How to Read Your Home and Auto Insurance Policies

Start with the declarations page

A policy can be long, but the declarations page offers a useful overview. It typically identifies the insured people or property, the effective dates, the coverage types and the limits and deductibles you selected. Check that names, addresses, vehicles and other listed details are correct. If a change is missing, contact your agency rather than assume it is covered.

Know the difference between a limit and a deductible

A limit is the most a policy may pay for a particular kind of covered loss, subject to its terms. A deductible is the amount you may pay toward certain claims before the insurer’s applicable payment. Home policies can have different deductibles for different perils; an auto policy may apply one deductible to collision and another to comprehensive coverage. Numbers that look similar on a summary can have very different effects after a claim.

Read what is covered—and what is not

Coverage sections describe the events and property addressed by the policy. Exclusions and conditions explain where protection ends or what you must do for coverage to apply. For a home policy, ask specifically about water damage, flooding, wind and hail rather than treating them as interchangeable. For an auto policy, ask how liability, damage to your car and uninsured motorist protection work. Coverage varies by policy and location.

Make the review personal

A new driver, a home renovation, a move, a new vehicle or expensive equipment can change your insurance needs. Keep your policy documents handy, make a list of what has changed and ask an agent to explain any terms that are unclear. A short review now can be more useful than trying to interpret the policy for the first time after a loss.

At Kiesling Insurance Agency, we help Texas customers talk through their current coverage and the questions worth asking next. Contact our team if you would like to review your policies.