Insurance World

Many people enjoy the convenience of renting a house or apartment. There’s no real commitment, you don’t have to worry about selling it if you decide to move, and if something breaks – well, you can usually just call the landlord. Yes, renters seem to have it easy sometimes! However, despite the convenience, rented houses or apartments aren’t exempt from risks such as fires and smoke, theft and vandalism, water and electricity damage, or damage from weather elements. It’s most likely that your landlord isn’t going to pay to replace all your clothing should your apartment catch fire or be burglarized. Therefore, you still need to purchase renter’s insurance.

Renter’s insurance will cover living expenses, with possible limits, if you are unable to live in your rented home or apartment due to damages. This is extremely beneficial to those who don’t have family members or friends nearby with room for boarding. And, if you’re renting a home because it’s more financially practical for you, there’s good news – renter’s insurance is most often much less than home owner’s insurance because you’re only insuring your possessions. Your landlord will have insurance for the house or apartment; the house or apartment itself isn’t yours to repair

There are two basic policies for renter’s insurance – the actual cash value policy, which covers the cost to replace your possessions with a deduction for depreciation up to your policy limit, and the replacement cost policy, which covers up to your policy limit with no deduction. It’s important to remember that many policies only cover a certain kind of valuables, so check with your agent to find out what the limits are. If you need more possessions insured, you may want to consider purchasing a separate floater policy that will cover the additional items.

So remember, just because renting offers the luxury of less worry and maintenance, you still need to protect your possessions within your rented house or apartment.

Just because you have insurance doesn’t mean it will be enough to protect your hard-earned assets should the inevitable happen. There are countless situations - like a home fire, a car wreck with injuries, or someone getting hurt on your property (to name a few) - where your level of home or auto insurance could make or break your financial future.

Here are five commonly made insurance mistakes and how to avoid them, according to Charles Valinotti, General Casualty Insurance Companies’ assistant vice president, and John Blodnick, Unigard Insurance Group’s vice president.

1. Buying the cheapest policy out there. You might save a buck by getting the minimum amount of insurance you legally can. But if the cost of an accident ends up being more than your policy covers, you’re still responsible for paying the rest. Other parties could go after you and your assets.

2. Forgetting to pay your bills. There are plenty of understandable reasons why you might not pay your bill on time. But be warned that if you don’t pay your bill, your insurance company isn’t obligated to cover you - period. To avoid this, set up automatic payments through your bank or insurer or escrow for your home insurance. Otherwise, move your insurance bill to the top of the stack.

3. Assuming your stuff is covered. Policies limit how much coverage they provide for certain higher value items. Have a diamond wedding ring? Antique silverware? Customized wheels on your truck? Nice stereo system? Expensive guitar? These could fall outside the realm of a typical home or auto policy’s coverage. It’s easy to rectify this problem by “scheduling” or adding extra coverage with an endorsement, which gives you higher limits on certain items.

4. Not bothering with an umbrella liability policy. Umbrellas are only for rich people, right? “No, umbrellas are for every Tom, Dick and Harry. Think about your annual combined household income. Isn’t that worth protecting?” Valinotti said.

What if someone got hurt during your child’s next birthday party or your upcoming backyard barbecue? You can purchase an umbrella for as little as $100 for $1 million of extra coverage, depending on the policy and which area of the country you live in. “It’s a risk not to have an umbrella, like playing the lottery with your financial future,” Valinotti said.

5. Keeping your agent in the dark. If you’ve recently built an addition on your home or made a big purchase (see number three), talk to your agent. Without extra coverage, you could be underinsured. Or if you get your bill and decide you want less coverage, talk to your agent. Policy changes may or may not be a good idea, but it’s your insurance agent’s job to advise you.

“Today, people often feel that an agent is not necessary,” Blodnick said. “However, considering the complexity of the products you are buying in an ever-more complex world, the expertise of a professional agent can be extremely important.”

For example, at a glance you may think, “I don’t need ‘other than collision’ coverage on my car.” But your agent would tell you that’s what covers you if your vehicle is stolen, catches fire, is damaged by hail or wind (such as a tornado), or if you hit a deer.

Your agent can also suggest ways to save money on insurance without risking your financial security – such as taking a driver safety class, getting a home security system, taking down the trampoline your kids never use, increasing your deductible, or taking advantage of multi-policy or good student discounts.

Contact your local independent insurance agent for a review of your personal insurance policies. - ARA