May 18, 2026 For the 11th straight year, Texas is the hail damage capital of the US DALLAS — Sometimes, winning can feel a lot like losing. For the 11th year in a row, Texas is the hail capital of the U.S. It wasn’t even close. According to the Insurance Information Institute, there were 902 hail events here with major damage in…
April 4, 2026 Texas Is Entering Peak Hail Season — And Most Homeowners Don’t Understand the Deductible That Could Cost Them Thousands Spring has arrived in Texas, which means the skies are about to get interesting. April and May are historically the most active months for severe hailstorms across the state, and North Texas sits in one of the most active hail corridors in the country. According…
February 14, 2026 Oklahoma homeowners put up massive sign in front yard accusing State Farm of denials, delays after fire: ‘All we have gotten is lies’ Kenny Cox and his wife had been married for 42 years when they pulled into their driveway one afternoon last May to find Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, firefighters still dousing their home with water. Fire officials later determined a squirrel had chewed through wiring in the…
February 9, 2026 Sonoma County homeowners who have dealt with damage after a storm on what to expect Several weeks passed before Connie Cloak and her husband settled a home insurance claim they filed in August 2024 when a large tree branch fell and damaged their Santa Rosa home. The wait was frustrating. But, according to Cloak, hardly a reflection of an otherwise…
January 21, 2026 The 16% Homeowner Trap: Why Major Insurers are Quietly Canceling 2026 Policies This Week If you’ve lived in your home for a decade without ever filing a claim, you might think your “renewal” notice is a formality. But this week, thousands of homeowners in states like California, Florida, and Texas are receiving a different kind of letter: a non-renewal…
October 15, 2025 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…
October 6, 2025 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…
March 22, 2024 Insurers Report Rising Hail Damage Claims Inflation is driving up the cost of materials and labor to repair roofs and cars. Adding to insurers’ costs is increased development in areas affected by severe storms. Golf balls, tennis balls, softballs. All sound like the stuff of fun games — except when they…
June 29, 2023 What’s the RX for home insurance headaches? Rising home insurance prices and shrinking availability have made headlines across the nation in recent weeks, but the situation is not news to UP. It has been developing regionally for years, and we’ve been contributing to solutions through multiple advocacy and consumer help workstreams. The…
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…
June 22, 2017 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…
June 19, 2017 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…
June 9, 2017 Meet Your New Claims Inspector: A Drone After an April windstorm tore roof shingles off his house, Nick Ragone of Rochester, New York, figured it would be a routine claim process. But then his insurance company asked if it could use a new tool to inspect the damage. Instead of a ladder,…
November 3, 2016 Texas insurer drops push to let homeowners forgo right to sue The Texas Farm Bureau said it would offer lower premiums to customers who agreed to arbitration clauses, but consumer rights advocates rebelled. The Texas Farm Bureau has dropped a proposal that would have allowed its homeowner insurance policyholders to pre-emptively sign away their right to…
November 25, 2014 Purely a bad idea – “Purely Cosmetic” Exclusion Thanks for giving: Your ideas and your skills Thanks for putting UP in your wills! Thanks for the info, donations and scoop Thanks to those who keep us in the loop Now here’s our tip for the month of November A question we want you…
January 28, 2014 Roof insurance: ACV versus replacement cost If you live in one of the states hardest hit by wind and hail damage these past few years, you may have a gaping hole in your roof insurance coverage without even knowing it. A string of unusually costly years for roof damage claims in…
August 27, 2012 Can mortgage lenders hold your insurance money hostage? If your home has been seriously damaged or destroyed, your insurance company will release a check made out to both you and your mortgage lender to pay for the necessary repairs. “Lenders have a substantial investment in the property, sometimes more than the homeowner, especially…
July 15, 2010 Storm-Damaged Homes: How To Avoid Shady Roofers As we were discussing roofing scams around the office, it prompted some interesting conversation. After a hailstorm in 2006, a salesperson knocked on my door and offered to fix our damaged roof. I told him I was fine and didn’t need his help. Instantly, his…
