In an interview with TheStreet, Greg Isaacs, the president of Coverhound Insurance Solutions, dropped a bombshell by pointing out that most Americans' homeowners insurance had major holes that could cost them absolutely everything in the face of a disaster.
One of the biggest holes, he argues, isn't a gap like you'd expect, but rather, a limit. "You need proper valuation on the replacement cost of your house," he says. Otherwise, in the event that lightning or a fire strikes down your entire house, you might not have enough coverage to buy a new home. Isaacs says that part of the problem is that, while your policy's coverage may have been plenty when you first bought the house, building costs have rapidly risen, and your insurance hasn't caught up with them.
One way to address this gap is a replacement cost evaluation. The evaluation generally takes the form of an interview with an agent where you'll answer a broad set of questions about your home and its various features. "A customer should never buy less coverage than they think is adequate," advises Isaacs, adding that "You might even be able to get between 25 and 100% in additional coverage for things like a hotel stay while you're rebuilding."
Another gap worth investigating is flood and earthquake insurance. While many homeowners possess one or both of these kinds of policies, Isaacs claims that they often won't provide significant coverage. Enough for the bank, he says, but not enough to cover the whole property.
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