Flood and earthquake coverage

Do you live in or have you moved to an area which is prone to flooding and earthquakes? Is your current insurance updated to give you adequate coverage when and if the rain starts and there is a flood or an earthquake and your home is demolished? Don’t wait for the last minute to put your insurance needs in place. Answer the following to get a quick answer as to what you will need to do.


• Have you had one or more earthquakes in your area – meaning location of frequent earthquakes or floods – and your property has been severely affected?

• Is your house solidly constructed to withstand an earthquake and will you be able to pay for all water damage?

• Could you absorb the cost of replacing your home and personal property? If your answer is no it is time to update your coverage to reflect your current needs.


Type of insurance needed

What you need is a flood insurance policy which will provide flood protection for both your residence and its contents. This can be obtained by updating your coverage and purchasing up to a quarter million dollars for the building and up to one hundred thousand dollars to cover your contents. If you need excess insurance for the amount exceeding the amount available through the federal program, you can purchase this through a private insurer. This excess would cover amounts above the $250,000 federal limit.


What is covered and what is not

Flood insurance does not cover all types of damage, such as flood-related basement damage. It also does not cover the failure of a sump pump or seepage or any damage caused by sewer backups unless they are directly related to a flood. Federal disaster assistance is in the form of loans or grants and will only be paid if the damage is widespread and serious and the area is declared as a disaster area by the Federal Management (FEMA).


What you have to do first is to sit down with an insurance expert to determine what is and what is not covered. If you are not covered for damage by either flooding or earthquakes you can buy flood or earthquake insurance if you live in an area prone to these kinds of disasters. Consider purchasing a policy even if you do not live in a high-risk area as melting snow, bad drainage, storms and hurricanes can all cause serious flooding.


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The importance of life, accident, and disability insurance

If you are a family and have children who depend on you, you absolutely need life insurance coverage. You need disability if you are injured, especially if you are a one-income family and have young children who are depending on you for their livelihood. You need life, disability and other insurance to provide funds when and if something happens to you. Listed below are some reputable life insurance companies you can go online for and check out.


Mutual of Omaha founded in Omaha, Nebraska puts emphasis on family values and was established to provide financial security to families in need. In l924 the company ranked as the 8th largest insurance company and continuously came up with an inventory of products.


Accuquote allows users to go online and enter their information to get access to term or life insurance options. They can also get several quotes from different companies; all upon getting the information and thinking about it and making an informed decision. Life is made simple for the applicant as he or she can then submit an application and a hard copy is mailed for signatures and medical exams or other medical requirements. Various resource tools are available on the site to help the customer.


Gerber Life Insurance started operations in 1967. Their trademark logo is of an adorable infant recognized the world over from the company’s baby food products and from vigorous print and web advertising on billboards and other campaigns. Gerber Life claims that even though they are thought of as strictly “a baby life insurance provider, the company is much more than that and offers many insurance options.”


Quote Guardian, an online insurance leads provider was created to give clients a place to shop for any type of insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies. The company stresses that it is neither an insurance company nor affiliated with one. They have a group of licensed Insurance Agents across the country and how it works is that the client submits an application for an insurance quote and Quote Guardian matches the client with a local agent in his or her area. The agent provides an array of quotes from different companies which allow the client more options and more variety and the agent also facilitates the actual procurement of the policy. Nothing can be simpler.

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Being kind to the environment

Will you be celebrating World Environment Day enjoying a barbeque with family and friends? Do your bit for the environment by reading up on how you can contribute while at the same time having fun. Here are some green tips you might wish to consider.


Should you use propane or charcoal

According to a study by Elsevier’s Environmental Impact Assessment Review it is better to use propane to barbeque as it is the best option when you want to grill meat. Propane produces far less greenhouse gases than charcoal and the process takes into account transporting the propane tanks in trucks to how long it takes the coal to heat up. A charcoal barbecue produces fifteen pounds of carbon compared to only five pounds for propane; the above study also found that to make each briquette releases greater emissions than even the burning does. Additionally, charcoal comes from heating wood in an oxygen-free kiln and the kilns are themselves a source of greenhouse gas. From all of this the answer is clear that propane wins over charcoal.


Green tips for keeping cool

• Yes or no to air-conditioning? The answer is no. While air-conditioning does keep you cool, it burns up major fossil fuels. Use it sparingly in scorching heat, and do not keep it on when it is cool outside as it is a waste. You can also turn off the air-con unit at night and see what other appliances you can turn down when it is cool in the house.

• Contribute to coolness in the house by using a ceiling fan to move the air around. This will decrease the heat by six or seven degrees.

• Install weather insulating drapes which can reflect away the hot sun.

• Don’t cook food during the day as it heats up the kitchen. You may also turn off the geyser.

• A third of Americans currently use bug spray which is not good for the environment. According to the Center for Disease Control you should eliminate the hindrance of pests such as mosquitoes in the garden by using lemon eucalyptus oil which is an effective alternative for bug spray. If you don’t wish to use this, there is cinnamon oil for a healthy second option. If your house is generally hot, plant shrubbery close to the house to create shade and cut down on the heat.

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