Home Insurance Coverage and Endorsements FAQs

Buying your first home is stressful enough without having to deal with the complications of getting adequate home insurance coverage. And no matter how carefully you read the quotes, you probably still have questions about how to best insure your home and your valuables. A popular way to add coverage is to get high value home insurance, which usually includes endorsements in addition to basic home insurance coverage. What follows are some frequently asked questions about home insurance coverage and endorsements.

What exactly are endorsements?
Endorsements are coverage items that can be added to your homeowners insurance policy at an additional cost. Though the total of your home insurance cost increases with endorsements, so does your protection.

What kind of additional coverage can I get with endorsements?
There are a number of different scenarios you can protect yourself from with endorsements. For example, it can provide coverage against inflation, so the amount for which your home is insured rises in accordance with inflation and you aren't left with a gap in the event of a claim. There's guaranteed replacement cost coverage that covers the costs of replacing your home on the condition that you are current with your payments and have met all of your obligations in regards to the policy. You can also get scheduled personal property, which insures valuable items that exceed the limits of your regular policy, and includes protection against credit card forgery.

I'm concerned that my insurance won't be enough if I ever have to file a claim for severe storm damages. What should I do?
You can get an endorsement with extended replacement cost coverage, which extends the reconstruction value of your home by 25% if costs are exceeding the amount for which you're insured.

Can I insure credit cards with my homeowners policy?
You can insure yourself and the members of your household against credit card forgery and depositor's forgery. This means that in the event your credit card is lost, stolen, or used by an unauthorized person, your insurance covers the losses. Any check, draft, or promissory note that has been forged is also covered. This type of endorsement does not have a deductible.

What if I buy a second home?
You have a choice. You can either insure your second home separately, or you can get a secondary resident endorsement in your regular homeowners policy. In most cases, the second option is more cost-effective for homeowners, as well as more convenient since you will have all of your property insurance with the same company.

I don't feel that my regular homeowners insurance is enough for my art and coin collections. How can I get scheduled personal property coverage?
Your insurer will require a professional assessment of the total value of your collections, as well as documentation about each item. When the total value is agreed upon, your insurance carrier will draw up an endorsement for the determined amount. The additional home insurance cost will be added to your yearly or monthly premium.