Before catastrophe strikes
Before catastrophe strikes

People whose homes were damaged by Superstorm Sandy will soon find out whether they have the right kind of insurance and enough to rebuild. In other recent disasters, one-half to two-thirds of homeowners discovered after the fact that they were underinsured, often by hundreds of…
Tips for making insurance claims after Sandy
Tips for making insurance claims after Sandy

One inevitable consequence of the megastorm named Sandy will linger for a long while after the devastation is cleaned up and the victims buried: a large number of insurance claims from people hoping to rebuild their homes and their lives. Sandy’s historic size and scope…
Superstorm spotlights home insurance
Superstorm spotlights home insurance

People whose homes were damaged by superstorm Sandy will soon find out whether or not they have enough and the right kind of insurance to rebuild. In other recent disasters, one-half to two-thirds of homeowners discovered after the fact that they were underinsured, often by…
A roadmap to emergency roadside assistance
A roadmap to emergency roadside assistance

You’re stranded by the side of the road with an empty gas tank, a flat tire or smoke pouring out of your hood. This is not the time to wonder why you didn’t buy roadside assistance with your auto insurance policy. Instead, experts say, you…
Is your insurance company spying on you?
Is your insurance company spying on you?

In a plugged-in, digitized, 24/7 world, it’s tough to keep your personal information private. So, in this hyper-digital age, just how much does your insurance company really know about you? “A lot more than most consumers realize,” says Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders,…
What does it take to keep customers satisfied with auto insurance claims?
What does it take to keep customers satisfied with auto insurance claims?

Overall satisfaction with the car insurance claims process has risen over the past year, despite the fact that claims are costing consumers more, according to a new study from market research giant J.D. Power and Associates. Using a 1,000-point scale, overall satisfaction by claim filers…
A 12-step plan for your Sandy insurance claim
A 12-step plan for your Sandy insurance claim

Some consumers will be shocked to learn that superstorm Sandy devastated not only cities, coastal areas and transit systems — but their pocketbooks, too. “A lot of people are going to have a rude wake-up call after this storm and realize that flood damage isn’t…
Insure Your Home Against Natural Disasters
Insure Your Home Against Natural Disasters

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, hundreds of thousands of homeowners will be filing claims for compensation for their losses. They could be facing a second disaster if their homes weren’t properly insured for wind and flood damage. Approximately two-thirds of homeowners are underinsured for…
Mandated car insurance vs. mandated health insurance: What’s the difference?
Mandated car insurance vs. mandated health insurance: What’s the difference?

If Americans don’t raise an eyebrow over being forced by law to buy car insurance, why the big stink over having to get health insurance? That debate was rekindled when talk show host Piers Morgan recently posed that question to U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, a…
The overlooked benefits of renters insurance
The overlooked benefits of renters insurance

The storm damage is still be tallied up from Sandy, but lot of New York residents will have to cover their losses themselves. That’s because most households in New York city rent — nearly 70 percent — and renter’s insurance isn’t a very popular product.…
Storms push insurance rates sky-high
Storms push insurance rates sky-high

Insurers say they’re tired of rolling the dice with Mother Nature and losing, but critics say rate increases have gone too far. Homeowners insurance premiums are soaring in Minnesota, and consumers can expect more rate shocks ahead as insurance companies wager that a run of…
Doctors, Hospitals Nationwide Adding Fees to Medical Bills
Doctors, Hospitals Nationwide Adding Fees to Medical Bills

Call Kurtis Investigates: Doctors, Hospitals Nationwide Adding Fees to Medical Bills Hospitals and doctors offices across the country are tacking fees onto your bill, a CBS13 Call Kurtis investigation has learned. Doug Rischbieter of Arnold booked his appointment six weeks early, he said, with a…
Guest Experts: How To Support Your Aging Parents
Guest Experts: How To Support Your Aging Parents

According to a MetLife study, a quarter of adult children, mainly baby boomers, provide care for their aging parents. Caring for aging parents can be rewarding, exhausting and frustrating all at once. It can also be expensive, and emotional draining, in more ways than people…
4 ways to cope if your employer drops disability insurance coverage
4 ways to cope if your employer drops disability insurance coverage

If you get sick and miss work for several months, don’t be quick to assume that your employer provides enough disability coverage for you to get by. In recent years, a growing number of businesses have been dropping disability insurance for workers, according to a…
7 ways to investigate an insurance company online
7 ways to investigate an insurance company online

A consumer armed with a computer can find out a great deal about which insurance companies offer the most reliable service. You just have to know where to look online. David Cohen, CEO of Investigative Resources of Texas, says you can’t be too thorough. “You…
Rebuilding—if you don’t know, ask
Rebuilding—if you don’t know, ask

In 2011, a consumer advocacy group, United Policyholders, reported that at least 75 percent of the homeowners affected by the 2007 wildfires in San Bernardino and Riverside counties were underinsured by nearly a quarter of a million dollars. This amazing reality came after the catastrophic…
The 7 most terrifying car insurance words
The 7 most terrifying car insurance words

A car accident or major traffic violation can leave you rattled, but even scarier can be the effect on your car insurance rates . Here are seven words that are sure to send you screaming. 1. Surcharge If you think the embarrassment of causing a…
Law Would Strenghten Drivers’ Safety Nets
Law Would Strenghten Drivers’ Safety Nets

Guest Viewpoint: Law Would Strengthen Drivers’ Safety Nets This editorial appeared in the September 18th Ithaca Journal. To read another editorial on this issue that appeared in the Buffalo News, click here. As a consumer advocate and former insurance analyst with the New York State…