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The last few years have seen consumers grow more conscious of what their home insurance policies do and don't cover, and what they can do to improve their protection in a number of situations. However, this increased knowledge isn't universal, and therefore may lead some to be extremely wary of offers for new coverage. To help fill in these potential knowledge gaps, it might be wise for insurance agents to discuss plans and potential issues they might face that could end up impacting their coverage costs and policies overall.

In the last few weeks, a large number of homeowners in the area around Lancaster, Penn., have been receiving flyers in the mail marketing home insurance that specially - and exclusively - covers the water lines that run into consumers' homes, according to a report from Lancaster television station WGAL. The coverage is relatively inexpensive at between $50 and $95 per year, but experts caution that it's not likely to do most people much good.

Why are these plans problematic?
For one thing, these water pipes are generally covered under normal aspects of home insurance except in extreme circumstances, the report said. For this reason, the added expense of the new policies isn't really necessary. But beyond that, the fine print in the mailing makes it clear, at least to those with an understanding of how the insurance process works, that these policies specifically do not cover most things that would end up damaging the pipes in the first place, including acts of god, poor construction or maintenance, and pre-existing conditions. Consequently, even those whose home insurance policies don't cover their water pipes at present should talk to their existing agents, because they can probably add them to the current plans relatively cheaply and easily.

The more that insurance agents can do to make sure their clients fully understand the ins and outs of coverage, the better off both parties are likely to be going forward. For clients, the added certainty that they're fully protected from the biggest risks they face is key, and for agents the improved communications could lead to higher customer satisfaction ratings. Many surveys have shown that consumers tend to rate a good relationship with their agents as being more important than those workers simply being able to provide them with the occasional discounts on their policies. That, in turn, will likely translate to increased client retention rates.

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