Selling your home can be an exciting time, especially if you are moving for a new opportunity, or upgrading to a larger home.  During a move, you will want to make sure that you are staying up to date with your insurance policy and the regulations that are in effect during this period.  If you are planning to live in your house until the closing date, your homeowner insurance policy should still be sufficient. 

However, if your home is for sale and you leave it vacant, this can pose some problems such as a higher probability of fire, theft, vandalism and other damages to your property.  Dwelling Fire policies may be your solution.  This type of insurance policy generally has liberal guidelines in regards to residency requirements.  In addition, they offer protection for your dwelling, other structures on your property and give you the flexibility to endorse additional coverage that you may need.   For more information about Dwelling Fire policies, please contact www.aisinsurance.com.

Many people confuse having a person removed from a policy and getting what is called an excluded driver endorsement.  When someone is removed from a policy it is usually because they have left the household and no longer have access to the policy vehicles.  An excluded driver endorsement is a little bit different.  When an individual gets this endorsement, they are telling their insurance company that in no way should this person be covered if there is damage to the vehicle.   This endorsement is available as a cost-saving measure to avoid having to pay for a household member who will not be driving the insured vehicle(s). 

Why would you need an excluded driver endorsement?  A policy owner may wish to apply this endorsement on a named driver because of some of the following issues related to the driver:

• They have a suspended license.
• They have a DUI conviction.
• They are problematic drivers.

Other than a driver with a problematic history in the home, a policy owner may wish to exclude all drivers other than the primary driver(s) to reduce their premium.  While this may save the policy owner money, they will have to consider that if there is an emergency need for the car and the policy holder is not able to drive, and the excluded driver has to do so, they still will not be covered in the event of an accident.

For more information please see www.aisinsurance.com.

In many cases, when someone buys a vehicle, they will leave it as is.  But, for those who do customize their car, or buy one that has already been modified,  they need added protection for their investments into the vehicle.  Aftermarket parts for cars are becoming more popular, especially in the electronics department.  When people travel long distances, they like to have entertainment along the way.  For example, a custom stereo system with built in TV’s in the headrests so that everyone has some additional entertainment during their ride.  Systems such as these typically cost at minimum $1000 up to several thousand of dollars.

When you purchase comprehension or collision coverage, up to $1000 of added parts to your vehicle is sometimes  covered by the standard policy.  Anything above $1000 is generally not covered, and coverage for some items is specifically excluded.  So if you plan to add parts or features to your car, you should consider adding special equipment coverage if you want to recover the cost should you be involved in an accident or there is a theft.  If you don’t add this special coverage and your car is totaled, you will not be reimbursed for the added equipment.

Below is list of items that can often be covered under special equipment coverage:

• Custom paint work.
• Anti-theft systems not installed by the vehicle manufacturer.
• Special tires and wheels.
• Custom interior modifications (leather seats or racing seats, not installed by the auto manufacturer.
• TV’s, radios and other electronic devices that are permanently installed in the vehicle.

Here is a list of items that typically will not be covered under special equipment coverage:

• Radar detectors.
• TV’s, radios and other electronics that are not permanently installed in the vehicle.
• CD’s, tapes and the cases that are used as storage.

For more information about special equipment coverage please contact and AIS representative today or see www.aisinsurance.com.