I first started using Ray Blackwell's services in 2007 when I bought my first car out of…read morecollege--they were listed as Mercury Insurance's closest agents based on where I was living at the time. Going on 6+ years now--my experience with Blackwell & Associates has been nothing but pure excellence. Professional, timely, great communication, willing to quickly work with you on a quote or adjusting a policy based on one's needs. I have changed several vehicles, added drivers to the policy, and have even had to utilize Mercury claim service a few times--on all accounts, I haven't experienced any issues whatsoever--and I attribute much (if not all) of that to the due diligence of Blackwell & Associates. At one point they tried to see if they could save me some money by combining auto and home policies under one. After doing the numbers, it didn't really make sense, and they didn't try to push anything on me since the results (while potentially beneficial for them) where not beneficial for me. I think that speaks volumes about the integrity of Blackwell & Associates. Take the other negative review(s) here with a grain of salt. I have a long standing track record with Blackwell & Associates and I cannot recommend Ray and his team enough for their outstanding service! For what it's worth I have been very happy with my Mercury Insurance policy as well!! 2 claims filed through them that were each resolved within the matter of a few weeks. Very professional experience.

AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE! Uninformed staff that will cause you more trouble than its worth…read more Find another agent to get you insured, this place is not the place to go. Agree with the other negative reviews here, this place is highly unprofessional. I purchased auto insurance from this agency and was setup for autopay. Somewhere down the line, the agency decided to change the address on my policy without my permission or request - and as a result I was paying about $50 more per month over the course of about 20 months. When I caught the mistake, I immediately contacted the agency and brought this to their attention. I thought this would be a simple misunderstanding that would get cleared up without issue, but instead - a clueless receptionist answered the phone, we went in circles for about 30 minutes, and then when I realized she didnt have a clue about insurance or about what my issue was (and that she was just the person who answered phones, not an agent) - I asked to speak with Ray Blackwell. He called me back, threataned me, we got into a yelling match, and he hung up. He called back, and at the end of this whole ordeal - they claimed their notes said that I had REQUESTED this change of address in my policy. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I REQUEST FOR YOU TO CHANGE MY POLICY ADDRESS TO AN ADDRESS WHERE I DO NOT LIVE?! WHY WOULD I MAKE UP A LIE ABOUT WHERE I LIVE, AND TAKE TIME OUT OF MY BUSY SCHEDULE TO CALL YOU TO TELL YOU THAT MY CAR IS AT ANOTHER ADDRESS? They are swearing by these "notes", but knowing myself, and knowing the truth, and without them having anything in writing from me informing them of a policy update - it wouldnt take a genius to figure out whos at fault here. Needless to say, I have cancelled my policy with this agency, and am awaiting their response to my request for reimbursement for extra fees incurred due to a change to my policy which i did not request, or authorize. Depending on which way this lands, I'll be following up with a small claims subpoena to get reimbursed for the extra fees paid. WHAT A HEADACHE TO DEAL WITH FOR SOMETHING THAT IS SUCH A MINUSCULE PART OF MY BUSY LIFE. See a real professional, this agency is a highly disorganized, super unprofessional, and has no ethical regard for its clients.

After having insurance with the same agent for 12 years I got a new car and tried to add it to my…read moreinsurance. After 8 days of frustration and still no quote I went elsewhere. The Reidenbach office was rude, incompetent and actually hung up on me as I was trying to figure out if I was driving all week without insurance. I've been giving them money since the last century and they were snotty and hung up as i was trying to figure out from the garbage they were telling me if I was covered. It's un imaginable that in this computer age that Barbara would tell me she can't get me a quote while we're on the phone. That would have been tolerable if she actually got back to me with a quote. Barbara is incompetent and Dave is a jerk. There are many other agents you can use for Farmers and I would never use this agency again. I had to go to the regional supervisor to get any answers. I still never got a quote. I thank god I never had to file a claim through these idiots.

I actually filed a claim with Farmers and even though the claim was closed without any payment,…read moreReidenbach and Farmers cancelled me! My dad went through them for decades and to think that they received all this free money...it makes me sick. Stay away from Farmers and the Reidenbachs. I went to State Farm and they are very happy to have my business!

We leased a place and needed insurance ASAP and got from Jay but switched within a month. Why? Well…read morehe got our policy through another insurance company and believe it or not it was double what we pay now with our new policy. Not trustworthy. Since he knew we needed ASAP he just gave a nonsense amount and he wouldn't get back to us for 2 days. I recommend another company and another agent with good reputation.

I was in a bind regarding my insurance documentation. John kindly and promptly provided guidance on…read morehow to resolve the matter. Because of his swift attention, I avoided a several thousand dollar fine! I highly recommend John because you're not going to get that type of personalized service from the big guys at GEICO.

