It’s a fact: accidents happen. That’s why insurance exists. But whether or not it’s in your best interest to make an official claim with your insurance company is something we’d recommend you have a conversation with your broker about. That’s where claims counselling comes in to play.
Claims counselling is a complementary service provided by your aha insurance broker that will help you out in cases when you’re not sure if you should make a claim or not. Keep in mind, this applies more to incidents that can be described as minor, yet not too substantial.
An example of a ‘minor’ incident when it comes to car insurance could be something like windshield damage, or a scratch or ding on the body of your vehicle. A home insurance example could be storm damage to your property resulting in a cracked window.
It’s your choice whether or not you’d like to discuss your options, or if you’d like to go ahead and just make a claim—that’s fine too.
What’s important to keep in mind is that your insurance broker can do a lot more for you than provide you with the best rate when it comes to your insurance premiums. Your broker can also help you avoid making decisions that can potentially cause your future insurance costs to increase.
Understand what you’re covered for. A common question brokers hear when it’s time for customers to make a claim is “Am I covered for that?” Knowing what you’re actually covered for, and knowing how that insurance protection works is the typical place where your broker will start. This is often a good time to have an overall insurance review as well.
In addition to your coverage, knowing your deductible amounts, and understanding if they will apply to your situation is another fundamental detail. This too, is a part of your home and car insurance policy that should be reviewed regularly. For example, if you were initially comfortable with a deductible of $2,500.00 at the time when you set your policy up, you may not be as comfortable with that amount today as life changes.
Remember, your deductible is the amount you have to be comfortable with, and your insurance company will pay the difference over and above that to cover the cost of the repair.
At the end of the day, your broker will be there to help you, but know that the ultimate decision is yours. Your broker should not be making this decision for you.