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,…
Earthquake authority offers new insurance options, rebates
Earthquake authority offers new insurance options, rebates

The California Earthquake Authority is offering new insurance policy options this year, including deductibles ranging from 5 to 25 percent, higher coverage limits for personal property and additional living expenses, and a bigger discount for homeowners who submit verified proof of retrofitting. Starting Jan. 20,…
Rock and Roll
Rock and Roll

That’s what earthquakes do…and not in the fun way like Bruce Springsteen. So if you live in a quake-prone area (and there are more than there used to be) you should be considering earthquake insurance as an asset protector. UP can help you make this…
The Big One Is Coming: Should Californians Get Earthquake Insurance?
The Big One Is Coming: Should Californians Get Earthquake Insurance?

In disaster movies, California gets hit hard: The Golden Gate Bridge has fallen umpteen times. Los Angeles has been flattened by megaquakes and monstrous destruction. And let’s not even talk about the damage wrought by cyborgs sent back in time to ensure a nuclear holocaust.…
Dallas-area insurers see spike in calls about quake policies
Dallas-area insurers see spike in calls about quake policies

Earthquake insurance isn’t exactly a familiar product to Texas homeowners, unlike their counterparts in quake-prone California. But after a series of earthquakes were recorded in a swarm last week near State Highways 114 and 183 in Irving, insurance companies have started receiving calls from consumers…
Shake it UP
Shake it UP

“Out of sight out of mind, and I prefer it that way” is most Californians’ view of earthquakes. But the UP team sees disasters up close and personal and we know how a few simple preparedness steps can make the difference between recovery and ruin.…
Divided opinions over value of earthquake insurance
Divided opinions over value of earthquake insurance

Tom Fuller could tell how well folks understood earthquake insurance once he mentioned that he has a policy for his damaged home in Napa. The uninitiated responded, “Well, you’re lucky.” The more knowledgeable said, “I hope you didn’t hit your deductible.” Fuller, a public relations…
Who Should Have Earthquake Insurance?
Who Should Have Earthquake Insurance?

Listen to the audio online Download audio MP3) Justin Sullivan/Getty Images A passerby stops to look at a collapsed carport following the 6.0 South Napa Earthquake on August 24, 2014. Last weekend’s South Napa Earthquake is a dramatic reminder to Bay Area property owners that…