Should you read your insurance policy?

Dennis and Stephanie say no—and then spend the next 40+ minutes explaining exactly why.

In this episode of Insurance Gone Wild, the duo dives headfirst into the confusing, lawyer-written, comma-dependent world of insurance policies—where “herein” still exists, endorsements giveth and taketh away, and two adjusters can look at the same roof and see completely different realities.

They break down what consumers actually need to care about (hint: it’s not just price), why deck pages lie by omission, how underinsurance can quietly wreck your life, and why trusting the right agent matters more than trusting five-star internet reviews. Along the way, they share real-world stories—from brand-new homes burning down to $200,000 coverage gaps that make absolutely no sense.

Bottom line: insurance isn’t about reading 80 pages of legal jargon—it’s about asking the right questions, understanding the three C’s (Coverage, Cost, Claims), and making sure your house can actually be rebuilt from literal dirt.

Also discussed: bad adjusters, new agents learning the ropes, why “short episodes” are a lie, and why Dennis probably shouldn’t promise timelines ever again.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00:00 – Welcome to Chaos (a.k.a. “This Will Be a Short Episode”)

00:01:20 – Why Consumers Keep Asking the Same Insurance Questions

00:04:35 – Should You Read Your Insurance Policy? (Hard No.)

00:06:00 – Stephanie’s Airport Reading Story (and Public Humiliation)

00:07:52 – Are Policies Confusing on Purpose? Lawyers, Commas & ‘Herein’

00:10:30 – Core Policy Language vs. Endorsements That Ruin Everything

00:12:41 – Good Companies Pay Claims… Bad Ones Get Billboards

00:15:15 – The Three C’s: Coverage, Cost, and Claims

00:17:17 – Why Online Reviews Lie (and Roofers Know the Truth)

00:20:44 – Adjusters: The Wild Card Nobody Warned You About

00:23:23 – New Agents, Old Mistakes, and Learning the Hard Way

00:25:49 – Success, Failure, and Why Most People Ignore Good Advice

00:32:20 – The $200,000 Coverage Gap That Should Scare You

00:35:33 – Can Your Policy Rebuild Your House… From Dirt?

00:38:45 – Debris Removal, Ordinance Coverage & Commercial Nightmares

00:40:48 – “We Said This Would Be Short” (Final Lies & Wrap-Up)

Email: Contact@IGWpodcast.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsuranceGoneWild

Get a Quote!

Panatela Group: https://panatelagroup.com/

Call: 817-753-0093

Buying a car should be exciting. Instead, it usually comes with paperwork, confusion, and that one terrifying question: “Wait… am I actually insured right now?”

In this episode of Insurance Gone Wild, Dennis and Stephanie take a very real (and very common) scenario — buying a car from a private seller when your agent is unavailable — and break down exactly what coverage you do (and do not) have when you drive away.

They unpack liability vs. comp & collision, what happens if the other driver is uninsured, why underinsured motorist coverage might quietly save your bank account, and how claims magically turn into paperwork Olympics the second you become the claimant.

Along the way, they also explain why insurance companies aren’t always out to get you (sometimes it’s just human error), how to fight a lowball valuation without losing your sanity, and why picking up the phone is still wildly underrated.

If you’ve ever thought:

“I’ll tell my agent later…”

“There’s no way my car is worth that little”

or “Why is this taking 47 emails instead of one phone call?”

…this episode is for you.

Listen before your next car purchase — or your next claims headache.

IGW 47

Chapters

00:00 – Hollywood Apple Juice & the Longest Tuesday Ever

00:03 – Buying a Car When Your Agent Is Closed (Bold Strategy)

00:06 – Liability Only: You’re Legal… But That’s About It

00:07 – Surprise! Your New Car Might Have Comp & Collision

00:11 – Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist: The Unsung Hero

00:15 – Diminished Value Claims (Yes, That’s a Thing)

00:18 – How Insurance Decides What Your Car Is “Worth”

00:22 – When a Car Becomes Totaled Faster Than You’d Expect

00:26 – Lowball Offers, Human Error & Fighting Back the Right Way

00:32 – Why Your Loan Balance Is Not the Insurance Company’s Problem

00:36 – Stop Emailing. Start Calling. Seriously.

00:39 – Like, Subscribe… No, You Don’t Actually Get a Dollar

Email: Contact@IGWpodcast.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsuranceGoneWild

Get a Quote!

