The holidays were good to you this year. You gave gifts that made your friends and family genuinely happy, and you received beautiful treasures from the ones you love.
Your spouse went above and beyond, spending a lot of money on a special item. You love it and can’t wait to show it off and use it. It’s the gift of a lifetime.
Whether it’s an antique, an expensive piece of jewelry, or the latest in surround-sound equipment for your home, you’re going to want to protect your new and very valuable gift. There’s a good chance you don’t have enough insurance to replace it if it the worst happens.
HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE ISN’T ENOUGH
If you’re counting on your standard Charlotte homeowner’s insurance policy to cover that new ring or the gigantic TV if it’s damaged, think again. Most policies only cover your personal possessions up to a certain dollar amount, typically $1000 or $2000. If your gift is worth more, you’ll have to pay out of pocket if it’s lost or stolen.
Maybe you’ve received other valuable items in the past and have increased your insurance limits to cover them. You’re still going to need to talk to your insurance agent about this new gift you’ve received to make sure you’re adequately covered.
Here are some items you may need to have insured separately:
- Jewelry
- Silverware, china, or crystal
- Antiques
- Art
- Cameras
- Computers
- TVs and sound equipment
- Sports equipment
- Guns
- Furs
- Pedigreed dogs
INSURING YOUR VALUABLES
The best option for your valuables is to itemize them for your insurance policy with a separate amount for each one, based on their appraised value and replacement cost. You may spend extra on your premium but it will still be much less than the cost to replace the irreplaceable.
To make sure your valuables are properly covered and there’s no question of how much they’re worth, take these steps:
- Make a copy of the purchase receipt.
- Take a picture of the item.
- Have it appraised and get a copy of the report provided by the appraisal.
- Contact your insurance agent and send them copies of receipt, photo, and appraisal.
- Keep copies of those same documents somewhere safe – a safe deposit box or in your home filing system.
If the worst happens, you’ll have proof of the value of your item to make your claim move quicker and easier.
If the holidays were good to you this year and you have a new valuable gift, contact us at Charlotte Insurance today so we can make sure it’s insured properly so you can enjoy it with less worry.