Insurance Info

When constructing new houses, the term ‘home warranty’ is usually used by builders to describe their guarantee as to the quality of their construction. These home warranties are usually included in the price of the house. Extended warranties are usually associated with the purchase of retail electronics or automobiles. However, when the term ‘extended warranty’ is used in reference to homes, it is usually a synonym for a home service contract. In this context, both the home warranty and the home service contract (or extended warranty) provide very similar benefits.

The initial home warranty from the builder usually covers the building itself as well as major systems and appliances inside the house such as the dishwasher, washing machine, air conditioning and central heating system. Home service contracts also cover the service, repair or replacement of major home appliances and systems that fail because of natural wear and tear but do not cover the general condition of the building. Continue reading ‘Worried That Your Expensive TV May Break Down? Worry No More by Extending Your Home Warranty!’ »

Whether you’re leaving your home for a week or for a year, leaving your house on it’s own leaves it susceptible to being broken in to. This is obviously a highly unpleasant experience and can result in the theft of items and the damage of property. While you may have home insurance and contents insurance to cover these things, it’s still going to be a highly disturbing event that leaves you feeling unsafe in your own home and it will still be stressful to repair as well as increasing the rate on your home insurance. Furthermore, some things that get stolen are completely un-replaceable; hard drives containing old photos or your life’s work, or sentimental jewelery etc. It’s important then if you’re going away to make sure that no one will be able to break into your house, and to leave deterrents that will hopefully mean they don’t try and move on to easier targets.

The first line of defense when leaving your house is to make sure that you don’t leave anything open or leave any keys in sight. Many people hide a set of keys under a doormat or plant pot that they use in case they manage to forget them or lock themselves out. While this might seem like a good idea for those reasons, it can also help a burglar to get in if they manage to find them, and it normally doesn’t take long to do a sweep of the perimeter. Similarly some people leave windows open to ‘air’ the house or again to help themselves get in should they leave keys. This again though makes it very easy for someone to climb in should they notice the window, or even to reach in in order to open a smaller window. Even if the ones you leave open are high up, bare in mind that it’s not unlikely for thieves to come prepared and bring a ladder. Continue reading ‘How to Prevent Your Home Being Broken Into’ »

Renter Insurance policies are generally taken out by a person who is renting out a place as a precaution against a variety of disastrous situations. What a renters policy covers are the belongings of the renter as well the renter and any others on the premises at the time. The cover is a comprehensive cover with many benefits for the renter in general and specifically for his belongings which are covered under the insurance policy.

Renter insurance is an ideal way to get coverage against losses due to a variety of situations. These are losses incurred due to fire, smoke, lightening, explosions, theft, vandalism, windstorms, water damage other than floods and malicious mischief. Losses due to any of these situations are covered by the renters insurance policy and extend not only to goods but also to injuries caused in the process. This includes, as we have mentioned before, not only injuries to the renter but also to anyone else on the property. Continue reading ‘What a Renter Insurance Policy Covers’ »

As a consultant to business clients I get involved in their matters concerning home and auto insurance. Recently I have been tearing my hair out dealing with insurance agents and trying to get my clients the best deal on their home insurance. I have been tearing my hair out because agents consistently want to over insure my clients’ homes.

• First, most of my clients seem to be over insured. This occurs because they have been with the same insurance company for years and with an inflation guard added to their home insurance the replacement cost has been going up each year even though building costs have been going back and forth – these inflation guards only go up. First item on the agenda is get at the real cost to rebuild the home. I have finally found a site that I think is pretty accurate if done correctly. See the site listed at the bottom of this article — this site has a free cost estimator and the best part is that it is not sponsored by an insurance company and it’s free.

• Second, many people believe they have a beautiful home — I know, I do. But, that does not mean that it was built with gold in many cases. Most homes are built about the same in tract homes and a bit nicer in some custom areas. Many of the semi-custom homes have the extras in the bath, kitchen and flooring but not in the drywall, frame, air conditioning. You may see some extras in the wiring (pre-wired for sounds systems, alarms etc.) So don’t inflate what you think your home will cost to rebuild. If you truly have a custom unique home then add this to the cost estimator – but think imported marble, elevators, glass walls, etc. Keep this in mind, insurance companies in most states DO NOT pay out the face amount of the policy, they pay to have the home rebuilt like it was before the loss. It is up to you to make sure it is not being over insured or under insured. If you over insure your home you will be paying premium for something you will never receive. Continue reading ‘One of the Secrets to Getting a Great Deal on Home Insurance’ »

There is an old saying among the practitioners of the legal profession, “anyone who represents themselves in a court of law has a fool for a client.” This is frequently also true when it comes to negotiating a property damage claim with an insurance company as well.

