With massive tornadoes, hurricanes, flash flooding and other natural disasters destroying thousands of homes every single month in the U.S., property insurance rates are through the roof in many states. Luckily, Mississippi’s insurance rates are showing that some relief is in sight for individuals paying inflated rates.

High property insurance rates are not a problem for every homeowner in the country, obviously; but most of the country is at high risk for weather damage around the clock. You have big snow in the northeast, big rain in the northwest, floods and hurricanes in the south, earthquakes in the west, and tornadoes in the Midwest. The risk associated with where you live will greatly contribute to how much you pay for insurance.

The state of Mississippi is showing that not every insurance company is out to gouge you for big dollars, though. According to Mike Chaney, Mississippi’s Insurance Commissioner, the state’s property insurance rates are leveling off, even with a heavy hurricane season expected in the coming months due to sea currents steering storms toward the Gulf.

Why the Rates are Falling and How You Benefit

On its face, it seems a bit confusing. Bad weather is expected yet insurance rates aren’t necessarily spiking. What’s the catch?

Well, there are a variety of factors in play here, and as a homeowner you stand to benefit from them all either immediately or down the line.

First and foremost, there are more insurers in the market today than ever before. Home insurance, unlike health insurance, is available across the nation. That means that Company X is not only insuring homeowners in Texas. This company can insure homes in all 50 states, meaning their profit margin causes the risks to shrink greatly. For every home in Oklahoma at risk of tornado damage, there’s a home in Virginia at little risk.

Then there’s the way homes are built now. The inspection process carried out by insurance companies is a lot more vigilant now, and the state-imposed regulations for home building means that all homes constructed must meet a certain level of quality.

Stronger homes mean that insurance companies have to pay less for damages. Of course, massive weather will wipe out nearly any sort of home, but small things like water and wind damage claims are prevented by quality construction.
If you’re a homeowner struggling with higher property rates, just hang in there. Mississippi is leading the charge in what many experts feel is a contagious trend of leveling rates.

Although the number of dog bite claims decreased in 2010, with 15,770 compared to 16,596 in 2009, these claims are still very widespread and are causing homeowners to pay more for insurance.

You are protected against liability claims if you have that type of liability insurance. The good news: Most people do. However, after someone files a dog bite claim against you and is rewarded a monetary settlement (average around $30,000), your insurance rates are going to go up, and as by law in most states, your dog will need to be anesthetized. So not only do you lose money, but you could lose a member of your family by having your pet destroyed.

In order to avoid the heart-breaking loss and the insurance increases, let’s look at a few things you can do to keep your dog from biting people on your property.

How to Keep Your Dog Leashed

Signs First

The truth of the matter is that in this day and age, you could have a “Beware of Dog” sign and still be found liable in court if someone is bitten on your property. Blame the litigators for this. However, research shows that a sign is a huge deterrent. Putting up multiple signs to let people know that you have a dog will work in most cases to keep people off of your property.

Training Courses

Your pet may seem friendly, and most pets are… until they’re not. A large chunk of dog bite claims are filed by people the dog knows. But since they’re not considered to be masters by the dog, the dog will bite when it feels threatened, and that can be to any one of a number of reasons.

Even if you think your puppy is the sweetest thing in the world, it’s still a good idea to attend some obedience courses. If anything, you will be able to heel the dog before it bites.

Make Personal Space

As we just spoke about with people who just “know” their dogs are friendly, you can just never tell. If you have guests coming over or if people sometimes come into your yard, make sure to put the dog either on a leash or inside – this way there is little risk of anyone being attacked.

Owners are found liable in thousands of dog bite incidents every year because it is something that is easily avoided. If your dog is well-trained and kept away from people, there is little risk. Follow these tips to insure your rates stay low and your pets stay safe.

Sometimes we do not collect these other valuable items until after we own a home and have an insurance plan in place. This leaves some people with a dilemma. How do you keep your valuables insured if they are not part of the original policy? Should you switch your coverage completely?

That is always an option. However, by cancelling the policy you have been in for years now, you will find that a more inclusive policy will be quite expensive. And going with a new insurance company to save a few dollars might leave you having to sacrifice certain areas of coverage.

If you need to keep your valuables safe, you do not need to change policies or carriers. Instead, you can add them on to an existing policy with most insurers without any worry. This is called floating.

Floating Your Valuables

Most homeowners’ policies cover the structure of your home and some of its contents—at the time of the policy’s start, of course—against damage from fire, flood, burglary, and other potential threats. But for that huge HD TV you got, a jewelry collection, family heirlooms, expensive artwork, etc, you may find that these items are not covered.

You can add these specific items to your coverage by choosing to attach a “personal articles floater” to your existing policy. Obviously, this is not going to be free of charge, but it is still rather affordable compared to heavily tweaking your policy or trading it in completely.

Overall, different insurance companies charge different rates for different items. But attached to an existing policy, most items, even expensive items, can be floated on your existing package for as little as $30 annually. An extra $30 per item can give you peace of mind and, more importantly, ample protection against theft or damage.

The best part about attaching floaters to your existing policy is that you will not have to fool around with deductibles. The cost of insuring the items is all you need to pay should your items become damaged or stolen or lost.

With homeowners’ insurance, there are many ways you can save money. Most home policies are robust and do well for the particular insurance company granting them, so the more reputable companies out there will not hold your feet to the fire for additional items, and that’s why floating your valuables is a great money-saving tip.