Silverware

Remember, as a renter, you could experience a loss due to something you have no control over.  Or what if your friend's clumsy cousin trips on your sneakers, falls down the stairs and hurts his back. Like it or not, he could sue you for that. Whether or not he wins, fighting that suit could be an expensive nightmare.  This type of protection is called liability insurance.

Taking the time to understand how your coverage works can help you make sure everything you value is adequately covered.

Most renters are concerned with how much money they’ll receive to replace their losses. There is a maximum amount your insurance will pay for your personal property. This Limit is usually a percentage of your structural limit (the maximum amount your insurance policy will pay to rebuild your home).

Insurance companies group certain kinds of things into categories. Some categories have a maximum amount that can be paid to replace all the items in the category. Within a few categories, there's also a maximum amount to be paid for any single item. To make sure all your stuff is adequately covered, you'll want to go over your policy's category and item limits with your agent.

Having a good claims experience can start with getting the right coverage. Your total property limit may give you the impression you have plenty of coverage, but you may find that your category limit on computers isn't nearly enough to replace all of the computers in your home.

For example, with Allstate Insurance your policy might have limits in categories like these:

·       Money, bullion, bank notes and coins.

·       Property for use in a business while the property is away from your home. This doesn't include computers, drives or other storage media.

·       Property for use in a business, including property held as samples, while the property is at your home. This doesn't include computers, drives or other storage media.

·       Trading cards, subject to a maximum amount of $250 per card.

·       Accounts, bills, deeds, evidences of debt, letters of credit, notes other than bank notes, passports, securities, tickets and stamps.

·       Manuscripts, including documents stored on electronic media.

·       Watercraft, including their attached or unattached trailers, furnishings, equipment, parts and motors.

·       Theft of jewelry, watches, precious and semi-precious stones, gold other than goldware, silver other than silverware, platinum (other than platinumware), pewter (other than pewterware) and furs, including any item containing fur that represents its principal value; subject to a maximum amount of $1,000 per item.

·       Any motorized land vehicle parts, equipment or accessories not attached.

·       Theft of firearms.

·       Theft of silverware, pewterware and goldware.

·       Computers, drives or other storage media, whether or not the equipment is used in a business. Storage media will be covered up to the retail value of the media.

·       Theft of rugs, including, but not limited to, any handwoven silk or wool rug, carpet, tapestry, wallhanging or other similar article whose value is determined by its color, design, quality of wool or silk, quality of weaving, condition or age; subject to a maximum amount of $2,500 per item.

A common item in a category covered by your policy, such as a watch, may be worth $25 or $5,000. Because this category of common items can vary so greatly in value, your policy may set a per item limit for these items. If one item exceeds those limits, ask your agent for a Scheduled Personal Property endorsement to properly protect it.

Accidents happen…and so do lawsuits. Liability insurance helps keep a stranger's misfortune from becoming yours. For example, letting a tree branch grow over the sidewalk doesn't look like a dangerous hazard. But if a child is knocked off her parent's shoulder, falling to the sidewalk – you could potentially be accused of negligence and sued. If you are found liable in court, your personal assets could be at risk.

Family Liability Coverage helps protect you against the financial uncertainty arising from injury or property damage that you or your family may cause to other people – on or away from your property. It typically includes compensation for the injured party, the cost of defending you in court and any court awards or settlements up to the limits of your policy. You meant to clean the ice off the stoop before Aunt Anna arrived, but she was early, and now she has a sprained wrist — an injury she really can't afford. Of course, Aunt Anna isn't going to sue you, but it's nice to know you have Guest Medical coverage included in your homeowners policy so Aunt Anna can be reimbursed for her emergency room visit. Policy holders with Guest Medical coverage can feel confident in offering to help pay for that trip to the emergency room.

Another type of coverage may be the resource to pay for comfortable living quarters if you ever have to rebuild your home. It would be tough enough to have to go through the reconstruction. Spending six months in your in-law's guest room could be the real tragedy. But temporary housing isn't cheap — imagine the added cost of renting an apartment to your monthly budget.

If a covered loss puts you out of your home, many homeowners policies will cover the reasonable increases in expenses needed to maintain your normal standard of living. This may include payments for a temporary housing, food, rental income (optional coverage for some policies) and other expenses.