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Why You Need a Renters Insurance Policy
Aug 30, 2020
Renting a house, condominium, or apartment continues to be a popular lifestyle option, but the importance of renters insurance hasn’t been embraced by many renters. Some landlords require that their renters carry a renters insurance policy. Whether required or not, renters should realize how much they can benefit from having an insurance policy that can help protect their valuables in a life-changing event like a fire or theft.
Please do not make the mistake of assuming that damage to your property in your rental home or apartment will be covered by your landlord's insurance policy. Usually, the owners of rental properties purchase only enough insurance to repair or replace their structures. It is up to you to insure your personal property.
Your landlord probably will bear no responsibility for replacing your property in the event of loss from fire or theft. However, Renters Insurance offers the same general personal property coverage as homeowners insurance and protects against losses from theft, fire, lightning, vandalism, windstorms and water damage from broken water pipes.
The “Loss of Use” coverage typically will help address some of the costs for you to temporarily live elsewhere, if your rental house becomes inhabitable. This benefit also usually includes the cost of meals, over and above your normal expenses.
Please don’t assume that you don't own enough valuables to make buying insurance coverage worthwhile. The cost of replacing clothing, furniture, computers, TVs and books can easily add up to thousands of dollars.
Replacement Cost vs. Actual Cash Value
An important consideration when buying a renters policy is whether to buy an actual cash value renters policy or a policy that covers the full cost of replacement.
With actual cash value coverage, insurers depreciate lost or damaged items based on their age. For example, if you owned a 10-year-old couch that was stolen, the actual cash value would be the cost of buying a used couch of comparable age and condition.
If your policy includes replacement cost coverage, your insurer would pay based on the cost of a new couch of the same quality without applying depreciation.
Renters Liability Coverage
One of the most important coverages included with a renters insurance policy is personal liability coverage. Just like homeowners insurance, renters policies cover your liability for injuries or property damage that you, your family members or your pets may cause to others.
For example, if somebody were at your house and slipped and was hurt, you could be held financially liable for their injuries. However, the liability section of a renters policy would pay for your legal damages, up to your policy limits if you are found to be negligent and caused the injury. The policy would also pay for your legal defense.
Be sure to choose a renters policy with liability limits that are high enough to protect your personal worth.
How Much Will Your Renters Policy Cost?
Renters insurance policies are relatively inexpensive, considering the broad protection they offer. The cost is low because renters don't need to buy insurance to protect their homes, only the contents. At General Insurance Services we can write your renters policy with great companies like Mercury or Travelers for a premium as low as $125 a year. In addition, most companies give a multi-policy discount on your auto insurance if you also have your renters insurance through them.
When a disaster strikes, whether it's a fire, storm, or burglary, your home and belongings can suffer significant damage. In such unfortunate circumstances, knowing what to do after a disaster is crucial. This blog post will guide you through the necessary steps to take after a disaster strikes and how to navigate the home insurance claims process smoothly.
When it comes to auto insurance, there are essential coverage options to protect you and your vehicle. However, you can also enhance your policy with additional add-ons that provide extra layers of protection and peace of mind. In this blog post, we will delve into the various add-ons and additional coverage options available for auto insurance. From roadside assistance to rental car coverage, we'll explore these options that can make a significant difference in times of need.
Life insurance is a valuable investment that provides your loved ones with financial security and peace of mind. Most people think of life insurance as a way to provide for their family in the event of their untimely death. However, life insurance can be used in a variety of ways beyond just protecting your family's future.
When it comes to protecting your assets and finances, having adequate insurance coverage is essential. While most people are familiar with auto, home, and health insurance policies, there's another type of insurance that's often overlooked - umbrella insurance. In this post, we'll explain what umbrella insurance is, who needs it, and why it's important to consider.
Dangerous distracted driving continues across the U.S., and it might have increased in the busy post-pandemic period, as one new study shows. Commercial drivers are part of the problem, as well as a key to the solution, according to the trucking insurance company that performed the survey. Are you back to driving on the roads POST-PANDEMIC as part of your employment? If you are, you are most likely feeling STRESSED, PRESSURED and CONCERNED about meeting your employers’ expectations. Recent reports are showing that 30% of drivers are feeling more anxious and 54% of drivers are feeling distracted and aggressive while driving. A risk survey from Travelers suggest that work-related pressure might be leading to distracted driving. Expectations are high and so everyone is feeling pressured. Here are some helpful ideas for employers and employees: Communicate with your boss. 68% of employers report that they have official driving/texting/phone usage policies in place. Find out the expectation. Encourage Best Practices. A full 56% of consumers admit to reading a text or email while driving. Decide before you get behind the wheel what you are going to do. Speak Up. Only 11% of passengers have actually spoken up to co-workers when they feel unsafe due to a driver’s distraction. Let your employer know what to expect. Lead by Example. Don’t call or text your employees when they are driving.
