Money, taxes and insurance · 10 guides
Property & Casualty Insurance: problems and fixes, explained by Aaron
Aaron Husman is the only property & casualty insurance member of BNI Preston Center. These guides are written for a Dallas–Fort Worth reader who has the problem right now: what is happening, what to check, when to call, and what it costs.
- Workers' comp is optional in Texas: what opting out really means for an employer Texas lets most private employers decide for themselves whether to carry workers' compensation. That freedom comes with filings, notices and lawsuit exposure every owner should understand first. The answer for most private employersWhy Texas works differently from other statesWhat a workers' comp policy actually doesWhat going without coverage means
- What a classic or collector car costs to insure in Texas, and what moves the price There is no flat price for insuring a classic car. The premium follows the value you agree on, how you use and store the car, and who drives it, and several of those are in your hands. The short answer on priceWhy a standard auto policy is the wrong starting pointAgreed value, stated value and actual cash value side by sideThe factors a carrier looks at before it quotes
- The once-a-year insurance review: what to check on home, auto and everything else Policies drift out of date quietly. One hour a year with your declarations pages and this checklist catches most of the gaps before a claim does. What a yearly review should coverPick a date and pull three documentsThe house: coverage amounts, roof and deductiblesThe cars and the people who drive them
- Home and auto are covered, so why would you need an umbrella policy? Your home and auto policies each stop paying at a limit. An umbrella picks up where they stop, and for many households the question is not whether they need one but how much. Who usually needs oneHow an umbrella sits on top of everything elseSigns your current limits are too thinWhat the umbrella pays for, and what it leaves out
- Does your homeowners policy really cover the jewelry, watches and art in the house? Most homeowners policies cover valuables only up to low limits, often with gaps for loss and appreciation. Here are the myths that leave collectors underinsured and how to fix them. Covered, but probably not the way you thinkMyth one: the policy covers my jewelry at full valueMyth two: if I lose it, I am coveredMyth three: I will be paid what it costs to replace today
- Damage at the house: when to file a home insurance claim and when to pay it yourself Not every repair belongs on your homeowners policy. Here is how to weigh the deductible, your claim history and the size of the damage before you pick up the phone. A simple rule to start withDo the deductible math firstHow claims follow you in TexasWhen filing is almost always the right call
- Closing on a house: getting homeowners insurance bound before the lender funds Your lender will not fund the loan until the house is insured. Here is when to start, what to send your agent, and the issues that can stall coverage in the last week. Start the week you go under contractWhy the lender cares so muchWhat to send your agent, and whenThings that can stall coverage in the final week
- Business owner's policy or separate policies: what a small Texas business actually needs A business owner's policy bundles the core coverages many small businesses need. Whether it fits yours depends on what you own, what you do and what the bundle leaves out. Which one fits most small businessesWhat each option actually containsWhen the bundle is the better buyWhen separate policies make more sense
- Before you switch home and auto insurance: the questions that reveal a good agent A lower quote is easy to find. Knowing whether the agent behind it will set up the right coverage and help you at claim time takes a few direct questions. Six questions answer most of itFirst find out who the agent actually representsQuestions about the license and the agencyQuestions that expose the real differences between quotes
- Your homeowners renewal just jumped: what to do before you pay it A renewal notice with a bigger number is not a bill you have to accept. Here is how to read it, what actually moved the price, and what a proper reshop looks like. The envelope that arrives thirty days before renewalWhy the price moved when nothing at your house didWhat to look at on your own before you call anyoneWhen letting it renew is actually the right call