For many families and business owners, insurance can feel like a line item to minimize rather than a strategy to strengthen. But according to Ashley Mastowski, Founder and CEO of First Choice Insurance Group (yourfirstchoice.agency), true financial security starts with a mindset shift: protection first, price second.
“It’s all about having proper limits, policies and coverages,” Ashley says. While minimum coverage may meet state requirements, she warns that it often falls short when real life intervenes. “You can't control everyone else and what they carry for limits, so control what you can, which is your policy, it's worth it,” she says.
In Nevada, where many drivers carry only the minimum required coverage, the consequences can be significant. Insufficient protection can expose families to wage garnishment and lawsuits after serious accidents, risks that extend beyond vehicles to homes, businesses, and personal assets.
This philosophy applies to business owners as well. Ashley understands the temptation to cut costs, she runs an agency herself and speaks with owners navigating the same pressures daily.
“I own a business just like these business owners I'm talking to every day and cutting corners to move the needle on my profit & loss statement isn't worth that one accident to lose everything you've worked for in the blink of an eye,” she explains.
One of the biggest blind spots she sees today is cyber protection. “Ninety percent of businesses don't carry cyber insurance and attackers are out there targeting small businesses because they know this is a big vulnerable piece,” she adds.
As investments grow, whether through a new home, expanding business, or growing family, insurance should evolve alongside them to reflect real-life changes and responsibilities.
“If you just had a baby, you should think about more life insurance,” she says. “Did you just get married? You probably purchased a large ring that needs proper insurance, most people think their high value items and collectibles are covered under their homeowners’ policies and they are not!”
Her agency conducts annual reviews to catch these changes. Opening a business, acquiring collectibles, or lifestyle shifts can impact personal risk exposure. “Our job is to provide the options and your job as an insured is to decide what level of risk do you want to have,” she says.
Another critical piece of the puzzle is consolidation.
“We understand pricing is important, but that shouldn't be your main focus,” she says. When policies are scattered across carriers, gaps can emerge. Lowering limits on one policy might disqualify an umbrella policy, or cancellations might go unnoticed until a claim is denied.
From a commercial perspective, mismatched policies can create confusion around coverage responsibilities. “We might think your workers comp policy should cover something specific and you might be thinking this would be covered under your general liability policy,” she explains.
“At the end of the day, it's unfortunately a required expense,” she says. “We are in a litigious society and you can sue someone for looking at you wrong.”
“We all think ‘well, it won't happen to me’, but I've been in this industry a long time and I have seen it all. It can happen to you,” she says.
And when that moment comes, the real investment isn’t the premium saved, it’s the protection in place.
“Cutting corners to save on premiums isn’t worth risking everything you’ve worked for—true protection always comes before price.”