‘Everything is gone’: How a $22 monthly investment can prevent a devastating loss | News

Multiple Raleigh families are rebuilding their lives after losing all their belongings in a multi-unit apartment complex fire.

“I don’t have anything,” a Raleigh mother of two told FOX13. “Everything is gone.”

She asked not to share her identity because she doesn’t want to jeopardize her chance of finding a new place to live within the James Bridge Apartments.

“Furniture, identification, birth certificates, clothes, everything we just bought – everything is gone,” she said.

Because the young mother had just moved in, she said her family had not yet purchased renters insurance.

“Anything can happen outside of your control,” explained Rich Keltner, the owner of Keltner Insurance.

While landlords might not require renters insurance, he emphasized the importance of insuring your belongings to prevent a devastating loss.

According to Insurance.com, Tennessee renters pay an average of $272 annually for insurance – that breaks down to about $22 a month.

“That’s a lot of money in some areas,” Keltner explained. “But in the event of a catastrophic loss, where you lose clothes, furniture, computers – it’s a good investment to have that reimbursement other than just trying to start out from scratch.”

The CEO of Forward Memphis helps families across Shelby County budget to meet their needs. When money becomes tight, he told FOX13 that insurance is often the first thing a family cuts.

“However, the good thing about renters insurance is it’s typically inexpensive,” he explained. “Especially with what you could lose.”

The young Raleigh mother now wonders how she will replace her furniture without enough money to make rent for the month of June.

“I’m really just at a loss for words,” she said.