6 Myths About Boat Insurance
It can be hard to understand insurance policies, so a lot of people will turn to friends and family members for advice on getting insurance for their boat before they talk with an agent. Even though people mean well; a lot of people won’t give you the right information. This can lead to a lot of confusion and misinformation. Below are some of the common myths that people believe about boat insurance.
1. YOUR BOAT IS COVERED BY HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE
Even if you’re keeping your boat at your house, chances are that your boat isn’t covered by your policy even if it’s inexpensive or small. It may be possible that you can have a rider for covering your boat on your property, but when it’s not there, the boat is no longer covered.
2. BOAT INSURANCE ISN’T NEEDED
There may not be laws in your community requiring boat insurance, but your local storage facility or marina might require you to have insurance so that their liability is reduced. If you’re financing your boat or it’s being used as loan collateral, insurance may be required by the bank. Even if it’s not required, keep in mind that it will only take a split second for a vehicle to hit the boat while you’re taking it somewhere or for someone to get injured while they’re on the boat.
3. YOU’LL BE COVERED ANYWHERE YOU GO BOATING
The majority of policies are only going to cover an area where you’re typically boating, along with the general area around it. If you’re going with your boat on vacation, there’s a good chance that your boat is not going to be covered. It’s a better idea to simply rent another boat while you’re on vacation rather than having the hassle of taking yours with you.
4. INSURANCE RATES INCREASE BECAUSE OF HURRICANES
The premiums for your boat insurance will be based on where you live. A hurricane will only affect the insurance if you’re living in a state on the coast, where the hurricanes will cause a lot of damage to a boat.
5. INSURANCE FOR BOATS IS EXPENSIVE
There are costs associated with all types of hobbies and this is the same with boating. It’s important for you to understand the financial responsibilities that comes with boat ownership, but you can do things that will reduce your premiums for boat insurance. You want to maintain a good score on your credit, take safety courses and boating, and have a stellar driving record all to help you save money with your boat insurance.
6. MY DRIVING RECORD WON’T AFFECT THE INSURANCE PREMIUM
You may think that your premium for your boat insurance isn’t going to be affected by a poor driving record like your car insurance, but it will be affected. The insurance companies will use it when they are underwriting. They’ll check how well you drive through your record and if you’ve gotten a lot of tickets, major violations such as drug or alcohol-related violations, a suspended driver’s license, reckless driving, or had accidents. If this is the case, then chances are that you won’t be able to get insurance.
When you have a boat, you want to make sure that you know the facts and ignore the myths. This will help you make sure that you have enough insurance on your boat and that you are protecting you, your boat, and your passengers. Talk with someone who insures boats and they’ll give you the advice so that you can choose the insurance that is best for you. Then you can enjoy your boat with confidence and responsibly without having to worry about accidents or injuries on your boat.
FREE INSURANCE REVIEW
WhitCo Insurance agents provide this free service just for you. Meet with our agents in person or connect online to review your coverage to keep up with your changing insurance needs. If you would like us to explain your insurance policies in plain English, you can contact us a call at 866-298-7608.
We hope you will benefit from our web site and can take advantage of our insurance experience in Punta Gorda and North Port, Florida.
1. FIRE DEPARTMENT PROXIMITY
If you are close to the fire station, you’re going to pay less for home insurance. Homes that are close to the active fire departments will usually not cost as much to insure. This is also true for the houses that are close to fire hydrants.
Suburban and urban homes will usually get better fire protection ratings than the urban areas. Having your fire department close to your home is going to help with keeping the house safe if there is a fire.
2. PROXIMITY TO NATURAL DISASTERS
If you live in an area that has a lot of natural disasters like earthquakes or flooding you are going to have a higher rate. Homes that are closer to the coastline or coast generally will be more expensive when it comes to insuring them when compared with inland homes. Homeowners who are living close to the coast might have another deductible for things like hurricanes or another an insurance policy for windstorms. But even though you are living close to any kind of water can affect your rates due to the flooding risk.
