Tom's BlogThe good news is that if your college age child is under the age of 24, enrolled in college full-time, and lived in your household prior to leaving for school, then your N.C. homeowners insurance policy extends liability coverage (both bodily injury and property damage to others) to your son or daughter.
However, college life can be a particularly expensive time if unexpected accidents occur, which may leave you vulnerable to higher claim exposures if your child is involved. You may want to check with your local N.C. independent insurance agent to inquire about a personal umbrella policy for added liability protection for you and your family.
Some Additional Coverage Options You May Need to Check Off Your List
Auto Insurance- Before your son or daughter drives away to college, you may want to check with your N.C. independent insurance agent to determine whether your current N.C. auto insurance policy provides the needed coverage. Some factors that may affect your coverage include the usage of the vehicle that will be used while away at college, who will be driving the car, and whether this car will be used for work purposes at college.
Renters Insurance- Maybe your son or daughter will be living in an apartment off campus and will be signing a lease. If that’s the case, you may want to consider Renters insurance, which provides protection for all of your student’s belongings from unforeseen circumstances, such as fire or theft. It may also provide additional liability coverage for both property damage and bodily injury to others.
Scheduled Personal Property Endorsement- It may not seem like your child owns that much, but when you add up the personal laptop, jewelry, or even some autographed baseball cards, you may be surprised. Take inventory of all the more expensive items and discuss this type of endorsement with your local N.C. independent insurance agent to see if scheduling some of these items is recommended. Keep in mind that your N.C. homeowners insurance policy does extend personal property coverage to your college student, but is subject to limitations.
Identity Fraud Protection Endorsement- When college students leave home for the first time, they are notorious for taking out first time credit lines without any guidance from an adult, which may expose them to identity theft. You may wish to consider adding Identity Fraud Protection/Identity Recovery coverage to your existing N.C. homeowners policy for that added protection, should your son or daughter become a victim.
Insurance Check Off Before the College Send Off
The send off to college leads to a lot of mixed emotions for the entire family, but one thing for sure, if you have your insurance coverages in tact before your son or daughter takes off, you will have peace of mind that they will have the needed protection in place should any unfortunate situation(s) happen. Make sure your checklist includes “insurance coverage” before the final send off. Call us TODAY at 866-869-3335 with any questions you may have regarding insurance coverage for your college student.
