Derek Jones State Farm Agent, 1 morton Avenue suite m2, Morton, PA (2026)

06/17/2026

Derek here, the Insurance Dad.

Yet again, I feel like the insurance business is at an interesting crossroads, and I do think it changes how everyone should think about protection.

For a while after the pandemic, the cost to fix cars and homes dramatically shot up. Supply shortages of aluminum, wood, steel, and other materials helped drive rebuild costs through the roof.

The good news is that those factors have thankfully slowed down. Things have stabilized, and a lot of my State Farm auto insurance customers are seeing lower prices. That is great news for everyone.

Then on the other hand, more people are suing each other than ever, and the cost of liability coverage is skyrocketing. In some cases, I am seeing increases as high as 85%. When liability insurance rates rise that much, it begs the question. At that cost, does it make sense to carry higher limits?

In this humble State Farm agent’s opinion, yes, it does. It makes more sense to carry higher car insurance liability coverage limits today than ever.

I 100% get it. Costs are costs, and money does not grow on trees.

But as we become a more and more litigious society, having adequate liability coverage becomes more and more important. If you do not have enough liability limits, you may be exposed to out-of-pocket costs if you are sued. That savings account you've been working your life for; it could be gone if you don't have enough protection.

I spoke with someone who has had the same coverage for 25 years. They had $100,000 of coverage. I told them 25 years ago that was excellent.

In 2026, you are underinsured.

06/16/2026

Derek here, the Insurance Dad!

A funny thing about being a parent and running a small business… You spend a lot of time thinking about how much you need a break. Then a friend is getting married in Vermont, and you get a few days away.

You leave the business behind. The grandparents are watching the kids. And this trip even had us so far out of the way that we did not have cell phone service.

So what did I do the entire time? I spent the whole trip thinking about how much I missed my kids and how much I could not wait to get back to the office to help customers.

I do not know, is that normal, or am I the strange one? Either way, happy to be back!

06/11/2026

Derek here, the Insurance Dad!

I will be out of town for a little while, heading up to Vermont for my wife’s best friend’s wedding. I have never been to Vermont, so I’m excited to see a new place while celebrating two cool humans finally tying the knot.

I will be out of the office on Friday, the 12th, through Monday, the 15th. Don’t worry, my team will be here and ready to help with insurance questions, policy reviews, and coverage support, including auto insurance, home insurance, and life insurance.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone, and see you next week!

06/10/2026

Derek here, the Insurance Dad.

Happy Wellness Wednesday!

As summer approaches, I have been thinking about my general health and wellness. As many of you know, I believe that success means family, health, and business all are in alignment.

Summer is such a crazy time. It starts with what my wife and I call the late May-June gauntlet: my birthday, Mother’s Day, my parent's anniversary, my niece’s birthday, my sister’s birthday, my daughter’s birthday, my sister in law’s birthday, my brother in law’s birthday, Father’s Day, and let’s not forget tee-ball season, where I am the head coach. This year, we also have my wife’s best friend’s wedding, in Vermont.

It is also a time when outdoor chores really pick up, taking care of my yard and gardens. That is on top of all the regular year-round chores needed to maintain a household.

And not to mention, this is supposed to be the “slower” season at work. Spoiler alert, it is not slow.

When I was ten years younger, I could have balanced it all no problem. But these days, just a few days of irregular sleep, a little less exercise, or indulging a bit too much on food and drinks can set me back.

I have been focused on maintaining a healthy balance. The results have been overwhelmingly positive. To me, the key right now is good sleep.

I do not think people talk enough about how important sleep is. I do not know the science behind it, maybe someone smarter can explain in the comments.

If I get a good night’s sleep, I am less likely to be tempted by unhealthy food. I am more likely to exercise. I am a better leader to my team and an agent to my customers. And I am a more patient dad.

So this Wellness Wednesday, here’s to getting eight hours a night, without those 8 hours, I would crash and burn!

06/09/2026

Derek here, the Insurance Dad.

I had a great talk with my team, comparing what we do to the wonderful, beautiful game of baseball.

Imagine you can throw a 100-mph fastball, but you cannot throw it for a strike. And ask yourself, what good is that pitch?

But really stop and think, how hard does someone have to train to throw a 100-mph fastball? That is someone who trains every day, relentlessly working on form and technique, strength and flexibility. And once they get to that velocity, what happens if they can no longer locate the pitch for a strike?

So what does that pitcher do? If he wants to stay in the majors, he adjusts. After all, it is far better to throw a 95-mph fastball for a strike than a 100-mph pitch for a ball.

But do some pitchers do? They fail to adjust. They stick to what got them to 100 mph, and they get sent back down to the minors.

In the insurance industry, we see the same thing. Sometimes we find a pitch we like, and we stick with it. And sometimes that pitch is good enough to get us to the majors. But things change. Customers' needs evolve. What once worked does not work anymore.

We stop doing things the way that worked before, and we adjust. No, we do not throw everything out we learned. We tweak it. We go from 100-mph to 95-mph.

So what does that tangible mean today? We embrace technology and AI to support the process, while we slow down the conversation to make sure we are not just going hard on price. We uncover gaps, concerns, and real needs. We do an insurance needs assessment, and we help you do an insurance coverage review, and ask about financial service's needs.

We become more human, more empathetic, and more willing to listen.

06/05/2026

Derek here, the Insurance Dad.

I have been thinking a lot about my rose bush. It started with just a few buds, about half a foot high, and I planted it four years ago during the dog days of summer.

