This Friday, June 28th is National Insurance Awareness. The day was created to encourage everyone across the nation to review their insurance policies.
Below are some tips to help you observe the day:
Home:
- Review the home value. The value of the home
should be based on current construction costs, not market value. You should
review the home value every 3 to 5 years.
- Review the home credits. If you have installed an alarm or have turned your alarm service off you should update the home policy accordingly.
- Review the deductible. The higher the deductible the lower the premium. Also a higher deductible will discourage you from filing small claims which can impact your ability to obtain coverage in the future.
- Review the endorsements included in the policy. If you have switched insurance companies recently a coverage may have been dropped during the process.
Auto:
- Review drivers listed on the policy. All
licensed drivers residing in your home should be listed on the auto policy.
Failure to do so could result in a denied claim for unlisted drivers.
- Review ownership of the vehicle. If the loan or lease agreement has been satisfied update the policy. This will prevent delays in payment at claim time. Any change in titled ownership should also be reflected on the policy or a new policy purchased for the vehicle.
- Review deductibles. Insurance companies continually increase the price breaks for higher deductibles. As with the home insurance a higher deductible will save you premium and discourage you from filing small claims.
- Review usage of each vehicle. Vehicles used for Uber or Lyft services do not have coverage while being used for this purpose. Vehicles used for business purposes may also not have coverage if used for business at the time of a claim.
Schedule:
- Update items to be listed along with values. Appraisals should be completed every 3 to 5 years to keep up with market values. Use an inventory such as Collectify to manage your collection easily.
Umbrella:
- Update properties, vehicles, drivers, recreational vehicles, boats, etc. at each renewal. Failure to update could result in no coverage under the umbrella.
- Make sure the underlying insurance policies for each of the above meets the minimum liability requirements to avoid a coverage gap.
- If you do not have coverage for the underlying insurance policy for each of the above obtain it at your earliest convenience.
With the help of a Trusted Insurance Advisors they can help you review your policies at any time, not just this Friday or at renewal. A Trusted Insurance Advisor is there to help you every step of the way. Call your agent today!