January 28, 2014 Roof insurance: ACV versus replacement cost If you live in one of the states hardest hit by wind and hail damage these past few years, you may have a gaping hole in your roof insurance coverage without even knowing it. A string of unusually costly years for roof damage claims in…
January 16, 2014 Northridge Earthquake Anniversary: Despite retrofits, are homes any safer now? The 1994 Northridge earthquake — which shook Southern California 20 years ago Friday — caused $20 billion in damage, much of that to buildings. About 82,000 residential and commercial units were affected. Some homes were outright destroyed because they were not bolted to their foundations,…
January 15, 2014 How to Get Your Insurance Claim Paid When emergencies like car accidents, medical scares or house fires strike, filing an insurance claim may not be top of mind. But once the dust settles and the bills start pouring in, many consumers are relieved to know that insurance could help protect them against…
January 6, 2014 Buy, Rebuild or Cash Out To help all El Paso County residents with insurance questions United Policyholders, an experienced non-profit consumer group, will be hosting another one of its nationally recognized “Roadmap to Recovery” workshops from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9. This workshop is entitled “Buy, Rebuild…
January 6, 2014 When dents in your credit hit your car insurance rates You may or may not think it’s fair that your credit history could play a key role in setting your auto-insurance premiums – a long-running debate in insurance regulation, though a battle that insurers so far appear to have won. Only a handful of states…
January 3, 2014 Work from home? TCB Thanks to the Internet, FedEx, Priority Mail and UPS – more and more people are avoiding the drag of commuting by working from home. If you’re one of the estimated 43 million Americans in this mode – you’ll want the right insurance in place. You…
January 1, 2014 What’s UP? January 2014 We have dived in to another year of working hard and being useful throughout the nation. We’ve got six disaster recovery and two preparedness workshops coming up in February, amicus briefs, reports and new buyers’ guides in production. Our newWhat’s UP with Renter’s Insurance is now available in…
December 27, 2013 Safety First For 2014: Do A Home Insurance Checkup Safety First For 2014: Do A Home Insurance Checkup By KATHLEEN DOLER, FOR INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY Posted 12/26/2013 06:25 PM ET View Enlarged Image Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires — some significant natural disasters made the news this year, from Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines to…
December 13, 2013 Flood insurance reform law – what it means to homeowners By Marjorie Musick The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 was passed in July and requires the National Flood Insurance Program NFIP) to raise insurance rates for some older properties in high-risk areas to reflect the true flood risk. Some homeowners have already received…
December 7, 2013 Don’t Bark UP the Wrong Tree – Pet Insurance Tips If you are among the 70 + million households in the US that own a dog or cat, you may not have considered pet insurance. But one emergency visit to your vet can make you rethink that decision. There are lots of pet insurance plans…
December 2, 2013 New York Regulator Lawsky asks colleagues to take action against forced-place insurance overcharges
November 26, 2013 How Insurance Plays a Role in Disaster Recovery Each natural disaster reminds us of the value of insurance to protect our homes and businesses. But with the news filled with stories about homeowners still waiting to settle claims, or insurance covering less damage than expected, what is the role of private insurance in…
November 26, 2013 Too Good to be True? Enjoy this week’s holiday, and: THANKS FOR GIVING… your time, your expertise and your dollars to keep UP strong. So far this year we’ve sent you monthly money-saving tips and the straight scoop on flood and car rental insurance, employer-provided disability policies, home air quality…
November 21, 2013 Bringing logic and fairness back to California injury victims Bach Talk: Let’s not forget that it used to be true in California that if you were injured by someone, you could make a claim directly with that someone’s insurance company. If their insurance company behaved badly, you could hold them accountable in court. You…
November 16, 2013 Deadline for filing flood insurance claims from Sept. 2013 CO disaster extended 21 days UP encouraged Colorado public officials and residents to ask FEMA to extend the 60 day deadline for flood victims to file insurance claims. Many people still don’t have access to their homes – so it’s impossible for them to get a complete evaluation/scope of loss…
November 13, 2013 5 Factors That Could Raise Your Insurance Rates Insurers consider a dizzying number of factors in determining premiums, so it’s often challenging for consumers to understand why they’re paying higher rates than their neighbors or co-workers. “All the consumer can do is ask questions when they buy insurance and get comparison apples-to-apples quotes…
November 7, 2013 November 6, 2013 United States Senate Hearing – One Year Later: Examining the Ongoing Recovery From Hurricane Sandy http://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/emdc/hearings/one-year-later-examining-the-ongoing-recovery-from-hurricane-sandy
November 4, 2013 The Private Financial Information You Must Share Recently, my husband and I decided to make some money moves to reduce our taxes and diversify an investment holding. One of the steps required transferring funds from our online brokerage firm to our regular checking account with our credit union. See also: Benefits and…