Did you know…
Having a monitored alarm system and/or fire alarm can save you money on your homeowner’s insurance? Do you have a home alarm system but aren’t saving any money? If you think you’re missing out chances are, you might be. Why is that? Well, many clients don’t realize how important it is to keep an open line of communication with their insurance agents. Communication is key, not because insurance agents are controlling nosy people but because you could be missing out on considerable discounts because you didn’t inform your agent of changes or upgrades in your home.
Monitored alarm systems are wonderful and highly beneficial for home protection. Now being that so many companies are shifting towards using the latest technology, most security systems now include cameras and audio. Gone are the days of the high-pitched noise machines sounding off when faced with an intruder.
Many security companies provide responsive apps that allow you to see real-time updates of your home, talk to your pets, even allow you to lock your doors or turn off the lights on those busy days you forget. This is a great feature if you have someone house sit, for example, no need to make extra keys you can open the door from your phone. Personally, I love this for ease of delivery, simply unlock the door to allow for delivery from your phone while you watch everything from your phone, need to leave instructions? Some systems allow the capability to speak through the devices.
A monitored alarm system will have a responsive team who will act in the case of an intrusion, they quickly assess the situation and notify the officials leading them to arrive to the home and inspect the property. Other monitor alarm systems will record and save videos on a cloud making it very convenient for when filing a report or attempting to identify the intruders. Our office in Davie has ADT, and they also protect some of our agent’s homes. If you have any questions regarding alarm systems and would like to get more details, please call Phil Kaiser, of the ADT custom home division. He is well known in South Florida and an expert in home monitoring. He has been working with ADT for ten years and is our trusted ADT representative.
Which Monitored Alarm System Is Best?
With so many options to choose from it can be hard to know where you’d get the best value. Here’s how they stack up according to Safewise.com
Best Entry-Level Plan Options : Link Interactive deemed as having one of the most comprehensive plans, the Gold package offers all the bells and whistles like 24/7 professional monitoring, mobile access and Crash & Smash protection, which keeps your system active if a burglar tries to damage and disable it. This value is rare without upgrades but Link Interactive has them all. Only thing missing is the video streaming access. Also, there is a high penalty for early termination but fear not they offer agreements for as little as 12 months periods.
Best For Your Budget: Protect America, the most affordable residential security company. Fees start at $19.99 per month and the price can be locked in as long as you don’t interrupt or cancel your plan. Buyer beware Protect America isn’t compatible with home automation platforms, it currently only works with Amazon’s Alexa. The equipment offered is fairly basic and doesn’t include advanced protections like smoke and CO alarms and the entry-level packages require a landline.
Best Home Automation: Vivint. Smart Home the newcomer to security has jumped into the home automation game, including hands-free voice control features that can do anything from closing the garage door to turning up the heat without the need to touch a single button. They lead in home automation, feature customization home security and energy management. The downside with this system lies in their customer service approach, 120-day equipment warranty and they have one of the highest prices in the market.
Best Monitoring Experience: ADT takes this one, the highly recognizable brand is the best in security with over 140 years of experience servicing more than eight million people worldwide. ADT offers the ADT Pulse package which features what they call the IFTTT (If This Then That) which allows you to be interactive with the alarm system to arm or disarm, turn on lights, or change the thermostat before you get home. ADT’s equipment has been rated state of the art including back up security making sure you’re never offline in case one of their six customer service centers fails your home protection would instantly be transferred to another center. When it comes down to price ADT was rated “second-least” expensive among the top five based on the deals they offer.
Best Customer Service: Frontpoint is the best overall according to Safewise.com, they’re said to have the best installation for the DIY’ers, exceptional customer service and an “A” rating from the Better Business Bureau. The cherry on top is their 30-day, risk-free trial. Frontpoint can fully integrate with both Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home and you can opt to have home automation included. The high-end equipment includes extras like smoke and CO monitoring in basic plans. The kicker it is considered the most expensive in high monitoring fees and disastrous early termination fees.
Wrap Up
Hopefully this list has helped you on your path to choosing the best monitored alarm system. Whatever your choice, understand that you should never make an uninformed decision, and remember communication goes a long way. Talk to your agent or call us now to talk about your options. At CWI Underwriters, we want to know what’s happening in your life so we can better protect you. This simple addition to your home protection plan can provide your family peace of mind and an estimated savings of $125 – $200 a year on your homeowner’s policy. Every little bit saved adds up.
