Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Renters Insurance - What if?

What if...
  • Someone broke into your apartment while you were away and takes everything?
  • Someone trips and falls and blames you for the injury?
  • Your electronics are destroyed by a power surge?
  • Your building catches fire and you have no place to stay?

These are all things covered by your renters insurance. Lets start with the most obvious, theft. This is the most well known reason for a renter to carry insurance, to protect the things you own. If they are stolen your policy will pay to replace them with new; in the event of a fire or water damage your policy will pay to restore what you have if its possible or replace it. Can you afford to replace all you have if there is a total loss? If you think you could I'd suggest you go through your apartment or home and make an inventory of all you have. Start with the furniture and figure the cost if you had to go out today and buy a replacement. After you finish with that look at all the movies, CD's, clothes and don't forget everything in your kitchen cupboards. You'll find a lot more than you think.

Protect all you have with a renters insurance policy before a loss happens. We also have discounts if you write your auto insurance, the discount of the premium of the car insurance will often offset the cost of the renters insurance so you will get the added protection you need now, before its too late.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Why Do You Need Renters Insurance?

I was out last week visiting a few of the apartments in the city and was talking with a renter in the Beaverton area. She said she'd been asked before about renters insurance and really didn't see the point of it. All the furnishings she had were given to her by family and friends or picked up second hand so there really wasn't that much to insure.

What she, and many like her don't realize, is that Renters insurance covers property for its replacement cost. This means that even though she didn't pay for her dining table, it was given to her by her mother when she purchased a new one, if its damaged in a covered loss we will replace it with a new one at current cost. If you lose 20 shirts our claims adjuster isn't going to figure how much each of those shirts are worth today, they'll pay based on the cost to buy 20 new ones to replace them.

There are also many other coverages built into renters policies to make them worth the small cost of coverage. Over the following days I will cover each so please feel free to email any questions you have relating to renters insurance.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Whats the big deal about insurance?

Insurance is something the majority of people never fully understand. They buy it because it's required; either by law, lendor or lessor. Many people only have it because it's required and they don't understand the benefit to them. Even more alarming are the number of people who ignore the law and drive uninsured on our roads every day.

What would happen to you and your family if you were
struck by an uninsured driver?
Who would pay for the medical expenses and
damage to your vehicle?

Normally the driver that hit you is required to pay the bills for these things; but that could involve going to court, which is no quick process, and then there is the matter of the responsible driver's ability to pay.

What if you came home one day to find your house or apartment on fire?


Do you have enough coverage to rebuild and replace what you have? Or do you just have enough to satisfy the requirements for insurance on your loan or lease? If you had to replace every item in your home today how much coverage would be enough? More than you think...


My goal here is to help people understand insurance and how important it is to have the right coverage. I've worked in the industry for 7 years and had the conversation with someone who didn't see the need for the coverage I was recommending to protect them. When they had a loss all I could say was "I'm sorry you don't have coverage for that".


My agency focuses on knowing our clients and making certain we help them choose coverage that is best for their individual situation. We sell insurance, a piece of paper and a promise to be there when you need your coverage. There is nothing more important than making sure each policy I write is the best for each client I serve.


I welcome your insurance related questions even if you're not a client or don't even live in the Portland area. The best insurance starts with understanding your needs and then selecting the best coverage you can afford, not some one size fits all policy that will leave you exposed when a loss happens.