How to make sure your home is insured if you have revocable trust
How to make sure your home is insured if you have revocable trust

Most people who own real estate and do estate planning put their homes in a Revocable Trust.  By doing this, people get incapacity protections, direct who they want to inherit their property and also avoid probate at death. In California, probate is a court supervised…
Short and long term impacts of the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires
Short and long term impacts of the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires

The devastation in Los Angeles is horrific for the impacted home and business owners and a tragically relatable scenario for North Bay residents. This region knows all too well how quickly wildfires can destroy lives and homes, and how fierce winds impair firefighters. Sonoma and…
Winter 2024 Newsletter
Winter 2024 Newsletter

2024 Highlights: HELPING DISASTER SURVIVORS 50+ Roadmap to Recovery® events in California, Colorado, Florida and Hawaii (in-person and online workshops, Q&A forums, Survivor to Survivor support forums and Claim Guidance Office Hours) 12 new free online help libraries for hurricane, flood and wildfire survivors HELPING…
Palisades Fire: Wildfire Evacuation Tips
Palisades Fire: Wildfire Evacuation Tips

We are keeping an eye on the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire.  Our hearts are with everyone affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles. If told to evacuate due to the wildfire, do so immediately. If you are preparing to evacuate, here are our home…
Insurance Insiders Say Regulation and Mitigation Can Keep the Industry from Retreating in Colorado
Insurance Insiders Say Regulation and Mitigation Can Keep the Industry from Retreating in Colorado

Underwriters aren’t pulling back from Colorado like they have in Florida and California, but industry workers say the state is at a tipping point. David Selden and his wife, Karen, recently moved into the country 10 miles outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, after living in…
FEMA and SBA 2024 Updates Overview
FEMA and SBA 2024 Updates Overview

On March 22, 2024 new rules regarding FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) went into effect. The new rules are intended to provide quicker access to needed funds, expanded eligibility for property and home repairs, and an easier application process for survivors to jumpstart their…
Spooky home insurance changes to watch out for
Spooky home insurance changes to watch out for

Opening emails or letters from your home insurance company these days can be pretty scary. Non-renewals and premiums are increasing, and it’s trickier these days to find affordable coverage through a reputable insurer. UP is staying on top of the marketplace changes, keeping our shopping…
Hurricane Helene Recovery Help
Hurricane Helene Recovery Help

If you or someone you know have been impacted by Hurricane Helene, review our road-tested “First Steps” and visit our Hurricane Helene Roadmap to Recovery Help Library. United Policyholders is a non-profit organization that has thirty years of expertise in disaster recovery, insurance, repairs and…
What a night ~ UP to Good 2024!
What a night ~ UP to Good 2024!

On Friday, September 20th, 2024, friends, colleagues and special guests gathered at DeLoach Vineyards for our annual fundraiser UP to Good! Guests enjoyed a delicious farm-to-table seated dinner with wine pairing followed by an exciting live auction. Funds raised support our services and advocacy work:…
Keep insurers’ fingers out of Maui wildfire survivors’ pockets
Keep insurers’ fingers out of Maui wildfire survivors’ pockets

For Maui wildfire survivors, the global settlement of lawsuits provides a degree of certainty and closure. With lawsuits behind them, survivors can begin the long process of rebuilding and recovering without the specter of long legal battles. Under the proposed settlement, many wildfire survivors reached…
Hawaii governor signs emergency proclamation to stabilize insurance market
Hawaii governor signs emergency proclamation to stabilize insurance market

Rates surged by up to 1,000% in some cases Hawaii’s volatile condo insurance market saw its rates surge by up to 1,000% in some cases, according to a statement from the governor’s office. As a response, Governor Josh Green has signed an emergency proclamation. The…
Guest Blog: Navigating My Safe Florida Home Program
Guest Blog: Navigating My Safe Florida Home Program

I noticed my neighbor had just replaced her windows and not only did they look nice, but also strong.  To my surprise she told me she had been motivated to make the changes due to a State Program that reimbursed her for two thirds of…
Be pro-active to get a fair payout on a totalled car
Be pro-active to get a fair payout on a totalled car

If you’ve been in an accident and an insurance company declares your car a total loss, we recommend making sure their valuation and settlement offer are accurate and fair. Earlier this year a District Attorney in Northern California sued two major insurers and two software…
First Steps After a Wildfire
First Steps After a Wildfire

United Policyholders is a nonprofit organization that is a voice and an information resource for insurance consumers in all 50 states.  UP has helped guide disaster survivors on the road to recovery since 1991.  Use this information with The Disaster Recovery Handbook and Household Inventory Guide. …
Strategies for staying protected
Strategies for staying protected

In the past, insurance companies were insuring homes, regardless of their age and condition. That has changed dramatically thanks in part to new technologies that pinpoint risk factors. Many Americans today, particularly those with older homes, are having the unpleasant experience of getting turned down…
How to stay in the know?
How to stay in the know?

Ask any person who’s survived a disaster and they’ll give you solid preparedness advice. UP’s consumer guidance draws heavily on those insights.  And while survivors won’t all agree on what to have in your “go bag,” everyone agrees on the value of timely emergency alerts.…
Bach Talk: Skyfall(out) – Aerial photos impacting property insurance
Bach Talk: Skyfall(out) – Aerial photos impacting property insurance

One of the tools property insurance companies are using to screen potential and existing customers are aerial images captured by satellites and drones of  homes, surroundings and roof conditions.  When the images show damage or hazards, they can trigger a non-renewal or rejected application. This…
GUEST BLOG: Replacement Cost Estimates: A Crucial Aspect of Home Insurance
GUEST BLOG: Replacement Cost Estimates: A Crucial Aspect of Home Insurance

This guest blog was written by Matt Everson, co-owner of BW Builder and a United Policyholders’ professional volunteer.  Has your application at the California Fair Plan stalled? Are you finding it hard to figure out why? It might be because Fair Plan requires a Replacement…