BACH TALK: Annuity “Whack-a-Mole”
BACH TALK: Annuity “Whack-a-Mole”

It seems like every time you turn around, insurers are peddling a new type of super-complicated annuity whose internal levers and formulae make it virtually impossible that the buyer will collect the promised benefits in their lifetime: Equity-indexed annuities, Medically Underwritten Annuities, Contingent Deferred Annuities…the list goes…
Guess who’s turning 50?
Guess who’s turning 50?

Medicare, the program that remains essential for many American’s health and lifestyles, turns 50 this month. On the positive side, pressure is mounting to amend the absurd rule that prevents the program from negotiating prescription drug prices with drug companies. On the negative side, consumers…
Manitou takes a step to move city hall out of harm’s way
Manitou takes a step to move city hall out of harm’s way

Manitou Springs officials are trying to land a $25 million federal grant to move City Hall operations to a new building.Built in the laste 1800s, the exisiting facility is in a flood plain, the city’s flood recovery manager Shelley Cobau said Monday.A draft of the…
BOPs Are Like Hospital Gowns – They Don’t Cover You Fully
BOPs Are Like Hospital Gowns – They Don’t Cover You Fully

Businessowners Policies, traditionally referred to simply as “BOPs,” were introduced in 1976 and significantly revised in 1987. The BOP evolved gradually from the 1987 revisions to include risk classification and business sizes (sales and square footage) not contemplated in the original or “first revision” editions…
What to Do if Your Car Insurance is Canceled
What to Do if Your Car Insurance is Canceled

You reach into your mailbox and retrieve a letter from your auto insurance company. It says you and your car are being kicked to the curb.  That’s right — you’re being hit with a car insurance cancellation. “What am I going to do?” you ask…
Ruff and Ready?
Ruff and Ready?

Pet Insurance Check UP As treatment options for sick and injured animals improve, and new (expensive) medications and procedures can extend your pet’s healthy life, you may want to give pet insurance a second look. You can buy coverage for urgent care only, or broad…
The auto gap insurance dilemma at the dealership: Take the coverage or leave it?
The auto gap insurance dilemma at the dealership: Take the coverage or leave it?

While you’re signing a stack of paperwork in the dealer’s office and eyeing the set of keys to your brand-new ride, your salesman asks if you’d like to add another $500 to your final tab for something you’ve never heard of called “auto gap insurance.”…
Shop so you don’t drop (more $ than you should)
Shop so you don’t drop (more $ than you should)

The quality of your insurance really does matter, but figuring out which policy will give you more protection is tricky. UP can guide you on what to look for and avoid, but getting the real scoop and comparing different options is very hard to do…
Being A Loyal Auto Insurance Customer Can Cost You
Being A Loyal Auto Insurance Customer Can Cost You

Many companies reward their most loyal customers with incentives, discounts and freebies. But in car insurance, the opposite can actually happen. A driver can be punished with a higher premium just for being loyal to the company. It’s called price optimization, and it happens to…
Roadmap to Preparedness UPdate
Roadmap to Preparedness UPdate

THRIVE-ing after a flood After a winter storm caused severe flooding south of San Francisco, UP answered evacuees’ insurance questions at a temporary shelter and help center in San Mateo, California. Several months later at a Enhancing Community Resilience Conference hosted by the THRIVE alliance…
Bank’s offer of ‘free’ insurance is dubious way to appreciate customers
Bank’s offer of ‘free’ insurance is dubious way to appreciate customers

Sally Hwang recently spotted a payment of $8.10 on her checking account statement for accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Problem was, she had no recollection of signing up for such coverage. Worse, it appeared the Glendale resident had been making the payment every quarter for…
Insurances Companies To Use Facebook, Twitter Social Media Profiles To Set Rates
Insurances Companies To Use Facebook, Twitter Social Media Profiles To Set Rates
No secrets: What insurers know about you and how they use your personal data
No secrets: What insurers know about you and how they use your personal data

Before they decide how much you have to pay for your auto insurance, carriers probe deep into your background to determine how likely you are to file claims. Most consumers would be surprised to learn how much personal information is available to insurers, says Amy…
Will I really save on auto insurance as soon as I turn 25?
Will I really save on auto insurance as soon as I turn 25?

If you’re a driver under 25, you’ve probably heard of the money magic that’s supposed to happen when you reach the quarter-century milestone, such as being able to rent a car at a standard rate — without young-driver surcharges. Another big plus of hitting the…
The Big One Is Coming: Should Californians Get Earthquake Insurance?
The Big One Is Coming: Should Californians Get Earthquake Insurance?

In disaster movies, California gets hit hard: The Golden Gate Bridge has fallen umpteen times. Los Angeles has been flattened by megaquakes and monstrous destruction. And let’s not even talk about the damage wrought by cyborgs sent back in time to ensure a nuclear holocaust.…
Reports Advise How to Make Flood Insurance Affordable
Reports Advise How to Make Flood Insurance Affordable

A new report suggests the federal flood insurance program may want to target mitigation grants to households with high premiums, urge homeowners to select higher deductibles, expand the educational role of insurance agents, and provide mitigation loans to help make flood insurance more affordable.These proposals…
Why your boss may be pushing HSAs and FSAs
Why your boss may be pushing HSAs and FSAs

Never heard of a health savings account HSA)? Or bothered with the flexible spending account FSA) offered by your employer? Chances are you soon will. Both health savings vehicles are moving into the spotlight as corporate America sheds its one-size-fits-all comprehensive health insurance model for…
Should You Bundle Your Insurance Coverage?
Should You Bundle Your Insurance Coverage?

Maybe you saw an ad on TV touting cost savings associated with bundling insurance — purchasing multiple policies, such as for home and auto, through the same company — or your insurance agent suggested it. “Usual discounts are about 5 to 20 percent depending on…