"Weiss' Guides Insurance Needs"

With the exception of the “free spirit” whose only possessions are on his back or in his shopping cart, everyone needs a place to live and store his “things”. It doesn’t matter if you own a home or a condominium, rent an apartment or just a room, you need homeowners’ or renters’ insurance to protect your property—land and/or “things”...

The insurance policy you purchased years ago and continue paying in semi-annual installments may be costing more that it should. A wise consumer will educate himself about the options and do some shopping around.

The “Weiss Ratings’ Consumer Guide to Homeowners Insurance” can be a great help to the insurance purchaser. It is designed to give the reader an overview of what types of insurance is available, the appropriateness of the insurance, and the levels of coverage to consider. In addition, the “Weiss Ratings” lists and rates the insurers licensed in the State of Nebraska.

The Weiss Ratings Company is an independent company and free of any pressure from insurance companies. It does not sell insurance and will not benefit from selections consumers make based on its ratings.

There are no statutory requirements for homeowners to insure their abodes. But, if the homeowner has a mortgage, the lender will require insurance coverage to at least equal the amount of the outstanding mortgage.

Homeowners insurance is basically a contract between the purchaser and the insurance company to protect the purchaser against financial loss if his home is damaged or his property is stolen. The coverage will repair or rebuild the house in the event it is damaged or destroyed. Additional coverage (and cost) will provide the purchaser a reimbursement for items stolen from his home or vehicles. Most people include liability coverage to pay for medical expenses from injuries suffered by guests on their property.

The Weiss Ratings book—a quarterly publication—discusses how premiums are determined, how to save money on premiums, how to shop by consulting agents, direct writers, and Internet, and how to file a claim.

A large portion of this book is devoted to the ratings. The ratings are based strictly on the financial safety of the insurance company. This section of the book is arranged alphabetically by state. Within each state listing the companies that are licensed to do business in the state are listed in groupings of A+, A, A- or B+.

As advised by the Weiss Ratings, there may be instances where a particular company is not listed. Being excluded in the listing should not be construed as a recommendation to cancel the policy. To get a rating for a non-listed company, the consumer is directed to www.WeissRatings.com where the ratings are available for a modest fee.

The Library’s most recent copy of the “Consumer’s Guide to Homeowners Insurance” is shelved on the “consumer table” in the reference room. An earlier edition is available for check out.

An historical figure re-enactment, “Mark Twain on the Lecture Circuit” will be held in the Art Gallery in the lower level of the Library on Sunday, June 25th at 2:00 PM. It’s an event not to be missed! Sponsored by the newly formed “Friends of the Columbus Public Library” and the Nebraska Humanities Council, this re-enactment will feature Wally Seiler, an Alliance. Prior to the program, you are encouraged to check the Library’s book displays for books by Mark Twain.