As fire danger grows, some homeowners are seeing coverage dropped
As fire danger grows, some homeowners are seeing coverage dropped

As California’s five-year drought continues, and with fire danger an ongoing threat to many homeowners, it comes as no surprise that insurance companies are feeling increasingly antsy about the risk of policyholders’ property going up in flames. But that doesn’t mitigate the kick in the…
Hope and heartache in the year of fire
Hope and heartache in the year of fire

Cobb Mountain – Maya Leonard sighed deeply as she stood between her parents on a sun-dappled morning in late spring, her freckled face somber. Her mother, Cindy, and father, David, each draped an arm around her shoulders. Maya watched as one of six men in…
Thanks To Fracking, Earthquake Hazards In Parts Of Oklahoma Now Comparable To California
Thanks To Fracking, Earthquake Hazards In Parts Of Oklahoma Now Comparable To California

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake shook Oklahoma on Saturday, tied for the strongest quake ever recorded in the state. Odds are it was triggered by fracking operations, specifically the subsurface injection of fracking wastewater. There is a direct connection between fracking and earthquakes in the central…
Family finances: Don’t get caught ‘undercovered’
Family finances: Don’t get caught ‘undercovered’

One-half to two-thirds of homeowners who experience a total loss don’t have enough insurance to rebuild their home and replace their belongings, according to post-disaster surveys of homeowners by United Policyholders, a consumer advocacy group. Here’s how to be sure you’re covered. 1. Check the…
Six Years After Fourmile Canyon Fire, Cold Springs Fire Brings Up Insurance Claims
Six Years After Fourmile Canyon Fire, Cold Springs Fire Brings Up Insurance Claims

Recovery continues for folks impacted by the Cold Springs fire last month, which destroyed eight properties and led to evacuations of nearly 2000 others in the Nederland area. With the six year anniversary of the Fourmile Canyon fire on the horizon in September, experts from…
Closer look at flood insurance, FEMA’s reforms, lessons learned after Sandy missteps
Closer look at flood insurance, FEMA’s reforms, lessons learned after Sandy missteps

If the Federal Emergency Management Agency dealt itself a black eye with the poor job it did responding to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the horror stories that came out of the flood insurance claims process after Superstorm Sandy gave the agency another nasty shiner seven…
Document Flood and Fire Damage to Ease Insurance Claims
Document Flood and Fire Damage to Ease Insurance Claims

Victims of the recent flooding in Louisiana and wildfires in California should all do one thing: Document the damage to their property. Taking photos is crucial to help bolster an insurance claim, said Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a nonprofit consumer advisory group,…
Day 10: Clayton Fire Hits 95% Containment
Day 10: Clayton Fire Hits 95% Containment

Community rebuilding efforts underway include an assistance center in Lower Lake and a public meeting on Wednesday. Containment on the Clayton Fire, now in its 10th day in Lake County south of Lower Lake, has hit 95 percent with 3,920 acres consumed, according to this…
Disputing a Denied Life Insurance Claim in Pennsylvania
Disputing a Denied Life Insurance Claim in Pennsylvania

Losing a loved-one can be devastating. The situation can be even more devastating when the future that was supposed to be secured by a life insurance policy is denied. It doesn’t make sense. The policy was purchased by your loved-one so they could ensure you…
This is how a California wildfire can change your homeowners insurance rate
This is how a California wildfire can change your homeowners insurance rate

Some Southern California residents have seen their insurance rates skyrocket as a result of wildfires. The latest round of fires is fueling concerns that rates may eventually be boosted again. Scores of Southern California residents living in or near the path of the latest wildfires…
Are insurance rates going up for people on the fire line? and other FAQ about fire insurance)
Are insurance rates going up for people on the fire line? and other FAQ about fire insurance)

As of midday Friday, the Soberanes Fire in Monterey County had destroyed at least 41 homes and put at least 2,000 homes and other buildings at risk. Meanwhile, the Sand Fire, which has burned more than 38,800 acres in the Santa Clarita hillsides, is 85…
​Long-term care for seniors is on life support
​Long-term care for seniors is on life support

This August, two of the country’s biggest insurance companies, MetLife MET) and Unum UNM), will be front and center before the Florida insurance commissioner. They’ll have to explain why they’re asking some of their 70,000 policyholders for double the amount they paid in premiums last…
Roadmap to Recovery’ workshop for Valley fire survivors planned for Aug. 2
Roadmap to Recovery’ workshop for Valley fire survivors planned for Aug. 2

COBB, Calif. – The “Roadmap to Recovery” workshop to discuss “healing and dealing” at the one-year anniversary of the Valley fire will be presented Tuesday, Aug. 2. The workshop will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Little Red Schoolhouse, located at 15780…
NFIP Perseveres Despite Issues
NFIP Perseveres Despite Issues

The federal government’s flood insurance program has triggered a steady downpour of bad news, but private insurance isn’t going to replace the troubled program anytime soon unless Congress makes some changes, experts said. The National Flood Insurance Program is administered by FEMA, which works with…
Fla. Law Favors Insured In Defense Row, 11th Circ. Told
Fla. Law Favors Insured In Defense Row, 11th Circ. Told

Insurance consumer group United Policyholders has urged the Eleventh Circuit to find that Auto-Owners Insurance Co. must defend Elite Homes Inc. in a construction defect suit, saying Florida law holds that insurers must provide a defense if there is any possibility of coverage. The consumer…
How to find the replacement cost of your home for insurance
How to find the replacement cost of your home for insurance

When Herb Solomon changed his homeowners’ insurance this year, he was surprised to see that his new company estimated the replacement cost of his 2,600-square-foot North Berkeley home at roughly one-third less than the old one. Solomon’s policy last year, from Fireman’s Fund, had a…
Do I Need Flood Insurance?
Do I Need Flood Insurance?

A megastorm has struck your house, leaving a pile of waterlogged wreckage in its wake. But you’re covered financially because you have homeowner’s insurance, right? Wrong. Although most homeowner’s and rental policies reimburse for damage caused by wind or fire, these policies generally exclude losses…
Which Insurance You Should Buy, Consider or Skip, According to an Insurance Salesman
Which Insurance You Should Buy, Consider or Skip, According to an Insurance Salesman

An anonymous agent reveals the dirtiest secrets of his profession, and the rules for building your personal safety net Remember Woody Allen? The movie director who married his ex-wife’s adopted daughter? Well, Woody once said, “There are worse things in life than death. Have you…