Overwhelmed and Underinsured
Overwhelmed and Underinsured

Those two words describe the people in Missouri, Alabama and Arizona whose homes were recently wiped out. The fact is, about 2/3 of the homes in the United States are underinsured.1 UP can help you be in the third that are not. You probably think you’re already…
5 lies home insurance agents tell
5 lies home insurance agents tell

Sometimes insurance agents tell you what they think you want to hear in order to sell a home insurance policy and secure a commission. When misfortunes occur, homeowners who count on insurance to carry them through tough times sometimes get an unpleasant surprise: They don’t…
At Workshop, Residents Learn How to Go Green When Rebuilding Homes
At Workshop, Residents Learn How to Go Green When Rebuilding Homes

Nonprofit United Policyholders offered presentations to residents interested in rebuilding their homes green after the Sept. 9 pipeline explosion and showed that there is help available. Jerry Guernsey was always talking about making his house more green. In fact, he has considered himself green for…
Nine tips for buying auto insurance online
Nine tips for buying auto insurance online

Just as more consumers are gravitating toward shopping sites like Amazon.com and Zappos.com, more auto insurance consumers are shopping online than ever before. According to a 2011 study by J.D. Power and Associates, 54 percent of auto insurance shoppers are getting quotes online. That’s up…
Missouri Storm Victims Battle for Insurance Payouts
Missouri Storm Victims Battle for Insurance Payouts

ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com)— Not quite two months after the good Friday tornado in St. Louis county, property owners report a wide variation in progress toward reconstruction. Some repair jobs are underway but dozens of property owners are still battling over insurance payouts. These three…
No dental insurance? Here are 3 options
No dental insurance? Here are 3 options

Can’t get dental insurance coverage through your employer? If not, you may be tempted to skip dental cleanings and other treatments. But good basic care lowers your risk of suffering a major, expensive problem in the future. There are three ways to approach dental care…
Wallow Fire: Property owners facing insurance issues
Wallow Fire: Property owners facing insurance issues

While consuming hundreds of thousands of acres of forest lands and meadows, the Wallow Fire has destroyed more than 50 structures in its path, with more than 5,000 still in danger. Whether the owners of destroyed or damaged buildings will be able to rebuild and…
Are home warranty policies worth the cost?
Are home warranty policies worth the cost?

A home warranty can protect your home’s heating, electrical, cooling and other systems from expensive problems that regular home insurance doesn’t cover. That means if your water heater fails, a home warranty – legally known as a service contract –could save you hundreds of dollars…
Umbrella Insurance?
Umbrella Insurance?

Q: What is an umbrella insurance policy, and under what circumstances should I have one? — Matthew M., Smithfield, N.Y. A: An umbrella policy is extra liability insurance that protects you if you are sued. Homeowners and auto policies offer personal liability coverage, but most…
Activist Seeks Insurance Complaints
Activist Seeks Insurance Complaints
New Orleans area deserves better insurance options, prices as hurricane season begins, officials say
New Orleans area deserves better insurance options, prices as hurricane season begins, officials say

Clad in hard hats and sturdy shoes, about 20 insurance executives from around the country tromped through the new state-of-the art concrete flood defenses fortifying the New Orleans area to decide for themselves whether the region is safer — and more insurable — than it…
Fourmile Canyon rebuilding slowed by claims disputes
Fourmile Canyon rebuilding slowed by claims disputes

Nearly nine months since a wildfire ripped through Fourmile Canyon, frames for new homes are beginning to dot the once ash-covered foothills west of Boulder. But for many victims, the rebuilding process is moving excruciatingly slowly, as they continue to grapple with insurance companies over…
inCREDITable
inCREDITable

It may surprise you to learn that your credit rating is probably impacting the amount you’re paying for insurance more than your driving record or the condition of your home. This is called “credit-based insurance scoring.” The worse your score, the higher your premium. There…
Property owners in the path of Mississippi River flooding are taking out mortgages to beat the 30-day waiting period on insurance
Property owners in the path of Mississippi River flooding are taking out mortgages to beat the 30-day waiting period on insurance

Cliff Merritt has taken applications for 300 loans in the past two weeks at his small Louisiana bank.It’s not that the economy or housing market in Vidalia has suddenly picked up. Rather, people worried about levees failing along the swollen Mississippi River have found a…
Without Insurance No One Gets Paid
Without Insurance No One Gets Paid

People who lose their homes in floods, hurricanes, and other disasters look first to their homeowners or renters insurance policies for financial recovery help, and if they don’t have any or enough insurance, they turn to FEMA, SBA, or other sources such as charities and…
Shaken Awake Conference
Shaken Awake Conference

With the recent Japan and New Zealand earthquakes as a backdrop, we are mindful of the risk we face in the Bay Area from earthquakes. The close proximity of faults, coupled with a large population of older houses, puts a huge percentage of our housing…
New Rules for Surplus (“Non-Admitted”) Insurers
New Rules for Surplus (“Non-Admitted”) Insurers

With the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act July 21, 2011, implementation deadline looming, California is gearing up to comply with new surplus lines regulations.
Under My Umbrella
Under My Umbrella

No one wants to pay for insurance they don’t need. Most people go a lifetime without being sued, so the idea of buying more than basic insurance against lawsuits (“Liability Insurance”) may seem unnecessary. But the legal expenses you’ll incur if you ever are sued…