NFIP Perseveres Despite Issues
NFIP Perseveres Despite Issues

The federal government’s flood insurance program has triggered a steady downpour of bad news, but private insurance isn’t going to replace the troubled program anytime soon unless Congress makes some changes, experts said. The National Flood Insurance Program is administered by FEMA, which works with…
Fla. Law Favors Insured In Defense Row, 11th Circ. Told
Fla. Law Favors Insured In Defense Row, 11th Circ. Told

Insurance consumer group United Policyholders has urged the Eleventh Circuit to find that Auto-Owners Insurance Co. must defend Elite Homes Inc. in a construction defect suit, saying Florida law holds that insurers must provide a defense if there is any possibility of coverage. The consumer…
Bach Talk – Forced Arbitration Exposed
Bach Talk – Forced Arbitration Exposed

UP and the consumer advocate community have been fighting for decades against mandatory arbitration wording in banking and other commercial contracts that force people to use private binding arbitration instead of public courts to resolve disputes.  Although some health insurance and most commercial property policies…
Insurance emergency bulletin issued for West Virginia flood victims
Insurance emergency bulletin issued for West Virginia flood victims

Flash floods are doubly devastating because they often hit areas that had not been classified as flood risk zones.  Because most people only buy flood insurance if they’re in a zone where mortgage lenders by law make them buy it, flash flood victims rarely have…
How to find the replacement cost of your home for insurance
How to find the replacement cost of your home for insurance

When Herb Solomon changed his homeowners’ insurance this year, he was surprised to see that his new company estimated the replacement cost of his 2,600-square-foot North Berkeley home at roughly one-third less than the old one. Solomon’s policy last year, from Fireman’s Fund, had a…
You better not be reading this while driving!
You better not be reading this while driving!

Cell phones are powerfully addictive. People rarely put them down – even when driving. Insurance companies are citing an increase in distracted driving accidents and raising car insurance rates across the country. Buckle your seat belts – figuratively and literally, and be a savvy consumer:…
Roadmap to Recovery Workshop – Kamiah, Idaho
Roadmap to Recovery Workshop – Kamiah, Idaho

UP is partnering with WUNCCIL (long term recovery group) to host a Roadmap to Recovery workshop for wildfire survivors in Kamiah, Idaho on June 28th at 6pm at the Kamiah Fire Station on Main St. This workshop will cover: Navigating your insurance claim Extending deadlines Recovering “held-back”…
Do I Need Flood Insurance?
Do I Need Flood Insurance?

A megastorm has struck your house, leaving a pile of waterlogged wreckage in its wake. But you’re covered financially because you have homeowner’s insurance, right? Wrong. Although most homeowner’s and rental policies reimburse for damage caused by wind or fire, these policies generally exclude losses…
Advocacy and Action Update
Advocacy and Action Update

In addition to educating the 400,000 people that used our website last year and the people that call us on the phone or use the buying and claim guidance we distribute through partners like the American Red Cross and United Methodist Committee on Relief, we…
Which Insurance You Should Buy, Consider or Skip, According to an Insurance Salesman
Which Insurance You Should Buy, Consider or Skip, According to an Insurance Salesman

An anonymous agent reveals the dirtiest secrets of his profession, and the rules for building your personal safety net Remember Woody Allen? The movie director who married his ex-wife’s adopted daughter? Well, Woody once said, “There are worse things in life than death. Have you…
Credit Scores Can Impact Auto Insurance Renewals
Credit Scores Can Impact Auto Insurance Renewals

Trying to figure out how auto insurance companies set your rate can be a real head-scratcher. You’re unlikely to crack the formula, but you can be sure that your credit history is part of the equation, unless you live in one of the few states…
With Hurricane Season Here, Time to Check Home Insurance
With Hurricane Season Here, Time to Check Home Insurance

Bonnie, the tropical storm that drenched the Carolinas over Memorial Day weekend, did not reach hurricane status. But that storm, and the official start of the 2016 hurricane season on Wednesday, make this a good time for homeowners to check their insurance policies to see…
Trust but verify
Trust but verify

If an insurance company rep gives you a dollar figure – get a second opinion. Whether it’s an estimate to repair damage or a quote to insure your property – trust but verify that it’s accurate. This same adage applies to medical diagnoses for serious…
Mom, Baby Get $3,500 Ambulance Bill After Hospital Parking Lot Birth
Mom, Baby Get $3,500 Ambulance Bill After Hospital Parking Lot Birth

Baby Sawyer just couldn’t wait to enter the world when his mother Katie Moraida’s water broke a week before he was due. Katie recalls her husband Daniel shouting “‘What do I do, what do I do?’” “Get in the car!” Katie replied. The Moraida’s got…
FEMA Announces Reforms to National Flood Insurance Program
FEMA Announces Reforms to National Flood Insurance Program

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced changes to the nation’s flood insurance program on Monday, responding to complaints from Superstorm Sandy survivors that the private insurers participating in the federally-backed program underpaid their claims and dragged out lawsuits. As FRONTLINE and NPR investigate in the…
Five Questions to Ask About Flood Insurance
Five Questions to Ask About Flood Insurance

In the aftermath of a flood, people may be unpleasantly surprised to find that their home insurance doesn’t cover the damage caused by rising storm waters. It hasn’t since insurance companies decided that floods were too risky to cover. “A lot of people think they…
Bach Talk: Preserving the promise of liability protection
Bach Talk: Preserving the promise of liability protection

I had the privilege of working with Gail Hillebrand in the early 90’s when she was a Senior Attorney in Consumers Union’s West Coast regional office.  Our offices were in the same building, and I was representing Voter Revolt (the predecessor to Consumer Watchdog) in implementing Proposition 103.  Gail…
ConsumerWatch: Travel Insurance
ConsumerWatch: Travel Insurance

Julie Watts talks about travel insurance with Amy Bach of United Policyholders 5-14-16)