The Truth About Personal Umbrella Polices

Key Points to Remember:

1. Umbrella policies are not magic shields against anything that might happen, no matter how much it costs.
2. They are an essential first line of defense and the most cost effective and basic first step in your asset-protection plan. In many cases a one million dollar umbrella can cost just a few hundred dollars a year.
3. They have limits that are very clearly defined by the insurance company.
4. If the personal liability umbrella, the one that’s typically related to your home and auto coverage, is what you are considering, it probably won’t cover issues not reasonably related to either of those base policies in most cases. So, for example, a dog bite that occurs at your home may be covered, but a lawsuit by an employee almost certainly will not.
5. My advice to clients is buy every dollar of insurance you can reasonably afford for as many reasonably predictable risks as possible. Assume there will be a gap in the coverage at some point so be certain that you’re personal assets are organized and protected.
6. Implement an asset-protection plan that legally separates your personal and professional assets and liabilities today, while you still have right to do so. I get dozens of calls a year from people who were too busy making money to protect what it took decades to earn.
7. Don’t go on ego, “I’ve never been in an accident” or your personal assessment of what you think your risks are, “we don’t have kids who drive.” They are called “accidents” for a reason and I see as many that result from safe adult driving as I do with teens and young adults.

The content in this press release was taken from Ike Devji’s article Common Flaws of Asset Protection Planning with permission.