Voluntary Vs. Involuntary Homeowners Insurance Coverage

type of coverage because they choose to, and because of this they have an almost limitless freedom to decide what they are and are not going to cover under their standard policies. Earthquake and flood coverage tend to fall into the “not” category, making it difficult for homeowners in high risk areas like oh, say, California or the Gulf of Mexico (earthquake and flood zones, for anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of watching their bookshelves dance at two in the morning or taking a swim down Main Street on a summer’s afternoon) to find the coverage they need.

Involuntary Homeowners Insurance

Because most homeowners insurance providers don’t want to find themselves saddled with a property they can almost guarantee is going to cost them money in the long run the government has stepped in and established the involuntary insurance market-i.e. guidelines stating that certain individuals in certain areas are required to be covered, at a reasonable cost, and certain insurers are required to provide that coverage. This can take the form of the FAIR plans or the Beach and Windstorm plans available in some areas, along with other state funded programs, or go through FEMA (as in the case of the National Flood Insurance Program).

There are many people who don’t believe that the government has the right to force insurers to provide coverage, claiming that the costs don’t justify the returns; however, without involuntary homeowners insurance