It seems like you can't even turn around these days without hearing another story about how someone else has been the victim of identity theft…or could have been the victim of identity theft…or was almost the victim of identity theft but managed to nip it in the bud. Identity theft is the word on the tip of people's tongues today when they're talking about their personal security. Unfortunately, it's a lot more than a buzz. It's a very serious (and potentially very expensive) threat that everyone has to be prepared for.

The good news is, if you do find yourself the victim of identity theft your homeowners insurance could be standing by waiting to help you pick up the pieces.

No, your homeowners insurance isn't going to be able to do a whole lot to help you work things out with your creditors if you owe money as a result of someone ripping off your identity. You're on your own there. The good news is, most creditors are already knowledgeable in the ins and outs of identity theft and are standing by waiting to help you reclaim your identity-usually with very minimal damage to your checkbook. (The average victim of identity theft usually pays only $50 or less per creditor to settle false identity claims.)

The catch is, how many government agencies and credit companies do you know that regularly do business on weekends and evenings? Few to none? Yep, unfortunately, most of the agencies you're going to have to work with to reclaim your identity keep banker's hours, which is great news for the people they've got working for them but doesn't work out so well for you! Studies show that while you may only pay $50 to settle your claims, you're going to miss an average of 172 hours of work going to offices, filling out paperwork and making phone calls to do it.

That's almost an entire month's paycheck. Can you afford to live with no income for an entire month? Even if your vacation time covers it, don't you have something better to do with that? If not, we can give you a few suggestions!

Your homeowners insurance company can step in and help you reclaim your lost wages under your identity theft protection insurance (which may or may not be a standard part of your coverage policy-you may find you have to pay a little extra each year, although it's still far less than you'll lose in wages). They'll also help you pay for any long distance phone calls and postage, since those can get fairly pricey, fairly quickly.

Then there's the lawyer.

There's no limits to the amount of damage a person can do if they steal your identity. You may find yourself in need of legal assistance to help you straighten things out-and a good lawyer doesn't come cheap! Your homeowners insurance will help cover the cost of your legal expenses so you can get your life back-as soon as possible.