Scheduled Personal Property: Why Your Ring May Only Be Covered for a Fraction of Its Value
Homeowners and renters policies often cap theft coverage on jewelry, watches, and other valuables. Scheduling an item lists it separately at an agreed value. Here is how sub-limits and scheduling work.
Many people assume their homeowners or renters policy covers everything they own up to the personal property limit. For most belongings, that's roughly right. For certain valuable categories, it often isn't, because policies apply special limits, also called sub-limits.
Sub-limits
A typical policy might cover your belongings up to a large overall amount, while capping specific categories at much lower amounts, often only for certain types of loss such as theft. Categories that commonly carry sub-limits include:
- jewelry, watches, and furs
- cash and coins
- firearms
- silverware and goldware
- securities and documents
- collectibles, stamps, and trading cards
The exact categories and amounts depend on your policy form and are listed in the special limits section.
An example
A hypothetical renters policy has a $40,000 personal property limit and a $1,500 theft sub-limit for jewelry. An engagement ring worth $12,000 is stolen.
Show the numbers behind this chart
| Covered amount | |
|---|---|
| Unscheduled (sub-limit $1,500) | $1,500 |
| Scheduled at $12,000 | $12,000 |
What scheduling does
Scheduling (also called a personal articles floater or rider, depending on the insurer) lists a specific item with a stated value. Common features:
- Coverage at the listed value, rather than the sub-limit.
- Broader causes of loss, often including mysterious disappearance, such as a stone falling out of its setting, which a base policy may not cover.
- Often no deductible, or a small one.
- Worldwide coverage in many cases.
How a scheduled item is paid also varies. Some coverage pays the scheduled amount; other forms pay the lesser of the scheduled amount or the cost to repair or replace. Ask how a claim would be settled.
What you'll usually need
- A recent appraisal or receipt showing value.
- Photos and identifying details, such as stone certificates or serial numbers.
- Periodic updates. Values change, and an outdated schedule can leave you underinsured.
Is it worth it?
The added premium depends on the item, its value, where you live, and how it's stored. A reasonable test: if losing the item would be a financial loss you couldn't comfortably absorb, check the sub-limit and get a price for scheduling it.
The takeaway
Your policy's overall personal property limit doesn't apply equally to everything. Jewelry, watches, collectibles, and other valuables often have much lower sub-limits for theft and some other losses. Read the special limits section, and schedule items worth more than those limits if their loss would hurt.
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