Commissioner Badolato Reminds Homeowners and Renters to Create or Review their Home Inventory

WESTFIELD –- (RealEstateRama) — Citing a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Richard J. Badolato today reminded homeowners and renters to set up or review their home inventory to ensure that they are prepared in case a covered loss occurs. According to the NAIC survey, less than half of homeowners have a home inventory. Of those who do, more than 40 percent have not updated it in more than a year.

“Homeowners and renters should take a small portion of their day to review an existing home inventory or create one if they have not already done so,” said Commissioner Badolato. “The time to create or review a home inventory is prior to a loss, not after one. Doing so now, will speed up the claims process should a covered loss occur.”
 
Create a Home Inventory

A home inventory helps consumers understand how much personal property insurance they will need to cover their contents and valuables. It also streamlines claims filing after a loss. An inventory should include as much information as possible on each personal item such as product name, price, date purchased, model, serial number and receipts. Photos of each article should accompany the inventory. To ease this process, the NAIC has a free smartphone app, myHome Scr.APP.book, that leads a customer through setting up a home inventory. Consumers can download the free app from iTunes or Google Play.

The iPhone version of the app is here: http://itunes.apple.com/app/myhome-scr-app-book/id414273863?mt=8.

The Android version of the app is here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.naic.scrapbook&feature=search_result.

A paper version is available here: www.insureuonline.org/home_inventory_checklist.pdf.

Once completed, make sure your home inventory is saved so that in the event your smartphone is lost, the information is preserved. You may do this by downloading onto a secure database or by emailing to yourself or a trusted  friend, family member, your insurance carrier and, if applicable, your insurance agent.

Update the Home Inventory

Renters and homeowners should review the home inventory at least once a year, being sure to add new gifts and major purchases not already included.

Photograph every item added to the home and check with your carrier if certain limits on special items, like jewelry or electronics, need to be adjusted.

For more information

Visit the Department’s Website at www.dobi.nj.gov.

Call the Department at 800-446-7467 or 609-292-7272.

For Further Information:
Marshall McKnight (609) 292-5064