Panatela Group: https://panatelagroup.com/

Call: 817-753-0093

Dennis is cautiously optimistic (which is terrifying), Stephanie is calling out the chaos (as usual), and together they try to explain why 2026 might be the year insurance stops punching everyone in the face monthly.

On the property and auto side, things are… dare we say… stabilizing? Premium increases are slowing, new carriers are popping up, and underwriting is loosening just enough to give people hope. On the health side? Absolute mayhem. Premiums are exploding, legislation is muddying the waters, and more people are quietly asking, “Do I really need insurance… or just luck?”

From reinsurance and deductibles to politicians meddling where they shouldn’t and why “free healthcare” is never actually free, Dennis and Stephanie break it all down with zero filters, strong opinions, and more than a few side rants.

Spoiler: nothing is getting cheaper — but it might stop getting worse. And right now, that counts as good news.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Welcome to 2026: Lower Expectations, Lower Increases

00:10:33 – Home & Auto Rates: Still High, Just Less Insulting

00:12:49 – Reconstruction Costs vs. Reality (Spoiler: Math Ain’t Mathing)

00:17:34 – COVID, Freezes, and Why Everything Broke at Once

00:21:25 – Politicians, Insurance, and Why This Never Ends Well

00:25:06 – Health Insurance Premiums: Choose Your Own Financial Disaster

00:32:54 – Dropping Coverage, Going Bare, and Hoping Nothing Happens

00:37:39 – Preventative Care: Use It Before You Rage Quit

00:42:15 – Socialized Medicine: Great If You’re Healthy, Awful If You’re Not

00:43:05 – Taxes, Incentives, and Why Nothing Is Actually “Free”

Email: Contact@IGWpodcast.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsuranceGoneWild

Get a Quote!

Panatela Group: https://panatelagroup.com/

Call: 817-753-0093

AI is everywhere right now—writing emails, answering phones, predicting the weather (badly), and apparently trying to underwrite insurance. So naturally, Dennis and Stephanie sit down to ask the important questions: Is AI actually smarter than people… or just faster at being confidently wrong?

From financial advisors and political insider trading to hailstorms, dance floors, restaurant liquor percentages, and that one client who thinks a rear-end collision destroyed their serpentine belt, this episode goes deep into where AI might help insurance—and where it absolutely should not be trusted without adult supervision.

They argue (a lot), agree (occasionally), roast carriers for not knowing their own appetite, and somehow end up with Stephanie defending AI and Dennis yelling at bots. If you’ve ever been told “yes,” then “no,” then “well… maybe” by underwriting—this one’s for you.

Human touch still matters. AI still guesses. And no, the robot cannot answer your question.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Welcome Back to Chaos (It’s Been a Week, Again)

00:01:11 - AI Is Affecting Everything… Including Our Patience

00:02:46 - Financial Advisors, Algorithms, and Following Politicians’ Trades

00:04:05 - Why Insurance Companies Tried to Kill Agents (And Failed)

00:06:19 - Where AI Actually Touches Agents Today

00:08:11 - New Construction, Bad Data, and AI Saying “No” for the Wrong Reasons

00:11:36 - Weather Prediction: Why 45% Rain Means Nothing

00:13:15 - Actuaries, Guessing, and Why Rates Keep Going Up

00:17:05 - Claims Without Adjusters (What Could Possibly Go Wrong?)

00:18:39 - Fraud, Roof Photos, and Why Your Neighbor’s House Matters

00:20:32 - Fender Benders, Fake Damage, and the Serpentine Belt Incident

00:23:28 - When AI Should Flag Claims (But Not Decide Them)

00:26:19 - Chat Bots, Phone Bots, and Dennis’ Deep Hatred of All Bots

00:29:48 - Underwriting Appetite: Restaurants, Alcohol, and Dance Floors

00:33:56 - Calling Back Until You Get the “Right” Answer

00:38:54 - Human Error vs Automation (The Real Problem)

