Frequently Asked Questions​

General FAQs

The information provided in our responses below is intended to help you understand insurance in general and not how your policy may apply in a specific situation. In reality, your specific insurance contract spells out the coverages and exclusions that you have purchased.

In other words, the responses are not statements of a contract or a policy and all coverage is subjects to the terms and conditions of your individual insurance contract and all applicable endorsements and amendments as well as the facts surrounding a loss specific to your situation.

If I have items stolen from inside my vehicle, should I file an auto insurance claim?

Answer: In almost all cases- the items inside your vehicle are considered your “property” and would not be covered under your personal auto insurance policy. Your property is covered under your home/renters/condo insurance policy. Depending on the value of what was stolen it may or may not be worth filing a claim, especially when you factor in your deductible.

If your vehicle is stolen, then that is, obviously, something that could be filed on an auto insurance policy- if you have comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive coverage is an optional coverage (sometimes people refer to this as having “full coverage”).

Does my auto insurance policy automatically include getting a rental car while my car is being fixed?

Answer: No.

If you want to have access to a vehicle (ie. Rental car) to drive while your car is in the body shop after you have filed a claim, you will need to pay a little extra on your auto policy to get a coverage that is usually called Transportation Expense or Rental Reimbursement.

Not everyone needs this, since some people work from home or have an extra vehicle, so it is not automatically included. You can also choose from different levels of coverage- for instance- your loaner could be a compact car (costing you less money) or maybe you drive a minivan because you have many children and car-seats (which will cost you a little more).

This coverage isn’t a ton of money and if you rely on a vehicle daily, you probably want to have it on your policy.

Do I have coverage if I rent a car while on vacation?

Answer: This depends on whether or not you currently have collision on at least one of your vehicles now.

When renting a car, pickup or van in the U.S. or Canada, your policy will pay for damage to a rental car as if it were your own vehicle as long as you carry Collision on at least one of your vehicles. All current policy deductibles would apply.

NOTE: Rental companies continue to adjust their contracts and some items may not be covered by your personal auto policy.

Loss of Use and Diminished Value are examples of two coverages that may not covered.

We are helping our college-age daughter buy her first car next week. It will be in her name but we might be co-signing for it. Does it matter what name it’s under with them being under our insurance?

Answer: Yes!

You can only insure things that you own; therefore, if you want the vehicle to be on your insurance policy going forward, you need to make sure your name is on the title.

It can be co-titled (as in titled to mom and daughter and bank) but if mom’s name is not on the title at all, then the owner of the insurance policy has no vested interest (on paper) of the vehicle and therefore, no reason to reap any benefit of a payment in the event of a total loss.

If the vehicle is not co-titled and child is the only title-holder (along with lender), then the daughter will have to get her own insurance policy- which is no problem and sometimes, the way people prefer it.

He never drives my car, why do I need to give you his information for my policy?

Answer: Because the state of Wisconsin requires it.

In the State of Wisconsin, if a person resides at your residence (sleeps at your household for 30 days or longer and/or registers your address as their official residence) is seen to have potential access to your auto and therefore, cannot be excluded from your auto policy.

Perhaps they never drive your car, but perhaps they have moved the vehicles around in the driveway or pulled it out to park it on the street?

Many insurance companies do understand that this is not a perfect system and that in households, there may be people that have their own autos and their own insurance.

Therefore, depending on the insurance company you are working with, you may be asked for the information on your residents in order to comply with state law and then asked for proof of those residents insurance coverage in order to then remove those residents from being “rated” in your price calculation.

It is all about being open and honest with everyone and making sure that everyone in Wisconsin who has a drivers license meets the minimum insurance requirements.

Do I have to buy homeowner's insurance?

Wisconsin law does not require homeowner's insurance, but if your home is mortgaged, most financial institutions require insurance for at least the outstanding balance of the loan. If your lender requires coverage, you may choose your own insurance company. You are not required to purchase coverage from the insurance company the lender recommends.

