Article: Umbrella policies are supplemental insurance policies that protect you from liability over and beyond what your homeowner's and automobile policies will pay. Some umbrella policies offer protection both in excess of the amounts in your homeowner's and auto policies (excess coverage), but also offer coverage for items that are not covered in those policies (drop down coverage). Most insurers offer them, so check with yours about rates and pricing. Although it's not very romantic to think about, divorce is an extremely common source of financial loss. Completing a prenuptial agreement with your partner, which agrees on the division of assets beforehand, can help avoid it. Due diligence with lawyers is a must. A prenuptial agreement is only as good as the lawyer who wrote it. Make sure that you employ sharp and honest counsel. Retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s, are often protected from litigation (legal action, such as being sued) by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Furthermore, money in 401(k) accounts is also protected from creditors during bankruptcy proceedings. It is therefore a good idea to put as much into these designated retirement accounts as you can. A legal proxy is a person or entity that is authorized to act on your behalf. Forming a legal proxy, like an LLC or a corporation, can also be a good way to protect your assets. These legal entities protect the individual from personal liability if their company is found liable for some type of wrong, but this protection also goes the other way. These corporate forms can be especially useful if the corporation owns your real estate holdings, instead of you as an individual. A corporation is a common legal structure that can protect its owners' assets from litigation. Others include certain types of partnerships and limited liability companies (LLCs). One example of proxy would be if you owned an apartment building. Instead of having the building in your name, you would create a company that owns and manages the property. This would keep your financial assets separate from the company's financial assets. Then, if one of your tenants has an issue and wants to sue, they would sue your company and not you directly. You can also create a trust or foundation to protect your assets from taxation and litigation, provided certain requirements are met. It is advisable that you work with an attorney and/or a financial planner to set up these structures. Life insurance can also be a great way to protect your money from litigation, as most life insurance policies are exempt from an individual's legal liability in many states. Also, buying any kind of insurance obligates an insurer to defend you in court if a litigant tries to go after assets contained in the policy. Since many umbrella policies cover items in excess of amounts in auto and homeowner's policies and losses not covered by either type, buying an umbrella policy can be a great way to shield money from litigants.

What is a summary?
Get a backup insurance plan. Create a prenuptial agreement. Feed your retirement accounts. Create a legal proxy, like a company. Buy life insurance.