Who writes this and why
My name is Dan Swenson. I am a data nerd who is also a Minnesota workers' compensation attorney and a city council member. Public information should not be hard to use, so I build this network of sites as a hobby: I pull scattered public records out of PDFs and government databases and turn them into tools regular people can actually use. I do not use these sites to find legal clients, except for MN Comp Buddy which is my actual day job. The tools are free. The sites pay for their own hosting through clearly disclosed referral links and a few optional paid guides.
The claim system is not rigged, but it is asymmetric. The insurer knows what recoverable depreciation is, which line items fell off the estimate, and that most people never supplement, never invoke appraisal, and never complain to the state. The whole gap between a fair payout and a short one is knowing those things exist. That knowledge fits on a website.
How it makes money
Three ways, each disclosed where it appears. The Playbook is a paid PDF. The supply checklist on the first-48-hours page uses Amazon Associates links. And some comparison-service buttons (contractor directories, solar quotes, insurance comparison) are partner links that pay for referrals. The rule that keeps this honest: no contractor, insurer, or company pays to be recommended in the text, the text never changes because a partnership exists, and every partner link works the same for you whether or not it pays us.
What this site will never do
- It will never touch your specific claim. No claim reviews, no letters written for you, no calls to your insurer, no intake form. That work belongs to licensed public adjusters and attorneys in your state, and the escalation guide tells you when to hire them.
- It will never sell your information or generate "leads" from your visit. Reading this site sends nothing to anyone.
- It will never let a storm-chasing contractor buy a recommendation.
Something wrong or out of date? dan@mnbuddynetwork.com. I read all of it.