Why does my policy have more than one deductible?

A policy commonly carries a flat deductible for most claims and a separate percentage-based wind and hail deductible in storm-exposed states like Georgia.

Does my own insurance cover me when I stay in an Airbnb or VRBO?

The host's short-term rental policy protects the host, not you. As an Airbnb or VRBO guest, your own homeowners or renters insurance usually covers your belongings and personal liability away from home, within policy limits, while travel insurance covers trip-specific risks neither the host nor your home policy will.

Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?

No. Standard homeowners policies exclude all flood damage regardless of cause.

What does uninsured motorist coverage do?

If you are hit by a driver with no insurance or not enough insurance, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills.

When do we use Selective for flood coverage versus NFIP?

Selective private flood wins for Zone X and moderate AE properties where it beats NFIP on price and offers higher limits with ALE coverage.

How long does my insurer have to respond to an identity theft claim in Georgia?

All FAQs

Quick answer: Under Georgia's Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act (O.C.G.A. 33-6-30 to 37), your insurer must acknowledge your claim within 15 days and, for most first-party claims, affirm or deny within 30 days of the report when proof of loss is not required.

Georgia insurers work under fixed deadlines when a policyholder files an identity theft claim, and those deadlines come from state law, not from each carrier's own policy language. Under Georgia's Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act (O.C.G.A. 33-6-30 to 33-6-37), an insurer must acknowledge receipt of a claim within 15 days. For most first-party claims (claims filed on your own policy, as opposed to a claim against someone else's policy), the insurer must affirm or deny the claim within 30 days of the report, as long as proof of loss is not required first.

These deadlines exist because identity theft cleanup runs on its own clock: creditors set dispute windows, credit bureaus set investigation periods, and a slow-moving insurer can leave a policyholder covering costs out of pocket while paperwork sits untouched. The 15-day and 30-day marks give a policyholder a concrete point to escalate if nothing has happened.

For example, a Decatur policyholder who mails a claim form on June 1 for notary and mailing costs tied to a fraud cleanup should receive written acknowledgment by June 16. If the carrier already has what it needs to decide the claim (documentation of the expenses, a copy of the police report, the affidavit from IdentityTheft.gov) and proof of loss is not a separate requirement under the policy, a decision to pay or deny is due by roughly July 1.

These timelines can extend when the insurer needs more information, since claims requiring proof of loss run on a different clock, and complex claims involving multiple accounts or disputed facts can take longer to investigate even within the law's boundaries. The deadlines set a floor for insurer responsiveness, not a guarantee of a same-day answer.

If a carrier misses these deadlines or denies a claim a policyholder believes is covered, what you can do if a Georgia carrier refuses a covered identity theft claim covers the next steps, including the bad-faith penalty provisions under O.C.G.A. 33-4-6. For background on what identity theft coverage actually pays for versus what a bank or card issuer covers, see does identity theft insurance pay back stolen money in Georgia. Olive Cover works with multiple carriers, and a coverage review can walk through how a specific policy's claims process works before a claim is ever filed.