What Are Insurance Endorsements And Why You Need Them

What Is An Insurance Endorsement - Key Takeaways

  • Insurance endorsements are essential for customizing your home, auto, and business insurance plans to ensure comprehensive protection.
  • Insurance endorsements, also known as riders, enhance or clarify your base policy coverage, addressing specific risks that standard policies may not cover.
  • Policyholders need insurance endorsements to get tailored coverage based on individual circumstances, such as location or specific activities, that protects against potential risks like floods or equipment breakdowns.
  • There is a wide range of common endorsements available for various insurance types, including sewer backup coverage for home insurance and loss of vehicle use for auto insurance.
  • While endorsements may increase insurance rates, they provide essential protection during unexpected events.
  • Seek assistance from experienced brokers at Morison Insurance to navigate the endorsement process and ensure your policy meets your unique needs.

Get the Right Types of Insurance Endorsements with Morison Insurance

You are an individual. Sure, you may enjoy the same sports as your peers and love the same seasonal drinks as millions of other people, but your life is entirely different from other people's lives. So why settle for standardized insurance protection? Whatever your insurance needs are, you can count on your Morison Insurance broker to find an appropriate insurance endorsement.

Standard policies provide a certain level of protection, but what if you need more to ensure your personal vehicle, home, valuables, or business are properly protected? By getting specialized endorsements in insurance policies, you can be sure you have the financial protection you need in the face of floods, earthquakes, and other insured events.

What Is an Insurance Endorsement?

A common misconception that many insurance seekers have is that insurance policies are catch-all, be-all, providing you with loss and damage protection for every event under the sun. But that's not the case in the realm of insurance. While there is some basic protection that every policy contains, such as third-party liability protection in auto insurance, which protects you should you be found liable for causing bodily harm or property damage due to an accident, insurance endorsements allow you to tailor your protection. Also known as an insurance rider, they can broaden or restrict your insurance coverage, or act as a clarification of what your base insurance policy entails. So, essentially, an endorsement is a way to enhance the coverage on your insurance policy. Speak to your Morison Insurance broker to learn how insurance endorsements can improve your original policy's coverage and limits.

How Is an Insurance Endorsement Different From a Base Policy?

Because insurance is meant to protect you, most types of insurance policies contain standard coverage to protect you and any impacted parties from losses and damages as a result of an incident or unexpected event, up to your coverage limits. However, they don't cover every possible scenario, and depending on where you live and your activities, you may need additional or specific types of coverage.

A good example of this is getting home insurance for a traditional two-story home vs. a condo in a high-rise building. The types of buildings are very different, and so are their occupants' associated lifestyles. As a result, they will need policies tailored to their unique circumstances and needs. But even if you and another person each own the same type of home, differences in area can also impact your insurance needs. That's when you need an insurance endorsement, meaning more tailored protection, to ensure you are properly protected.

How Can I Get an Insurance Endorsement?

Getting insurance endorsements added to your Ontario insurance policies is easy: Just speak to the experienced brokers at Morison Insurance. Our team will be more than happy to ensure you get the personalized protection you need with insured endorsements.

Keep in mind, though, that the endorsement meaning in insurance refers to additional coverage or changes in coverage. As a result, getting insurance endorsements will come at an additional cost. However, while your insurance rates will go up, you'll have access to that additional protection when you need it.

Once approved, any insurance endorsement you include in your policy will remain part of your policy for its entire duration, unless otherwise specified in your policy. They can be added at any time during the policy period, including when getting it, during the coverage term's duration, or at renewal time. Insurance endorsements are generally listed under the policy's declarations or in the coverage form section, as well as the cover letter provided by your insurance provider, so it's important to carefully read through your insurance documents so you understand where you can find the insurance and what type of coverage you have. 

It's also important to keep in mind that different insurance providers offer different types of endorsements at different costs. Make sure you ask your experienced insurance broker about these differences to ensure that your insurance company provides the insurance endorsement options you need.

Common Home Insurance Endorsements

Standard homeowners insurance policies provide coverage for damage done to your residential property, medical costs associated with insured incidents, coverage for items and personal belongings, and additional living expenses if you are unable to live there due to an insured event. However, depending on the type of home you live in, where you live, and other factors, you may want additional protection. Some common home insurance endorsements include:

  • Sewer backup endorsements: Many homeowners' policies don't automatically include coverage for damage caused by drain or sewer backups and sump pump failures. Suppose you live in an area with aging plumbing infrastructure or frequent plumbing problems. In that case, you may want to consider getting an insurance endorsement for sewage backups added to your policy as a covered peril.
  • Overland water and flood coverage: While some jurisdictions require a mandatory endorsement for flooding if you live in an area prone to heavy rains or overflowing bodies of water, many Ontarians don't live in high-risk flood areas where they are required to do so. That doesn't mean they're not at risk of flooding, though, which is when this insurance endorsement may come in handy.
  • Home-based business: The vast majority of Ontario professionals don't work from home, but those who do need a home-based business insurance endorsement to ensure that they are protected for any loss, damage, or theft of business equipment at home, whether it's for a home office or they store tools and equipment in their garage.

Common Car Insurance Endorsements

Documented under Ontario Policy Change Forms (OPCFs), car insurance endorsements are the most common types of endorsements Ontario residents know about. Some common endorsements include:

  • OPCF 20, or loss of vehicle use coverage: This insurance endorsement covers any costs associated with seeking alternative means of transportation, such as taxis, public transportation, or a rental vehicle, while your vehicle is in the shop for repairs.
  • OPCF 27, or liability coverage for damage to non-owned automobiles: Most vehicle insurance policies are for vehicles you own, but this insurance endorsement extends your auto insurance policy coverage to vehicles you rent or borrow.
  • OPCF 43, or waiver of depreciation: Designed to protect your new vehicle should you suffer a total loss due to an accident or theft within a limited term, this insurance endorsement ensures you are compensated for what you paid for it.

Common Business Insurance Endorsements

No two businesses are exactly alike, so why would you settle for just a standardized business insurance policy? Some common insurance endorsements that Ontario business owners can get include:

  • Blanket additional insured protection: This insurance endorsement extends your coverage to other parties you are contractually obligated to ensure, such as contractors or subcontractors. It is frequently used by businesses that need third-party protection.
  • Equipment breakdown endorsement: Depending on your industry or business type, you may have a lot of crucial pieces of equipment. With an equipment breakdown insurance endorsement, you can protect yourself from losses as a result of unexpected mechanical or electrical breakdowns.
  • Cyber liability insurance: Just about every business has some sort of online presence, and this cyber insurance endorsement extends your liability coverage to cover damages and losses arising from computer thefts, cyber breaches, and other technology-related business risks.

Looking for More Information About Insurance Endorsements? Call Morison Insurance

Skip that online search for "endorsement meaning in insurance." When you have questions about what an insurance endorsement is, just call your friendly, expert brokers at Morison Insurance. As your local insurance experts, we understand what coverage you need, whether it's for commercial insurance or personal insurance, and can help you get the right coverage in your broader insurance package.

Give us a call today at 1-800-463-8074, or fill out our online form by clicking the link above to learn what additional coverages you can get with the right insurance endorsements.

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