ConsumerWatch: Despite Health Reform, Young Adults Not Always Covered
ConsumerWatch: Despite Health Reform, Young Adults Not Always Covered

When Health Care Reform passed last year, millions of parents with uninsured dependents were relieved. But not all dependents will have coverage right away. When Evan Spinrod’s daughter turned 19, she was kicked off her family’s Kaiser’s health plan. Spinrod said that’s when he decided…
When Life Insurance Is Suddenly Canceled
When Life Insurance Is Suddenly Canceled

Earlier this year, an elderly man went to the hospital for stomach pains. The doctors advised him that he had gallstones. Days after the emergency room visit, the man and his wife purchased some life insurance. Only later did they learn that the “gallstones” were…
Roadside assistance may affect auto insurance rates
Roadside assistance may affect auto insurance rates

Since auto insurance companies typically offer less expensive roadside assistance plans than their competitors, for the many drivers who experience a flat tire or cracked windshield every year, these companies are often the first place they turn when in a rut. As a result, many…
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
Questions and Answers on Enrollment of Children Under 19 Under the New Policy that Prohibits Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions
Questions and Answers on Enrollment of Children Under 19 Under the New Policy that Prohibits Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions
Commissioner Poizner Warns Santa Barbara Homeowners To Prepare For Wildfires
Commissioner Poizner Warns Santa Barbara Homeowners To Prepare For Wildfires
Do you have enough homeowner’s insurance?
Do you have enough homeowner’s insurance?

As a public service to residents, the Financial Planning Association of San Diego is answering financial questions for readers of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Today’s question is answered by Lynn Buchholz, CFP, president of Buchholz Financial Planning who teaches the “Fundamentals of Insurance” class in…
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…
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…
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…
Insurers’ Black Box: Now-Secret Claims Denial Rates Could Tell Consumers a Lot About Their Insurance Company
Insurers’ Black Box: Now-Secret Claims Denial Rates Could Tell Consumers a Lot About Their Insurance Company
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…