9 Secrets To Really Saving On Homeowners Insurance
That The Insurance Companies Don’t
Want The Public to Know!
Your home is probably your
most valuable asset. It is
also a huge risk for you financially. What if something happens to it? A fire? A flood? Vandalism?
What if someone visiting you slips, falls and suffers a serious injury? And sues you? An accident like that
could put a dent -- or worse -- in your financial security.
For most people, insurance
is a mystery. They know they need to have insurance for their homes (mortgage lenders require it), but they
don’t understand the coverage provided by the policy. And they don’t know which insurance companies offer the
best -- the best! -- prices. Because they don’t understand the product, many people think insurance is a
rip-off, and it is -- if you pay too much or buy coverage you don’t
need.
All homeowners insurance
is not created equal. In fact, almost none of it is. There are thousands
of different products out there, from hundreds of insurance companies. How do you find the insurance and the
insurance company that are best for you? You read this special report and tap into my vast knowledge of the
products and the companies that offer them.
I am an insurance
“insider.” A licensed member of the “club.” I’ve sold the product. I
know what kind of insurance fits your needs. And I know what insurance companies sell this kind of insurance at
the best -- lowest! -- price. Because I’ve specialized in the insurance needs of homeowners and their
families, I have decided to dedicate myself to solving for you some of the mysteries of homeowners
insurance.
9 Secrets to Saving
Now that you know the
basics of a Homeowners insurance policy, here are 9 ways you can pay less. In many cases, you can get the same
level of coverage for fewer dollars.
1. One Insurer, Multiple
Policies -- Do you have an automobile insurance policy? If so, is it with
the same insurance company that provides your homeowners insurance? If the answer’s no, you’re paying too much -- for both
policies. Almost every insurance company that sells homeowners insurance wants its policyholders to
also buy auto insurance from that company. These insurers offer so-called multi-policy discounts. Usually,
these discounts are at least
10% -- and some insurers apply the discounts to both the auto and the homeowners/renters
policy.
2. Raise Your
Deductible -- The deductible is the
amount you pay before insurance kicks in if you have a claim. For example, if you have a $250 deductible and
you file a claim for $1,000 in damage to your home, you pay the first $250 and your insurer pays the balance,
$750. The higher the deductible you choose, the more you pay. Also, though, the higher deductible, the
less you have to pay for your policy. Depending on the
insurance company, you can save between 12% and 37% if you have a deductible of $500 to
$5,000.
3. New Is
Better -- Insurers really like newer
homes. That’s because it’s less likely something will go wrong with the electrical, heating and plumbing
systems. In addition, the structure itself is in better shape. Insurers offer discounts of as much as 8% to 15% if your residence is
new.
4. Location, Location,
Location -- Where do you live and what is
your home made of? If you’re in the Eastern United States, it’s better from an insurance perspective to have
a brick or masonry residence because such a structure has a greater resistance to wind damage. By contrast,
frame homes are better in the earthquake-prone West. The right structure in the right region can save you 5% to 15%.
Further, if your home is near a fire station, you will pay less for homeowners insurance. If you live in an
area that is prone to flooding, you may be required to buy a flood insurance policy, which costs about $400 a
year. If you are not required to buy the coverage and still live in a flood-prone area, your homeowner’s
policy will not provide coverage for losses arising from flooding.
5. Insure the House, Not
the Land -- Nobody is going to steal your
land. Fire and high winds won’t “destroy” it. As such, when deciding how much homeowner’s coverage to have,
don’t include the value of the land, only the value of the house and any other buildings on the
property. If you include the
value of the land, you’re paying too much.
6. Don’t Insure What You
Don’t Have -- Each year, you should
review your policy to see what coverage you have for your possessions. If you have made a major purchase, you
will want to increase your limits of coverage, but what if you sell
something or somethings? You don’t need as much coverage. Pay particular attention to items that are
covered by endorsements or “floaters” to your policy, items such as jewelry and computer
equipment.
7. Better Safe(r) Than
Sorry -- Smoke detectors, burglar alarms
and deadbolt locks are usually worth discounts of at least 5%. You can get even bigger discounts,
15% to 20%, if you install a sophisticated sprinkler system or an alarm system that rings at the police
station or a security company. However, not all of these systems qualify for discounts. Before
you install one, check with your insurer to find out what type of system qualifies for a discount and how
much you would save on your premium if you installed the system.
8. Group
Discounts -- Some insurers offer
discounts to certain business or alumni associations. If you are a member of such an association or
associations, ask the director(s) of the association(s) if there are any insurance companies providing
discounts to association members.
9. Don’t Jump
Around -- If you’ve been with an insurer
for a while and you like that insurer, stay put. Some insurance
companies automatically have discounts for policyholders who have been with the companies for a certain
number of years. For example, 5% for at least three years, 10% for at least five
years.
Is Your Coverage
Adequate?
I won’t kid you. There’s
more to this insurance game than saving money. In fact, while it’s nice to lower your insurance costs, it’s
probably even more important to make sure you, your loved ones and your assets are covered adequately. It’s not
a pleasant thought, but insurance
is about worst-case scenarios. It’s also about peace of mind, knowing that you have the worst-case scenarios
covered.
Because I know peace of
mind is so important, I am willing -- actually, I’m excited -- to reveal to you the secrets about insurance.
Secrets that ensure you have all
the protection you need.
Why would I just give these
secrets away? Because it’s just as good for my business as it is for you. I want to let you in on the knowledge I have accumulated as an
insurance industry professional and insider. I want to do this because I have found, time and time again, that
generosity and the willingness to provide really great service come back to me. Ten fold. In fact, that’s how I
have built my business.
Two Steps to
Protection
There are two basic steps
you can take to protect your and your family’s financial well-being:
1. Have an insurance
specialist conduct a risk analysis of your home, car(s) and family. How can you adequately address your risks with insurance if you
don’t even know what these risks are? I’ve found that most people face more risk than they know. Because
everyone is different, it’s not like you can ask a friend or relative to assess your insurance needs --
unless they are insiders in this business. If you haven’t had your risks assessed by an insurance professional, you could
be inviting financial disaster. You need a professional, a knowledgeable insurance insider, to put
together a comprehensive insurance plan that truly protects you. Our office will do that for
FREE.
2. Don’t trust the financial protection of you, your family and
your assets to an insurance agent who is not a homeowner’s insurance specialist. A specialist? Absolutely. Look, insurance is a
huge industry. There’s insurance for everything. And nobody can specialize
in all of it. In
fact, a professional independent agent can specialize in only a few niches -- and really understand them. And I
do. I’ve studied the homeowners insurance market in our community for years.
I
know:
¨ Which homeowner’s insurers have the
best rates.
¨ Which give the most
discounts.
¨ And which provide the best claim
service.
I will give you this
information for FREE. No charge. No obligation. I do this because I’ve built my business on my reputation. I
never hard-sell insurance. I’m in the service business. The better service I provide, the better it is for all
of us.
My clients stay with me because of my service - and they refer me to their family and
friends.
At Mike Durand’s Durand
Insurance, we believe we serve families in our community better than anyone in this area -- in any profession.
We believe this because we spend a lot of time with our clients, determining their needs, their level of risk,
and finding the perfect insurance program for them.
So if you want to protect
yourself, your family and your assets from a crisis or catastrophe or just see if you can save money on your
insurance, call our office. My staff and I will be glad to help.
Call today and get a full family check up for homeowner , Auto, or Life Insurance
comparison.
|