Archive for July, 2009

Homeowners insurance covers your home against damage from fire, vandalism, theft, and Vermont storms and winters. Without it, you risk losing everything you own. Here’s how to get low cost Vermont homeowners insurance.

What Homeowners Insurance Covers

Homeowners insurance covers:

Your home – Homeowners insurance will pay to repair or rebuild you home after its been damaged or destroyed by a fire, by a plumbing leak, by vandalism, or by snow or storm damage. Standard policies do not cover flooding, but you can get it from the Federal Insurance Administration (fema.gov).

To estimate the amount of home coverage you need, multiply the square footage of your home by local building costs per square foot. You can get the local building costs in your area from an insurance agent, a real estate agent, or a builder.

There are two types of homeowners coverage – 1. Actual cash value coverage, which pays to replace your home or personal possessions minus a deduction for depreciation, and 2. Replacement cost coverage, which pays the actual cost of replacing your home or personal possessions.

Your possessions – Homeowners insurance will pay to replace your personal possessions after they’ve been stolen, or damaged. Standard policies provide personal property coverage equal to 50% to 70% of your home insurance coverage. To determine if this is enough coverage, add up the value of all your possessions. If you need more coverage you can purchase it from your insurance company.

Standard policies limit the amount of coverage on expensive items like jewelry, furs, and computers. Check your policy to see what the limit is and purchase more coverage if you need to.

Additional living expenses – Homeowners insurance will reimburse you for your living expenses – hotel, motel, and restaurant bills – when your home is being repaired due to a fire, a plumbing leak, vandalism, or by snow or storm damage. Standard policies provide additional living expense coverage equal to 20% of your home insurance coverage. If you feel you need more you can purchase additional coverage.

Personal liability – Homeowners insurance will pay your legal fees and court costs when you’re found liable for injuring someone or damaging their property. Standard policies provide $100,000 worth of liability coverage, but you can purchase more coverage if you feel you need it.

Where to Get Low Cost Vermont Homeowners Insurance

The best place to get low cost Vermont homeowners insurance is at an insurance comparison website. It only takes a couple of minutes to get rate quotes from a number of insurance companies.

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/homeowners-insurance.html or click on the following link to get Vermont homeowners insurance quotes from top-rated companies and see how much you can save. You can get more insurance tips in their Articles section, and get answers to your questions from an insurance expert by using their online chat service.



By: ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com

About the Author:

The author, Brian Stevens, is a former insurance agent and financial consultant who has written a number of articles on homeowners insurance in Vermont.



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expertvillage asked:


Learn how to lower your insurance payments for homeowners insurance in this free video series that will explain all the different caveats of homeowners insurances policies. Expert: Romie Brown Bio: Romie Brown has been an insurance agent for 10 years. He was named one of the top 100 new agents in his company in 1999, 2000 and 2001. He is a 1992 Graduate of the University of Toledo. Filmmaker: Akita McCulloch

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Homeowners insurance protects your home and your personal property from loss. Here is homeowners insurance advice for any homeowner looking to save on their homeowners insurance without sacrificing necessary protection.

Buy the Right Amount of Insurance

Your homeowners insurance policy includes coverage for:

* Your home

* Your personal property

* Your assets

Your home – For your home, you need enough insurance to pay for rebuilding your home at current construction costs. To estimate this amount, multiply the square footage of your home by the building cost per square foot in your neighborhood. Do not include the cost of your land as you figure out your property coverage limit.

Your personal property – Your personal property limit is usually half of the property limit. To determine if this is enough, list everything you own and how much it would cost to replace. Also note that some types of personal property, such as jewelry, silverware, or computers, are only covered up to specified limits. Ask your insurance professional what types of personal property have specific limits so you can buy more coverage for these items if you need it.

Your assets – Personal liability coverage protects you if someone is injured while on your property. You should have enough liability insurance to protect your assets – savings accounts, CDs, stocks, bonds, etc.

Get the Discounts You Deserve

Insurance companies typically offer numerous discounts that will lower your insurance bill. Common homeowner discounts include:

* Non-smoker and senior citizen discounts.

* Discounts for safety features such as alarm systems, smoke detectors, and deadbolts.

* Discounts for placing your homeowners and auto insurance with the same company.

Ask your insurance professional about these and any other discounts you qualify for.

Raise Your Deductible

The deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before the insurance company begins to pay. The higher your deductible, the lower your premium, so set your deductible as high as you can afford.

Shop Around

You can save a lot of money on your homeowners insurance by comparing rates on an insurance comparison website. You type in your insurance information and multiple A-rated insurance companies send you quotes.

On the best insurance comparison websites you can even talk with insurance professionals and get more advice on homeowners insurance and how to save money on your homeowners premium (see link below).

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/homeowners-insurance.html or click on the following link to get homeowners insurance rate quotes online from top-rated companies and see how much you can save. You can also get more insurance advice there.



