Why Everyone Needs Inland Marine Insurance

Despite the stereotype, insurance isn’t really that confusing. If something goes wrong at home or with your business or farm like a natural disaster or theft, that doesn’t mean it’s all over for you. Instead, the insurance that you pay for kicks in and helps you get back to work or keeps your family moving forward. The names for different kinds of insurance coverage are pretty straightforward, too; you probably have a good idea of what you’re getting with a Homeowners policy or Florist coverage… but what about Inland Marine?

A “marine” policy covers goods shipped by water, and an inland marine policy covers goods shipped by land (in other words, by truck or train). It’s an unusual name for something that’s pretty common.

Our inland marine insurance includes coverage for several different kinds of items, what we call “classes”:

• Farm Machinery
• Livestock
• Personal Articles
• Personal Computer
• Recreational Motor Vehicles
• Recreational Trailers
• Scheduled and Miscellaneous Property

That’s not all we cover, though; talk to your local independent insurance agent about other things you’d like to protect with Hastings Mutual. A lot of items that aren’t hazardous or illegal may be available for coverage. We can get very specific: jewelry, golf equipment, musical instruments, silverware, and more might fit the bill for you.

What can you do to make sure your personal items are protected — beyond your Hastings Mutual insurance policy, I mean? Here are some ideas you can do to make your house, apartment, or condo a safe place to live.

Make sure your doors and windows are strong and have reinforced frames. Extra keys should be left with a neighbor or somewhere difficult to access from the outside — maybe a small lockbox. That way, a would-be thief would have to know the combination to the lockbox to get the key to get in the house... an extra step that might be the difference between a theft and safety.

Another option is to add lights, cameras, and alarm systems. Position them on entry points and vulnerable areas in the house to make it clear that the house is being protected.

Keep a record of your valuables. Get a photo of big-ticket items like TVs, computers, and furniture. Write down any serial numbers, when the item was purchased, and the make and model. This can be used to help track what was stolen.

You might already have some security measures in place in your house, but it may have been a while since you last reviewed them. Take some time now to check your locks, your security lights, and anything else you have to protect your home — like your Hastings Mutual Homeowners policy.

Questions? Let us know in the comments. 

The Mutual Understanding blog and Hastings Mutual videos are made available for educational purposes only. The information referred to is not an official company statement, corporate policy, or offer of coverage. Refer to your insurance policy for specific coverage. There is no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of any information found by following any link on this site. Please contact your local independent insurance agent with further questions and for more details on any insurance policy-related information you read here.

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