The Most Important Policy You Have Never Heard Of
The Number One Claim on Homeowners Insurance Is Not What You Think.
Ask most people what home insurance is really for and they picture a house fire or a break-in.
The actual numbers tell a different story. Wind and hail is the number one cause of homeowners insurance claims in the country. Year after year, it accounts for nearly half of all claims filed, more than fire, theft, and water damage. If you file a claim on your home in your lifetime, the odds are it will be because of a storm.
Around here in Missouri, and really across the whole middle of the country, nobody needs a statistic to believe that. The sky turns green, the sirens go off, and the next morning everyone is out checking their roofs. From Texas up through Oklahoma, Kansas, and into Colorado, this stretch of the country sees more wind and hail damage than anywhere else in America.
So here is the uncomfortable part. The most likely claim you will ever file is also the one where your policy makes you pay the most out of pocket first.
The Deductible Problem.
Most homeowners assume their home insurance has storm damage fully handled. What many find out after the storm is that their policy carries a separate wind and hail deductible, often calculated as a percentage of the home’s value, and that deductible can run into the thousands.
Think about that combination. The claim you are most likely to file comes with the biggest deductible on your policy. Around us, that surprise usually lands somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000.
There is a policy built to solve exactly that problem. Most people have never heard of it.
What Wind and Hail Insurance Actually Is.
Wind and hail insurance is a standalone policy that works alongside your existing home, farm, or property insurance. It is not a replacement for your home policy. It is a layer that covers what your home policy leaves on your shoulders.
When a qualifying wind, hail, or tornado event hits your area, the policy pays out based on the intensity of the storm and the coverage amount you selected. You can use that money for your deductible, repairs, or anything else the storm left behind.
The version we offer at Bankers Agency Insurance is called Sola, and it handles claims in a way traditional insurance never has. Instead of sending an adjuster to your roof, Sola verifies the storm using National Weather Service data. The storm data confirms the event, the payout follows, and there is no deductible on the Sola policy itself.
How It Is Different From Your Home Policy.
Your home policy requires a claim, an adjuster, a deductible, and it goes on your claims record, which can affect your renewal and your rates. A Sola claim requires none of that. There is no adjuster to schedule, nothing is filed with your home insurance carrier, and it will not raise your home insurance premiums.
In some cases, a Sola payout means you never have to file a home insurance claim at all. For storm damage that lands near your deductible, that keeps your claims record clean, and a clean record is worth real money over the years.
Who Actually Needs It?
Remember the numbers this started with. Wind and hail is the most common claim in homeowners insurance. This is not coverage for a rare event. It is coverage for the most likely event.
Homeowners with percentage-based wind and hail deductibles are the obvious fit, especially with newer, higher-value homes where two percent of the insured value is a serious number. But it goes further. Farms with multiple structures. Landlords with rental properties. Mobile and manufactured homes. Vacation homes and even vacant properties. If a storm can reach it, this coverage can protect it.
Bankers Agency Insurance is based in Bolivar, Missouri, and we are licensed across the region, including Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, and Arkansas. If you own property anywhere in hail country, we can help.
Storm Season Does Not Wait. Neither Should You.
One detail worth knowing: coverage has a short waiting period after purchase, so the time to set it up is before the storm is on the radar, not when the watch is issued.
Contact Bankers Agency and we will walk you through how it works, what it costs for your property, and whether it makes sense for you. No pressure. No obligation. Always free.
📞 (417) 777-3000
📍 Bolivar, MO
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