Auto
Minnesota No-Fault Insurance, Explained: What PIP Actually Covers
Minnesota is a no-fault state. Here is what Personal Injury Protection pays for, the state minimums, and where no-fault ends and liability begins.
The Journal
Minnesota Insurance Blog
Insurance, in plain English.
Forty-two Minnesota-specific guides, written without the jargon — no-fault auto coverage, hail and ice dam claims, deductibles, and what it all means for your policy. Written by the William Tuttle Agency, a Farmers Insurance agency in Owatonna.
What does this blog cover? 42 Minnesota-specific insurance guides in plain English — including a full series on how claims really work, from hail-damaged roofs and water losses to total-loss payouts and denied claims. Every article is written by William Tuttle Agency, a licensed local insurance agency at 121 W Broadway St in Owatonna. These articles are general information, not insurance advice — talk to a licensed agent about your situation.
Claims, storms & what to do
The full series on how claims actually work in Minnesota — before, during, and after.
Claims
Hail Damage Roof Claims in Southern Minnesota: How They Really Work
Southern Minnesota is hail country. How to spot roof damage, how the claims process works, and the mistakes that cost homeowners money.
Claims
How a Home Insurance Claim Works in Minnesota: Start to Finish
From first call to final payment: every step of a Minnesota home insurance claim, what the adjuster does, and where your agent fits in.
Claims
Water Damage and Home Insurance: What Is Covered, What Is Not
Burst pipes, sewer backup, seepage, and floods are treated very differently by home insurance. A plain-English map of water damage coverage.
Claims
Should You File an Insurance Claim or Pay Out of Pocket?
Not every loss belongs on your insurance. How to weigh the deductible, the damage, and the long-term cost before you file.
Claims
Does Filing a Claim Raise Your Insurance Rates?
Sometimes, and it depends on the claim. An honest look at how claims can affect your premium, and which ones usually matter most.
Claims
How Long Does an Insurance Claim Take?
What a realistic claims timeline looks like for auto and home, what slows claims down, and how to keep yours moving.
Claims
Insurance Claim Denied? Here Is What to Do Next
A denial is not always the end. Why claims get denied, how to appeal, and where Minnesota consumers can turn for help.
Claims
When Is a Car Totaled? How Total-Loss Payouts Work
What totaled actually means, how actual cash value is set, and what to do if you think the offer is too low.
Claims
Roof Claims Explained: ACV, Replacement Cost, and Recoverable Depreciation
Why the first roof check is smaller than you expected — and how recoverable depreciation works when you complete the repair.
Home
Does Home Insurance Cover Sump Pump Failure & Sewer Backup in Minnesota?
Usually not on a standard policy. The water backup endorsement Minnesota basements need, and the questions to ask before a wet spring.
Home
Frozen and Burst Pipes: What Minnesota Home Insurance Covers
A pipe that freezes and bursts is typically covered — with one big exception involving heat not maintained while you were away.
Home
Water Heater, Washer, and Dishwasher Leaks: Covered or Not?
A failed appliance can wreck a floor in an afternoon. What home insurance typically covers, what it excludes, and what to document.
Home
Roof Leak or Storm Damage? How Insurers Decide What Is Covered
Wind and hail damage is usually covered; wear and tear is not. How adjusters tell the difference — and what to photograph.
Home
Is Mold Covered by Home Insurance in Minnesota?
Usually only when it follows a sudden, covered water loss — and often with limits. What qualifies, and what to do next.
Home
Basement Flooding in Owatonna: Which Policy Actually Pays?
Surface flood, sewer backup, burst pipe, or seepage — each is treated differently. Which policy responds to a flooded basement.
Home
Found Hidden Water Damage During a Remodel? What Your Policy Says
The contractor opened the wall and found rot. When hidden water damage is covered, and where the sudden-vs-gradual line falls.
Home
Renters: Who Pays When the Upstairs Unit Leaks Into Yours?
What your renters policy covers, what the landlord's covers, and who pays for a place to stay if you have to move out.
Home
Storm Damage in Steele County: Seven Things to Do Before You Sign With a Roofer
Hail just hit and the door-knockers are out. Seven steps to take before you sign a roofing contract.
Auto & drivers
Minnesota's no-fault system, winter coverage decisions, and the questions every driver asks.
Auto
Minnesota No-Fault Insurance, Explained: What PIP Actually Covers
Minnesota is a no-fault state. What Personal Injury Protection pays for, the state minimums, and where no-fault ends and liability begins.
Auto
What To Do After a Car Accident in Minnesota: A Step-by-Step Guide
The exact steps to take at the scene, what to document, when to file a police report, and how the claim process works in Minnesota.
