Insurance Journal » homeowners insurance

Frontline Insurance Approved for Coastal Homeowners in Delaware

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:44:18 +0000

Frontline Insurance, a provider of coastal homeowners coverage, is now licensed in Delaware. Frontline already operates in Florida and South Carolina and recently announced a new coverage program for Alabama residents, including wind and flood all in one package. A …

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Homeowners Confused About Insurance Coverage: Survey

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:07:19 +0000

Many homeowners do not understand what exposures are covered under their home insurance policy, according to a new consumer survey. More than two in five Americans (41 percent) believe that a standard homeowner’s insurance policy protects against mold damage, according …

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MetLife Auto & Home Expands Identity Protection Coverage

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:55:35 +0000

MetLife Auto & Home has enhanced its identity protection services to include assistance for digital threats, such as e-mail and social media compromise, as well as data breach victim assistance. The services are provided as part of the company’s identity protection program, …

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Ongoing Dry Weather Raising New York Wildfire Danger

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:58:38 +0000

New York conservation officials say continuing dry weather has raised the danger of wildfires, advising rural and suburban residents that all residential brush burning is prohibited during the usually high fire risk period from March 16 through May 14. Department …

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N.J. Law Requires Insurers to Provide 1-Page Summary of Homeowners Coverage

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:34:15 +0000

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has signed into law on Monday a bill that aims to help homeowners better understand their insurance policies. The legislation (A3642/S2502) requires homeowners’ insurers to give policyholders a one-page summary of the policy explaining “notable …

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New Homeowners Insurance Program Available to Coastal Residents in Alabama

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:36:57 +0000

Frontline Homeowners Insurance, a coastal-focused insurer, is now offering wind and flood coverage to Alabama residents with coastal properties in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. Frontline Homeowners Insurance offers a contractors assist program as part of its coverage, which manages the …

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California Wildfire Appears Accidental, Drizzle Aids Firefighters

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:32:56 +0000

Investigators have ruled out arson as the cause of a huge Southern California wildfire that was 75 percent contained Sunday after burning through coastal mountains and threatening thousands of homes. Continuing cool, moist air and drizzle late Sunday and continuing through Monday …

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New York Mountain Town Awaits Hurricane Relief, 20 Months Later

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:20:41 +0000

Rebecca Hoskins poked through the debris in her flood-wrecked house: a TV here, a light fixture there. Someone had been in and taken down the curtains. She blinked back a tear. It was a crisp early spring day and her …

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Sandy-Struck New Yorkers Seek Home Buyouts

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:06:38 +0000

Joseph Szczesny’s modest Staten Island home in New York was inundated when Superstorm Sandy slammed into the U.S. East Coast in October. Now six months later, the 63-year-old bridge repairman and his fiance are all but alone in their Oakwood …

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Group Says New Maryland Law Slams Door on Rebates by Shady Contractors

Fri, 03 May 2013 16:54:47 +0000

More Maryland homeowners will avoid a costly trap by predatory contractors thanks to a new law, the Washington, D.C.-based Coalition Against Insurance Fraud said. Maryland Senate Bill 736 was signed into law by Gov. Martin O’Malley on May 2. The …

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Homeowners Lose Oregon Landslide Lawsuit

Fri, 03 May 2013 16:35:27 +0000

A jury has ruled that Benton County does not have to compensate a Colorado couple who lost their Corvallis-area home to a landslide. The suit filed by Bob and Gayna Flake claimed their more than $800,000 loss constituted an “inverse …

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Southern California Wildfire Causes Homes To Be Evacuated

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:45:37 +0000

A Southern California wildfire grew to more than 15 square miles and firefighting crews prepared Friday for another bad day of gusting winds and searing weather. The fire erupted Thursday in the Camarillo area, damaging 15 homes and a cluster …

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Court of Appeal Upholds California Commissioner’s Authority in Mercury Suit

Thu, 02 May 2013 21:22:10 +0000

The California Court of Appeal upheld a Los Angeles Superior Court ruling on Thursday by dismissing Mercury Insurance Co.’s lawsuit challenging Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones’ authority to decrease the insurer’s homeowners rates. Jones in March issued a decision providing for …

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Mass. FAIR Plan Seeks Rate Hike; Expert Witnesses to Testify on Insurer’s Behalf

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:26:20 +0000

The Massachusetts FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) Plan, the state’s home insurer of last resort, has proposed this month an average statewide rate hike of 6.8 percent. The FAIR Plan, whose official name is Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association …

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Storms Flood Streets, Damage Houses in Southeast Louisiana

