Your “to-do” list just keeps growing this time of year. Problem is, some things – like protecting yourself – are easy to overlook. But the two quickest ways to ruin your family’s holiday cheer are burglary and accidental damage, often to the tune of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars during the holiday season.
Protect the Presents!
The easiest way to make sure your gifts are covered, at least the ones that you wrap up and tuck under the tree or exchange by candlelight in the days leading up to the new year, is to have “content insurance.” This is insurance not just on your home itself, but on the contents of your home. Essentially, it treats your home as a sort of box, with your belongings as whatever happens to be rattling around inside when the box is shaken.
Of course, making sure you’re properly covered for the contents of your home can be tricky, especially during the holidays, so make sure that you have the following items tucked away safely:
- Any appraisal documents for jewelry, art and other “traditional” valuables
- Receipts for everything purchased for the holidays, and photo copies of those receipts (thermal tape fades with time)
- Credit card or bank statements to corroborate the amount and date of the purchases on your receipts
- The boxes and containers that your most valuable possessions were purchased in
If your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance doesn’t already offer this, talk to your agent about signing on before you start setting out gifts. Investopedia recommends performing a proper valuation of your belongings to avoid overpaying on premiums for insurance that doesn’t cover the full value of your contents. Find out what you need to make sure that both your presents and precious belongings are protected this holidchrisay season.
Keep Your House Safe
The Thanksgiving holiday is victim of more fires than any other day of the year, as much as 200% over the national daily average. The winter holidays come up close behind, thanks to a few common mistakes—sometimes brought on by years of tradition. Winter, however, brings a plethora of other possible damages to your home, meaning it’s integral that you go over your policy as you head for the new year.
According to US News, there are multiple common accidents and causes during the winter holidays:
- House fires caused by candles, space heaters, cooking dishes left unattended, and more
- Slip and fall accidents caused by drinking during holiday festivities, as well as snow and ice
- Electrical outages, wiring and circuit damage, usually caused by a combination of lights and heating
While it’s easy enough to take the necessary steps to keep your house safe on your own, homeowner’s and renter’s insurance can offer you peace of mind that even if something does go wrong, you’ll be covered for the damages.
Always Be Safe
This holiday season, make sure you’re covered for whatever life might throw at you. Keep the new year bright by reviewing, updating and even changing your policy to more closely suit your needs. Remember that your life is always changing – your insurance should keep up.