Auto
Comprehensive vs. Collision Coverage for Minnesota Winters
Deer strikes, black ice, hail: which coverage pays for what, and how Minnesota winters should shape your auto policy decisions.
Auto
What Is Full Coverage Car Insurance, Really?
There is no policy called full coverage. What people usually mean by it, what it includes, and the gaps it can still leave.
Auto
What Is Gap Insurance and Do You Need It?
If your car is totaled while you owe more than it is worth, gap coverage bridges the difference. Who needs it and who can skip it.
Auto
Adding a Teen Driver to Your Car Insurance: A Survival Guide
What actually happens to your policy when a teenager starts driving, the discounts that help, and the coverage decisions that matter most.
Auto
Deer Season and Your Car: What Minnesota Auto Insurance Covers
Hit the deer and it is a comprehensive claim; swerve into the ditch and it is collision. What to do at the scene.
Home & property
Ice dams, dwelling coverage, and what renters and homeowners actually need.
Home
Ice Dams and Home Insurance in Minnesota: What Is Covered, What Is Not
Ice dams cause some of the costliest winter claims in Minnesota. What your homeowners policy typically covers, and how to prevent them.
Home
How Much Home Insurance Do You Actually Need?
Replacement cost, not market value. How dwelling coverage is set, what extended replacement cost means, and the add-ons worth asking about.
Home
Is Renters Insurance Worth It in Minnesota?
What renters insurance covers, what it costs relative to what it protects, and when it earns its keep for Minnesota renters.
Home
Twelve Things to Do Before the First Freeze: Your Insurance Agent's List
Hoses, sump pump, gutters, furnace, cabin shutoffs — a 12-point checklist so winter finds your home ready.
Insurance 101
Moving to Owatonna? The Insurance Checklist for New Steele County Residents
License timing, no-fault auto coverage, home vs. renters, and how bundling works — a checklist for new residents.
Life, business & money
Protecting a young family, a small business, and the budget that carries both.
Life
Life Insurance for Young Families: The DIME Method Made Simple
Debt, Income, Mortgage, Education: a simple framework for working out how much life insurance a young Minnesota family actually needs.
Business
What Is a BOP? Business Owner Policies for Owatonna Small Businesses
What a Business Owner Policy covers, what it does not, and who should consider one.
Savings
How Bundling Home and Auto Insurance Works in Minnesota
What bundling actually means, why carriers reward it, and how to tell whether a bundle really saves you money.
Toys, lakes & specialty
Snowmobiles, lake homes, hobby farms, jewelry, and the coverage a standard policy leaves out.
Umbrella
Umbrella Insurance for Lake Homes, Boats, and ATVs in Minnesota
Lake living raises your liability exposure. How a personal umbrella policy layers over your home, auto, and toys.
Toys
Snowmobile Insurance in Minnesota: What Riders Should Know
Trail riding, lake crossings, and loaner sleds: how snowmobile coverage works in Minnesota and why homeowners insurance is not enough.
Specialty
Insuring an Engagement Ring or Fine Jewelry: How It Works
Standard home policies cap jewelry losses. How scheduling a ring works, what appraisals you need, and what a jewelry policy covers.
Specialty
Insuring a Hobby Farm in Minnesota: What You Need to Know
A few acres, some animals, maybe a side business. Why a standard homeowners policy may not be enough for a Minnesota hobby farm.
Specialty
Flood Insurance in Minnesota: Who Needs It and How It Works
Home insurance excludes flood — full stop. Who should consider flood coverage in Minnesota and how the waiting period works.
Insurance 101
The fundamentals — liability, deductibles, premiums, and whether an umbrella belongs in your stack.
Insurance 101
What Does Liability Insurance Actually Cover?
The coverage that protects everyone else from you — and your savings from them. How liability works on auto and home policies.
Insurance 101
Why Did Your Insurance Go Up? 9 Real Reasons
Rates can rise even when nothing changed on your end. The real drivers behind premium increases, and what you can actually do about it.
Insurance 101
How to Choose Your Insurance Deductible
A higher deductible generally means a lower premium — but is that right for you? A practical way to pick deductibles for auto and home.
Umbrella
Is Umbrella Insurance Worth It?
A candid look at who actually benefits from an umbrella policy, what it protects, and the situations where it earns its premium many times over.
Who writes these articles?
Every article here comes from the William Tuttle Agency — a Farmers Insurance Premier Agency in Owatonna, Minnesota, licensed in MN, WI, IA, MI, and AZ. We write about the questions people actually bring into our office on Broadway: what Minnesota requires, what a policy typically covers, and where the fine print matters. If an article raises a question about your own coverage, reach out or request a quote — a licensed agent will walk through it with you.
These articles are general information, not insurance advice or a coverage promise. Coverage depends on your policy's specific terms. Talk to a licensed agent about your situation.