Unexpected Good Fortune

Last week I was annoyed because my mortgage company sent me a letter saying I needed to purchase flood insurance. I didn't understand why this was suddenly an issue when I've lived in my house nearly nine years. What I found was that my area has recently been re-zoned, but I'm still not sure how I went from no-risk (or no recognized risk) to high-risk. Anyway, when I called the local FEMA-approved insurance agent, I found out what I have to do to take care of that -- and in talking with the agent, I found that I could save on my car and homeowner plans too, so I switched everything over. I'll save about a hundred dollars a year on my auto insurance, which isn't a huge amount, but that's a policy that will pay me back if I don't have an accident. It's better insurance for less money, and that's terrific. On my homeowner's policy, I will be paying nearly half as much per year than I have been, and again, the coverage is better. So while getting the flood insurance is a hassle, and I'll have to get a surveyor to come out first, the whole thing ended up saving a lot of money in the short term and the long term. What a nice surprise.