Life certainly has a way of surprising you when you least expect. From an accident while driving to a sudden diagnosis of illness, realistically, there’s always the potential for curveballs.

But these types of inconveniences and scares don’t have to be depressing! While they’re certainly scary and will require your time and energy to get through, you can help protect yourself from the financial ramifications by having adequate insurance coverage.

Do you have the following types of insurance?

Insurance for the Home

Whether it’s a renters’ or a homeowners’ policy, having coverage for your home and belongings is vital. Work with a trusted insurance professional to ensure you have the proper coverage—not just what’s mandated by local law (for homeowners).

An easy way to gauge how much coverage you’ll need is to take photos of all of your belongings (individual shots for large-ticket items such as TVs and jewelry and collection shots for things such as wardrobes, kitchen appliances, etc.). Also, be sure to do an annual assessment of your coverage so you can be sure that, in the event of a claim, that new boat or addition to your home is counted in the value your policy covers.

Funeral Insurance

Throughout all of life’s ups and downs, there are a few things you can be certain of:

• You will have to pay taxes
• You will endure many changes and seasons of change as you grow older
• You will eventually pass away

While death is certainly a sensitive topic to most, careful consideration should be taken to ensure your final days are spent filled with love, family and friends instead of bills and accountants.

Also known as burial or final expense insurance, funeral insurance is a type of life insurance policy that covers the costs associated with your end of life arrangements. These can include everything from caskets and funeral home costs to flowers and burial plots in the cemetery.

Policies typically range in value from $5,000 to $50,000 and are left in the control of a designated beneficiary who will organize, and pay for, your final arrangements as you specify.  You can find great resources online, and you can also visit Suncorp’s funeral cover website for an in-depth look at policy options.

Travel Insurance

These days, most major credit cards offer some sort of travel insurance to their customers when the card is used to pay for a vacation. While this coverage can be immensely useful in the event of lost baggage or airline delays, it doesn’t always cover the bigger, more important costs associated with accidents that may occur while you’re traveling.

If you’re booking a vacation package with an agency or online group, be sure to evaluate whether or not the supplemental insurance plan is right for you. I personally always opt for the insurance for large trips after needing to cancel one last year due to medical reasons. Not only did I get every penny back (minus the cost of the policy itself), but I had the peace of mind of knowing that the process was quick, efficient, and void of any major worry or headaches.

What types of insurance do you currently carry?