I highly recommend Sagacious Insurance for all your insurance needs. Maura listened carefully to…read moremy concerns and insurance wants. I was told she would be back the following day, and she emailed me the quotes I requested and called to review them with me. She fulfilled all of my wants! The quotes were much better than what I had found calling around on my owns. She was personable and professional. I later learned that Maura is the President of Sagacious Insurance Services. They are a terrific firm!

I rarely leave reviews, but I had to following my experience working with Maura at Sagacious…read more I was facing nonrenewal by my homeowners insurance, as so many Bay Area folks / Californians have been in recent years. Stressful to say the least! Maura calmly and expertly guided me through my options, and patiently answered my questions. I felt zero pressure simply to sell me anything. She was genuinely guided by my best interests. She also knows her stuff: she was aware of what was happening with my particular insurer in my region, and the industry generally. She generously shared her time and expertise with me, providing clear, actionable steps during a fraught moment. I didn't end up needing to get a new policy through Sagacious, but she helped me anyhow...who does that? Almost nobody. Also, compared to other insurance brokers I'd found through Yelp and contacted as well? Night and day difference in terms of knowledge, responsiveness, sound advice, and all around professionalism and peace of mind it gave me. So, when I actually do need to buy a new insurance policy of any kind, I'm contacting Maura at Sagacious, and also feel comfortable recommending her to friends and family.

Scott saved me when he speedily readied my flood insurance for an already troubled escrow. I had…read moreshopped for flood insurance and thought I had secured a bonded policy, but never heard back from the agent until it was too late. Scott stepped up and made it happen. He was professional, courteous, and so very helpful. I'm in my new home thanks to those that helped along the way. You're in good hands with Scott as your agent.

Scott responded very quickly, and altho I didn't end up working with him bc condo insurance is…read moretough to get in CA, I appreciated and admired his straightforward, honest, and empathic reply, letting me know that he could provide quotes for non-admitted companies only. But he pointed me to a few of the larger insurance companies that might be able to help me, and sure enough, one of them worked out. So grateful for your help, Scott!

Several years ago I requested a automotive insurance quote from AllState through this office, but…read moretheir price was higher than several other insurers. I opted out of receiving any further emails, calls, or mail. But I have never stopped getting emails and physical mail though every time I request removal from their lists. Today I contacted Dan Bethancourt to repeat this request after getting another message with a quote for cars I don't even own anymore. Dan was not available but the office manager, Dorothy Prescott answered. Dorothy explained that their office CANNOT remove people from their email lists because "it's in a program." She suggested that I just ignore the continued messages. I insisted that this was not acceptable and she eventually agreed to try to remove me from their contact list if I would forward the email I got to her ... it turned out that the email was from her email address (not Daniel's). She replied to that email quickly that she would look into it and soon after confirmed that I was removed from the message lists. Two stars for (hopefully) resolving this after dozens of unwanted messages. But it's not acceptable to tell people to "just ignore it" and that there's nothing they can do about these messages. And for their commercials which are at least funnier than most other insurance companies. But I wouldn't recommend AllState and I suggest others not seek quotes from this office.

Overt the years I've been with Allstate Insurance I've had only 2 claims. Both were settled with…read moreminimal fuss and bother. I've been very pleased by the service provided by Daniel Bethancourt and his Allstate Insurance agency.

I can't say enough good things about these guys…read more I've been using Jason Stallcup (now Stallcup & Voie) for a few years now (having used them the first time when I had run into some issues with the IRS). They've always been incredibly accommodating and after my first year with them, tax time no longer made me want to curl in the fetal position in the back of my closet. Beyond knowing I'm getting the best return possible...I've also constantly been impressed with how they embrace technology. From my first year, physically dropping off copies of receipts and w-2s to uploading scanned images to an FTP server, to investigations into online form submittable...theyre always looking for ways to improve the overall experience. Even payment can be done online. They always make time to answer questions...and to make sure the entire process is transparent so you know where you are in the process. It really couldn't be any easier.

I found Jason on Yelp and was not only drawn to him because of all the good things his clients had…read moreto say but because he was open to having a free consultation to assess my needs, go over his services, and see if there was a good fit. As a newly self-employed professional, I realized the importance of having a tax expert on my side but was clueless as to how the process goes and how we would work together. Jason specializes in the self-employed such as myself and small businesses. He is not only handling the filing aspects for me throughout the year, but he offered to inform me about my IRA options to build a retirement fund, etc. After getting him the information he needed, he provided a guesstimate so I would know what to expect. I was surprised at his fee compared to all my years of filing for free with Turbo Tax, but he's going to save me so much more than I ever could have on my own, he will more than pay for his services with what I saved, and I might even see some considerable cash coming my way. All in all, I am really grateful that I don't have to worry about Uncle Sam anymore... and that is practically priceless : )