Storm Sandy Mediation Program: A Learning Experience
Storm Sandy Mediation Program: A Learning Experience

By: Dan Wade, Staff Attorney The government-sponsored Storm Sandy mediation programs in New York and New Jersey offered the promise of a low-cost easy access forum for disaster survivors to sit down face-to-face with their insurer to resolve claim disputes. A modest number of homeowners…
New York Federal Court Consolidates Pending Hurricane Sandy Cases
New York Federal Court Consolidates Pending Hurricane Sandy Cases

UPdate 7/18/14 At the request of insurers, three New York Magistrate Judges overseeing the Consolidated Case have asked plaintiffs to withdraw supplemental state law “bad faith” claims. The three-judge panel explained that plaintiffs have failed to address these claims in accordance with the Court’s discovery…
Farmers Insurance Ordered to Pay Woodward Tornado Victims $15M
Farmers Insurance Ordered to Pay Woodward Tornado Victims $15M

Shelly Hobbie walks through the rubble left of her son’s mobile home in Woodward, Okla. on April 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)An Oklahoma judge has ordered Farmers Insurance and a subsidiary to pay a total of $15 million to three plaintiffs who filed property claims…
Guidance for businesses on buying Cyber Liability insurance
Guidance for businesses on buying Cyber Liability insurance

ISO’s 2014 Data Breach Exclusion EndorsementsPerhaps a large majority of all businesses are subject to data breach liability whereby someone steals or makes unauthorized use of personal or confidential information, often of customers. Such data breaches have resulted in lawsuits and government sanctions. While most…
Getting UP to business: Read ’em and leak
Getting UP to business: Read ’em and leak

UP helps home and business owners and the two sectors have a lot in common when it comes to insurance. Both pay quite a bit of money for the insurance protection they count on as a financial safety net. And though some businesses are experienced in nuances of policy…
Cyber Liability and Insurance
Cyber Liability and Insurance
Work from home? TCB
Work from home? TCB

Thanks to the Internet, FedEx, Priority Mail and UPS – more and more people are avoiding the drag of commuting by working from home. If you’re one of the estimated 43 million Americans in this mode – you’ll want the right insurance in place. You…
What’s UP? January 2014
What’s UP? January 2014

We have dived in to another year of working hard and being useful throughout the nation.  We’ve got six disaster recovery and two preparedness workshops coming up in February, amicus briefs, reports and new buyers’ guides in production.  Our newWhat’s UP with Renter’s Insurance is now available in…
Don’t Bark UP the Wrong Tree – Pet Insurance Tips
Don’t Bark UP the Wrong Tree – Pet Insurance Tips

If you are among the 70 + million households in the US that own a dog or cat, you may not have considered pet insurance. But one emergency visit to your vet can make you rethink that decision. There are lots of pet insurance plans…
New York Regulator Lawsky asks colleagues to take action against forced-place insurance overcharges
New York Regulator Lawsky asks colleagues to take action against forced-place insurance overcharges
Too Good to be True?
Too Good to be True?

Enjoy this week’s holiday, and: THANKS FOR GIVING… your time, your expertise and your dollars to keep UP strong. So far this year we’ve sent you monthly money-saving tips and the straight scoop on flood and car rental insurance, employer-provided disability policies, home air quality…
Bringing logic and fairness back to California injury victims
Bringing logic and fairness back to California injury victims

Bach Talk:  Let’s not forget that it used to be true in California that if you were injured by someone, you could make a claim directly with that someone’s insurance company.  If their insurance company behaved badly, you could hold them accountable in court.  You…
Deadline for filing flood insurance claims from Sept. 2013 CO disaster extended 21 days
Deadline for filing flood insurance claims from Sept. 2013 CO disaster extended 21 days

UP encouraged Colorado public officials and residents to ask FEMA to extend the 60 day deadline for flood victims to file insurance claims. Many people still don’t have access to their homes – so it’s impossible for them to get a complete evaluation/scope of loss…
November 6, 2013 United States Senate Hearing – One Year Later: Examining the Ongoing Recovery From Hurricane Sandy
November 6, 2013 United States Senate Hearing – One Year Later: Examining the Ongoing Recovery From Hurricane Sandy

http://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/emdc/hearings/one-year-later-examining-the-ongoing-recovery-from-hurricane-sandy
Bach Talk – Regulators should review policies and get more resources
Bach Talk – Regulators should review policies and get more resources

A recent California legal case shines light on a fact that will surprise many, but not me:  California’s Insurance Commissioner, considered by many to be the most diligent consumer advocate among the 50 state’s regulators – does not as a matter of course, review, approve…
Bach Talk – Healthy insurance decision-making
Bach Talk – Healthy insurance decision-making

Shopping for health insurance? Open enrollment for 2015 plans across the nation starts November 15th, 2014 and ends in February, 2015.  The penalty for not protecting yourself and family by buying health insurance kicks in in 2015. Common questions: https://www.healthcare.gov/apply-and-enroll/ Picking by quality: Consumer satisfaction with health…
What’s UP with Renter’s Insurance?
What’s UP with Renter’s Insurance?

Here’s a quiz for renters – 35% of all the households in the U.S… True or False? A nearby fire leaves your clothing, furniture and rugs smoke damaged and waterlogged. Your landlord’s insurance will cover the costs of moving and cleaning and replacing your property.…
Cost of Flood Insurance Rises – Along With Worries
Cost of Flood Insurance Rises – Along With Worries

By LIZETTE ALVAREZ and CAMPBELL ROBERTSONMIAMI — Sharp increases in federal flood insurance rates are distressing coastal homeowners from Hawaii to New England and are starting to hurt property values and housing sales in areas just beginning to recover from the recession, according to residents…