Insurance and Finance

Is That Covered?

By Paula Phelps 4.6.15

When the detached garage belonging to one of Chris Cromer’s Texas Farm Bureau members burned to the ground, the member thought all of its contents were covered.

“He had a homeowners policy, and he thought his Harley-Davidson [motorcycle] was covered by that,” says Cromer, a Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent in Hunt County. But his client was in for a costly surprise.

“Any registered vehicle is not covered [by the homeowners policy] and needs to be on a separate auto policy,” Cromer says.

While a homeowners policy provides essential basic protection, it does have some limitations. Here are some other items not covered by your policy — and what you should do to make sure these items are protected.

Jewelry

Cromer says this is the most asked-about item when it comes to insurance policies. “Jewelry has limited coverage, so I always suggest a personal articles policy,” he says.

Firearms, Artwork, Musical Instruments, Furs, or Family Heirlooms

Like jewelry, these items have limited coverage under a homeowners policy and should be scheduled to be properly covered. Again, a personal articles policy will make sure they are covered, so talk to your agent about how to buy additional coverage for such items.

Boat or Personal Watercraft

While a boat may be covered while located on the residence premises, it is subject to the policy deductible. If it is away from the residence premises in transit or while on the water, you will need a separate watercraft policy to be covered.

To be safe, talk to your Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent about which items are — and aren’t — covered by your homeowners policy.

Coverage and discounts are subject to qualifications and policy terms and may vary by situation.

© 2015 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance