Nowadays, it seems like you can’t watch or open a news report without hearing harrowing stories of devastation and survival. Southern Arizona residents are especially aware of this because of the recent wildfires afflicting the region.

Living through such an ordeal takes an emotional toll. But if consumers are not prepared for the unexpected, Better Business bureau of Southern Arizona advises that the experience could also trigger financial disaster.

After making sure your home is well-built, suited for your environment and properly maintained, homeowner insurance is the best line of defense for your home, financial stability and peace of mind.

Standard homeowner insurance policies include four main categories:

• The structure – purchase enough insurance to rebuild your entire home at current construction costs
• Your personal belongings – take an inventory to determine how much insurance is needed – consider videotaping or photographing your home and its contents to help document your possessions
• Liability protection – don’t cut corners – this covers damage or injuries inflected on others in your home (or by your pet) – short-changing coverage puts you at risk of out-of-pocket expenses (more…)

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning consumers about bogus charities that could be set up under the guise of assisting victims of the Monument Fire.

“Sadly, con-artists come out of the woodwork at times like this,” said Kim States, president of the local BBB. “Scammers follow the headlines to stay on top of what’s going to get to the hearts and wallets of people who want to help.”

Many scam artists will contact consumers and businesses by phone, mail, or door-to-door solicitation and use high-pressure sales tactics to get donations. Some will go as far as setting up Websites to get your money.

States says the best way to protect yourself is not react to high pressure tactics.

“Take time to verify the legitimacy of the appeal,” she adds. “If it’s a legitimate charity they will take your money just as willingly tomorrow or next week.”

BBB offers the following tips:

• Get the full name of the organization that is soliciting to ensure the charity you are contributing to is the one you think it is. In an attempt to fool consumers, some scam artists set up charities under names that sound very similar to mainstream relief organizations.
• If you’re giving to a charity that promises to provide relief to victims, make sure the organization is experienced in disaster relief. There are many logistics involved with getting relief to victims, (more…)