Courtesy of iii.org Creating and updating an inventory of your personal possessions is one of the best ways to make the most of your homeowners or renters insurance, and makes filing a claim easier and more efficient. A home inventory is simply a list of your personal possessions along with their estimated financial value. You can create a home inventory in a simple, low-tech manner by writing down everything in a notebook and keeping receipts in a folder. Or you can take advantage of technology and use a digital camera or smart phone or app to make your record. No matter how you choose to do it, the important thing is to take action. An up-to-date home inventory will: Help you purchase the right amount and type of insurance. Having an accurate list of all your possessions helps you to have a more productive conversation with your insurance professional when making decisions about homeowners or renters insurance coverage. After all, if you don’t know what you have, how …
Hiring Help, Do I Need More Insurance
Courtesy of iii.org Accidents happen—and if they happen to people you've hired to come into your home or onto your property to work, you're financially liable. It makes sense to understand how you're already covered and when to further insure household help. Appropriate and adequate insurance coverage depends on the nature of the employee’s position and the assets you're protecting. As always, consult your insurance professional with any questions or requested changes to your policy. Here's some information to get you started. If you contract a worker with an outside firm For many household and in-home care needs—for example, for a nurse, a physical therapist, a cook or a housekeeper—you may decide to contract with a business or agency that provides these types of pros. Determine who is the employer. When you're dealing with a firm or agency, in most cases the worker you hired is an employee of that business and insured under their auspices. (If for some reason …
Auto Insurance Myths
Courtesy of iii.org When purchasing an auto policy, it’s important to understand the factors that affect your policy costs and coverage. Unfortunately, there's a lot of bad information that passes for "common wisdom"—here, we separate myth from facts about car insurance. Myth 1 – Color determines the price of auto insurance It doesn't matter whether your car is “Arrest Me Red” or “Hide In Plain Sight White”—the color doesn’t actually factor into your auto insurance costs. The price of your auto policy is based on many factors, such as car make, model, body type, engine size and the age of the vehicle, as well as the car’s sticker price, the cost to repair it, its overall safety record and the likelihood of theft. Insurers also take into account the age, driving record and sometimes the credit history of the driver. Myth 2 – It costs more to insure your car when you get older Quite the opposite, in fact—older drivers may be eligible for special discounts. For example, …