Proposal to restore integrity to the National Flood Insurance Program
Proposal to restore integrity to the National Flood Insurance Program

United Policyholders today called for Congress to require the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to give its policyholders access to their claim files, including copies of estimates, reports and any other documents. In the wake of testimony from homeowners and comments from lawmakers earlier this…
Hurricane Sandy Judges Demand Clearing of Settlement Roadblocks
Hurricane Sandy Judges Demand Clearing of Settlement Roadblocks

Federal officials and flood insurance companies were chastised by a panel of New York judges for imposing delays on settlements with hundreds of Hurricane Sandy victims who alleged their claims were wrongfully denied or underpaid.Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and lawyers for 25…
Building you UP – Roadmap to Preparedness UPdate
Building you UP – Roadmap to Preparedness UPdate

THRIVE-ing after a flood After a winter storm caused severe flooding south of San Francisco, UP answered evacuees’ insurance questions at a temporary shelter and help center in San Mateo, California. Several months later at an Enhancing Community Resilience Conference hosted by the THRIVE alliance…
Roadmap to Preparedness UPdate
Roadmap to Preparedness UPdate

THRIVE-ing after a flood After a winter storm caused severe flooding south of San Francisco, UP answered evacuees’ insurance questions at a temporary shelter and help center in San Mateo, California. Several months later at a Enhancing Community Resilience Conference hosted by the THRIVE alliance…
The stakes they gettin’ higher – Captive consumers are vulnerable consumers
The stakes they gettin’ higher – Captive consumers are vulnerable consumers

Insurance has always been a big deal to loss victims, disaster survivors, and needless to say, United Policyholders.  To the rest of the world…not so much. As to paying for insurance policies that are optional, consumers can just say no, not buying. End of story.…
AG lawsuit: State Farm enriched itself through Katrina homeowner program
AG lawsuit: State Farm enriched itself through Katrina homeowner program

Attorney General Jim Hood is suing State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. over millions of dollars he claims the state lost because the insurance company “maliciously” denied Hurricane Katrina claims for wind losses while the federally funded Homeowners Assistance Program picked up the tab.The lawsuit…
Reports Advise How to Make Flood Insurance Affordable
Reports Advise How to Make Flood Insurance Affordable

A new report suggests the federal flood insurance program may want to target mitigation grants to households with high premiums, urge homeowners to select higher deductibles, expand the educational role of insurance agents, and provide mitigation loans to help make flood insurance more affordable.These proposals…
It’s no surprise that an acronym soup designed by committee doesn’t taste good
It’s no surprise that an acronym soup designed by committee doesn’t taste good

Some of you may remember the kid’s song: “I knew an old lady who swallowed a fly…” The Sandy scandal that the National Flood Insurance Program is digging out of reminds me of that song.  An engineer hired by an IA.  A WYO hired the…
Home Warranties: Thanks and no thanks
Home Warranties: Thanks and no thanks

If you’re buying a home and a realtor or the seller gifts you a home warranty plan, you can say, “thank you very much.” If it’s one of the better plans, it can save you hassles and money on minor home repairs during the life…
FEMA will allow 144,000 Sandy victims to reopen insurance claims after fraud charges
FEMA will allow 144,000 Sandy victims to reopen insurance claims after fraud charges

Updated March 25, 2015 10:04 PMBy JOE RYAN joe.ryan@newsday.com The National Flood Insurance Program plans to begin sending 144,000 letters in the coming weeks to homeowners from North Carolina to Maine to begin the complex job of reviewing claims for superstorm Sandy victims who suspect…
Price Optimization Allegations Challenged, NAIC Investigating Practice
Price Optimization Allegations Challenged, NAIC Investigating Practice

By Don Jergler | December 18, 2014Reaction to industry-wide price optimization allegations from a consumer group known to call out insurers has been somewhat critical yet guarded – however it appears regulators may already be starting to look into the practice.Consumer Federation of America this…
Looking UP – Advocacy and Action
Looking UP – Advocacy and Action

The NFIP on the hot seat UP is using the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain important data for our advocacy work on behalf of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders impacted by Superstorm Sandy. We began digging for information on NFIP claim…
Colorado disasters lead to home insurance spikes, cancellations
Colorado disasters lead to home insurance spikes, cancellations

Colorado is now one of the worst places in the United States for natural disasters. That’s if your measure is insurance claims filed by homeowners. The state is now second only to tornado-struck Oklahoma for catastrophic claims, according to new data from the Insurance Research…
The Storm after the Storm
The Storm after the Storm

The following is a script from “The Storm after the Storm” which aired on March 1, 2015. Sharyn Alfonsi is the correspondent. Oriana Zill de Granados and Michael Rey, producers.When Hurricane Sandy made its way towards the East Coast in the fall of 2012, residents…
TOTALly worth the effort
TOTALly worth the effort

If your car is damaged in an accident to the point where repairs would cost more than the car is worth – it’s a “total loss.” Your, or the other driver’s insurance company, is supposed to offer you the actual cash value of your car.…
Good news for insured losses: 2014 was a relatively quiet year
Good news for insured losses: 2014 was a relatively quiet year

Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, a global risk and reinsurance specialist, today released its annual Global Catastrophe Review, which reports that insured losses in 2014 were at the lowest level seen since 2009. According to the report, significant insured losses in 2014 totaled approximately $33…
The policyholder’s view on the Restatement of Liability Insurance
The policyholder’s view on the Restatement of Liability Insurance

With spring just around the corner, things at the American Law Institute (“ALI”) are heating up. The ALI is a Philadelphia-based group of law professors and lawyers that draft consensus treatises called “Restatements” on various areas of law. These treatises are oft-cited and taught in law schools…
Long-Term Care Insurance: Costs Are Up but Vary Widely
Long-Term Care Insurance: Costs Are Up but Vary Widely

By ANN CARRNSRates for long-term care insurance, which can help pay for care in your own house or in a nursing home, rose this year an average of nearly 9 percent, a new industry report finds.Still, rates vary greatly depending on the insurer and the…