Other Personal Lines Solutions
Flood
The NFIP is a federal program administered by FEMA and written through participating carriers. Standard residential limits are $250,000 on the building and $100,000 on contents. There is typically a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins, and homeowners policies never cover flood - both are favorite traps. Preferred risk policies serve low-hazard zones.
Earthquake
Excluded on homeowners forms and written as a separate policy or endorsement, with its own deductible expressed as a percentage of Coverage A and often a 72-hour window to define one event.
Personal umbrella
Sits above auto and homeowners liability, requires underlying limits to be maintained, and responds over a self-insured retention when underlying coverage does not apply. It covers personal injury offenses such as libel and slander. Trap: the umbrella does not fill every gap - it follows its own definitions and exclusions.
Inland marine and specialty
A personal articles floater schedules jewelry, furs, cameras, and fine art on an agreed-value, worldwide basis with no deductible and no coinsurance; unscheduled items fall back to the homeowners special limits. Also know dwelling fire forms (DP-1 through DP-3), watercraft endorsements, and identity theft or cyber endorsements as low-cost add-ons.
Rule of thumb: flood, earthquake, and business exposures at the residence need separate paper - never assume the homeowners form fills the gap.