Whether you're insuring your home against potential damage, or insuring your car in case of a collision, there are a number of options to consider beyond basic coverage. Both home insurance and auto insurance have add-ons that you can purchase, expanding the coverage your policy provides. While some can be unnecessary others can actually be a requirement, depending on the vehicle you drive, the house you live in or its location.

Protecting Your Home

Additional coverage for the home can offer you the stability you need in order to repair damage from sources that might not normally be a concern. Typical homeowner's insurance offers coverage for fire, destruction of property, theft and storm damage, but may not cover certain incidental damage. Before you go looking too hard at add-ons, make sure you know exactly what you're already covered for, just to avoid overlap or over-paying.

Typical add-ons to consider are those things that are infrequent, but prohibitively expensive to recover from. Landslides, flooding in areas that aren't flood prone, hail damage, and certain events that normally qualify as an "Act of God" fall into this classification. You can also look at increasing your existing coverage for certain other qualifying events that your insurance already covers, such as burglary or storms, in the event that your circumstances change.

Protecting Yourself on the Road

Add-ons for your car insurance almost always include additional services rather than varied coverage options. Even basic car insurance covers collision, injury and theft of the vehicle, but there are ways to expand the coverage on your car to help further reduce your financial risk. Don't limit yourself to simply increasing your collision or liability insurance when you're looking for greater total coverage.

Consider adding burglary protections to your auto insurance, in case someone breaks into your car and steals items from inside rather than the whole car. Like homeowner's insurance, most auto policies don't cover flood damage normally, so consider adding that to your policy. You can also look at increasing the benefit you receive in the event of a total loss, such as replacing your car with a newer equivalent model.

When shopping around for increased coverage on either your home or your auto insurance, working with a broker who knows you is a good place to start. Not only will they already have some idea of your needs, but many carriers offer discounts for multiple lines of insurance on a single policy. This will allow you to get the additional coverage options you want without paying quite as much as if you'd carried two policies.

To learn more, contact a home and auto insurance agency like Keyes Insurance Services Inc.