In any given year, there are a large number of financial decisions individuals and families make on a wide range of topics, including where to bank, how best to save for college, what investments to choose, and what kind of insurance coverage is needed. There are many research tools available to help you select a bank, college savings plans, investments and more, but when it comes to insurance decisions, the choices can be daunting.

As discussed in last week's blog, many parents help prepare their college students for the new school year by purchasing laptops, smartphones, furniture, appliances, and other needed items. One major asset college students also take with them is a vehicle, either their own car or a family vehicle.

Have you ever watched an episode of the PBS series Antiques Roadshow? Each week, thousands of hopeful visitors bring in their heirloom jewelry, garage sale art purchases and antique furniture in the hopes the show's appraisers will determine them to be one-of-a-kind. For the lucky few with valuable jewelry, artwork, furniture or other collectibles, the appraisers often tell the owners, "If this were up for auction, I would estimate it would sell for $25,000-$35,000..." or whatever amount the item is worth.

Business owners understand there are many challenges and situations they must always be prepared for, including fire, floods, theft and other weather disasters. However, one common problem that can significantly hurt business is the loss of electricity during a power outage.