US Instrument Insurance Recommendations

[Dave Weinstein]

Has anyone got recommendations for instrument coverage in the US? I'm moving on from Heritage (their underwriter turns out to get very cranky if you buy new instruments at more than the rate they approve of), and have requested a quote from Andersons. Anyone have any experiences?

[Doug Barr]

I use:

https://www.clarionins.com/

 

If you pay more than 5K they will want a bill of sale or appraisal.

[seanc]

Can you not just add to your existing home owner’s or renter’s policy? I went that route.

 

if you have an existing policy, that may be an option.

 

[Stephen DOUGLASS]

I use Anderson, i haven't made a claim but they were easy to transact with.

 

[hjcjones]

On 8/18/2022 at 11:02 PM, seanc said:

Can you not just add to your existing home owner’s or renter’s policy?

 

Possibly, but the cover they offer is usually more limited.  You need to check the small print very carefully.  The range of insured risks may be more restricted than a specialist policy, they often have a maximum value per item, and the amount they pay out may be reduced for depreciation (even though an instrument might actually appreciate in value).  You can extend the cover to "all risks" but this usually increases the premium and will probably still not provide as much cover as a specialist policy. They usually exclude paid performances.

 

If you are satisfied that the cover is adequate for your purposes then a home policy may indeed be suitable, but for many, especially with relatively high-value instruments like concertinas, a specialist policy is worth the additional cost.