Entries from InsWeb’s Insurance Blog | Auto, Home, Life, Health, and more tagged with 'home'
Burglary and Your Homeowners Insurance
After leaving your home, do you worry that you forgot to lock the door or if you left a light on to make your home appear occupied? Gone are the days when your parents trusted the world with an unlocked front door, as evidenced by the fact that burglaries affected 1out of every 39 homes last year. It's an...
Protecting Your Home During the Holiday Season
December is simply one of the most dangerous times for homeowners. Celebrations with cooking, candles, Christmas trees, holiday lights and alcohol foster conditions for a plethora of unfortunate events. Even more, burglars are looking to take advantage of easy targets: households that are clearly on vacation, or better yet, decorations that scream "WE HAVE GIFTS INSIDE!" Ensure your joyous holiday...
Do You Winterize Your Home?
Winter officially begins on December 21, but shorter days and dropping temperatures have already started. Simply ask residents of Buffalo, New York who witnessed an unseasonably early snowfall in mid-October. Interestingly, meteorologists at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center expect a winter that is 8% cooler than last year's. Although the outlook does not warn of disaster-like conditions, history has demonstrated...
Declining Home Values and Homeowners Insurance
As the housing market slows, and home prices begin to drop, homeowners should not be fooled into thinking that they should automatically reduce their current amount of homeowners insurance coverage. The amount of coverage a home owner needs is based on the replacement value of the home, not its fair market value; therefore, fluctuations in the housing market do...
Insurance and Your Credit Report
Insurance companies use several factors to determine your premiums, including your driving record, age, the type of car you drive, marital status, and your address. But increasingly, companies are using your credit history as an indicator of how likely you are to file a claim. Called an insurance risk score, this controversial number is calculated using a special formula similar...
Why It's Critical To Maintain A Current Home Inventory
Nobody ever thinks a fire is going to burn down their home, and with any luck, it won't. But we can't count on that. That is why we need to take certain precautions to make sure we are as prepared as possible for those "just in case" disasters. For example, make sure your family has an evacuation plan in...
Insuring Personal Computers With Homeowners and Renters Insurance
For many people, their personal computer is a major investment; trailing only behind purchasing a home and car in terms of expense. Accordingly, it is just as important to know how to insure your computer. Coverage for computers and related accessories such as software and peripheral equipment (hard drive, monitor, etc.) can vary from company to company, so call...
My Home Warranty Nightmare
In 2004, I purchased a home built in 1989, and over the past two years I have learned some very hard lessons about what a home warranty policy actually covers when things go wrong. I started out with Fidelity Home Warranty and after a year of getting claims denied, I changed to American Home Shield, which turned out to be...
Protecting Against Bike Theft
Bicycles are generally covered by homeowners or renters insurance policies. But you usually are required to pay a deductible that can be a few hundred dollars. Your best bet is to prevent theft in the first place. 1. Purchase a quality bike lock and use it correctly. Use the lock to secure both the wheels and the frame to an...
Homeowner Commonsense: Obvious Ways to Protect Against Theft
I am shocked and amazed when I walk around my suburban neighborhood. Garage doors left wide open without a homeowner in sight. Bikes are left in yards unattended too. I wonder, "Why would someone invite one to steal?" Maybe it's naiveté. Maybe they are among the many people who subscribe to "it won't happen to me." Or, maybe it's just...
Protecting Possessions in College
As a follow-up to our recent discussion of students heading off to college and taking their valuable possessions with them, here are six time-tested tips that should be practiced by the young adults:...
Dorm Rooms and Homeowners Insurance
Students heading off to college this year are taking more stuff with them than ever before: computers, cell phones, MP3 players, bicycles, clothing, sports equipment, and most likely a car. Interestingly, the campuses where they're heading may pose an unusually high rate of theft. It's normal though, as theft affects an estimated 1 in 10 college students. Given this, how...
Better News For Atlantic Hurricane Region Homeowners: Forecasters Downgrade Hurricane Season Threats
Good news for homeowners that live in the Atlantic hurricane region: As a follow-up to our May InsWeb Blog post "2006 Hurricane Season Alert: 4 to 6 Major Hurricanes Predicted," the same government agency that issued the alert at the end of May recently downgraded the threat, as this year's hurricane season won't be as bad as predicted.
Home Energy Costs On The Rise
After struggling to come to terms with my astronomically high energy bill last month, I knew I had to look into finding ways to cut my usage. I came across an article on the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) website that may help people in my situation. Here are some of the tips they provided:...
Good (And Bad) News: Your Teenager Is Now A Teen Driver
Imagine this: Not only is it back-to-school time, but your teenager has just passed their driving test and they're ready to start driving around. This is great news, right? It means they can drive themselves to school, you don't have to fit in driving them to their endless activities around your already busy schedule, maybe they can even help with...
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