Valuable Articles Insurance

Many assume high-value items are fully covered under a standard homeowners policy — but that's often not the case. Standard policies impose low sub-limits and exclusions that leave you underinsured.

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Protecting your treasures is where we step in. Many assume high-value items are fully covered under a standard homeowners policy - but that's often not the case. Valuable possessions insurance ensures you're covered in the event of theft, accidental damage, or natural disasters. Valuable possessions insurance bridges this gap by providing tailored coverage designed specifically for your prized items.

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Homeowners Policy Limitations

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There is a common pitfall in standard homeowners insurance: while it provides broad protection for your home and personal property, it often includes strict limitations that can leave high-value or treasured items significantly underinsured.

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Standard policies typically impose low sub-limits—for example, $1,000 to $5,000 total (or sometimes per category) for jewelry in the event of theft—and may exclude or limit coverage for issues like breakage of fragile items such as china or crystal, mysterious disappearance (e.g., items lost or misplaced without explanation), mysterious loss, or certain specific perils. This means valuables like fine jewelry, artwork, collectibles, antiques, or other prized possessions could result in substantial out-of-pocket expenses or no payout at all if a claim exceeds those caps or falls into an excluded category.

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Personal Articles Floater

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In cases where there may be some gaps in insurance coverage, Duncan recommends specialized options like a Personal Articles Floater (also known as scheduled personal property coverage or valuable possessions insurance). This endorsement provides all-risk, worldwide coverage for individually listed (scheduled) items, meaning it protects against a wide range of losses—including theft, accidental damage, mysterious disappearance, and more—regardless of location. Coverage is based on an agreed value, typically determined from a recent appraisal or bill of sale, so there's no depreciation applied; you recover the full agreed amount in a covered loss.

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Blanket Coverage

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For those with collections rather than individual standout pieces, blanket coverage offers an alternative approach. This provides a higher overall limit for an entire category (e.g., your full jewelry collection or fine art holdings) without the need to schedule and appraise each item separately. It still delivers broader protection than a standard policy—often with all-risk terms and agreed or replacement value—but offers flexibility for grouped valuables while simplifying the process and potentially reducing administrative hassle.