Guides
Guides answers, checked against real typical policy wording
Plain-English answers to the questions policyholders worldwide actually ask.
Claim denied? Appeal it.
Insurance Claim Appeal Letter: Free Template + How to Write One
Copy-paste appeal letter template for a denied insurance claim, plus the exact wording, evidence and policy citations that get denials overturned.
Read answerWhere do I even start?
How to Check What Your Insurance Actually Covers
Step-by-step: find your policy documents, read the schedule, spot exclusions and limits, and confirm whether a claim will be paid — in under 10 minutes.
Read answerWhat ISN'T covered?
10 Common Home Insurance Exclusions You Need to Know
Gradual damage, lack of maintenance, earth movement — the 10 exclusions that cause most rejected home insurance claims. Check yours in 60 seconds.
Read answerOwe more than the car is worth?
Gap Insurance Explained (US)
Gap insurance pays the difference between your car's ACV and the loan balance after a total loss. Essential for financed cars in the first 2–3 years.
Read answerFiling a small claim can cost more than the repair.
Should I File a Home Insurance Claim? (2026 Decision Guide)
Work out whether filing is worth it: deductible math, premium impact, claim-record effects, and the losses you should always report.
Read answerAdjuster mentioned depreciation?
Replacement Cost vs Actual Cash Value (Home Insurance, US)
RCV pays what it costs to replace new. ACV subtracts depreciation. On a 20-year-old roof, the gap can be 60%.
Read answerWhat can AI actually tell you about your policy?
How AI Policy Review Works (And Its Limits) (2026)
AI can read a 60-page policy in seconds and find the clauses that decide your claim. Here's what it does well and where it stops.
Read answerOne page decides every claim.
How to Read Your Insurance Declarations Page (2026)
The dec page is the one document that decides your claim. Here's what each line means and the five figures that matter most.
Read answerInsurer cited CIDRA?
What is CIDRA 2012? (UK Consumer Insurance Law)
The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act protects honest mistakes. Know your rights before accepting a voidance.
Read answerState minimums are not a recommendation.
How Much Liability Coverage Do You Actually Need? (2026)
State minimums are far below what a serious claim costs. Here's how to size home and auto liability against your real exposure.
Read answerSome claims cost more than they pay.
When You Should NOT File an Insurance Claim (2026)
A small claim can cost more than it pays once renewal increases and non-renewal risk are counted. Here's the break-even test.
Read answerWhich one pays?
Buildings vs Contents Insurance (UK)
Buildings = structure and fixtures. Contents = anything you'd take when moving. See what falls between the two.
Read answerBank charged you for insurance?
Force-Placed Insurance Explained (US)
Lender-placed insurance costs 3–10× normal home insurance and covers the lender, not you. Prove your policy is active to remove it.
Read answerWhat is excess?
What is Insurance Excess? (UK Explained)
Compulsory + voluntary excess explained, plus the perils with their own excess (escape of water, subsidence). UK plain English.
Read answerLive in a flood risk area?
What is Flood Re? (UK Flood Cover Scheme)
Flood Re backs UK home insurance for high-risk properties. See who qualifies and what stays excluded.
Read answerConfused by policy forms?
HO-3 vs HO-5 Homeowners Insurance (US)
HO-3 covers structure open-perils and contents named-perils. HO-5 covers both open-perils. See who should upgrade.
Read answerNot sure of the right limit?
How Much Dwelling Coverage Do I Need? (US)
Dwelling limit = rebuild cost, not market value or purchase price. Underinsurance triggers coinsurance penalty.
Read answerDropped by your carrier?
What is a FAIR Plan? (US Insurer of Last Resort)
State FAIR Plans cover fire-only when private insurers decline. Pair with a DIC wraparound for full protection.
Read answerHouse uninhabitable after a claim?
Additional Living Expense (ALE) Explained (US)
ALE pays hotel, meals, and pet boarding when a covered loss makes home unlivable. Cap: usually 20% of dwelling.
Read answerConfused by 'excess'?
What Is an Insurance Excess? (And How to Set Yours)
Insurance excess explained in plain English — compulsory vs voluntary, how it affects premium, and how to pick the right level.
Read answerShould you even file?
How Insurance Claims Affect Your Premium
Not all claims hit your premium equally. See the math before you file — PolicyPal estimates the impact.
