The Most Common Insurance Mistakes We See (And How to Avoid Them)

We're not here to make anyone feel bad. But after decades in this business between us, we've seen the same mistakes cost people thousands of dollars — and every single one was avoidable.

Someone misses a payment. Doesn't think much of it. Two weeks later, a tree falls on their car. No coverage. They call us in a panic, but there's nothing we can do — the policy wasn't active.

Even a one-day lapse can be a disaster. And once you've lapsed, your next policy is going to cost more because carriers see you as a higher risk.

You built a deck. Added a garage. Finished the basement. Bought a four-wheeler. Your kid got married and moved out — but they're still listed on your auto policy, and the one who moved in with you isn't.

Your policy is a snapshot of your life when you bought it. If your life changed and your policy didn't, you're either overpaying or underinsured. Sometimes both.

We talked about this in an earlier post, but it's worth saying again: the coverage you drop is always the coverage you end up needing. Every. Time.

Equipment breakdown, rental car reimbursement, comprehensive on an older vehicle — people drop these to save a few bucks and then spend thousands when something goes wrong.

Most people have never actually looked at their dec page. They signed up, got a price they liked, and filed the paperwork in a drawer. They have no idea what their deductibles are, what their limits are, or what's not covered.

Your dec page is two pages long. It takes five minutes to read. It could save you from a very expensive surprise.

"Full coverage" isn't a real insurance term. It's what people say when they have liability, comprehensive, and collision. It doesn't mean you have rental car coverage, gap coverage, umbrella protection, or any of the other things that could matter when something goes wrong.

If you say "I have full coverage" and you've never read your dec page, you might want to sit down before you do.

Every one of these mistakes is fixable — usually in one phone call.

Not sure if any of these apply to you? Give us a call at our Elkins or Buckhannon office. We'll pull up your policy and walk through it together. Five minutes now can save you a lot of pain later.

*This is general information, not specific advice for your situation. Every policy is different.*