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What is Homeowners Insurance?

Homeowners insurance is a form of property insurance that covers losses and damages to an individual’s house and to assets in the home. Homeowners insurance also provides liability coverage against accidents in the home or on the property.

Understanding Homeowners Insurance

When a mortgage is requested on a home, the homeowner is required to provide proof of insurance on the property before the lending bank can issue him or her a mortgage. The property insurance can be acquired separately or by the lending bank. Homeowners who prefer to get their own insurance policy can compare multiple offers and pick the plan that works best for their needs. If the homeowner does not have their property covered from loss or damages, the bank may obtain one for them at an extra cost.

Payments made toward a homeowners insurance policy are usually included in the monthly payments of the homeowner’s mortgage. The lending bank that receives the payment allocates the portion for insurance coverage to an escrow account. Once the insurance bill comes due, the amount owed is settled from this escrow account.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Homeowner’s insurance is a form of property insurance that covers losses and damages to an individual’s house and to assets in the home.
  • The policy usually covers interior damage, exterior damage, loss or damage of personal assets, and injury that arises while on the property.
  • Every homeowner’s insurance policy has a liability limit, which determines the amount of coverage that the insured has should an unfortunate incident occur.
  • Acts of war or acts of God are typically excluded from standard homeowners insurance policies.
  • Homeowner’s insurance policy is different from a home warranty and mortgage insurance.

What Does a Homeowner’s Insurance Cover?

A homeowners insurance policy usually covers four incidents on the insured property – interior damage, exterior damage, loss or damage of personal assets/belongings, and injury that arises while on the property. When a claim is made on any of these incidents, the homeowner will be required to pay a deductible  which in effect is the out-of-pocket costs for the insured. For example, a claim is made to an insurer on an interior water damage that occurred in a home.

Every homeowners insurance policy has a liability limit which determines the amount of coverage that the insured has should an unfortunate incident occur. The standard limits are usually set at $100,000, but the policyholder can opt for a higher limit. In the event that a claim is made, the liability limit stipulates the percentage of the coverage amount that would go toward replacing or repairing damage to the property structures, personal belongings, and costs to live somewhere else while the property is worked on.

Does it make sense to include your Auto Insurance Policy with your Home Insurance Policy?

Often the answer is yes. We offer some bundles that include both home insurance and auto insurance will reduce the overall cost when bundling both coverages together. It stands to reason. The company can get an additional sale with little additional sales & marketing costs. Also, the more relationships that a consumer has with a company, the more likely they are to maintain that relationship. From the consumer’s standpoint, it’s typically easier to deal with one company as opposed to two companies. All that said, there are some very good companies that focus on one type of insurance. Depending on what you are looking for, an auto policy from a Geico and a homeowners policy from Lemonade may be the best choice for you based on your needs and their offering, for example.

Is it better to get a low deductible or high deductible?

A deductible is the amount that you pay on the damage, loss or liability before insurance kicks in and covers the rest (or up to the policy limit). For the insurance company, the lower the deductible the more the insurance has to pay when there is an incident. Not surprisingly, insurance companies will charge a higher premium for policies that have a low deductible. Therefore, the choice is based on whether you have a preference for a lower premium or for being less out of pocket if anything does happen. If you don’t think you’ll be able to pay the deductible if something does come up, chose a low deductible plan. If you want to risk it that nothing will happen and you can afford to pay a high deductible if it does, then choose a low premium plan.

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