November 4, 2021 Insurers Say Data Shows Low Credit Scores Predict Risky Driver Behaviors The insurance industry says it now has hard data proving that if you have a bad credit score, you’re more likely to slam on the brakes or step hard on the gas. Also if you’re less educated, unmarried, or sell real estate for a living.…
October 29, 2021 Spooky Language in Your Policy? Getting a notice from a home insurer that they’re dropping you is scary, and UP works hard to help people avoid and deal with that situation. Read our latest tips on shopping for affordable home insurance when your options are limited. Even scarier is hearing…
October 28, 2021 The changing climate is driving up home insurance claims, and rates As the changing climate makes extreme weather more common, more and more people are dealing with damage to their homes and property. That’s what insurance is for, right? People are certainly filing insurance claims. In 2020, nearly 40% of all insurance claims were for…
October 23, 2021 Finding (and keeping) fire insurance is headache for homeowners in California NPR’s Scott Simon speaks with Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, about the thousands of homeowners in California at risk of losing insurance as the risk of wildfires grow. SCOTT SIMON, HOST: It’s said there’s no such thing as fire season in the West…
October 22, 2021 Thwarting insurers’ campaign to duck interruption compensation obligations to businesses Fill in the blank and you’ll understand the public relations campaign the insurance industry uses over and over to maintain record profits by shirking obligations to their premium-paying customers and pass the buck to taxpayers: “If you make us pay ______ claims we’ll go bankrupt.” …
October 22, 2021 4 ways to fortify your finances against natural disaster Along with preparing your home, having cash on hand, access to credit and the right insurance coverage are important in perilous times. Emergency preparedness experts recommend that you have a “go bag” and a “stay bin” for disasters: kits with supplies to help you survive…
October 19, 2021 UP shares our story for the 30th Anniversary of the Oakland / Berkeley Firestorm United Policyholders was founded in 1991. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Oakland Berkeley Firestorm, UP’s Executive Director Amy Bach shared her story co-founding the nonprofit for the North Hills Phoenix Association Community Comeback: Then and Now video series. This video series delved into…
October 13, 2021 What Every Homeowner Should Know About Trampolines Are your kids begging for a trampoline? You’re not alone. Hundreds of thousands of backyard trampolines are sold in the U.S. every year, much to the delight of aspiring young acrobats across the country. But trampolines can also pose a risk to those young acrobats.…
October 12, 2021 What Consumers Should Do to Get Fair Claims Payments in the Wake of Hurricane Ida Washington, D.C. — The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) today warned consumers to prepare to file claims for damage resulting from Hurricane Ida and offered tips on “how to get all you are entitled to from your insurance company.” CFA believes that Hurricane Ida will produce…
October 11, 2021 Liz Weston: Fortify your finances against natural disaster Emergency preparedness experts recommend that you have a “go bag” and a “stay bin” for disasters: kits with supplies to help you survive a few days if you have to evacuate your home or shelter in place. Preparing your finances for natural disasters is also smart. Having…
October 7, 2021 Family Of 5 Loses Home to Caldor Fire, Lender Failed To Pay Fire Insurance Premiums From Escrow Account GRIZZLY FLATS (CBS13) – Does your lender pay your fire insurance premiums from an escrow account? Better double-check those payments are being made. A Grizzly Flats family who lost their home to the Caldor Fire learned their lender didn’t pay the fire insurance premiums after their…
October 4, 2021 Flood insurance revamp aims for fairer rates A revamped U.S. flood insurance program going into effect this month will charge rates the federal government says better reflect a home’s risk, a change that could mean higher premiums for coastal mansions and — for the first time — reduced rates for others. The…
October 1, 2021 Thank you for getting Up to Good On Friday, October 1st, wildfire survivors, public officials and generous businesses and individuals gathered outdoors at the elegant and historic Buena Vista Winery to raise funds for the our Roadmap to Recovery, Preparedness and Advocacy programs. With the jazz sounds of a Sonoma State student…
September 29, 2021 Call Kurtis: Lenders Fail To Pay Fair Plan Fire Insurance Policies GRIZZLY FLATS (CBS13) — A military dad and his wife who lost their home to the Caldor Fire learned they weren’t insured and their lender didn’t pay their fire insurance bill. More fire victims are coming forward after our investigation saying the pair learned they…
September 28, 2021 Residents in high fire risk California zones cancelled, turned down by insurances Getting insurance has been a struggle for people residing in fire-risk areas, and for those who had got one were being priced out of their policies. Beth Quintana was among the residents who experienced the fire’s rage three years ago. In August 2018, the Holy…
September 28, 2021 Fire insurance policies: an endangered species SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. – With fire season now just peaking and plenty of weeks still to go, we have already racked up California’s worst ever fire season. On a regular basis, homeowners in the urban wildland interface are getting multiple shocks from massive insurance increases, less…
September 28, 2021 Why doesn’t homeowners insurance cover flood damage? The remnants of Hurricane Nicholas are drenching Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana — including areas that have barely started recovering from Hurricane Ida. There has been a lot of flooding over the past couple of weeks from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast, and many homeowners…
September 28, 2021 Residents of Western States Face a Dry, Dangerous, Underinsured Future As thousands lost everything, insurers have jacked up premiums—or fled altogether. When Steve Kress moved into an old ambulance he’d converted into a travel van some weeks ago, he’d started wearing a pin that reads “Since I gave up hope, I feel much better.” “It’s true…