August 30, 2017 Forbes Op-Ed: Insurance Isn’t Going to Help Harvey Victims Once again, a storm has devastated a region and broken records. Hurricane Harvey dropped so much rain on Texas, the National Weather Service had to add new colors to its map graphics. Where will the money come from to repair the damage? We know it…
August 29, 2017 5 big home insurance mistakes that could cost you thousands Seeing Hurricane Harvey’s devastation in Texas has left some people wondering if they have adequate home insurance. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, the answer is no, and that can end up costing thousands of out-of-pocket dollars if disaster strikes. Mistake No. 1: Considering only…
August 25, 2017 Be Prepared to Push Insurance Companies for Fair Treatment After Hurricane Harvey, UP Advises United Policyholders Offers Texans Free Home Inventory App, Provides Guidance to Residents for Before and After the Storm As Gulf Coast communities brace for Hurricane Harvey, the national insurance consumer non-profit United Policyholders UP) has a special message for Texans: “Be prepared to push for…
August 18, 2017 Sen. Menendez, Rep. Pallone Visit Union Beach to Push Sweeping Flood Insurance Reforms to Fix Problems Exposed by Sandy U.S. Senator Bob Menendez D-N.J.), chair of the Sandy Task Force and a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee that oversees the National Flood Insurance Program NFIP), and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. N.J.-06), traveled today to Union Beach–a community on Raritan Bay devastated by…
August 10, 2017 Insurers must pay even if home damage exceeds property value Insured homeowners in California whose homes have been badly damaged, but not destroyed, are entitled to coverage for the cost of repairing them, even if that cost far exceeds the property’s market value, under a ruling that has now become final. The state Supreme Court…
August 10, 2017 State Supreme Court affirms homeowner reimbursement protections supported by Commissioner Jones The State Supreme Court Wednesday ended a long legal battle between a Richmond homeowner and her homeowner insurance company when the court refused to consider the insurance industry’s petition to overturn a lower court’s precedent setting decision that insurers must pay to repair a home…
August 8, 2017 Wells Fargo Has Yet Another Scandal Brewing, This Time Over Car Loans Wells Fargo is in the hot seat again. The jumbo bank, which is still recovering from a massive fake account scandal that broke less than a year ago, is now under fire for its auto loan practices. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco has…
July 5, 2017 Louisiana Supreme Court gives ‘duty to defend’ new meaning for insurance lawyers For decades, Louisiana law maintained that—under standard language found in most commercial general liability policies—insurers who had a duty to defend their policyholders must defend the entire lawsuit, including in long-latency cases. In other words, your defense attorney was on the case—at the insurance company’s…
July 4, 2017 If you’re on a spouse’s health plan, what happens if the worst should happen? My wife and I were chatting the other night about Republican efforts to reboot the U.S. healthcare system as a horror movie — stripping health coverage from more than 20 million Americans, boosting premiums for many and gutting Medicaid. She finally brought the conversation home…
June 29, 2017 11th Circ. Set To Weigh Insurance Bad Faith Standard The Eleventh Circuit will hear arguments Thursday on whether Nationwide’s mere negligence in failing to settle claims against a policyholder is sufficient to hold the insurer liable for a judgment exceeding policy limits, in a case that could have a widespread impact on insurance bad…
June 22, 2017 Insurance companies dropping homeowners in Nevada County Ted Peach, a Nevada County resident who lives on Banner Mountain, said the rate for his home insurance policy recently went up from $1,200 to $3,800. “The house has cementboard siding, metal roof, ironwood deck and has very good vegetation clearance,” he said. “Our rates…
June 19, 2017 Your CLUE report could save you money on auto and home owners insurance If your car is in an accident, or your house is damaged in a storm, the insurance claims you file will wind up in your CLUE report. The trouble is most people have never heard of a CLUE report, even though the data in it…
June 13, 2017 A Bipartisan Plan for Flood Insurance Six U.S. senators agree to fix the troubled federal program. Powerful floods devastate communities across America every year. After these catastrophic natural disasters, too many Americans find themselves facing a man-made calamity: a National Flood Insurance Program that overcharges and underdelivers for policyholders and for…
June 12, 2017 Will private insurers rescue leaking flood insurance program – or drown it? Privatizing federal programs is a mantra of President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress. The National Flood Insurance Program NFIP) — up for renewal at the end of September — is a perfect target. Already in debt to the tune of $25 billion, plagued by scandals,…
June 9, 2017 Meet Your New Claims Inspector: A Drone After an April windstorm tore roof shingles off his house, Nick Ragone of Rochester, New York, figured it would be a routine claim process. But then his insurance company asked if it could use a new tool to inspect the damage. Instead of a ladder,…
June 4, 2017 The Ultimate Guide to Home Insurance for Dog Owners Shopping for home insurance can be a challenge if you have a dog–especially if its breed is seen as dangerous. This guide will help you get a policy and affordable rate) regardless. Sixty-five percent of US households have a pet, according to the 2015-2016 National…
June 1, 2017 Court rejects FAIR Plan’s policy of reduced insurance payments for homeowners in lower income neighborhoods FAIR Plan said the cost of repairing the lower income fire-damaged home wasn’t required, even though similar loss in a wealthy neighborhood would be covered. On Friday, May 26, homeowner Marlene Garnes won a legal victory against California FAIR Plan Association FAIR) when the California…
June 1, 2017 Don’t Be Blown Away By Your Hurricane Deductible Hurricane season is fast approaching, but don’t be too focused on the official June 1 start date. This year, late April saw Arlene, the first named tropical storm of the season. Coastal storms are always unpredictable so it’s smart to get your homeowners insurance in…
