European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 5, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I there Are a Lew ways valuables can be protected -1 from these limits. An endorsement allows you to raise the limit in any category by paying a higher Premium. A typical endorsement on silverware May Cost $5 for $1,000 of increased coverage while an endorsement on jewelry might Cost $20 Tor a $1,000 increase but there Are limits on the amount of added coverage that can be i Andoci through an endorsement. Another alternative is to insure valuables on a separate policy called a personal articles Floater. For p roughly the same Price As an endorsement a Floater provides a specific amount of insurance for each object on an me mired basis guaranteeing full replacement 1 value and eliminating deductibles. I floaters also provide All risk coverage which can be costly if purchased separately. The system works i like this Standard personal property policies Are written on a named peril basis which Means the insurance i company will provide reimbursement Only when the f Type of loss is titled in the policy. Perils like lire and Thelt Are listed but others like accidental breakage or mysterious disappearance Are not. If the loss is Litany is limited caused by an unnamed peril the reimbursement would be Zero without All risk coverage. If someone Puls a cigarette out on an antique chair thai would t be covered without a  Fitzpatrick said. If your Pel damages your persian Rug unless you have a Floater you won t get  the All risk coverage of a Floater will also eliminate Tho need to prove theft which is often difficult under the guidelines set by insurance companies. For instance a valuable ring Toft on a restaurant Washbasin might not be covered under a Standard policy. But with a Floater the ring would be protected. Since coverages provided on an item by hem basis companies usually require that applications for floaters be supported by sales slips or in some cases professional appraisals. For this reason according to Edward held Tho underwriting manager for the alls Lale insurance co s new York regional office if there Are Many items to be insured but none Are of exceptional value or in items in the collection � re bought and sold frequently the blanked coverage provided by an endorsement May be what they lost and the condition it was in. We process so Many claims it is not possible to personally investigate each one " she advises keeping receipts of valuables in a fire proof Strongbox. When making a move Don t pack the receipts with household goods carry them separately she says. Photos also can to used As proof Zajac advises taking pictures room by room of your household goods before a move she says she has Learned that some people Are now making video documentaries of everything in their Homes including the contents of the closets. They carry the Lape with them and ii there is a loss they just pop it into a to and say look i had this stuff and this was the condition in was in " most of the claims filed by service members Are the result of damage or loss during a move or theft. You May feel secure about your computer when it is. In your Home never thinking it will to stolen Pul it in a Box labelled computer handle with care and Send it Olf i on an inter National move involving a number of different carriers and it becomes easy prey. I the maximum amount we can pay for a computer i plus All the accessories including Printer is 12,500. That generally does t cover the loss she says. J the same is True of video equipment. Five years ago i when the maximum claim amount of $1,000 an item Andi whim m Ciai Ai behold $2,500 per claim was Sal video was l such a big thing. Today people have extensive equipment including cameras alone that can Cost More. Pre move planning can save you a lot of Money on the other end Zajac says. This Means that you must be on your toes and assertive when the Carrier comes to pack up your goods. Don t leave the Job to your elderly Molher in Law who is jus going to sit there and Walch them  she says you must be aware that the Carrier s interests arc not yours. He wants to protect himself Iron paying full value when a claim for damage or loss is made by the government against the company. The Serviceman must be Able to show that his household goods were in Good condition. As mentioned he can do that by photographs. He also can Lake Exco lion right on the inventory As to scratches Mars or Nicks which the Carrier Wili list As pre existing damages. For loss or damage resulting from an overseas move 70 Days Are allowed for filing a notice of claim. This is a form that tells Tho jag office that a claim will be coming. Without this notice the military cannot collect from the Carrier. After the notice is filed two years Are allowed from the Date of delivery to file the actual claim. Since there is no Way to increase the coverage granted free under the military personnel and civilian employees claims act it is a Good idea to look into private insurance it you Leal you Are not covered. It can be obtained from a number of american firms with items i five percent depreciation per year so percent i maximum. Maximum payment is $1,500 per item 13,000 per claim for a sectional sofa or a dining room i table and chair set or Schrank. This category includes i antique furniture. If the furniture is an antique no depreciation is taken. Each Wall unit