Today’s economy can be a confusing environment, filled with uncertainty and potential financial pitfalls. The rapid pace of technological change and innovation has created an entirely new language, filled with words such as bitcoin, cybersecurity, unicorns, meme stocks, and of course, artificial intelligence or AI. At times, it seems that the days of simply wanting to earn a living and achieve financial security seem to have fallen by the wayside.
Fortunately, all is not lost. Most of us still want to work hard, take care of our families and make sure that our hard-earned assets are protected. To gain some insight into the world of insurance in 2025, Hendersonville Lifestyle visited with local State Farm agent Lauren Tullos.
At what age, and what policy should people purchase first?
“Life insurance is by far the policy I am most passionate about, and I believe that it should be the first policy ever purchased on yourself or one someone you love. There is no better feeling for me as an agent than helping customers identify their true coverage needs and providing financial security through life insurance to help their family during one of the most difficult times they will face.
Incidentally, there are several milestones that can trigger the need for new or additional life insurance coverage, including births, marriage, purchasing a home, starting a business and young people who are starting to drive. Our youngest policyholders are 14 days old, which is the minimum age to write life insurance on a newborn.”
How often should a home or business owner review their insurance coverage with their agent?
“We recommend that our clients meet with our office team at least once per year. We proactively call our customers during their homeowners policy renewal month, and we offer them the option to meet virtually or in-person. During this time, we walk the customer through all policy coverages, deductibles and any major life milestones that have occurred within the past year to ensure there are no new gaps or risks that should be addressed.”
In recent years, severe weather, including tornados, straight-line winds and flooding have become more common in our area. How should customers respond?
“Two major ways customers are adapting to the increased frequency and severity of storms in our area include purchasing flood insurance and increasing the amount of coverage they have on the dwelling or ‘exterior shell’ of their home. Unfortunately, most people tend to be reactive about flooding. They only begin to worry about protecting their homes from water damage only after experiencing flooding in their basements, garages or other detached structures on their property. Without a separate flood insurance policy in place, there is no coverage for structures or contents inside from weather-related flooding.
Reviewing and/or increasing the dwelling coverage each year ensures that your policy is keeping up with the rate of inflation. State Farm customers can have peace of mind knowing that we do this for them automatically and we also cover their claim at 100% replacement cost.”
Should clients purchase umbrella policies?
“I strongly recommend that my customers purchase umbrella policies. Unfortunately, we live in a lawsuit-happy world that can wreak havoc on personal assets in the event of litigation. A personal or commercial umbrella policy is the first line of defense in protecting assets. Umbrella coverage starts at $1 million in coverage, and it can be increased in million-dollar increments. I can say with confidence that State Farm offers one of the most competitively priced umbrella policies in the market that will safeguard the customer from the unforeseen, protect their assets and secure their financial future against liability claims.”
Lauren Tullos – State Farm Agent
206 Indian Lake Blvd., Suite 11,
Hendersonville, TN 37075
615.348.4196
"Unfortunately, we live in a lawsuit-happy world that can wreak havoc on personal assets in the event of litigation. A personal or commercial umbrella policy is the first line of defense in protecting assets."