Spring Season is Here – Insurance Updates to Know

Here are some updates on insurance or common questions we hear from customers.

Do I Need to Purchase Insurance When Renting a Car?

If you are planning on taking a trip this spring break, you may be renting a car. At the time of checking in or even during the process of getting a rental car reservation, every rental car company will ask if you want to purchase insurance.

Your personal auto insurance policy does provide you with coverage for a rental car, but it is always important to understand what your personal auto insurance policy covers. Even if you have full auto insurance coverage, your rental car is still not 100% covered.

If you get into a car accident in your rental car and the car needs to be repaired, the rental car agency will charge you for downtime since they cannot rent the car out again until it is fixed. It is also possible that the rental agency may claim diminished value if you damage the car. Purchasing this specific coverage from the rental agency would help cover the cost of these claims.

How Inflation is Impacting Insurance Policy Premiums

You may have noticed your home or auto insurance policy increased at renewal, but you didn’t have any tickets or claims. Inflation has caused rates to increase across the country. Not only are insurance carriers receiving more insurance claims than before, but it is also costing insurance carriers more with settling claims.

Anytime insurance carriers see an increase in claims, they will raise their premiums to all customers.

Inflation is also impacting your insurance coverage. For instance, if you have a homeowners loss, the cost to repair your home has increased substantially since inflation began. The cost of materials and labor is up.

If your insurance policy has increased significantly, reach out to us. We can re-quote you with other insurance carriers we represent to see if we can find you a more affordable policy.

Best insurance discounts

One of the best insurance discounts you can receive is bundling your auto and home/renters insurance together with the same insurance carrier. Paying your insurance policy in full or participating in a driver’s safety course/telematics program through your insurance carrier also provides you with additional discounts.

If you are looking for additional discounts, reach out to our agency.

Update Your Insurance Policy Every Few Years

Since inflation has increased, it may be time to review your current home insurance policy, specifically your replacement cost. If your home has increased in value over the past few years or if you have done major renovations that improved your home value, it is important your home insurance policy reflects those changes.

If your home value increased, but you didn’t make any changes to your policy & had to settle a claim, it is possible your home has become underinsured.

If you have expensive jewelry insured, it is advised to get it appraised every few years to ensure it is properly insured. If it has, be sure to let us know of the new value.

Insurance Coverage for Boats, RVs, ATVs, Motorcycles and more.

It’s that time of year when we start thinking about our powersport vehicles. Whether you are shopping for a new toy or need to review your current existing policy, our agents are here to help. We can explain your coverage options or provide you with a new insurance quote.