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Nationwide, millions of homeowners may have to file insurance claims if their houses suffer some kind of damage, be it for fire, flooding, or some other kind of natural disaster. Doing so might not always be easy, however, because they often don't have an up-to-date accounting of all the items which they may have in their homes. For this reason, insurance agents may want to do a little more to encourage clients to take some time after the holiday season to take photos that can then be used to provide proof of ownership in the event of a problem.

During the holiday season, parents may like to document all the presents their kids unwrapped, but they might not do enough in this regard for the more expensive presents they tend to give and receive themselves, according to a report from Greensboro, North Carolina, television station WFMY. For this reason, if items are damaged in an accident that leads to a home insurance claim, they might not be able to get the money from their insurers to replace them.

What can be done?
In general, experts say that every once in a while, homeowners should go through their houses with a camera, either video or still, and document all the items they have in it, the report said. This way, there can be no confusion or ambiguity about what they will be able to claim, and this may also help their insurance companies to expedite payments for those claims. The more recent the video, the more complete the accounting of what's on the premises. This kind of documentation may also be helpful in the event of a break-in, so that police will know exactly what they might be looking for.

Insurance agents who can explain the necessity of such action may be able to go a long way toward making people feel more secure about their financial situations and their insurance policies overall. The reason for this is that many consumers actually tend to prefer a strong relationship with their agent through high-quality customer service, even over the ability of that professional to help them cut some of the costs of their coverage. Those agents who can strike a balance between these two ideals will likely be the ones with the highest customer satisfaction ratings and retention rates.

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