Regulators issue alert on retained asset accounts
Regulators issue alert on retained asset accounts
Neighborhood Watch Meeting Draws Dozens Of Residents
Neighborhood Watch Meeting Draws Dozens Of Residents

The Hemingway Avenue Neighborhood Watch in San Carlos is well organized and motivated. Mission Times Courier, San Diego, CA) – The brightly colored Neighborhood Watch signs are conveniently placed on streetlight poles informing everyone driving into the area that Neighborhood Watch is up and running.…
ConsumerWatch: Is Water Pipeline Insurance Worth It?
ConsumerWatch: Is Water Pipeline Insurance Worth It?

LOS ALTOS CBS 5) — Vivian Barry never thought much about the water pipes under her Los Altos home, until she started getting official-looking letters from a company called Home Emergency Insurance Solutions. They were trying to sell her insurance for the underground water pipes…
Here’s to a Healthier New Year
Here’s to a Healthier New Year

As pieces of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act go into effect, UP will continue to explain new options and rules. In our June 2010 Tip of the Month we touched on the new protection that went into effect for parents who want to put their children…
Guest Speaker Shares Insurance Buying Tips with RB Community Council
Guest Speaker Shares Insurance Buying Tips with RB Community Council

The topic of insurance may prompt some people to nod off. However, in a community familiar with the ugly side of Mother Nature, the discussion couldn’t be more welcome. The Rancho Bernardo Community Council hosted guest speaker Kaye Coates of United Policyholders on Thursday at…
ConsumerWatch: Despite Health Reform, Young Adults Not Always Covered
ConsumerWatch: Despite Health Reform, Young Adults Not Always Covered

When Health Care Reform passed last year, millions of parents with uninsured dependents were relieved. But not all dependents will have coverage right away. When Evan Spinrod’s daughter turned 19, she was kicked off her family’s Kaiser’s health plan. Spinrod said that’s when he decided…
When Life Insurance Is Suddenly Canceled
When Life Insurance Is Suddenly Canceled

Earlier this year, an elderly man went to the hospital for stomach pains. The doctors advised him that he had gallstones. Days after the emergency room visit, the man and his wife purchased some life insurance. Only later did they learn that the “gallstones” were…
Commissioner Poizner Warns Santa Barbara Homeowners To Prepare For Wildfires
Commissioner Poizner Warns Santa Barbara Homeowners To Prepare For Wildfires
Do you have enough homeowner’s insurance?
Do you have enough homeowner’s insurance?

As a public service to residents, the Financial Planning Association of San Diego is answering financial questions for readers of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Today’s question is answered by Lynn Buchholz, CFP, president of Buchholz Financial Planning who teaches the “Fundamentals of Insurance” class in…
8 Big Life Insurance Mistakes to Avoid
8 Big Life Insurance Mistakes to Avoid

Life insurance is an important monetary investment, and you don’t want to buy an unsuitable policy or discover that you’ve purchased too much or too little. But if the fear of making a bad life insurance decision is stalling your effort, know that failing to…
P-U! Is sewage backup covered?
P-U! Is sewage backup covered?

Stinky sewage back-up and overflowing drains are a very common cause of damage to homes and businesses, especially those located in flat areas or near the bottom of slopes. Many policies now exclude coverage for the clean-up and repairs, but for a mere $20 a…
Flaws can cancel life insurance — after death
Flaws can cancel life insurance — after death

American General Life Insurance Co. markets its policies as protection for “the hopes and dreams of American families” — a promise Ian Weissberger took to heart during his losing battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease. But after the Cathedral City mortgage broker died in 2005, American…
Call Kurtis Investigates: Travel Insurance
Call Kurtis Investigates: Travel Insurance

What Some Companies Don’t Reveal Before You Buy Only when you have to use it, you find out, it sometimes doesn’t cover your emergency. After several viewers found themselves roadblocked, they called Kurtis to investigate. We’ve received a number of complaints over the past five…
San Diego County Roadmap to Preparedness Outreach and Education
San Diego County Roadmap to Preparedness Outreach and Education

Preparedness in the News: Resolutions to keep your family safe Insurance Commissioner: Time to Prepare for Wildfires Neighborhood Watch Meeting Draws Dozens Of Residents Disaster Preparedness Workshop Set Be “insurance assured” as wildfire season approaches Guest Speaker Shares Insurance Buying Tips With RB Community Council…
Be ‘insurance assured’ as wildfire season approaches
Be ‘insurance assured’ as wildfire season approaches

These tools and workshops apply lessons learned by those who’ve lost homes in past wildfires, plus tips from leading safety and construction experts. United Policyholders is a national nonprofit 501c) 3) organization that educates consumers on insurance matters with over 19 years of experience helping…
Whose money is talking?
Whose money is talking?

Whether it’s a damage report from a vendor hired by your insurer or a political ad…a savvy consumer needs to know whose money is behind the message. Is there a hidden agenda or can you trust what you’re hearing or reading? Who is paying to…
Water water everywhere…and not a drop of coverage?
Water water everywhere…and not a drop of coverage?

We’re not there yet, but we’re getting close, and UP is trying to stop the trend. It’s commonly known that you have to buy separate coverage for flood damage because it’s been excluded under most property policies for a long time. But water damage from…
Is renter’s insurance worth the price?
Is renter’s insurance worth the price?

August 23, 2008 When Lani Hendrickson moved into an Irvine apartment last year, she barely had enough money for rent. So she was surprised when her landlord required her to get renter’s insurance as a condition of the lease. It cost $18 a month. “It…