How Our Beliefs Influence Our Insurance Buying Decisions

A Personal Insurance Update

All of us have certain beliefs pertaining to homeowner’s insurance, auto insurance, and other personal insurance products.  These beliefs can often cause us to make uneducated, or even poor, decisions regarding our personal insurance.  This was recently confirmed in a study completed by the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) Research publication, "Homeowner’s Insurance: Understanding, Attitudes, and Shopping Practices."

How Insurance Beliefs Shape Actions

1. Some people think that the internet is the best way to obtain some personal insurance products.  When, in fact, the best way to get the right combination of price, coverage, and service is to use an independent agent.
2. Most homeowners believe that a sewer backup from outside of their home is covered under their homeowner’s policy.  However, generally sewage backups are not covered without a rider or separate policy.
3. Talking to your agent can be the best way to educate yourself about your insurance.  People should utilize their agent to help them understand how their risks are changing, and how insurance can be designed to meet their individual needs.
4. Less than fifty percent of people use their agents to comparison-shop.  Your agent has many markets and will comparison-shop for you annually.
5. Many people mistakenly believe that earthquake, flood, and hurricane damage is covered under a standard homeowner’s insurance policy.  These are not.  Separate policies need to be purchased.
6. There are many people who think that replacement cost coverage will provide complete replacement if their home is a destroyed in a covered loss. This is not the case.  The policy will only provide replacement cost up to the policy limit.  We recommend that together we review your replacement cost valuation annually.