Is Your Home Properly Insured?

Know the Three Most Important Questions to Ask Your Insurer: I.I.I. (USA)

NEW YORK, March 13, 2007 — For many people, their home is their greatest asset. To protect their investment, homeowners should update their insurance regularly to include improvements, major purchases and increased rebuilding costs, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

“Homeowners should contact their insurance agent or company representative at least once a year to make sure that their insurance is up to date,” said Jeanne M. Salvatore, senior vice president and consumer spokesperson for the I.I.I. “A major home alteration or addition, even a lifestyle change such as marriage, divorce or a family member moving in (along with his or her belongings), should trigger a call to your insurance company.”

To properly insure your home, the I.I.I. recommends that you ask your agent or company representative three key questions:

1. Do I have enough insurance to rebuild my home?

Your policy needs to cover the cost of rebuilding your home at current construction costs. Unfortunately, some homeowners simply purchase enough insurance protection to satisfy their mortgage lender. Others confuse the real estate value of their home with what it would cost to rebuild it. Quite simply, you should have enough insurance to rebuild your home in the event that it is completely destroyed. Be sure to consider the following types of coverage:

• Replacement Cost
  Most policies cover replacement cost for damage to the structure. A replacement cost policy pays for the repair or replacement of damaged property with materials of similar kind and quality.
• Extended Replacement Cost
  This type of policy provides additional insurance coverage of 20 percent or more over the limits in your policy, which can be critical if there is a widespread disaster that pushes up the cost of building materials and labor.
• Inflation Guard
  This coverage automatically adjusts the rebuilding costs of your home to reflect changes in construction costs. Find out if your policy includes this coverage or if you have to purchase it separately.
• Ordinance or Law coverage
  If your home is badly damaged, you may be required to rebuild it to meet new (and often stricter) building codes. Ordinance or law coverage pays a specific amount toward these costs.
• Water Back-Up
  This coverage insures your property for damage from sewer or drain back-up. Most insurers offer it as an add-on to a standard policy.
• Flood Insurance [modified to reflect flood insurance in Canada]
  “Flood” can have many connotations depending on the circumstances: from sewer backup to river overflow to rain coming through a window or snow melt coming through a damaged roof, and more. Not all “flooding” is covered by insurance. Overland flooding in low lying areas such as water overflowing from a river is never covered. It’s considered an inevitability that when you live in a flood plain, a river will eventually flood the surrounding land. Overland water that finds its way into your basement is similarly not covered. You must take steps to prevent water seapage into your home such as proper grading around your property.
  Sewer back up is covered by insurance but typically is provided as an add on or endorsement to your policy.
  Water leakage into your home as a result of wind damage is typically covered by insurance. For example, if a tree falls, breaks a window and rain is blown into you home, the resulting water damage is covered by insurance.
  Check with your insurance provider (your agent or broker) for more information on how you can protect your property from water damage and flood including by having the appropriate and available insurance coverage.

2. Do I have enough insurance to replace all of my possessions?

Most homeowners insurance policies provide coverage for your personal possessions for approximately 50 percent to 70 percent of the amount of insurance you have on the structure of your home. So if you have $100,000 worth of coverage on the structure of your home, you would be covered for $50,000 to $70,000 worth of the contents of your home, depending on the specific policy.

The best way to determine if this is enough coverage is to conduct a home inventory. A home inventory will detail everything you own and the estimated cost to replace these items if they were to be stolen or destroyed by a disaster. To make the task easier, you can download the I.I.I.’s free home inventory software at http://www.knowyourstuff.org .

You can insure your possessions in two ways: by their actual cash value or their replacement cost. Make sure you review with your agent or company representative which type of coverage is best for your particular situation.

• Cash Value Policy
  This coverage pays the cost to replace your belongings minus depreciation.
• Replacement Cost Policy
  This coverage reimburses you for the full current cost of replacing your belongings.

To illustrate the difference between the two types of policies, suppose, for example, a fire destroys a 10-year-old television set in your living room. If you have a replacement cost policy for the contents of your home, the insurance company will pay to replace the TV with a comparable new one. If you have an actual cash value policy, it will pay only a small percentage of the cost of a new TV set because the old TV has been used for 10 years and is worth a lot less than its original cost. Some replacement cost policies specify that the new item be purchased by the insurance company as it may be able to purchase at a bulk or special rate. The price of replacement cost coverage is generally about 10 percent more than that of actual cash value.

3. Do I have enough insurance to protect my assets?

Homeowners insurance doesn’t just protect the structure or contents of your home, it also provides liability protection. This covers you against lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that you or your family members may cause to other people. It also pays for damage caused by pets. Liability insurance pays for both the cost of defending you in court and for any damages a court rules you must pay—up to the limits of your policy. Most homeowners insurance policies provide a minimum of $100,000 worth of liability insurance, but higher amounts are available.

It is important to purchase enough liability insurance to protect your assets. If the standard liability coverage in your homeowners policy is not sufficient, you may need an excess liability, or umbrella, policy, which provides additional coverage over and above what is covered in your home (and auto) insurance policy.

For more information on how to properly insure your home, go to the I.I.I. Web site: http://www.iii.org. You can also view a video on underinsurance by clicking on the following links:

Windows MediaPlayer

• Broadband: http://www.iii.org/static/video/mediaplayer/enoughinsurance_DSL.wmv
• Dialup: http://www.iii.org/static/video/mediaplayer/underinsurance_56K.wmv

The I.I.I. in the U.S.A. is a nonprofit, communications organization supported by the insurance industry. http://www.iii.org