You can’t always prevent water from coming into your home, especially during this time of year. In fact, as I am writing this, I am watching a wind and rain storm that has been raging for the past seven hours.

Whether you just bought a new home (congratulations!) or are just looking over your existing policy, you may be wondering “Why is my coverage amount more or less than my home value? How much home insurance do I actually need? Shouldn't my policy coverage just cover the market value of the house?"

Ahhh, trees. They’re beautiful to look at, create shade in your yard, and act as a habitat for the birds. But they also have more practical value -- they clean the air, slow water runoff, and buffer noise pollution. They even help save on energy costs and increase property value! They’re an appealing and sensible component of your property ... unless they fall on your home.

We’re officially one month into a new year (and new decade) and many of us (myself included) are thinking about getting our finances in order and planning for the future.

We understand that nobody wants to have to use life insurance, so it goes without saying that it isn’t exactly the most exciting product to shop for.

It’s not uncommon to think you don’t need renter’s insurance. Since you don’t own the property you rent, damages from what happens to it shouldn’t be up for you to pay for, right? Well …not exactly. While your landlord’s policy protects the building you live in, your personal belongings are not covered under that policy. You also aren’t protected in any way from getting sued by others.