Deck the halls with unclaimed property?
Deck the halls with unclaimed property?

Life insurers are continuing to reach settlements with various states after they were caught failing to pay death benefits despite having reason to know their policyholders had died. Under the settlements, insurers including AIG, MetLife, Prudential and Nationwide are now regularly checking the Social Security…
Doubts Raised About NFIP Borrowing Authority Increase
Doubts Raised About NFIP Borrowing Authority Increase

BY ARTHUR D. POSTAL, PROPERTYCASUALTY360.COM The fate of what is seen as a needed increase in the borrowing authority of the National Flood Insurance Program before year-end is in doubt as Congress breaks until Wednesday. For one thing, as of this morning, opposition in the…
Group says fire survivors need more time
Group says fire survivors need more time

Advocacy group slams proposed CC&R changes for rebuilding after fires A proposed CC&R amendment that would require homeowners in a community in Rancho Bernardo to rebuild their homes within two years of a wildfire is getting criticism, not just from some residents but also from…
Learn the Seven Things That Homeowners Should Know About Their Homeowners Insurance Policies
Learn the Seven Things That Homeowners Should Know About Their Homeowners Insurance Policies

Reviewing a homeowners’ insurance policy can be challenging, but with more insurers inserting provisions to shift risk and costs to homeowners, a careful read is more important than ever. To help with the process, the Consumer Federation of America CFA) and United Policyholders UP) released…
Homeowners can challenge insurers’ estimates
Homeowners can challenge insurers’ estimates

Before agreeing to an insurance settlement that falls short of covering their storm-repair bills, homeowners may want to consider the tale of Warren S. Dank. As Sandy battered Long Island, Dank’s backyard generator burst into flames, destroying a shed and melting the vinyl siding off…
What’s In Your Life Insurance?
What’s In Your Life Insurance?

Life insurance is an integral part of an overall financial plan WHEN you have a need for life insurance.  The key here is the word “when”.   Some people just don’t have a need for life insurance.  If you have a need for life insurance,…
Homeowner’s insurance: Checklist to ensure adequate storm coverage
Homeowner’s insurance: Checklist to ensure adequate storm coverage

Quick, answer this about your homeowner’s policy: Does it cover replacement cost? Do you have “extended limits”? What’s the exact dollar amount of your hurricane deductible, and what category storm triggers it? Regarding flood insurance: What’s your home’s likelihood of flooding, according to the National…
After Hurricane Sandy: Preparing Your Home For a Move
After Hurricane Sandy: Preparing Your Home For a Move

After Hurricane Sandy: Preparing Your Home For a Move Written by Mary Davis, Moveboxer.com Hurricane Sandy has swept through the East Coast. People are slowly coming out of their homes to survey damage to their homes, businesses, and cities. For those people who have the…
Maximizing Insurance Recoveries for Sandy Losses – Resources for Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Homeowners
Maximizing Insurance Recoveries for Sandy Losses – Resources for Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Homeowners
New York Law School – Updates for Students From Dean Anthony Crowell Re: Superstorm Sandy
New York Law School – Updates for Students From Dean Anthony Crowell Re: Superstorm Sandy

Updates for Students From Dean Anthony Crowell Dear Students, As New York City and the metropolitan area continue to recover from Hurricane Sandy, we hope all of the members of our community and their families are safe and faring well through the disruptions caused by…
Is Your Homeowners Insurance Falling Short?
Is Your Homeowners Insurance Falling Short?

The Cleanup From Superstorm Sandy Has Been an Exercise in Frustration for Homeowners. Here’s How to Maximize Insurance Payouts—and Reduce the Hassle of Filing a Claim. Click here to read the whole article online.
Experts: Wider need for flood insurance
Experts: Wider need for flood insurance

Think you don’t need flood insurance because you don’t live near the ocean? Or because your mortgage company doesn’t require it? Or because you’re in a low to moderate hazard area according to the National Flood Insurance Program? Think again. If you’re near any body…
Seven Things All Homeowners Should Know About Their Homeowners Insurance
Seven Things All Homeowners Should Know About Their Homeowners Insurance

Superstom Sandy revealed many of the problems homeowners may encounter when navigating the claims process after a natural disaster. Here are some tips from the Consumer Federation of America CFA) and United Policyholders UP) on what consumers should look out for when reviewing their policies:…
Sandy Victims Should Winterize Their Homes
Sandy Victims Should Winterize Their Homes

Coverage Can Exclude Frozen & Burst Pipes, If Precautions Aren’t Taken With winter’s freezing temperatures rapidly approaching, insurance experts are advising victims of Hurricane Sandy to act now to winterize their homes to avoid further damage that won’t be covered by their homeowners policies. Many…
Help with Sandy insurance claims — via phone
Help with Sandy insurance claims — via phone

People whose homes or businesses were battered by superstorm Sandy have a potentially useful ally in filing insurance claims: their smartphone. Can’t find your policy number, deductible information or other insurance data needed to make a claim? Use your phone to access a carrier’s website…
Sandy’s Crash Course on Hurricane Deductibles
Sandy’s Crash Course on Hurricane Deductibles

An insurance industry that has taken its lumps from hurricanes has come to treat them differently. Today, homeowners insurance often comes with special and potentially steeper deductibles that kick in when claims are related to the punishing storms. Superstorm Sandy recently raised awareness about hurricane…
Money Heroes: Three Guardians Protecting Consumers’ Finances
Money Heroes: Three Guardians Protecting Consumers’ Finances

Ensuring benefits for policyholders Amy Bach On a crusade since: 1984 Day job: Executive director of United Policyholders Achievement: Advocates for, and assists, insurance customers Why she’s a hero: Representing a New York State agency on an insurance task force in the 1980s, Bach saw…
Wind could blow deductibles higher
Wind could blow deductibles higher

Newsday.com by: Joe Ryan Sandy may not have been a hurricane by the time it slammed into Long Island, but its winds were still powerful enough to trigger higher insurance deductibles that could cost homeowners thousands of dollars. As the tempest swirled toward New York,…