Insurance can be a great safety net for when life just doesn’t go your way but that doesn’t mean that you should ignore it when things are going well. The new year brings resolutions to do things better so here are a few recommendations to strengthen that safety net and possibly avoid some common insurance claims.
- Make a Home Inventory – When it comes to covering your stuff, it is important to first know what stuff you are covering. A home inventory can help you figure out how much insurance you may need and in the event of a claim can make sure you don’t forget to claim anything. Create your own Home Inventory!
- Review your Insurance Policies – Over the course of a year things can change: a home or kitchen renovation, purchasing new jewelry or art (ect,…) even if you haven’t made any purchases the value of the items you have may have increased over the years and are worth reviewing. Make sure you understand the limits, deductibles and coverage of your policies so that everything is covered.
- Quit Smoking – I am sure you have heard a million times that smoking is bad for your health but did you know that both health and life insurance typically costs less for nonsmokers? If you are looking to purchase life insurance you may need to be smoke-free for a year to receive non-smoking rates but there is no time like now to quit!
- Tell Your Life Insurance Beneficiaries About Your Policy – Purchasing life insurance is great decision to make sure that you loved ones are taken care of, but each year it is estimated that billionsin life insurance benefits go unclaimed. Many times this is because the recipients don’t know about the policy or where to find them. Your beneficiaries don’t need a policy to hand in to make a claim, they only need to know which insurer you purchased it from.
- Stop Leaving Your Keys in the Car –It may be convenient to leave your car unlocked or even leave the keys in your vehicle but according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau 1 in 8 cars is stolen with the keys or electronic fob insurance of the car. If you don’t have comprehensive coverage and your car is stolen you may have to buy another car out of pocket.
- Stay in the Kitchen While You are Cooking – Cooking for yourself or loved ones can be really rewarding but cooking fires are the # 1 cause of home fires according to the National Fire protection Agency. Stand by your pan and be sure to never leave your food unattended while frying or grilling.
