Keeping Your Insurance Costs Down
If your insurance premiums have risen in the past few years, it's time to get pro-active and see if you can't curb that climb!  Here are a few tips offered recently by insurance experts:
1.  Shop around.  Compare last year's premium to this year's; if there's more than a 5% increase, call your company for an explanation.  If your rate changed because your risk profile changed (drop in your credit score, etc.), you'll at least know the reason and be better informed when you compare premiums with other companies.
2.  Bundling may offer discounts.  Some insurance companies will offer you a lower premium if you place all your insurance with them - home, cars, recreational vehicles, etc.  Some insurers will give you a substantial discount if you have a security and fire alarm system which is monitored.  Storm shutters and a new roof often help, as well.

3.  Check the rates for different deductibles.  Be very careful, though, and ask how those deductibles are figured - many insurance companies are now using a percentage rather than a dollar discount.  In Louisiana, the deductible for wind damage can be substantial, and is normally figured as a percentage.

4.  Be sure you know what your home is worth.  An appraisal for market value of your home is not at all the same as an appraisal for insurance purposes; for insurance purposes, you need to know what the cost of replacing your home will be on a per-square-foot basis.

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