Homeowner's Insurance

Categories: Insurance, Real Estate

Some things just go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Bacon and eggs. Stewie and Brian. Homeownership and homeowner’s insurance. Life is just better with these dynamic duos in them. And while we’d love to wax poetic about the sheer poetry of a good plate of eggs and bakey, let’s put a pin in that and talk about homeowner’s insurance instead. Because it might not be bacon, but it sure can save our bacon.

Homeowner’s insurance is insurance that homeowners buy to protect their home against damage, theft, and disasters in general. We pay a premium, just as we do with our car insurance, and we can select coverage amounts and deductibles and shop around for the best insurance provider. Then, if something bad happens, like...our house is broken into or we accidentally set the kitchen on fire experimenting with bacon grease, our insurance will likely cover some or all of the damage to the house and any individual items that were stolen or burned.

As wannabe homeowners, we should know that we're required by law to provide proof of homeowner’s insurance before a lender can issue us a mortgage. We should also be aware that, if we live somewhere prone to natural disasters, like Tornado Alley or a floodplain, we might end up paying more, or even need to purchase additional insurance to cover those types of incidents.

But basic homeowner’s insurance policies aren’t all that expensive in the grand scheme, and we’ll be glad we made the investment if we ever need to make a claim.

Find other enlightening terms in Shmoop Finance Genius Bar(f)