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Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Home Insurance Facts
Buying a home is one of the single largest investments that most people ever make. If you need to protect that investment, your main line of defense is homeowners insurance.
Just the basics
Most standard homeowners insurance policies will provide coverage for damage to your home (and many of the items in your home) caused by:
* Theft
* Fire and lightning
* Smoke
* Frozen pipes
* Ice and snow
Homeowners insurance also provides coverage for liability claims, medical payments to third parties, and legal costs if a lawsuit is brought against you. The most common amount of liability coverage included in a homeowners policy is $100,000, but you may need much more, depending on your circumstances.
What's not covered?
Read your homeowners insurance policy to find out exactly what is and is not covered. Do this before you suffer a loss, so you won't be surprised. Most insurers exclude damages caused by an act of war, nuclear accident, flood, earthquake, and terrorism, although you may be able to purchase special policies or endorsements that will cover these events.
A diamond is forever. Or is it?
Most homeowners insurance policies limit coverage for certain high-priced or hard-to-replace items. Additional endorsements or floaters will be necessary to protect items like engagement rings, watches, furs, antiques, and other valuables. You'll need to have each item appraised.
How much is enough?
Mortgage lenders require that borrowers purchase a minimum amount of homeowners insurance (typically equal to the appraised value or the purchase price of the home). But this is often not the amount of coverage you truly need. Instead, find out how much it would cost to rebuild your home, and consider insuring it for that amount.
You get what you pay for
Are you willing to pay more to have damaged personal property replaced? If so, consider purchasing replacement cost coverage with your homeowners insurance. When it comes to valuing property, insurers generally use one of two methods. The first, actual cash value, pays you an amount equal to the replacement value of the property, minus depreciation for the years you owned the item. The second, replacement cost, is more expensive, but it pays you the full value of the item today, so that you can replace the old item with a new one.
How deep are your pockets?
To save money, consider choosing a deductible of $250, $500, or even $1,000. In the event of a loss (e.g., water damage from a leaky roof), you'll be required to pay this amount out of your own pocket before your homeowners insurance takes over, but in the meantime, you'll save on premium charges.
Sound the alarm
Don't forget to tell your insurer if you have a home security system (e.g., fire, burglar, emergency). Most insurers offer discounts for such safety features. You may also qualify for a lower insurance premium if you live near a fire department or hydrant, own a newer home, own a home built out of fire-resistant materials, or get your auto insurance from the same company.
Shop around
Get quotes from several insurance companies when shopping for homeowners insurance. But remember, the lowest price does not always equal the best deal. Compare the coverage each policy offers, and check with your state's department of insurance to make sure that each company you're evaluating has a good reputation in the industry.
Home Insurance Tips.
Why You Need Homeowner's Insurance
The largest single investment most consumers make is in their home. The consumer can protect their home, possessions, and liability with a homeowners's insurance policy. The Homeowner's insurance policy is a package policy that combines more than one type of insurance coverage in a single policy. There are four types of coverages that are contained in the homeowner's policy: dwelling and personal property, personal liability, medical payments, and additional living expenses.
Property Damage Coverage
Property damage coverage helps pay for damage to your home and personal property. Other structures such as a detached garage, a tool shed, or any other building on your property are usually covered for 10% of the amount of coverage on your house.
Personal property coverage will pay for personal property including household furniture, clothing, and other personal belongings. The amount of insurance coverage is usually 50% of the policy limit on your dwelling. The coverage is also limited by the types of loss listed in the policy. The coverage only pays the current cash value of the item destroyed, unless you purchase replacement cost coverage. Your homeowner's policy also provides off-premises coverage. This means that the policy covers your belongings against theft even when they are not inside your home.
Personal Liability Coverage
Homeowner's policies provide personal liability coverage that applies to non-auto accidents on and off your property if the injury or damage is cased by you, a member of your family, or your pet. The liability coverage in your policy pays both for the cost of defending you and paying for any damages the court rules you must pay. Liability insurance does not have a deductable that you must meet before your insurer begins to pay losses. The basic liability coverage is usually $100,000 for each occurance. You can request higher limits that are available for an additional cost.
Medical Payments Coverage
Medical payment coverage pays if someone outside your family is injured at your home regardless of fault. This includes payment for reasonable medical expenses incurred within one year from the date of loss for a person who is injured in an accident in your home. The coverage does not apply to ypu and members of your household. The medical payments portion of your homeowner's policy will also pay if you are involved in the injury of another person away from your home in some limited circumstances. Medical payments coverage limits are generally $1,000 for each person.
Additional Living Expenses
If it is necessary for you to move into a motel or apartment temporarily because of damage caused by a peril covered in your policy, your insurance company will pay an amount up to 20% of the policy limit on your dwelling for these expenses. If you move in temporarily with a friend or relative and do not have any extra expenses, you will not be paid any addditional living expenses by your insurance company.
Home Business
If you operate a home business full or part time you might be uninsured and not realize it. Many home business owners believe that their homeowner's insurance policy covers all of their home business needs. You should not assume that your homeowner's insurance policy will cover your home business. Your homeowner's policy may provide coverage but probably only a maximum of $2,500 for business equipment in the home and $250 away from the premises.
The price you pay for your homeowners insurance can vary by hundreds of dollars, depending on the insurance company you buy your policy from. Here are some things to consider when buying homeowners insurance.
1. Shop around
It will take some time, but could save you a good sum of money. Ask your friends, check the Yellow Pages or contact your state insurance department. National Association of Insurance Commissioners (www.naic.org) has information to help you choose an insurer in your state, including complaints. States often make information available on typical rates charged by major insurers and many states provide the frequency of consumer complaints by company. Also check consumer guides, insurance agents, companies and online insurance quote services. This will give you an idea of price ranges and tell you which companies have the lowest prices. But don't consider price alone. The insurer you select should offer a fair price and deliver the quality service you would expect if you needed assistance in filing a claim. So in assessing service quality, use the complaint information cited above and talk to a number of insurers to get a feeling for the type of service they give. Ask them what they would do to lower your costs. Check the financial stability of the companies you are considering with rating companies such as A.M. Best (www.ambest.com) and Standard & Poor’s (www.standardandpoors.com) and consult consumer magazines. When you've narrowed the field to three insurers, get price quotes.
2. Raise your deductible
Deductibles are the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance company starts to pay a claim, according to the terms of your policy. The higher your deductible, the more money you can save on your premiums. Nowadays, most insurance companies recommend a deductible of at least $500. If you can afford to raise your deductible to $1,000, you may save as much as 25 percent. Remember, if you live in a disaster-prone area, your insurance policy may have a separate deductible for certain kinds of damage. If you live near the coast in the East, you may have a separate windstorm deductible; if you live in a state vulnerable to hail storms, you may have a separate deductible for hail; and if you live in an earthquake-prone area, your earthquake policy has a deductible.
3. Don’t confuse what you paid for your house with rebuilding costs
The land under your house isn't at risk from theft, windstorm, fire and the other perils covered in your homeowners policy. So don't include its value in deciding how much homeowners insurance to buy. If you do, you will pay a higher premium than you should.
4. Buy your home and auto policies from the same insurer
Some companies that sell homeowners, auto and liability coverage will take 5 to 15 percent off your premium if you buy two or more policies from them. But make certain this combined price is lower than buying the different coverages from different companies.
5. Make your home more disaster resistant
Find out from your insurance agent or company representative what steps you can take to make your home more resistant to windstorms and other natural disasters. You may be able to save on your premiums by adding storm shutters, reinforcing your roof or buying stronger roofing materials. Older homes can be retrofitted to make them better able to withstand earthquakes. In addition, consider modernizing your heating, plumbing and electrical systems to reduce the risk of fire and water damage.
6. Improve your home security
You can usually get discounts of at least 5 percent for a smoke detector, burglar alarm or dead-bolt locks. Some companies offer to cut your premium by as much as 15 or 20 percent if you install a sophisticated sprinkler system and a fire and burglar alarm that rings at the police, fire or other monitoring stations. These systems aren't cheap and not every system qualifies for a discount. Before you buy such a system, find out what kind your insurer recommends, how much the device would cost and how much you'd save on premiums.
7. Seek out other discounts
Companies offer several types of discounts, but they don't all offer the same discount or the same amount of discount in all states. For example, since retired people stay at home more than working people they are less likely to be burglarized and may spot fires sooner, too. Retired people also have more time for maintaining their homes. If you're at least 55 years old and retired, you may qualify for a discount of up to 10 percent at some companies. Some employers and professional associations administer group insurance programs that may offer a better deal than you can get elsewhere.
8. Maintain a good credit record
Establishing a solid credit history can cut your insurance costs. Insurers are increasingly using credit information to price homeowners insurance policies. In most states, your insurer must advise you of any adverse action, such as a higher rate, at which time you should verify the accuracy of the information on which the insurer relied. To protect your credit standing, pay your bills on time, don't obtain more credit than you need and keep your credit balances as low as possible. Check your credit record on a regular basis and have any errors corrected promptly so that your record remains accurate.
9. Stay with the same insurer
If you've kept your coverage with a company for several years, you may receive a special discount for being a long-term policyholder. Some insurers will reduce their premiums by 5 percent if you stay with them for three to five years and by 10 percent if you remain a policyholder for six years or more. But make certain to periodically compare this price with that of other policies.
10. Review the limits in your policy and the value of your possessions at least once a year
You want your policy to cover any major purchases or additions to your home. But you don't want to spend money for coverage you don't need. If your five-year-old fur coat is no longer worth the $5,000 you paid for it, you'll want to reduce or cancel your floater (extra insurance for items whose full value is not covered by standard homeowners policies such as expensive jewelry, high-end computers and valuable art work) and pocket the difference.
