Taken to the Cleaners: The Importance of Insuring Environmental Pollution Cleanup and How Some Insurers Try to Avoid Coverage
Taken to the Cleaners: The Importance of Insuring Environmental Pollution Cleanup and How Some Insurers Try to Avoid Coverage

Accidental environmental pollution is virtually unavoidable in our industrialized society, and insurance coverage for liabilities and cleanup plays a critical role in the economic and environmental health of the country. Small, medium, and large businesses throughout the United States rely on their insurers to help…
First Steps After a Wildfire
First Steps After a Wildfire

If you or someone you know has been affected by the fires, please read our First Steps After a Wildfire.  We encourage you to visit our website throughout the recovery process. This checklist will help keep you on track during this stressful time. We’re rooting…
First Steps After a Tornado
First Steps After a Tornado

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…
Guest Blog: Fire Resistant Building Materials for New Home Construction
Guest Blog: Fire Resistant Building Materials for New Home Construction

With the climate crisis in full effect, it appears that wildfires are on the rise. Especially in states like California, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Montana, and others, wildfires are a huge issue. Every year there are multiple dangerous outbreaks of fire that spread across countries threatening…
We get it…investing in risk reduction isn’t easy
We get it…investing in risk reduction isn’t easy

United Policyholders works hard to give people practical tips and guidance that’s realistic.  The risk of wildfires is making insurance alot more expensive and hard to buy in many U.S. states.  If you live in a wildfire-prone area, “hardening” your home and participating in community-wide risk…
Guest Blog: First Steps for Recovering
Guest Blog: First Steps for Recovering

Written by Bob Hunnes, Originally published as a Letter to the Editor in the Daily Camera This letter is intended to help anyone who was directly impacted by the Marshall Fire disaster. If this is not pertinent to you, please pass it on to someone…
There’s no place like home
There’s no place like home

This is Susan Davis’ first holiday back in her rebuilt home. Read Susan’s story in her own words: “In the months after we lost our home (we escaped with our dog and the clothes on our backs) and our way of life to the 2018…
When the chips are down, there’s UP
When the chips are down, there’s UP

Educating, Advocating and Empowering through the Pandemic Years UP continues to innovate during the pandemic to provide Roadmap to Recovery® services in person where safe, and through virtual channels to support disaster-impacted households and communities and be a powerful advocate for consumers across the nation.…
The Wildfire List: 13 Home Improvement Steps to Harden Your Home
The Wildfire List: 13 Home Improvement Steps to Harden Your Home

After a year of work, our WRAP working group issued a list of 13 home improvement steps that we believe should be the official standards for a wildfire prepared home. Here are the 13 recommendations from an array of experts in residential wildfire risk reduction.…
Virtual Roadmap to Recovery
Virtual Roadmap to Recovery

The shelter in place orders that required so many of us to get comfortable (maybe a little too comfortable) on Zoom enabled us to fine-tune our virtual service delivery and give insured loss victims uninterrupted access to the answers and information they need. Virtually, we…
Maienschein Recognizes Valerie Brown as the 77th Assembly District’s “Woman of the Year”
Maienschein Recognizes Valerie Brown as the 77th Assembly District’s “Woman of the Year”

RANCHO BERNARDO – Assemblymember Brian Maienschein proudly honored Valerie Brown as the 77th Assembly District’s 2021 Woman of the Year on Monday. A nearly twenty-year resident of Rancho Bernardo, Brown has served San Diego County as a volunteer with many community organizations and nonprofit organizations.…
Thwarting insurers’ campaign to duck interruption compensation obligations to businesses
Thwarting insurers’ campaign to duck interruption compensation obligations to businesses

Fill in the blank and you’ll understand the public relations campaign the insurance industry uses over and over to maintain record profits by shirking obligations to their premium-paying customers and pass the buck to  taxpayers: “If you make us pay ______ claims we’ll go bankrupt.” …
UP shares our story for the 30th Anniversary of the Oakland / Berkeley Firestorm
UP shares our story for the 30th Anniversary of the Oakland / Berkeley Firestorm

United Policyholders was founded in 1991. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Oakland Berkeley Firestorm, UP’s Executive Director Amy Bach shared her story co-founding the nonprofit for the North Hills Phoenix Association Community Comeback: Then and Now video series. This video series delved into…
Thank you for getting Up to Good
Thank you for getting Up to Good

On Friday, October 1st, wildfire survivors, public officials and generous businesses and individuals gathered outdoors at the elegant and historic Buena Vista Winery to raise funds for the our Roadmap to Recovery, Preparedness and Advocacy programs. With the jazz sounds of a Sonoma State student…
UP to Good 10/1/21
UP to Good 10/1/21

Join us for a coast-to-coast virtual party and benefit for United Policyholders ~ 10/1/21
Wildfire Evacuation Tips
Wildfire Evacuation Tips

If you are told to evacuate immediately, do so. If you think you may have to evacuate, we suggest the following ASAP: 1) Document your home and “stuff.” If you do not have a home inventory, create one before you evacuate.  Take pictures or a video of each…
Restoring the Insurance Safetynet Coalition (RISC), A National Initiative
Restoring the Insurance Safetynet Coalition (RISC), A National Initiative

The Restoring the Insurance Safety Net Coalition (RISC) is a national initiative launched by United Policyholders in 2020.  The purpose of this initiative is to reverse the trend of insurance policy re-writes that are shrinking coverage for damage to homes. These re-writes are dangerously eroding…
Fire Victim Trust to Begin Making First Pro Rata Payments to Fire Victims
Fire Victim Trust to Begin Making First Pro Rata Payments to Fire Victims

March 12, 2021, San Francisco – On Monday, March 15, the Fire Victim Trust (FVT) will begin distributing the first round of pro rata payments toward satisfying the claims of individuals and families who suffered losses in the 2015 Butte Fire, 2017 North Bay Fires…