Protect your assets
  • If you have homeowners insurance, make sure the dwelling coverage reflects what it would cost to rebuild your house, which might be quite different from its market value.
  • Homeowners policies don't cover floods. Even if you don't live near water, consider a flood policy.
  • If you rent, your landlord's policy probably doesn't cover your possessions. Get a renters policy for as little as $10 a month.
  • Protect your high-value items — like jewelry, art, silverware, cameras and weapons — with valuable personal property insurance.
  • Homeowners, renters, auto and watercraft policies have liability coverage that protects you if you're responsible for harming others or their possessions. As a rule of thumb, each policy should have enough to cover your assets and future earnings. You can supplement this coverage with an umbrella policy.


Take inventory
  • If your property's lost, damaged or stolen, you'll want a good record of what you owned. Make a list or capture images of all your possessions using a camera or video camcorder.
  • You can also download free inventory software from the Insurance Information Institute.
  • Store your inventory records in a safe and separate location, such as a safe-deposit box.


* The above article is provided by USAA. They will send monthly guide to me to be posted here.