Risk & Business Magazine General Insurance Service Fall 2022 | Page 26

POLICY REVIEW

How To Do A Successful Review Of Your Current Policies

If you are asking your personal risk advisor , “ How do I know if I have the right policy for my situation ?”, this is what we are going to do .

First , we are going to get together and pull up your policy and go through it . It is a good idea to create an inventory list so that in the event of a loss , at least you have a record of any items involved , whether that be a written list , or photographs , or a video taken during a room-by-room walkthrough . In this way , should you suffer a devastating loss , you would have a record of what you had , and during this stressful time , you aren ’ t compounding that stress by an inability to remember . This will provide a good starting point as you try to get your life back on track .
An important point to remember is that the storage of your inventory list , no matter what form it takes , should be offsite . Whether it is a paper file or a video on your phone , it should be uploaded to a “ cloud ” or some other location to avoid losing the inventory in the same disaster as your insured space .
In the event of a disaster , the half hour to an hour of time spent creating the video or written inventory would simplify the details of any claim and certainly prove to be worth the time invested . Should you have to go through this stressful time of rebuilding your life with no record of what you owned , then the stress of trying to list everything from memory could be overwhelming .
Secondly , we are going to discuss any interior or exterior renovations . If you have added buildings to your property or increased the value of your property through renovations or upgrades to appliances or furniture , we need to discuss these items to be sure your policy adequately covers these improvements .
Real estate markets have been fluctuating so much in recent years that this would be a great time to reassess the insurance coverage on your properties and discuss with your advisor whether your coverage is adequate .
Third on our to-do list as we meet is notification of major life changes .
Marriage , divorce , a new job or switching to working from home , the birth of a baby , acquiring high-priced items such as jewelry — all can create changes in the insurance needs of an individual .
A major part of the review process is the relationship building that occurs with each contact with your advisor . Insurance coverage gives you peace of mind , and that peace of mind and trust are enhanced as the relationship grows . Bundling of different types of policies , whether that be home or life , is often a result of that trust you have with your personal risk advisor . It is easier to deal with one person in one company rather that spreading it around .
If you feel it is time to review your current policies , you are invited to contact Anthony Dubbs to book an appointment .
Anthony Dubbs Personal Risk Advisor General Insurance Services , Inc . adubbs @ genins . com 219.809.2232 +
BY : ANTHONY DUBBS , PERSONAL RISK ADVISOR , GENERAL INSURANCE SERVICES
Anthony Dubbs began his insurance career in 2011 joining the team at GIS in January 2019 . He specializes in auto , home , umbrella , boats , motorcycles , and RV ’ s . Anthony grew up in La Porte , graduating from La Porte High School in 2005 . He currently resides in La Porte with his wife Morgan and sons , Graham and Landon . In his free time , he enjoys traveling with his family , golf , football , racing , baseball , and volunteering with the Boy and Girls Club of Michigan City .
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