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,…
Water-line insurance could be money down the drain
Water-line insurance could be money down the drain

One company offers policies covering the pipes that bring water to homes for $4.95 a month, but the exclusions are so broad that homeowners could be stuck with the bill for just about all repairs. Thousands of California homeowners recently received official-looking letters from a…
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…
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…
Is your home underinsured? 8 key points
Is your home underinsured? 8 key points

After every natural disaster, too many people discover an awful truth: They don’t have enough insurance to rebuild their homes. Nationwide, more than two-thirds of homeowners are underinsured, according to a survey by insurance services firm MSB, by an average of 18%. That means someone…
Twice Burned!
Twice Burned!

Press Conference Speakers: Karen Reimus, ’03 Cedar Fire Survivor and Outreach Coordinator for United Policyholders, a nonprofit organization Patrick Craft, ’08 Freeway Complex Fire Survivor – Anaheim Hills Karla Rinskopf, ’08 Freeway Complex Fire Survivor – Yorba Linda Edward Pajarito, ’08 Freeway Complex Fire Survivor…
On the hunt for homeowners insurance
On the hunt for homeowners insurance

NEW YORK CNNMoney.com) — It’s hasta la vista Allstate. The third-largest California insurer said last week it will stop writing new homeowner policies starting in July, pointing at the high risk of catastrophes in the state. The company said it will continue to serve customers…
UP Weighs in for policyholders in CA Supreme Court
UP Weighs in for policyholders in CA Supreme Court

Briefing Begins in Fairbanks Can a consumer sue an insurance company under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act? The court of appeals says no, but the California Supreme Court will deliver the final word. The plaintiffs have filed their opening brief, and amicus briefs will be…
CNBC Business Nation: Are you insured?
CNBC Business Nation: Are you insured?

Homeowners battle insurance companies over loss claims After the devastation of the California wildfires last October and record damage from hurricane Katrina, you’d think the homeowners insurance industry would be struggling. But you’d be wrong. Insurance companies are reeling in record profits — making more…
Allianz settles annuities cases
Allianz settles annuities cases

State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner will announce details today in Oakland of a $10 million settlement involving the sale of improper annuities to California seniors. by Minnesota-based Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. Under the terms of the settlement, Allianz will enact more consumer…
Insuring your home against disaster
Insuring your home against disaster

If the worst happens, you can’t be sure you’ll collect enough to bring back the home you love. Here’s what to do. Money Magazine) — If last fall’s devastating California wildfires weren’t enough of a wake-up call, consider this: Nearly 60% of homes nationwide don’t…
California Roundtable To Create Incentives for Disaster Preparation, Fire Mitigation
California Roundtable To Create Incentives for Disaster Preparation, Fire Mitigation

After bringing together insurance industry executives, consumer groups and fire officials to discuss preparations for future potential fire disasters at a roundtable held on May 12, 2008, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced an effort to create economic or other incentives for insurers and consumers…