FAQ's

HOME INSURANCE

What should I look for when shopping for Home or Condo Insurance in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Naples, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Venice and Sarasota Florida?

First of all, I recommend you do business with an independent agent and one that has been in business 15 plus years. Secondly, you should consider one that has a BBB (Better Business Bureau) rating with no complaints.

Price is very important, but be careful not to fall victim to commission paid agents that gut or strip the policy in order to win the “price only” shopper. The best advice is to deal with an agent that is paid by salary rather than commission as our employees are. They have no incentive to get the deal at any costs and will always keep your interests ahead of their own. You are more likely to get honest advice.

First and foremost REPLACEMENT COST coverage on contents. It’s the difference between getting new for old or garage sale value after a loss.. Secondly, buy the most liability the company will offer.. The difference between $100,000 and $500,000 is usually no more than $15 per year.

The best advice here is to completely understand all the optional coverage’s to determine if you want to self-insure on some items, such as screen enclosure coverage, water back up coverage, additional structures coverage. Also, be realistic on the contents coverage. Even at replacement cost, many times 25% of your home value would be sufficient. Most polices include 50 to 75%.

First of all we are an “Independent Agent” which means we work for “YOU” not the insurance company like our cousins with State Farm, Allstate, etc. Secondly we have a lot of experience; 40 years since 1974. We know we can provide superior product knowledge due to that experience. Thirdly, Tim Shaw started his career in 1974 and has not stopped learning. He received his CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor) designation in 1984. Less than 8% of all agents’ country wide has ever completed the grueling education and testing curriculum to achieve this level of expertise. And finally, and very important, the employees at Tim Shaw Insurance are salaried based, not commissioned based. That means you get “no spin” but only solid, sound advice that matches your particular needs. Insurance is not a commodity like the national advertisers want you to believe. Saving 15% in 15 minutes is probably the worst advice you could ever take and might just end up costing you everything you ever saved or earned. We take the time it requires to get it right. After all, you are not buying tomatoes here and you don’t get a second chance after the hurricane destroys your property or that knock on the door by a sheriff serving your lawsuit papers.

Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, but can service your needs anywhere in Florida

We have live agents and service personnel from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday thru Friday. Some of our carriers have extended hours for payments and claims. Just go to our carrier’s page under “About Us”.