What You Need to Know Before Buying Homeowners Insurance in Chicago
There’s no place on earth like the Windy City, which is why Chicago, IL has quickly become the third largest city in the United States-and growing. Filled with a diverse blend of races, cultures, languages and artistic temperaments, walking down the streets of Chicago is a taste in International flair all its own. If you’re a resident of Chicago, congratulations. You’re in one of the most spectacular cities in the continental 50. Now, don’t forget to buy your homeowners insurance policy.
What does homeowners insurance have to do with living in Chicago? Quite a bit, actually. In a city full of people you’ve got theft and vandalism. In a place near the east coast and up in the northern part of the states you’ve got snow and the backlash of hurricanes and tornadoes. Then you’ve got your average collection of slips, trips, bumps, falls and accidental kitchen fires from fajitas gone terribly, terribly wrong.
While homeowners insurance might not be mandatory to live in Chicago the way that a good auto insurance policy is (don’t let the cops catch you on the streets of Chicago without liability and uninsured motorist insurance-they’ll slap you with a fine before you can blink twice), it’s still an essential part of being a responsible homeowner. Here’s a look at what you need to know about buying homeowners insurance in Chicago.
1) First and foremost, shop around. You never know what kind of deals and discounts on your homeowners insurance are out there hiding, just waiting for you, and you don’t want to miss them because you’ve suddenly decided to be short sighted.
2) It doesn’t matter what decade we live in, insurance scams are still going strong. Before you sign on the dotted line with any insurance provider, but especially with an independent agent, and long before you hand over the check, take the time to use the Illinois Department of Insurance’s Insurer Producer History. They’ll give you a quick peek at the reputation and, more importantly, credentials of Chicago’s licensed insurance dealers. Don’t see your dealer’s name on there? Don’t listen to his explanations of slow paperwork and “pending approvals”. Take your checkbook and get out while you still can!
3) Once you’ve found a Chicago homeowners insurance provider that can offer you a good rate and whose credentials check out, it’s time to get started on the dirty work. One word-discounts. The biggest savings you’re going to find on your homeowners insurance premiums are going to come in the form of discounts, so don’t let a pushy sales agent in a hurry to close the deal rush you along. Ask them what discounts are available for your age, your place of employment (particularly if you work from home), your home’s safety and security features, your community features and anything else you can think of.
4) When you’ve closed the deal and you’re holding a copy of your homeowners insurance policy in your hand, take the time to read through it step by step-and make your agent take it out of insurance-ese and translate it into English for you if you need them to. Remember, a good homeowners insurance policy doesn’t do you any good if you don’t know what’s on it, and it does you even less good if you don’t realize something’s lacking until it’s too late-and you’re left holding the bill.
Anthony M. Peck is the Senior Developer, Software Project Manager, and Director of Business Development for QuoteScout.com. For more information on buying homeowners insurance, please visit them on the web at http://www.QuoteScout.com.