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Home Insurance Discounts
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While there
is little you can do to change your home's location or basic
construction (the main factors that determine your insurance rates),
you can shave hundreds of dollars off your annual premium by taking
advantage of the many discounts that nearly every insurer offers.
Here are some typical
ways to get a break.
1.
Claim Insurance Discount
If your home has been free of claims
for the past three years or more, you could qualify for a discount.
This discount even applies if you previously insured your home with
another insurance company.
2.
Alarm and Security Discount
When you installed that burglar alarm
and those deadbolt locks, did you inform your insurance company? You
should: Such home-security measures can earn you discounts ranging
from 5% to 20%.
Your central alarm system could save
you hundreds on your annual premiums. Insurers will routinely give
you 15% to 20% off for a fire and burglar alarm system hooked up to
a third-party monitoring company.
3.
Supporting Auto Discount
Many companies give discounts of 5% to
15% off your homeowners policy if you combine it with your auto
policy. The only time it may be cheaper to keep them separate is if
your driving record has a recent blemish on it. You also may be able
to get a discount if you have a policy for your boat, a package of
riders, or an umbrella policy (which ups your liability coverage to
$1 million) with the same carrier.
4.
Adjustable Deductible Discount
If you already have homeowners
insurance, you probably have the standard deductible of $250, though
some deductibles go as low as $100. But if you're willing to take a
higher deductible, the savings can be substantial. By raising the
deductible to $1,000, you may save up to 23% off your base premium.
But you don't have to raise your deductible that high to realize
significant savings. Sometimes raising your deductible from $250 to
$500 brings your annual premium down 10%. If you're willing to go
from $500 to $1,000, you may save another 10%.
5.
Location Discount
If you live out in the boonies, be prepared to pay higher rates than
folks who live in town. That's because it's harder for the local
fire brigade to reach your home in an emergency. In most cases,
you'll be bumped to a higher rate class if you live more than five
miles from the nearest firehouse or more than 1,000 feet from the
nearest fire hydrant. If you're determined to live in the country,
don't count on finding a policy with a direct writer. Instead, work
with a local insurance agent to price-shop among small mutual
insurers that specialize in insuring dairy farms and rural homes.
6. Age of Home Discount
Just about every insurer gives a discount for new homes. But some insurance
companies offer up to 20% off on homes that are less than 10 years
old. Have you upgraded electrical, heating and plumbing systems in
that old house of yours? Those renovations might turn your old house
into a new one and qualify you for a 15% discount.
7. No Smoking Discount
A few insurers offer discounts to nonsmokers. Some may give a 4%
discount as long as no one in the home smokes.
8. Customer Loyalty Discount
As an incentive to stick with one carrier, some insurers offer
discounts to customers who stay with the company for several years.
Some insurance companies offer 5% off if you stay with the company
three to five years and 10% off if you stick around more than six
years.
9. Modern Maturity Discount
Reasoning that senior citizens are home more often and are better
able to protect their homes against fire and burglary, some
companies give substantial discounts to retirees. Some will give
homeowners 50 and over up to 20% off in some markets.
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