Did I mention that its official?

As of this week, I have passed all of my tests, completed most of the required "Country Learning", and been officially appointed with Country Insurance and Financial Services.

What does this mean? This means that I am legally allowed to consult with you on your financial future (retirement, education and long-term planning) and evaluate your risk exposures (home, auto, life, disability and long-term care insurance needs). While I am only able to write insurance policies in Washington, I am licensed to work with you on your financial planning in all 50 states. I'm working on getting Country to allow me to also write life, long-term care and disability in other states, as the need arises.

A few things you should know about Country. The are pretty conservative, which means they have high standards for how they do business and with whom they do business.

For example, I can't write business policies for my friends in the restaurant business who serve alcohol. Crazy? Not really. The idea behind insurance is you are transferring your risk of loss to someone else. You want your insurance company to cover other people like you, so that the risk is manageable, so that the company will keep rates consistent and be around for a long time. Plus, they feel its reflective of their background (they were the first to provide specific farm and crop insurance - before Country, farmers had to buy full value business insurance and most couldn't afford it), supports their commitment to serving their communities and allows them to provide the most value to their customers.

This isn't to say we won't get creative. I'm working on a "Business Owners Policy" to cover Lisa's home-based jewelry business. A typical homeowner's policy won't cover the jewelry, even with a jewelry rider or schedule, due to the fact that she uses it for business pursuits. The reality is, our former agent may have assured us that the jewelry rider we paid him for will cover it, but as soon as the company finds out she uses it (even if its as a sample) for business, they will deny the claim. All that extra money, and its not covered.

I wouldn't ever claim to be an expert in every situation, but this is a good example of my willingness and ability to help you figure out what you need, even if you are insured with another company or working with another planner. This is the career I chose. The point is to serve my friends, family and community regardless of them working with Country, and have faith that God will continue to provide for us (thankfully, that will never change).

Don't hesitate to drop me a line with any questions. Will always do my best to help you out and/or refer you to the people who can.