5 Things Florida Parents Should Check Before the School Year Starts

New backpacks, new schedules, new after-school activities - the start of the school year brings a lot of change for Florida families. It's also one of the easiest times to let something important slip through the cracks: your family's insurance coverage.

Before the first bell rings, here are five quick things worth checking:

1. Add Your Teen Driver to Your Auto Policy

If your teenager got their permit or license over the summer, don't wait until after an incident to update your auto policy. Once they're regularly driving to school, practice, or a part-time job, they typically need to be listed as a driver on your policy. Getting this handled before the first week of school means one less thing to worry about during carpool season.

2. Revisit Your Life Insurance Coverage Amount

Life insurance isn't a "set it and forget it" purchase. If it's been a few years since you bought your policy, your family's needs have probably changed — a new mortgage, a new job, another child, or simply the rising cost of raising kids in Florida. A quick review can confirm whether your current coverage still lines up with what your family would actually need.

3. Check Your Beneficiary Designations

This one takes five minutes and gets overlooked constantly. If you've had a child, became married, divorced, or lost a loved one since you set up your policy, it's worth confirming your beneficiaries are still correct. An outdated beneficiary designation can create real complications down the road.

4. Think About How You'd Fund Your Kids' Education

Whether college, trade school, or another path is in the picture, many parents use life insurance as part of a broader plan to make sure education costs are covered no matter what happens. It's worth a conversation with an advisor about how your current coverage — or a policy with cash value — fits into that plan.

5. Compare Your Options Instead of Auto-Renewing

It's tempting to let your policies auto-renew every year without a second look. But rates, coverage options, and carriers change. Working with an independent agency means you're not stuck with one company's pricing — you can compare options across 50+ carriers to make sure you're still getting the right coverage at the right price.

Make It One Less Thing on Your List

Between school supply lists and schedule changes, insurance is easy to push to the bottom of the to-do list. But a quick review now can save a lot of stress later, especially if life has changed since you last looked at your coverage.

Need to file a claim? We can help connect you with your carrier here.

FEI & GAC Wealth Management is an independent insurance and financial planning agency serving Florida educators, first responders, and military families across the Tampa Bay area. Have questions about your coverage? Get a free quote or call (813) 600-3268.