The vast majority of the world accepts that climate change is happening, though some conservatives in America doubt whether it is man-made or not. Here’s another question: what does global warming mean for your homeowners insurance?

The natural forces tied to climate are significant risks to homes and big factors in determining insurance premiums. Changes in those risks mean changes to premiums and policies.

How Climate Is Changing

Scientists at American universities, in the UK, in South America, and even the United Nations agree that climate change is already happening. Glaciers are melting and this is evidence, but there’s more. Record floods and droughts in Sri Lanka, Brazil, and China, as well as deadly heat waves in the United States and across Europe, are all consistent with the projections from climatologists.

The year 2011 has been one for record natural disasters. The Texas wildfires currently raging are already causing never-before-seen damage in the state to forests, animal habitats, and human homes. This damage continues hurting even after the fires are done. The only thing protecting homeowners in the 25 thousand scorched acres is insurance.
Big disasters can be huge tests of the viability of an insurance company. Make sure your insurer is up to the test.

Damage from Wildfires

Wildfires have always been a problem in the Southwest and always will be, if climate change doesn’t turn it into a tropical zone. The problem will likely only get worse as more of the precious few water resources are tapped out in Texas and other border states.
Wildfires can start from almost anything, whether it be spontaneous combustion from the sun or a cigarette tossed into the woods. The key is parched woodland from lack of rain, intense sunlight, and heat. Once a fire gets going, it’s very hard to stop. Part of the reason is the incredible amount of fuel available – so many trees – and another part is the inability to predict which way it goes. Fires spread by wind to anywhere where a flame or even an ember can blow.
In this Texas wildfire, 500 homes are already been destroyed in the conflagration, with no end in sight. The 25 thousand acres of land affected could double or triple before this is over, the fire department says.

Insuring a vehicle is probably one of the least pleasant aspects of owning a car. And because it’s required by law you just can’t do anything about it. Most people choose going with the flow when it comes to car insurance and simply take the first policy they come across. Others, however, take the time to learn what can be done to lower the costs and still get sufficient coverage. If you are one of those inquisitive people there’s good news for you – this way you have a much higher chance of getting inexpensive car insurance. But before you will be able to shop around effectively you should first learn what actually affects car insurance rates and why they tend to differ between various customers.

First of all you have to understand that the insurance company sets individual rates for each customer based on a set of different factors. These factors help the company determine the actual risk of a particular person to file an insurance claim. And the combination of these variables is what determines the final auto insurance quotes you get when simply trying to learn how much the policy would cost you. Moreover, each company uses the same factors in different formulas when calculating the customer’s premiums so there’s usually a fluctuation in rates even if you’re trying to get the very same policy from two different providers.

Even if you read your policy very careful, you might still be surprised these 10 things are not covered.

#1: Currency

Some people think keeping money under their mattress is safer than keeping it in a bank. At least money in banks are insured! If you have cash lying around, under the mattress, or even in a safe or lock box, it will probably not be reimbursed under the terms of your homeowners or renters insurance.

#2: Water Damage from Backups and Floods

Unless you have flood insurance, nowadays insurance companies won’t cover water damage caused by flooding or storms.

What most policies do cover burst pipes and damage from accidents or non-flood disasters.
Don’t expect sewage backups or other pipe backups to be covered standard though. What you need is “sewer backup coverage”.

#3: Trampolines

Depending on your state, you might not get coverage for your trampoline. Obviously, no trampoline repairs, but the bigger concern is your liability from injuries incurred during trampoline use. Over 100 thousand injuries happen each year due to trampolines.

In some places and with some companies, you might be disqualified from getting any property liability coverage at all if you put in a trampoline. And don’t think about not telling your insurer, because they can void your whole contract if they learn about it.

You should also be concerned about the damage to your home or others that a trampoline can cause if it is blown away in a storm. At the very least, bolt it down.

You always hope for the best whatever you do. Let’s face it, setting off expecting the worst often becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. So when you learn to drive, you first hope you will never have an accident. Then you hope you will only have a small accident. The idea of a total loss is not something you want to think about. Yet it’s surprising how often you find the insurer wants to total your vehicle; and then there are the times when your pride and joy disappears off the face of the Earth. That’s a really sad moment. So what are the rules when the unthinkable happens? In this, don’t forget the minimum liability policy is no help. For repair of your own vehicle, you need a collision policy. To recover value should your vehicle be stolen, you need a comprehensive policy.

Let’s start with an accident in which your vehicle is damaged. Your first instinct is to repair. The insurer gets estimates. If it’s going to cost more than the market value of your vehicle, the insurer will offer you a check. Now comes the really sad part. The check is for less than you expect. This is not the price you paid. This is not the price you think the vehicle would command if you advertised it for sale. This is the price the insurer thinks you will have to pay to buy a similar replacement. So you may have showered love on this vehicle. Its paint may gleam in the morning sun and it has been perfectly maintained. You look at the check and see it will only buy an unloved wreck. But there’s worse to come. Suppose your vehicle was bought using an auto loan and the amount of the check will only pay off a part of the money outstanding on the loan. To cover this gap, there’s a separate insurance policy you can buy. That way, there will always be enough to pay off whatever is owing to the bank or finance company.