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Whether you’re a first-time homeowner or you’ve owned your home for years, choosing the right coverage doesn’t have to be complicated. Learn about five easy ways to personalize your policy to protect what matters most to you.
Additional insurance coverage (most commonly referred to as “endorsements”) aims to expand coverage, terms or provisions of the policy. We’ve compiled five of the most common endorsements to help you start up an easy conversation with your insurance advisor:
Backups happen when sewage and dirty water comes up from a sink, toilet or drain. These can cause extensive (and incredibly expensive) damage to your basement or other areas. Often, these are seen with flooding or other natural disasters. Unfortunately, sewer backups often result in a total renovation from the irreparable damage from the water and sewage. Be prepared for the unexpected!
This option is a supplemental endorsement geared to ensure full coverage of expensive items in the event of a claim – such as jewelry, antiques or art. Insurance companies typically set a dollar limit on how much they will pay for certain types of valuables, and it should be noted that companies typically do not cover those expensive items for accidental losses.
You may have to provide your insurance provider with a recent receipt or a professional appraisal to determine the scheduled value of items you’d like covered, but this option is worth the effort to cover those rare items.
This insures the replacement cost of your personal property in the case of a covered loss. Without this, it’s possible your policy may only pay you for the depreciated value of your personal property.
For example, if your flat screen TV is destroyed in a covered loss, this endorsement option will pay the full cost to replace it with one of a similar type and quality. Without this option, you would only be paid the actual cash value, or depreciated value, which could be a difference of hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars.
With many people now working from home and starting home-based businesses, this option is key to consider! To note: Home-based businesses are not covered in a basic homeowner’s That’s why it’s important to consider including additional coverage for business property and liabilities. Check with your insurance advisor to see if this option makes sense for you.
In these times of social media and online reviews, it’s important to consider how your reputation can also be impacted in the event of someone else hurting themselves on your watch (and property). Although personal injury seems similar to bodily injury (which may be covered under your homeowner’s policy), this endorsement specifically covers damage to your reputation due to libel, slander, defamation or even unintentional harm.
It's always best to visit with your advisor directly to gather the details of what’s covered under your policy to ensure you’re fully protected (and prepared) on what you deem most important.
If you have any questions, Gate City Insurance Agency can assist you with understanding different coverage options and comparing rates at no charge.
Remember, while these are common add-ons, there are several other endorsements available for personalizing your homeowner’s policy. Be sure to request an annual review with your insurance company to discuss your options, based on what’s right for you, your family and your home. You may even end up saving a bit on your premium!
Products and services offered through Gate City Insurance Agency are not FDIC-insured; have no bank guarantee; are not a deposit; are not insured by any federal government agency; may lose value.
