Have you recently bought a new house or vehicle? Gotten married or divorced? Added a new driver in your household, or sent a child off to college? Notice 15 scenarios when it’s a good idea to review, update or even change your home or car insurance.
As your life changes, so do your insurance needs. When you go through milestones such as home-buying, consolidating households or getting a learner’s permit for your teen, it’s especially important to take time to review your policies to help avoid overpaying and/or not getting the correct coverage that you and your family need.
Experts recommend reviewing your current coverage annually to account for any changes that may have occurred in your life, home or driving situation since your last policy review. Being overinsured—meaning you’re covered for situations and belongings that are no longer applicable to you—can result in you spending more on premiums than necessary. Meanwhile, being underinsured can mean you won’t be covered if and when you find yourself in need.
Here are 15 scenarios in which it makes sense to reconsider whether your auto and home insurance policy is adequate or if you may be able to receive a discount:
- You’ve gotten married or divorced.
- Your child headed off to college.
- You purchased a new vehicle or home.
- You became a renter.
- You added or removed a teen driver.
- You’ve relocated.
- You inherited or purchased valuables.
- You renovated or added on to your home (new roof, deck, remodeled basement, etc.)
- Someone on your policy turned 25.
- You installed a pool or hot tub.
- Your commute has changed.
- You’ve taken a driving course.
- Your child has good grades.
- You turned 55.
- You installed a home security system.
First, take stock of your current coverage to see what’s covered, what’s not covered, what your premiums and deductibles are, and whether your current needs can be adequately met by making changes to your existing policy.
Also be sure to consider the service you get from the insurance company. Maybe your premiums unexpectedly increased after you moved, or you had a bad service experience with your provider during a claim. If you aren’t completely happy with your insurance provider, explore different options to make sure you can get everything you need out of an insurance company you can count on.
When you decide it’s time to switch insurance companies, there are a lot of factors that go into getting and comparing auto quotes when searching for a new insurance provider. If you consider a change, think about California Casualty, an IEA Member Benefits sponsored business partner since 1988 that offers many of our members auto and home insurance.