The value of home insurance cannot be understated. For most people, a home is their single biggest investment or asset. Nearly everything one owns — clothes, electronics, important documents and much more — dwells inside the home, and home insurance provides a way to safeguard them from a worst-case scenario.
Climate change is also elevating the need for home insurance, as more areas around the world are experiencing increasing risk exposure from floods, wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Despite all of the various reasons to have home insurance, some insureds do not have it — and it’s not their fault. In some instances, the home insurance company has chosen to drop or not renew an insured’s policy. According to Realtor.com, “circumstances like not paying your premiums, violating the terms of the policy, or committing fraud will obviously jeopardize your coverage, but your company can also drop coverage if it believes you and your property are too risky to insure. In these cases, an insurer may cancel, and you could have a hard time finding another company to protect your property.”
This might alarm some insureds, but there is no need to panic. According to United Policyholders, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to be a trustworthy and useful information resource and effective voice for all consumers of all types of insurance in all 50 states, rather than being angry or scared, be proactive.
With this in mind, read up on their five tips on what you should do if you’ve been dropped by your home insurer. [NOTE: Use above link to view slideshow. Site requires free registration to view content.]