April 17, 2020 INTERVIEW: Amy Bach On Insurance Rebates Daniel Trucios talks to Amy Bach, Executive Director of United Policyholders, about insurance rebates, effectiveness, future charges, good publicity and business interruption insurance.
April 14, 2020 NJ residents face insurance challenges beyond grace periods during pandemic Among the many impacts of the coronavirus are those on insurance. Gov. Phil Murphy last week mandated a 90-day grace period for auto, homeowner’s and renter’s insurance payments and a 60-day grace period for health insurance payments. Murphy’s reprieve, however, doesn’t aid the uninsured and…
April 7, 2020 Why isn’t car insurance cheaper as we all stay home? Chris Norlin, like so many others, is hardly ever behind the wheel these days as he follows guidelines to stay at home and play hide-and-seek with the coronavirus. Which naturally leads him to wonder: Why is he still paying so much for car insurance? His…
April 3, 2020 Sonoma County businesses with pandemic-related losses hit wall with commercial insurers In the aftermath of the power shut-offs during the October 2019 wildfire, Berlin Fisher realized he needed to get business interruption insurance coverage for his West County Style Bar in Guerneville because another disaster could put his hair salon on precarious financial footing. Fisher had…
March 30, 2020 Business interruption insurance falls short in a pandemic When Salvatore Ferro saw his Commack-based home remodeling business plummet by more than half due to the coronavirus pandemic, he contacted his insurance broker to find out how to make a claim on his business interruption insurance. He was shocked to learn the policy –…
March 9, 2020 California lawmakers propose wildfire insurance bill to protect homeowners EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — A bill introduced into the California Legislature on Tuesday would add protections to some homeowners at risk of nonrenewals. The “Renew California Bill” would require insurance companies to write or renew policies for existing homes in communities that meet state…
February 28, 2020 Next battle in California with insurers is over home policyholder discounts for cutting fire risks Will Abrams and his family barely escaped from their house in the Riebli-Wallace neighborhood of Santa Rosa as the flames from the 2017 Tubbs fire bore down on their residence. “I had my two) kids under my arms running to our cars and we barely…
February 21, 2020 California Insurance Commissioner Says Renew California Bill Would Create an Insurance Guarantee to Harden Homes Against Wildfire Requiring insurance companies to write and renew homeowner insurance policies for hardened homes and communities that meet statewide standard. February 19, 2020 – SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Yesterday, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez D-San Diego), Assemblywoman Monique Limón D-Santa Barbara), Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, and United Policyholders introduced…
February 21, 2020 Legislation Designed To Forge Community, Insurance Partnership Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez D-San Diego), Assemblywoman Monique Limón D-Santa Barbara), Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, and United Policyholders on Tuesday introduced legislation to give insurance companies a greater role in protecting communities from devastating wildfires. Renew California AB 2367) would require insurance companies to write or…
February 21, 2020 What’s a wildfire score? Do you know yours? SAN FRANCISCO KGO) — Recent firestorms have increased the profile of wildfire modeling companies, firms that rate homes by their likelihood to burn. Most California homes have a wildfire score, but about the only homeowners who know they have one are those who have been…
February 20, 2020 Renew California’ bill seeks to ease wildfire-fueled homeowners insurance crisis Insurance companies have been dropping coverage for homeowners living in fire-prone areas, leaving them unprotected at best and unable to keep their homes at worst. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A wildfire-related crisis facing counties all over the state could have one solution in sight. As the…
February 20, 2020 Most California insurers don’t incentivize fire prevention. A bill would change that A group of state lawmakers, regulators and consumer advocates hope the insurance industry can encourage homeowners and communities to harden their homes and neighborhoods against wildfires. That’s the intent behind a newly introduced bill that would set statewide standards for fire-hardened homes and communities. It…
February 11, 2020 Shannen Doherty reveals terminal cancer amid wildfire insurance battle The actor Shannen Doherty has revealed her battle with terminal breast cancer in an interview about her ongoing fight with State Farm, California’s largest home insurer, to receive compensation for her wildfire-damaged home. Doherty’s Malibu home was damaged by smoke from the Woolsey fire in…
February 7, 2020 Newborn Charged $10,000 For Hospital Room And Board SACRAMENTO CBS13) — Little Lainey Walls came into the world with a big surprise — a $10,000 bill. Even though her mom had insurance, the newborn was charged room and board for her first two days of life. “It’s frustrating and I feel like it’s…
February 6, 2020 The cost of fire insurance across California is rising at a frightening pace if you can get it at all Homeowners are finding their insurance premiums outpacing their incomes, if they can find insurance at all. Who is responsible for the crisis? AUBURN, Calif. — A crisis has been building in the foothills of the Sierra and other fire-prone communities in California. It’s related to…
February 3, 2020 How to Save Money on Homeowners Insurance The average premium for the most common type of homeowners insurance was $1,211 in 2017, the most recent year for which data was available, according to a report issued last year by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. That figure was up slightly from $1,192…
February 3, 2020 NAIC Names 2020 Consumer Liaison Representatives The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently named 32 consumer liaison representatives for 2020. The 20 funded and 12 unfunded consumer representatives began their terms Jan. 1. Fifteen of the funded consumer representatives participated in the program in 2019. They receive funds from the NAIC,…
January 16, 2020 Camp Fire recovery rebuilding with bigger homes in Paradise PARADISE — Paradise homes are getting bigger during the rebuild. Around 60 percent of the homes under construction in the town are larger in square footage than the home they are replacing, according to permit and property data collected by the Chico Enterprise-Record and Chico…