September 6, 2011 Rising from the ashes – One year later, Fourmile Fire victims share tales of renewal For some victims of the Fourmile Fire that ravaged the hills of western Boulder County the week of Sept. 6, 2010, this has been the “year of the phoenix.” Others are still waiting to rise from the ashes. In honor of the one-year anniversary of…
September 6, 2011 Survey shows Fourmile fire victims severely underinsured Almost one year after the Fourmile Canyon wildfire devastated mountain communities in Boulder County, only 64 percent of victims surveyed have settled their insurance claim, and for many the settlement will not be enough to rebuild their home. Other key findings from respondents include: •…
August 29, 2011 Homeowners insurance regulations take effect New statewide homeowners insurance regulations took effect Monday that, depending upon who you believe, either protect consumers against under being insured or restrict the ability of insurers to enlighten homeowners about their coverage. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced the new regs Monday along with…
August 29, 2011 New rules aim to curb homeowner underinsurance The devastating wildfires of 2007 burned twice for Janice and John Strizver. There was the the initial, horrific loss of their Ramona home consumed by fire. And then came the slow, angry burn on realizing that their insurance payout would fall far short of the…
August 29, 2011 Nonprofit to Hold Workshop to Address Fire Survivors’ Legal, Insurance Questions The workshop will provide tips and emotional support for those still struggling to recover from the Sept. 9 pipeline explosion. As the anniversary of the Sept. 9 pipeline explosion approaches, nonprofit United Policyholders wants to make sure survivors of the fire get all their legal…
August 26, 2011 Hurricane Irene Could Cost Insurers Billions, And Bump Up Your Premium On the heels of an earthquake felt from New England to the Carolina, the East Coast is bracing for Hurricane Irene, which could be a major Category 4 storm with winds upwards of 130 mph. That could mean billions of dollars in property damage that…
August 22, 2011 Fourmile Canyon Fire firefighter/victim hits roadblock to rebuilding BOULDER COUNTY – On Labor Day morning almost a year ago, Bruce Honeyman was simply reading the paper. About 10 that morning, Honeyman, the chief of the Sunshine Fire Protection District got a call for mutual aid. “[I] came around the corner and saw that…
August 22, 2011 Policyholder complaints after tornadoes show discontent with delays, disputes over damage MOBILE, Alabama — Larry Kidd was getting a little frustrated. His neighbors in Santuck were already making repairs after a tornado hit the Elmore County hamlet on April 27. Kidd was still haggling with Allstate Corp. over how much money he would get to fix…
August 10, 2011 State Officials Unveil New Insurance Regulations Regulations Would Require Companies To Reveal Costs To Replace Homes After Disaster SAN DIEGO — Despite a lawsuit trying to stop it, state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones implemented new regulations requiring insurance companies to reveal the true and complete costs to homeowner who want to…
July 21, 2011 Insurance Commissioner: Time to prepare for wildfires With the advent of fire season, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones visited Rancho Bernardo Thursday to remind locals that they should prepare a home inventory list now. The list, along with doing an annual update of property insurance policies to reflect current rebuilding prices and…
July 21, 2011 Alabama insurance struggles: Disputes from tornadoes begin to gain traction Across tornado-affected areas of Alabama, thousands of property owners are grappling with insurers about how much money they are owed to rebuild. Already, nearly 500 people have contacted the state Insurance Department. State regulators now expect around 90,000 claims because of April’s storms, and even…
July 20, 2011 Home replacement costs at center of California insurance dispute In a move to prevent homeowners from being underinsured after disasters, the California insurance commissioner has imposed new regulations for estimating a home’s replacement value for insurance purposes. Some insurers have sued in response, saying the regulations overstep the commissioner’s legal boundaries and could harm…
July 18, 2011 Insurance Commissioner Jones Announces New Regulations to Protect Homeowners From Being Underinsured Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, joined by Amy Bach, Executive Director of United Policyholders, announced today a series of new homeowners regulations aimed at enhancing the standards and training for estimating the replacement value on homeowners’ insurance in the event of a disaster. These new regulations…
June 30, 2011 California Trade Groups File Suit to Stop ‘Replacement’ Regulation Two California trade associations have filed court documents in an attempt to stop one aspect of regulations that were implemented June 27 by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. The Association of California Insurance Companies ACIC) and the Personal Insurance Federation of California PIFC) say in a…
June 30, 2011 Vanishing Act: Your Home Insurance Coverage is Disappearing There’s a disturbing nationwide trend of insurance companies chipping away at coverage for homeowners, says Amy Bach, executive director of the nonprofit United Policyholders consumer group. She says she’s disturbed by what she sees as policies becoming less adequate. “We have been working on a…
June 30, 2011 Catastrophe reveals insurance woes for homeowners SAN BRUNO, Calif. KGO) — Most homeowners have insurance, but few ever find out if their coverage is adequate until disaster strikes. The San Bruno pipeline explosion is one example of a major catastrophe putting home owner’s insurance to the test. Tammy Zapata is a…
June 30, 2011 Overwhelmed and Underinsured Those two words describe the people in Missouri, Alabama and Arizona whose homes were recently wiped out. The fact is, about 2/3 of the homes in the United States are underinsured.1 UP can help you be in the third that are not. You probably think you’re already…
