If you have some pressing business to attend to, you may want to take care of it before September 23, 2017, because according to one Biblical futurist, that’s the day the world will end. Talk about a rough weather season.
Christian numerologist David Meade says that the mysterious Planet X, whose very existence NASA denies, will pass perilously close Earth on that day, triggering global Armageddon. Furthermore, Mr. Meade claims that the solar eclipse and Hurricane Harvey are among the signs alluded to in Luke 21, the stars will be aligned in conformity with Revelation 12 on that day, and that data from the Egyptian pyramids supports his conclusion.
No major denomination has endorsed the September 23 date, and a writer warned Christians not to be “drawn into such sensationalist claims.”
Policy Basics
Unfortunately, global disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis are not any easier to predict than local disasters like kitchen fires and leaky basements, which is why we need insurance. Fundamentally, homeowners’ insurance policies are really about peace of mind for both the homeowner and the lender. Most disasters — especially natural disasters — are statistical anomalies, but that fact is a very small comfort if catastrophe strikes your house and you are under prepared.
Furthermore, insurance is an ongoing decision-making process, particularly if the owner enjoys undertaking Do-It-Yourself improvement projects. The policy and coverage you had at closing may be insufficient or inappropriate two or three years down the road. TrustedChoice.com has a good list of some typical projects that may affect insurance decisions.
Getting the Best Deal
While the types of insurance are pretty well set in stone and probably required under the mortgage lending agreement, the specifics in terms of coverage, deductible, and company are usually up to the owner. As a rule, higher deductibles are a good way to decrease premiums. The obvious trade off is that out-of-pocket expenses will be higher in the event of a claim.
Decreasing risk is another good way to decrease rates. Home security systems are a good way to decrease theft risk, as 60 percent of burglars said that they would not even attempt to break into a house with such a system. There are other ways to decrease risk as well, such as a home sprinkler system.
Such upgrades probably only decrease insurance rates if the insurance company knows about them, so as soon as the alarm installers leave, your next call should be to your insurance agent.
The Bundle
Sometimes, the “bundle-and-save” mantra really means spending extra money on things you do not want or need. But when it comes to insurance, bundling makes a lot of sense.
Largely because such arrangements mean less overhead, and more business, for the company, many insurance firms reduce policy premiums if the policyholder has two or more policies with the same company. Most brokers can help facilitate such an arrangement. Most companies are financially sound, so there is little cause for concern in this area.
However, it is a good idea to research companies in terms of their reputation for paying or denying claims, because although television commercials imply otherwise, the insurance company is not always “on your side.”
We are winterizing now. We try and keep as green as possible when doing it. The insulation we are using is recycled newspapers.