Recipe for Disaster?

When natural disasters strike, the most important consideration is survival. It isn't until after the hurricane winds stop blowing, the tor-nado stops twisting, or the earth stops quaking that the financial wounds become apparent. They can, though, be almost as painful as physical ones. Just ask the hundreds of thousands of Americans whose homes or businesses recently took a hit from Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan. Damage from those three storms could reach tens of billions of dollars by the time the counting is done-much of which won't be covered by insurance.

Americans who live along the hurricane zones of the Southeast, the Tornado Alley of the Plains, or the tectonic fault lines of the Pacific Coast have obvious reasons to worry about natural disasters. But no matter where you live, events like the three hurricanes mentioned above provide reason enough to take a quick peek at your homeowners policy. Better yet, make it an annual tradition to review the insurance that protects one of the biggest investments you'll ever make.