11. Look for private insurance if you are in a government plan
If you live in a high-risk area -- say, one that is especially vulnerable to coastal storms, fires, or crime -- and have been buying your homeowners insurance through a government plan, you should check with an insurance agent or company representative or contact your state department of insurance for the names of companies that might be interested in your business. You may find that there are steps you can take that would allow you to buy insurance at a lower price in the private market.
12. When you’re buying a home, consider the cost of homeowners insurance
You may pay less for insurance if you buy a house close to a fire hydrant or in a community that has a professional rather than a volunteer fire department. It may also be cheaper if your home’s electrical, heating and plumbing systems are less than 10 years old. If you live in the East, consider a brick home because it's more wind resistant. If you live in an earthquake-prone area, look for a wooden frame house because it is more likely to withstand this type of disaster. Choosing wisely could cut your premiums by 5 to 15 percent.
Check the CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report of the home you are thinking of buying. These reports contain the insurance claim history of the property and can help you judge some of the problems the house may have. Remember that flood insurance and earthquake damage are not covered by a standard homeowners policy. If you buy a house in a flood-prone area, you'll have to pay for a flood insurance policy that costs an average of $400 a year. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides useful information on flood insurance on its Web site at www.fema.gov/nfip. A separate earthquake policy is available from most insurance companies. The cost of the coverage will depend on the likelihood of earthquakes in your area.
If you have questions about insurance for any of your possessions, be sure to ask your agent or company representative when you're shopping around for a policy. For example, if you run a business out of your home, be sure to discuss coverage for that business. Most homeowners policies cover business equipment in the home, but only up to $2,500 and they offer no business liability insurance. Although you want to lower your homeowners insurance cost, you also want to make certain you have all the coverage you need.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Homeowners FAQ..
HOMEOWNERS BASICS
Insurance Tips for Homeowners
Homeowners insurance
If you have a mortgage, your lender probably required you to obtain some level of homeowners insurance coverage. However, you'll want to make sure that the amount of coverage that you have will adequately protect you for all possible losses. Homeowners policies set coverage limits for specific items (e.g., jewelry), so you may want to look into purchasing a separate endorsement or a floater if you feel that you need to increase your coverage. You also need to know if you have "replacement cost" coverage on your personal property and if you are covered for earthquake damage.
Building Insurance
Buildings Insurance
Buildings insurance is of vital importance – for example, if your house burnt down do you have the money to cover your losses? Mortgage providers insist that you have building insurance so that in the event of a disaster it can be repaired or rebuilt, as lenders don’t want to be left without security for their loan.
A policy should cover funds to rebuild your home in the event of it being totally destroyed or damaged to the point that complete rebuilding is necessary. Some policies only cover market value, so be sure to check. The policy could also cover against damage caused by events beyond your control including:
- Storm and flood damage
- Burst pipes and other incidents of water leakage
- Fire, smoke and explosions
- Subsidence
- Vandalism or third party damage
The policy could also provide you with alternative accommodation if your home is uninhabitable. Be sure to not simply opt for the cheapest building insurance quote available and think about your needs. Use the price comparison tool at moneysupermarket.com to find a building insurance policy that offers the best cover at the cheapest price.
As well as the structure, buildings insurance also covers permanent fixtures and fittings including baths, toilets and fitted kitchens, bedroom cupboards and interior decorations. The test is whether or not the fixture can be removed and taken to a new home, for example fitted cabinets. Policies will also usually cover outbuildings such as garages, greenhouses and garden sheds but might not cover boundary walls, fences, gates, paths, drives and swimming pools.
For landlords, building insurance is crucial, as it is for all homeowners. For tenants, building insurance is usually covered by the landlord and only contents insurance needs to be considered.
Home Insurance Imformation...
Home sweet home; there are few things more valuable in life than our own personal space or the home we make for our families. Our place to live is often the most valuable commodity in our lives and the contents within are frequently not just expensive, but of great personal value.
At moneysupermarket.com we recognise the need to protect your home, which is why our price comparison tool allows you to compare home insurance quotes (also known as ‘house insurance’ or ‘household insurance’) from more than 60 different home insurance companies to get you the best home insurance price available. However, before you use the tool it is vital to know exactly what you are looking for and what you need from your policy. That is why we have compiled an exclusive guide to home insurance to point you in the right direction.
Why is home insurance necessary?
It’s easy to think that bad things happen to other people and not ourselves, but the facts suggest that isn’t a risk we can afford to take. In the UK, one in three of us will get burgled at some point in our lives yet about a quarter of households are not protected by any form of home insurance. With other unfortunate occurrences such as flood/storm damage, fire and more, threatening our homes and their contents, by not having insurance we are leaving ourselves open to serious financial loss.
Home insurance can now offer something for everyone with insurance for homeowners, tenants and landlords. Increasingly, mortgage lenders will insist that you have buildings insurance to obtain a mortgage.
Insurers will need a lot of information including the construction date and materials for the building, and different insurers might not insure unusual properties such as prefabricated buildings and thatched cottages. Insurers also need to know about the local lie of the land to assess the flood-risk.
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