Should You File An Insurance Claim?

Water damage accounted for about one-fifth of all insurance claims in 2007, says the Insurance Information Institute, with an average amount of $5,531. But think twice before submitting a water-related claim, which insurers say may reflect poor home maintenance and better odds that you'll eventually file even bigger claims for mold-related expenses.

Depending on your insurer, filing two water-related claims within a five-year period could earn you a premium hike at renewal time or get you dropped altogether. It could also make it harder to find a new policy because all insurers consult a giant database called the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, or CLUE, which records all claims against a property over a seven-year period. It might be cheaper to write a check from your emergency fund or take a small loan.

Some water claims aren't covered, anyway. Homeowners and renters insurance policies typically cover damage from water that comes from the top down, such as rainfall, a burst pipe or an ice dam. But most policies don't cover rising water from any source, including a drain or sewer backup. A rider to cover a sewer backup will cost about $50 annually. If a water problem is covered, your insurer will probably pay for you to hire a restoration company.

If you're in an area at risk for flooding, you may need flood insurance. The average policy costs $540 a year, according to the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program.

Reprinted with permission. All Contents ©2011 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. www.kiplinger.com.

National Flood Insurance Program

The Senate last night passed, by unanimous consent, legislation extending the current National Flood Insurance Program until Sept. 30, 2011.

Officials of three industry trade associations lauded the decision and urged the House to also act promptly.

Without House action, the program expires at the end of the current fiscal year, Sept. 30.

S. 3814, the “Flood Insurance Extension Act of 2010,” was sponsored by Sen. David Vitter, R-La.

“Now that the Senate has acted, it's incumbent upon the House to pass the extension before they break for the mid-term election,” said Blain Rethmeier, a spokesman for the American Insurance Association. “We have every expectation that will happen and look forward to the program being in place for one year.”