Ordinarily at cocktail parties, conversation lags once I reveal that I work in insurance. But because our non-coastal Connecticut town was hit hard during the last few hurricane seasons, I'm now more popular than the bartender. Working with specialty insurers may be ideal for agents who serve towns like mine. Below are the most common questions I am asked:

Do I have enough coverage? Most people understand the need to select a coverage limit based on the cost to build (not buy), but few know their limits or if they're appropriate. Specialist insurers typically offer guaranteed replacement cost or at least extended replacement cost with coverage extensions in higher risk areas, to help ensure that a home can be rebuilt in like kind and quality when the cost to do so exceeds policy limits.

What if we don't want to rebuild at the same location? Specialists typically give their clients the choice to receive a cash settlement as high as the policy limit, rather than force them to rebuild in a place that is likely to sustain damage again.