Take advantage and share the wealth
Take advantage and share the wealth

Take advantage of the wealth of information at www.uphelp.org and our network of professional insurance consumer advocates throughout the United States. We add new content to our website every week. ‘Tis the season to share: Tell your friends, relatives and colleagues about UP – let them…
Flaws can cancel life insurance — after death
Flaws can cancel life insurance — after death

American General Life Insurance Co. markets its policies as protection for “the hopes and dreams of American families” — a promise Ian Weissberger took to heart during his losing battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease. But after the Cathedral City mortgage broker died in 2005, American…
A World of Hurt: Exams of Injured Workers Fuel Mutual Mistrust
A World of Hurt: Exams of Injured Workers Fuel Mutual Mistrust
Call Kurtis Investigates: Travel Insurance
Call Kurtis Investigates: Travel Insurance

What Some Companies Don’t Reveal Before You Buy Only when you have to use it, you find out, it sometimes doesn’t cover your emergency. After several viewers found themselves roadblocked, they called Kurtis to investigate. We’ve received a number of complaints over the past five…
Insurance Commissioners loom large in health care law
Insurance Commissioners loom large in health care law
San Diego County Roadmap to Preparedness Outreach and Education
San Diego County Roadmap to Preparedness Outreach and Education

Preparedness in the News: Resolutions to keep your family safe Insurance Commissioner: Time to Prepare for Wildfires Neighborhood Watch Meeting Draws Dozens Of Residents Disaster Preparedness Workshop Set Be “insurance assured” as wildfire season approaches Guest Speaker Shares Insurance Buying Tips With RB Community Council…
Be ‘insurance assured’ as wildfire season approaches
Be ‘insurance assured’ as wildfire season approaches

These tools and workshops apply lessons learned by those who’ve lost homes in past wildfires, plus tips from leading safety and construction experts. United Policyholders is a national nonprofit 501c) 3) organization that educates consumers on insurance matters with over 19 years of experience helping…
5 years after Katrina, homeowners insurance costs more
5 years after Katrina, homeowners insurance costs more

Five years after Hurricane Katrina leveled a large part of the Gulf Coast, homeowners as far away as Maine are still paying the bill. Home insurance rates for some coastal areas have shot up 30% or more. Thousands of homeowners who live along the East…
Even with insurance, being made whole takes work
Even with insurance, being made whole takes work

Owners or renters of the homes destroyed or damaged in the fire that tore through a San Bruno neighborhood Thursday are staring at a long and challenging process to recoup their losses. Getting paid the full amount they’re entitled to for their dwellings, possessions and…
Rebuilding tips for disaster victims
Rebuilding tips for disaster victims

Even though many of the fire victims are still in shock, they must still pull it together and start of the process of rebuilding and this type of tragedy is what homeowners insurance is all about. But dealing with the loss isn’t always like one…
San Bruno fire victims navigate insurance process
San Bruno fire victims navigate insurance process

Though city officials are shifting their focus to help rebuild the neighborhood where a natural gas pipeline exploded last month, the pace of recovery will depend largely on how quickly the money starts to flow in. To that end, dozens of residents with destroyed or…
Whose money is talking?
Whose money is talking?

Whether it’s a damage report from a vendor hired by your insurer or a political ad…a savvy consumer needs to know whose money is behind the message. Is there a hidden agenda or can you trust what you’re hearing or reading? Who is paying to…
Water water everywhere…and not a drop of coverage?
Water water everywhere…and not a drop of coverage?

We’re not there yet, but we’re getting close, and UP is trying to stop the trend. It’s commonly known that you have to buy separate coverage for flood damage because it’s been excluded under most property policies for a long time. But water damage from…
Your Home, Your Choice
Your Home, Your Choice

Whether your home was damaged by something as wild as a tornado or as commonplace as an overflowing washing machine, your insurer may suggest a contractor to do the repairs. They may call them “preferred” but that doesn’t mean you’re forced to hire them to…
Is renter’s insurance worth the price?
Is renter’s insurance worth the price?

August 23, 2008 When Lani Hendrickson moved into an Irvine apartment last year, she barely had enough money for rent. So she was surprised when her landlord required her to get renter’s insurance as a condition of the lease. It cost $18 a month. “It…
Is your home underinsured? 8 key points
Is your home underinsured? 8 key points

After every natural disaster, too many people discover an awful truth: They don’t have enough insurance to rebuild their homes. Nationwide, more than two-thirds of homeowners are underinsured, according to a survey by insurance services firm MSB, by an average of 18%. That means someone…
Consumer Advocates Support State Regulation; More Transparency
Consumer Advocates Support State Regulation; More Transparency

SEATTLE—Two consumer advocates told insurance commissioners they would prefer to see regulation of insurance remain with the states, as opposed to a federal takeover. Speaking before the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ NAIC) Regulatory Modernization Task Force at the NAIC’s summer meeting held here, Sonja…
How State Farm fought through the second storm
How State Farm fought through the second storm

BLOOMINGTON — It’s been five years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, killing 1,800 people and causing $41.1 billion in insured damage — a single-loss record for the insurance industry. Katrina’s impact still ripples through the region today, and through Bloomington-based State Farm Insurance…