When budgets get tight, it’s natural for homeowners and drivers to look for ways to lower their monthly expenses. One of the first places people turn is their insurance policy, specifically by reducing their coverage to shrink the premium. But while lowering coverage may save a few dollars today, it can create massive financial exposure at the exact moment you need insurance the most. At Mt. Franklin Insurance, we regularly help clients understand the real risks behind “minimum limits” coverage and why it’s often the most expensive mistake a policyholder can make. Why Minimum Auto Liability Coverage Isn’t Enough Across Texas and neighboring states like New Mexico state-required auto liability limits are surprisingly low. On paper, they meet legal requirements but in reality, they may not even cover a minor fender-bender. For example: That means you could purchase a policy, pay every monthly premium, and still face thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid damages. At Mt. Franklin Insurance, we don’t sell minimum-limit auto policies for this very reason. If a claim occurs, our priority is making sure you and your family are protected. The Hidden Danger of Lowering Your Home Insurance Coverage Homeowners face a similar temptation: lowering their home’s insured value to reduce the annual premium. While it may look harmless on the surface, this move carries two serious risks: 1. You may not have enough coverage to rebuild your home. If a fire, storm, or major loss occurs and your coverage is too low, the payout may not be enough to repair or rebuild the damaged structure. 2. Co-insurance penalties can reduce claim payouts even further. Most home insurance policies include a co-insurance clause, which requires you to insure your home at a certain percentage of its true rebuild cost, often 80% to 100%. If your insured value is reduced below that threshold: This is why rebuild value, not market value, is the foundation of a properly structured home insurance policy. Mt. Franklin Insurance: Expert advice for the right insurance policy. Insurance exists to protect you, not to meet the bare minimum legal requirement. A policy that fails you during a claim isn’t a deal…it’s a liability. Mt. Franklin Insurance has decades of experience reviewing liability limits, home values, and policy structures to make sure clients have the coverage they truly need. We don’t believe in selling the cheapest policy.  We believe in selling the right policy, the one that keeps you, your family, and your assets protected when life happens.

The Hidden Risk of Low Insurance Limits: Why Cutting Coverage Can Cost You More

When budgets get tight, it’s natural for homeowners and drivers to look for ways to lower their monthly expenses. One of the first places people turn is their insurance policy, specifically by reducing their coverage to shrink the premium. But while lowering coverage may save a few dollars today, it can create massive financial exposure … Read more

December 1, 2025

Insights from Both Sides of the Exam Room-The Essential Insurance Every Medical Practice Needs

Running a medical practice means juggling more than just patient care. Behind every successful clinic, urgent care, or specialist office lies a complex web of risks, from regulatory compliance and data privacy to malpractice exposure and property loss. As both a licensed insurance professional and a medical doctor, I’ve seen firsthand how overlooked coverage gaps … Read more

November 7, 2025

Umbrella Insurance-The cheapest way to buy insurance.

Umbrella coverage is widely misunderstood and, dollar for dollar, is the most cost-effective ways to protect your business. Too many companies skip it or underbuy it, and that’s a miss in today’s economy. What an umbrella actually does (in plain English): First, it boosts your limits. An umbrella sits on top of your General Liability, … Read more

October 3, 2025

Are Your Valuables Really Covered? Here’s What Your Homeowner’s Policy Might Miss

A standard homeowner’s policy that protects the value of your home and personal effects is not well structured to cover valuable items like jewelry, artwork, precious metals, and other similar pieces.  Standard policies do a great job of covering general mass-produced items like clothing, furniture, and electronics.  However precious and high-cost property needs its own … Read more

August 1, 2025

Telematic devices can drive business insurance costs down!

Telematic platforms, also known as Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) allow business owners to monitor their drivers, vehicles, and operations.  Typically, “telematics” are a piece of technology involves installing a small plug-in device into the onboard diagnostics port (OBD) that every modern vehicle has.  These small devices gather data about that vehicle and relay it to the … Read more

June 1, 2025

Understanding CCIPs and OCIPs: A Strategic Approach to Managing Risk in Large Construction Projects

Construction projects typically involve multiple layers of participants.  A developer (or owner) hires a general contractor (GC).  In turn, the GC hires a collection of subcontractors.  As projects grow, sometimes subcontractors even hire additional specialists to support them.  This leads to a cascade of companies, each contributing their own work to an overall project. From … Read more

April 12, 2025

Blog - Expanding HQ

Mt. Franklin Insurance Expands El Paso Headquarters

Growing to Serve You Better – Locally-Owned, Locally-Operated We are excited to share a significant milestone in our journey—expanding our headquarters located in El Paso, Texas at 1444 Montana Ave. This growth reflects our commitment to providing exceptional, local service to our clients while supporting our expanding team and operations. For years, we have proudly … Read more

March 27, 2025

Why Offering Health Benefits is a Wise Business Decision in 2025

After working with thousands of businesses, I’ve seen firsthand how a well-structured employee health benefits package can significantly impact a company’s bottom line and reputation. In today’s competitive landscape, offering health benefits is no longer just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity.  Every business I meet with tells me about the importance of having a great … Read more

November 3, 2024

Short Term Rental coverage

Navigating an Insurance Minefield: Protecting Your Short-Term Rental

Amongst the many gripes that exist about the Insurance Industry, its glacially slow response to changes in our economy ranks high. The capital markets quickly veer to accommodate new products and processes.  However, the ability for insurance carriers to model products and forecast losses, so they can create premiums always lags. Within the modern “gig” … Read more

September 1, 2024

Water Damage – Are You Covered?

“Am I covered if water gets in my house?” is a common question I get from homeowners who are purchasing insurance.  As in most situations with insurance, the answer is “It depends.”  There are multiple different sources of water and, although each can be insured, a combination of policies are required to ensure all forms … Read more

August 8, 2022

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