Gulf Coast Insurance UPrising
Gulf Coast Insurance UPrising

Vacant homes, “For Sale” signs, public protests, and media coverage over the past ten years are the visible signs that home and business owners in Eastern and Southern coastal areas are really struggling to pay their rising insurance premiums.  The cost of home insurance in…
El Niño El Uh Oh
El Niño El Uh Oh

East Coasters and Mexican citizens breathed sighs of relief at Joaquin and Patricia’s relatively moderate impact, but West Coast residents continue to brace for predicted heavy El Niño rains this winter. Recent mudflows stranded hundreds of cars in the Los Angeles area. Buy sandbags and…
Host of factors contributed to Hurricane Sandy claims fallout
Host of factors contributed to Hurricane Sandy claims fallout

The lawsuit and judge’s remarks made the headlines, but a deeper investigation into the issues involved in many Hurricane Sandy claims finds that while there may have been underpaid claims, a host of factors contributed to the underpayments. “Many homes were damaged by Sandy and…
What’s the point? A “use it and lose it” UPdate
What’s the point? A “use it and lose it” UPdate

Most people pay their home, business, and renters insurance premiums for years and years without ever having a loss or using the policy they’re paying for.  Yet even people who’ve had a long claim-free record are finding that after they do suffer a loss and…
Insurance expert offers tips to Butte Fire survivors
Insurance expert offers tips to Butte Fire survivors

Property owners should keep daily journals Property owners who lost homes in the Butte Fire should keep their own records and not rely solely on insurance company claim adjustors to determine the value of their losses, an expert on the industry said Wednesday in Mountain…
Butte Fire Workshop: October 14th at 6pm
Butte Fire Workshop: October 14th at 6pm

UP is hosting a Roadmap to Recovery workshop for Butte Fire survivors Wednesday, October 14th at 6pm at Mountain Ranch Town Hall. This workshop is an insurance recovery orientation and will provide information on navigating the insurance claim process. There will be a Q&A session after the workshop if…
Valley Fire Workshop: October 8th at 6pm
Valley Fire Workshop: October 8th at 6pm

UP is hosting a Roadmap to Recovery workshop for Valley Fire survivors this Thursday at 6pm at Middletown High School. This workshop is an insurance recovery orientation and will provide information on navigating the insurance claim process. There will be a Q&A session after the workshop if you have…
With Flood Insurance Rare, Homeowners Have Little Recourse
With Flood Insurance Rare, Homeowners Have Little Recourse

New York Times – Many people in areas deluged by rains and flooding tides fed by Hurricane Joaquin are likely to be surprised to find that standard homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover damage from floodwater. Property owners seeking that kind of protection need to…
Wildfires may spark higher premiums, non-renewals for homeowners
Wildfires may spark higher premiums, non-renewals for homeowners

San Francisco Chronicle – Some Californians could pay more for homeowners insurance or have their policies not renewed as a result of wildfires that swept the state this summer, state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said last week. “I would anticipate that we will see an…
A pictorial journey of recovery
A pictorial journey of recovery

Follow UP Outreach Coordinator Karen Reimus’ pictorial journey of recovery from the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego, California.
How Hurricane Sandy created ‘the perfect storm’
How Hurricane Sandy created ‘the perfect storm’

Three years after Hurricane Sandy swept up the East Coast, homeowners are still working to collect money for the damage they sustained. It has been a long and frustrating fight for many. Media reports highlighted their efforts and some accused insurers and engineers of colluding…
South county community members hear about Valley fire recovery process at Thursday meeting
South county community members hear about Valley fire recovery process at Thursday meeting

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Hundreds of south county community members came out to Middletown High School on Thursday evening to learn about services and assistance available to help them through the process of recovering from the Valley fire. The fire, which began Sept. 12, is the…
Lake County Office of Emergency Services to host Valley fire community meeting Sept. 24
Lake County Office of Emergency Services to host Valley fire community meeting Sept. 24

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Lake County Office of Emergency Services OES) is hosting a community meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m. at the Middletown High School football field. Residents, homeowners and contractors are invited to attend the community meeting. Federal, state…
Paying more than just attention
Paying more than just attention

Our recent conversations with wildfire evacuees and people who’ve just lost everything inspired us to restate: Recovering from a loss without (any or enough) insurance is a very bleak prospect. If a disaster is officially declared federal, the average FEMA grant to an individual is…
Why Did My Car Insurance Rates Go Up?
Why Did My Car Insurance Rates Go Up?

It’s that time of year again. Your car insurance policy is up for renewal and your fingers are crossed in hopes of a reduction. Even though you have been a safe driver, your insurance company raises your rates. “Why are my rates going up?” The…
Insuring your car for storm damage
Insuring your car for storm damage

Category 5 coverage: Is your policy hurricane-proof? No one expects to have their car float away in 12 feet of floodwater and end up perched atop a tree, or pinned under a house. But there were a lot of those kinds of insurance claims filed…
California reforms should ease fire victims’ insurance claims
California reforms should ease fire victims’ insurance claims

The hundreds of people whose homes were lost or damaged in devastating wildfires now ravaging California should have an easier time dealing with insurers, thanks to the Oakland hills fire of 24 years ago. Survivors of that fire and subsequent ones in Los Angeles and…
7 ON YOUR SIDE: WHAT FIRE VICTIMS SHOULD DO IF THEY HAVE INSURANCE
7 ON YOUR SIDE: WHAT FIRE VICTIMS SHOULD DO IF THEY HAVE INSURANCE

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. KGO) — ABC7 News crews went to the Valley Fire evacuation center in Calistoga to offer assistance and 7 On Your Side’s Michael Finney was there to talk to insurance and business experts on how to get the help they need and…