December 31, 2015 Preparing for El Niño Amy Bach answers questions about how to prepare your home for El Niño and what you need to know about flood insurance. Here is your El Niño preparedness list: Think about the conditions around your home. Are there large trees? Is there a slope or…
December 22, 2015 Traveling? Take 6 health insurance steps first With luck, your trip will bring only good times, but it pays to be prepared for an unexpected health crisis away from home. If you get into a car accident or slip on ice, will insurance cover your care? Your health insurance plan should cover…
December 15, 2015 Holding the line: The Standard Fire Policy remains a useful floor (Guest blog) Most homeowner’s property insurance policies contain “intentional loss” and “concealment and fraud” provisions that exclude or bar coverage if any person who qualifies as an “insured” (typically defined to include the named insured and residents of the named insured’s household who are his or her…
December 14, 2015 Guest Blog: Flood Claim Guide – A Look Under the Hood Your flood adjuster arrives with a few forms for you to fill out. Typically, you will be asked some questions about when the water entered the building, how long it stayed, and that sort of thing. He/She will also ask some questions to update your…
December 14, 2015 8 Ways to Help after a House Fire Here are the top items survivors may need for health, safety and comfort A family whose home goes up in flames may lose everything — but simple items from friends, neighbors and relatives can help them make it safely and comfortably through the next days,…
December 8, 2015 Thousands of homes damaged by Sandy remain uninsured Thousands of Long Island homes damaged by superstorm Sandy are still not covered by flood insurance, leaving much of the region dependent on government aid if another catastrophe hits, a Newsday analysis of federal data has found. Since the 2012 storm, the number of properties…
December 3, 2015 Valley Fire Roadmap to Recovery Workshop 12/3/15 UP is hosting a Roadmap to Recovery workshop for Valley Fire survivors Thursday, December 3rd at 6pm at Middletown High School. This workshop will cover how to effectively communicate with your insurance company, underinsurance, and your insurance legal rights in California. There will be a Q&A…
December 3, 2015 Don’t Make These Mistakes When Filing an Insurance Claim The biggest insurance mistake you can make is not having insurance. That sounds like an advertisement for an insurance company, but generally, it’s true. If you’re driving without car insurance, you’re breaking the law. If you don’t have health insurance, you’ll likely pay a fee…
December 1, 2015 Appy Holidays! To wrap up the useful tips we’ve given you in 2015, here are three free apps you can use and pass on as gifts to others: UPHelp Home Inventory: Download this free and fast tool for protecting your assets today. After you’ve unwrapped your presents,…
November 23, 2015 Challenging insurers’ hired guns – Bach Talk When you buy insurance, you pay for coverage and good service if and when you file a claim. Good claim service includes estimating the extent and value of your claim fairly and promptly. Insurance company claim adjusters often bring in outside experts to inspect and give their…
November 21, 2015 Hot at the NAIC – Bach Talk The business of insurance is primarily regulated by individual states with a minimal amount of oversight by the Federal Government. State regulators coordinate with each other through an organization called The National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Three times a year, the NAIC hosts a conference…
November 18, 2015 Unscrupulous Insurers Are Stalling Sandy Recovery Three years ago, New York City was devastated by Superstorm Sandy. While we are making progress in the post-Sandy rebuild and recovery, too many New Yorkers are still fighting with their insurance companies about what type of damage is covered. And many have simply given…
November 18, 2015 FEMA’s Sandy Flood Insurance Review Taking Longer Than Expected The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s review of Superstorm Sandy flood insurance claims is taking longer than expected, with fewer than 200 checks issued. FEMA announced in March the review for as many as 142,000 claims after homeowners complained they were shortchanged. A FEMA official expected…
November 18, 2015 Thanks Mom and Dad! One of the first pieces of the Affordable Care Act to take effect was the rule that lets young adults stay insured under their parent’s health plan until they turn 26. This has been a huge help to many families. But when a dependent ages…
November 6, 2015 If you don’t have to buy flood insurance, should you? The Federal Emergency Management Agency is encouraging Californians to buy flood insurance before El Niño hits, even if they live in low- to moderate-risk areas where it’s not required by lenders. “If there was ever a time to buy flood insurance, this is the time,”…
November 4, 2015 Treasury Names 12 to Federal Insurance Advisory Committee The U.S. Department of the Treasury has named 12 individuals including several insurance industry executives, a professor, a consumer advocate and six state regulators to serve on the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance FACI). The FACI was established to provide a source for consumers and…
November 1, 2015 Gulf Coast Insurance UPrising Vacant homes, “For Sale” signs, public protests, and media coverage over the past ten years are the visible signs that home and business owners in Eastern and Southern coastal areas are really struggling to pay their rising insurance premiums. The cost of home insurance in…
October 31, 2015 El Niño El Uh Oh East Coasters and Mexican citizens breathed sighs of relief at Joaquin and Patricia’s relatively moderate impact, but West Coast residents continue to brace for predicted heavy El Niño rains this winter. Recent mudflows stranded hundreds of cars in the Los Angeles area. Buy sandbags and…
