Homeowners insurance was created to protect homeowners in the event of disasters that threaten their homes and possessions such as fire or theft. Although these events are occurrences that most people do not even want to consider happening to them, the fact is that they do occur often throughout the country and they must be properly prepared for. Homeowner’s insurance is the best way to ensure that you are protected from unforeseen damage to your home. If a major disaster does occur, you will be extremely happy that you have decided to insure your investments.

When you choose to purchase homeowner’s insurance, an insurance company will decide how much money will be allotted to you in your homeowner’s insurance policy. The amount will depend on the value of your home. Oftentimes homeowners do not understand why the coverage amount allotted to them is less than the price they paid for their home upon purchase. This is because the price you purchased your home for is based on the overall value of the home, the land, its location, and a number of other things. Your homeowners insurance only covers the structure of the home itself, since the land is not considered damaged in the event of any damage to your home covered by the insurance (please note: in the United States homeowners insurance does not cover earthquakes).

There are a few requirements for those who wish to get homeowner’s insurance. In order to qualify for a homeowner’s insurance policy, you must own the home you are insuring and also live in it. If you own the home and are renting it out, you will not qualify for homeowner’s insurance. If you are renting a home you will qualify for renter’s insurance but not homeowner’s insurance. When shopping around for the right homeowner’s insurance policy for you, you will find that there are a number of types of homeowner’s insurance, depending on what you would like to cover. Dwelling coverage covers your home and any attached dwelling areas that you do not live in, such as your garage.

Coverage for Other Structures will cover all dwellings on your property from large storage units to garages to guest homes. Other structures can also be defined as swimming pools, hot tubs, decks, patios and other structures on your land. Personal property coverage covers the contents of your home. With personal property coverage not only is your home covered in your insurance policy but all your possessions located within the house that could be stolen or damaged in the event of a disaster are covered as well. If you have a number of expensive items within your home, this is probably a very good investment for you since you would have a number of large investments at risk in the event of a burglary, fire or other unforeseen event. Loss of Use coverage is vital if your home is left damaged so badly that you can no longer live in it. In the event of a disaster that leaves you with no home to live in, this type of homeowner’s insurance will allot you a specific amount of money to cover bills for hotel stays, meals at restaurants, etc.

It is clear that there are a number of options for anyone who wishes to invest in homeowner’s insurance depending on what they wish to insure and how much money they wish to spend on a homeowner’s insurance policy. No matter what area of the country you live in or how much you home and its contents cost, homeowner’s insurance is truly a must for anyone who owns a home. In the event of a major disaster homeowner’s insurance can be your only saving grace in preventing you from losing major amounts of money and property. If you do own a home and do not have homeowner’s insurance get in touch with an insurance provider as soon as possible to make sure the unthinkable does not happen to you. If you have never invested in homeowner’s insurance before, most local insurance agencies will be happy to have an agent sit down with you and walk you through the logistics of homeowner’s insurance. It will be one investment you will surely be glad you made.

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Unlike home or auto insurance, boat insurance policies can vary widely from one company to the next. So which type of boating insurance is best for you? Try these tips. They come from experts at the nation's largest recreational boat owners association, BoatU.S.

• Know Thy Insurer-One way to find a good insurer is to ask friends who have had a claim in the past. Insurance companies may be good at taking monthly premiums, but how a company lives up to expectations when something goes wrong is a better indicator.

You can also research potential insurance carriers at www.am best.com/ratings. The ratings are the industry's benchmark for assessing an insurer's financial strength; look for an "A" rating (excellent) or better. State insurance regulatory agencies are also a good reference and can be found online.

• Homeowner's or Separate Policy-Consider buying a separate insurance policy for the boat, rather than adding it to your homeowner's policy, as the latter often limits certain marine-related risks such as salvage work, wreck removal, pollution or environmental damage. Whatever amount the boat is insured for, it should have a separate but equal amount of funds available for any salvage work. This means that you're compensated for the loss of your boat and not having to pay additional, out-of-pocket costs to have a wreck removed from a waterway.

• Agreed Value vs. Actual Cash Value-These are the two main choices that boaters face and depreciation is what sets them apart. An "agreed value" policy covers the boat at whatever value you and your insurer agree upon. While it typically costs more up front, there is no depreciation if there is a total loss of the boat (some partial losses may be depreciated). "Actual cash value" policies, on the other hand, cost less up front but factor in depreciation and only pay up to the actual cash value at the time the boat is declared a total or partial loss or property was lost.

• Customize-Bass boaters may need fishing gear and tournament coverage as well as "cruising extensions" if they trailer their boat far from home. You may want "freeze coverage" if you live in a temperate state because, ironically, that's where most of this kind of damage occurs. A good insurer will tailor your coverage to fit your needs so there will be no surprises.

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