[TowerTalk] Home insurance news/tips vis. antennas

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

Towertalk folks:

Today's Wall St. Journal carried news that home insurance rates are going to 
rise due to the reeling insurance industry following last year's hurricanes 
and an expected active 2006 season.  Insurers are dropping policies in 
coastal areas including Massachusetts, and increasing premiums nationwide to 
recover losses due to hurricane damage payouts which are estimated at $56 
billion currently.    Rate increases are expected to spread far beyond hit 
coastal states, as the industry comes under new pressures since reinsurance 
companies, whose business it is to insure the insurers, have begun charging 
sharply higher prices in anticipation that hurricanes will become more 
frequent and more intense, and some primary insurers say they will try to 
recoup these added costs from consumers.

Allstate has reported it plans to seek premium increases in a "majority" of 
the 49 states in which it does business to help offset higher reinsurance 
costs.

The full report is in today's (thursday Mar. 23) WSJ on p. D1.

What does this have to do with hams.  Hams have antennas.  The newspaper 
report says industry experts are advising consumers to keep a low profile at 
this time.  This means that you should consider self-insuring as much as 
possible by carrying as high a deductible as you can afford, to keep 
premiums low and remain attractive to insurers.  Also, avoid filing small or 
petty claims.  Never file a claim for maintenance-related damages such as a 
chronic water leak; even one such claim could cause you to be dropped by 
your insurer, according to the WSJ report.   I interpret this to mean that 
this is not a good time to file an antenna or radio related claim on a 
homeowners policy.

73,

rob / k5uj

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