What is a personal property report?
Most insurers use the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) insurance report from LexisNexis as one factor in the cost of your home insurance premium. This report documents the seven-year loss history of a home or vehicle and lists:
- The homeowner's name, address, and Social Security number
- The insurance company's name and insurance policy number
- Claims filed, date of losses, types of losses, and claim payout
This report gives an insurance company insight into how risky the home might be and how likely you might be to file another claim.
Does a CLUE report benefit you?
It can if you have a clean claims history. As you might already know, insurance companies tend to reward homeowners with lower premiums if they've never filed a claim.
But that's not the only time a personal report may come in handy. If you're buying a home, this report can tip you off to home damage the seller hasn't disclosed. If the report does reveal past damage you didn't know about, you may have grounds to renegotiate your offer.
How to avoid unnecessary claims
Because your claims history can affect the price you pay for insurance, it's important to talk to your agent before you file a claim. That discussion can help you decide if the repair is something you'd be better off handling on your own so you don't inadvertently drive up your homeowners insurance costs.