00:41:12 - Stephanie Accidentally Defends AI

00:42:40 - The Future of AI, Human Touch, and Why This Argument Isn’t Over

It’s the Christmas edition of Insurance Gone Wild, which means Dennis and Stephanie are festive, tired, and absolutely done with “quick questions” that are definitely claims.From a brutally accurate insurance-themed Christmas poem to breaking down the absurd amount of coverage Santa would actually need to operate the North Pole, this episode hits all the holiday chaos agents know too well. Frozen pipes, last-minute coverage regrets, RV winterization fails, uninsured December gambles, and why nobody should ever say “hypothetically” to an insurance agent.It’s funny, painfully real, slightly unhinged, and exactly what happens when holiday cheer meets deductibles, exclusions, and reality. Merry Christmas… now what are your limits again?⏱️ Chapters00:00:00 – Christmas at the Agency (Yes, We’re Still Working)00:01:26 – ’Twas the Night Before Christmas… Insurance Edition00:04:04 – “Just a Quick Question” (It’s Never Quick)00:06:31 – What Insurance Does Santa Actually Need?00:09:28 – Naughty vs. Nice: HR Problems at the North Pole00:11:19 – Liquor Liability, Eggnog & Bad Decisions00:12:16 – Holiday Claims: Fire, Water & Theft Season00:14:10 – Why Winter Damage Hits the South Differently00:16:08 – RV Winterization Mistakes You’ll Regret00:20:04 – One Freeze Is All It Takes00:24:26 – Traveling for the Holidays? Protect Your House00:26:13 – December & January: The Worst Months to Be Uninsured00:29:08 – Health Insurance While Traveling (Read the Fine Print)00:31:08 – Final Holiday Advice & Reality CheckEmail: Contact@IGWpodcast.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsuranceGoneWildGet a Quote!Panatela Group: https://panatelagroup.com/Call: 817-753-0093

Texas is the only state where workers’ comp isn’t required… which leads a lot of business owners to hear “optional” and translate it as “free pass.” Dennis and Stephanie break down what workers’ comp actually does, why Texas is so weird about it, what “going naked” really means, and the very un-fun reality: even if you don’t carry a policy, you may still be on the hook for medical bills, lost wages, and lawsuits.

They also get into monopolistic states (where you have to buy comp through the state), why workers’ comp coverage is regulated (so it’s basically the same everywhere), how class codes can make or break your premium, and the classic “they got hurt over the weekend but limped in Monday” problem.

Questions / comments / rude remarks: 817-753-0093

Email: contact@igwpodcast.com

And yes—like, subscribe, and do it “for the love.”

Chapters

00:00 - Welcome back: “It’s been a week” (again)

00:01 - Movember, Dwight Yoakam vibes, and losing shirt buttons

00:02 - Workers’ comp 101 and why Texas is the outlier

00:03 - “Not required” doesn’t mean “no liability”

00:04 - The official Texas term: “going naked”

00:06 - Why words like “consummation” should’ve stayed out of contracts

00:07 - Monopolistic states: when the state is your workers’ comp carrier

00:08 - Workers’ comp history: from ancient injuries to modern policies

00:10 - Big point: workers’ comp coverage is regulated (same coverage, different price)

00:11 - Class codes + asking better questions = fewer ugly surprises

00:12 - Claims perspective: workers’ comp feels “guilty until proven innocent”

00:13 - Employer’s liability: where the lawsuit limits actually matter

00:16 - Occupational accident insurance: cheaper, but you’re not lawsuit-proof

00:18 - Industrial Revolution injuries and the “unholy trinity” defenses

00:23 - Quick U.S. timeline: Wisconsin first, Mississippi last

00:24 - “I don’t have employees, they’re all 1099” (here we go…)

00:26 - If your subs don’t have their own insurance, it climbs the ladder

00:28 - Ballpark premium talk + how to bake comp costs into pricing

00:33 - Peace of mind vs. the unknown cost of “something happens”

00:36 - Lawsuit extras: loss of consortium (yes, that one)

00:38 - The billboard effect: why lawsuits are everywhere now

00:41 - Nuclear vs. atomic verdicts (and lawsuit financing)

00:44 - Wrap-up: Texas comp isn’t required, but risk still shows up to work

00:47 - Final plug: call, email, like, subscribe “for the love”

Email: Contact@IGWpodcast.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsuranceGoneWild

Get a Quote!

Panatela Group: https://panatelagroup.com/

Call: 817-753-0093

Ever get an insurance story from a “friend of a friend” and it somehow ends with “and then they didn’t pay”? Dennis and Stephanie unpack what a bad day in insurance really looks like—when it’s just the telephone game, when it’s actually the carrier being… the carrier, and when you find out the “life insurance policy” is actually a life insurance… not-a-thing.

Also: alien abduction insurance is real, apparently goldfish surgery is real, and Dennis once paid $100 for a $7 rat to receive what can only be described as boutique medical care.

