Millions of Americans risk their health and -2-
Millions of Americans risk their health and -2-

“My dad’s sleeping under a dining table because there’s no space,” he said. “My mom had bladder surgery at the end of April and [in] early May had to recover from bladder surgery while basically being homeless.” Comey’s experience is a stark illustration of what…
There’s Help for Dealing with Insurance
There’s Help for Dealing with Insurance

United Policyholders is a nonprofit organization that works for consumers with insurance problems/matters. The nonprofit does not take money from insurance companies, and they don’t sell insurance. Volunteers at United Policy have been through the insurance recovery process before and are strictly here to offer…
NAACP Pasadena Acts to Prepare Vulnerable Communities for Next Disaster
NAACP Pasadena Acts to Prepare Vulnerable Communities for Next Disaster

September workshop asks the question haunting fire survivors: “If you had 30 minutes to evacuate, do you know what you would take?” The January Eaton Fire didn’t just burn structures—it exposed how catastrophically unprepared locate communities were for natural climate disasters, with widespread underinsurance a…
Flying Cameras Are Snapping Photos of Houses for Insurers. Will a California Bill Help Homeowners See Them?
Flying Cameras Are Snapping Photos of Houses for Insurers. Will a California Bill Help Homeowners See Them?

Airborne cameras are taking pictures of individual houses across the U.S. Insurance companies use the photos to inspect buildings after extreme weather, from hurricanes to hailstorms. But they also use them to determine which homes are too risky to insure. A bill in California—a state…
Earthquake policyholders few despite quake risk
Earthquake policyholders few despite quake risk

North Bay property owners may be rethinking their insurance coverage following the 7.0 earthquake offthe coast of Humboldt County on Thursday morning. Despite experiencing 90% of the nation’s earthquakes, only 10% of California’s residents have earthquake insurance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “I…
Earthquake policyholders scarce despite quake risk
Earthquake policyholders scarce despite quake risk

North Bay property owners may be rethinking their insurance coverage following the 7.0 earthquake off the coast of Humboldt County on Thursday morning. Despite experiencing 90% of the nation’s earthquakes, only 10% of California’s residents have earthquake insurance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.…
Earthquake policyholders scarce despite quake risk
Earthquake policyholders scarce despite quake risk

North Bay property owners may be rethinking their insurance coverage following the 7.0 earthquake off the coast of Humboldt County on Thursday morning. Despite experiencing 90% of the nation’s earthquakes, only 10% of California’s residents have earthquake insurance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.…
How Important Is Earthquake Insurance? All Your Questions Answered.
How Important Is Earthquake Insurance? All Your Questions Answered.

Yesterday on AirTalk we talked about a series of small earthquakes that rattled SoCal starting on May 31st with a quake in Ojai, followed by a few in El Sereno and a trio of quakes in Costa Mesa. Today, we’re talking about earthquake insurance. Californian…
Insurance woes | Changes underway for earthquake policies
Insurance woes | Changes underway for earthquake policies

“These are not changes that we’re excited about,” said Amy Bach, Executive Director of United Policyholders. More insurance changes are underway. This time, they’re impacting earthquake policies. California is no stranger to earthquakes. Yet despite their likelihood here, earthquake insurance isn’t required, and only about…
Insurers won’t renew some homes, citing risk of earthquake-induced fires. This map shows where
Insurers won’t renew some homes, citing risk of earthquake-induced fires. This map shows where

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck San Francisco on April 18, 1906, toppled buildings, brought down power lines and fractured water mains. The front page of the Chronicle the next day read “San Francisco in ruins.” But 80% of the property damage, according to a…
Increase your resiliency in the new year…
Increase your resiliency in the new year…

If you own a home, we suggest putting “make risk reduction improvements” on your New Year’s resolution list. Taking steps to make it less likely that severe weather or a wildfire will damage your home is more important than ever. Insurers have added new coverage…
BACH TALK: Consumers need help (with shrinking property insurance affordability and availability)
BACH TALK: Consumers need help (with shrinking property insurance affordability and availability)

Americans today in hurricane, flood and wildfire prone regions (particularly in areas where there have been recent disasters) are paying much higher premiums and having a very hard time finding affordable property insurance options.  This is a national phenomenon that United Policyholders has been helping…
Mind the Gap
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…
Who Is The California Earthquake Authority?
Who Is The California Earthquake Authority?

You might call the California Earthquake Authority a financial shock absorber for the Golden State, home to nearly 40 million people and to two-thirds of the country’s earthquake risk. Created in 1996, the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) is the largest residential earthquake insurer in the…
Shaking Your Assets?
Shaking Your Assets?

If you own property in an area that’s prone to earthquakes, chances are your insurance excludes coverage for repairs and rebuilding due to quake damage. Insurance companies carved out coverage for this risk decades ago, and you have to shop and pay to add it…
San Diego Could Face $40B In Earthquake Damage. So Why Are So Few People Insured?
San Diego Could Face $40B In Earthquake Damage. So Why Are So Few People Insured?

San Diego got an eye-opening report last week about its earthquake risk. The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute reported that San Diego’s Rose Canyon fault could trigger a 6.9 magnitude quake, resulting in up to 2,000 fatalities and $40 billion in property damage. The study underscored…
5 Hidden Costs of Relocation
5 Hidden Costs of Relocation

If you’ve got your eye on a new city where you can buy a bigger house with an affordable mortgage payment, don’t be too quick to sign those closing documents. If you don’t do a little research first, you may get ambushed by unexpected costs…
Document Flood and Fire Damage to Ease Insurance Claims
Document Flood and Fire Damage to Ease Insurance Claims

Victims of the recent flooding in Louisiana and wildfires in California should all do one thing: Document the damage to their property. Taking photos is crucial to help bolster an insurance claim, said Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a nonprofit consumer advisory group,…