California Wildfires - A Preemptive Warning to Homeowners Everywhere

DENVER, CO, October 25, 2007 - As the California wildfires continue to blaze across much of Southern California, preliminary insurance industry loss estimates have been stated at over $500 million. While the California wildfires are an uncontrollable disaster, one lesson comes from this that all homeowners can control - having an understanding of their home insurance coverage. Paul Ford, President of insurance comparison shopping site NetQuote, and a licensed insurance agent, says, "Awareness of their home insurance coverage is critical for homeowners. It's often an overlooked part of disaster readiness. It's imperative that consumers ask their agents hard questions about their policy in advance of a disaster."

Be Prepared

The devastating California wildfires provide an opportunity for homeowners everywhere to stop and take note of their own home insurance needs. Home insurance policies can be complicated and should be reviewed in detail on an annual basis. But, consumers don't have to wait until their annual renewal date to do so. While thoughts are on the California wildfires, now is the time for consumers to look at their policies and give their current insurance agents a call. The following are various scenarios consumers can ask their agents to see if, in fact, they would be covered:

• If my house were to burn down, will my current insurance policy completely cover the costs to rebuild it?
• If my family was forced to evacuate, does my homeowners insurance cover the cost of a hotel?
• If a fire were to ruin most of my personal possessions in the house, how much will my homeowners policy give me to replace these items?
• Does my homeowners insurance policy cover the contents of my garage if it were to all be destroyed in a fire?
• Would my homeowners insurance pay to replace the burned landscaping around my house such as grass, trees or shrubs?

If consumers are not happy with their agents' answers, they should shop around. One quick and easy resource is NetQuote. According to Hitwise web tracking service, it is the web's most popular insurance comparison shopping service. On the site, consumers can fill out just one, short form and in minutes be connected with local insurance agents and national insurance companies who will compete for their business and answer their homeowners insurance questions.

The California wildfires should be a preemptive warning to homeowners everywhere. Take a minute now to make sure you and your family has the coverage you need.

About NetQuote, Inc.

NetQuote® is the Internet's most popular comparison insurance website that connects consumers with multiple insurance agents that compete for their business. Since 1989, we've connected more than 20 million people to the web's largest network of local insurance agents and national insurance carriers. NetQuote saves consumers time and money with objective insurance information and comparison shopping services for auto, home, renters, health, life and business insurance via www.netquote.com. We partner with the nation's top insurance carriers including Allstate®, Nationwide®, AIG® and Progressive® to make sure our consumers get the right policy at the best price.

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