In my previous post, I talked about why you should document your eczema, which I still firmly believe is a huge benefit. But while doing research, I came across this article that I thought was EXTREMELY important. Especially for those that do have diseases, ailments, chronic conditions, or just overshare too much.
Social media created a spectrum of two extremes. On the one hand, people are oversharing. On the other, people are lurkers whose skills could qualify them to become a secret agent or top spy. If you’re part of the oversharing camp, you might want to put your profile on private. Here’s why…
Lifestyle Pictures – If you claim on insurance that you’re not a smoker, or don’t drink heavily. Guess what… you need to make sure your digital footprint DOES NOT reflect that. DO NOT post tons of party pictures with either of these items as insurance companies can easily track this down via your pictures.
This also goes for all those dare-devils. Insurance companies may see this as a liability. Not say you shouldn’t live your life, but it’s important to know they (insurance companies) will look for things to raise their prices.
Selfies – The amount of deaths related to selfies is really heartbreaking. Getting that perfect shot on a cliff with the sunset in the background could cost you.
Additionally, technology is so advanced that insurance companies could start using facial analytics software to determine your life expectancy. Creepy.
Text Messages – If you’re posting text conversations online, via Twitter or other platforms – remember insurance companies can easily look this up. In fact, they might actually have reason to believe you were driving. Keep this in mind next time, as it could come back to haunt you. Especially if it were texting during the time of an accident (DON’T TEXT & DRIVE) – as they may deny accident claims.
GeoTags – Location, location, location is great for real estate… and insurance companies. Are you tagging yourself on vacation or a night out on the town? Well, you better make sure everything is in place such as alarm systems, locked doors/windows, closed garage doors, etc.. Otherwise, insurance companies could claim negligence, as you were recklessly posting away. It was as if you were inviting people to your home due to your absence.
Your Significant Other – Most insurance companies want you to add a spouse to your insurance. If not, they may raise or lower your rates. I thought this one was a bit weird and can get tricky. Especially if one spouse is healthy while the other may have medical issues.
Your Pet – Yes, they want to know about pets on your insurance policy. They have the ability to drop you if you do not report your pet, and they do a search and see a plethora of pictures of your pet.
Traveling – Sadly, some insurance companies see traveling as high-risk behavior. Especially if you’re traveling to a third world country or a war torn country as there could be a disease outbreak or other dangerous conditions. While this one is ridiculous in my opinion and reminds you that no good deed goes unpunished, it’s important to know what you’re up against.
Source: https://lifeinsurancepost.com/8-ways-social-media-raises-insurance-rates/