July 1, 2025 Summer is Here ~ Less is More If you live in a suburb or rural area, as you refuel the BBQ and dust off outdoor furniture, take a moment to look around your home and yard. What is in that first five feet around and right up against your home? What if…
April 28, 2025 To whom it may concern… Submitting comments on proposed changes to your state’s insurance laws is a no-cost way of helping protect yourself as a consumer. Your insurance company is making their voice heard – you can too! There are many proposals making their way through state legislatures across the country today that relate to the…
February 28, 2025 Trust Issues Putting your home into a Revocable Trust is an estate planning best practice. One of the many challenges in the spotlight since the recent LA wildfires are problems people are having because their destroyed home was held in a trust but the trust wasn’t named…
February 21, 2025 How to make sure a home held in a trust is properly insured 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 avoid probate at death. In California, probate is a court supervised process…
January 24, 2025 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…
January 14, 2025 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…
January 8, 2025 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…
November 25, 2024 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…
November 12, 2024 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…
October 25, 2024 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…
October 2, 2024 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…
September 27, 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 pairings followed by an exciting live auction. Funds raised support our services and advocacy work:…
August 13, 2024 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…
August 12, 2024 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…
August 1, 2024 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…
August 1, 2024 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…
July 1, 2024 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. …
June 26, 2024 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…
