Homeowners, condo, renters & flood.

Homeowners insurance provides financial protection against disasters. It's a package policy — meaning it covers damage to your property and your liability for injuries or property damage you or your family cause to others. It's about protecting yourself financially if something unexpected happens to your home or possessions.

Condo owners should have an HO-6 policy, which helps pay to repair the unit and the owner's belongings if stolen or damaged by certain perils. Your association's HOA policy typically covers only the building exterior — leaving the interior and your belongings uncovered.

Before opting out, ask your association exactly what their HOA covers so you know what's protected and what isn't.

Renters insurance covers your possessions against fire, smoke, lightning, vandalism, theft, explosion, windstorm and water damage from plumbing. It also pays reasonable additional costs of living away from home — hotel, temporary rental, restaurant meals — if a covered disaster makes your home uninhabitable.

It also protects you against liability if someone is injured at your home or by you, a family member, or your pet — including legal defense costs.

Flood losses are not covered by your homeowners policy. Floodwaters can damage your home, your sense of security, and your financial future. There are really only two ways to be prepared:

Option 1: Hope for Federal disaster relief. The truth is that Federal aid is only available if the President formally declares a disaster — and even then, it's often a loan you have to repay, with interest.

Option 2: Buy flood insurance. Policyholder claims are paid even without a federal disaster declaration, and you don't have to repay anything. Note: most policies don't take effect until 30 days after purchase — so don't wait for the forecast.

Think of umbrella insurance as a blanket policy that adds another layer of coverage on top of your basic policies. When you've reached the limits on your home or auto insurance, your umbrella picks up the rest.

Standard policies are valuable, but lawsuits can exceed their limits. If you're sued and don't have enough coverage, all your assets are exposed — house, car, retirement accounts, future income. Umbrella protects against property damage, bodily injury claims, legal fees, false arrest, libel and slander.

Personal lines cover the full spectrum of how people live — from first-time renters to multi-property owners. We tailor coverage to the way you actually live: