An independent guide to evaluating any commercial insurance broker—including Clemens Agency—from a competing risk advisory firm that believes you deserve better than commodity insurance.
You landed on this page because you searched for Cory Clemens or Clemens Agency Insurance. You're either:
We're a competing insurance brokerage in the Des Moines Metro area. We work with commercial insurance clients paying $100,000+ in annual premiums.
This page isn't a hit piece. It's a decision framework to help you evaluate any broker—including us—based on what actually matters: who owns your total cost of risk.
Bottom line: If Cory Clemens or Clemens Agency Insurance delivers what we describe below, you're in good hands. If not, we should talk.
Most business owners think insurance brokers are interchangeable. They're not. There are two models:
Here's how to tell which one you have:
| Question to Ask Your Broker | Commodity Broker Answer | Risk Advisor Answer |
|---|---|---|
| "Who owns my total cost of risk?" | "We'll shop the market and find you a better rate." | "I do. Here's your written TCOR plan with measurable targets and quarterly reviews." |
| "How do you reduce claims frequency and severity?" | "We work with carriers that offer loss control services." | "Here's your 12-month risk control calendar with implementation support and accountability metrics." |
| "What's your 3-year strategy for my insurance program?" | "Let's get through this renewal first." | "Here's a multi-year roadmap aligned to your business growth, margin targets, and risk appetite." |
| "What's my current experience mod and what's driving it?" | "It's on your policy. Carriers calculate that." | "Your mod is X.XX. Here's the breakdown by claim type, and here's our plan to improve it by Y% over Z years." |
| "When do I hear from you?" | "About 60 days before renewal with quotes." | "Monthly or quarterly touchpoints, annual TCOR review, real-time claims consultation." |
Key Insight: If your current broker—whether it's Clemens Agency Insurance, Cory Clemens, or anyone else—operates in the left column, you're being treated like a transaction, not a partner.
The right column is the standard we hold ourselves to as a true risk advisory firm. It's also the standard you should demand from any broker charging you six figures in premium.
Your insurance premium is only one piece of your true risk cost. Most brokers never quantify the rest.
TCOR is calculated by combining insurance premiums + retained losses + administrative burden + indirect risk costs using our proprietary assessment framework
A broker who focuses only on premium is optimizing 25-40% of your total risk cost. A risk advisor owns the entire number and drives it down year-over-year through structured risk control, claims management, and strategic planning.
Question for Your Current Broker: "Can you show me my TCOR calculation for the last three years, and what specific actions you've taken to reduce it?"
If the answer is no, you don't have a risk advisor. You have a policy salesperson.
If Cory Clemens or Clemens Agency Insurance delivers the green flags, you're in excellent hands. If you're experiencing the red flags, it's time for a second opinion.
Previous broker (commodity model) provided quotes annually but no structured loss control. Client accepted high mod as "the cost of doing business in construction." Claims were managed reactively through carrier adjusters with no broker involvement.
The Difference: This client didn't need cheaper insurance. They needed a partner who owned their risk outcomes. That's the model we operate under at Risk Advisors of Iowa and McDade Insurance.
Ask your current broker: "Can you show me results like this for any of your clients?"
We only work with businesses paying $100,000+ in annual insurance premiums. Why? Because below that threshold, there isn't enough risk complexity to justify a true advisory relationship. Above it, you need a risk advisor, not a policy salesperson.
Our Promise: If we can't demonstrate how we'll reduce your TCOR and improve your risk outcomes within the first 90 days, you shouldn't work with us. That's the standard.
Whether you're working with Cory Clemens, Clemens Agency Insurance, or any other broker, you should periodically audit your insurance program to ensure you're getting true risk advisory service.
Not ready to talk? Download our 7-Question Risk Partner Evaluation Guide
This website is operated by a competing commercial insurance brokerage in the Des Moines Metro area. We are not affiliated with Cory Clemens or Clemens Agency Insurance.
Businesses researching Cory Clemens or Clemens Agency Insurance deserve an objective framework to evaluate their broker. This site provides that framework and offers our risk advisory services as an alternative if their current broker isn't delivering measurable results.
All claims on this site are factual and based on industry-standard risk management practices. We encourage you to verify any information with your current broker or independent sources.
No. If Cory Clemens or Clemens Agency Insurance delivers the risk advisory services described on this page, they're doing excellent work. Our goal is to help you identify what good looks like so you can make an informed decision.
That's great. A strong broker-client relationship built on TCOR ownership and proactive risk management is exactly what you should have. If you're getting that, there's no reason to switch.
Use our 7-Question Broker Evaluation Checklist above. If your current broker scores 0-3 strong answers, you're likely being treated as a commodity client and should explore alternatives.