Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Who Needs Flood Insurance? Me?

If you live in a flood prone area, you probably already know a few things about flood insurance. You know that most homeowners insurance policies do not cover floods caused by storms. You may have neighbors or friends who have lost everything they own because of a sudden flood caused by a hurricane or sudden storm. And even though we tend to associate flood damage with coastal areas, they can occur in every state. A lot of flood damage is caused by melting snow in areas that are thousands of miles from the coast!

Flood insurance comes from a special policy that is backed by the federal government with cooperation from local communities and private insurance companies. Dozens of private insurance companies write and service flood insurance policies for the government, and the policies are financed through insurance premiums. So you will generally contact a local property insurance agent, which could be the same person who would handle normal homeowners or auto insurance companies.

Many people don't realize they need flood insurance. However, statistics show that over a quarter of homes will suffer flood damage during the course of a 30 year mortgage. Only 9% of homes, during the same mortgage period, will suffer fire damage. Of course, almost all homes are protected against fire damage through normal homeowners policies, but they are not protected for flood damage! Furthermore, average claims for those who do have flood damage, and are protected by flood insurance are from $15,000 to $20,000! You can see that the claims are not trivial. Also consider that you will need temporary housing or relocation assistance if you cannot stay in your home while it is being repaired, or if it must be rebuilt somewhere else.

Where To Get Flood Insurance Program Help

You can visit the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) website for more information on the National Flood Insurance Program. You can download a flood insurance manual, and also learn how to assess your own property's risk of flood damage.

Some of the information on the FEMA website is aimed at homeowners, but other information is highly technical. You may want to get help in a form that has already been broken down for your situation, and your local area. When you want to obtain flood insurance, an experienced local property insurance agent will probably be able to help you out.

For more information on Flood Insurance in the US email us at info@myquotestore.com

Monday, October 1, 2007

Renters Insurance Facts - What You Should Know

By Brian Stevens

Homeowners need home insurance and renters need renters insurance. If you're a renter and you don’t have renters insurance, you're risking financial disaster. Here are some facts about renters insurance that you should know.

FACT: Renters are not covered by their landlord's policy

Property owners purchase insurance coverage for their buildings, not their tenants. This insurance covers the building itself from loss. It does not ...

* Cover your possessions if they are damaged or stolen.
* Pay your living expenses if your home or apartment is damaged and you have to live somewhere else during repairs.
* Cover you if someone is injured while visiting you.You need to buy renters insurance to provide these coverages.

FACT: You have more possessions than you think

It only costs a couple hundred dollars a year to buy renters insurance. If you walk around your house and take inventory of everything you own, you'll realize it would cost much more than that to replace everything.
Renters insurance covers all your possessions including:

* Electronic equipment
* Sports equipment
* Clothes and shoes
* Musical instruments
* Furniture.
* Appliances
* Kitchen items
* Tools
* Jewelry

FACT: Renters insurance is cheap

You can buy renters insurance for only tens of dollars a month or a couple hundred dollars a year. This will buy you about $30,000 worth of coverage for your possessions and $100,000 worth of liability coverage to protect you from personal liability lawsuits if someone is hurt in your home.