What Should I Know Before Buying High Point, NC Renters Insurance For The First Time?

Only forty-four percent of Americans have renters insurance, so we often get questions like this one.  What should you know before buying High Point, NC renters insurance for the first time?  The policy forms are long, and can be a bit confusing, but there are a few things you should be aware of that will make the experience easier.  You can always call Effective Coverage and speak with an insurance expert for North Carolina renters, as well, and we’ll walk you through the entire process.

Replacement Cost Coverage

You need replacement cost coverage on your High Point, NC Renters Insurance.  There is no question here.  Replacement cost means that, in the event of a claim, you’ll get the amount of money you need to buy a new item of like kind and quality.  Actual cash value is what you get if you don’t have replacement cost coverage – that’s the depreciated value, and generally does not approach what you need to buy new items.

Fortunately, replacement cost is affordable.  Many North Carolina renters insurance providers offer it by default.  There are a few where that is not the case, so be careful when you’re shopping.

Roommates

If you’re married or unmarried but living together, you can often list both parties as named insureds.  That makes the policy belong to both equally, so be careful.  Relatives living with you are generally covered by the policy.  If you have roommates, or any other similar situation, you should each buy renters insurance in High Point individually.  In most cases, there is not an appropriate endorsement to add a roommate to a renters insurance policy in NC.  The good news is, you live in one of the most affordable states to buy renters insurance, so it’s not a significant burden.  It also means you don’t have to worry about splitting the bill, the coverage limits, or the claim check with your roommates, which is a positive thing across the board.

Renters Insurance Cost In High Point, NC

As noted above, High Point Renters Insurance is some of the most affordable in the country. You can often get a policy for as little as fifteen dollars a month.  The vast majority of people choose to pay for that policy in full for the year, because there are inevitably fees associated with billing it monthly.  Let’s face it, it’s just not worth paying a few bucks a bill on a total of $150 a year to break it up monthly.

Monthly payment plans are available if you need more coverage or your policy is otherwise more expensive, so if you fit into that situation, make sure to ask your renters insurance expert.  Effective Coverage offers options for a wide variety of situations, and you can find a policy that will meet your needs and your budget.

Renters Insurance Paperwork

Your High Point renters insurance will come with a standard application form.  That’s par for the course with any insurance policy.  It’s most likely that you’ll also receive an additional form that’s unique to NC.  This is called the Consent to Rate, and it’s a function of the way prices are regulated in the state.

In a nutshell, there is a cap on the price that can be charged for a particular risk profile.  If a carrier is not able to write a policy for that amount of money, they can charge more than that amount but you have to consent to it on that form.  You may in some cases see the form even if you’re below the cap, because it consents to rates for future renewals, as well.  This is a standard part of the process.  You’re not obligated to future renewals, and you can always shop around.

Your paperwork must be completed timely – some underwriters will cancel your policy flat if the forms don’t come back in a timely fashion.  It should take you about three minutes to complete the forms, so this is not a terrible burden on you.

Home Inventory

If you had to make a claim on your North Carolina Renters Insurance, would you remember everything you owned in a total loss situation?  No.  No one would.  That’s why it’s so important to make a home inventory.  You can use a cloud spreadsheet like Google Sheets, or you can just take pictures.  Either way, make sure to keep your home inventory off premises – if there’s a fire, the list won’t do you much good if it’s part of the loss.

As you acquire new property, add it to the spreadsheet and make sure you list the date purchased, where you bought it, and what you paid for it.  This doesn’t apply to every pair of socks, of course, but anything you’d want to itemize on a claim should be listed this way.  It’s not tedious, it’s not difficult, and it doesn’t take long.  A home inventory is the best way to simplify the claims process.  You can even scan receipts to a folder in the same cloud software if you like – that’s a good idea for high ticket items and electronics, especially since the receipt often will contain the serial number.  If not, you should probably add that to the sheet as well.

Endorsements

Endorsements add to or change the policy, and can add or restrict coverage.  In this case, we’re looking at endorsements that add coverage to your policy.  Water backup coverage protects you if there’s a backup or overflow of a sewer, sink, or drain.  Your personal property would be ruined by such an event, especially if you weren’t home at the time.  If it’s the fault of someone else further down a shared drain line, that’s an entirely possible scenario.  You’ll pay about a dollar or two per month for this valuable coverage, on average.

Identity fraud coverage protects you if someone steals your identity.  You get access to people who can help you get it back, as well as reimbursements for associated expenses.  This is another useful type of coverage to have, and it also averages about two dollars a month.

There are other ways that you can add coverage, such as for valuable items, and you should discuss those with your insurance expert.  Renters insurance in North Carolina can protect you in a wide variety of ways, and the best way to make sure you’re covered is to ask good questions about the specific types of risks you’re concerned about.  Those questions lead to conversations about other risks and help you to get the protection you deserve.  Just call (800)892-4308 or click to get covered - whether you need High Point renters insurance quotes online or coverage anywhere else!

Effective Coverage offers the nation's only completely mobile platform to quote and purchase renters insurance right from your phone or tablet in just one minute. Get an online renters insurance quote today and protect your family.

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