» Posted by Martin Weil on October 23, 2007

The horrific Southern California fires remind us that disaster generally does not provide much warning to its victims. The LA Times posts an excellent checklist that every homeowner (and renter) may wish to read, "What Your Fire Insurance Can Do." (registration may be required) Not mentioned is our recommendation of adding a "replacement cost rider" on personal articles to all home and renter policies.

One very useful suggestion is to videotape your home, room by room, providing a narrative as you go. Make sure to open and record the contents of all closets, drawers, garages, attics and basements. It should take an hour or two. Fire victims report one of the main tasks they face after the event is creating lists, everything from furniture to how many pairs of underwear they owned. A videotape (obviously stored offsite) is an excellent inventory record for this purpose.

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