Home Inventory For Insurance Purposes
Home Inventory For Insurance Purposes
Nomoredeductibles.com recommends you inventory all the items in your home and the home itself once a year. We have found the best time to do this is right after the holidays. The house is clean and well decorated, and a lot of the items from the attic are already out on display. The fastest way to inventory your home is with video. Walk from room to room recording each room; open drawers and closets, as you record your items talk in to the video about when you bought the bigger and more expensive items and what you paid for them. Video your jewelry and silver service. If you can record the serial numbers and model numbers of your items, this will help verify exactly which model of the item you had for the insurance adjuster. If you are the victim of a burglary, the police can verify these items are yours if they are recovered. Once your inventory is completed, we recommend making a copy of the video, or burn it to a cd or dvd, and keep a copy off site. Keep it at the office, at a parent’s home, a safe deposit box, anywhere where it can’t inadvertently be thrown away, or lost in a fire at your own home. After the inventory is completed, verify that the coverage on your homeowner, renter, or condo insurance policy has enough coverage to replace all of your items. When you inventory the inside of the home, take pictures or video the outside of the home as well to document the condition and features of the home. One idea I heard about to protect your jewelry is to hide them in a pot in the kitchen cabinets. I was told by a jeweler that many burglars are now using metal detectors to find hidden metal items in peoples drawers and or mattresses. The kitchen has too many metal items for a metal detector to work efficiently. Unfortunately no one is completely safe from a thief. The truth is that if a thief really wants an item you have, they will find a way to take it. Our best advice is to insure the items and know they can be replaced. You can download a free home inventory from www.nomoredeductibles.com. While you are there, take a look at how you can get rid of your auto, homeowners, and health insurance deductibles!
Source: www.ArticlePros.com
Insurance Appraisal Process A Policyholder s Best Chance to Resolve an Insurance Claim Dispute
Many homeowners and business owners find themselves disagreeing with their insurance company’s analysis of their insurance claim However, most are unaware that they can dispute the insurance company’s findings via the insurance appraisal process! Even though the policyholder (you) submits a contractor’s estimate, receipts for repairs or materials, or even photos showing damages that the insurance company did not include for repairs they still won’t budge . .Most policyholders are unaware of how to dispute and resolve their claim with the insurance company Policyholders have a choice and a voice within their policy for this very purpose It’s called The Appraisal Clause - also know as The Appraisal Provision Now, don’t let this scare you It may seem like a fancy clause that would take a law degree to understand However, a simple way to understand it is that it’s the insurance industry’s version of arbitration Although similar, the Appraisal Process is NOT an arbitration or mediation and the umpire is not an arbitrator, mediator, or judge Insurance Appraisal, Mediation, and Arbitration are separate things . .In short; Arbitration requires attorneys and a legal process, where Insurance Appraisal does not require attorneys or a legal process Arbitration is a dispute between two parties for any reason, where as, the Insurance Appraisal Process is a dispute between the “value or cost,” to repair or replace property only - bee it an automobile, plane, train, couch, house, commercial building, etc . .Most Policies Have the Appraisal Clause . .If you feel you’re at a dead end with your insurance company and want to resolve your claim you’ll need to check your policy for the Appraisal Clause Most policies will have the provision listed under the “What to do after a loss,” section or the “Conditions” section of the policy Below, you will find a sample of a typical Insurance Appraisal Clause included in most policies Keep in mind that policies can be different in each state Therefore, you should read your own policy to see if this clause exists It will say something similar to the following ; . . . “APPRAISAL - If you and we fail to agree on the amount of loss, either one can demand that the amount of the loss be set by appraisal If either makes a written demand for appraisal, each shall select a competent, independent appraiser Each shall notify the other of the appraiser’s identity within 20 days of receipt of the written demand The two appraisers shall then select a competent, impartial umpire If the two appraisers are unable to agree upon an umpire within 15 days, you or we can ask a judge of a court of record in the state where the residence premises is located to select an umpire The appraisers shall then set the amount of the loss If the appraisers fail to agree within a reasonable time, they shall submit their differences to the umpire Written agreement signed by any two of these three shall set the amount of the loss ” . . .OK, But How Does the Insurance Appraisal Process Work? . .The Appraisal Process allows the policyholder (you) to hire an independent appraiser to determine the value of their damages In turn, the insurance company will also hire their own independent appraiser The two appraisers will then get together and select an umpire The umpire is basically the arbitrator, or what you might call the judge If a disagreement between the two appraisers arises, they can present their differences to the umpire who will make a ruling . .OK; so far so good, the basics of the insurance appraisal process are beginning to come together We have an independent appraiser for the policyholder We have an independent