The New Year is Here…. Is Your Insurance Ready?

According to Inc. Magazine, approximately 60% of people make New Year’s resolutions, but less than 10% succeed in achieving them.  Whether or not you are someone who sets New Year’s resolutions, our Turner Agency team has compiled a list of recommendations to help ensure that at least your insurance will stay on track this year!

Automobile Insurance

• Do you have a new driver in your household? Be sure you have added them to your policy, even if they don’t have a car of their own.
• Are you or is someone in your family using a personal car for business purposes (such as driving for UBER or delivering food?) Be sure to discuss with us; otherwise, you may not be covered.
• Have you checked lately to make sure that each driver in your household has a current auto insurance id card? If not, contact us for a copy.  (In South Carolina, you can keep your proof of auto insurance on your cell phone.)

Home Insurance

• Did you make any upgrades to the electricity and wiring of your home in 2019? Or did you replace your roof?  If so, be sure to let us know because these updates could lower your premium dramatically.
• Have you recently completed a home renovation? If so, be sure to report any remodeling so that your replacement cost coverage can be adjusted to cover the improvements you have made.
• Do you know if you are in a flood zone? Homeowner’s policies do not include flood insurance so you may need a flood policy.  Click here to find out.
• When was the last time you reviewed your insurance payment options? Many insurance carriers offer a discount if you pay in full.
• Have you ever completed a home inventory? Now that the Christmas decorations are down, take a quick video in each room of your house.  In the event of a disaster, this video could be extremely helpful in accounting for what you have.
• Regular home maintenance reduces home claims. Take time to do the following:
  • Examine your roof for any leaks. Clean out your gutters.
  • Watch your water bill for any sudden spike in cost. Water leaks can lead to extensive damage.
  • Trim tree branches that are dead or too close to your house.
  • Install carbon monoxide detectors and be sure to change batteries in your smoke detectors.

Life Insurance

• Have you ever thought about how much life insurance you would need to protect yourself and your family if something happened? Contact Lee Scroggins at The Turner Agency to at least begin the conversation.
• If you have life insurance, when was the last time you checked to see if your beneficiaries are up to date? Take time to verify your information is accurate.
• We recommend you obtain life insurance for every member of your family, including your children.

Personal Possessions

Did Santa bring you a new piece of jewelry or a valuable piece of artwork?  What about a new golf cart or ATV?  A standard homeowner’s policy offers limited coverage for these items, so be sure to contact The Turner Agency to be sure your new items are covered.

Umbrella Policy

Do you have a personal umbrella policy?  If not, now is the time to talk to us about this coverage.  If you are driving a carpool, own a dog, or host events at your home, you have the potential to be a target in a lawsuit. A personal umbrella policy provides an extra layer of protection above your home and auto policies and is extremely reasonable.

The Bottom Line

As life changes, so do your insurance needs.  If you start a new business or LLC, get married, have a baby, send a child to college, have a child move out on his/her own, retire, go through a divorce, or experience any kind of life change, contact your insurance agent to be sure you are covered.

Remember, life is about the unexpected.  That’s why you have insurance!  If we can help you in any way, please let us know.

The information in this article was obtained from various sources and is not all-inclusive regarding the subject matter. This content is offered for educational purposes only.