Louisiana homeowners insurance costs can still be affordable even in the wake of the devastating hurricanes in 2005. Here are some things to keep in mind to help save some money.

Unfortunately, Katrina and Rita showed us how important home insurance is. It not only protects your property, but also your possessions and even legal liability. One peril that typical homeowners insurance does not insure against is flood. You need to purchase a separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

It’s important that you shop around for comparison quotes on home insurance. Rates vary quite a bit from one company to the next and shopping can save you hundreds. You’ll see this if you go to the Web site for the Louisiana Department of Insurance. They have a Homeowners Rate Comparison guide which shows rates based on a certain type of home in various cities such as Houma, New Orleans, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, Monroe, Slidell, Shreveport and more.

This is just a general comparison to give you an idea of how the companies differ. To get an accurate comparison, you’ll need to get at least three different quotes based on your property. You can use the list of companies on the insurance department’s site to look up home insurance companies and request quotes — either by phone or the Internet. You should provide the same information to each regarding your coverages and deductibles to get an apples-to-apples comparison.

Many people find it more convenient to visit an insurance comparison Web site. These sites don’t represent a single company and will look for the lowest quotes from companies doing business where you live. You only need to fill out an online form once to get several quotes back.

There are other ways you can lower your homeowners insurance costs as well. Raising your deductible, upgrading your electrical and plumbing, repairing or replacing your roof can all reduce how much you pay.

By: Justin Scott

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Cheap homeowners insurance. Does it really exist? Yes … if you know how and where to look. Here’s how to find cheap homeowners insurance the easy way.

What Homeowners Insurance Covers

Structural Coverage – This coverage pays to have your home rebuilt if it’s damaged or destroyed. To find out how much coverage you need, get the square-foot building cost in your area from a builder or a realtor, then multiply that figure by your home’s square footage.

Personal Property Coverage – Your personal property is anything in your home that is not not part of the house structure – clothing, furniture, appliances, electronics, etc. To figure out how much personal property coverage you need, take an inventory of everything you own, then add up each item’s value to get the coverage amount.

Expensive items like jewelry, furs, antiques, and collectables may not be covered under some policies, so you’ll need to purchase extra insurance to cover them.

Liability Coverage – Liability coverage pays for damage done to others and their property when you’re at fault. It also pays for your legal fees if you’re sued. If you don’t have a lot of assets, $100,000 coverage may be enough. But if you do have a lot of assets that you could lose in a lawsuit, consider purchasing at least $300,000 to $500,000 worth of liability coverage

Off-Premises Coverage – This pays for your basic living expenses if your home becomes uninhabitable due to fire or other causes. This coverage is especially important if you live in a high risk area for natural disasters.

Most homeowners policies do not cover floods and earthquakes, so you’ll need to purchase extra coverage if you live in a flood or earthquake zone.

How to Get Cheap Homeowners Insurance

Insurance rates can vary by hundreds, even thousands of dollars from one company to the next. This being the case, the best way to get cheap homeowners insurance is to go to an insurance comparison website where you can compare rates from a number of different companies.

A few comparison sites even have insurance professionals on hand to answer any questions you may have through their online chat service (See link below.)

To get the cheapest rate, make sure to request the highest deductible you can afford, and get all the discounts you’re eligible for.

By: Brian Stevens

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Annual homeowners insurance premiums in Michigan have been on the rise this decade because of increased flood claims and higher rebuilding costs. Homeowners have seen their premiums rise 85%. This trend makes it more vital than ever that you take time to shop around for homeowners insurance and make sure you’re paying the lowest possible price.

Keep Your Insurance Costs Down

To keep your homeowner insurance costs as low as possible, follow these tips:

* Set your coverage limits high enough to protect you, but not higher than your home and belongings are worth. To get accurate numbers, take an inventory of your belongings and call a realtor or builder to get an estimate of how much it would cost to rebuild your home.

* Set your deductible as high as you can afford. The deductible is the amount you pay on a claim before the insurance starts to pay. If you can afford $500 or even $1,000 out of pocket, set your deductible at that level and you’ll save 15% to 25% on your yearly premium.

* Get all the discounts you can. Michigan homeowners insurance companies typically offer discounts for non-smokers, for having multiple policies with the same company, for installing security features, and a host of other discounts. Ask if they offer any other discounts you might qualify for and include them in your policy.

Shop Around for Insurance

Did you know that over 100 insurance companies offer homeowners insurance in Michigan? These insurance companies compete with each other to provide the lowest rates and the best service. Their rates can vary dramatically from one company to the next, which means you can save hundreds of dollars a year just by comparison shopping.

The best way to comparison shop for Michigan home insurance is to visit an insurance comparison website. At an insurance comparison website you fill out a form with information about yourself, the home you’re insuring, and your insurance needs (such as your limits and deductibles). You then receive quotes from multiple A-rated insurance companies, allowing you to easily compare the quotes and choose the company with the lowest rate.

The best insurance comparison websites even have a chat feature, so if you have any questions about homeowners insurance, you can get accurate, timely answers from trained insurance professionals.

