Volunteering pays dividends…
Volunteering pays dividends…

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, wherever and however you celebrated. This month’s tip is a message of gratitude for the many volunteers that help our nonprofit make a BIG, positive impact on people’s lives all across the nation, all year long. Our professional…
Scary insurance premiums…what to do?
Scary insurance premiums…what to do?

Home and business insurance premiums in hurricane and wildfire prone regions have jumped to scary levels…Those who can’t afford the increases are increasingly “going bare” if they own their homes outright. Those with mortgages are going deeper into debt to pay for mandated insurance. Bundling…
Avoiding post-loss scams
Avoiding post-loss scams

Sad to say, there are opportunistic people who have refined the art of going into areas hit by disasters and peddling a range of scams. Knowing victims are vulnerable, stressed, and in need of repair and rebuilding help and good news, these people take advantage.…
Using Social Media Strategically
Using Social Media Strategically

Your insurance company likely uses social media to promote their feel good, “we’re here for you” brand. That’s their business strategy. But if your insurance claim is not moving forward and/or you are being treated unfairly – it does not feel good. You need your…
Breaking through indecision…
Breaking through indecision…

When you’re under stress and need to make major decisions, it can be paralyzing. After Don and Lee Lehrman lost their home to a wildfire, they used a “forced-choice decision matrix” to decide how to replace it. You make a list of your wants, then…
Mind the Gap
Mind the Gap

This is your friendly reminder that earthquake damage is NOT covered by your home or renters insurance policy unless you’ve paid extra for that protection. UP keeps tabs on earthquake insurance options and we recently moderated a National “Mind the Gap” Earthquake Insurance Forum in…
COVID: Year Two UPdate
COVID: Year Two UPdate

Have the conversation…  As businesses across the nation learned the hard way when their pandemic interruption claims were summarily rejected by insurers…one can’t blindly trust paid-for property insurance to come through in the worst of times. Throughout the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began…
Insuring Your Life
Insuring Your Life

If you have dependents or people whose financial security is important to you, then life insurance is a logical investment. Buying a policy that suits your goals and budget isn’t hard if you find a salesperson who is knowledgeable and ethical and doesn’t try to steer you…
We get it…risk reduction isn’t easy
We get it…risk reduction isn’t easy

Here’s a New Year’s resolution that doesn’t involve depriving yourself of something you like to eat or drink: Do at least one thing in 2022 to make it less likely that your home could be damaged or destroyed due to a weather event or natural…
Don’t be “Lapse-adaisical” 
Don’t be “Lapse-adaisical” 

Early in the digital age, insurers lobbied hard to be allowed to switch to paperless (digital) notices and billing. UP pushed back to protect consumers from inadvertently letting their insurance lapse due to missing a late payment or cancellation notice email that got stuck in a spam…
Spooky Language in Your Policy?
Spooky Language in Your Policy?

Getting a notice from a home insurer that they’re dropping you is scary, and UP works hard to help people avoid and deal with that situation. Read our latest tips on shopping for affordable home insurance when your options are limited. Even scarier is hearing…
Keeping Score to Avoid Paying More
Keeping Score to Avoid Paying More

Your credit, insurance or risk score may make you “feel like a number”, but that may be more than a feeling.  A low credit score will cause some insurers to offer you inferior coverage at a higher price. Because credit scores are often wrong and…
Cracking the Code
Cracking the Code

From time to time, state and local building codes get updated to meet current safety and energy efficiency standards. If you own an existing home, you don’t need to worry about paying for upgrades to comply with those new codes unless you’re making major repairs…
Hail, Hail Spring is Here
Hail, Hail Spring is Here

With vaccinations, more daylight and warming weather, things are looking UP. In keeping with our mission of helping people be resilient, here’s an important reminder: It’s hail season and climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of hail events. Now is a great time to check…
Covid-versary…Is there cake?
Covid-versary…Is there cake?

COVID-19 has challenged Americans over the past year in ways that are reminiscent of war times past. There has been much stress and suffering. Sunnier skies lie ahead, but the one year anniversary is far from the end of the recovery work that needs to…
Step away from the blowtorch…
Step away from the blowtorch…

The extreme cold, snow, and ice that swept across the U.S. in February 2021 is proof positive that closing the door on 2020 wasn’t a cure-all. If your home or business suffered damage due to freezing or bursting pipes or the weight of snow and ice on the…
Life (insurance) Lessons
Life (insurance) Lessons

Pandemic-related layoffs, furloughs and business closures have forced many Americans to tap retirement accounts and cut non-essential expenses to get by. If you’re experiencing financial hardship but don’t want your auto, home or life insurance to lapse, check the website of the agency that oversees…
Wildfire Season Is Here
Wildfire Season Is Here

With all that’s happening, it’s hard to wrap your mind around another worry. But yes, it is wildfire season and time to take steps to make your home more fire-resistant. If you’ve been Sheltering in Place, you probably know your home better than ever and…