When the average insurance consumer has an insured property damage loss, they frequently have no idea how to prepare, adjust or submit their claim. Most of the insurance buying public must rely on their “Insurance Company’s” “insurance adjuster” to do that for them. That is a huge mistake. What the average consumer does not understand is that it is the insurance adjuster’s job to present “reasonable” settlements to policyholders and claimants. The average consumer lacks the basic skills and necessary information to build the foundation upon which a claim is made. A licensed and bonded Public Insurance Adjuster or PA can pour the footings and build the walls to make that happen. Do you want the house of straw, sticks or brick?

Knowledge is power, power is leverage. The more you or your personal representative know, the more power and control you have in the claims process. Depending on the company, insurance adjusters receive two to four months of intensive training in claims settlement procedures and then continuous dollar saving training over the rest of their career. All of this training is to save the insurance company money. How do you compete with it? Continue reading ‘Why You Need To Hire A Public Insurance Adjuster’ »

Homeowners insurance quotes are one of the most important, yet frequently overlooked considerations for new home owners. For most people, their house will be the biggest single investment in their lives, yet it is often overlooked when it comes to protecting that investment.

The first step towards insuring your “castle” is to understand what’s involved in house insurance. Adequately covering your home consists of three specific considerations: the building itself, the contents of your home, and liability coverage. Whenever considering a house insurance policy, it’s important to get adequate coverage for all three.

Obtaining quotes today is considerably easier than it once was, thanks to the internet. It’s a simple matter of doing an online search, which will provide you with a list of A-rated insurance companies. From there, you can phone or email brokers, and in many cases fill out a quote request right from the insurer’s website. Continue reading ‘Finding Cheap Homeowners Insurance Quotes’ »

It’s the boogeyman that encourages most of us to keep our credit cards firmly tucked in our wallets and limit our online shopping habits to secure sites only-the possibility of identity theft and all the mess and chaos that goes along with it! Identity theft used to be a “spook story” that worried parents told their children, but these days it’s a horrible reality for the over ten million Americans that have found themselves victimized by clever hackers and copycat criminals. Putting your life back together after you’ve had your identity stolen can be a real pain. Your homeowners insurance can help.

No, unfortunately your homeowners insurance won’t pick up the bill for money you lost when someone else was running around with your credit cards-but since creditors are becoming increasingly savvy to the habits of today’s identity stealing criminals that’s not such a big deal. What they will do is help you cope with the costs of trying to get things straightened back out after the fact. Continue reading ‘Did You Know Your Homeowners Insurance Company Could Help When You're the Victim of Identity Theft?’ »

Are you looking for the type of insurance that will protect you as a renter if your place gets hit with a disaster? Do you want to make sure your things are replaced in the event that disaster strikes? You can get the best renter’s insurance and you do not have to worry about anything if disaster strikes. Here is what you need to know.

First, do not expect your landlord to help you in any way shape or form. This will not happen and they will not be all that worried about you. They will be dealing with their home insurance, which will also not help you at all. You have to worry about you and make sure you are protected in the event of a disaster.

Second, you need the best renter’s insurance you can get that will cover the replacement cost of everything you own. This means your furniture, clothing, computers, electronics, jewelry, any documents you have to replace, and anything else you own. The best renter’s insurance will cover all of this plus it will cover a stay in a hotel until you can find a new place. Continue reading ‘Best Renter's Insurance – Getting the Type of Insurance You Need to Protect Your Things!’ »

Are you looking for a way to make sure your life is protected and so are your things when disaster strikes? Do you need to buy renters insurance online so that you can make sure you are protected when it does happen? You need to make sure you are protected and you need to know that you can get your things replaced if necessary. Here is how it works.

First, do not ever expect your landlord, apartment complex, or whomever you are renting from to help you in this situation. They will be very busy dealing with their own issues with home insurance, repairs, and other things. This will take up a lot of their time and they are going to want to protect their investment just like you want to protect your things that you lost. Continue reading ‘Buy Renters Insurance Online – Getting the Protection You Need Cheaply!’ »

Are you looking for some type of protection for your belongings if you are a renter? Do you need to figure out how in the world to make sure you are protected when disaster strikes? You could get cheap apartment renters insurance and make sure your things will all be replaced if disaster strikes. Here is what you must know.

You could be involved in a fire, hurricane, tornado, or another type of disaster and it really could happen to you. This is not something that you should have the attitude that it will not happen to you because it can and chances are it will at some point. It is better to make sure you are protected then to have it happen with no protection.

Another thing you need to deal with is you need to get cheap apartment renters insurance to make sure you are protected. If you are protected, then you do not have to worry about anything when it comes to replacing all your things. This makes your life easier and all it takes is cheap apartment renters insurance. Continue reading ‘Cheap Apartment Renters Insurance – Getting the Best Possible Deal on Your Protection!’ »