As moving season ramps up and we start to have to rearrange our life for another few years at a new location, it’s a great time to review your insurance coverages. Are you renting at your new location or maybe planning to purchase a home? These simple questions will help you determine what type of coverages to shop for!

I know I’ve explained my insurance background before, but please know, I was once like you…not sure where to start and not sure what I needed to do!  I am no longer licensed in insurance, but I have 6 years of experience selling auto, home, and umbrella insurance policies. During my time as a licensed agent, I also obtained my Associate in Insurance through The Institutes and this is knowledge that I still utilize today! 

So, when deciding how to best protect yourself during your PCS (Permanent Change of Station) or even a TDY (Temporary Duty) assignment, we need to look at your current coverage! If you’re buying a home at your new duty station and don’t have any coverage currently, you may not be fully protected for your move. This is a great time to call your current carrier and review your contract. Often homeowners and renters policies will have some amount of coverage for a move or at a secondary location, but this is contract specific so your current agent or carrier is the best place to start. 

If you are renting at your duty station, you will want to obtain renters insurance. This type of policy will provide some type of coverage for your belongings, liability coverage, medical payments to others, and may have additional riders available for electronics and jewelry. This coverage is often very inexpensive and so important if you ever have to replace personal belongings. A lot of times people think they don’t need this coverage, but can you imagine having you rebuy everything you own all over again!?!? So, make sure to go over your needs with your agent to make sure you have what you need.

What if you are buying a house? First off, CONGRATULATIONS! This is such a fun experience! Homeowners insurance can feel quite overwhelming, but you want to make sure you’re properly protecting your investment. In general, this policy will cover the home itself, any other structures, personal belongings, liability, and medical payments to others. You will have to choose deductibles for covered losses as well. The lower the deductible the higher the premium so keep that in mind when setting up your emergency fund. There also maybe available riders that are state specific. This is also a great time to review contract types. Homeowners contracts vary GREATLY. I can’t emphasize this enough.

No matter if you are a homeowner or a renter, being protected in case of an issue is so important! This is just another bit of knowledge as you set out to protect yourself financially!

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