UP alerts CA legislators to proceed with caution on insurers’ wish list
UP alerts CA legislators to proceed with caution on insurers’ wish list

California consumers have long enjoyed the benefits of property insurance premium savings thanks to the voter-enacted Proposition 103 rate regulation regime, and insurers have long decried that regime. United Policyholders generally focuses on helping consumers get treated fairly by insurers, avoid and solve coverage gaps,…
BACH TALK: Whoomp! (there it is)
BACH TALK: Whoomp! (there it is)

In a recent blog, a Texas lawyer revealed an industry secret that is common knowledge to policyholder advocates and claimants but rarely publicly revealed or admitted by insurers:  By dragging out claims and failing to timely pay benefits owed, insurers can pressure policyholders to accept…
Breaking through indecision…
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…
3 times you need money advice from a human
3 times you need money advice from a human

You can now manage most aspects of your money without ever consulting another human. You can budget, borrow, save, invest, buy insurance, prepare your tax return and create a will — among many other tasks — by using apps, websites and software. But technology still…
California Appoints Curriculum and Insurance Guarantee Board Members
California Appoints Curriculum and Insurance Guarantee Board Members

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced the newest members of the California Department of Insurance’s Curriculum Board and the California Insurance Guarantee Association’s Board of Governors. The Curriculum Board oversees the development of pre-licensing and continuing education curriculum for agents and brokers, which includes a…
NJ residents face insurance challenges beyond grace periods during pandemic
NJ residents face insurance challenges beyond grace periods during pandemic

Among the many impacts of the coronavirus are those on insurance. Gov. Phil Murphy last week mandated a 90-day grace period for auto, homeowner’s and renter’s insurance payments and a 60-day grace period for health insurance payments. Murphy’s reprieve, however, doesn’t aid the uninsured and…
SIPping lemonade -TCB*
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…
NAIC Names 2020 Consumer Liaison Representatives
NAIC Names 2020 Consumer Liaison Representatives

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently named 32 consumer liaison representatives for 2020. The 20 funded and 12 unfunded consumer representatives began their terms Jan. 1. Fifteen of the funded consumer representatives participated in the program in 2019. They receive funds from the NAIC,…
Insurance Companies Are Paying Cops To Investigate Their Own Customers
Insurance Companies Are Paying Cops To Investigate Their Own Customers

A cozy alliance between insurers and law enforcement has turned the justice system into the industry’s hired gun and left innocent customers facing prison. When police showed up at Harry Schmidt’s home on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, he thought they were there to help. He…
Wildfire Took Your Home? Don’t Count on Insurance Rebuilding It
Wildfire Took Your Home? Don’t Count on Insurance Rebuilding It

Own a home? No doubt you’ve insured it. Very sensible of you. But if that home were, say, burned to the ground, then your insurance company probably wouldn’t cover the cost of rebuilding it. Don’t feel too bad, though. It’s only partly your fault. Two-thirds…
Mandatory arbitration, common foe of car buyers, bank customers and porn stars, under attack
Mandatory arbitration, common foe of car buyers, bank customers and porn stars, under attack

Mandatory arbitration, common foe of car buyers, bank customers and porn stars, under attack By L.M. Sixel March 22, 2018 0 Photo: SCOTT MCINTYRE, STR / NYT IMAGE 1 OF 5 Some auto dealers are opting out of mandatory arbitration, finding that the courts offer…
A Super Search Box
A Super Search Box

Need to know what exclusions to avoid when buying Directors and Officers insurance for your company? Looking for a good argument to get your insurance company to cover the cost of “matching” (restoring your property to a uniform and consistent, not patchwork quilt appearance)? Want…
Claims Teams Begin Handling Onslaught of Harvey Claims
Claims Teams Begin Handling Onslaught of Harvey Claims

Hurricane Harvey has set a U.S record, according to the National Weather Service, dumping 51.88 inches of rain in parts of Texas. As the tropical storm moves over southern Louisiana, claims catastrophe teams are moving in to devastated cities in Texas. AIR Worldwide reported severe…
Guest Blog: United Policyholders Amicus Project Scores Victory For Texas Homeowners and Businesses
Guest Blog: United Policyholders Amicus Project Scores Victory For Texas Homeowners and Businesses

The availability of insurance coverage for loss or damage can hinge on the smallest details.  Did your insurer record that it received your notice letter?  Did your insurer’s investigator take note of those small but critical facts you pointed out during the investigation?  Did you…
Your CLUE report could save you money on auto and home owners insurance
Your CLUE report could save you money on auto and home owners insurance

If your car is in an accident, or your house is damaged in a storm, the insurance claims you file will wind up in your CLUE report. The trouble is most people have never heard of a CLUE report, even though the data in it…
As Hurricane Season Approaches, Review Your Insurance
As Hurricane Season Approaches, Review Your Insurance

The Atlantic hurricane season is a little more than two weeks away, so now is a good time for homeowners along the coast to check their insurance coverage. The annual hurricane season runs for six months, from June through November. “A good place to start…
Delaware Ranks High Among States for Homeowners’ Insurance Protections
Delaware Ranks High Among States for Homeowners’ Insurance Protections

Dover, DE – Delaware homeowners are among the most protected in the nation against having their homeowners insurance non-renewed or rates raised due to filing or even inquiring about a claim. This is according to a recent study by the Rutgers Center for Risk and…
The “Catch UP” webinar series: Making appraisal work for your client
The “Catch UP” webinar series: Making appraisal work for your client

Catch UP on how to use the appraisal process to settle an insurance dispute from the comfort of your home or office.  Lawyers can earn continuing ed credit for registering for the webinar.  And best of all, your registration fee supports our non-profit’s important work…