Friday, May 15, 2009

Is Homeowner's Insurance Right for You?

By Calvin Wapasa

Although householders insurance may be stipulated by the mortgage lender, it is feasible to reduce the fiscal outlay on this because not all policies are the same. Lets face it; there are many other things to invest your cash in than just an policy so any money saved in this area can be used elsewhere.

Most insurance companies that retail insurance plans, other than homeowners insurance, will recommend people look over other types of policies they have. For example, if your auto insurance underwriter also sells homeowners insurance, you might get a discount of up to 15 percent off your premium for having both products from them.

You must also not forget to add any new expensive items to your homeowners insurance each year to guarantee continued coverage but some items will also depreciate as well, especially electronic goods. Another overlooked area is that of having too much insurance which happens when people either have insurance cover for things they do not own or where the item is already insured via another policy.

As many items claimed on householders insurance are quite low in value, a simple way to reduce your monthly premium is to increase the deductible that has been set from say 250 to 1,000 dollars. Many householders forget that other insurance savings can be made just by fitting a smoke detector and some additional locks on the windows and doors, plus things like roofing material that retards flames and even storm shutters.

Individuals who buy new house also benefit more often than not from homeowner's insurance premium reductions because they have homes that are built to higher standards and have additional safety and security measures as standard. Seniors are often awarded discounts on their householders insurance if they are over 55 and retired, or if they've been a client of the same company for a long time. Gated communities, security locks on doors and windows etc. regularly present you with lower payments.

Of course if you have recently quit smoking, you must inform your insurance provider as this will normally provide you with a further discount. The number of fires caused by cigarettes in the United States is over 20,000 per year so you can see why non-smokers can receive preferential rates.

Many people set the value of their house when arranging the homeowners insurance adding the value of the land their home sits on but this is an unnecessary cost as it is only the house that needs to be covered. As the land is not likely to be damaged then there is no need to insure it and if you have then you are paying far more than is necessary.

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