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.

What underlying limits do Georgia carriers require before writing an umbrella?

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Quick answer: Most carriers require qualifying underlying limits before an umbrella attaches, often around 250/500 on auto and $300,000 liability on homeowners. Georgia's state auto minimum of 25/50/25 (O.C.G.A. 33-34-4) usually falls short, so those limits are raised first.

Most carriers require specific underlying limits on auto and homeowners policies before they will issue a personal umbrella. "Underlying limits" are the liability limits carried on the policies sitting beneath the umbrella, typically auto and homeowners insurance. A common requirement is around 250/500 on auto liability ($250,000 per person, $500,000 per accident) and $300,000 in liability coverage on a homeowners policy, though the exact figures vary by carrier.

Georgia's state minimum auto liability limit is 25/50/25 under O.C.G.A. 33-34-4 ($25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage). That minimum sits well below what carriers typically require before attaching an umbrella, so a driver carrying only the state minimum usually has to raise auto liability limits first.

The reason carriers set a minimum underlying limit is that an umbrella is designed to pay after the underlying policy's limit is exhausted, not to fill a large gap left by a thin underlying policy. If the underlying limit is too low relative to the umbrella limit, the carrier is exposed to paying claims closer to the ground instead of only the excess layer the umbrella was priced for.

For example, a homeowner wants a $1 million umbrella but carries only $100,000 in liability on their homeowners policy, below a $300,000 threshold set by the carrier. Before the umbrella can be issued, the homeowners liability limit typically needs to move up to at least $300,000. Once that underlying limit is in place, the umbrella attaches above it and responds to a covered claim once the $300,000 is used up.

These thresholds are not set by Georgia law; they are underwriting requirements each carrier sets on its own umbrella product, which is also why required underlying limits differ from one carrier to another. A household with multiple vehicles, a boat, or rental property may face different underlying requirements depending on what other exposures the umbrella needs to sit above.

A coverage review can check current auto and homeowners limits against a specific carrier's underlying requirements before an umbrella application goes in. General background on excess liability coverage is on the umbrella insurance page and the Georgia umbrella insurance page, and related coverage detail is on the auto insurance and homeowners insurance pages. For background on why Georgia does not mandate umbrella coverage itself, see does Georgia require umbrella insurance.