You Are Taking a Vacation…But Your Insurance Isn’t!

Summer is almost here, and that means VACATION!  Kids will be finishing up the 2015-2016 school year and families everywhere will be prepping for trips to the beach, the mountains, big cities, and everywhere in between.

In all your preparation, we bet there is something you haven’t really thought much about.

Your insurance.

That’s right.  Insurance is an important part of any vacation, but it isn’t often looked at or discussed in this context.  Think about it for a second…your vacation involves you and your family, a car and/or air travel, luggage and suitcases, hotels, relatives, fun activities, etc.  There are a lot of elements to a family trip, and your insurance is closely tied with the most important parts!

Your car insurance is very important if you are traveling by way of the road!  You’ll want to make sure all your vehicle insurance paperwork is current before you hit the road, just in case.  If something were to happen, you know that your insurance will be right there ready to help cover you in a crisis, whether it’s a flat tire and a towing fee, or something more serious.

Your health insurance is vital to any vacation.  Before heading out to your destination, make sure all insurance cards, for you and your family, are current and in a safe spot.  You might also want to look over and/or print out information regarding which doctors are in network for you in your destination spot, or find out how your insurance handles out of network coverage for emergency visits, hospitals, etc.  You never want to think about things going wrong on vacation, but the fact is, they sometimes do, and it’s best to be prepared.

Taking any items of value with you on your trip (jewelry, weapons, etc.)?  You’ll want to make sure you have any needed paperwork regarding policies on those items.  It might also be wise to read over your various insurance policies for coverage on things like laptops and other “everyday” things in your luggage.  When staying in hotels or traveling long distances, things could get destroyed, lost, or stolen and you’ll want to make sure you know how to handle replacing those items (out of pocket, or do you have coverage that can help?).

Finally, you might want to check over your homeowners policy for any details involving burglary and/or vandalism.  If you are leaving your home unattended for an extended period of time, it’s nice to know that you have protection in case something were to happen while you were gone.

Here in Polk County, we know many families will be ready for all the summer fun in a few more weeks and we want to make sure you’re prepared to enjoy your vacation to the fullest.  If you are in the greater Winter Haven area and need help deciding if you are properly covered for every part of your upcoming summer travels, give us a call!  Carroll Marshall is happy to help you go over your insurance coverage, and we can offer advice on adding to or altering your coverage to best fit your needs.