I used AI to understand my home insurance policy — found coverage I didn't know I had

Insurance policies are written to be unreadable. I'd owned my home for 4 years and never actually read mine — I just assumed I had standard coverage. After a tree branch fell through my neighbour's fence during a storm, I started wondering what my policy actually covered. I uploaded the PDF to Claude and had the most educational hour I've had in years. **What I asked:** - "Explain this policy in plain English, section by section" - "What are the top 5 things this policy does NOT cover that people often assume it does?" - "If a tree from my property falls on my neighbour's fence, am I covered?" **What I found out:** The tree question was interesting — it's a grey area that depends on whether I was negligent (knew the tree was dead/diseased and didn't act). My policy covers legal liability if negligence is proven, but not as a goodwill gesture. More importantly: I had "temporary accommodation" coverage I didn't know about — if my home is uninhabitable after an insured event, my policy covers up to $50,000 in hotel and living costs. I had no idea. I also found that my policy excluded flood from "rising water" but covered water damage from a burst pipe or storm. This is a critical distinction most people don't know. **What I did after:** Called my insurer and upgraded my contents coverage which was laughably low. Took 10 minutes and costs me $8 more a month. Read your policy. Use AI to help you understand it. It might be more useful than you think.

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