The Insurance Checkup Tool provides a summary of insurance products in response to your lifestyle and financial habits. Following the questions, a personal results page will be generated with information on types of insurance. You can print your results page as your answers or results will not be saved after you close the page. For questions about specific types of insurance use the website search function or visit our FAQs.
Are you 64 or older?
Do you have any children or dependents?
What best describes your living situation?
Do you own any rental property?
Do you rent your home through services like AirBnb or Home Away?
What best describes your transportation situation?
Do you use your automobile for any taxi services like Lyft or Uber?
Do you have 6 months of expenses saved if you were in an accident or diagnosed with an illness?
Do you have more debt than could be covered by your assets if you passed away?
As you approach age 65, it’s time to start looking into your Medicare options. The process can often be confusing, which is why the Louisiana Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) has people on staff to help you make sense of your options. Call SHIIP when you are ready to make Medicare decisions, remembering that there is a time frame in which you can register that begins 3 months before you turn 65 and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65.
Insurance isn’t just for homeowners! Renters need to protect their assets too. Renters insurance covers the contents of your home in case of a covered peril. Your landlord may have insurance, but it generally will not cover the tenants belongings. Renters insurance will not cover flood however. To cover the contents of your rented home from flooding, renters flood policies are available from the FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program.
Whether it’s your first home or tenth, updated homeowners insurance is vital to protecting your property and possessions. Yet according to a 2017 National Association of Insurance Commissioners survey, 56 percent of homeowners haven’t reviewed their homeowners insurance policies in more than a year; and 14 percent are unsure when — if ever — they last reviewed their policies. Don’t forget that flood is not covered by homeowner’s insurance. To cover your home from flooding, policies are available from the FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program.
If you live with family, whether you pay rent or not, you should consider getting renters insurance. Renters insurance will cover the contents that you have stored in your room or elsewhere on the property. If there is damage to your belongings in a claim event, you would file a separate claim for the items covered under your renters insurance policy.
If you own a secondary or rental property, it’s important to carry insurance on it just like your primary home. You should carry landlord insurance that protects the structure of the home and covers you for liability should a tenant or guest injure themselves on the property. See an agent to find a product that is right for you. Note: It’s a good idea to remind your tenants that your insurance policy will not cover their personal belongings in the event of a claim.
Regularly renting out rooms for a profit may make you a home-based business. As some homeowners policies won’t cover property damage caused by (or injuries to) paying guests, talk to the home-sharing service and your own agent to determine if additional liability coverage or special landlord insurance is needed.
Since you operate a vehicle in the state of Louisiana, you are legally required to have minimum liability coverage auto insurance. Your lender may require additional coverages such as collision and/or comprehensive insurance. Note: You may want to consider GAP insurance to protect yourself from being underwater on your auto loan in case of an accident.
You may also want to look at: Usage-based insurance (UBI), also known as telematics, works by tracking driving behavior through devices installed in a vehicle or through smart phones. Wireless devices transmit data in real time back to insurers. The data collected is then used by the insurer to help determine premiums. Be aware that insurers tracking mileage and monitoring behavior has raised privacy concerns and talk to your agent about whether it is right for you.
Since you operate a vehicle in the state of Louisiana, you are legally required to have minimum liability coverage auto insurance.
You may also want to look at: Usage-based insurance (UBI), also known as telematics, works by tracking driving behavior through devices installed in a vehicle or through smart phones. Wireless devices transmit data in real time back to insurers. The data collected is then used by the insurer to help determine premiums. Be aware that insurers tracking mileage and monitoring behavior has raised privacy concerns and talk to your agent about whether it is right for you.
If you are using ride-sharing services to fill in your travel needs, know the extent you are protected in the event of an accident. Most ride-sharing companies have liability policies to cover any passenger injuries. If you are injured while riding, report a claim with the driver’s insurance and the ride-sharing company’s insurer and let them sort it out.
As a driver for a ridesharing service, you should be aware that your personal auto insurance typically excludes coverage for business use or when drivers are “available for hire.” While some ridesharing companies will provide coverage, it may not be enough to cover you in case of an accident.
Having six months of expenses saved for an emergency is a great start. But what would happen if you were disabled and no longer had the ability to work? Consider disability insurance as a key piece of protection.
If you are a provider for yourself or a family, your most valuable asset is your ability to work. If an illness or injury were to keep you from earning a living, do you know how you would pay your bills? Consider disability insurance as a key piece of protection.
Life can be unpredictable. As long as there are people counting on your income for daily expenses (including yourself) you should be prepared against the possibility of death or disability. Life insurance can help protect your loved ones after you are gone. There are many options and kinds of life insurance, so consider getting an agent to help you decide.
You’re in a good place to start out with. If you have friends or family that you would want to provide for after your death, life insurance can be a great option. There are many options and kinds of life insurance, so consider getting an agent to help you decide. Note: If you are a co-signer on a loan for a loved one and you pass away before the note is paid, that loan could be due immediately. Read your contracts and speak with your co-signer to see if this is a burden they could bear.
Even if you already have some of the insurance products recommended for you, checking to make sure you have the best deal can save you money.
Shop Your Rates Tool: Consumers can use the Louisiana Department of Insurance’s online system to compare automobile and homeowners insurance rates among companies. These guides are not intended to provide an exact estimate of your cost of insurance, but rather to demonstrate the importance of shopping around for the best policy for you.
Bundle Discount: Bundling different types of insurance, like auto and home, can help make your overall premium lower. You should also ask your agent if you are eligible for any “good driver discounts” or “good student discounts” for your driving-age child.
