Like most of your personal property, your bicycle should be covered under the named perils section of your homeowner's or renter's insurance policy for both on and off premises damage. But keep in mind that your deductible may exceed the cost of the bicycle.

Homeowner's insurance does provide coverage for damage to trees, shrubs, plants and landscaping. However, the amount of coverage can vary significantly from one policy to another.

As you might have guessed, rental property owners have unique insurance needs. A standard homeowner's policy isn't appropriate for rental property, because (1) you don't need to insure the contents of the house unless you provide furnished accommodations; (2) you need to be more concerned about liability issues; and (3) you need to protect yourself against the loss of rental income.

Homeowner's insurance does provide coverage for personal property, but this coverage is limited. Under a standard homeowner's policy, the coverage for all your personal property is limited to 50 percent of the coverage amount on your home. You can increase your personal property coverage by purchasing either an additional endorsement or a rider.

In most cases, your insurance will be the one to cover the damage. Although the tree fell from your neighbor's property, the damage affected your property. Your homeowner's insurance covers damage to your property, so you should file a claim with your insurance company.

You should consider insuring your new home during construction. Otherwise you may be exposing yourself to a great deal of risk if a fire, theft or other event damages or destroys your partially completed home.

Check your homeowner's policy to be sure your child's possessions are covered. If your child lives in a dorm or other university housing, their personal property will typically be covered under your policy. Check for coverage limitations on computers and stereos, if your child can't live without these. Once students move out of the dorms and into apartments, they are usually no longer covered under your policy. Off-campus students should purchase renter's insurance to cover their possessions.

Unfortunately, renter's insurance and other homeowner's insurance policies are designed for single individuals and traditional families. So when unrelated individuals share a residence, insurance coverage can become complicated. Insurance companies suggest that each person buy renter's insurance policies. Insurance policies vary from one company to the next, so be sure to pose this question when applying for the coverage.

Check your policy. Homeowner's policies regularly provide protection for off-premises destruction or theft, which covers your possessions while they are outside your home. If your policy does not contain off- premises protection as part of your standard coverage, you may be able to purchase this coverage for an additional charge.