Day: July 14, 2016

Marino Cecchi’s Allstate agency, located in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms (near Ciccio Cali and Koizi restaurants), offers a full range of personal and commercial insurance products, including homeowner and automobile policies, and additional products, such as life insurance, variable annuities and even money market funds.

The agency has been open since December 2014, and in just a year and a half, it’s grown quite a bit. “Our biggest source of business is referrals,” says Marino. “Our current customers are happy with their service, so they refer their friends, neighbors, and coworkers to us.”

Marino also says that most of his customers find him when they are looking for a quote for their auto or home insurance. Then, after they’ve learned about the agency and established a rapport with Marino, they often begin considering purchasing financial products through the agency, too.

“Recently, we’ve had more people looking for retirement accounts,” he says. “I think it’s a seasonal thing, as people do their taxes, they are looking for ways to reduce their tax burden, and we can help them with IRAs and other financial products. We’ve also recently helped families with college funds, too.”

He invites anyone doing their research about which insurance company or agency to choose to visit his website, which is accessible via the shortcut MarinoFS.com, to read the reviews his customers have written about him. You’ll see that nearly all are overwhelmingly positive reviews, but you’re still able to read the reviews that aren’t as glowing.

“It’s really a credit to Allstate that they don’t allow us to a remove negative review,” he says.

Marino holds a “Series 6” securities license, which means he can sell insurance, mutual funds, and variable annuities, but does not handle stock trades.

Most products are provided by Allstate, but some are brokered, Marino says, such as homeowner insurance and financial products.

“This means that customers can shop from companies that Allstate has already vetted and approved,” he explains, adding that some of these are large, multi-state or even international companies, such as Federated National Insurance, Prudential, Axa, and Voya, while others are based in Florida, such as Security First Insurance.

Experience Counts

Marino is originally from Chicago, and spent most of his life in the Windy City, although he also has lived in Wisconsin and Charleston, SC. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Organization Management from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL (near Chicago) in 1985. While in college, he began a career in banking that lasted more than 30 years. He has served as president of First Colonial Mortgage Corporation and Community Banc Mortgage, and he led the account management team at MortgageBot, a leading national provider of mortgage origination for banks and lenders.

“In the banking world, I worked as a trusted advisor,” he explains. “And, that’s what I want to be for my customers now. I have a ton of experience and knowledge that I’ve gained through my banking career, and I’ve realized that there is a lot of emotion when it comes to finances and making major purchases. It can be confusing and daunting to think about all these coverages, and there is a need for someone who can, with composure, look at your issues and give you sound advice. You need to find someone who is willing to do what’s in your best interest, not necessarily the best interest of the company.”

He says that his 30 years in the banking industry also have shown him that many people don’t really understand what they are buying, so they might not be protecting themselves from potential problems.

“Price is absolutely a factor, and we want to help you get the lowest price,” he says. “But, it’s not the only factor. We take a consultative approach to be sure that you understand how your current insurance products help meet your financial goals, and how your risk and exposure to financial loss might affect those goals.”

Customer Service, New Phone App, Texting & More

In addition to Marino, the staff includes account managers Johnathon Wofford, Donna Jones and Cortney Gonzalez.

“Everyone in Marino’s office is very helpful and friendly,” says Howard Lilienfeld, who lives in Tampa Palms and recently became a client of the agency. “I had a problem and needed insurance for my home, and Marino jumped right on it. I also got auto insurance very quickly, as well as an umbrella policy.”

Howard says he likes that he can call Marino anytime, and that he can stop in to see him because he’s close by.

“I highly recommend him,” Howard says. “He puts a lot of effort into his work and is very knowledgeable. If he treats everyone the way he’s treated me, they’ll be in good shape.”

Marino says his agency is ideal for people who want to understand and make educated choices about the insurance and financial products they buy. As an Allstate agency, all of his clients have access to a 24-hour call center, and he says they like the flexibility of using the website or even the Allstate mobile app (available for iOS and Android) to make payments and get information. But, Marino says that what really sets Allstate apart from the big companies that don’t have agents is, “Clients can come in and meet our staff and talk with the same person every time they have a question,” he says. “People often like to do their research online, buy their insurance or financial products in person, and then make payments easily through a convenient app on their phone.” Marino’s Allstate agency can accommodate all of those options.

Along those lines, Marino also recently added the option for clients to text his office phone number when they need something from their agent. “It gets used more than I thought it would,” he says. “A lot of times, I get texts from people at the car dealer, saying that they are buying a new car and are giving us the VIN number.” He says that’s an easy way to get information to him, and that he gets those messages on his phone, even when he’s not in the office.

Marino has recently joined the leadership team of a networking group that’s new in New Tampa, called Keep It Local. The group meets every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at A Dash of Salt ‘N Pepper (10353 Cross Creek Blvd.). “I like that it’s a more local business networking group,” says Marino. “There’s a lower membership fee than other groups, and it’s seat-specific, so there’s only one insurance agent. There’s also a volunteer component, so our members give back to the community.” He says the group is already meeting, but will have its official kickoff will be on Wednesday, August 3, 11:30 a.m., at A Dash of Salt ‘N Pepper.

Marino Cecchi’s Allstate agency is located at 17020 Palm Pointe Dr. and is open Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-6 p.m., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Fri., and on Sat. by appointment. Call 513-9001 for more information, visit MarinoFS.com,  or you also can “like” the agency’s Facebook page by searching “Allstate Insurance: Marino Cecchi” in the Facebook search engine.