Over two thousand years ago - the great teacher Socrates is credited with saying “The 
more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.” A statement that set the standard for 
education, and at the same time distinguished between the acquisition of information and 
wisdom.
                                    Four Parts of Knowledge

K  What we know.
     We Know based on facts, correct information or verifiable experience.

N   What we don’t know we don’t know.
      We Need to understand in order to avoid devastating errors of judgment.

O  What we know we don’t know.
     We Ought to understand the value of, and seek good and wise counsel on.

W  What we think we know.
      We Wish we had known better.
                                                                      by Anthony N. Verreos,   January 26, 2009

​VIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIAVIA

​F A Q 's     1. Why is the insurance company so much more demanding than my local Fire
                            Department regarding building codes?   Insurers have to pay, the City doesn't.   
                            When the FD puts out a fire that should never have started, they're heros, but the insurer
                            has to pay to repair damages that were preventable.  Insurers want to cover safety
                            conscious people.  They expect to pay for accidents, and things beyond your control,  
                            not for neglect or losses contributed to by a lack of proper maintenance.  

                        2. How do we know we'll have enough insurance to replace everything we might  
                            lose?  It's hard to know, because many variables impact building costs.  It's also difficult
                            to tell what personal property is worth if it has not been recently purchased, inventoried, 
                            or appraised.  The most common mistake many people make is assuming that they will
                            not lose everything.  Next, that our things aren't worth anything.  And last, not even 
                            telling their agent what they have.  Someday it may all be different, but for now, there is 
                            no master checklist that will assist you to know all you need to know.  Instead there are
                            Agents and Brokers like us.  A little research goes a long way.  We can help.  And 
                            some policies conditionally promise to pay in excess of the stated limits, ask us how.
  
                        3. How about our collection of What's Its?  People collect everything imaginable.  And 
                            some of those collections are extremely valuable.  Insurance policies are not set up to
                            provide a "blank check" without proof of loss, so you have to be prepared to demon-                            strate ownership, authenticity, and value.  A read of your policy will always turn up
                            limits, limitations, conditions, and exclusions that ultimately control what's covered, and  
                            how much you can collect in a given situation.  Few people read these thoroughly before
                            purchasing a policy, and if they mean to read it later, that day may not come until after a
                            claim has been denied.  VIA is here to help.  

                        4. Why can't I just get everything I want just the way I want it?  Though considered 
                             a "financial services" business, insurance is nothing like retail where sales are based on
                             instant gratification, bragging rights, a need to be trendy, or an intense dislike for the 
                             table service etc.  Insurance as a whole does provide a great service across a spectrum
                             that touches just about everything, and everyone at some point, but the interactions with
                             customers are far different as it's a product that no one ever wants to use, but some of
                             us use much more often than others (such as medical and auto insurance) do.  Life 
                             insurance is really death insurance (but nobody wants to talk about dying), and while 
                             new plans may allow pre death advance payments for end stage, and long term care,
                             the appeal is knowing you've provided for your family unselfishly, unlike a great new 
                             car, vacation home, or dream vacation etc.  There are about 2300 Life Insurers doing
                             business in CA, and hundreds of Property & Casualty companies for a reason.  And
                             try as they will, no one company can do it all, and do it all better than everyone else.

NEWS:  No matter how we may try to convince ourselves otherwise, no matter how 
             great our personal achievements, we owe our very existence to ancestors who
             we know next to nothing about, and who likely suffered and died in order to
             increase the chances that we could live a better life than them.   



Call >  800. 464. 1397  CA only