Monday, August 31, 2009

An Occasional Hurricane Reminder

Northeastern Hurricanes On The Horizon: Saturday's New York Times had a story about hurricane preparedness that I want you to see. The paper reminds you that, while it has been a long time since the Northeastern US has suffered a significant hurricane, the potential exists during every hurricane season, and the time to prepare against loss is now. Home Inventory is, of course, a part of the solution.

A home inventory will help ensure that you have purchased enough insurance to replace your personal possessions. It can also speed the claims process and substantiate losses for income tax purposes. A detailed home inventory is also helpful should you need to apply for disaster aid.

You may live in a place that is safe from hurricane damage. (Tennessee remains unscathed! Tornadoes are another story.) However, regardless of where you live, your risk of loss exists. It may come through natural causes like tornado, hurricane, or lightning. It could come through man-made causes like electrical fires or theft. The fact is that you are at risk if you own personal property, and your insurance carrier has very long forms for you to complete when that time comes. Home inventory can give you back a year of your life, a year that you would otherwise spend haggling with your insurer.

A. J. Farley runs Farley Home Services, a home inventory service based in Middle Tennessee. Please visit EverySingleItem.com, the company website, for more details.