Remodeling Your Insurance After Remodeling Your Home

 

The benefits of renovating your home make the expense an intelligent investment, but protecting that investment is paramount.  That’s why you should consider remodeling your homeowners insurance as well.

 

Renovations often result in homeowners insurance coverage shortfalls in two areas: dwelling protection—which involves structural improvements to your home—and personal property protection.  Built-in enhancements such as new windows, doors, custom cabinets, granite countertops, bars, islands, and flooring need to be brought to the attention of your insurance agent.  You also should discuss any major personal property purchases, including appliances, furnishings, and decorator curtains and blinds.

 

When insuring personal property—especially appliances and electronics—check to see that your policy covers replacement value of your property, rather than the actual cash value.  The actual cash value consists of the replacement cost of an item less the amount it may have depreciated.  Appliances and electronics depreciate quickly.  The amount your homeowners insurance will pay for a depreciated item usually is not enough to replace it with a new one.  Unless you enjoy cruising the thrift stores, you should opt for replacement value.  That way you can shop at Circuit City instead of the Salvation Army.

 

Keeping your homeowners insurance agent in the loop is a good practice in general, but a major remodel should prompt an immediate conversation.  If something happens tomorrow, you want to make sure your homeowner’s insurance will replace what you have today—not what you had yesterday.

 

 

 

Investing vs Paying Off Debt

 

If you carry a balance on one or more credit cards, you're not alone.  According to the Federal Reserve, nearly half of American families do. 

 

And nearly half of American families also have some sort of bank savings accounts.  If you have savings, should you use that money to pay off your credit cards?

 

Money Talks editor Stacy Johnson explains (video runs 1:15)

 

 

We'd love to get your comments on this video.  Just use the "comment" link below.  Don't worry, your privacy is protected.. we never publish email addresses of our readers when they leave us comments.

 

 

 

Time to Think About Tax Help

 

We're smack in the middle of tax season again.  Many people fill out the short form, mail it in, and are done with it.  Good for you.  Lots of us have more complicated financial lives.  In many cases, those complications will be handled by a hired tax professional.  But some people really like to do their own taxes.  For you, there's plenty of help online.

 

When you're ready to file your federal taxes, you can do it online.  The IRS wants more taxpayers to file electronically, so it has teamed up with tax preparation software companies such as TaxCut, TaxAct, and TurboTax.

 

Together, they offer free e-filing services.  You must meet certain requirements to qualify for free filing.

 

First, your adjusted gross income must be $54,000 or less.  There are also age and residency requirements, and other criteria may apply.

 

Start at www.IRS.gov.  Type this address in your browser.  It is the only way to ensure you'll go to the IRS's official site.

 

Once there, you'll get help choosing software that suits your needs.  Then, you'll be directed to the software company's site.

 

The software walks you through doing your taxes.  Forget about finding the correct forms.  All you need are your financial papers.  The software performs the calculations for you.  So you're less likely to make math mistakes.

 

Don't qualify for free filing?  You can still find tax filing software at the IRS's site.  You just have to pay for it, along with e-filing fees.

 

Don't forget your state taxes!  You may be able to file those with your federal taxes.  Some companies offer free state filing.  But, in many cases, you'll be charged to file your state return.

 

Make sure your computer's security software is current before preparing your taxes and scan your computer for spyware and other threats.

 

Remember, criminals love tax season.  Watch for phony e-mail messages purporting to come from the IRS.  Just delete the messages.  Don't click links or call numbers in e-mail.  The IRS will never contact you via e-mail.

 

Finally, if your taxes are complicated, consult an expert.  Paying for professional help is better than facing an audit!

 

 

 

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Dayton Housing Slump? Homeowners Don't Believe It

 

Despite numerous reports showing home values in historic decline, more than three out of four homeowners believe their own home has not lost value in the past year, according to an online survey.

 

The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive for Zillow.com, a Web site that gives estimated home values.

 

The survey of 1,619 homeowners found 36% believe their home has increased in value, and another 41% believe their value has stayed the same. Only 23% believe their home has lost value.

 

Figures from the National Association of Realtors show that the median price of an existing home sold in 2007 fell 1.4% from 2006, the first decline in that key price measure the trade group has ever recorded.

 

We'd love to hear what you think.  If you're a homeowner, do you feel that your home has decreased, or increased, in value?  Leave us your comment at the "comment" link below.

 

 

 

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Paying Down Mortgage vs Investing Your Money

 

You've got a little extra cash coming in…do you invest it, or would it be smarter to pay extra on your mortgage? 

 

Let's find out: simple answers to complex questions are in this video (runs 1:28)

Tell us what you think.  Are you better off paying down the mortgage, or investing those same dollars?  Use the comment link below to give us your feedback.