Monday, May 18, 2009

We Didn't Start the Fire...

I’m sure many of you are familiar with renting an apartment. You check to make sure that each possible new residence has everything you had hoped for – large closets, a balcony or porch, new appliances. You also check all of the things your parents reminded you to look at, like water pressure, cleanliness, and check out the neighbors for any clues of insanity.


We’re checking in with you today to remind you to check out something – whether you’re in the market for a new place or have been cozy and comfortable at your current one for ages – renter’s insurance.


Your landlord’s insurance policy quite often does not cover your belongings, including that impressive wardrobe, brand new lap-top, and your DVD collection.
What exactly does this mean?
In the event of a fire or theft, your belongings would not be covered and it is up to you and you alone to replace them.



What?!!?



Glad we have your attention!

Too often we go to fires and those we assist do not have renter’s insurance. The American Red Cross responds to fires to provide assistance to those who experience a fire in their home for the first forty-eight hours after the fire. After that time frame has passed, our dedicated case-worker teams works to link those affected by a fire with other organizations throughout the Chicago-land area that may be able to help replace lost items. This way, everyone does their part, right? From our perspective, however, it is very difficult to only be able to provide phone numbers to someone who has lost everything.

On average, renter’s insurance costs about $15 a month for up to $30,000 of coverage.
That’s a little more than lunch, a little less than a decent hair cut, a little more than a cd, a little less than a monthly gym membership… you get our point, right?

You can usually get renter’s insurance from the same place that insures your car – how simple is that?

So please, for your darling AmeriCorps (us) – check out renter’s insurance!
(And let us know if we need to stop by a house-warming party or two!)
~Sam and Lily

No comments: