If you’ve been through a tornado, know someone who has, or have even seen pictures of the aftermath on the news recently, you know that it can be devastating. Tornados have been known to take out entire towns in just a few minutes. Thanks to early warning systems any loss of life is usually minimal, but property loss can be heavy. Those who have homeowners insurance rarely think about tornado coverage until it’s too late. The good news is that tornado damage is included in almost every standard policy. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of your losses will...

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When a disaster such as a fire, flood or theft strikes, your homeowners insurance is there to help you pick up the pieces and move on. It covers not only your home, but the contents of it. If you want to make sure you’re compensated for everything that was lost, you must keep a record of the things you own. Ideally, you should take a personal inventory before purchasing homeowners' insurance to make sure that you will have enough to cover everything. But if you didn’t do that, it’s not too late. Taking inventory now will allow you to purchase...

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Having the right homeowners insurance policy can provide you the relief and support you want in your time of need. Knowing what to do with that policy once it has been secured can be the real challenge. The trouble for most people comes when it is time to use that insurance policy. Knowing the top tips for filing an insurance claim can help you avoid issues and get right to the financial relief you have paid for. If your property has sustained damage from fire, flooding, wind, water, mold, theft, and any other disasters then you must be aware of how...

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One of the first things any reputable financial planner will tell you is to make sure that you have adequate insurance coverage. Whether we’re talking about your health insurance, automobile insurance life insurance or homeowners’ insurance, any single accident or unexpected illness or catastrophe can do more to destroy your financial future than just about anything else. You should review your overall insurance situation on an annual basis. It’s all about making the best choices from the options that you have available. To do this, you first need to evaluate your individual situation and honestly assess your needs. Here is...

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For most of us, our vacations are extremely important, almost sacred, occasions. Vacations let us reconnect with our spouses and families, and take a break from the many stresses in our day-to-day lives. To keep our vacation costs as low as possible, many people pay for them well in advance of the actual vacation. By doing this we can take advantage of lower advance purchase fares and special promotional offers from airlines and vacation companies. This is a great way to save money, but these deals are often non-refundable, so if you have to cancel your...

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We’ve seen a number of destructive weather events happen in different parts of the country over the past few years – hurricanes, flooding due to rivers overflowing their banks, and drought-like weather leading to forest fires and grass fires. The damage that these kinds of natural disasters and weather events can do to homes and other properties is of often devastating. Flooding and wildfires in particular can destroy not only one person’s home, but entire neighborhoods or towns as well. It would be easy to assume that all types of destruction that might happen to your house are covered by your...

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Most homeowners insurance policies contain some coverages that you may not be aware of, but that may come in handy in the event of an emergency or catastrophe. Again, homeowners policies vary from company to company, and state to state. Different companies may call coverages by different names, however the general categories described below should be recognizable. The limits (maximum amount of coverage provided by the policy) covered can also vary. The amounts quoted below are averages. Read the fine print and/or speak to your insurance agent to confirm what coverages and limits are in your policy. Here is some...

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Homeowners insurance is one of those things that we often buy because we have to. When purchasing a home, the mortgage lender requires that the buyer purchase insurance to protect their interest in the property. But even if you own your home free and clear, homeowners insurance is something you need. A good insurance policy will protect your home from a variety of hazards. These generally include, but are not limited to, fire, storm damage and vandalism. Your standard policy does not cover flooding, but those that are in danger due to proximity to a body of water or geological concerns...

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Probably. Consider that a home is not just the building, but the stuff inside. Your landlord's insurance covers damage to the structure, but if you want to protect your belongings - your wide-screen TV, camera, and four-poster bed - you'll have to buy your own policy. Renter's insurance (which is usually much cheaper than homeowner's) covers losses caused by everything from fire, hail, and falling objects to theft, vandalism, and more. It will also protect you from liability if a guest slips on the rug. But you must purchase separate riders for damage caused by floods and earthquakes, or to...

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Homeowners insurance is a term used for home contents and / or buildings. While it can’t replace what you have built up for many years in memories, it can help to replace your possessions if they are damaged or lost. Household insurance covers the majority of your belongings in the home up to a certain amount and this is stated at the outset of the policy for which you pay a monthly premium. The majority of standard homeowner insurance policies will cover any damage made from such as fire, theft, flooding and damage caused by storms. Accidental damage is usually...

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