California fires an insurance wake-up call
California fires an insurance wake-up call

Many homeowners in California have discovered that their homes that were destroyed by recent wildfires were underinsured. So who is to blame, the homeowners or insurance agents? When Dave Wilder and his wife, Lynn, surveyed the remains of their house after it burned to the…
Expert Advice On Talking To Insurance Companies
Expert Advice On Talking To Insurance Companies

Dealing with an insurance company is never on anyone’s list of favorite things to do, but you’ll be more successful if you know how to make your case when filing a claim. That includes what not to say to your insurance company. Charles Thomas still…
Tips To Get Your Insurance Claim Approved
Tips To Get Your Insurance Claim Approved

San Francisco, California – Insurance companies are in the business of making money. So consumers need to know these tips to avoid getting the runaround. Charles Thomas still isn’t sure which was worse: The fire that broke out on the deck of his San Francisco…
Underinsured wildfire victims feel burned again
Underinsured wildfire victims feel burned again

Some policyholders believe companies deliberately sold them less coverage than they would need to rebuild. An industry group says the issue is overblown. When Dave Wilder and his wife, Lynn, surveyed the remains of their Running Springs house after it burned to the ground in…
UP wildfire recovery resources featured in The Rotary Club of Montecito
UP wildfire recovery resources featured in The Rotary Club of Montecito

The Tea Fire is out but many of our neighbors are just beginning the process of putting their lives back together from the ashes that remain. Montecito Rotary Club President-elect shared the following information from Karen Reimus, who has experience in the aftermath of fire…
We’re Covered! Fire Insurers Say They Can Handle Claims
We’re Covered! Fire Insurers Say They Can Handle Claims

LOS ANGELES– Experts say insurance companies are sufficiently well capitalized to handle the flood of claims that will arise from the Southland’s latest wildfires, it was reported today. “The majority of those who lost their homes do not need to worry about the solvency of…
Poizner rule changes criticized as a nod to insurance industry
Poizner rule changes criticized as a nod to insurance industry

SACRAMENTO – Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner rode to victory in 2006 partly on the effects of a TV ad ridiculing his opponent, Cruz Bustamante, for taking bagloads of cash from the industry he wanted to regulate. Two years later, Poizner has held firm to his…
Hijacked On Home Insurance? Let Angie’s List Help You Save
Hijacked On Home Insurance? Let Angie’s List Help You Save

When Jen Freeland and her husband bought their house in Chattanooga, Tenn., they purchased a homeowners policy with an annual premium of $680. Two years later, the bill jumped to nearly double that. “We’ve never had a claim on our homeowners insurance and we’d like…
Is Earthquake Insurance Worth the Cost?
Is Earthquake Insurance Worth the Cost?

I am not much of a fan of “could it happen here” stories, but the earthquake in Haiti does remind us that much of the United States, in fact much of the world, lives along fault zones. In the last 110 years, quakes have shaken…
Homeowner’s Insurance: Make Sure You Are Covered
Homeowner’s Insurance: Make Sure You Are Covered

As Tropical Storm Ida works its way north, it’s a good reminder to check your homeowners insurance and make sure you have the proper coverage. After all, you don’t want to end up like Daniel Zwerdling and Barbara Zwerdling-Rothschild. On a stormy night six years…
Rising Home Insurance Rates Spur Some To Shop Around
Rising Home Insurance Rates Spur Some To Shop Around

When Jen Freeland and her husband bought their house in Chattanooga, Tenn., they purchased a homeowners policy with an annual premium of $680. Two years later, the bill jumped to nearly double that. “We’ve never had a claim on our homeowners insurance and we’d like…
Paperwork, Pain, and the Long Road Back: The Ins and Outs of the Post-Wildfire Insurance Tango
Paperwork, Pain, and the Long Road Back: The Ins and Outs of the Post-Wildfire Insurance Tango

By Ethan Stewart December 10, 2009 In the past 13 months, the foothills above Santa Barbara and Montecito have seen two ferocious fires tear through their countryside. Ravaging storied neighborhoods such as Mountain Drive, Coyote Road, and San Roque Canyon, the Tea and Jesusita fires…
Poizner Hails Recovery From Fires, Says Most Claims Are Resolved
Poizner Hails Recovery From Fires, Says Most Claims Are Resolved

ESCONDIDO — Standing in front of an Escondido home that rose from the ashes of the 2007 wildfires, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said yesterday that the pain of post-fire recovery and rebuilding has finally ended for most of the victims. Poizner, who is running…
UP Press Conference Highlights Ongoing Insurance Claim Problems
UP Press Conference Highlights Ongoing Insurance Claim Problems

“TWICE BURNED” WHAT: 2008 Freeway Complex Fire Survivors from Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills hold press conference as they face one-year fire anniversary to discuss insurance obstacles to rebuilding and call for action WHEN: Friday, November 13, 2009 at 10:00 am WHERE: 475 S. Laureltree…
2008 Freeway Express Fire Survivor Community Calls For Action As They Face The One Year Fire Anniversary
2008 Freeway Express Fire Survivor Community Calls For Action As They Face The One Year Fire Anniversary

“TWICE BURNED” Press Conference Speakers: Karen Reimus, ’03 Cedar Fire Survivor and Outreach Coordinator for United Policyholders, a nonprofit organization Patrick Craft, ’08 Freeway Complex Fire Survivor – Anaheim Hills Karla Rinskopf, ’08 Freeway Complex Fire Survivor – Yorba Linda Edward Pajarito, ’08 Freeway Complex…
From Risk to Opportunity: Insurer Responses to Climate Change
From Risk to Opportunity: Insurer Responses to Climate Change
Five Things Never to Say to Your Insurers
Five Things Never to Say to Your Insurers

Some words are red flags to insurers and using them could mean that your claim might be delayed or even denied.By Ismat Sarah Mangla, Money Magazine, November 2, 20091. “I think …”Never begin a statement regarding a claim with these words. If you aren’t sure,…
Worse than Louisiana, Florida’s insurance market dries up
Worse than Louisiana, Florida’s insurance market dries up