The Scritchlow Agency - COUNTRY Financial

05/29/2026

Today's insurance tip comes with a challenge:

Without looking, could you tell me what your fi****ms collection is actually worth?

Not what you paid for it. Not what you told your spouse you paid for it. 😅

What it's actually worth today.

Most gun owners can tell you when they bought each one, what caliber it is, where they found it, and why it's better than their buddy's.

But far fewer know whether their insurance would fully cover it if something happened.

And if you've reached the point where you're buying a new safe because the old safe ran out of room... it might be time for a coverage review.

Also, if this episode seems slightly more educational than normal, that's because Ryan was testing the limits of what compliance considers a joke. 😅

05/28/2026

Ryan got featured today as a new member spotlight by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA).

Which is pretty impressive for a guy whose work wardrobe is mostly polos, white socks, and “might load a trailer after this meeting.” 😅

We’re proud to be part of an organization that supports professionals helping families and businesses protect what they’ve worked hard for… even if one of those professionals occasionally smells like BBQ smoke.

Please join us in welcoming Ryan Scritchlow to NAIFA Illinois!
https://agents.countryfinancial.com/usa/il/bloomington/ryan-scritchlow?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

05/27/2026

Miles is officially up for a Readers Choice Award for Insurance Agent… which honestly makes sense because he’s one of the few people in the office that looks like he actually knows what he’s doing all the time. 😅

While Ryan is out launching T-shirts into crowds, cooking ribs, or accidentally breaking the office page trying to “improve engagement”… Miles is usually the calm professional making sure everything keeps moving.

In all seriousness, Miles cares deeply about helping people, takes great care of our customers, and we’re proud to have him on our team.

If you’d like to vote for Miles for Readers Choice Insurance Agent, we’d appreciate it!

https://thepantagraph.secondstreetapp.com/2026-Bloomington-Best-of-Readers-Choice/gallery/545257411/

05/27/2026

Big congratulations to our associate agent Greg on officially becoming a member of NAIFA! 👏

Greg is already learning one of the most important parts of the insurance industry:

If someone uses an acronym you don’t understand… just nod confidently and Google it later. 😅

In all seriousness, we’re proud to have people on our team that continue investing in learning, growing, and serving our community the right way.

Welcome to NAIFA, Greg!

Please join us in welcoming Gregory Severns to NAIFA Illinois!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-severns/?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

05/26/2026

Happy Memorial Day from all of us at Scritchlow Agency 🇺🇸

Today we remember and honor the men and women who gave everything for our country and the freedoms we enjoy every day.

Also… while filming some insurance videos this weekend, Ryan apparently decided the dress code was:
Financial advisor from the waist up.
Pool party from the waist down.

The best part is he fully believed nobody would ever know he was wearing pink alligator swim trunks and flip flops until the blooper reel exposed him like a Channel 19 investigative report 😅

Just proof that not all heroes wear capes.
Some wear polos with aggressively questionable shorts.

Hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day full of family, friends, BBQ, and enough food to justify elastic waistbands.

05/24/2026

Apparently Ryan is up for Readers Choice Best Financial Planner… which is pretty impressive for a guy whose professional wardrobe is mostly polos and whose idea of networking is talking BBQ at a job site.

Most financial advisors probably spend their afternoons on a golf course. Ryan spends his time answering calls at weird hours, checking on projects, and somehow tying all of it together without owning a single flashy suit.

But honestly, that’s kind of the point.
No Wall Street attitude. No confusing jargon. Just a local guy who works hard, answers his phone, and helps people plan for the future without making it feel intimidating.

So if you’d like to support Ryan (and prove that polos can in fact qualify as financial advisor attire), we’d really appreciate your vote! 😂

[Vote for Ryan Here](https://thepantagraph.secondstreetapp.com/2026-Bloomington-Best-of-Readers-Choice/gallery/544036431/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

05/23/2026

You’ve got lots of choices when it comes to insurance agents… so what makes us different?

Well… Ryan is a Certified BBQ Judge. 😂

Which means at some point a serious organization watched Ryan and thought:
“This is the leadership we’ve been missing.”

Now LOOK at those ribs.

Low and slow. Good seasoning. Attention to detail.
Honestly it’s basically the same process Ryan uses for insurance… except fewer rubber gloves and slightly less BBQ sauce.

So if you want an insurance agent that can judge your coverage AND your ribs… Ryan’s your guy. 🇺🇸🥩

05/22/2026

Big day at the office… new client folders, business cards, and thank you cards showed up.

Annelise looked at her new business cards and said, “Cool.”

Ryan reacted like a guy who just found an extra 10mm socket in the toolbox.

Then he realized the thank you cards have HIS picture on them and things really got out of hand.

So if you’ve ever wanted a thank you card from COUNTRY… and more importantly one with Ryan’s face on it… you’re gonna have to become a customer first. 😂

05/20/2026

If you’ve got kids in school, you know the last two weeks of the school year are absolute chaos 😅

Field trips, concerts, awards days, classroom parties, spirit days, “bring this oddly specific item tomorrow” days… honestly it takes more scheduling than running some businesses.

Ryan spent today chaperoning Jeffrey’s end-of-year field trip to Starved Rock and learned two things:

Elementary school kids have unlimited energy
Starved Rock has approximately 47 million stairs

Somewhere between trying to keep up with a pack of kids on the trails and making sure no one got poison ivy, Ryan realized field trip chaperoning is basically crowd control with snacks.

One of the biggest benefits of having a large office and an awesome team is that even when Ryan sneaks away for a field trip day, the office is still there taking care of clients, answering calls, and helping people protect what matters most.

All jokes aside, it was an awesome day and a good reminder that sometimes the best investment isn’t in a retirement account… it’s taking a few hours away from work to make memories with your kid.

05/19/2026

Most insurance agents spend their afternoons behind a desk.

Ryan spent his helping a group of 6th & 7th graders move a tiny house across town 😅

The students at Metcalf Lab School designed and built a tiny house that’s being donated to Home Sweet Home Ministries, and when it came time to safely load and move the structure… apparently the call went to the insurance guy with construction equipment, trailers, and a crew.

Honestly, this may be the first time “commercial risk management” involved explaining to middle schoolers why you should probably keep your fingers away from the bottom of the wall.

In all seriousness, it was an awesome project and a great example of local kids doing something bigger than themselves for our community.

Ryan and the team were honored to help get it safely on the road.

Check out the story here:
https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-07-09/metcalf-school-sixth-graders-design-build-and-donate-a-tiny-house-to-homeless-shelter-village-in-bloomington

And yes… before anyone asks… the tiny house was properly secured before transport. The insurance office made sure of that 😉