I was worried it would not root, so I overwatered it. That caused a plant fungus, and the red roses turned a pinkish orange.

And I almost killed it.

But I never gave up on it. I pruned the infected parts, and I used all-natural antifungal plant food designed for roses. I pulled back on the overwatering. It took years, but I finally have the rose bush I wanted.

It is a lot like running a State Farm agency. Being an agent is about showing up, doing the work, and there are no shortcuts. Sometimes you make a mistake, and part of the business does not grow the way you want.

In this business, it's about being present, training your team, staying positive no matter what life throws at you, and most importantly talking with customers. Do these things well, and the business grows.

And when something isn't going the way you want, you don't stop. You adapt your strategy, keep what's working and prune the rest.

I hope everyone had a great week and enjoy your weekend!

06/04/2026

Derek here, the Insurance Dad!

One of the things I tell people who want to be in the insurance industry is that we see people at their best, and we see them at their worst. You cannot do this job and be judgmental. None of us deserve to be judged on how we behave when we are having our worst day.

The highs are really high, and the lows are really low. You, as the insurance pro, need to be the calm in that storm.

Something that I have seen recently that truly breaks my heart, and it has changed how I view my role... I have had multiple senior citizens tell me their family home was repossessed by a bank because they could not make the payments.

Homes that they lived in for decades.

These are good folks, people who worked hard their entire lives, raised healthy and happy children, and then got to a point where they just cannot make ends meet. Eventually the payments fall behind, and they lose their home.

If only I had been their agent thirty years ago. If only someone had spoken to them about making a plan to manage their finances, it all comes back to "if".

Honestly, when it first happened, I knew I had to get my financial services licenses. I knew I had to talk to people every day, not for super wealthy households, but for average households.

What I do is not glamorous. It is not flashy. I am not here to judge. I am here to help people prepare before they reach the if moment.

06/03/2026

Derek here, the Insurance Dad.

Today is an amazing day. Why do you ask? My little baby girl, Alcie, isn’t so little anymore. Today she turns two!

From the moment she entered this world, she’s been a ray of sunshine. Watching her learn to walk, picking up new words every day, and she is always there ready to help, as been amazing.

She’s sweet, she’s kind, but my goodness, don’t mess with her when she’s hungry.

She has been the easiest, happiest little nugget of joy in the world.

Thanks for making every day feel like a wonderland, colorful, magical, and often like a mad tea party.

Your daddy loves you.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

06/02/2026

Derek here, the Insurance Dad!

I had a conversation with a team member about what it means to be a positive person.

I recently got some tough news about my parents' health, on top of the changes happening at State Farm. And not to mention, I have my own family to care for, a business to run, and a tee ball team to coach. There is no doubt this is a stressful time in my life.

So what does it mean to be positive?

To me, you cannot ignore the tough realities and simply say, everything is fine and will work out, as if I can wave a magic wand and get the outcomes I am looking for.

So how do I stay grounded and maintain a glass half full outlook even when bad news seems to be following me like an unlucky shadow?

First and foremost, I try to maintain daily gratitude for what I have now. I cannot worry about the future, and I cannot obsess over past mistakes.

A close family member of mine had successful surgery yesterday, and the doctor expects him to fully recover. That is something I can be grateful for.

What comes next for him? I honestly do not know, but what I have now is good.

When you tune your mind toward gratitude, you start to see it everywhere.

I have a great group of tee ball players, including my son, and I get to coach them. My daughter turns two tomorrow. Two. Can you believe it, TWO?!

I get to work at a job I not only love, I own. I also get to work with amazing team members and customers every day.

It is planting season, which means I get to spend my free time thinking about, planning, and growing. Helping me see the beauty in the world that exists all around us.

Yesterday I told another team member that life will always be messy, it will be complex, and not everything that happens will be good. But the question is, what are you making of the opportunities you have right now?

To me, it all starts with gratitude.

What about you?

06/01/2026

Derek here, your friendly neighborhood State Farm agent and Insurance Dad.

Happy June 1st everyone. I can not believe 2026 is officially halfway through. Yikes.

It is a great opportunity to pause and think. Am I where I wanted to be? Am I on track to hit my goals, both personal and professional? What changes need to be made?

For me, there are three areas I like to evaluate. First and most important, fatherhood. Am I the dad I need to be? Next, my State Farm office. Are we on track to hit the office goals? Lastly, my health and wellness. Am I eating well, getting enough sleep, and getting enough exercise?

I think in all three areas things are actually going really well.

My daughter is turning 2 on Wednesday, and my son starts kindergarten in the fall. Going forward, I want to work on my patience with them. I know I have come a long way, but I still have some ways to go.

Our office is having a great year, in many ways the best year we have ever had. Going forward, I want to commit to more needs based insurance conversations with customers, especially around financial services and protecting what matters most to my customers.

At least 5 quality needs based conversations each week.

Wellness is also pretty great. My diet is balanced, and my doctors are happy. But I think I am not exercising enough. I want to do more daily exercise.

All in all, the start of 2026 has been good, but there is no time left to spare.

What about you? What are you working on for the next 6 months to close out 2026 strong?

If you want a needs based insurance review for State Farm auto insurance, home insurance, or life insurance, send me a message or give my office a call.

Derek Jones State Farm Agent

06/17/2026

06/16/2026

06/11/2026

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

06/05/2026

06/04/2026

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category