Answers
Straight answers, and what the words mean.
Insurance has a vocabulary problem. This page is the questions people actually ask, and the terms that turn up on the paperwork without explanation.
Questions
About working with Alcove.
Is Alcove an insurance company?
No. Insurance is offered and serviced through licensed Partner Agencies, which are insurance agencies rather than insurance companies, and coverage is underwritten and issued by third-party carriers. Alcove provides the technology, operations, and licensed advisor layer behind those agencies. Nothing on this site is an offer or binder of insurance, and no coverage is in force until a carrier issues a policy.
How does Alcove decide which options to show me?
We shop the market and then narrow it, rather than handing you every result. Options are ranked against your actual situation — the property or vehicle, the coverages you need, and any requirement a lender or dealer has imposed — and you see a short list with the reasoning, not a wall of forty quotes. A licensed advisor can walk you through why one option sits above another.
Do I have to talk to someone?
Only if you want to. Routine steps are handled without a phone call. But every customer has access to a real, licensed advisor for questions, edge cases, exceptions, and anything that needs judgement — and for decisions that materially affect your coverage, a qualified licensed person is involved as required by law.
How quickly can I get proof of insurance?
Faster than the usual back-and-forth, because the information needed to quote generally arrives with you rather than being collected over several emails. Once you choose a policy and the carrier confirms it, proof of insurance is issued and can be sent directly to your lender, title agency, or dealership. Exact timing depends on the carrier and on how complete the information is.
What information do I need to get a quote?
For a home, the address and basic facts about the property — roughly when it was built, the age of the roof and major systems, and anything unusual about it. For a car, the vehicle identification number, who will drive it, and any lender or lessor requirements. If you already have a policy, your current declarations page answers most of these in one document.
What happens after I buy a policy?
The relationship continues. Service requests — adding a vehicle, updating a mortgagee clause, changing an address, requesting documents — are handled actively rather than being left to you and the carrier's call centre. Straightforward changes are made without requiring a phone call; anything that needs a licensed decision goes to an advisor.
What happens when my policy renews?
Your policy is re-shopped against the market before renewal, and you get a clear keep-or-switch recommendation with the reasoning behind it. The intent is that you find out where you stand before renewal, rather than discovering a large increase after it has already taken effect.
Does Alcove use AI, and how?
Yes, for the routine work behind the scenes — organising the information you provide, ranking quotes, timing follow-ups, and classifying service requests so they reach the right place. It is not used to replace a licensed person on decisions that materially affect your coverage, and where you interact with an automated chat tool it is identified as such where required. You can request human review as provided by applicable law.
Which states does Alcove cover?
Availability varies by state and by line of business, and it changes as carrier appointments and licensing expand. Tell us where the property or vehicle is located when you get started and we will confirm what is available to you before you spend time on an application.
Can I switch if I already have insurance?
Yes. Bring your current declarations page and we will compare it against the market on like-for-like coverage, so any difference in price reflects a real difference rather than a thinner policy. If your existing coverage is already competitive, we will tell you that.
Glossary
The terms on your policy.
Definitions written the way an advisor would explain them out loud, not the way a policy form defines them.
Process and paperwork
- Binder
Temporary written proof that coverage is in force while the full policy is being issued. A binder is real coverage and is usually what a lender accepts at closing.
Home insuranceAuto insuranceProof of insuranceDeclarations page
- Claim
A request to your insurer to pay for a loss the policy covers. The carrier — not the agency that sold you the policy — decides whether a claim is covered and what it pays.
- Declarations page
The summary page at the front of a policy listing who and what is insured, the coverages, the limits, and the deductibles. It is the fastest way to see what you actually bought.
- Proof of insurance
A document showing that a policy exists and what it covers. Lenders, title agencies, and dealerships ask for it before a transaction can complete, often on a fixed deadline.
- Re-shop
Comparing your existing policy against the current market before it renews. Carriers re-rate over time, so the insurer that was competitive when you bought may not be at renewal.
- Underwriting
The carrier's process of deciding whether to insure a risk and at what price. It is why two similar-looking homes or drivers can be quoted very differently by the same insurer.
Cost and payment
- Deductible
The amount you pay out of pocket on a covered claim before the insurer pays anything. A higher deductible usually lowers your premium, and means more of a small loss falls to you.
- Escrow
An account your lender uses to collect and pay your property taxes and insurance premium along with your mortgage payment. When escrowed, your insurance is paid by the lender, not by you directly.
Coverage
- Liability coverage
The part of a policy that responds when you are legally responsible for someone else's injury or property damage. It also pays to defend you, which is often the larger cost.
- Limit
The most a policy will pay for a given type of loss. Limits are set per coverage, so a policy can be generous in one area and thin in another.
Home insuranceAuto insuranceLiability coverageDeclarations page
- Loss of use
Home coverage that pays additional living costs — temporary housing, meals — while a covered loss makes your home unliveable. It is one of the most-used and least-discussed coverages.
- Umbrella policy
A separate policy that adds liability limits on top of your home and auto policies. It matters most when your assets or future income exceed the liability limits you already carry.
Home and property
- Actual cash value
A basis of settlement that pays replacement cost minus depreciation. It costs less than replacement cost coverage and can leave a meaningful gap on an older roof or older belongings.
- Dwelling coverage
The part of a home policy that pays to repair or rebuild the structure itself. Its limit should reflect what rebuilding would cost, which is not the same as the home's market price.
- Mortgagee clause
The wording on a home policy naming your lender as an interested party. Lenders require it, and getting the details wrong is a common reason proof of insurance is rejected at closing.
- Replacement cost
A basis of settlement that pays what it costs to replace damaged property with new property of like kind and quality, without subtracting for age or wear.
Auto
- Collision coverage
Auto coverage for damage to your own vehicle from hitting another vehicle or object, regardless of fault. Lenders and lessors generally require it while there is a loan on the car.
- Comprehensive coverage
Auto coverage for damage to your own vehicle from causes other than a collision — theft, fire, hail, flood, a falling branch, an animal strike.
These definitions are general explanations, not policy language. What a specific policy covers is determined by that policy document and the issuing carrier. Insurance is offered and serviced through licensed Partner Agencies, which are insurance agencies, not insurance companies. Coverage is underwritten and issued by third-party insurance carriers. Nothing on this site is an offer or binder of insurance, and no coverage is in force unless and until a carrier issues a policy.
Still not sure what you need?
That is a normal place to start. Tell us the situation and a licensed advisor will work through it with you.