Home replacement costs at center of California insurance dispute
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…
Insurance Commissioner Jones Announces New Regulations to Protect Homeowners From Being Underinsured
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…
Want to sue your insurance company? Here’s what will happen
Want to sue your insurance company? Here’s what will happen

If you’re angry enough to consider filing a lawsuit against your insurance company, make sure you do so only as a last resort, after all negotiations have failed. If there is an acceptable alternative, a courtroom is the last place you want to be. Peter…
California Trade Groups File Suit to Stop ‘Replacement’ Regulation
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…
Vanishing Act: Your Home Insurance Coverage is Disappearing
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…
Catastrophe reveals insurance woes for homeowners
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…
Overwhelmed and Underinsured
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…
5 lies home insurance agents tell
5 lies home insurance agents tell

Sometimes insurance agents tell you what they think you want to hear in order to sell a home insurance policy and secure a commission. When misfortunes occur, homeowners who count on insurance to carry them through tough times sometimes get an unpleasant surprise: They don’t…
At Workshop, Residents Learn How to Go Green When Rebuilding Homes
At Workshop, Residents Learn How to Go Green When Rebuilding Homes

Nonprofit United Policyholders offered presentations to residents interested in rebuilding their homes green after the Sept. 9 pipeline explosion and showed that there is help available. Jerry Guernsey was always talking about making his house more green. In fact, he has considered himself green for…
Missouri Storm Victims Battle for Insurance Payouts
Missouri Storm Victims Battle for Insurance Payouts

ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com)— Not quite two months after the good Friday tornado in St. Louis county, property owners report a wide variation in progress toward reconstruction. Some repair jobs are underway but dozens of property owners are still battling over insurance payouts. These three…
No dental insurance? Here are 3 options
No dental insurance? Here are 3 options

Can’t get dental insurance coverage through your employer? If not, you may be tempted to skip dental cleanings and other treatments. But good basic care lowers your risk of suffering a major, expensive problem in the future. There are three ways to approach dental care…
Wallow Fire: Property owners facing insurance issues
Wallow Fire: Property owners facing insurance issues

While consuming hundreds of thousands of acres of forest lands and meadows, the Wallow Fire has destroyed more than 50 structures in its path, with more than 5,000 still in danger. Whether the owners of destroyed or damaged buildings will be able to rebuild and…
Umbrella Insurance?
Umbrella Insurance?

Q: What is an umbrella insurance policy, and under what circumstances should I have one? — Matthew M., Smithfield, N.Y. A: An umbrella policy is extra liability insurance that protects you if you are sued. Homeowners and auto policies offer personal liability coverage, but most…
Activist Seeks Insurance Complaints
Activist Seeks Insurance Complaints
New Orleans area deserves better insurance options, prices as hurricane season begins, officials say
New Orleans area deserves better insurance options, prices as hurricane season begins, officials say

Clad in hard hats and sturdy shoes, about 20 insurance executives from around the country tromped through the new state-of-the art concrete flood defenses fortifying the New Orleans area to decide for themselves whether the region is safer — and more insurable — than it…
Fourmile Canyon rebuilding slowed by claims disputes
Fourmile Canyon rebuilding slowed by claims disputes

Nearly nine months since a wildfire ripped through Fourmile Canyon, frames for new homes are beginning to dot the once ash-covered foothills west of Boulder. But for many victims, the rebuilding process is moving excruciatingly slowly, as they continue to grapple with insurance companies over…
inCREDITable
inCREDITable

It may surprise you to learn that your credit rating is probably impacting the amount you’re paying for insurance more than your driving record or the condition of your home. This is called “credit-based insurance scoring.” The worse your score, the higher your premium. There…
Under My Umbrella
Under My Umbrella

No one wants to pay for insurance they don’t need. Most people go a lifetime without being sued, so the idea of buying more than basic insurance against lawsuits (“Liability Insurance”) may seem unnecessary. But the legal expenses you’ll incur if you ever are sued…