Flood damage isn’t covered by the usual home insurance policy. It’s often a good idea to take another policy for food insurance despite the fact that you may not be at high risk when it comes to flooding.
3. CRIME RATE IN THE AREA
If you’re living in an area that has a high crime rate, you are going to pay more for your home insurance. Things like arson, burglaries and robberies can drive up the rates for your insurance. You can help with keeping your rates lower by having an alarm system put in your home.
When you are comparing your homeowner’s insurance rates with friends and family, if yours are higher or lower with all other variables being equal, it could be because of the home’s location.
FREE INSURANCE REVIEW
WhitCo Insurance agents provide this free service just for you. Meet with our agents in person or connect online to review your coverage to keep up with your changing insurance needs. If you would like us to explain your insurance policies in plain English, you can contact us a call at 866-298-7608.
We hope you will benefit from our web site and can take advantage of our insurance experience in Punta Gorda and North Port, Florida.
1. LOOK AT WHAT’S AVAILABLE
Before you choose an insurer, get a quote from a minimum of four carriers. You can find databases online that are free like InsWeb, which will offer you a quote from as many as eight carriers.
2. BUY DIRECT
The companies that are dealing directly with the consumers and don’t use any independent agents are known as direct writers. Theoretically they’re able to pass their savings on because they eliminate middlemen.
3. READ JUNK MAIL
It’s a great idea to read the Internet, your email or answer your phone. Overhead is saved by direct marketers by using these things to market, and they can give you the savings.
4. CHECK YOUR HOME STATE
Most of the insurance departments in the state offer shopping guides online for those looking to buy homeowner’s insurance. The guide from the state may be able to give you companies that aren’t as well know that have competitive rates. You can get linked to the guide for your state on insure.com.
The bad thing is if you’re living in one of the hurricane zones, it’s possible you will be stuck with a single expensive option. That is your state-sponsored pool of high risk people. But it’s possible to try again in a year. The private insurers always look for different ways to cut the market up and a black mark for company will be a business opportunity for another.
Some of the states provide those who in a vulnerable coastal or urban area.
5. LOOK AT THE SERVICE HISTORY
Even though a company may offer a big discount, that is not going to help you if they are slow at processing claims, so you want to discover everything you can about the service about a company before signing on. It’s a good idea to ask the representative about the turn-around time for their claim. If they have a shorter time for claims it indicates that they have good service.
6. FOCUS ON THE FINANCIALS
You want to examine the insurer’s financial ratings. Ask the rep about the information or you can use one of the services online to find out their financial ratings.
Standard & Poor’s great rating is A or higher, and Moody’s Investor Service’s AA rating will say that the company is strong. You can also check out Weiss Ratings, which has very stringent guidelines and it’s also the one that’s most independent, to see the homeowner’s insurance companies that are the weakest.
7. SEARCH FOR DISCOUNTS
It’s possible to save money by looking for discounts offered by insurers for risk lowering behavior. This could be things from quitting smoking to driving below a certain number of miles each year. Certain categories of people, such as senior citizens, are also eligible for lower prices. You’re also going to save money by installing some protective or safety equipment inside your home. Since it’s much cheaper to service more than one policy from a customer, premiums are often cut by insurers by as much as 15% when you link your homeowner’s and auto policies.
These are the seven things that you can do to help you find the right company for your homeowner’s insurance. When you want to protect your home and everything in it, you want to choose a company that you can count on. These tips will help you find the right one.
FREE INSURANCE REVIEW
WhitCo Insurance agents provide this free service just for you. Meet with our agents in person or connect online to review your coverage to keep up with your changing insurance needs. If you would like us to explain your insurance policies in plain English, you can contact us a call at 866-298-7608.
We hope you will benefit from our web site and can take advantage of our insurance experience in Punta Gorda and North Port, Florida.