How to stay in the know?
How to stay in the know?

Ask any person who’s survived a disaster and they’ll give you solid preparedness advice. UP’s consumer guidance draws heavily on those insights.  And while survivors won’t all agree on what to have in your “go bag,” everyone agrees on the value of timely emergency alerts.…
Can You Lower Your Home Insurance Premium?
Can You Lower Your Home Insurance Premium?

I attended the May 15 workshop in Scotts Valley on home insurance, hoping I could find a way to lower my State Farm premium, which has jumped from $1,000 a year before the CZU wildfire in Boulder Creek to $3,290 a year. The panel of…
Iowa insurers cut roof coverage, leaving customers with big bills and jeopardizing mortgages
Iowa insurers cut roof coverage, leaving customers with big bills and jeopardizing mortgages

After years of waiting, Vadim Shapiro finally got his new roof. He got a large bill, too. Shapiro, 57, said he asked his insurer for a replacement three years ago, after a hailstorm swept through his Clive neighborhood. He said a contractor believed the storm…
California property owners paying more as state works to keep insurers from leaving
California property owners paying more as state works to keep insurers from leaving

California plans to close the door on insurance carriers leaving the state by granting many of their rate hike requests, some into the double digits. That’s the plan state officials are banking on to stabilize the California insurance market in an environment where surveys indicate…
California property owners paying more as state works to keep insurers from leaving
California property owners paying more as state works to keep insurers from leaving

Property owners in the Golden State face more insurance rate hikes, some into the double digits, amid ongoing concerns over carriers leaving the state. Despite requests for increases, state officials aim to stabilize the market and prioritize insurance access. California plans to close the door…
Berkeley homeowner’s insurance Zoom webinar video is now available online
Berkeley homeowner’s insurance Zoom webinar video is now available online

Homeowners around the city, as with much of the state, have been getting non-renewal notices from their insurers, leaving them with few options and rising costs. Original story, May 23: Councilmember Susan Wengraf, who represents the northeastern corner of Berkeley, has organized a Zoom seminar…
More insurance companies using drones to inspect homes, evaluate storm damage
More insurance companies using drones to inspect homes, evaluate storm damage

More insurance companies are using drones to survey storm damage and whether to write or renew homeowner’s insurance policies. But some consumer advocates say it can unfairly put a homeowner’s coverage at risk. More insurance companies are using drones to survey storm damage and whether…
California consumer group blasts insurance bill backed by Newsom
California consumer group blasts insurance bill backed by Newsom

A bill backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that is intended to halt more exits from California’s troubled homeowners insurance market by speeding up reviews of proposed rate hikes drew sharp criticism Wednesday from an influential consumer group. The administration this week released the draft of…
How Newsom ended up siding with insurers
How Newsom ended up siding with insurers

HITTING A CRISIS POINT: The wildfire insurance problem in California has gotten so bad that Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking a counter-intuitive stance for a top Democrat: siding with industry in its long-standing feud with consumer advocates. A legislative proposal the Newsom administration published late…
How NC insurers use drone, satellite photos to drop home policies (and what you can do)
How NC insurers use drone, satellite photos to drop home policies (and what you can do)

Rosemary Resler stands outside her home in Chapel Hill Thursday, May 23, 2024. She was recently dropped from her homeowners insurance because aarial photos showed roof damage on her property. Read more.
How consumers can navigate insurance claims after storms
How consumers can navigate insurance claims after storms

Following damaging weekend storms, the weeks and months ahead will prove critical for the people impacted. Read on for key steps to get started. MEETING IMMEDIATE NEEDS Facing significant damage, consumers may need help covering the basics like temporary housing, food and clothing. “Check to…
As insurers around the U.S. bleed cash from climate shocks, homeowners lose
As insurers around the U.S. bleed cash from climate shocks, homeowners lose

At first glance, Dave Langston’s predicament seems similar to headaches facing homeowners in coastal states vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes: As disasters have become more frequent and severe, his insurance company has been losing money. Then, it canceled his coverage and left the state. But Langston…
As insurers around the US bleed cash from climate shocks, homeowners lose
As insurers around the US bleed cash from climate shocks, homeowners lose

At first glance, Dave Langston’s predicament seems similar to headaches facing homeowners in coastal states vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes: As disasters have become more frequent and severe, his insurance company has been losing money. Then, it canceled his coverage and left the state. But Langston…
Wildfires and home insurance: what Arizonans need to know
Wildfires and home insurance: what Arizonans need to know

At least 1.8 million acres have burned in wildfires so far in 2024, according to the National Interagency Fire Center ABC15 meteorologists are forecasting high winds and fire danger heading into the holiday weekend. Already this year, Arizona residents have seen the impact from one…
Residents face uncertainty as home insurance options dwindle amid fire risks
Residents face uncertainty as home insurance options dwindle amid fire risks

Wildfire preparedness meeting highlights dire situation in the Valley There was a moment, about an hour and a half into City of Scotts Valley’s wildfire preparedness meeting May 14, when the stark reality of the current home insurance landscape in California came into focus. Vice…
Insurance Companies Sending Drones To Spy On Homeowners, Find Defects And Cancel Policies
Insurance Companies Sending Drones To Spy On Homeowners, Find Defects And Cancel Policies

Homeowners in Massachusetts are facing an unexpected threat to their insurance coverage: drones and aerial imagery. In a trend that is raising alarms, insurance companies are increasingly using these technologies to inspect properties and identify potential issues, leading to a surge in policy cancellations and…
Home-insurance payouts are shrinking. Here’s how to prevent the worst.
Home-insurance payouts are shrinking. Here’s how to prevent the worst.

Thanks to inflation and climate change, homeowners are getting less money back from their insurers to repair and rebuild. With tornado season in full swing — hitting Texas and Iowa hard in the last week — and hurricane and wildfire season looming this summer, insurance…
Can a Home Insurer Drop You Due to Aerial Photos? Brace Yourself for It
Can a Home Insurer Drop You Due to Aerial Photos? Brace Yourself for It

Your insurance company might be spying on you. If so, you could quickly lose homeowners coverage. Is your insurance company spying on you? Insurers are increasingly using technology such as drones, airplanes and even high-altitude balloons to survey homes from coast to coast. If these…