2 Problems = Zero Money: The Anti-Concurrent Causation Clause
2 Problems = Zero Money: The Anti-Concurrent Causation Clause

When disaster strikes it seems to happen all at once. Electric lines spark, windows shatter, roofs tear off, sump pumps stop and the lights go out. Homeowners see it this way. Insurance companies — and often the courts — see it differently. Major disasters such…
Coastal homeowners stagger under insurance costs
Coastal homeowners stagger under insurance costs

GULF SHORES, Ala. — When Stan Virden moved into his 2,400-square-foot house overlooking a rock-lined canal in 1996, he paid less than $1,000 a year for homeowners insurance. Now, as he seeks to move to Atlanta to be near family, Virden says potential buyers for…
Tornado May Cost Property-Casualty Insurers a Couple of Billion
Tornado May Cost Property-Casualty Insurers a Couple of Billion

Property-casualty insurance companies are expected to face at least a couple billion dollars of insured losses from the tornado near Moore, Okla., according to rough calculations by Wall Street analysts. Some consumer activists are already expressing concern about homeowners falling short of the needed money…
United Policyholders to Hold Post Waldo Canyon Fire Insurance Meeting
United Policyholders to Hold Post Waldo Canyon Fire Insurance Meeting

El Paso County will host United Policyholders as it presents a “A Roadmap to Recovery: Workshop for Waldo Canyon Fire Survivors. The meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, at Centennial Hall Auditorium, 200 S. Cascade. Topics of the workshop include…
Declarations: The Coverage Opinions Interview With Amy Bach, Executive Director of United Policyholders
Declarations: The Coverage Opinions Interview With Amy Bach, Executive Director of United Policyholders

You can’t read coverage decisions, especially from supreme courts, without frequently seeing United Policyholders as an amicus party. So I’ve always been under the impression that the organization was one that filed amicus briefs in support of the interests of commercial policyholders some of them…
FEMA Announces 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge Recipients
FEMA Announces 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge Recipients

Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA) is pleased to announce the selection of 30 recipients to receive funding under the FEMA 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge program. The program focuses on building local community resilience to man-made and natural disasters, with an emphasis on…
5 problems that could be hiding in your home insurance policy
5 problems that could be hiding in your home insurance policy

It’s important to read the fine print of any contract, but consumers who buyhomeowner’s insurance especially should be vigilant. According to consumer-protection groups United Policyholders and the Consumer Federation of America, homeowner’s policies are becoming more difficult to understand. This is partly because carriers are…
Covered by homeowners insurance? Don’t be so sure
Covered by homeowners insurance? Don’t be so sure

Bought or renewed a homeowners insurance policy lately? You’ve no doubt noticed that premiums have gotten pretty pricey. Rates have climbed 69% over the past decade to an average of $1,000 a year. What you may not realize is that you could be facing another…
Financial literacy should include insurance considerations
Financial literacy should include insurance considerations

People who are inspired to learn more about their finances during Financial Literacy Month shouldn’t overlook the effect that insurance can have on their bank accounts. Each April, financial education advocates urge consumers to take time to study money issues. An important part of achieving…
Fire report’s release stirs residents’ emotions, memories
Fire report’s release stirs residents’ emotions, memories

Residents of northwest Colorado Springs had a mix of reactions last week to the city’s review of the fire, often focusing on issues and emotions that continue to sometimes overwhelm them. Their memories of the June fire are vivid: many choke with gratitude when they…
You’re charging me for what?! Insurers find new ways to set car insurance rates
You’re charging me for what?! Insurers find new ways to set car insurance rates

Insurance companies are getting creative when it comes to determining how much you should pay for car insurance. In addition to using traditional factors, such as your driving record and how many miles you drive each year, some insurers now look at such things as…
Courts toss homeowners’ insurance regulation
Courts toss homeowners’ insurance regulation

A judge has thrown out a state regulation that insurers said allows the insurance commissioner to decide on his own what constitutes an unfair business practice — a designation that can carry severe penalties for companies and their agents. Insurers said the court’s decision was…
Should states ban credit-based insurance scoring?
Should states ban credit-based insurance scoring?

Drivers in Texas who have bruised credit soon could have one less thing to worry about when buying insurance. A bill pending in the state Senate would prevent insurance companies in Texas from using credit-based insurance scores to determine how much to charge policyholders for…
Why women should consider buying long-term care insurance now
Why women should consider buying long-term care insurance now

Long Term care insurance can offer protection against the sky-high costs of day-to-day care in your golden years. But if you’re a woman who’s weighing whether to buy long-term care insurance for the first time, get ready for a case of sticker shock. Women soon…
It’s Flood Season. Are You Protected?
It’s Flood Season. Are You Protected?

Spring is a favorite season for many, but people who have seen their house swept away in a flood probably feel that summer droughts and blizzards get a bad rap. Thanks to heavy rains and melting snow, March and April are months particularly prone to…
How to choose a life insurance beneficiary
How to choose a life insurance beneficiary

Many consumers buy life insurance, list their spouses as the beneficiaries and never think about the matter again. But experts say that failing to put much thought into your beneficiary selection can be a big mistake. The first step in choosing a life insurance beneficiary…
Poor credit history can harm your ability to buy home and car insurance
Poor credit history can harm your ability to buy home and car insurance

he cancellation of homeowner’s insurance policies in Florida based on consumers’ credit histories is drawing close scrutiny from state insurance officials. In a recent letter to Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty, the state’s insurance consumer advocate, Robin Smith Westcott, criticized insurers for using legal claims and…
The costs of surviving cardiovascular disease: It’s enough to give you a heart attack!
The costs of surviving cardiovascular disease: It’s enough to give you a heart attack!

If you’re lucky enough to survive a heart attack or stroke, you may face another serious challenge: dealing with the medical bills. Strokes and heart attacks can financially devastate people who lack adequate health insurance, says Stephanie Mohl, government relations manager for the American Heart…