appraiser for the insurance company Finally, there is an Umpire These three individuals are known as The Appraisal Panel The object of the Appraisal Panel is to set or determine The Amount of Loss The Amount of Loss is the total dollar amount needed to return the damaged property back to its original condition, either by repair or replacement . .Once the Appraisal Panel is set, the policyholder’s chosen appraiser and the insurance company’s chosen appraiser will review the documents, estimates, and differences between them The two independent appraisers will try to discuss and resolve the differences in damage and in cost For example; the insurance company may determine that brick on a home does not need to be replaced Where as, the contractor or appraiser for the policyholder says that it does have to be replaced The two appraisers will discuss their reasons for their position and try to come to an agreement, first if it should be repaired or replaced, and secondly the cost to return the brick back to it’s original condition prior to the loss . .One benefit of the Insurance Appraisal Process is that the two independent appraisers have not been subject to the bickering and anger between the policyholder and the insurance company Basically, it’s the hope that cooler heads will prevail All the appraisers really have is the amount of the damage and the difference between the two estimate numbers They do not have the previous baggage or anger that led up to the Appraisal The process was designed so that these two individuals, who have no interest in the outcome, could discuss a settlement based on the facts presented to them . .Sometimes issues arrive where the two independent appraisers can’t agree on certain items In this event, the two appraisers will submit their differences to the chosen umpire The three will discuss the issues and try to reach an agreed settlement of the differences As stated above; the settlement or final number is called The Amount of Loss The final amount is known as the Appraisal Award The Award is signed by the individuals who agree on The Amount of Loss However, only TWO of the three individuals need to agree (An agreement between the two independent appraisers, or the umpire and either appraiser) Once any TWO of the three individuals on the Appraisal Panel sign the award the dispute is over! The amount on the Award binding and is paid by the insurance company, to the policyholder . .Can I Use An Insurance Attorney To Dispute My Claim? . .The Appraisal Clause was initiated to lower the number of lawsuits filed against insurance companies The courts found that many lawsuits were entering the legal system where the cost to repair or replaced damaged property was being disputed In many cases the suites were being resolved when professional engineers and contractors could address the issues The Appraisal Process was created to get such individuals together and keep these disputes out of the courtroom Assuming you acquired an estimate of repair to your property for $100,000, from a contractor or insurance claims expert Your insurance company has created an estimate for $30,000 This would be a clear dispute between the amounts of damage This type of dispute is exactly what the Appraisal Clause was developed to resolve .
Source: www.rsstnx.com
Wedding Insurance Get This Valuable Protection
The bride and groom are so excited They have put so much into the planning of their wedding: Their hearts, money, and months of their precious time Of course, brides are squarely focused on their special day- not on what could go wrong They have made every effort to ensure the perfect day, but what about all the things that are not in their control? Suppose someone gets ill, a hurricane sets in, or a vendor goes bankrupt Wedding insurance can protect your wedding day and give you the peace of mind that everything is covered . .What does wedding insurance do for you? Wedding insurance is designed specifically to protect the consumer by offering financial protection if certain unfortunate, unforeseen events should occur during the period leading up to and including the wedding day It provides protection for vendor deposits, wedding gown loss or damage, photography problems, and much more Specifically, you can get repair or replacement cost on the gown or tuxedo lost or damaged You can get your deposit refunded if a vendor declares bankruptcy or simply does not show up If severe weather (hurricane) causes you’re wedding to be postponed, you can get your non-refundable deposits reimbursed If your photographs are defective, you can get reimbursed to reconvene the wedding party to take new photos Wedding insurance also provides the ability to purchase additional liability and property damage from claims arising out of the wedding itself to protect the couple . .So, are you still asking yourself why should I purchase wedding insurance? According to a 2009 survey by Conde Nast, the average cost for a wedding in the United States is $28,082 You would get insurance to protect your car, wouldn’t you? Why not protect the investment you have in your wedding? . .As the economy worsens, wedding claims continue to increase Companies are going out of business causing many couples to lose their deposit According to Travelers Insurance, about 40 percent of their claims come from issues with caterers, photographers, and other vendors Additionally, they state that the most common issues were that vendors failed to show up on the wedding day, suddenly went out of business, or experienced some type of financial setback It typically will not cover loss due to a “change of heart ” . .The best part is that these policies are very affordable They can be bought for as little as $190 They are specifically tailored to the needs of the bride and groom And, they work well for large and small events So, unless you can afford to fund the same event twice, you may want to consider this valuable protection .
Source: www.rsstnx.com
