The Kentucky tornadoes should prompt EVERYONE to review their home and renter’s insurance
I advertise my business almost every day on LinkedIn. Once every few weeks, I tell everyone that we in the insurance industry cannot stop the storms of life. However, if we do our job properly, we can do a lot to soften the financial blow.
By now, you’ve probably all seen photos
and videos of Saturday night’s horrific tornadoes which devastated a six-state
area. The most intense damage was inflicted on the town of Mayfield, population
10,000, in western Kentucky.
Mayfield, KY. Credit www.wskg.org. |
If this doesn’t make you want to review
your homeowner’s and renter’s coverage, I don’t know what will.
Insurance is not fast food, so don’t
treat it that way. NEVER just get a quote and bind your coverage online. Have a
real live professional agent review every line of coverage on your current
policies and make sure that, should disaster strike, you have no additional
unpleasant surprises.
As a colleague likes to say, don’t let a
bad day turn into a bad life.
Here are just a few topics you should
discuss:
- What will it cost to rebuild your house in the event of a total loss? Will your current policy pay to fully rebuild your home? Or do you need to enhance your coverage?
- What is your deductible? Do you know if you have a split-deductible policy? Do you have a “percentage-deductible” policy? These are increasingly common – and often unavoidable – in several states.
- What is your liability limit? How much will your policy pay in the event that someone is injured on your property or if, God forbid, you are accused of starting a fire? This number should exceed the value of your visible assets, i.e., the value of your home, your retirement funds, and other investments.
- If a loss puts you out of your home for a time while the damage is repaired, how much will your policy pay for rent and other related expenses? (Please know that your mortgage won’t stop should this happen.)
- If you own a condominium or townhome, do you know that your HOA’s insurance WILL NOT cover internal repair and reconstruction of your home? It also won't cover your belongings, or any expenses incurred if you are put out of your home due to a claim? And it won't cover your liability either.
- If your HOA assesses individual homeowners due to a major loss, how much, if anything, will your policy pay?
- How much will your policy pay, if anything, in the event of water and/or sewer backup? This is an optional coverage that must be added by endorsement.
- Will your policy pay to rebuild your home to conform to current building ordinances in your locale?
- NEVER take renter’s insurance lightly. It’s about a lot more than your stuff!
- Whenever possible have your car and home insured with the same carrier. This not only saves you money almost every time, but it also makes it much easier to have an umbrella policy.
Near Guymon, OK - Credit: www.wired.com |
It’s tragic enough that so many people suffered such horrendous losses in Mayfield, Kentucky, and the surrounding areas. It’s far worse that a goodly number of those people found out in that awful moment that they were not properly covered. A lot of people are asking “why didn’t my agent tell me this?”
That is one question that you never want to ask.
It's also one that your agent never wants to have to answer.
At EPS Insurance, we are going to tell
you “that”.
Insurance poor is no fun. Claim poor is far worse.
Please call me and let’s get you protected
properly.
I look forward to serving you.
30+ carriers ... 44 states
Auto-home-commercial
Offering life in Colorado.
720-675-8119
epsinsures@gmail.com
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