Claudia Ruiz receives voter registration materials in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Photo: Isaac Brekken / AP)

As the Hispanic population surpasses 40 million with a combined purchasing power of more than $700 million, the insurance industry is keeping its eye on this ever-growing market segment. Hispanic agents and Latin agent insurance associations are playing an increasingly important role in representing minority agents and consumers, but are they been successful? I don’t think so, but let’s keep reading and find the answer.

What are Hispanics purchasing with all this buying power?
According to a study “Trends in Marketing Insurance to Hispanics” by FSU: Increasingly, cars and homes.

Hispanics accounted for 6% of new vehicle registrations in 2003. In addition, between 1994 and 2004 Hispanic home ownership rose an entire 8%, from 41% to 49%. 3 These statistics show that the stereotypical image of the poor Hispanic farm worker is being replaced with a new Hispanic identity.

Hispanics are becoming progressively wealthier and car manufacturers and real estate companies are taking note. Toyota and other manufacturers have been targeting the Hispanic consumer with culturally-specific marketing campaigns.
However, these increases in car and home ownership are also causing another industry to finally wake up to the Hispanic market: the insurance industry.

Below is a hint why insurance company has not been successful selling insurance to Hispanics.

Increased budget in marketing spending does not automatically translate in higher numbers of Hispanics purchasing insurance. Insurance companies targeting Hispanic consumers must overcome numerous cultural and educational barriers. In most Latin American countries, insurance for major investments such as homes and cars is not obligatory. Moreover they are relatively uninformed about insurance and its importance in U.S. society.

Insurance is never considered something you must have. It is not like food. Some people even think that it is a waste of money. Many others would think it is something you can live without even more complicated to overcome than the above-mentioned educational barriers are certain Hispanic cultural beliefs such as the unpredictable nature of life and the desire to “live for today”.

Now here is a personal issue that I have with insurance companies and this affects everybody regardless or race, color of the skin or income. If you have let’s say for instance a car insurance policy which is mandatory to have and you are in an accident, even before you make the claim you start to balance in your head between the cost of the damage and the higher premium that you will get because of the claim.

Why the increase in the premium? Because insurance companies want to penalize you for making the claim, but I will say to them what about all the years I paid you lots of money without a claim? They might answer to you “I don’t care!”

In this country everybody is in fear of been in a law suit, in an accident or some type of calamity; that is why the insurance company take advantage of you. Regretfully because the economic system in place you must have insurance, but we need from politicians better regulations.

I am sure that no one took in consideration the tragedy of been apart from their love ones; those who packed their belongings in a pair of suitcases not only brought to the new country clothing, they brought pieces of a happy life depicted in pictures of birthdays, weddings or in letters from friends, boyfriend or perhaps a girlfriend in other words happy times, but also brought willingness to start all over again no matter if they were lawyers, doctors, receptionists, or whatever was their occupation. All became one social status, with no titles or jobs.

Ours is a country of immigrants

Also that separation from parents and other family members besides friends broke the family in two; no more event celebrations together.

The father or for instance grandma will not be able to enjoy or see their son or grandson grow leaving a sense of separation, agony and remorse for those who emigrated.

Happy are those who can call their families every week, share pictures and events through emails or letters, but for many that are in minimum wages, struggling to survive from job to job is a constant pain in their hearts not to know about their love ones.

The worst of those situations is a person who left his country alone and with the hope to have a good job that will allow him to save money, so he can send it back to his family, sin order for them to eat, have a roof over their heads or perhaps buy a piece of land.

He is alone, no friends from his barrio, no family only the new friends his making in his job or his church where he goes and pray every Sunday to have a better live.

Those who choose to live in another country for whatever reason they don’t have a sense of belonging; they don’t have points of reference in their new city meaning buildings, plazas or monuments that at some point in live was the background of a family event or an engagement celebration. They need to integrate with the new community and merge with the fabric of the city so they can start building that sense of belonging.

I will encourage those who made it to give a hand to their fellow countrymen and for the existing citizens have compassion and welcome them to your country.

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