Choosing More Coverage

Posted on: 16 July 2018

Members of the United States Armed Forces are often faced with difficulties that may affect them more than if the same thing occurred to their civilian counterparts. Military service members who live dependent on the economy often find it challenging to deal with problems that affect their finances, particularly since many live paycheck to paycheck. One way to reduce long-lasting effects of various difficult situations is by adding endorsements onto their homeowners insurance policies. If you serve in the military, here are a few to consider adding to your homeowner's insurance policy. 

Identity Theft Protection 

According to statistics, members of the Armed Forces have been at double the risk of identity theft of civilians due to the military's usage of Social Security Numbers for identification purposes. Service member's SSNs were listed on their ID cards and their family members' health insurance cards until just recently. Every time someone went to the doctor, pharmacy or other appointments, their SSN was used for identification instead of their name. Now, service members are issued a Department of Defense number that is unique, but there may still be paperwork and documentation out there that contains SSNs that criminals may get their hands on and use to steal identities. 

Clothing Coverage

Military uniforms are expensive to purchase and replace. When you first arrived at boot camp or basic training, you were issued military clothing that you had to pay for. The uniforms need to be maintained and presentable in optimal condition at all times. While you do get an annual clothing allowance, would you be able to afford replacing all of your uniforms in one fell swoop should they become damaged in a house fire or flooding? Consider adding an endorsement onto your homeowner's insurance policy to cover the costs of replacing all of your uniforms. 

Missing Luggage 

Since military members and their families travel often, there's a risk of an airline losing luggage at some point. Lost luggage can be covered under a homeowner's insurance policy. If you travel to temporary duty stations on a regular basis, you may want to consider increasing the coverage amount, just in case. This add-on won't exactly say, "lost luggage". It will be covered under personal property coverage, with the caveat of the coverage being worldwide. Be sure to explain to your insurance agent that you would like to have worldwide property coverage to protect your luggage and belongings wherever you are. 

For more information, contact a local insurance company or visit sites like https://olynorthwest.com/.