Earthquake Insurance

Approximately 90 percent of Americans live in areas vulnerable to earthquakes.

Unhappy fact: The typical homeowner's insurance policy does not cover either earthquakes or floods and to add that coverage is expensive.

Nevertheless, the Financial Planning Association says, many homeowners and renters should buy the insurance because "earthquakes occurred in four out of every five states during the 20th century, and roughly 90 percent of Americans live in areas vulnerable to earthquakes."

Costs vary greatly among carriers, the association says, ranging, for example, from $36 to nearly $300 per $100,000 in value for a house in Missouri, depending on the carrier.