Is Your Insurance Estate‑Plan Really In Sync?

You’ve taken the time to create a strong estate plan. But unless your home, auto, and umbrella policies are aligned, you may be leaving your legacy — and your loved ones — exposed.

🏠 Homeowners Insurance

If your home is owned by a trust, your policy needs to reflect it.

A home that has been transferred to a revocable or living trust must have that trust listed as a Named Insured or Additional Insured on your homeowners policy. Simply updating the title at the county isn’t enough — your insurance company must know about the trust.

Without this update, a claim can be denied because the named insured on the policy doesn’t match the legal owner of the property.

What to Do:

  1. Contact your insurance agent or carrier.

  2. Use this language in your message or call:

    “Hi, I’ve recently transferred ownership of my home into a trust and need to update my policy to reflect that. The full legal name of the trust is: [Insert Full Trust Name]. Please confirm that it will be added as an Additional Insured or Named Insured and send me an updated declarations page once it’s complete.”

  3. Ask for a copy of the updated Declarations Page showing the trust’s name.

  4. Save that copy with your estate documents.

✅ Pro Tip: If you refinance your home or switch carriers, this trust designation needs to be updated again.

🚗 Auto Insurance

If vehicles are owned by a trust, or part of the estate plan, coverage must follow.

Vehicles that are titled in a trust — or used by individuals listed in the trust — need to have that trust listed as an Additional Insured on the auto policy. Additionally, liability limits should reflect the value of the estate to avoid exposure.

What to Do:

  1. Check your vehicle titles. If any are owned by your trust, tell your insurance provider.

  2. Ask your agent to add the trust as an Additional Insured using this language:

    “Hi, I’ve titled my vehicle(s) in a trust. Please add the following trust as an Additional Insured on my auto policy to ensure coverage aligns: [Insert Full Trust Name].”

  3. Review liability coverage. We recommend a minimum of $250,000/$500,000 for bodily injury and $100,000 for property damage.

  4. Disclose all regular drivers (teen drivers, household members, trustees).

✅ Pro Tip: Even if the vehicle is not trust-owned, but is part of the estate or used by trust-beneficiaries, this protection still matters.

🛡️ Umbrella Insurance

Umbrella insurance protects the rest of your estate — when the unexpected happens.

Your umbrella policy should be tailored to your net worth and risk profile, and it must list your trust as an Additional Insured to ensure full protection.

If the trust isn't included, claims involving trust-owned property or assets may be denied or delayed — even if umbrella coverage exists.

What to Do:

  1. Review your current umbrella policy (if any).

  2. Confirm the trust is listed using this script:

    “Hi, I’d like to confirm that my umbrella policy includes the following trust as an Additional Insured: [Insert Full Trust Name]. This is to align with my estate plan and ensure all assets are properly protected.”

  3. Make sure you meet minimum underlying limits:

    • Auto: $250,000/$500,000

    • Home: $300,000

  4. Adjust umbrella limits to reflect your total net worth or estate value — usually $1–5 million or more depending on exposure.

✅ Pro Tip: Own multiple properties? Have teen drivers? Run a business from home? These are all reasons to consider a higher umbrella limit.

📋 Estate Coverage Alignment Checklist

Policy Type What to Confirm Why It Matters
Homeowners Trust listed as Additional/Named Insured — get updated declarations page Prevents denied claims on trust-owned home
Auto Trust added as Additional Insured if trust owns or benefits from vehicle Ensures liability follows the correct legal owner
Umbrella Trust included as Additional Insured + liability limits meet carrier minimums Protects the estate against large lawsuits or unexpected risks

⚠️ Real Story: The Pipe Burst Problem

A client transferred their home into a revocable trust. They updated the deed — but not their homeowners insurance. Months later, a pipe burst and caused major water damage. When they filed a claim, it was denied because the trust wasn’t listed on the policy. The homeowner was left with a $48,000 repair bill and a massive headache.

✅ What to Do Next

You can handle this yourself in just a few calls and emails — and protect everything you’ve planned for.

  1. Update your homeowners policy with the trust name

  2. Update your auto policy and liability limits

 

 

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Need a Second Set of Eyes?

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🖊️ Heritage Insurance | Smart coverage for smart planning
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  1. Review or add umbrella coverage to shield the rest

  2. (Optional) Scan the QR code below to use our Umbrella Coverage Calculator