Insurance Coverage & Claims
Close coverage gaps for theft and sewer backups, and know the pros and cons of OEM parts. Choose the right policies, add key protections, and avoid insurer cost-cutting tactics that hurt you.
Protect Yourself From Motor Vehicle Theft That Happens More Often in the Warm Summer Months
A motor vehicle is stolen every 40.9 seconds somewhere in the United States, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That's nearly 775,000 vehicles for a combined value of about $6 billion. NHTSA trend data also shows that vehicle thefts are most common in the warm summer months. Know what to do to prevent vehicle theft and what to do if yours is stolen.
A Sewer Backup Endorsement to Your Homeowners or Renters Insurance Can Save You Money Later
Most people don't know that insurance often doesn't cover you if something causes sewage to back up into your home. Damages from these types of incidents can add up to many tens of thousands of dollars quickly and make your home a HAZMAT site. But an optional sewer backup endorsement from your insurance company can save you a lot of money later. Without one, you can end up footing the whole bill.
Don't Let Your Auto Insurance Company Steer You From Genuine Parts & Glass to Aftermarket
The last time your car needed body work or a new windshield, did you get Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) parts or aftermarket parts? If you're like most people, you don't really know. Most people think that the parts they get are the ones that were originally on the car. But that's not always so. You should know what kind of parts are going on your car and should choose OEM parts if you can.
Cheaper Auto Insurance Quotes Don't Always Translate Into Below Average Insurance Coverage
Getting a cheap auto insurance quote feels great. Who doesn't like to save money, after all? There are ways to get the cheapest auto insurance quotes possible while still maintaining good insurance coverage. So whether you are looking for a cheaper full coverage policy or trying to go from full coverage to liability only, make sure you are taking advantage of every discount and money-saving trick.
Your Auto Insurance Premium Changes Based Upon Insurance Points Each Time You File a Claim
Filing a claim with your auto insurance company will usually leave you paying higher premiums for a few years, especially if there was a lot of damage. But how much more money will you end up paying? Filing an insurance claim might not be so bad on your wallet depending upon your insurance company, insurance discounts, the amount of the claim, and the number of insurance points you've accumulated.
Credit Card Rental Car Insurance Can Pick Up Where Traditional Auto Insurance Coverage Ends
Credit cards typically offer some nice perks to get you to sign up, like cash back offers and other rewards. But you might not know that many credit cards offer some form of free rental car insurance as long as you use that particular credit card to pay for the rental. Before you rent your next car, check out the different options from your credit cards to see if you can better protect yourself.
Not Responsible for Windshields is a Common Tactic for Truckers to Avoid Insurance Claims
You've seen the signs on the back of nearly every dump truck moving down the highway that the trucking company is not responsible for broken windshields. It's a scare tactic the companies often use to frighten you into not filing an insurance claim against them for your broken windshield. But in North Carolina, you can file a claim for damages caused when something falls from one of these trucks.
The Auto Loan You Finally Choose Can Cause Your Insurance Premiums to Increase Unexpectedly
Are you buying a new car? We often think about how a vehicle's age and options affects our auto insurance rates. But we never think about how the loan will affect our premiums. Having a loan will certainly mean you will have to maintain some collision coverage. But some loans require much more than that state's minimum insurance coverage limits and could end up costing you much more than expected.
Do These Things to Make Getting Fair Insurance Settlements After a Natural Disaster Easier
No matter how much we prepare for the next big storm, recovery is never an easy process. So in order to make working with your insurance company and recovering from a natural disaster a little bit easier, you should make sure to do these key things now. If you wait too long, don't keep good records, or don't even know what your insurance policy covers, you can find yourself under even more stress.
What to Do if Your Doctor or Healthcare Provider Is Not in Your Health Insurer's Network
Have you gone to see your doctor only to find our that your health insurance company doesn't consider the provider in-network anymore? It happens more often than you would think, especially in January when insurance plans change. You're ultimately responsible for your doctor's charges, but there are a few things you can do to keep costs down and prevent medical expenses from affecting your credit.
Seven Key Things You Need to Know About Your Home Insurance Policy Before Disaster Strikes
Looking over your homeowners insurance policy can be challenging and confusing. But with more insurance companies inserting provisions to shift risk and costs to homeowners, a careful read is more important than ever! You don't want to find out that your policy doesn't cover certain types of damage when you call to make a claim. So here are seven things you should know now about your policy.
You May Be Able to Drop Full Coverage Auto Insurance and Have Liability Only to Save Money
Do you want to save money on car insurance? You can save money by dropping full coverage and having comprehensive or liability coverage only. But changing your insurance without doing your homework is risky. Even if your car isn't worth much, there may be good reasons why you need more coverage. But if you don't need full coverage, check to see how much money you can save by reducing your coverage.
Your Credit History and Your Credit Score Can Raise or Lower Your Auto Insurance Premiums
Your credit history affects the price you pay for new credit, such as mortgages, car loans and credit cards. But your credit history may also affect the price you pay for car insurance with insurance companies, which can cut into your budget. So unless you live in California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts where the practice has been banned, you should know how your credit can affect your premiums.
You Can Save Serious Money on Your Home Insurance Quote With Hidden Home Insurance Credits
If you had a way to save money on your next home insurance quote, would you take advantage of it or let it go to waste? You would use it, of course, to save as much money as possible! There are a few hidden and lesser-known home insurance credits that can save you a lot of money on your insurance bill. Take a look at them and see if you qualify. You could find yourself saving hundreds of dollars.
Know the Basics of Auto Insurance Coverage and the Minimum Requirements in North Carolina
What do you know about maintaining the right amount of auto insurance in North Carolina? If you're like most people, you set it and forget it. That might be perfectly fine, but you should get in the habit of checking your coverage limits and adjust them accordingly. Even if you have the minimum auto insurance coverage to be legal in North Carolina, you might not be carrying enough to be protected.
What Does It Mean to Total Your Car and How Does the Insurance Company Make That Decision?
When it comes to crashes, you often hear that a vehicle was declared a total loss by the auto insurance company. Many people believe that a total loss declaration relates to the amount of damage or the severity of the crash. But vehicles can be declared a total loss as a result of both a major collision or even something as insignificant as a minor dent or ding. It's all about the vehicle's value.