Welcome to 2021! While we are all very excited to leave 2020 behind us, the truth is that just because it is a new year does not mean that things will magically become better. We have to strive to make them better for ourselves to make sure that this year is better than ever. One way that we can do this is to make sure that we come into this year with all the safety we need – this means making sure that you are getting the best protection for what you are paying and seeing how you might improve both protection and price when it comes to your coverage. Here is a list of “New Year Resolutions for your Insurance” to make this easier for you.
Protection on the Road
After months of being shut in the house, leaving for a much-needed trip probably seems tempting. Depending on your areas restrictions, this may mean leaving for a camping weekend or simply staying in a room somewhere for a change of scenery. You may not have been driving much recently, so make sure to get your car checked for maintenance to be sure that everything is still running smoothly. When was the last time you made sure that your limits are enough to protect you in case of an accident? Insurance costs change annually for lots of reasons, so if you are unsure of your amounts and how much they are costing, now is a great time to speak with an agent about checking your limits and maybe seeing if you can get the same (or better) coverage for a more agreeable price. In the case of an accident it is 34% more likely to come into contact with an uninsured or underinsured driver than one who can handle the financial aspect of the collision, so make sure that you are prepared in this case.
Protection for the Home
Everybody had to spend A LOT of time at home this past year and this may have resulted in getting a little stir crazy and wanting to change things up a bit. Finishing projects or renovations around the home, purchasing entertaining items like trampolines or inflatable pools, these are just a few examples of what can change the coverage needs of a home. They can make your home more valuable but they can also increase your risk of liability, so it is always wise to discuss these factors with your agent before and after they are made. Maybe you made an investment in larger TVs to make your weekly Netflix binge more enjoyable, or a better computer to make working from home easier? These additions to your homes inventory are definitely items you should list as high value items in your home to that they are covered in the case of loss/damage and need to be replaced or repaired.
Protection for the Future
It is no secret that New Year resolutions last for maybe a month before that gym membership gets cancelled or the temptation of a burger overpowers the appeal of another salad. This is natural, but what shouldn’t be given up on are the actions you put into effect to protect yourself, your family, your home and your future. If this past year has taught us anything, it is that the unexpected can happen at any moment and our worlds can literally change overnight. Preparing for the inevitable is more important than even now, and life insurance is an important part of this. If the worst did happen and you were unable to provide for yourself or your family, how would they be taken care of? Maybe you got married or had a child this year (congrats!)- this means you need to update your beneficiaries and may want to look at boosting your coverage. Maybe you don’t have life insurance yet – now is the perfect time to get it. Life insurance cost only increases with age, so the earlier it is purchased, the better.
Protecting your Protection
Maybe you are one of the few superheroes who has great coverage in all of these areas, but you want to make sure 100% that you are prepared for anything. This is when you would need umbrella insurance. Umbrella insurance acts as a booster for your current coverage costs – if a car accident is a few thousand dollars more than what you are covered for or a storm damages your home just enough to exceed your limits, an umbrella policy comes to the rescue with the extra funds needed to make sure that you aren’t worrying about where that extra money is going to come from.
Nobody wants to think about bad things happening, especially at the hopeful start of a new year (double-especially after 2020s fiasco). But the hard truth of it is that these times are inevitable at some point in our futures, and we need to be prepared for them. It is better to prepare for the worst and not have to worry and to be unprepared and REALLY worry when things go sideways. This is one of the biggest worries we hear from our clients – that they’re paying for insurance that they’re sure they’ll never need. But if this year taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected and to make sure that you have protections in place for when it arrives.
But this doesn’t have to be a scary or stressful experience! Our team is here for you and we are happy to answer any-and-all of your questions and concerns. Our friendly, compassionate approach to this typically-uncomfortable topic is to set you at ease and make sure that you can trust that we have your best interest in mind. If you are reading this, then you have already found our website – check out our articles and pages to learn more, or go to our Get a Quote page to reach out to our team and begin your year with a head-start on your protection and coverage. You can also email us at [email protected] or call us at (901) 388-7283.