Money Monday: Flood insurance -- do you need it?

Here's what every homeowner needs to know about Flood Insurance:

  • Ignorance is bliss ... is wrong! 
  • A new study shows more than half of all Americans don’t know what their homeowners insurance covers.
  • Homeowners insurance does *not*-- repeat *not* -- cover floods. 
  • Sometimes it covers sump pump failure, other times backed up pipes.
  • You can only buy flood insurance from the federal government, and it is expensive. 
  • If you get a federally backed mortgage and live in a flood plain, then you’re required to buy that flood insurance. 
  • The flood plain map changes, and you might be in one now when you weren't at the time you bought the house. 
  • There is a website to see if you are living in a flood plain -- see below.
  • But here’s the problem: About a quarter of American homes -- 19 percent in Michigan -- are in areas that don’t require flood insurance but could flood.        

Helpful links: 


About the Author:

Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Planner™ Professional.