Your client has been renting a house and carries a Tenants Comprehensive policy through your office. They are getting married soon and has just bought a house into which they will soon move. Which of the following actions should you NOT do?
A.
Endorse their Tenants policy to show the new address and add building coverage in the amount of the purchase price of the house.
B.
Use a Home Calculator to estimate the replacement cost of the house.
C.
Check into the security arrangements in the house as it may affect the premium to be charged.
D.
Cancel their Tenant policy and re-write their insurance as a Homeowners policy.
This question explores the Consulting and Advising and Risk Identification and Assessment competencies. When a client transitions from renting to owning, the nature of the risk changes fundamentally, moving from a "Contents only" exposure to a "Building and Contents" exposure.
Under the RIBO Level 1 Blueprint, a broker must understand the difference between Purchase Price and Replacement Cost. Using the purchase price (Option A) as the limit for building coverage is a major professional error. Purchase price includes the value of the land, which is not insurable against fire or wind, while the "Replacement Cost" is the actual cost of labor and materials required to rebuild the structure. Insuring for the purchase price could lead to significant over-insurance (wasted premium) or under-insurance (if the rebuilding cost exceeds the market value).
The correct approach involves using a specialized Home Replacement Cost Calculator (Option B) to determine the "amount of insurance" required. Furthermore, a Tenants policy (which is designed for non-owners) is structurally different from a Homeowners policy; therefore, cancelling and re-writing (Option D) is the standard administrative procedure to ensure the correct form is applied.
Checking security (Option C) is part of the Risk Classification process to ensure all eligible discounts are applied. By identifying that "Purchase Price" is an incorrect valuation metric, the broker demonstrates the Critical and Analytical Thinking needed to protect the client's financial interest. Providing accurate valuation advice is essential for Relationship Management, as it ensures the client's largest asset is properly protected according to the Principle of Indemnity.
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