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:04:58 +0000

A fast-moving line of intense thunderstorms flooded streets, knocked out power to more than 30,000 people in southeast Louisiana on April 24 and spawned two tornadoes that damaged homes and businesses in Jefferson Parish. No injuries were reported. Kenner officials …

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2 Judges Consider State Farm Rates in Texas

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:00:14 +0000

The state’s consumer advocate has challenged State Farm Insurance Co.’s 20 percent rate hike for Texas homeowners as being too high. Public Insurance Counsel Deeia Beck on April 24 urged two administrative law judges in Austin to roll back State Farm’s …

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Penn. Commissioner: Spring Cleaning Good Time for Preventative Home Maintenance

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:36:18 +0000

Homeowners starting their spring cleaning projects should also give a thought to insurance too, Pennsylvania regulators advised. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department recommends taking the time for minor fixes now, to save homeowner insurance claims later. “Making sure things are in …

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Wildfires Prompt Colorado Insurance Changes

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:38:46 +0000

Colorado lawmakers are close to agreement on a slate of insurance changes inspired by homeowners’ complaints after last year’s wildfires. The state Senate gave final approval this week to a bill aimed at making homeowner insurance easier to use. Changes …

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After Irene and Lee in 2011, Some Families Still Displaced in New York

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:44:56 +0000

Amy and Bill Wetsel’s house near the Schoharie Creek is still empty and stripped down to wall studs. More than 19 months after the deluge of Tropical Storm Irene, their family still pays rent on another house and still tries …

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Maryland Dog Bite Liability Measure Fails in House

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:55:55 +0000

Lawmakers on the final day of the Maryland General Assembly failed to pass a measure that would change a court ruling that designated pit bulls as an “inherently dangerous” breed. The bill, which received unanimous approval from the Senate last …

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Interest in Personal Gun Liability Insurance Protection Increasing

Stephanie K. Jones — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:00:27 +0000

Interest in personal liability insurance for firearms owners has expanded with the media focus on gun-centric events and the public discussion of liability issues. While coverage is available through gun owner associations and through specialty insurers, the liability component of …

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Commentary: Will HUD’s Disparate Impact Rule Have Say in Ratemaking?

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:00:31 +0000

Despite the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which reserved the regulation of the “business of insurance” to the states, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has given itself the ability to upset and invalidate long-standing underwriting and ratemaking practices for homeowners’ …

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Washington Island Slide Victims Still Cut Off

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:54:43 +0000

Crews on Monday expect to finish cutting an emergency access road down to homes cut off by a massive mudslide last week on Whidbey Island in Washington. Initial evacuations were ordered on 35 homes after Wednesday’s slide, but so far one home …

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10 Things to Know About Home and Auto

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:17:43 +0000

There are more than 132 million housing units in the United States, more than 80 million of which are detached, single-family homes, and roughly one-in-four of those homes were built prior to the 1970s. (U.S. Census Bureau) In 2011, homeowners …

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American Integrity, Wright Flood to Offer Residential Flood Insurance

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:00:51 +0000

Florida residential property insurer American Integrity Insurance Group has partnered with Wright Flood, a flood insurance provider to offer residential flood insurance. Effective April 1, 2013, American Integrity Insurance Group will make flood coverage available through its network of independent …

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N.J. Poll: Rules Needed for Rebuilding After Superstorm

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:43:13 +0000

A new poll finds most New Jersey voters surveyed believe the state should impose specific rules on property owners who are rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy.The Fairleigh Dickinson-PublicMind poll from March 19 found that 64 percent of respondents believe property owners …

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Penn. Regulators Urge Consumers to Consider Buying Flood Insurance

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 07:48:54 +0000

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department is encouraging homeowners to consider buying flood insurance to help protect against potential spring floods. Winter ice and snow increases the chance of spring flooding, Pennsylvania regulators warned. Further, Pennsylvania is one of the most flood-prone …

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N.Y. Regulators Identify 10 Banks With Worst Sandy Aid Statistics

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:02:55 +0000

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state’s Department of Financial Services announced the “bottom 10″ banks with the worst statistics for paying out insurance claims to Superstorm Sandy victims. Officials said they have notified these banks to speed up …

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N.Y. Proposes Establishing Private Right of Action for Insureds Suffering Disaster Losses

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:55:35 +0000

A New York legislator proposed a new bill that would establish a private right of action for the insured for unfair insurance settlement practices when the claim relates to loss or injury in regions where the governor has declared a …

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N.J. Commissioner Commends Banks for Accelerating Payments of Insurance Proceeds

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:03:12 +0000

New Jersey’s top insurance regulator this week commended the actions of New Jersey community banks, national banks and servicers — including Wells Fargo Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and CitiMortgage. The regulator said these financial institutions continue to pursue …

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