Posts Tagged ‘Property And Casualty’
Home Insurance Rate – What To Look For When Shopping
Homeowner insurance premiums are on the rise. There was a time when the home policy was the best and least expensive of all the property and casualty insurances. The homeowner policy is under attack. There are many more exposures than ever before. Toxic mold has caused some real problems in some areas of the country and caused the premiums to rise dramatically. Some states exclude coverage for toxic mold entirely. Natural disasters have had an affect on rates. The recent barrage of hurricanes has caused supply shortages and these shortages increase the demand and the price for repairs. These expenses are passed on to the policyholders eventually.
The rates are calculated by insurance company fiduciaries. They look at the cost of claims and the cost of doing business and compare it to the company revenue to come up with your rate. You have no control over how the companies derive their rates. They have to get approval from their state insurance departments before setting rates or increases. They cannot arbitrarily come up with a figure.
What Can You Do?
1.Understand Your Policy – Make sure that you know what kind of policy that you have right now. If you are making your first purchase then you need to research the kind of policy that you want. Replacement cost or Actual Cash value are your two major choices. Replacement Cost policies replace your structure or contents with material of like kind or quality with no depreciation. The actual cash value policy settles your loss by taking the replacement cost and subtracting depreciation because of age or use.
2.Self Insure – The best way to purchase insurance is to self-insure by using the highest deductible that you can afford. Homeowner policies have a much lower frequency of claims as compared to auto insurance. Low deductibles no longer justify the higher premium.
Use your declarations page when you comparison shop and make sure that you receive all the discounts. Multi-policy, protective device discounts, and retirement discounts are available on almost all homeowner policies. Check our recommended insurers for rates.
Tags: Auto Insurance, Barrage, Declarations Page, Deductibles, Depreciation, Doing Business, Exposures, Home Insurance Rate, Homeowner Insurance, Homeowner Policies, Homeowner Policy, Hurricanes, Insurance Company, Insurance Premiums, Natural Disasters, Policyholders, Property And Casualty, State Insurance Departments, Supply Shortages, Toxic MoldRelated posts
Cheap Home Owner Insurance - Self Insure And Save Money
The whole concept of insurance revolves around protecting the assets of an individual from financial loss due to an unpredictable event. The reason that we purchase insurance is to protect ourselves from financial disasters. We rely upon the insurance company to take on the risk in exchange for the premiums that we pay. The average consumer spends very little time thinking about insurance purchases. The insurance professional is expected to do most of the thinking for us and advise us on what is best.
There is a simple principle that can be applied to almost all of your property and casualty insurance purchases that will save you premium pounds. Self insuring is that principle. The smart insurance shopper eventually grasps the concept of self insurance. The whole idea around self insurance is using deductible options and eliminating unnecessary coverage. The days of the £100 Collision deductible on auto insurance is fading fast and it should. The higher deductible saves you in premium pounds. That is what we call self insuring. When you change your deductible from £100 to £500 you are taking on the risk for the first £500 of physical damage. You can do the same on the homeowner’s policy. You will lower your premium and still be covered for any major loss.
You will save a ton of money in the long run. You don’t have enough claims over a lifetime to warrant having a low deductible. You are paying the insurance company money for services they may never perform. You will save thousands of pounds by keeping your deductibles £500 or higher.
There are a lot of optional coverage’s in auto and homeowners insurance that you may want to eliminate to save money. Most states have tort options. Tort is your right to sue. Full tort verses limited tort can sometimes be a difference of 20% in your auto insurance premium. Rental reimbursement and towing benefits are added onto auto insurance all the time. You may want to self insure for these and save premium pounds as well.
The insurance purchase can be easier and more affordable if you can grasp the mindset of self insuring. Your agent will welcome your thinking on this because most agents think self insurance is best for their customers.
Tags: Auto Insurance, Company Money, Deductible Options, Deductibles, Financial Disasters, Home Owner Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Insurance Company, Insurance Premium, Insurance Professional, Insurance Purchases, Insurance Shopper, Optional Coverage, Principle Insurance, Property And Casualty, Property And Casualty Insurance, Purchase Insurance, Rental Reimbursement, Self Insurance, Unpredictable Event