Craig: I've had the CIA policy for a number of years; fortunately, haven't had to make a claim. But this March I got what I thought was my annual bill from them and grumbling sent in my check. They promptly returned it saying I had already made my payment. (I had with a credit card and thus hadn't noted it in my check stub and had failed to record it on my annual casino chip collection expenses.) The only problem I have with the company is that they are not regulated in New York state.

My homeowners policy covers the chips--maybe. But a few years ago after an insured made a claim for the "theft" of a valuable coin collection, was paid off only to have the agent see the chips for sale on-line, the company told it's agent I had to provide them with scans of my chips. I told him that if the company wanted to send someone to my home and scan the chips they could do so but I would be darned if I would spend the next year or so scanning the several 100,000 chips I then owned. The company backed off.