By: ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com

About the Author:

The authors, Brian Stevens and Stacey Schifferdecker, have spent 30 years in the insurance and finance industries, and have written numerous homeowners insurance advice articles.



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sadie asked:


During a recent hailstorm in Ohio my home and outbuildings were damaged. Damaged occurred to one side of my garage, the roof was replaced, but the 8″ alluminum siding is no longer made. They are telling us to cover the one side with anything else we can find and they will pay, but they will not pay to side the whole garage, even though this siding is no longer manufactured.

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FastFurious65 asked:


Compare The Meerkat (comparethemeerkat.com) advert which advertises the price-comparison website, Compare The Market (comparethemarket.com). This is the new shorten advert! Compare The Market.com compares prices on a number of items including car insurance, home insurance, as well as credit cards, loans and mortgages. It aims to give you the cheapest quote from a number of big companies, including the AA, the Post Office and HSBC. The reason for this advert is the constant mis-spelling of …

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Dani asked:


If vehicles are destroyed in your garage in a house fire, I assumed if they were covered, but maybe not??? Why should my vehicle ins pay the cost of this?

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Got homeowners insurance questions? Here are the top five homeowners insurance questions complete with answers.

What does homeowners insurance cover?

Homeowners insurance protects your home and your personal possessions from damage due to fire, lightning, burglary, vandalism, and acts of nature. It also protects you against liability lawsuits if someone is hurt in your home and they sue you.

How much insurance do I need?

You need enough homeowners insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding your home if it’s destroyed, to replace your personal possessions if they’re damaged, and to protect you from liability lawsuits.

To assess how much home coverage you need, get the square-foot building costs in your area from a builder or a realtor, then multiply that figure by your home’s square footage. For coverage for your personal possessions, take an inventory on everything you own and use the total value. And for liability insurance, figure enough coverage to protect your assets in the event you’re sued.

What about flood and earthquake insurance?

Most standard homeowners policies do not provide flood or earthquake coverage. If you live in a flood or earthquake zone you’ll need to get additional insurance.

Where can I get cheap homeowners insurance?

Insurance premiums can vary by hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year from one company to another, so the best way to get cheap homeowners insurance is to comparison shop.

There are now websites that let you compare rates between various insurance companies. All you do is fill out a simple questionnaire, wait for your insurance quotes, then choose the cheapest one.

The better comparison sites even have a chat feature that let’s you talk with an insurance professional online so you can get answers to all your insurance questions. (See link below.)

How do I find a good insurance company?

Most states maintain a department of insurance website that provides a host of consumer information, including claims that have been filed against insurance companies. If your state doesn’t list consumer information, you can go to California’s website (insurance.ca.gov) to get it.

J.D. Power & Associates rates homeowners insurance companies based on input from customers who own insurance policies with those companies. These ratings give you a good idea of how an insurance company treats its customers and how it pays its claims.

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/homeowners-insurance.html or click on the following link to get homeowners insurance quotes from top-rated companies and see how much you can save. You can get more answers to your homeowners insurance questions in their Articles section.



By: ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com

About the Author:

The author, Brian Stevens, is a former insurance agent and financial consultant who has written extensively on homeowners insurance questions.



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ehowfinance asked:


Homeowner’s insurance coverage varies greatly depending on the cost of the home, the area, the proximity to potential dangers and the property in the home. Get homeowner’s insurance to cover natural disasters, theft and fires with advice from an insurance broker in this free video on insurance. Expert: John Pinelli Bio: John Pinelli is a financial service broker for Northwestern Mutual Insurance. Filmmaker: Bing Hu

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When it comes to homeowners insurance, you should understand the different types of policies available so that you can make an informed decision.

Whether this is the first time you are shopping for a homeowners insurance policy or if you currently have a policy, it is always a good idea to be well educated to make sure you have your home properly and adequately covered. It’s also important to know what your deductible is.

Standardized HO (homeowners) insurance policies include:

HO-A provides extremely limited actual cash value coverage for your home and contents. Only the types of damage specifically listed in the policy are covered. HO-A amended policies provide more extensive coverage than the base HO-A but less coverage than an HO-B.

HO-B provides replacement cost coverage for most types of insurable perils, except for exclusions.

HO-C policies provide the most extensive coverage.

When you shop for homeowners insurance, it is very important that you know what your policy covers. Your policy is designed to protect homeowners from insurable perils. These perils can include fire, theft, hurricanes and several other events. Your individual policy is determined by named perils and exclusions. Policies can differ from homeowner to homeowner. With your agent’s help, you can determine how much coverage you and your family need.

To receive full payment (minus your deductible) for a partial loss, you must insure your house for at least 80% of its replacement cost. If you insure for less, the insurance company will only pay for part of the expense of a partial loss. If your home is destroyed and you only have actual cash value coverage, you may not be able to completely rebuild with the claim payment you receive.

