September preparedness: Update your home, auto, and life insurance for life changes

Remain prepared for disasters by revisiting your insurance

September is National Preparedness Month. This initiative focuses on helping individuals and families prepare for disasters and emergencies. Home insurance is a particularly important element of preparedness, as the right policy can help cover costly repairs and other losses.

Even if you’ve already secured a robust insurance policy, changing circumstances in your household may necessitate adjustments. Consider how these factors may impact your coverage needs:

1. Expanding or renovating—Changing the physical footprint of your home or upgrading certain aspects of it can greatly increase coverage needs. Make sure you inform your insurer about any plans and adjust your policy accordingly.
2. Purchasing valuable items—If you’ve recently brought home new furniture, upgraded electronics, or added memorabilia to a collection, you’ll want to ensure they’re covered. This may mean increasing your personal property coverage limits or adding a scheduled property endorsement to your policy.
3. Adding members to your household—Getting married, having or adopting a child, or even welcoming a roommate or pet into your home can impact your coverage needs. Ask your agent about potentially increasing or adjusting your home insurance policy’s liability coverage.
4. Upgrading safety features—If you’ve invested in your home’s safety, such as through a home security system or smart smoke and water leak detectors, you may be eligible for discounts.
5. Increasing construction costs—If construction materials and labor become more expensive, so will the possible replacement cost of your home. Talk to your insurance company to ensure that your policy limits are appropriate for current economic conditions.

Contact our team today to discuss your home insurance needs and coverage options.

How does lay-up coverage work?

As summer winds down, you may be planning to retire a vehicle for the year. Many boat and motorcycle owners take their vehicles off the water or street for the fall and winter months. But did you know that you may be able to save on your insurance during these times? Lay-up coverage may be a valuable way to avoid paying for insurance you don’t need while your vehicle is off the road.

Lay-up coverage is often offered in northern states, where operating certain vehicles, such as motorcycles and boats, may be impossible or rare during cold months. These arrangements often require specific storage conditions. For example, boats may need to be moored in a safe location or stored on jack stands.

While a vehicle is laid up, several parts of your insurance may be suspended, including liability and collision coverage. Comprehensive coverage typically remains active, as fires, theft, vandalism, and severe weather could still cause damage even when the insured vehicle is temporarily out of commission.

This can be a valuable way to save on insurance costs without having to cancel your policy for the offseason, which could incur early termination fees and may make carriers hesitant to offer coverage in the future. Contact Christensen Group Insurance today to discuss your options.

Stay aware of your life insurance coverage and needs

National Life Insurance Awareness Month takes place every September and focuses on helping people understand and secure suitable policies. Even if you’ve already purchased a policy, you may need to adjust your coverage in certain situations.

Consider how the following life events may affect life insurance needs:

• Starting a family—Getting married and having children means that you’ll have others relying on your income. If you’ve recently added a member to your household, updating coverage to ensure it could provide appropriate financial assistance if something were to happen to you should be a top priority.
• Taking on debt—A death benefit can help pay for many expenses, including outstanding loans that become your family’s responsibility. For example, if you’ve taken on a mortgage, make sure you have sufficient coverage so your loved ones can continue to make payments and not be forced out of their home during an already difficult time.
• Changing careers or locations—If your income or cost of living changes, revisiting your life insurance is paramount. Your previous death benefit may no longer be sufficient to pay for your current lifestyle, potentially necessitating additional coverage.

Some policies, known as universal life insurance, come with flexible death benefits and premiums, allowing you to adjust coverage as your circumstances change. Alternatively, combining multiple policies may help address varying needs. For example, a term policy could provide coverage until a child reaches adulthood or a mortgage is paid off, while a separate whole life insurance policy may help supplement retirement savings and support future financial planning.

To compare policies and tailor coverage to match your situation, contact us today.

This newsletter is intended for informational use only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or medical advice. © 2026 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.