Spring cleaning is a great excuse to organize the junk drawer (we all have one) or clean out the attic. Use this fresh new season to also “clean up” your insurance policy.

If you have ever watched one of those HGTV shows you know they frequently help people clean out their homes with “toss”, “keep”, and “donate”. How would you sort your insurance coverages? Consider what you need to keep what coverage you could get rid of or lower, and ones that you may want to add.

So many people do not speak with their insurance agent enough. Don’t just talk to them around renewal, ask them questions if you have them and make sure you have enough and all of the right coverage.

Here are some questions to ask to clean up your insurance policies:

If my home were to be destroyed, do I have enough coverage to fully rebuild?

This is a question people do not ask enough. When is the last time you made updates to your home or added to your home? Any big changes or additions you make may add value to your home. If your home goes up in flames and your insurance policy didn’t make note of those changes, they may not be covered.

Do I need Flood Insurance?

Home insurance doesn’t cover flood damage and it’s a common problem in today’s world. It’s a good added coverage to have and can be very affordable for those outside of a high risk area. About a third of all flood claims come from people not in “high risk” zones.

Do I need more coverage for my stuff?

Especially when it comes to any high price items, your basic contents coverage on your home insurance may not be enough. IF you have jewelry you have purchased recently you may want to get jewelry insurance or floater, otherwise called a special personal property endorsement. This coverage goes beyond what your home insurance will cover by also offering accidental disappearance coverage and there is no deductible. Even without high priced items there may be room to up your limits when you consider how much all of your belongings are worth.

Do you have an old car… do you really need comprehensive and collision coverage?

Many people with an older car, especially worth less than $1,000 don’t think they need these coverages. It’s something to consider asking your agent.

Do I need more liability insurance?

Your home and auto insurance policies have liability coverage. This coverage can help with costs of lawsuits in the event that an accident, whether it is at home or in your car, comes to that. There are limits to the amount of liability coverage you can get with your home and auto insurance. To add more coverage you can obtain an umbrella insurance policy. Depending on the amount of assets you have, this may be in your best interest.

Can I have a quote for life insurance?

If you don’t already have life insurance, now is the time. Life insurance is such an important policy to have. It is the difference between your family and loved ones having to pay the extremely high cost of a funeral and those dependent on you potentially paying their bills or not.

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