It can happen to any homeowner. You’re sorting through the unopened mail that’s been piling up on the counter and you come across a renewal notice from your home insurance provider – dated three months prior. You realize that you don’t presently have homeowners insurance coverage. But, the lapse wasn’t for very long, and won’t affect your insurance coverage, right? Think again!

What Is A Homeowners Insurance Coverage Lapse?

Your Mount Prospect, IL homeowners insurance is considered lapsed if you go without coverage for any length of time, whether it’s a month or just one day. There are several common reasons homeowners let their insurance lapse, including:

• You failed to make required policy payments on time.
• Your insurance canceled your policy.
• You allowed your policy to expire before securing a new one.

Each of these situations are easily preventable. Because there are a number of mishaps that can happen when you let your policy lapse, it’s smart to keep up to date with your policy (and your mail) to eliminate hardships down the road.

What Can Occur If My Homeowners Insurance Lapses?

There’s a reason you were sent a renewal notification from Com-Co Insurance Agency Inc. three months ago — it’s important to keep your insurance coverage consistent. Here’s what can happen if you don’t:

• Your premium rates may go up – even if your policy has only lapsed for a few days, your rates may go up. Insurance companies know that people who maintain consistent coverage are less of a financial risk.
• Your lender may purchase insurance for you – Most lenders require continuous insurance coverage, so if yours lapses your mortgage company may buy coverage on your behalf – and increase your mortgage payments to cover the premiums of a more expensive policy with less coverage.
• You may have trouble getting insured again – Insurers typically look into your insurance history. If you haven’t been consistently covered it will be more difficult to obtain coverage.
• If an incident occurs while your insurance has lapsed, you’re out of luck – If a burglar breaks into your home or a tree falls on your roof, you won’t have any financial protection in place to cover the loss. Securing insurance after the fact won’t cover a loss event.

If you’re a Com-Co Insurance Agency Inc. customer and have questions about your Mount Prospect, IL homeowners insurance policy renewal or other insurance concern, please give us a call at (847) 673-1212.