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Wednesday, January 22nd
Geico (The Government Employees Insurance Company) was founded in Fort Worth Texas back in 1936. They've become a household name, widely recognized because of their gecko and caveman commercials with memorable slogans like, "So easy a caveman can do it” or "15 minutes could save you 15% or more” or their latest, "GEICO: Real service. Real savings.” You can essentially get any type of insurance through Geico. Whether you need ATV insurance, condo/co-op insurance, flood insurance, earthquake insurance, cyber liability insurance, travel insurance, life insurance, home insurance, pet insurance, or even bicycle insurance, Geico has you covered. They have a long list of policy types you can explore to see what would best serve you.
Jump into a survey
When you visit the homeowners insurance page of Geico's website, you'll be directed to begin a survey of questions like your zip code, birth date, name, and address, and details about your home to see what type of coverage is in your area. They'll need to know when you want your coverage to start, when your home was built, when you purchased the house, if it's within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant, the construction type, and other questions that all go into your online quote. These details give Geico an idea of how big of a liability your home is, what safety features it has, and what it might cost to restore if something were to happen.
Varying quotes
Since everyone's home has such different features and was built in different years, has potentially had different claims in the past, has had varying upgrades over the years, and so many other factors, you can't predict what your quote will be like without going through the process of filling out your information. You also can't easily compare quotes with anyone else since no two homes are completely alike. When you complete the questions Geico provides, they show you quotes and also send them to your email that you can review again later.
Need to provide SSN
Unfortunately, the first time we went through the whole process to get a quote, Geico told us they weren't able to provide one at the time and we had to either call a listed phone number or start all over. We begrudgingly started over and finally was asked to provide a social security number at the very end. We really don't like that Geico asks for this. It seems like a really personal thing to hand over just to get a quote. They say they use it to pull information about your driving record, credit, and claims history to offer an appropriate rate. They do say that it will be kept confidential and will not be sold or redistributed.
Standard coverage and add-on options
In a standard policy, Geico will provide dwelling coverage, replacement of personal property, coverage protection for other structures, additional living expenses, medical expenses, and liability insurance. It's important to read through the fine print of all the terms to make sure that the coverage is adequate for your needs. Some common add-on options at Geico are identity theft protection, water backup, scheduled personal property coverage (jewelry, instruments, fine art, antiques), replacement coverage cost, and HOA loss assessment. If these pertain to you, they can be added to your policy for an additional charge.
Some discounts
Geico really pushes the idea that they help you save money beyond what you'll find through other companies. You'll have to compare with a few insurers, though, to decide if this is really the case. They offer discounts for things like bundling with auto insurance, having home security systems, fire safety features, and for people who are military and federal employees.
Less complaints with home insurance
Like most home insurance companies, Geico has its fair share of angry customers and also those who feel like their policies are affordable and simple to understand and utilize. We found that it seemed people who were most disgruntled with the company usually referenced auto insurance claims rather than homeowners insurance claims. Geico has an "A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and is generally well-respected and widely used. If you feel like you are offered a good deal here and make sure you take time to read through all the details of your policy and even talk through it with an agent, you should find that you're satisfied and know what you're signing up for.
Makes sense to bundle
If you already have auto insurance or some other type of insurance through Geico, it makes a lot of sense to look into a homeowners policy. This might be cost effective and it makes things easy to keep track of. From their website you can review your policy, file a claim, track a claim, and get information on how to contact a representative. Geico has a wide range of insurance types, which is nice, and they've been in the industry a long time, so they've earned a good rating from us.
No one wants to imagine their home getting overrun with water damage, enduring a natural disaster, having a fire destroy their property, or having to deal with theft, but it happens. Everyone should have homeowner's insurance for peace of mind and to be taken care of in case of an emergency or unfortunate occurrence. In fact, it's so important that you can't take out a mortgage anymore unless you can prove you have homeowner's insurance in place.
It makes sense that banks don't want to hand over a loan with the risk that something will happen to the property and render the owner unable to continue paying their mortgage. Since your home is such an important asset, you don't want to risk being responsible for thousands of dollars in costs if unexpected damage or destruction were to occur. Being uninsured in a time of crisis could result in total financial ruin.
Most people don't have enough cash in the bank to cover a major portion of or even the entire cost of their home. It's probably the last thing you want to spend your money on when you're already paying a monthly mortgage. Having good home insurance is the best way to stay financially protected and ensure that you always have what it takes to repair and maintain your house if something goes wrong.
If you're a new homeowner, it may seem a little overwhelming to find an insurance policy. Luckily there are lots of companies available these days for you to choose from. Companies have gotten better at using layman's terms and really spelling out all their policies for you, so that you know what you'll be paying monthly, what the policy covers, and how to make a claim if you need to. Usually a company will offer a few different price ranges you can choose from, depending on how much coverage you think you need, and you can easily compare them to decide what works best with your budget and covers the risks that most threaten your property and surrounding area.
We've done some of the heavy lifting for you here by going over the process different companies require for you to get quotes and reviewing what people have to say about their customer service and follow-through with claims. When it comes to a situation regarding insurance, you don't want to mess around. We can't overstate the importance of being able to rely on a company that's affordable and will hold your hand while you navigate stressful situations.
Since there are quite a few insurance companies to choose from that have different types of policies, keep the following things in mind when choosing who to go with:
Top Consumer Reviews has researched the most important things you'd need to know about choosing a home insurance plan. We hope this information helps you find peace of mind knowing that one of your most valuable assets is protected. We've tried to make things as easy as possible for you to feel confident in your decision about which home insurance company to go with.
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