Danger signs in the Oakland hills as wildfire risks intensify, homeowners lose insurance
Danger signs in the Oakland hills as wildfire risks intensify, homeowners lose insurance

Three decades after deadly firestorms, overgrowth and dead trees have residents on edge Admiring East Oakland from a lookout point at Joaquin Miller Park, Dale Risden feels right at home, having lived just a block away from an entrance to the park’s 500 acres of…
Is catastrophe modeling the answer to California’s property insurance woes?
Is catastrophe modeling the answer to California’s property insurance woes?

Balancing a ‘chilling effect’ for modelers with consumer transparency The use of catastrophe modeling to influence insurance rates in California has been mooted as one part of a potential fix for the state’s property insurance crisis, but private-led use remains a controversial option with consumer…
How to find home insurance in the Santa Cruz Mountains
How to find home insurance in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Wildfires and floods in the Santa Cruz Mountains have not only upended the lives of thousands of residents in recent years, but they have also contributed to higher prices for homeowners insurance and caused some insurance providers to not renew coverage. Advocates this month offered…
Press Release: Rural Representatives and Consumer Group partner to address California’s regional home insurance crisis
Press Release: Rural Representatives and Consumer Group partner to address California’s regional home insurance crisis

        Rural Representatives and Consumer Group partner to address California’s regional home insurance crisis For Immediate Release: July 26th, 2023 Contact: Amy Bach, Executive Director, media@uphelp.org SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 2023 – To assist the thousands of California residents in rural and…
What If Your Home Insurer Bails on Your State?
What If Your Home Insurer Bails on Your State?

“I’ve gone through some stressful things in my life, and this is right up there,” one homeowner said If you own a home in California or Florida — or are planning to sometime soon — you may be feeling increasingly worried about something that’s supposed…
What homeowners can expect after Rolling Hills Estates landslide
What homeowners can expect after Rolling Hills Estates landslide

“Inside the Issues” host Alex Cohen speaks with Amy Bach, executive director at United Policyholders, about what homeowners can expect after Rolling Hills Estates landslide. Hector De La Torre of the California Air Resources Board talks about the environmental concerns behind hexavalent chromium. And later,…
How climate change could cause a home insurance meltdown
How climate change could cause a home insurance meltdown

Big wildfires had started burning more often in California, creeping closer to Beth Pratt’s home near Yosemite National Park. So Pratt did what homeowners in fire-prone areas are supposed to do: She added a metal roof, traded wood decking for laminate, installed a water tank…
Zoom-based meeting available for hurricane survivors on insurance issues
Zoom-based meeting available for hurricane survivors on insurance issues

United Policyholders, a non-profit organization that helps disaster victims navigate fair and full insurance claim settlements, is holding an online “Survivor to Survivor” meeting on Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. The meeting is only for people who’ve been impacted by Hurricanes Ian or Nicole. Insurance…
Florida’s Insurance Market Is a Hot Mess. Homeowners Are Paying the Price.
Florida’s Insurance Market Is a Hot Mess. Homeowners Are Paying the Price.

When it was time for Florida retiree Sue Maher to renew her homeowners insurance this year, she experienced sticker shock. Her insurance carrier informed her in March that it was increasing her annual premium, already at $3,800, by $2,000. “I kind of freaked out when…
Hurricane Ian results in nearly 8k property insurance complaints to the state
Hurricane Ian results in nearly 8k property insurance complaints to the state

WHAT IS THE PRICE OF PARADISE? As Tampa Bay continues to attract new residents and businesses, the impact of living in paradise comes at a cost for all of us— from the increasing cost of housing and infrastructure to utilities and insurance. ABC Action News…
Insurance company declines to renew homeowners coverage due to Menlo Park house’s age
Insurance company declines to renew homeowners coverage due to Menlo Park house’s age

For years now, California residents have been losing their insurance because of fire risk, but new reasons are starting to emerge as the market has been shaken by several major providers limiting business in the state. Recently, KPIX met with a collection of neighbors in…
Insurance company drops customer saying a ‘drone’ took photos of clutter in yard
Insurance company drops customer saying a ‘drone’ took photos of clutter in yard

Just as wildfire season gets underway, homeowners insurance is becoming more and more scarce. Some companies aren’t writing any new policies, while others are dropping longtime customers. Among them is an East Bay man who was told he lost his insurance — based on photos…
It’s a make-or-break moment for California’s insurance commissioner
It’s a make-or-break moment for California’s insurance commissioner

California has the strongest insurance protections for consumers in the country. It’s time — with top insurers refusing to write new policies in the state — for Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to flex them to tell Big Insurance to back off, advocates say. Allstate Insurance…
Home damaged by this week’s storms? How to file a claim
Home damaged by this week’s storms? How to file a claim

Amy Bach, the founder of United Policyholders, joins Lisa Dent to explain the steps you need to go through if your house was damaged by the severe weather that covered parts of the Chicagoland area this week. Listen to the audio.
House damaged by Chicago storms? Here’s how to get help and file a claim
House damaged by Chicago storms? Here’s how to get help and file a claim

The stress of a storm soon gives way to the stress of repairs. Here’s where experts say you should start. A roaring storm, a tearing roof — and soon, a ticking clock. Homeowners don’t have much time between the immediate stress of a severe weather…
Texas insurance rates on the rise as companies can increase prices immediately
Texas insurance rates on the rise as companies can increase prices immediately

Carl N. Scott of Coppell put a question to The Watchdog: “Has anyone told you how Texas insurance rates have soared?” He told me his homeowner’s policy with Nationwide jumped 64% in one year. Wow! That’s crazy. Steve Brown, The Dallas Morning News real estate editor, followed…
Fire victim shares lessons learned as we head into the heart of wildfire season
Fire victim shares lessons learned as we head into the heart of wildfire season

Cedar Fire victim has a list of simple things you can do now to help make sure you’re prepared to quickly evacuate and rebuild if your home is damaged. Firefighters across the county are bracing for the potential of a brutal fire season, but are…
Will the loss of insurance carriers lead to a coverage crisis in California?
Will the loss of insurance carriers lead to a coverage crisis in California?

Californians now have even fewer insurance carriers to choose from, following a recent announcement from Farmers Insurance. The company stated it saw a spike in applications for homeowners insurance and as a result will be limiting the number of new homeowners policies in the state,…