Allstate to get big test in Oklahoma
Allstate to get big test in Oklahoma

In tornado-ravaged Oklahoma, Allstate Corp. is about to get a first true test of how consumers respond to its new, less generous approach to insuring homes. About 18 months ago, Oklahoma became the first state in the country to get Allstate’s new House and Home…
Tornado May Cost Property-Casualty Insurers a Couple of Billion
Tornado May Cost Property-Casualty Insurers a Couple of Billion

Property-casualty insurance companies are expected to face at least a couple billion dollars of insured losses from the tornado near Moore, Okla., according to rough calculations by Wall Street analysts. Some consumer activists are already expressing concern about homeowners falling short of the needed money…
United Policyholders to Hold Post Waldo Canyon Fire Insurance Meeting
United Policyholders to Hold Post Waldo Canyon Fire Insurance Meeting

El Paso County will host United Policyholders as it presents a “A Roadmap to Recovery: Workshop for Waldo Canyon Fire Survivors. The meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, at Centennial Hall Auditorium, 200 S. Cascade. Topics of the workshop include…
5 problems that could be hiding in your home insurance policy
5 problems that could be hiding in your home insurance policy

It’s important to read the fine print of any contract, but consumers who buyhomeowner’s insurance especially should be vigilant. According to consumer-protection groups United Policyholders and the Consumer Federation of America, homeowner’s policies are becoming more difficult to understand. This is partly because carriers are…
Flood insurance lawsuit aimed at ‘basement’ definition
Flood insurance lawsuit aimed at ‘basement’ definition

A federal lawsuit accusing insurance companies of unfairly denying flood claims could have broad ramifications for Long Islanders who were denied coverage because their first floors were classified as basements. The class-action suit, filed in Newark, says insurers are wrongly refusing to pay for flood-damaged…
Does Minnesota Have a Match Law?
Does Minnesota Have a Match Law?

We are constantly asked by our homeowner’s insurance paid renovation contractors whether Minnesota has a “match law” that requires an insurer to pay for a complete re-roof or re-siding of a customer’s improvement when a replacement match cannot be found. The short answer to the…
Sandy-struck homeowners face delay in cashing insurance checks
Sandy-struck homeowners face delay in cashing insurance checks

Homeowners across Long Island are struggling with the cost of rebuilding from superstorm Sandy as they wait for banks and mortgage companies to release their insurance settlements more than two months after the storm. Insurers began cutting checks weeks ago, but most people can’t simply…
Covered by homeowners insurance? Don’t be so sure
Covered by homeowners insurance? Don’t be so sure

Bought or renewed a homeowners insurance policy lately? You’ve no doubt noticed that premiums have gotten pretty pricey. Rates have climbed 69% over the past decade to an average of $1,000 a year. What you may not realize is that you could be facing another…
Financial literacy should include insurance considerations
Financial literacy should include insurance considerations

People who are inspired to learn more about their finances during Financial Literacy Month shouldn’t overlook the effect that insurance can have on their bank accounts. Each April, financial education advocates urge consumers to take time to study money issues. An important part of achieving…
Fire report’s release stirs residents’ emotions, memories
Fire report’s release stirs residents’ emotions, memories

Residents of northwest Colorado Springs had a mix of reactions last week to the city’s review of the fire, often focusing on issues and emotions that continue to sometimes overwhelm them. Their memories of the June fire are vivid: many choke with gratitude when they…
You’re charging me for what?! Insurers find new ways to set car insurance rates
You’re charging me for what?! Insurers find new ways to set car insurance rates

Insurance companies are getting creative when it comes to determining how much you should pay for car insurance. In addition to using traditional factors, such as your driving record and how many miles you drive each year, some insurers now look at such things as…
Courts toss homeowners’ insurance regulation
Courts toss homeowners’ insurance regulation

A judge has thrown out a state regulation that insurers said allows the insurance commissioner to decide on his own what constitutes an unfair business practice — a designation that can carry severe penalties for companies and their agents. Insurers said the court’s decision was…
Healthy Choices
Healthy Choices

The Health Insurance Marketplace that will kick in soon will give you new options. They will depend on what your current coverage, employment status and medical needs are, and whether your state is participating in the federal law that set up the new marketplace. Here’s…
Bucks for the bang
Bucks for the bang

It is much easier to save money on your car insurance than your home insurance. Insurers compete hard for auto customers. That’s because it’s easier for them to make a profit and the risks are much more predictable. So if you have a decent driving…
Should states ban credit-based insurance scoring?
Should states ban credit-based insurance scoring?

Drivers in Texas who have bruised credit soon could have one less thing to worry about when buying insurance. A bill pending in the state Senate would prevent insurance companies in Texas from using credit-based insurance scores to determine how much to charge policyholders for…
High Park Fire Insurance Payouts a Slap in the Face
High Park Fire Insurance Payouts a Slap in the Face

Wildfire victims say insufficient policies and unrealistic deadlines are impeding rebuilding efforts.Homeowner insurance protection: What would it do?• Expand the time allowed to submit an inventory of destroyed property to an insurer.• Require insurers to award claims for a percentage of destroyed property without submissoin…
Progress on N.J. Sandy insurance claims concealed
Progress on N.J. Sandy insurance claims concealed

Thursday, March 21, 2013 BY RICHARD NEWMANSTAFF WRITERThe Record Since superstorm Sandy struck the Northeast last October, New York residents have been able to track the performance of insurance companies in response to the disaster by logging on to a state government website.Connecticut’s insurance regulator…
Why women should consider buying long-term care insurance now
Why women should consider buying long-term care insurance now

Long Term care insurance can offer protection against the sky-high costs of day-to-day care in your golden years. But if you’re a woman who’s weighing whether to buy long-term care insurance for the first time, get ready for a case of sticker shock. Women soon…