Section is considered one item. The 11,500 per item limit includes water bed frames and i other parts no depreciation is applied to expensive solid Wood furniture such As leak Cherry Rosewood i Walnut Oak Etc. Do not confuse solid Wood with finishes stains or veneers. Fura live percent depreciation per year 40 percent maximum maximum payt t is $1,000 per Ilem  per claim. Expensive jewelry More than $100 per item no depreciation maximum payment $750 per item $2,000 per claim. Objects of Art sculpture figurines Etc no Fere Calion maximum payment j500 per item. $1.500 per claim. Paintings and pictures including  hand reproduced pictures etchings j8j- photographic portraits lithographic prints Etc., 10 percent Hal depreciation Rale maximum $500 payment per item $1,500 per claim. No depreciation will be taken on paintings having a value in excess of $500 each. Photographic equipment cameras projectors Lens screens Etc costing More than $100, five percent depreciation per year maximum $2,000 per claim for All photographic equipment and accessories. Rugs costing $1.000 or More two percent depreciation. 75 percent maximum maximum payment $1.500 per Ilem $3,000 per claim. Silverware and Sitver plate and stainless steel flatware and holloware including Pewter. Copper Wara and Bronze Ware five percent depreciation per year 75 percent maximum maximum payment $2,000 per claim. Stereo items and All accessories five percent depreciation per year. 75 percent maximum. Maximum payment $750 per Ilem. $2,500 per claim. The maximum claim includes dust covers speakers amplifier tape recorders turntables Etc. Tools All types not left in vehicle or shipment for both manual and Power five percent depreciation per year so percent maximum depreciation for manual Toots 75 percent for Power tools maximum payment More convenient than a Floater. Unlike automobile insurance the frequency of claims does not affect the premiums for personal property coverage. But if the insurance company can prove excessive loss due to owner negligence in May decline o renew a policy while there is no prescribed frequency Tor updating policies insurance experts recommend that no policy go beyond three years Wilhour updating. Most important updated coverage should reflect changes due to acquisition inflation and depreciation. For this reason a careful inventory is indispensable and a professional appraisal May be necessary. The consumer should be aware that insurance is not a pure commodity that you simply buy and have Fitzpatrick said. Price is important bul the Best Way to go about insuring yourself is not to ask How much?1 but to say this is what i have " Consumers should be aware of the reductions in premiums offered by most companies. Premiums can be lowered by up to 40 percent by choosing higher deductibles and by installing Deadbolt locks smoke alarms and burglar alarms. Offices overseas you Musl insure your total household goods under these policies. There is be Way to insure just a couple of items. Generally service members prefer the one year contracts offered by the american firms to the Long term contracts often demanded by foreign companies. In Germany for example most household insurance contracts Are from five to 10 years. If you Are planning to take out private insurance to cover a move Back to the United states you should Slart comparative shopping Well in Advance. Some companies will not provide such insurance unless the service member has at least two months remaining in Europe. Other companies Only provide insurance to higher ranks a list of insurance companies that Olfer such service often can be of Blarney from the local Field claims Ollice. It is pointed out however that the compans listed Are in no Way endorsed or recommended by the military. In opting for private insurance it is Good to keep in mind the difference Between a Homeowner s policy and a household goods policy. A Homeowner s policy pays limited amounts for losses sustained during a move. A household goods policy normally will not have such limitations and therefore affords better protect icon at Tho time of the move. Both types of policies will provide coverage Only for missing or water damaged items and Lor items damaged by lire or Irun collision during a move. They will not cover other types of damage. $1,500 per claim. For tools shipped in vehicle there is a maximum depreciation of 50 percent and a maximum payment of $100 per claim. For empty tool boxes or chests there is a maximum of 75 percent depreciation and a maximum payment of $250 per claim. The payment includes loss in quarters Elc also allowable for payment Are those types of tools generally locked in a private automobile trunk which Are reasonable useful or proper for emergency Road repair. Such tools also Are considered proper for shipment in a car. Included Are emergency equipment flares Tow rope gallery jumper cables trouble lights fire extinguisher first Aid kit Etc exceptions May be made As to the amounts and types of tools in such overseas areas where Auto tools Are nol readily available or if the claimant is not authorized a household goods shipment video recorders video cameras and accessory equipment live percent depreciation per year $75 maximum depreciation. Maximum payment $1,000 per item $42,500 per claim. Accessory equipment for the video recorder and video camera is included in the maximum allowable per aim. . The stars and stripes Page 15