Your Insurance Coverages May Need Some Spring Cleaning
Are you busy with closet cleanouts and dusting remote corners of your house? Spring has a way of motivating us to get busy and start afresh. And as you’re tackling your spring cleaning list, don’t forget to add checking on your insurance policies to the task. After all, they may need a bit of dusting or airing out.
Smart financial planning and managing a budget should include your insurance coverages and costs. Here are some tips that will help zero in on any changes needed.
Do you examine your auto insurance policy at each renewal time? If not, you should. Review your declarations page, which is the summary of your coverage and deductibles.
Are your liability limits high enough to adequately cover you in case you cause an accident? If you’ve simply renewed the same policy for many years, you might be underinsured.
Do you have collision and comprehensive coverage? This covers your own vehicle if you have a collision. If you’re carrying collision and comp on an older car, is it worth it? In the worst case, if your vehicle were totaled, these coverages would pay out only for the value of the vehicle. Consider the premiums you pay compared with the actual cash value of your vehicle.
If your deductibles are low — like $500 — this could be a savings opportunity. Switching to a higher amount, like $1,000, will reduce your premiums even more. Be sure all your vehicles have current insurance cards on board. You’ll want to have the current card handy in case there’s an accident.
Reviewing your homeowner’s insurance, look on your declaration page to be sure updates are being made annually to reflect local construction and property costs. Are your deductibles what you expect?
Consider your valuables. If you’ve acquired expensive jewelry, for example, it may not be fully covered under a standard homeowner’s policy. You may need riders for items like jewelry, fine art, digital equipment and computers. Have a complete home inventory in case your house suffers serious damage.
Insurance policies protect you against financial disaster, whether it’s from a car crash, house fire, flood or burglary. Having your policies up to date is way more important than having a clean closet.