Last month our family dog bit a neighbor, and I turned the claim over to my insurance company. Now I have received a notice from my insurance company stating they are going to nonrenew my homeowner's insurance. Can they do this?

Answer: Yes. Under most circumstances companies are free to nonrenew insurance policies. If someone has had multiple claims or the potential for additional claims, the insurance company will often nonrenew a policy. If an insurance company pays an insurance claim as a result of the actions of an animal kept on the premises, it may require the animal to be removed as a condition of continuing insurance. In most cases, if an insurance company is going to nonrenew a policy, it must provide at least 60 days' notice prior to the nonrenewal date.

Can I cancel my insurance anytime I want to?

Answer: Yes.

As the policyholder, you may cancel your coverage at any time. You would want to cancel if you sell your home or change companies. If you cancel during the policy period, the insurance company will refund you any unearned premium according to your policy language. However, some companies charge a penalty for canceling prior to expiration. Companies doing so must provide proper notice regarding this potential penalty. Check with your insurance company or agent to understand what the charge will be, if any.

My homeowner's policy is coming up for renewal but the insurance company says it will drop me if I do not replace my leaky roof. Is this legal?

Answer: Yes. An insurance company may refuse to renew a policy because of a home's condition.

This can include a worn-out roof. If an insurer does not want to renew your policy, it must mail or deliver to you a nonrenewal notice at least 60 days before the policy's expiration date. Some insurance companies may give you six months to one year to make repairs.

If your roof needs replacement due to a covered loss you have had in the last year, you can file a claim with the company and it must pay for the cost to repair or replace the portion of the roof damaged by the covered loss, minus your deductible, which should help offset the cost.

If the roof is just worn out and there is no covered damage involved, you are responsible for paying to replace it.

During a storm, a tree from my neighbor's yard fell and destroyed my fence. Does my homeowner's policy pay for the damage or does my neighbor's policy?

Answer: Generally your own policy should cover such a loss.

The owner of the tree will only be responsible if you can prove the owner was negligent in causing the damage. Insurers often deny these types of liability claims because it can be difficult to prove that you have contacted your neighbor regarding the damaged tree and that they failed to remedy the situation before the storm.

Your homeowner's insurance policy may have a limited amount of coverage available to remove your neighbor's tree (or your tree) that was blown over by wind and damaged an insured structure on your property. This will be explained in the Additional Coverages section of your homeowner's policy.

Keep in mind: If the only damage was to a fence, you likely don’t want to waste a claim for this amount of damage. Damage to a home would be different, however. Additionally, if you believe a neighbor is being negligent and you are worried about the state of a tree overhanging your property/structures, speak to them in person first and make sure you take note of the date/time and who you spoke to. On the second try, put it in writing and put in certified mail or other way to keep records that could be valuable later “just in case”.

My child is away at college, is his/her computer and vehicle still covered on my auto and homeowners policy?

Answer: If your child lives on campus in a dorm, most homeowners’ insurance policies will extend coverage (10% of contents) for his/her personal property.

If your child lives off campus, we suggest a renters’ policy though some carriers will still offer the 10% coverage. Many carriers offer broadened coverages for computer equipment.

Is my insurance company required to pay for cosmetic damage, such as scratches and dents, to my aluminum or vinyl siding?

Answer: It depends on the policy.

Some policies contain special rules, such as requiring a certain amount of damage per square foot before they will pay. You should check with your insurance company or agent before purchasing the policy if your house has aluminum or vinyl siding. The insurance company is only required to pay for the damaged portion of the siding and is not obligated to ensure the replacement siding matches the existing siding.

If my roof was partially damaged by wind, does my insurance company have to replace my whole roof?

Answer: No.

The insurance company is required to pay for the replacement of the part of the roof damaged by the wind. The insurance company is not required to replace the part of the roof not damaged.

I run a small business out of my home. Is it covered by my homeowners policy?

Answer: It depends.

There are too many variables to be discussed with your agent before this answer can be given, but in general, assume it is not unless you have purchased at least some kind of additional endorsement.

Don’t be shy about asking your trusted agent about this. Better to be safe than sorry!