How it Works
Homeowners insurance policies offer actual cash value or replacement cost coverage to replace your damaged, stolen, or destroyed personal property.
• Replacement cost is what you would pay for the item at today’s cost.
• Actual cash value is what you would pay for a similar item at today’s cost minus depreciation (replacement cost minus depreciation).
• Depreciation is a decrease in value due to wear and tear or age.
Claim Scenario
Your home and some furnishings were damaged during a recent wildfire. You made a claim to your insurance company and have met your deductible. Now you are looking at replacing the damaged furnishings. Last year, you bought a sofa for your living room for $2,000. The amount of money you will receive to replace your sofa depends on the type of coverage you have.
• If you have actual cash value coverage, the company might pay you $1,500 because that is the actual cash value of the sofa today (replacement cost minus depreciation).
• If you have replacement cost coverage, the company will pay $2,100 because that is what it would cost to buy a similar sofa today
Note: If you have replacement cost coverage, most insurance companies will give you the actual cash value of an item and require you to submit a receipt for the new item before paying you the remainder.
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