August 19, 2018 Lawmakers snuffing out aid to homeowners in wildfire country Jen Burt lives with her husband and two kids in the woods not far from Grass Valley, in a four-bedroom foothill house in a stand of black oak and cedar trees. Tucked away on a private road, the five-acre spread is a hallmark California dream…
August 16, 2018 As California Wildfires Rage, Insurance Policies Disappear Up to 1,000 homes are still at risk of being destroyed by the Mendocino Complex fire, which started in late July and has become the largest fire in California history. Now, experts warn that the increase in destructive wildfires may make it more difficult for…
August 15, 2018 As Fire Seasons Intensify, California Homeowners Struggle to Stay Insured A changing climate, increasingly destructive fires, and disappearing insurance policies have left homeowners wondering how much risk is too much. Sarah Fugate had already prepared a checklist for a moment like this one. Some of the items she grabbed were practical: a box of legal…
August 11, 2018 Wildfire victims among those stung by Trump’s trade war SANTA ROSA, Calif. AP) – Add this to the challenges facing California wildfire victims: Tariffs. The import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump are adding thousands of dollars to the cost of building homes. That especially squeezes homeowners who seek to rebuild quickly after losing…
August 8, 2018 A year of highs and lows for Coffey Park couple who lost home in wildfire Heather and Alex Apons are making their way back to Coffey Park, but the journey has been a roller coaster. The couple lost their Banyon Place home to October’s Tubbs wildfire. In March, they celebrated the birth of their first child, Etienne. In the days…
August 7, 2018 Most home insurance policies don’t cover flood losses Within official flood hazard zones, flood insurance is mandatory in order to get a federally insured mortgage. But even when homeowners don’t live in a high-risk zone, they should consider getting flood insurance, experts say. That’s because standard policies don’t cover flood losses. That said,…
July 30, 2018 With wildfires raging in California, do you have enough fire insurance? With the devastating wildfires going on right now in Northern California, like the Carr Fire, the Mendocino Complex Fire, the Ferguson Fire, and the Steele Fire, do you have adequate fire insurance? And how can we forget the horrific North Bay Wildfires from October 2017?…
July 28, 2018 Rebuilding Workshop & Resource Fair in Oakmont On Saturday, July 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin is hosting a Housing and Rebuilding Fair at Oakmont’s Berger Center. This event is cosponsored by the County of Sonoma and the City of Santa Rosa. This event is intended for…
July 23, 2018 Rebuilding workshop and resource fair in Oakmont, July 28 Survivors of the October fires, or anyone interested in the resources necessary for rebuilding and recovery in its wake, are invited to attend a workshop and resource fair on Saturday, July 28, in Oakmont. Supervisor Susan Gorin will host the event, co-sponsored by the County…
July 19, 2018 Interview: Roadway to Recovery Workshop Tonight in Santa Rosa Executive Director of United Policyholders, Amy Bach, shares her view of how the community is doing presently as we continue to navigate the post-October wildfire era, how proactive our community has been when it comes to home insurance coverage that they paid for, suggestions on…
July 18, 2018 As Hurricane Season Arrives, U.S. Homeowners Haven’t Fixed Their Big Underinsurance Problem Many homeowners lack flood insurance or have insufficient policy limits for repairs or rebuilding following a natural catastrophe Many U.S. homeowners are inadequately insured for natural-catastrophe damage ahead of the height of the Atlantic hurricane season. Three major landfalling hurricanes in 2017—Harvey, Irma and Maria—revealed…
July 17, 2018 Do you have enough homeowner insurance? Here’s how to find out Three of every five homes in America are underinsured by an average of 20 percent less than full value, according to analytics firm CoreLogic. Is yours one of them? Could you easily put your hands on $50,000 to help rebuild a house with a $250,000…
July 11, 2018 Foundation announces $470,000 in grants to nonprofits supporting those impacted by fires This week, Community Foundation Sonoma County CFSC) announced grants to help people impacted by the fires who are struggling with insurance claims, legal issues and securing the resources they need to recover. These grants are funded through Community Foundation’s Sonoma County Resilience Fund, which was…
July 9, 2018 Impact of Court Ruling Chubb Unit’s Crime Policy Covers ‘Spoofed’ Wire Transfer In a closely-watched case on insurance coverage in an age of expanding cyber risk, a federal appeals court in New York has upheld a lower court ruling that a commercial crime insurance policy covers wire transfer losses resulting from a spoofing attack. The ruling is…
July 5, 2018 Sonoma County foundation gives $500,000 more for wildfire-recovery help with insurance, law A Sonoma County nonprofit has announced nearly $500,000 in grants to two area organizations specifically to help victims of the October wildfires deal with the legal and insurance issues related to recovery. Community Foundation Sonoma County said the funding comes through its Sonoma County Resilience…
June 28, 2018 Insurance Tips Post-1/9 Debris Flow Montecito Residents Gather for Practical Advice Sixty Montecito property owners who suffered losses during the Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow got practical advice from United Policyholders, a San Francisco–based nonprofit firm whose motto is “Empowering the Insured.” “You’re not the first community to have to go through something like this,”…
June 26, 2018 Insurance workshop aims to help those affected by recent disasters. MONTECITO, Calif. – A non-profit organization is helping those who are affected by the Montecito mudflow and Thomas fire as they deal with a huge part of recovery. United Policy Holders hosted a workshop Tuesday night at the Montecito Union School. Its goal is to…
