Three Essential Insurance Tips for New Homeowners
By Karie Long • 06/25/2025
Celebrating Homeownership Month: Embrace Your New Journey
June is National Homeownership Month, a time to celebrate the achievement of owning a home—a significant milestone in anyone's life. While buying a home can be an exciting venture filled with dreams of personalizing your space, it also brings with it important financial responsibilities, including understanding your insurance needs. For new homeowners, these can seem overwhelming, but we're here to help streamline the process with three key insurance tips to ensure your investment is well-protected.
Understand Escrow and Insurance Premiums
For many homeowners, insurance premiums are paid through an escrow account managed by their lender. This setup simplifies payment, ensuring your insurance is kept up to date without the need for individual monthly payments. However, it's common to receive a bill directly from your insurance provider. If this happens, rest easy knowing your lender is likely taking care of it. Nonetheless, always feel free to double-check with your lender if you have any questions regarding payment to avoid surprises.
Consider Additional Coverage
Standard homeowners insurance policies may not cover all potential risks. To ensure complete protection, it is wise to review your policy's liability coverage, and consider additional types such as umbrella insurance and flood insurance. Remember, flood insurance is rarely included in standard policies, so assess your risk level and add coverage if necessary. This proactive approach can protect your home from unforeseen events you might otherwise overlook.
Review Your Life Insurance Coverage
Becoming a homeowner is a cue to reassess your life insurance. If your new home is larger, you may need additional coverage to ensure that your mortgage can be fully covered in any unfortunate event. Conversely, if you've downsized, this might be an opportunity to adjust your policy, potentially reducing expenses to better fit your new financial situation. A review helps guarantee that your loved ones are safeguarded, regardless of changes in property value.
Understanding the ins and outs of home insurance is a vital step in protecting both your house and your financial future. Homeownership brings along plenty of adventures and responsibilities but knowing that you're securely covered is one less thing to worry about. For personalized guidance or a policy review, consider reaching out to a financial expert. After all, a safe home is a happy home.