Something New

While each previous year’s Policy discussion with the newly elected chairman introduced a unique individual with his own thoughts about the Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma, independent agents as businesspeople and the insurance industry in which they work, this iteration of that standard column is different in a different way: the chairman is, for the first time in the more than 100-year existence of IIAO, actually a chairwoman: Denise Johnson of Piedmont’s ECI Agency, which Earnie Cornelius, Johnson’s father, began 45 years ago. She and her brother, Scott Cornelius, are now the agency principals. Johnson talked with Policy about being the first woman to serve as chair of IIAO in its 103-year history and what she wants to focus on in her one-year tenure.

Q. First, welcome to your new position. Second, how does it feel to join the long list of women who are what we call, “first to’s,” as in first woman to swim the English Channel, first woman to be elected as a governor in the United States, first woman to serve as chair of the Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma? That’s a pretty exciting description to have attached to your name isn’t it?

A. It is exciting, and thank you. I’m excited about the year ahead. I’ve been giving the guys a hard time. I said, ‘It takes you men 103 years to figure this out?’ But honestly, they have all been just incredibly respectful. It’s been such a huge joy to undertake this. I was in another state at a conference, and someone asked me, ‘Did you feel as if you were scratching your way to the top?’ I started laughing. I have never felt like I’ve had to scratch my way to anything because I’ve felt that there was such incredible mutual respect with every person I have served with on the board from the beginning of this process. I do think that they felt it was time. I’ve jokingly asked, ‘This isn’t just the girl factor, is it?’ The board took that seriously. They seemed shocked I would even say such a thing. The board members made it clear they thought I could do a good job in this position. But, that said, in 2010 it was time, and even past time, to  have a woman leading our association.

Click to read the full interview

Boat owners know the freedom that floating in a boat in a body of water offers. Whether you float in an inland lake or the wide open ocean, it feels as though your choices, future and possibilities are endless. This freedom does not mean, however, that you can go without boat insurance. You have an obligation to your family and to other boaters to carry insurance that protects you and them from financial liabilities.

When you decide to buy boat insurance, there are a few coverage options and policy distinctions you should consider.

Coverage Options

The first thing you need to consider are your coverage options. Not every boat insurance policy must be created the same way or carry the same coverages. Some things to consider include:

• The navigational area you need your insurance to cover.
• Whether or not to get fuel spill coverage for accidental spills your vessel might cause. If your vessel sinks or spills oil you are responsible for the cleanup costs whether you have coverage or not.
• Whether personal effects coverage (for all the personal items on board) will be useful to you.
• If unattached equipment coverage for things like anchors, water skis and other unattached tools and recreational toys will be useful for your boating style.

Value of the Vessel

Next you need to determine what you want covered in terms of value. There are two choices here, agreed value—which is the value you agree to in the insurance policy, or actual value which is the actual value of your boat and may not be enough to replace it if there has been some wear and tear.

Keeping Your Boat Insurance Policy Affordable

Lastly, you should consider ways in which you can lower the cost of your boat insurance. If you’ve had any training in official boat safety programs and received certificates for the training, this can be very useful in reducing your boat insurance premiums. Likewise, boat safety checks from the coast guard can help reduce costs. Installing safety devices like a GPS and choosing a proper marina for boat docking are other actions you can take to reduce premiums.

Your boat insurance policy ensures that you and your family will remain financially secure even after an expensive claim. It will also help to keep you on the water after a natural disaster or other insurable incident. Having the right policy will help you feel even freer as you enjoy your time boating.

Call us today for comprehensive boat & water coverage at (405) 373-2977 or complete our online quote form.

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