There are several benefits to adding a rider to your homeowner’s insurance policy.

Increased coverage: Most home insurance policies contain a “sub-limit.” A sub-limit is essentially a limit within a limit. For example, you may have a $100,000 limit in personal property coverage for your belongings. But your limit on jewelry maybe $2,500. That means if your piece is worth $7,000 and you don’t add a rider, your insurance company won’t pay out more than $2,500 on a claim involving that item.

Low or no deductibles: Your personal property coverage may have a high deductible. Riders, though, often have low deductibles or none at all. Let’s say you have a musical instrument worth $3,000, and it’s stolen. If your property deductible is $2,000, you’ll only receive $1,000 on an insurance claim. But, if you added a rider for that instrument and the rider deductible is $50, your insurance payout would be $2,950.

Accidental loss coverage: Many basic insurance policies won’t protect you against loss by “mysterious disappearance.” That means you may not be covered if you accidentally lose your wedding ring at the gym. However, had you scheduled the ring, you would be covered even in the “mysterious disappearance” scenario.