December 1, 2016 Speaking UP works Our final tip of the month this year is simple: When it comes to insurance, have a pro-active mindset. If you’ve had a loss, ask for a cash advance while your claim is being processed. If you’ve got property insurance, ask the agent or insurer…
November 14, 2016 4 Homeowner’s Insurance Pitfalls A home is perhaps the single largest investment of a person’s life. When someone takes out a mortgage, they are also required to take out a homeowners’ insurance policy that is acceptable to their lender. If they let the policy lapse for any reason, while…
November 8, 2016 5 Hidden Costs of Relocation If you’ve got your eye on a new city where you can buy a bigger house with an affordable mortgage payment, don’t be too quick to sign those closing documents. If you don’t do a little research first, you may get ambushed by unexpected costs…
November 1, 2016 Wise UP: The Savvy Consumers Guide To Buying Insurance Wise UP: The Savvy Consumers Guide to Buying Insurance, a United Policyholders’ publication This compact guide will give you the inside scoop on what really matters when buying or renewing insurance for your car, home and assets. It’s short, easy to read and gives you…
October 18, 2016 Oakland hills My Word: Preventing repeat of 1991 fire begins with you This month — Thursday of this week to be exact — is the 25th anniversary of the Oakland/Berkeley hills firestorm. Many of you were here that day. Some of you — like my husband and me — escaped the flames with just the clothes on…
October 4, 2016 What Is Umbrella Insurance – and Do I Need It? Like an umbrella that protects you from the elements on a rainy day, an umbrella insurance policy can shield your personal assets from large liability claims. Umbrella excess liability protection can help you avoid financial ruin if you’re found to be responsible for legal damages…
October 1, 2016 Your privacy, your price UP works to help you get a fair deal when you buy or use insurance. We direct you to sources of reliable comparison-shopping help. We offer more claim guidance than anyone could use in one lifetime. But we can’t protect you from hackers and trackers…
September 1, 2016 What’s a jilted policyholder to do? Getting a “non-renewal” notice from your home insurer is not a pleasant experience: You have to shop for replacement protection, and that’s no fun. You may have to leave a brand-name insurer for one you’ve never heard of. And on top of that, you probably…
August 30, 2016 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…
August 1, 2016 Home is home, rented or owned Buying renter’s insurance is an easy “yes” decision if you’ve got assets to protect. Most policies cost the equivalent of a few cups of coffee a week. A renter’s policy can give you money to repair/replace damaged and stolen stuff, moving costs if your place…
July 28, 2016 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…
July 22, 2016 Why Insurance Companies Don’t Renew Policies FOR the better part of a week last year, Nancy Wergeles searched her home in Weston, Conn., for the engagement ring her husband had given her 53 years before. They had had a string of health care aides in their home and were also putting…
July 2, 2016 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…
June 28, 2016 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…
June 8, 2016 Credit Scores Can Impact Auto Insurance Renewals Trying to figure out how auto insurance companies set your rate can be a real head-scratcher. You’re unlikely to crack the formula, but you can be sure that your credit history is part of the equation, unless you live in one of the few states…
June 1, 2016 With Hurricane Season Here, Time to Check Home Insurance Bonnie, the tropical storm that drenched the Carolinas over Memorial Day weekend, did not reach hurricane status. But that storm, and the official start of the 2016 hurricane season on Wednesday, make this a good time for homeowners to check their insurance policies to see…
June 1, 2016 Trust but verify If an insurance company rep gives you a dollar figure – get a second opinion. Whether it’s an estimate to repair damage or a quote to insure your property – trust but verify that it’s accurate. This same adage applies to medical diagnoses for serious…
May 25, 2016 Five Questions to Ask About Flood Insurance In the aftermath of a flood, people may be unpleasantly surprised to find that their home insurance doesn’t cover the damage caused by rising storm waters. It hasn’t since insurance companies decided that floods were too risky to cover. “A lot of people think they…
