Rainy Day Policies

Like many Montclair homeowners, Gerri Willis, Money Magazine contributing columnist, was chagrinned to learn that her insurance policy had some major loopholes.

"Had the oak fallen on our house, our homeowners policy would have paid for more of the cleanup and replanting. But because our loss wasn't structural, my husband and I were looking at $20,000 in out-of-pocket costs. Now I know what most homeowners find out only after a disaster: My policy was no blanket. It was more like Swiss cheese."

To learn more about spotting gaps in your insurance, read "What I learned when my tree fell down"