Understand your insurance before you need to use it.

Insurance is designed to protect against sudden and accidental covered losses, including certain weather events, theft, vandalism, and accidents. A home warranty generally covers the breakdown of specified appliances or home systems resulting from ordinary use or wear and tear.

The lowest premium does not always provide the best value. A less expensive policy may include higher deductibles, lower coverage limits, limited roof protection, or no water and sewer backup coverage. Always compare the protection—not only the price.

A deductible is the amount you pay toward a covered loss before your insurer pays its portion. When repair costs are close to or below the deductible, filing a claim may provide little financial benefit. I generally recommend carefully reviewing smaller property losses—especially when the damage is not substantially more than the deductible—because claims may remain on insurance-history reports for up to seven years. Injuries, liability claims, and serious losses should always be reported promptly.

Bundling is not mandatory, but combining home and auto insurance with one carrier can provide substantial multi-policy savings. With the company I represent, bundling is often one of the most valuable discounts available to eligible households.

Ideally, begin reviewing your options 30 to 60 days before renewal. This provides enough time to compare coverage, gather documents, correct any issues, and arrange the new policy early enough to potentially qualify for an advance-purchase discount.

Yes. With the company I represent, paying the premium in full generally provides the strongest billing discount. Escrow or mortgagee billing may also receive favorable pricing, while monthly direct billing and automatic-payment plans may provide smaller savings. Discounts remain subject to eligibility.

Insurers use claims and driving history to estimate future risk. The number and severity of previous claims may affect pricing or eligibility, while accidents, tickets, and other driving violations may also influence auto insurance rates.

A homeowners policy can protect the main dwelling, detached structures, personal belongings, additional living expenses, and personal liability. Coverage depends on the cause of the loss and the policy’s terms. Flooding, ordinary wear and tear, maintenance problems, and water or sewer backup may be excluded or require separate coverage.

Liability coverage helps pay covered legal-defense costs and damages when you are responsible for another person’s bodily injury or property damage. An umbrella policy provides additional liability protection above qualifying home, auto, and recreational-vehicle policies. It is worth considering when you have multiple vehicles, properties, recreational vehicles, savings, income, or other assets to protect.

Michigan offers several PIP medical coverage choices. Qualified Health Coverage may allow eligible individuals to select $250,000 of PIP medical coverage with exclusions, but it does not automatically provide a complete opt-out. The $50,000 option is available to qualifying Medicaid households, while a full PIP medical opt-out generally requires the named insured to have Medicare Parts A and B and the remaining household members to meet Michigan’s coverage requirements.

Insurers may consider claims history and a credit-based insurance score as separate rating factors. An insurance score may be obtained through a reporting company such as TransUnion, but it is not the same as a regular consumer credit score. It uses certain credit characteristics to estimate the likelihood of a future insurance claim—not simply whether someone can pay their premium.