{"id":7066,"date":"2024-10-31T21:51:01","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T21:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/how-halloween-thanksgiving-christmas-risks-affect-home-insurance\/"},"modified":"2024-10-31T21:51:01","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T21:51:01","slug":"how-halloween-thanksgiving-christmas-risks-affect-home-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/?p=7066","title":{"rendered":"How Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas risks affect home insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Solstock | E+ | Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Halloween trick-or-treaters and jack-o-lanterns can be downright scary \u2014 for your homeowners insurance policy.<\/p>\n

There is a 14% jump in homeowners insurance claims on Halloween compared to other days of the year, according to Travelers Insurance.\u00a0Theft on premises claims jump 46%.<\/p>\n

Trips or falls, thefts, fire and pet-related accidents are among the insurance perils of All Hallows’ Eve.<\/p>\n

“Not all of those types of things result in a claim, but can certainly occur throughout the night,” said Angi Orbann, vice president of property and personal insurance product management at Travelers Insurance.<\/p>\n

More from Personal Finance:<\/strong>
How to save money this holiday season with ‘slow shopping’
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Scarier yet, Halloween is just the kickoff night for some of those risks, which persist throughout the holiday season as you increase foot traffic in your house.<\/p>\n

“The two issues are fire and liability, basically,” said Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute.<\/p>\n

The average homeowners loss caused by fire and lightning costs $83,991, according <\/a>to Insurance Information Institute based on claims from 2018 to 2022. Over the same time period, the average cost of bodily injury and property damage liability claims was $31,690.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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With all the festivities that happen around Halloween and the trick-or-treaters … think about the safety of the pathways and the accessibility of your home.<\/p>\n

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Angi Orbann<\/p>\n

vice president of property and personal insurance product management at Travelers Insurance<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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How such claims affect your policy cost will depend on the number of claims you’ve made in a year, the type of issue, where you live and the extent of the damage, experts say.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Be aware that there could be a surcharge based on the claim in the following year,” Orbann said.<\/p>\n

If you haven’t yet, add these three steps to your to-do list to avoid hazards tonight and throughout the rest of the year:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>1. Minimize dangers for visitors<\/h2>\n
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Homeowners should minimize the dangers for visitors in pathways and entrances, “especially when it can be dark and it’s hard to see,” Orbann explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“With all the festivities that happen around Halloween and the trick-or-treaters, it’s important to think about the safety of the pathways and the accessibility of your home,” Orbann said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Make sure the pathways are clear and “everything is very well lit,” she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If it snows, shovel and clear your pathway so partygoers, carolers and other holiday visitors have a clear walkway, said Worters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Be mindful of other celebration-related risks. If you’re hosting a house party with alcohol involved, you may risk liability for injuries or property damage from an inebriated guest, Worters added.<\/p>\n

“If you see somebody who’s had too much to drink, don’t let them drive,” Worters said, and consider other measures like limiting alcohol and encouraging guests to use rideshares.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>2. Reduce fire risks<\/h2>\n
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Holiday decorations including light displays, Christmas trees and candles on a mantle or in a jack-o-lantern can start a fire if left unattended.<\/p>\n

“We recommend that you use LED lights or battery lights instead of live candles for safety reasons,” said Orbann.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The two issues are fire and liability, basically.<\/p>\n

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Loretta Worters<\/p>\n

spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Worters agreed: “If there’s a fire from a Christmas tree, a lot of times, you can have a total loss of a home.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you opt for a natural tree, make sure to water it properly and avoid having inflammables nearby, experts say.<\/p>\n

“Cooking fires are also the number one cause of home fires and home injuries,” said Worters.<\/p>\n

For instance, avoid using the stove if you’re too sleepy, she said. Turkey fryers \u2014 common for Thanksgiving \u2014 also “pose a lot of risks” if not used properly, she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>3. Secure your pets and belongings<\/h2>\n
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If you have a pet, make sure they’re secured on Halloween, both to protect trick-or-treaters and the pet as well, said Orbann.\u00a0The same holds true for other holiday parties and events.<\/p>\n

Insurers will have different coverage rules depending on what kind of pet you have or breed, said Worters, whether by charging more for certain breeds or no coverage at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“If the dog isn’t trained and there’s a loss or an injury, that’s going to increase your liability insurance tremendously,” Worters said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Theft can also be a higher risk around the holidays when “people are ordering a lot online and have packages delivered,” said Orbann. Think about securing your packages and perhaps installing smart home cameras or doorbells, she suggested.<\/p>\n

“You can also have a neighbor keep an eye on the house as well,” Orbann said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Solstock | E+ | Getty Images Halloween trick-or-treaters and jack-o-lanterns can be downright scary \u2014 for your homeowners insurance policy. There is a 14% jump in homeowners insurance claims on Halloween compared to other days of the year, according to Travelers Insurance.\u00a0Theft on premises claims jump 46%. Trips or falls, thefts, fire and pet-related accidents<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[196],"tags":[682,769,1849,26,292,730,1850],"class_list":{"0":"post-7066","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-finance-news","8":"tag-affect","9":"tag-christmas","10":"tag-halloween","11":"tag-home","12":"tag-insurance","13":"tag-risks","14":"tag-thanksgiving"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}