If you are like us, we are grateful to be in business and have the opportunity to serve our community. General Insurance Services is always looking for opportunities to support other small business owners and we wanted to let you know that Mercury Insurance does too! Mercury proudly offers a variety of insurance protection specifically designed for business owners. Mercury has policies to help with your Commercial Auto, Apartments, Residential Condominium HOAs, Commercial Buildings, Restaurants and Small Businesses. The affordable insurance offered by Mercury offers best in class coverage and allows for peace of mind. Working together, we can support each other. General Insurance has been serving the small business community over 75 years now. Let us know how we can help you.
Our neighbors work hard at maintaining the front yard of their property. It’s beautiful to look at and always decorated for the Holidays. Just after Christmas the yard was still decorated for Christmas but it was also filled with dirt, pipes, mud and a tractor. It was concerning. We tried to help. We brought Dinner, helped take down the Christmas decorations and even helped level the ground once the broken pipe was located and repaired. It was an opportunity to be a good neighbor but we could have been a better neighbor if we had spoken to them earlier about the Service Line Protection Endorsement offered by Mercury with their Homeowners Policy. Did you know that it is Your responsibility to repair or replace any service lines on your property that connect with municipality lines when the damage occurs on your residence property? Did you also know that your Standard Homeowners Policy does not provide coverage for these lines and they can be costly to repair? Service Line Protection, a new enhancement to the Mercury homeowners policy offers coverage for service lines to the insured-owned, exterior and underground Water piping, Sewer piping, Ground loop piping, and power lines that provide electrical service. The best part is that it costs just a few $$ per month. Be a good neighbor, be a good homeowner, talk to us, your MERCURY AGENT about how we can help. Ask us about Service Line Protection.
There’s a lot to think about when teens begin to drive. As local insurance agents and the parents of 7 children we know a little about the best way to help those teens get safely on the road. Mercury has given us a few tips to consider when teens get behind the wheel. Establish a pre-start car routine that includes adjusting mirrors and driving position. Practice. Practice. Practice. Keep calm. Talk to your teen as you drive. Burgers, Instagram, texting and anything else that can distract you while driving can wait. Go to drivesafe.mercuryinsurance.com to learn more. If you are looking to keep your teen safe AND save money here are a few more tips. Teens can do their part by doing well in school and maintaining a 3.0 grade point average or better. No tickets, no accidents Drive a vehicle with a smaller engine Enroll in a driving class Bundle your policies to get a discount Reduce the number of miles you drive Increase your deductible to lower your premium; and Install an anti-theft security system on your vehicle. As your local Mercury agent, we can help you find out what it will cost to insure your teen. Give us a call and let General Insurance Services help you, and them, get started 949-661-2201
What Can We Do For You? We Have 2 Main Objectives in Our Office: 1) To be of service to you. 2) To match your insurance needs to the best policy available at the best price available. We are a multi-generational family owned Insurance agency. Barbara’s father, Herb Brown started the business in 1947 in the basement of Barbara’s childhood home wth the same two objectives. We would love the opportunity to show you why we are still in business nearly 75 years later. Give us a call at 949) 661-2201 and you will always reach us directly if you call M-F between 8:30 A.M – 5:30 P.M. You can also see more of our story on our web site www.gen-ins.com
Vehicle Safety Tip This is a simple one and will take less than 5 minutes to complete. When you are done you will have one less thing to worry about! Want To Try It? Get a penny, place it Head First into your tire several tread grooves towards the center. If you see the top of Lincoln’s head, your tread is shallow and worn. It is Time to replace your tires. If part of Lincoln’s head is covered by the tread, you have depth remaining and can wait a few months to try the test again. Easy! One less thing to worry about. Now you have extra time to call us and see what we can do to save you money on your Auto Insurance. We would love to talk to you, we have been in business almost 75 years and we are good at what we do. Callus at (949) 661-2201.
Location
General Insurance Services
629 Camino De Los Mares Ste 306
San Clemente, CA 92673
Contact Us
(949) 661-2201
support@gen-ins.com
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