Plus, they get into why “cheap” coverage can be wildly expensive later, why higher liability limits make your insurance company suddenly develop motivation, and how one claim can turn into a whole bad year if you’re underinsured.

Chapters

00:00 - Welcome to Insurance Gone Wild… and apparently “hair”

00:23 - “Who is she?”: marriage, mystery hairs, and poor Brian

01:16 - What’s a “worst day in insurance” really look like?

02:14 - The telephone game: why claim stories never add up

03:34 - “Company X” and the roof claim fight you can set your watch to

04:32 - Plot twist: Company X actually pays a roof claim (everyone panics)

06:38 - Agents begging carriers: just do the right thing

07:23 - “Company Y” and the reputation faceplant (lawsuit talk)

08:19 - The “don’t pay claims” playbook and why cheap is… cheap

09:10 - Landlords vs. homeowners: who can afford to gamble?

10:28 - The $100 x 15 rental homes math moment

11:26 - The gut-punch call: “We had a death… what life policy do they have?”

12:57 - How much life insurance is enough (and why “some” beats “none”)

14:50 - Emotional whiplash: alien abduction is the next step, obviously

15:28 - Yes, alien abduction insurance is real (and the probing logistics)

17:32 - Pet insurance gets unhinged: goldfish surgery + Dennis’ rat IV saga

20:14 - The rat dies anyway (because of course it does)

22:48 - A million-dollar mustache: the barber’s worst nightmare

23:51 - Celebrity body-part insurance and what it actually covers

26:13 - Insuring lottery numbers?? Make it make sense

27:20 - Fraud corner: “I lost my car in my own garage”

28:44 - UK farmer insures cows for alien impregnation (sure, why not)

29:32 - Claims are like seeing a cop: even when you did nothing, you panic

32:27 - Why making a claim is just… a pain

32:59 - Lawsuits, state minimum limits, and why the company writes the check fast

34:35 - Why higher liability limits = the company fights harder (for themselves)

35:55 - Real talk: affordability, teen drivers, and why people drop limits

36:24 - Umbrella coverage + “don’t screw up, pal”

36:55 - Underinsured: turning a bad day into a bad year

37:02 - How to reach the show + “listen to what I’m trying to say” outro

Email: Contact@IGWpodcast.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsuranceGoneWild

Get a Quote!

Panatela Group: https://panatelagroup.com/

Call: 817-753-0093

Dennis and Stephanie are back, slightly feral from life and over-caffeinated, to talk about everyone’s favorite topic: insurance claims and the chaos gremlins who come with them.

In this episode they drag busted water heaters, confused adjusters who don’t seem to know the actual policy, subs who cut clearly marked gas lines, and people who magically “discover” five extra passengers after a fender bender. They break down why you should call your agent before you mash that 800 number, why you have to mitigate damage (yes, you were right to dry your house out), how diminished value on your car really works, and why people suddenly find their inner actor the minute money is mentioned.

They also get into group health freak-outs, slip-and-fall frequent flyers, and one “imbibing” former client who absolutely proved why you should just tell your agent the truth the first time.

If you’ve ever stared at a mess and thought, “Is this a claim or just a Tuesday?” — this one’s for you.

Chapters

0:00 – Cold Open & Name Butchering

1:25 – Texas Fall, Coffee, and Catching Our Breath

1:37 – The Busted Water Heater & The ‘You Shouldn’t Have Done That’ Adjuster

3:13 – Where Have All the Good Adjusters Gone?

6:02 – When Your Agent Shows Up to the Adjuster Meeting

7:40 – Before You Call the 800 Number… Call Your Agent

8:42 – Gas Line, Subcontractor, and “Please Breathe”

11:18 – Group Health Panic: “I’m Going to Get Dropped!”

13:50 – Car Accident 101 & Diminished Value

17:18 – Cones, Closed Lanes & “Yeah… You’re Still at Fault”

21:29 – Take Pictures, Take Video, Trust No One After Money Enters the Chat

23:52 – Greed, Fender Benders & Professional Claimants

26:34 – If You’re Afraid to Call Your Agent… Get a New Agent

28:17 – The “Imbibing” Former Client & Why You Shouldn’t Lie

30:56 – Final Takeaway: Call Us Before You Freak Out

Email: Contact@IGWpodcast.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsuranceGoneWild

Get a Quote!

Panatela Group: https://panatelagroup.com/

Call: 817-753-0093