Read answerSum insured confusing?
Rebuild Cost vs Market Value (UK Buildings Insurance)
Sum insured should equal rebuild cost — usually 50–70% of market value. Use the ABI calculator to avoid underinsurance.
Read answerEnough liability coverage?
How Much Personal Liability Coverage Do You Need? (US)
Standard $100k is often too low. $300k–$500k costs $10–$30/year more; umbrella $1M costs $150–$300.
Read answerLending or borrowing a car?
Does Auto Insurance Follow the Car or the Driver? (US)
Primarily the car. Owner's policy pays first when a permitted driver is at fault; driver's policy is secondary.
Read answerTotalled and still owing thousands?
Is Gap Insurance Worth It? (2026)
Gap insurance pays the difference between your loan balance and the car's value after a total loss. Here's when it pays for itself.
Read answerWhat's a deductible?
What Is an Insurance Deductible? (Plain English)
Your deductible is what you pay first on any claim. See how it changes premium and how to pick the right level.
Read answerWorried claims will follow you?
What is the CUE Insurance Database? (UK)
Claims and Underwriting Exchange holds 5 years of your UK insurance history. See how it affects renewals.
Read answerCourt ordered SR-22?
SR-22 Insurance Explained (US)
SR-22 isn't insurance — it's a state filing proving you carry liability. Required 3 years after DUI, uninsured accident, or license suspension.
Read answerGot a notice from your insurer?
Cancellation vs Non-Renewal (Insurance, US)
Cancellation is mid-term termination — usually only for fraud or non-payment. Non-renewal declines you at term end — no reason required in most states.
Read answerOlder home?
Ordinance or Law Coverage Explained (US)
Building codes have changed since your home was built — Ordinance or Law pays the upgrade cost.
Read answerHouse uninhabitable after a claim?
What is Loss of Use Coverage? (US Coverage D)
Coverage D pays additional living expenses when your home is uninhabitable after a covered loss. Usually 20–30% of dwelling.
Read answerQuoted an HO-2 policy?
HO-2 vs HO-3 Home Insurance (US)
HO-3 is 'open perils' on dwelling — covers everything except exclusions. HO-2 is 'named perils' — covers only listed causes.
Read answerYour policy is priced for who you were.
Life Events That Should Trigger an Insurance Review (2026)
Marriage, a new baby, a home office, a teen driver — each changes your cover needs and most people never update the policy.
Read answerACV or RC?
Actual Cash Value vs Replacement Cost
ACV pays depreciated value, RC pays new-for-old. The difference can be 50% of your payout. Check yours in 60 seconds.
Read answerThe words that decide your payout.
Insurance Terms Explained in Plain English (2026)
Subrogation, coinsurance, sublimit, endorsement, peril. The 20 terms that decide claims, translated without jargon.
Read answerAgent recommending an endorsement?
What Is an Insurance Endorsement or Rider? (US)
Endorsements modify policy language mid-term. Common ones: scheduled personal property, water backup, service line, ordinance/law.
Read answerGuest got hurt at your home?
What is Medical Payments Coverage on Home Insurance? (US)
Coverage F pays $1k–$5k of guest medical bills no-fault. Small goodwill payment that often prevents lawsuits.
Read answerInsurer says only HO-8 for your historic home?
HO-8 for Older Homes Explained (US)
For homes where replacement cost exceeds market value. Pays ACV on repair basis. Cheaper — but big claim gap on total loss.
Read answerOpen or named?
Open Perils vs Named Perils: What's the Difference?
Open perils cover everything not excluded; named perils only what's listed. The wording your policy uses matters.
Read answerClient requiring 'additional insured'?
Named Insured vs Additional Insured (US)
Named insureds are policy holders with full rights. Additional insureds get liability defense only, for their exposure from your work.
Read answerIt's a filing, not a policy.
What Is SR-22 Insurance? (2026)
An SR-22 is not insurance — it's a certificate proving you carry it. Here's what triggers one, what it costs, and how long it lasts.
Read answerDecoding your policy?
Insurance Policy Glossary (Plain English)
Endorsement, rider, subrogation, indemnity — the terms in your policy decoded in plain English.
Read answerYour policy is the only source of truth
Get a precise answer for your exact policy
Generic answers don't pay claims. PolicyPal reads your policy wording in seconds and tells you, in one sentence, whether you're covered.