Hasting Mutual Insurance Co. issued the following announcement on May 20.
Protecting your possessions with some security essentials.
Despite the stereotype, insurance isn’t really that confusing. If something goes wrong at home or with your business or farm like a natural disaster or theft, that doesn’t mean it’s all over for you. Instead, the insurance that you pay for kicks in and helps you get back to work or keeps your family moving forward. The names for different kinds of insurance coverage are pretty straightforward, too; you probably have a good idea of what you’re getting with a Homeowners policy or Florist coverage… but what about Inland Marine?
A “marine” policy covers goods shipped by water, and an inland marine policy covers goods shipped by land (in other words, by truck or train). It’s an unusual name for something that’s pretty common.
Our inland marine insurance includes coverage for several different kinds of items, what we call “classes”:
- Farm Machinery
- Livestock
- Personal Articles
- Personal Computer
- Recreational Motor Vehicles
- Recreational Trailers
- Scheduled and Miscellaneous Property
What can you do to make sure your personal items are protected — beyond your Hastings Mutual insurance policy, I mean? Here are some ideas you can do to make your house, apartment, or condo a safe place to live.
Make sure your doors and windows are strong and have reinforced frames. Extra keys should be left with a neighbor or somewhere difficult to access from the outside — maybe a small lockbox. That way, a would-be thief would have to know the combination to the lockbox to get the key to get in the house... an extra step that might be the difference between a theft and safety.
Another option is to add lights, cameras, and alarm systems. Position them on entry points and vulnerable areas in the house to make it clear that the house is being protected.
Keep a record of your valuables. Get a photo of big-ticket items like TVs, computers, and furniture. Write down any serial numbers, when the item was purchased, and the make and model. This can be used to help track what was stolen.
You might already have some security measures in place in your house, but it may have been a while since you last reviewed them. Take some time now to check your locks, your security lights, and anything else you have to protect your home — like your Hastings Mutual Homeowners policy.
Original source can be found here.
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