I helped several people with their home insurance last week. They all own or are buying homes in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. In each case I discussed what their new home policy covers, but one seasoned home owner asked me something different and that was what does his policy not cover.
Pets have a profound impact on us. They can be funny, sing along with us, nudge us to scoot over, chase their tail, roll around to scratch their back, jumping at their reflection, or trying to figure out how to play with a household appliance. They can comfort us at the end of a long day greeting us with a wagging tail, rest their head on our leg to comfort us, or sit on our lap asking for some attention – now! In many ways they seem to love us unconditionally in the way few humans do.
I talked with a prospective client last week. We’d worked together in the past and he wanted to see if I could help him lower what he was paying for all his insurance policies. We reviewed his current coverage on his car and home insurance, as well as his umbrella policy and I prepared quotes on each of them for us to discuss. As it turned out, the auto quote I presented him was about $1,000 lower than his current rate, and the umbrella was about the same as what he was currently paying. The issue was he had a lower rate on the home and he wasn’t sure what to do.
Texas home insurance rates continue to climb and remain the highest in the country. There are two broad reasons most insurance companies give for our high rates; weather and increases in the cost of claims. With that in mind, I thought it was time to revisit the top four home insurance claim types, as well as where they are occurring geographically.
Sheri and I have a blended family. Between the two of us, we have 7 kids and 5 grandkids, the latest arrived Wednesday night at 7:30. She’s beautiful just in case you were wondering! Her arrival reminded me of a question I’m occasionally asked by people who are evaluating life insurance after the birth of a child, and that is, should they get a life policy for their new bundle of joy?
Last year, I wrote a post, Insurance Apps & Insurer’s Use of Your Questions (see http://50.87.248.161/~wiseinsu/insurance-apps-insurers-use-of-your-questions/) where I outlined two insurance related bills the Texas Legislature passed. One bill allows Texas drivers to carry proof of insurance on their smart phone, the other bill barred insurance companies from using customer inquiries to cancel or non-renew, or to increase their premiums.
Several times a year, I receive a call from an individual or family member who’s very anxious. They’ve found their dream home in north Texas, put their earnest money down, and ordered the inspection. The inspection outlines an issue and they find out days or a week before closing from their insurance agent that this issue prevents them from getting home insurance.
I am a baby boomer. Both my parents are alive and in relatively good health, however, they aren’t getting any younger. I’ve attempted to discuss several of these topics with my dad over the past several years. He politely assures me he has it handled and that’s the extent of the conversation, however, I don’t know what that means nor do I have any knowledge of what he or my mother truly want.
I was reviewing a car insurance quote with a prospective client the other day. She and her husband are buying a new home and wanted to review their car insurance to see if they could save money on that as well. We were in the midst of discussing liability coverage when she asked me to explain the difference between split limits and combined single limits as she’d heard someone mention this to her.
On a day with a clear blue sky dotted with the occasional puffy white cloud, Sheri and I hoisted our backpacks and headed up the Four Pass Loop Trail in Colorado. We love backpacking, and this trip promised to be enjoyable and a little challenging, while providing a week’s escape from the August heat in Dallas.
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