The deadly winter storms that descended on Texas in early 2021, following a summer of record-setting wildfires in California, have reminded many Americans of the importance of homeowners insurance. Here is some advice on how to protect yourself-from a major disaster or an everyday one. Risk From Natural Catastrophes is Increasing Many parts of the […]
How to Protect Your Home From Extreme Weather
Climate change can be a hot topic these days, but regardless of one’s views on the subject, scientists have taken an interest in how it might affect the intensity or possibility of future weather-related events. Natural disasters – whether predicted or not – expose the susceptibility and risks of our home and communities. According to […]
Reduced Home Insurance Premiums for Having Smart Devices
These days, many homeowners are using smart home devices to help keep their largest asset safe. As a result, many home insurance companies are offering discounts on their premiums for customers who use these items. However, since this technology is still fairly new, not all companies currently offer this perk. To that end, it’s important […]
6 Cybersecurity Tips When You Work From Home
As of September 2020, nearly 60% of full-time and part-time workers in the U.S. were doing their jobs remotely at least some of the time during the coronavirus pandemic. And many of them would like to keep doing so. This work-from-home pivot makes some employers’ IT professionals nervous, though. A global study released in October […]
COVID-19 and Homeowners Insurance
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted many aspects of society, but your home insurance policy will continue to function normally. Will Homeowners Insurance Premiums be Affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic? It’s hard to say with any degree of certainty what will happen to homeowners insurance rates. There are many factors to consider. First, people are staying […]
What’s Covered by Umbrella Insurance?
Homeowners insurance protects you if, say, a fire burns your house to the ground. That’s a start. But you also need to think about protecting your home against something equally dangerous: a lawsuit. If a houseguest slips in the bathtub, you could get sued. Lose the lawsuit and you could lose all of your assets, […]
Umbrella Insurance is the New Liability Coverage
It seems as though the wealthier an individual is, the higher the risk of being sued. It’s just one of the downsides of being affluent, especially if that person is also a business owner. In opportunistic lawsuits, primary policies like standard car insurance, home insurance and a business owner’s policy do not fully protect a […]
House Rentals vs. Apartment: Which One is Right For You?
Choosing between renting or buying a home is already a hard choice for a lot of people. If you decided to rent, there’s also the question of whether you will be renting a whole house or apartment. Depending on your circumstances, a different option might be better for you. Here are the advantages and disadvantages […]
6 Tips to Help Deter a Break-In
Every 13 seconds, a burglary occurs somewhere in the U.S., adding up to approximately 2.5 million burglaries each year, according to Alarms.org. Two-thirds of those crimes are home break-ins, and if it were not for home security systems, that figure could be significantly higher – a study from UNC Charlotte found that 83% of convicted […]
What to Know About Insuring a Historic Home
Whether your historic home is new to you or has been in the family for generations, an essential element of taking care of the property is adequate insurance. “Insuring a historic home can be very different from insuring a newer home,” said Dawn Meadows, an insurance adviser with Clarke & Sampson in Alexandria, Va. “The […]
Alpaca Stampede, Spoiled Wedding Cake, Teacher Defamation – What’s the Insurance Link?
Picture this: Your next-door neighbor Gary runs an alpaca farm. Most of the time, the alpacas are happy springing along, munching on grass, and looking cute. But one one occasion, a dog agitates the group, and the alpacas storm their enclosure and stampede over your property, leaving a trail of damage in their wake. While […]
How Smart Home Technology is Influencing Home Insurance
By now, most Americans have grown accustomed to smart devices. Whether it is a smartphone or a smartwatch, we interact many times a day with some sort of smart device. These gadgets have changed the way we live providing unprecedented convenience and productivity. Smart devices in the home are no different. Over the last few […]
10 Facts You Should Know About Weather-Related Home Insurance Claims
Weather-related home insurance claims can be a whole separate ball game from other home claims. “Weather losses are always more complicated because you’ve got thousands of people experiencing losses at the same time. These events are taxing on the entire community, whereas if you have one loss, such as a water main break in your […]
Severe Weather is a Wake-Up Call to Check Your Insurance
If you’ve watched the news recently, you’ve noticed that intense storms are becoming more regular, with some catastrophic results. Whether the issue is the wind damage from a hurricane, water damage due to torrential rains, or the property damage caused by a wildfire, weather-related damage is a growing concern. The increase in severe weather means […]
What You Need to Know About Flood Insurance
Flood insurance is an important policy for most homeowners to have. But only about one in seven homeowners purchase this critical safety net to protect them from the ravages of flood water. What is Flood Insurance? Flood insurance is a specialized policy that protects your home and belongings against damage from flood waters. If you’re […]
Climate Change May Affect Your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy in Two Ways
You only need to watch the news once to understand that weather events have become more dramatic over the past 10 years. According to Maryland State Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer, whether you’re talking about tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, or wildfires, “Both the number and severity of natural disasters have increased” – and so have the number […]
How Smart Home Technology is Influencing Home Insurance
By now, most Americans have grown accustomed to smart devices. Whether it is a smartphone or a smartwatch, we interact many times a day with some sort of smart device. These gadgets have changed the way we live providing unprecedented convenience and productivity. Smart devices in the home are no different. Over the last few […]
Here’s What You Need to Know About Airbnb-ing Your Home
Sally Miller left corporate American when her first child was born to spend time with her growing family. But this also meant the family income took a hit, so she started exploring ways to make money from home. Hosting her four-bedroom home in San Jose, California on Airbnb turned out to be a great side-gig. […]
Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals and Your Business
Many people with disabilities use a service animal in order to fully participate in everyday life. Dogs can be trained to perform many important tasks to assist people with disabilities, such as providing stability for a person who has trouble walking, picking up items for a person who uses a wheelchair, preventing a child with […]
Condo vs Homeowners Insurance
In many ways, buying a condo is similar to buying a house: you get the freedom of owning your living space but you also have to take responsibility for what happens to it. So how similar are insurance coverages for condos and houses? Let’s find out. Condos vs Houses: The Ins and Outs of Your […]