John Egan State Farm has introduced an online tool that lets homeowners take an inventory of their household belongings. State Farm HomeIndex enables customers to create an inventory of their personal property by adding photos and details about household items, listing them by room and by category. State Farm says the data is securely stored … Read more
Gina Roberts-Grey Whether they’re in search of tricks or treats, ghouls and goblins who visit your home this Halloween could scare up a home insurance claim. Here’s how to make sure there’s hardly a ghost of a chance of your insurance being jeopardized. Clumsy little goblins When kids are running from door to door in masks and … Read more
Gina Roberts-Grey If you live in a disaster-prone state, your homeowner’s insurance deductible on certain types of claims – primarily wind and hail damage – soon might be changing. Typically, most homeowner’s insurance policies include a dollar-amount deductible, such as $500 or $1,000. But now home insurers like State Farm are reshaping deductibles in states like Texas, … Read more
Chris Kissell Insurance often seems like a necessary evil. Nobody likes paying for it, but you sure are glad it’s there when you suffer a loss. However, a new survey by Wolters Kluwer Financial Services found that many policyholders believe the claims process itself leaves much to be desired. In particular, consumers complained about insurers’ failure to … Read more
John Egan As many as 10 million residents of the Mid-Atlantic region will lose power during and after Hurricane Sandy, according to a computer model developed by an engineer at Johns Hopkins University. “Hurricanes and other severe storms often result in widespread power outages,” Michael Gillerlane, a senior assistant vice president at Amica Mutual Insurance, … Read more
Troy Anderson Buying a home can be one of the most exciting and nerve-racking events in your life. But few people think of the possibility that a spouse or partner could die in an accident during the home-buying process. Yet that sad scenario happens more often than most people would think, says Daryl Trawick, president of … Read more
Wendy Levine When you think about renter’s insurance, you probably think about protecting your valuables from theft or damage. But that’s only part of it. Renters should consider another aspect of coverage – liability. A standard renter’s policy also covers personal liability, and you’re just as likely to need it. If you own a pit bull … Read more
John Egan The Windy City is now also the Buggy City. Pest control company Orkin named Chicago the top U.S. city for bed bugs in 2012, up from the No. 2 position in 2011. In all, Orkin ranked 50 major cities based on the number of bed bug treatments it performed throughout 2012. Here is Orkin’s top … Read more
Linda Childers Taking measures to protect your valuables and deter burglars not only increases your home’s security. It also can decrease your home insurance premiums. Experts say taking steps to protect your home against intruders doesn’t necessarily mean spending thousands of dollars on fancy gadgets and alarm systems. Instead, you can start with the basics, including … Read more
Chris Kissell After many years of sinking, home values finally are on the rise again. Nationwide, home sale prices have risen for 10 straight months, and were up 8.3 percent in December 2012 compared with December 2011, the biggest increase since May 2006, according to CoreLogic, a major provider of information about residential real estate. … Read more