By: Brian Stevens

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Maryland Homeowners Insurance – How to Get the Best Rate

Buying homeowners insurance in Maryland can be expensive … unless you know what to do and where to go to get discount rates. Here are four tips that will help you save big bucks on your homeowners insurance.

Maryland Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners insurance is a necessity if you want to insure that your house and your belongings are safe from fire, theft, vandalism, and weather damage. Homeowners insurance not only protects your home and your personal property, it also protects you from lawsuits when people hurt themselves in your home.

Money-Saving Tips

1. Insure your home, not your land. When you buy a home your mortgage company probably based your homeowners insurance on the appraised value of your home. Appraisals include the value of your land, which you don’t need to insure.

To get the amount of homeowners insurance you need, ask a local builder how much it would cost to rebuild it and use that figure.

2. Get the highest deductible you can afford. For instance, raising your deductible from $250 to $1,000 will save you up to 25% on your annual premium. Raising your deductible also prevents you from filing excessive claims which can cause your insurance company to cancel your policy.

3. Combine you home and auto insurance. Purchasing your home and your auto insurance with the same company can save you as much as 15% on your yearly premium.

4. Install Safety and Security Features. Installing fire alarms, burglar alarms, sprinkler systems, dead bolts, window locks, and fire extinguishers not only gives you a big discount on your insurance, it also gives you peace of mind.

The Biggest Money Saver

Homeowners insurance can vary by $1,000 or more from one insurance company to the next, so the best way to save the most amount of money on your insurance is to compare rates from different companies.

The simplest way to do that is to go to an insurance comparison website where you can get rate quotes from a number of insurance companies. A few of these sites even offer an online chat feature and a toll-free telephone service where you can get advice from an insurance expert. (See links below.)

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



By: ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com

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You know you need homeowners insurance to protect your home and your belongings. But do you know how much to buy, what it covers, and how to save on your premiums?

How Much Homeowners Insurance Should You Buy?

You need to consider two major factors:

* How much it would cost to replace your home if it were completely destroyed. You can get an estimate from a local builder or real estate agent to figure out this amount.

* How much it would cost to replace your belongings. Doing an inventory and totaling up the value of everything you own will help you determine this amount.

What Does Your Homeowners Policy Protect You Against?

Your homeowners insurance policy protects your home and your belongings against damage from:

* Wind and hail

* Explosions

* Fire and lightning

* Vandalism and theft

* Smoke and plumbing leaks

It also protects you if someone is injured on your property, and it pays for your living expenses if you need to live somewhere else while your home is being repaired.

How Can You Save On Your Homeowners Insurance?

There are several ways you can help reduce your premiums:

* Keep your credit record clean. People with poor credit pay more for their policy than those with good credit.

* Get discounts. You may qualify for discounts if you’re a non-smoker or a senior citizen, or if you install smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, or deadbolts in your home. Ask your insurer about all the discounts you qualify for and include them in your policy.

* Set your deductible as high as you can afford. The higher your deductible, the lower your premium.

* Shop rates on an insurance comparison website. Homeowners rates can vary dramatically from company to company. You can get rate quotes from multiple A-rated companies just by filling out a simple form on an insurance comparison website. On the best comparison websites, you can even talk with experts online to get answers to your questions and advice on how to save money on your premiums (see link below).

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



By: ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com

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Looking for free homeowners insurance quotes? Want to know where to get the cheapest quotes from reputable companies in a matter of minutes? Here’s where to go and what to do.

Free Homeowners Insurance Quotes

Getting free homeowners insurance quotes these days is as simple as going to an insurance website and answering a few questions. However, some site are better than others.

If you want to get the cheapest homeowners insurance from a reputable company your best bet is to go to an insurance comparison website where you’ll receive quotes from multiple companies. Then you can compare those quotes and choose the best rate from the best company.

The better insurance comparison sites even have a chat feature that allows you to talk online with an insurance expert who can answer any questions you may have. (See link below.)

Homeowners Insurance Discounts

* Raising your deductible by a couple of hundred dollars can save you a couple of hundred dollars a year on your insurance premiums.

* Adding safety features to you home like fire alarms, burglar alarms, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, dead bolts, and smoke detectors can get you a sizable discount on your homeowners insurance.

* Buying your homeowners insurance and auto insurance from the same company can save you a few hundred dollars on your premiums.

* Getting a senior’s discount, if you’re a retired senior, can get you 10% off your homeowners insurance with some companies.

* If the members of your household are all non-smokers you can get a non-smokers discount with most insurance companies.

Insurance Company Ratings

Last, but not least, you want to make sure you’re buying your homeowners insurance from a reputable company who will pay your claims and pay them on time.

To find out what a company’s claims history is I recommend going to two websites:

1. Your state’s department of insurance website to see what companies have had claims filed against them. If your state doesn’t list claims, go to California’s website – www.insurance.ca.gov – to get this information.

2. Epinions.com to get ratings and reviews of various insurance companies by their customers.

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/homeowners-insurance.html or click on the following link to get free homeowners insurance quotes and see how much you can save. You can get more auto insurance tips by checking out their “Articles” section.



By: ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com

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