A D J U S T I N G T O D A Y CORPORATE OFF ICE 126 Business Park Drive Utica, New York 13502 800.382.2468 Outside U.S. (315) 797.3035 Fax: (315) 272.2054 Editor@AdjustingToday.com WEB ADDRESSES www.AdjustersInternational.com www.AdjustingToday.com PUBL ISHER Ronald A. Cuccaro, SPPA EDI TOR Sheila E. Salvatore ADJUSTING TODAY is published as a public service by Adjusters International, Inc. It is provided for general information and is not intended to replace professional insurance, legal and/or financial advice for specific cases. AT11 3040 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Copyright © 2011 Adjusters International, Inc. Adjusters International ® and the AI logo are registered trademarks of Adjusters International, Inc. Robert Prahl has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance business, primarily in claims and claims training. He began his career as an adjuster in the New York metropolitan area and eventually became a claims manager and claims training director. He has written extensively on insurance issues, having authored two text books for the Insurance Institute of America and previously served as a columnist for Rough Notes magazine, an insurance trade publication. Robert J. Prahl, CPCU Adjusting Today on the Web — www.AdjustingToday.com View our entire catalog of back issues, download PDF versions, subscribe and contact the editor Follow Adjusting Today on Facebook & Twitter: Facebook.com/AdjustersInternational Twitter.com/AdjustingToday value coverage, which is available with commercial property insurance. This coverage suspends the coinsurance clause if the insured carries the amount of insurance that the insurer and insured agree to be the property’s actual value. This amount is entered under the agreed value heading in the declarations for each category of property (building, personal property) to which the option applies. With this option elected, the insured and insurer have agreed prior to loss that the amount of insurance carried is adequate for coinsurance purposes. It is important, therefore, that an accurate insurance amount is established for this endorsement to be effective. Otherwise, there is little benefit to an agreed value endorsement. Still another consideration is inflation guard coverage, which automatically increases the amount of insurance annually by a percentage indicated in the declarations, so that the insurance limit keeps pace with construction costs. Conclusion Insuring the building for an amount that accurately reflects or approximates replacement value can reduce the risk of underinsurance. Agents and brokers can provide a valuable service to their clients by explaining these concepts and encouraging the purchase of appropriate amounts of insurance that will avoid an underinsurance situation and resulting penalty. Although few homeowner insurers are offering guaranteed replacement cost coverage today, most provide increased coverage (percentages may vary by company) for the dwelling over the face amount limit, which should help to reduce the risk of underinsurance. The replacement cost estimating tool of Marshall & Swift/Boekh (MSB) is a popular option among insurance companies. The company offers a consumer version of the program used by insurers in the event the insured does not agree with the replacement value established by the insurer.
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