With any policy there are exclusions. Your policy typically does not cover injuries to animals or damage to motor vehicles or aircraft. You also are usually not covered for losses due to floods, mudslides, water damage from sewer backups, damage from war or nuclear hazards, neglect, earthquakes, power failures, seepage, dry rot or vermin.

Homeowners insurance policies have different covered perils and exclusions. Check your policy carefully so you understand the kinds and extent of coverage you have.

Five Key Home Insurance Coverage Types

The rates you pay for your standard homeowners insurance policy includes the following essential types of coverage:

Coverage for the structure of your home.

Coverage for other structures.

Coverage for your personal belongings.

Additional living expenses (ALE) also known as loss of use.

Liability protection.

1. The Structure of Your Home

Coverage for the structure of your house is the part of your policy that includes repairs or rebuilding if your home (dwelling) was damaged by fire, hurricane, hail, lightning or other disasters listed in your policy. Your “dwelling” typically includes your house, attached structures and fixtures in your house such as built-in appliances, plumbing, wiring, heating systems, and permanently installed air-conditioning systems. This coverage does not include damage caused by floods, earthquakes or routine wear and tear. When you buy your homeowners insurance, it is very important that you purchase enough to rebuild your home.

2. Coverage for Other Structures

Most standard policies also cover detached structures such as garages, storage sheds, and fixtures attached to the land such as fences, driveways, sidewalks, and retaining walls. These kinds of structures are usually covered for about 10% of the amount of coverage you have on your home. If you believe you need more coverage on these structures, make sure you talk to your insurance agent. If a detached structure is used for a business purpose, it is not covered under a homeowners insurance policy.

3. Your Personal Belongings

Items such as furniture, clothing, and sports equipment are covered if they are stolen or destroyed by insured disasters. Some policies may have limited coverage for small boats but not motorized vehicles unless they are unlicensed and only used at your home. Some belongings or items may have limited coverage. These could include artwork, firearms, electronic data and money. Usually you have 50% to 70% of the amount of insurance you have on the structure of your home. It is very important to conduct a home inventory to determine if you have enough coverage to replace these belongings.

Costly items such as silverware, jewelry, and furs are covered but there are usually dollar limits. Your coverage even includes “accidental disappearance,” meaning if you lose the item it is covered by your policy. However, there is no deductible. To insure expensive belongings for their full limits you need to buy a special personal property endorsement.

Trees, plants and shrubs are also covered under the Personal Belongings part of your policy as long as they were damaged by insurable perils. They are not covered if the damage occurred from wind or disease. The coverage is usually 5% of the insurance on your home.

Your policy also includes off-premise coverage anywhere in the world. Sometimes the limit is 10% of the amount on the policy.

Your policy includes up to $500.00 of coverage for unauthorized use of your credit cards.

4. Additional Living Expenses (Or Loss of Use)

This part of your policy covers any additional expenses you may have above and beyond your normal living expenses if you cannot live in your home due to damage caused by insurable perils. This means hotel costs, meals, and other living expenses are covered while your home is being repaired or rebuilt. The amount available to pay for these expenses is usually equal to 20% of the insurance on your house. If you rent part of your home, the loss of income will be reimbursed. Policies differ company to company. Make sure you know what is covered. This part of your insurance policy is to help you maintain a “normal standard of living.”

5. Liability Protection

Liability protection provides personal liability coverage against lawsuits for bodily injuries or property damage that you or other members of the family who live in the home cause others on your property. It also covers any damage or injury your pet may cause. This part of your policy includes no-fault medical coverage so medical expenses are paid with no liability claim filed against you. The cost of defending you in court and court awards are covered, up to the limit of your policy. This coverage covers you, your family members, or your pets anywhere in the world.

Home insurance experts highly recommend that you buy at least $300,000 worth of protection. You can also buy an umbrella or excess liability policy. This kind of policy covers you for slander or libel claims. These policies cost between $200 to $300 for every $1 million of additional coverage.

Your inventory can be documented by photographing each item or by making a video tape. Make sure to store these documents in a very safe place, not in your home. You can download free home inventory software at www.knowyourstuff.com. Better yet, keep your records and digital photos inside a free KeepandShare account.



By: Heather L. Clark

About the Author:

Heather L. Clark is a Web researcher and writer. Check out her favorite sources for home insurance advice, printable greeting cards and family calendars.



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kmbctv asked:


new insurer or he has to move. He said his only option is to pay a special insurance premium that would make his rates four times higher than before. A representative with the city’s Code Enforcement Department said they will do improvements to the neighbor’s house, including boarding up the windows and getting the structure up to code. The department will also talk with Johnson’s insurance company to see if the issue can be resolved. … KMBC Kansas City homeowner insurance neighbor house …

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