New Year's resolutions usually involve plans to change our lives for the better. Whether you want to eat healthier or spend less, people use the new year as a fresh-start opportunity to achieve their goals in many different ways. Are you part of the 23% of people that fail at their resolution in the first week?
While many of you are worrying about Dry January or eating less, we know that many Texans attempt to get their financial house in order as well. And part of that process is reviewing the household budget which includes a homeowners insurance premium that has likely skyrocketed over the last two years. The price of your insurance policy is important, but why not resolve to make certain that your home is protected as much as possible since it's going to cost?
Deducing Your Deductible
With the turmoil that the big insurance companies have experienced in the last twelve months from natural disasters and changing financial markets, they have begun to implement changes to how standard homeowners policies work. The biggest change beside annual premiums has been the homeowners insurance deductibles.
Landing on the right wind/hail deductible amount can prove to be challenging for Waco homeowners. We all know that hail storms are coming, but having comfort with paying a massive deductible out-of-pocket for that new roof seems painful. Especially when you consider what it costs to pay the policy premiums during the year.
Many insurance companies are now forcing high-deductible plans to keep the homeowners insurance premiums lower. Having TRUE Texas Home Insurance will allow you to keep the lowest deductible possible for your area, while still maintaining the ability to go higher if you feel comfortable paying it. But remember, changing the terms of your policy coverage to find premium reductions can also backfire if a major claim happens.
Know Your Stuff
Homeowners insurance policies are there to protect you from covered losses. Whether or not they are covered is determined by the policy limits and policy terms. If you've never looked at your homeowners insurance policy, how do you know if it is a replacement cost coverage? Guessing until the claims process has started is not a fun way to know if you have a covered claim.
Claims adjusters can get a bad rap when a homeowners insurance claim goes sideways. But your inability to be paid for loss is often a result of misunderstanding expectations by a Texas homeowner. The homeowner thinks that their standard homeowners insurance policy does one thing when it really does another due to coverage limits or policy terms that the homeowner may not even know exists. Especially for high value items like guns, jewelry, or art.
At the time of loss, you don't want to pay out-of-pocket to replace your stuff. Working with your local independent agent to schedule or itemize your high value belongings will help you have the proper coverage in the form of replacement.
Get Under the Umbrella
When you need insurance for more than what your homeowner's policy covers, think about getting an extra layer of protection with an umbrella liability insurance policy. This separate policy provides financial help in case anything goes wrong beyond what's covered by basic personal liability coverage. You can use it as needed without worrying about going over budget. It reduces the risk of not having enough funds available when disaster strikes.
The first thing to know about adequate liability coverage is that it can be boiled down into 3 broad categories:
- Bodily injury liability covers the cost of injuries sustained by another person and may include medical bills or even legal claims from an event happening on your property
- Property damage liability protects you from financial loss resulting from any tangible property owned by yourself being damaged/lost
- Other personal liability helps cover other actions a policyholder can be sued for, e.g., slander, libel, false arrest, and mental anguish
Compared to other policies that protect your assets, like homeowners insurance and commercial insurance, you'll find an umbrella policy provides a lot of protection for a considerably low premium.
At Insurance For Texans, we realize you have choices, not just when it comes to resolutions, but for your insurance needs.
We're here to help. Click the button below to get TRUE Texas Home Insurance today.
Stay covered, Texas.