June 29, 2022 Breaking through indecision… When you’re under stress and need to make major decisions, it can be paralyzing. After Don and Lee Lehrman lost their home to a wildfire, they used a “forced-choice decision matrix” to decide how to replace it. You make a list of your wants, then…
May 6, 2022 Mind the Gap This is your friendly reminder that earthquake damage is NOT covered by your home or renters insurance policy unless you’ve paid extra for that protection. UP keeps tabs on earthquake insurance options and we recently moderated a National “Mind the Gap” Earthquake Insurance Forum in…
March 31, 2022 COVID: Year Two UPdate Have the conversation… As businesses across the nation learned the hard way when their pandemic interruption claims were summarily rejected by insurers…one can’t blindly trust paid-for property insurance to come through in the worst of times. Throughout the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began…
February 28, 2022 Insuring Your Life If you have dependents or people whose financial security is important to you, then life insurance is a logical investment. Buying a policy that suits your goals and budget isn’t hard if you find a salesperson who is knowledgeable and ethical and doesn’t try to steer you…
January 31, 2022 We get it…risk reduction isn’t easy Here’s a New Year’s resolution that doesn’t involve depriving yourself of something you like to eat or drink: Do at least one thing in 2022 to make it less likely that your home could be damaged or destroyed due to a weather event or natural…
November 23, 2021 Don’t be “Lapse-adaisical” Early in the digital age, insurers lobbied hard to be allowed to switch to paperless (digital) notices and billing. UP pushed back to protect consumers from inadvertently letting their insurance lapse due to missing a late payment or cancellation notice email that got stuck in a spam…
October 29, 2021 Spooky Language in Your Policy? Getting a notice from a home insurer that they’re dropping you is scary, and UP works hard to help people avoid and deal with that situation. Read our latest tips on shopping for affordable home insurance when your options are limited. Even scarier is hearing…
June 25, 2021 Keeping Score to Avoid Paying More Your credit, insurance or risk score may make you “feel like a number”, but that may be more than a feeling. A low credit score will cause some insurers to offer you inferior coverage at a higher price. Because credit scores are often wrong and…
May 28, 2021 Cracking the Code From time to time, state and local building codes get updated to meet current safety and energy efficiency standards. If you own an existing home, you don’t need to worry about paying for upgrades to comply with those new codes unless you’re making major repairs…
April 30, 2021 Hail, Hail Spring is Here With vaccinations, more daylight and warming weather, things are looking UP. In keeping with our mission of helping people be resilient, here’s an important reminder: It’s hail season and climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of hail events. Now is a great time to check…
March 31, 2021 Covid-versary…Is there cake? COVID-19 has challenged Americans over the past year in ways that are reminiscent of war times past. There has been much stress and suffering. Sunnier skies lie ahead, but the one year anniversary is far from the end of the recovery work that needs to…
February 25, 2021 Step away from the blowtorch… The extreme cold, snow, and ice that swept across the U.S. in February 2021 is proof positive that closing the door on 2020 wasn’t a cure-all. If your home or business suffered damage due to freezing or bursting pipes or the weight of snow and ice on the…
January 25, 2021 Life (insurance) Lessons Pandemic-related layoffs, furloughs and business closures have forced many Americans to tap retirement accounts and cut non-essential expenses to get by. If you’re experiencing financial hardship but don’t want your auto, home or life insurance to lapse, check the website of the agency that oversees…
July 1, 2020 Wildfire Season Is Here With all that’s happening, it’s hard to wrap your mind around another worry. But yes, it is wildfire season and time to take steps to make your home more fire-resistant. If you’ve been Sheltering in Place, you probably know your home better than ever and…
June 1, 2020 Wise UP and save on your insurance Wise UP and save on your insurance As households across the nation look for ways to cut costs while dealing with record job losses and sheltering in place, UP has suggestions for reducing insurance premiums without sacrificing asset protection. – Consider increasing your auto and…
May 1, 2020 Spread the word about our COVID-19 Loss Recovery Library Our COVID-19 Loss Recovery library is designed to help small businesses collect all available insurance benefits to offset their losses and get back on their feet. Just as we help individuals after disasters, we are helping the businesses that are a vital part of our…
April 1, 2020 SIPping lemonade -TCB* We all know the bad news. The good news is you may have time to take care of tasks that have long been pushed to the bottom of your “to do” list. Getting your insurance records in order and inventorying your property are two of…
March 1, 2020 Oh baby…insurance and maternity care What to expect (from your insurance company) when you’re expecting When you bring your new baby home, the last thing you should have to worry about is the hospital bill. So before your due date, find out your health plan’s rules on delivery care costs.…