We received such a positive response to our previous article detailing the medical related items needed in an emergency that we decided to follow it up with a second part: insurance documents needed in case of an unexpected life event. These events range from auto accidents, floods, storms, theft, and death of a loved one, just to name a few. After one of these situations, most people don’t possess their full mental faculty and may even be grieving. The last thing on their minds is dealing with an insurance company. Being prepared now and storing these documents in a safe and easily accessible location will greatly reduce time, headache, and possibly save you money. So, here are some of the most important insurance documents you will need.
- Homeowner’s/property insurance: Do you know where your policy is located right now? Have you ever tried to make a claim after a pipe flooded and ruined your electronics or carpet? Some insurance adjusters are better than others and more helpful. Make sure you know what is covered in your policy and what the insurance company is required to do. They will try to limit their exposure and knowing your rights and coverage limits will be critical.
- Photos/receipts of your tangible items: This is closely related to your homeowner’s and/or rental policy. Did you have a $3,000 turntable that was destroyed by a fire? How are you going to prove that it was worth that amount? The burden is on you. Again, an adjuster will have to make this determination. The more proof you have, the more likely you will get full reimbursement. If you don’t have a receipt(like me who usually loses them) make sure you take photos and store them in separate and safe location like your DocuVital account. It doesn’t do any good to have copies of your information in the same place you live-i.e-a flood or fire or storm can destroy it just the same. Redundancy of your information is critical, just like a computer engineer backs up her information in a separate cloud location.
- Rental insurance policy: See # 1 above. More and more people today, especially Millenials, do not own their homes but prefer the flexibility of renting. Even the same, you will need a rental policy to protect your personal belongings. Your landlord doesn’t cover your items in the event of damage.
- Life insurance policy: We cannot state how important it is to store this information in a safe place. If a loved one dies, you will be suffering extreme grief. However, your life will need to go on and you likely will need the financial support from the life insurance policy immediately. Bills don’t stop. Make sure you know where the policy is located, that it is paid and up to date, and that it has sufficient coverage to protect you. These are the basic items that we all should have stored in a secure location that is easily accessible anytime, from anywhere. Your DocuVital account can handle all of this for you. Taking these simple steps now will protect you and your family down the road.
