As Fire Seasons Intensify, California Homeowners Struggle to Stay Insured
As Fire Seasons Intensify, California Homeowners Struggle to Stay Insured

A changing climate, increasingly destructive fires, and disappearing insurance policies have left homeowners wondering how much risk is too much. Sarah Fugate had already prepared a checklist for a moment like this one. Some of the items she grabbed were practical: a box of legal…
Wildfire victims among those stung by Trump’s trade war
Wildfire victims among those stung by Trump’s trade war

SANTA ROSA, Calif. AP) – Add this to the challenges facing California wildfire victims: Tariffs. The import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump are adding thousands of dollars to the cost of building homes. That especially squeezes homeowners who seek to rebuild quickly after losing…
A year of highs and lows for Coffey Park couple who lost home in wildfire
A year of highs and lows for Coffey Park couple who lost home in wildfire

Heather and Alex Apons are making their way back to Coffey Park, but the journey has been a roller coaster. The couple lost their Banyon Place home to October’s Tubbs wildfire. In March, they celebrated the birth of their first child, Etienne. In the days…
Most home insurance policies don’t cover flood losses
Most home insurance policies don’t cover flood losses

Within official flood hazard zones, flood insurance is mandatory in order to get a federally insured mortgage. But even when homeowners don’t live in a high-risk zone, they should consider getting flood insurance, experts say. That’s because standard policies don’t cover flood losses. That said,…
Roadmap to Recovery: Getting Results
Roadmap to Recovery: Getting Results

The North Bay wildfire recovery truly is a marathon – and we are all in it together.  We have passed the 6-month marker and are continuing on the road to recovery. Our six-month survey results show the pace of recovery: 80% of survey respondents have NOT settled…
With wildfires raging in California, do you have enough fire insurance?
With wildfires raging in California, do you have enough fire insurance?

With the devastating wildfires going on right now in Northern California, like the Carr Fire, the Mendocino Complex Fire, the Ferguson Fire, and the Steele Fire, do you have adequate fire insurance? And how can we forget the horrific North Bay Wildfires from October 2017?…
Rebuilding Workshop & Resource Fair in Oakmont
Rebuilding Workshop & Resource Fair in Oakmont

On Saturday, July 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin is hosting a Housing and Rebuilding Fair at Oakmont’s Berger Center. This event is cosponsored by the County of Sonoma and the City of Santa Rosa. This event is intended for…
Rebuilding workshop and resource fair in Oakmont, July 28
Rebuilding workshop and resource fair in Oakmont, July 28

Survivors of the October fires, or anyone interested in the resources necessary for rebuilding and recovery in its wake, are invited to attend a workshop and resource fair on Saturday, July 28, in Oakmont. Supervisor Susan Gorin will host the event, co-sponsored by the County…
VIDEO: Second Insurance Forum Held In Pahoa
VIDEO: Second Insurance Forum Held In Pahoa
Interview: Roadway to Recovery Workshop Tonight in Santa Rosa
Interview: Roadway to Recovery Workshop Tonight in Santa Rosa

Executive Director of United Policyholders, Amy Bach, shares her view of how the community is doing presently as we continue to navigate the post-October wildfire era, how proactive our community has been when it comes to home insurance coverage that they paid for, suggestions on…
As Hurricane Season Arrives, U.S. Homeowners Haven’t Fixed Their Big Underinsurance Problem
As Hurricane Season Arrives, U.S. Homeowners Haven’t Fixed Their Big Underinsurance Problem

Many homeowners lack flood insurance or have insufficient policy limits for repairs or rebuilding following a natural catastrophe Many U.S. homeowners are inadequately insured for natural-catastrophe damage ahead of the height of the Atlantic hurricane season. Three major landfalling hurricanes in 2017—Harvey, Irma and Maria—revealed…
Watts UP: Progress in Puna
Watts UP: Progress in Puna

United Policyholders has been guiding Hawai’i residents on insurance matters since the Kilauea volcano erupted and released burning lava that destroyed homes and neighborhoods in the Puna region of the Big Island. Over 220 people attended the first forum we co-hosted in the area, and…
Foundation announces $470,000 in grants to nonprofits supporting those impacted by fires
Foundation announces $470,000 in grants to nonprofits supporting those impacted by fires

This week, Community Foundation Sonoma County CFSC) announced grants to help people impacted by the fires who are struggling with insurance claims, legal issues and securing the resources they need to recover. These grants are funded through Community Foundation’s Sonoma County Resilience Fund, which was…
Impact of Court Ruling Chubb Unit’s Crime Policy Covers ‘Spoofed’ Wire Transfer
Impact of Court Ruling Chubb Unit’s Crime Policy Covers ‘Spoofed’ Wire Transfer

In a closely-watched case on insurance coverage in an age of expanding cyber risk, a federal appeals court in New York has upheld a lower court ruling that a commercial crime insurance policy covers wire transfer losses resulting from a spoofing attack. The ruling is…
Sonoma County foundation gives $500,000 more for wildfire-recovery help with insurance, law
Sonoma County foundation gives $500,000 more for wildfire-recovery help with insurance, law

A Sonoma County nonprofit has announced nearly $500,000 in grants to two area organizations specifically to help victims of the October wildfires deal with the legal and insurance issues related to recovery. Community Foundation Sonoma County said the funding comes through its Sonoma County Resilience…
Mind the gap – Fill the holes
Mind the gap – Fill the holes

Any time the topic of insurance catches your attention is a good time to check on yours. Exclusions and high deductibles cause major protection gaps. Once again a UP R2R survey documented that 2/3 of wildfire survivors don’t have enough insurance to pay for their…
Insurance Tips Post-1/9 Debris Flow Montecito Residents Gather for Practical Advice
Insurance Tips Post-1/9 Debris Flow Montecito Residents Gather for Practical Advice

Sixty Montecito property owners who suffered losses during the Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow got practical advice from United Policyholders, a San Francisco–based nonprofit firm whose motto is “Empowering the Insured.” “You’re not the first community to have to go through something like this,”…
Thomas Fire and Debris Flow – Roadmap to Recovery Workshop June 26, 2018
Thomas Fire and Debris Flow – Roadmap to Recovery Workshop June 26, 2018

Our next Roadmap to Recovery workshop for Thomas Fire Survivors will be held on: Tuesday, June 26th from 5:30-7:30pm Montecito Union School Auditorium 385 San Ysidro Rd., Santa Barbara This workshop will cover navigating your insurance claim, asserting your rights, and sources of help. This workshop…