Majority of Calif. Insurers Agree to More-Responsive Claims Handling Practices
Majority of Calif. Insurers Agree to More-Responsive Claims Handling Practices

California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said a group of insurers, that represent 72.1 percent of the homeowners’ multi-peril insurance market, have agreed to comply with voluntary reforms to the claims handling process — the effect of which means consumers will have more-responsive claims handling practices.…
Whistleblower suit filed against Allstate Insurance unsealed in federal court
Whistleblower suit filed against Allstate Insurance unsealed in federal court
Help during the rebuilding process
Help during the rebuilding process

Grass is beginning to grow on the vacant sites where homes once stood four months after the fatal San Bruno explosion and fire, leading residents to consider restarting their lives but some may have questions about the details of construction. The Sept. 9 blast completely…
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…
Can roadside assistance sabotage your car insurance?
Can roadside assistance sabotage your car insurance?

When your car battery dies or you get a flat tire, having a roadside assistance plan can be a godsend. Car insurance companies generally offer cheaper roadside plans than those of motor clubs. However, these programs raise a question in many consumers’ minds, says Amy…
Community Fair Equips Residents With Tools, Answers Needed to Rebuild
Community Fair Equips Residents With Tools, Answers Needed to Rebuild

Raúl and Laura Zamora, like many homeowners in the Crestmoor neighborhood who were affected by the Sept. 9 fire, still haven’t been able to figure out how they’re going to move forward. They live in Concord but they had been renting their home on Fairmont…
Local Experts Help San Bruno Families Tackle Recovery Challenges
Local Experts Help San Bruno Families Tackle Recovery Challenges

For Immediate Release Contact: Amy Bach, United Policyholders, 415) 393-9990 Kate Comfort Harr, Rebuilding Together, 650) 366-6597 Local Experts Help San Bruno Families Tackle Recovery Challenges Local non-profits host “Dollars and Sense” info fair and workshops on Home Repairs, Insurance, Rebuilding and Recovery: January 9th,…
California wildfire survivor offers insurance help to Fourmile Fire victims
California wildfire survivor offers insurance help to Fourmile Fire victims

Karen Reimus bought her Southern California home just four months before the flames from the massive Cedar Fire consumed it in 2003. Reimus and her husband, both lawyers, had been careful to choose a good insurance policy, one they believed would cover the full cost…
Bed bugs may bite insurers, but won’t dog industry
Bed bugs may bite insurers, but won’t dog industry

When dogs bite people, insurers often pay. But what happens when bed bugs bite? Bed-bug infestations in the United States have multiplied at an alarming rate in recent years. A recent survey of almost 1,000 pest exterminators found that 95% of the firms had dealt…
Burned again – Fourmile fire victims report problems getting insurance money
Burned again – Fourmile fire victims report problems getting insurance money

Some residents who lost their homes in the Fourmile Canyon fire are telling horror stories about trying to get their insurance companies to reimburse them for the full cost of their belongings and rebuilding their homes. One homeowner, who asked not to be identified for…
Do you know what your insurance covers?
Do you know what your insurance covers?

LITTLE ROCK, AR – It’s disaster season; do you know where your insurance policy is? Think your odds of disaster are low so you don’t need to really worry about what’s covered? You’re not alone. A recent survey shows a lot of us don’t have…
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…
5 years after Katrina, homeowners insurance costs more
5 years after Katrina, homeowners insurance costs more

Five years after Hurricane Katrina leveled a large part of the Gulf Coast, homeowners as far away as Maine are still paying the bill. Home insurance rates for some coastal areas have shot up 30% or more. Thousands of homeowners who live along the East…
Even with insurance, being made whole takes work
Even with insurance, being made whole takes work

Owners or renters of the homes destroyed or damaged in the fire that tore through a San Bruno neighborhood Thursday are staring at a long and challenging process to recoup their losses. Getting paid the full amount they’re entitled to for their dwellings, possessions and…
Rebuilding tips for disaster victims
Rebuilding tips for disaster victims

Even though many of the fire victims are still in shock, they must still pull it together and start of the process of rebuilding and this type of tragedy is what homeowners insurance is all about. But dealing with the loss isn’t always like one…
San Bruno fire victims navigate insurance process
San Bruno fire victims navigate insurance process

Though city officials are shifting their focus to help rebuild the neighborhood where a natural gas pipeline exploded last month, the pace of recovery will depend largely on how quickly the money starts to flow in. To that end, dozens of residents with destroyed or…
Your Home, Your Choice
Your Home, Your Choice

Whether your home was damaged by something as wild as a tornado or as commonplace as an overflowing washing machine, your insurer may suggest a contractor to do the repairs. They may call them “preferred” but that doesn’t mean you’re forced to hire them to…
How State Farm fought through the second storm
How State Farm fought through the second storm

BLOOMINGTON — It’s been five years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, killing 1,800 people and causing $41.1 billion in insured damage — a single-loss record for the insurance industry. Katrina’s impact still ripples through the region today, and through Bloomington-based State Farm Insurance…