Your Annual Insurance Checkup

Just as an annual physical is good for your health, taking time to regularly examine your insurance coverage can help ensure your financial well-being.

Although you can do this any time, the beginning of the year is a good time to take stock. Follow these simple steps to make sure your insurance coverage is still a good fit for your needs:

Know your coverage. Review your current auto, home and life insurance coverages. Know what your deductibles are for each policy (the amount of your claim for which you may be responsible). Contact your agent or insurance customer service if you don’t know the details of your policies.  

Think about what’s changed since your last checkup:

• Did you get married or experience another life-changing event recently?
• Have you renovated, downsized, or upsized your home?
• Have you acquired a vacation or rental property?
• Do you have a new driver in your family?
• Have you joined a carpool and increased or decreased the number of miles you drive?
• Have you recently acquired valuable items such as jewelry, artwork, collectible coins, or electronic equipment?

You may want to change your insurance coverage depending on the answers to these questions. Make sure to ask your agent or insurance customer service about multi-policy, good student, and other discounts.

Review your home inventory. Now is also a good time to review your home inventory, or create one. Take videos or photos of your home – room-by-room, top to bottom – and don’t forget closets, attics, basements and garages. Keep a copy of the inventory online or in a secure place, like a safe deposit box.

Check your liability coverage. Make sure the liability coverage on your homeowners or renters policy is adequate, especially if you’ve enhanced your property. Things like swimming pools, hot tubs, trampolines and other additions might increase the possibility of injuries. This may also be the time to consider getting a personal umbrella policy for additional liability coverage.

Consider natural disasters. Homeowners policies do not cover flood or earthquake damage. Think about adding this insurance if you’re at risk, and remember that floods can happen with little or no warning, even if you’re not in a flood zone or near a body of water.

Evaluate your auto coverage. If you have an aging vehicle, you may want to remove collision coverage. If you’ve changed jobs, retired, or plan to go on more (or fewer) long-distance road trips, you may want to adjust your policy to reflect the number of miles you intend to drive. If your child is going away to college with a car that’s covered by your policy – or leaving a car at home – be sure to inform your agent. All of these changes could affect what you pay.

Contact your agent. Call your AAA Insurance Agent at 1-800-222-1469 or visit your local AAA office to discuss your insurance needs. Work with them to determine what coverage and deductibles work for your budget.