why FEMA is so behind on claims. They were underpaying and paying out a large amount of claims. But my point is we're in Houston, flood insurance is really important. If you don't have a relationship with your insurance agent, give us a shout.

Hey, everyone. Mark Rafail here. Another Minute Monday. Thanks for tuning in. This week, I want to talk about what's the difference between us and those 1-800 number insurance companies and going online. The difference is you're talking to somebody in a different state. It's an employee, and you're the insurance agent. They're asking you, "Well, what do you want?" And then when you go on online, you're plugging what you think is good insurance. Well, I'm here to tell you, having an insurance agent is really valuable, because the one time you get in a real accident, somebody goes to the hospital, and you're on the hook for a couple hundred thousand or millions, if God forbid, somebody passed away. Those 1-800 numbers are going to say, "Here's your check for 30 grand, because you picked the state minimum liability." So I'm here to tell you, give us an opportunity to review your insurance, even if it's not with us. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks, and tune in next week.

Howdy, everybody. Mark Rafail here for another Minute Monday. I had to drop a little rap for you. Today we're going to talk about the claims process for your business, home, or auto. A lot of times people get really happy to call the claims number and make a claim. Well, I'll give you an example. Let's say you have a $300,000 house and your deductible is 1 or 2% of that $300,000, so $3,000 or $6,000. You spot a little leak, you call the plumber out, and they say it costs $1,200 to fix. Well, now you've opened a claim. It's on your record and it's going to follow you, even if it's a zero payout. Why is that? Insurance companies are smart. They've done their research. They see the claims that get made even at zero payout eventually make a claim. So, first rule, call your agent and let them advise you to get an estimate before you make a claim on your business, your home, or your car to make sure it's well over your deductible and worth it. Tune in next week, guys. Bye.

Every September, the industry — led by Life Happens — comes together to sponsor Life Insurance Awareness Month. This campaign is designed to educate consumers about the importance of life insurance and the role it plays in protecting families’ financial security. LIMRA is proud to support Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM).

Every September, the industry — led by Life Happens — comes together to sponsor Life Insurance Awareness Month. This campaign is designed to educate consumers about the importance of life insurance and the role it plays in protecting families’ financial security. LIMRA is proud to support Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM).

Every September, the industry — led by Life Happens — comes together to sponsor Life Insurance Awareness Month. This campaign is designed to educate consumers about the importance of life insurance and the role it plays in protecting families’ financial security. LIMRA is proud to support Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM).

Every September, the industry — led by Life Happens — comes together to sponsor Life Insurance Awareness Month. This campaign is designed to educate consumers about the importance of life insurance and the role it plays in protecting families’ financial security. LIMRA is proud to support Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM).

Top flood insurance agent, Mark Rafail, talks about insurance myths with the Atascosita Community Response Team.