Minnesota Insurance Fraud

Insurance fraud makes victims out of Minnesota insurance companies and their customers. In common terms, insurance fraud is lying to or deceiving an insurer in order to make money or to become insured. Some common fraud schemes include:

• Padding (inflating the true amount of) a claim
• Lying or Hiding (concealing) important information when applying for insurance
• Lying or Hiding (concealing) important information when reporting a loss
• Submitting False Claims
• Staging Accidents
• Failing to Report Recovered Property
• Faking Theft Claims
• Committing (home or vehicular) Arson for Profit

As a consumer, fraud should concern you since the cost is passed directly on to you in the form of higher insurance rates. You can play an important role in reducing fraud.

Fighting Auto Insurance Fraud

Persons attempting to commit insurance fraud often do so by deceiving innocent drivers during actual accidents or by involving innocent drivers in “staged” accidents. Do the following in order to minimize this risk:

• Drive defensively, keeping space between you and surrounding cars.
• When traffic slows, begin braking before the car in front of you does.
• Be careful when turning into a lane that allows two or more autos to turn left at the same time. Victims of insurance fraud are often people who float across the line when turning and then are intentionally sideswiped by a person who is “staging” an accident.
• If you are in an accident, write down license numbers of all cars involved in the accident, get the names and contact information of all persons involved and their insurers. Count the number of passengers in the other cars and get their names, addresses and any other pertinent information.
• Call the police and get a police report even if the damage is minimal. DO NOT let another driver talk you out of calling the police.
• Carry a disposable camera in your glove compartment or make use of a cell phones camera feature and take pictures of the damage to the vehicles and of all drivers and passengers in the cars.

Fighting Homeowners Insurance Fraud

It is far more difficult to involve an innocent party in homeowner fraud. However, a homeowner can help himself and help deter fraudulent claims by properly maintaining their home, and by removing or repairing items that could create tripping hazards to outside parties. Also, if someone is injured in your home, be certain that you get full information and be sure that an injured person gets any needed treatment. Carefully document any incident, including all impressions about likely injury. It may also be prudent to show healthy skepticism over any information on medical bills or claims.

Report suspicious actions such as a friend who asks you to store valuable property and you then find that they reported to his insurer that the property was stolen.

Think of insurance fraud as money out of your pocket-because it is. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, fraud adds 25% to property and casualty insurance rates.

If you are involved in an accident and you are suspicious that fraud may be involved, report it to the authorities and your insurer. Another helpful source for fraud information is the National Insurance Crime Bureau at 1-800-TEL-NICB (at the time of this writing, their Website was located at www.nicb.org).

Minnesota AAA Memebership – Discover the Advantages

About AAA

For generations, AAA has provided superior membership services to families who value quality in Minnesota. Their mission is to offer competitively priced, value-added products and services that meet members’ evolving needs. Insurance through AAA offers a variety of discounts to help you save money on your auto and home insurance. Today, more than 1 million drivers around the Midwest insure their vehicles through AAA.

Insurance Products from AAA

Auto	Townhouse	Personal Umbrella Excess Liability
Home	Renters	Boats/Trailers
Condo	Secondary or Seasonal Homes	Snowmobiles and much more!

Exceptional Claim Service

AAA offers claim service that is there when you need it. Their claim reporting service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Collision repair shops that meet their standards as Direct Repair Shops are ready to help you get your car back on the road quickly.

Get Started by Joining AAA Today

AAA is America’s premier auto club and membership organization. Their savings programs,
travel and insurance services are unrivaled for convenience and value.

• 24-hour roadside assistance — protects you in any car, anywhere, anytime* — whether you’re the driver or passenger.
• Exclusive AAA Member savings — on average, members who use AAA discounts save over $100 a year.
• Auto touring services — including AAA’s famous maps, TripTik® routings and TourBook® guides.
• Access to AAA Travel Agency — North America’s leading full-service leisure travel agency.
• Great rates on insurance — featuring a variety of discounts for qualified members.

Auto and home insurance underwritten by Auto Club Insurance Association or MemberSelect Insurance Company. Please note that not all insurance products are available in all states. This description is an example and not a promise or warranty of any coverage or benefits. Verify state specific policy details prior to purchase. Logos, trademarks and service marks are owned by the respective companies represented on this web page. All information is subject to change. Faribo Insurance Agency represents The Auto Club Group throughout the state of Minnesota. Call us today or use our Quick Quote for more details about AAA.

Minnesota Auto Insurance: MN Drivers Decide On Local Agents

When deciding whether to buy online or use a local auto insurance agency, MN drivers are fortunate to have options.  Although buying car insurance online seems like an easy alternative, there are some hidden pitfalls that a local agent can help you avoid.

