If you own a home, it's a good bet that you need homeowners insurance.
Most mortgages require it to protect their investment. However,
the choice of who insures your home belongs to you. The cheapest
plan isn't always the best one if your insurer is on rocky financial
ground or is unscrupulous. To be sure that you're getting the best
protection for your monthly premium, check out your insurance company's
ratings. They can be easily found online, or by checking with your
state insurance board. Look into the background of your homeowners
insurance company. You don't want to find out that they can't fill
your claim when your home has already been damaged. If you shop
smart and use ratings carefully, you can find a good homeowners
insurance provider to fulfill your insurance needs.
At JDPower, Weiss, and other sites, you can compare the ratings
of many different companies with the click of a mouse. They're
rated in categories like the overall experience customers have
working with them, their policy offerings, pricing and the ease
of contacting the insurer. A weak insurance company represents
a possibility for financial loss to its policyholders, in addition
to the headache of trying to get your claim fulfilled. Policyholders
with a failed insurer are often forced to scramble to get new insurance
from other carriers, often at much higher rates. If you have an
outstanding claim with a failed company, you might get stuck with
the bill yourself. The financial backing of your insurance company
is important to your ability to get a claim paid in a timely manner,
if at all.
In addition to your company's financial status, you'll also be
concerned about how it treats its customers. A company that's hard
to get hold of, doesn't pay premiums on time, and constantly questions
policyholders could be a nightmare to work with. You can find customer
opinions on various insurance companies at various sites on the
Internet, as well. Some companies combine financial information
and consumer ratings in their insurance company rating scheme.
Each home owners insurance company uses a slightly different method to rate insurance
providers, so be sure to keep this in mind when you go looking
for information on your insurer.
By checking on your insurance company's
rating and comparing it to other similar companies, you can be
sure to protect yourself in the event of a claim. There's nothing
worse than finding out that your insurance won't cover you when
the worst happens. Be sure to look into any homeowners insurer's
background and financial status before you sign a policy, so
you won't be left holding the bag. Many companies that look reputable
aren't on the best ground, so don't let the appearance of respectability
fool you. Looking at homeowners insurance company ratings is
the smart thing to do to protect your investment. Make sure that
you're not throwing money down the drain – check up on
your insurer.