Saving on Homeowners Insurance
Your home is your most important asset. The building provides shelter for you and your family. It’s filled with memories and materials dear to your heart. Unfortunately every year thousands of homes are destroyed by fires, accidents, storms, theft, and property damage. Is your home covered?
Many families are cutting corners today in this tight economic climate by reducing or completely eliminating home insurance. This is a very bad and irrational decision on the homeowner’s part.
There are a number of ways you can save on your home insurance premium. Simply raising the insurance deductible one notch is a great start, because it can save you hundreds of dollars each year on the policy.
Protect your home with safety devices such as smoke and burglar alarms if you haven’t already. Insurance providers reduce premiums for homes well protected.
Third, purchase more than one insurance policy from the same provider. You can buy auto, home and life insurance from one provider, allowing that provider to “bundle” the policies and give you a hefty discount on all insurance policies. This is a great way to save money on a much needed product.
Always insure your home for 100% of the cost to replace the home after a loss. The above scenario is labeled as “insured to value,” and it’s yet another way to save big.
Strong credit scores really go a long way in influencing insurance provider’s decision to grant a high or low rate. A lot of folks do not realize this, but maintaining a strong credit score is highly important especially in the insurance world. Insurance companies view a good credit score as a direct indicator of the responsibility of the individual.
While it is important to cut back on expenses during a tight economy, it is never smart to completely eliminate home insurance all together. There are several ways you can cut down on your premium without changing a single bit of the coverage. Give these ideas a shot!
Tom Martens is the syndication coordinator Insurance-south-africa.co.za. South Arica’s leading Insurance information portal.