No Matter the Asset, Allstate Insurance Keeps Customers Covered

By George Walsh, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Whether you own a car, house, or other type of property, protecting it with insurance is protecting your investment. In fact, when applying for a mortgage or a car loan, the financer and even state law can require the asset to be insured. Regardless of the type of insurance you need, Bob McGlinchy, owner of the Allstate Agency at 5976 W. Las Positas Boulevard, may just have the answers to your questions.

"We're an exclusive Allstate agency focusing primarily on personal insurance," McGlinchy says. "That includes auto, home, rental property, business, boat, flood, and life insurance. About six years ago, we also began providing financial services relating to mutual funds, annuities, and IRAs through Allstate Financial Services to help our clients gain more control over their money. We can help people with things like retirement plans and long-term savings plans in addition to providing for their insurance needs."

McGlinchy has been an Allstate agent since 1980 and moved to his current Hacienda location in December 2004. In addition to McGlinchy, two other staff members work in the office. One of the things that McGlinchy prides himself on is his firm's high renewal rate. Over 90 percent of the agency's clients renew with them every year. "I've been in business for 25 years and have customers that have been with me the whole time," he says. "The majority of our business is based on ongoing relationships with our clients and from the friends and relatives that they refer to us. If somebody has had a good experience with Allstate and my agency, they let others know."

McGlinchy likes doing business in Pleasanton and is pleased with his new office at Hacienda because he believes it gives current and potential clients better access to Allstate's services. However, he expects to maintain the personal attention he has been giving customers for the past 25 years. "I plan to let the business grow within a framework where I'm still able to treat everybody as if they're family," he says. "The key to success in the insurance and financial services business isn't selling new policies, it is earning the trust of clients who value long-term relationships with their agent and advisor."

While people view insurance needs differently, McGlinchy sees it this way: "In a nutshell, insurance is about protecting assets," he says. "When you first start accumulating things like cars and houses, you might only think of insurance as an added expense. However, in most cases, you wouldn't even be able to secure loans to buy those things unless insurance were involved. The same is true of retirement and savings planning. In a way, you're financially ensuring that you'll be able to comfortably retire or put your children through college. In the long run, these are all prudent things to do."

Photo: Bob McGlinchy heads Hacienda's Allstate Insurance agency.

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