Tiffany Daly is an insurance agent and co-owner of WIIN Insurance Agency in the Twin Cities.
Born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, a city with a population of 115,000 people, Daly grew up in the heart of the Midwest, where respect and camaraderie among locals was never in short supply.
“People were very friendly and down to earth. There was a strong sense of community,” Daly says of her hometown.
“Even today, Evansville still feels like home.”
A shy and congenial teenager who religiously attended church every Sunday, Daly prioritized her faith over more celebrated activities like partying, yet despite her reserved nature, she seamlessly ingratiated herself toward her classmates.
“I didn’t drink, do drugs, or date anyone, which was ironic because I was also prom queen,” she notes with a laugh.
“I used to make the joke that everyone liked me. They just didn’t want to date me.”
Post-high school, Daly enrolled at the University of Indianapolis, a school three hours away from Evansville that initially appealed to her because of the low tuition she would pay on account of her mother’s employment at another affiliated university.
“It all worked out because I received a couple scholarships to cover the cost of tuition, and I also worked several jobs in order to make ends meet,” Daly says.
After she later graduated with a degree in Marketing and Computer Information Systems, she began working for a restoration company that dealt directly with insurance agents.
Unfulfilled by her work with the restoration company, Daly saw firsthand how insurance agents helped clients, and for the smart and driven Daly, she then gravitated toward the insurance industry, citing the earning potential and ability to positively impact people’s lives as the key factors in her transition.
“I didn’t like what I was doing with the restoration company, so I went into insurance,” says Daly, who today sells personal and commercial insurance, albeit in the Twin Cities instead of Indiana.
“A position opened up in Minnesota, and that’s why I like to say I just sort of fell into this industry and let it take me wherever it may.”
Whether one lives in Minnesota, Indiana, or along the eastern seaboard, insurance is a necessity, both legally and figuratively.
Consequently, Daly does what she can to guide her clients through various options in order to find a policy that equips them with the coverage they need, at a price that fits their budget.
This approach is relatively simple, but one that is spearheaded by a genuine desire to assist others, and although the nuance within insurance policies can confound clients, every day Daly makes a concerted effort to prescribe the right policy so that, in the case of an unexpected event, her clients are adequately covered.
“I truly like helping people to protect them during their most vulnerable moments,” Daly says.
“That’s what I feel that insurance is for.”
Be it a ghastly tornado ripping through central Minnesota or a blazing inferno wiping out a single-family home, disasters happen, and once the carnage has slowed and solutions need to be manufactured, Daly is often one of the first people clients turn to for guidance and support.
“In the event of a catastrophe, after you call the police and your family, your next call is going to be to your insurance agent, so you want to make sure that the person who is representing you has your best interests in mind, and can help facilitate a plan of action that will rectify whatever situation you may have experienced,” Daly explains, noting how as important as policy terms are, equally relevant is partnering with an insurance agent who can facilitate action on the part of the carrier.
At the same time, Daly is not a miracle worker, and while she devotes many hours to educating clients on the language and coverage in their policies, what she cannot do is force carriers to approve coverage, especially if a claim does not fall within the parameters of a client’s contract.
“Insurance is an intangible product. We are selling a promise and a piece of paper, and so, if people aren’t informed of exactly the type of coverage they have, they don’t always know where their money is going,” Daly mentions.
“Sometimes they feel like their policy should be all-encompassing, but their policy only covers certain events, as outlined in their insurance documents.”
For the record, Daly tries to explain and educate as much as possible, so the customer is aware of what they are purchasing.
“Insurance agents historically have gotten a bad rap because they will not go over crucial details in a policy. In that sense, some insurance agents deserve that poor reputation, but there are also a lot of really good agents out there who do their jobs properly and expertly assist their customers with their policies,” Daly says.
As for what to look for when vetting insurance agents, Daly warns consumers to be wary of agents who pitch price first and skip over terms of the policy, mainly because even though an insurance agent may be able to lower your rates, they may be reducing your coverage in order to accommodate that lower price.
“You should be looking for an agent that adds value, and value isn’t always in the form of the lowest price,” says Daly, who adds that saving money today could lead to bigger, more expensive problems in the future.
“I understand the desire for customers to want to save money, and as an independent insurance agent, I can shop several different carriers to find the best price and coverage. The last thing I want to do is save someone a couple hundred dollars on a policy and take away coverages that they might need, which could cost thousands of dollars later.”
In that sense, finding a policy and a carrier that best serves a client’s needs can be tricky.
Daly says that when it comes to her client base, no two clients are the same.
Some want the lowest price and the lowest coverage possible, despite acknowledging the inherent risks that are associated with that decision.
Others want to explore the nuances of a policy to account for every possible contingency.
“There is truly an option for everyone. There is no one-size-fits-all approach because people are different, and so what works for one client will not necessarily work for another one,” Daly emphasizes.
Therefore, finding the right policy is essential for customers, but more importantly, having a trusted and experienced professional to assist throughout that process is even more paramount.
“You always have options, so don’t be afraid to shop your policy,” Daly encourages.
“For me, I’m always happy to review someone’s policy without the expectation that they will do business with me. That’s just a service I offer because I genuinely want to help people find the proper type of coverage.” QS
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