Importance of insurance protection

TOLEDO, Ohio - Racquel Lawrence's house didn't burn down to the ground.

It didn't even get damaged by a torrential downpour.

Rachel said one afternoon someone broke into her home and stole $7,000 worth of electronics.

Today, though, she's glad she was able to get everything back.

"These people are out on a prowl breaking into people's houses, trying to get what these people really worked hard for," she said.

Last month when Racquel came home from work, she quickly noticed two television sets, two computers, and two game systems were all missing.

"When I came in, I just felt so violated when they kicked off my front door in broad daylight," she said. "No one saw anything."

According to Toledo's crime log on oct. 21, there were nearly 10 burglaries reported. For some of those victims they may not get their items back. For Racquel, she doesn't mind paying extra money for insurance.

"If people can go out and spend money on a flat screen tv, that's $15,000," said Allstate insurance agent Dianne Michael. "They should be able to afford homeowners insurance or renters insurance."

Michael said some renters could pay $100 annually for coverage, and homeowners could pay as low as $300 for the same protection. In return, you can get $10,000 or more for the items you lost.

"It's a small investment for a large amount of risk," Michael said. "It's very much worth the money."

But once you're covered you should do the following immediately.

"A good idea, in case of lost, is to take photos of your personal property," Michael said. "We also provide an inventory list people can walk through their rooms write down serial numbers.

Once you take those pictures, you can either keep a copy for yourself inside a fireproof box, or your insurance company can keep a copy for you.