Buying car insurance online seems like such an easy thing to do.  Just fill out a few forms, wait for the computer to spit out a price comparison, pick the lowest priced policy, make your first payment, and you’re done.  But how do you know that the policies used in the comparisons were the best choices for your situation?  And who do you call when you need to make a claim?

Find the Best Insurance Coverage

When you work with an independent insurance agent, you have an insurance professional on your side to help you accurately determine your coverage needs.  Professional agents will go beyond just asking you the kinds of obvious and basic questions found on an application form.  They know how to evaluate your insurance needs from a big picture perspective. That means they will look for hidden discounts that may be available because of other coverage you carry.

Find the Best Insurance Policy

Local Minnesota insurance agency professionals are knowledgeable about which insurance products offer the best coverage for the geographical area.  If you buy a policy online and miss reading a detail in the fine print, you may end up without coverage for hail or ice damage, or pay too much for it.  That’s not a problem if that was your intention.  But if you’re insuring a brand new vehicle, it may end up being an expensive mistake — one that an expert agent can help you avoid.

Find the Best Insurance Companies

Experienced agents not only know which insurance companies provide the best coverage, they also know which companies are reliable and financially sound.  This is especially important after witnessing former Wall Street giants fall due to shady business practices.  After paying the premiums into your policy, you need to know that the insurance company will still be in business if you need to make a claim.

Find the Best Insurance Claims Service

Having to make an insurance claim is usually a stressful time in anyone’s life.  So before buying your car insurance online, think about this: how much time will you have to spend on hold when you call?  How many times will you have to explain the situation to a new customer service rep each time you call? And how many times will you have to call to get your claim paid?  A personal agent will take your calls and help you through the claims process.

As team members of a local auto insurance agency, MN agents at Faribo Insurance will be glad to answer your questions. We have offices in Faribault, MN…Hastings, MN…or Lakeville, MN.  You can call us at 888-923-0430, email us or use our Quick Quote Insurance form to get a custom quote. We look forward to hearing from you!

Minnesota Auto Insurance Minimums

Minnesota auto insurance not only makes good sense, it is mandated by State law. If you live in the State of Minnesota, auto insurance is an absolute must.

There are minimum limits that are needed in order to obtain and renew your license plates/tabs. We have several companies that we can look at for you to obtain the best rates and coverages. While there are minimum limits for auto insurance in the State of Minnesota, a lot of times it would be better to look at increasing the limits to higher amounts than Minnesota requires.

After all, if you get in an accident you want to be sure to have adequate coverage. Juries can award judgments to include future earnings of the person at fault – not just assets owned at the time of the accident or judgment. Minnesota auto insurance offers many options for coverage to your car as well as just liability.

It is important for you to understand all of those options when purchasing Minnesota auto insurance and we are here to help! If you need more information, just give us a call at 888-923-0430, email us or use our Quick Quote Insurance form and we’ll promptly prepare a special proposal for you. I’m sure you’ll like what you see.

Minnesota Auto Insurance – Auto Insurance MN

If We Talked About Minnesota Auto Insurance…

The transcript of an imaginary conversation between you and Faribo Insurance Agency about your automobile policy.

Faribo Insurance: I am very concerned that you are overpaying for your personal policies and that your insurance life is more complicated than necessary.

Carl Client: I already have my homeowners policy with you. Are you saying that it is overpriced?

Faribo Insurance: No, but you’ll enjoy a nice discount on your homeowners and auto when you insure both policies with us. Plus, you’ll make your insurance life easier with us as your only agent.

Carl: What kind of discount are we talking about?

Faribo Insurance: When we write your auto policy with the same company as your homeowners, you’ll receive a discount on each. That’s quite a savings. Plus, there are other benefits as well.

Carl: What other benefits will I receive if I switch my auto policy to your office?

Faribo Insurance: In addition to the savings, we’ll help you to match up your individual needs with the right auto policy coverages and options. Currently, by dividing your policies among multiple insurers, you are doubling the risk that you and your family are improperly covered. You need one team of insurance pros to coordinate all of your personal property and liability protection. And that’s us.

Carl: What if I have a claim on my home and car at the same time? Right now, I have to contact two agents. How does that work if you provide both of these policies?

Faribo Insurance: Good question! By carrying your home and car policies with us, you’ll only have to file one claim, not two. Common examples include heavy storms where trees fall over onto houses and cars and instances where drivers accidentally damage their own garage while pulling in or out.

Carl: This all sounds good. How soon can I get a quote on my car insurance with you?

Faribo Insurance: It’s easy. Just give me a call at 888-923-0430,  email me or use our Quick Quote Insurance form and I’ll promptly prepare a special proposal for you. I’m sure you’ll like what you see.