Dec 9, 2021
Shopping online may help you beat the holiday crowds, but you’ll have to deal with one added risk: that some Grinch will pinch your gifts right off your doorstep.
A full 30% of Americans say they’ve had a package plundered, according to this year’s Porch Pirate survey. That’s way up from 18% last year.
Advertisement
But many homeowners don’t realize that their trusty home insurance policy probably covers stolen or damaged goods — even if those goods never make it past their home’s threshold.
Thanks for subscribing!
The insurance clarity you've been missing.
By signing up, you accept Moneywise Terms of Use, Subscription Agreement, and Privacy Policy.
Explore all your options
Before you set up some Home Alone-style booby traps to protect your future purchases, remember that you’ve got a few other avenues to explore.
Retailers and shipping companies aren’t required by law to give you a refund if the package was delivered properly — but some have more Christmas cheer than others, so it’s worth asking.
If you used plastic to make the purchase, that could come with theft protection of its own. A good credit card might offer you coverage of up to $500 per claim, for example.
However, credit card purchase protection is often considered “secondary coverage,” so it may only take effect after you've exhausted your home insurance.
Must Read
- The ultra-rich use these 5 real estate strategies to build wealth while they sleep — you can start with just $100
- Here’s the average income of Americans by age in 2026. Are you keeping up or falling behind?
- Insurance companies profit most from drivers who auto-renew without shopping around. Comparing 100+ quotes takes 2 minutes and costs nothing
Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
Pull out your policy
Standard home insurance policies typically provide you with at least partial coverage for your belongings, both inside and outside your home. That can include items stolen from your car, your hotel room and, yes, your front porch.
Keep in mind that any items you claim will need to be worth more than your deductible. Ritzy jewelry or the latest electronics could fit the bill.
They’ll also need to be expensive enough to be worth risking a hike to your premium.
If your insurer denies your claim or jacks up your rates, that could be the prompt you need to find a better, cheaper provider. Some policies also have higher limits for stolen items, so it pays to compare.
You May Also Like
- JP Morgan sees gold hitting $6,000/oz before 2027 — and a Gold IRA lets you hold the physical metal while deferring the tax bill. Get your free guide from Priority Gold
- Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and the simple steps to fix it ASAP
- Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how
- Millionaires under 43 are reshaping investing — just 25% of their portfolios are in stocks. Here’s where their money is going
Sigrid is a deputy editor on the Moneywise team, where she has also worked in a number of editing and reporting roles. She has 5 years experience writing about personal finance and takes great pride in demystifying complex financial issues and finding the personal in personal finance topics.
