Latest Homeowners Headlines
All the headlines from our Homeowners Topic Page, ordered by recency.
New York Hearings on ‘Forced’ Insurance in Foreclosure
May 20 2012 // Premiums for so-called force-placed insurance have more than tripled since 2004, producing enormous profits for insurers and the banks that take out policies when a homeowner fails to maintain coverage required by the...
The Industry’s Role in Cutting Down Crooked Contractors
May 17 2012 // Approximately one year ago, on Sunday, May 22 at about 5:30 p.m., Joplin, Mo. was devastated by a massive EF 5 tornado that at times was one mile wide and traveled on the ground for more than 20 miles. This storm,...
Home Insurance Rates Rose 19% Nationwide in 2011: Report
May 16 2012 // Homeowners insurance premiums went up 19 percent on average nationwide, according to a report from an online insurance provider. Homeinsurance.com said the typical premium for a new policy in December 2011 was $810...
Mass. Regulators Reject FAIR Plan’s Rate Hike Request
May 11 2012 // Massachusetts insurance regulators on Friday rejected FAIR Plan’s request to raise rates by an average of more than 7 percent. FAIR Plan, whose official name is Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriters...
Alabama Governor Signs Texting Ban; Expects to Sign Home Insurance Bills
May 9 2012 // Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has signed into law a measure (HB 2) that prohibits texting while driving. “Signing this bill sends a message that drivers need to focus on driving – not on sending a text,”...
Replacement Costs Battle on the Road to Somewhere
May 7 2012 // Steve Young was somewhat upbeat when he was asked what he thought about the outcome of a long-brewing legal battle between three insurance associations and the California Department of Insurance. That upbeat attitude is...
Appellate Court Dismisses Challenge To CDI Replacement Costs Regulation
May 3 2012 // The California Court of Appeal summarily dismissed a legal challenge by the Association of California Insurance Companies and the Personal Insurance Federation of California to homeowner protection regulations adopted by...
N.H. AG: Homeowners Have to Wait on Foreclosure Settlement Help
May 3 2012 // New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney says homeowners hoping to benefit from a settlement over foreclosure abuses may have to wait several months to receive assistance. The state is expected to get $43.6 million...
Allstate Profit Jumps 46% in Q1
May 3 2012 // Allstate Insurance reported a first quarter profit of $766 million, up by about 46 percent from a year-earlier profit of $524 million. The increase was due to improvement in operating income and, to a lesser extent,...
Coverage for Paranormal Activity? It Depends on the Specifics
Apr 30 2012 // One of the biggest stories in Toms River, N.J., in recent weeks involved an alleged haunted house in the neighborhood. According to local reports, Michele Callan and her fiance Josue Chinchilla had moved into a home in...
N.Y. Regulators to Hold Hearings on Force-Placed Insurance in May
Apr 26 2012 // New York’s financial regulators will hold hearings on the so-called force-placed insurance next month. These hearings will be open to the public and will also be webcast over the Internet. Benjamin Lawsky,...
Conn. Senate Passes Anti-Price-Gouging Bill to Help Homeowners
Apr 26 2012 // The Connecticut Senate has voted to expand consumer protections from price gouging during major storms, such as the freak October snow storm that hit the state last year. Senators voted 33-to-3 Wednesday in favor of the...
Insurance Premiums Climb to a Record $30B in Missouri in 2011
Apr 16 2012 // Missouri experienced a number of insurance industry “firsts” in 2011, including a record number of premium sales dollars, the largest-ever amount in claims paid for a single event in the state, and an...
Missouri Home Insurance Rates Rise
Apr 16 2012 // Missouri insurance regulators report that homeowners premiums increased 5 percent between July 2011 and March 2012. The figure is based on an analysis of rates charged by insurers covering 80 percent of homes. Disaster...
Replacement Costs Battle on the Road to Somewhere
Apr 13 2012 // Steve Young was somewhat upbeat when he was asked what he thought about the outcome of a long-brewing legal battle between three insurance associations and the California Department of Insurance. That upbeat attitude is...
Severe Weather Has Home Insurers Rethinking Coverages
Apr 10 2012 // As weather disasters strike with more frequency, U.S. homeowners first get hit with the destruction or total loss of property. Many are then hit with the unexpected loss of homeowners insurance policies as insurance...
Florida Homeowners Association Could Be Sued in Martin Shooting Case
Apr 10 2012 // If Trayvon Martin’s family sues over his death, they might not target George Zimmerman but instead the homeowners association of the neighborhood where the shooting happened and Zimmerman lived. That’s because...
Force-Placed Insurers on Hot Seat as N.Y. Regulators Expand Probe
Apr 6 2012 // New York regulators are expanding their investigation into the so-called force-placed insurance that target homeowners in financial distress. Benjamin Lawsky, the state’s superintendent for the financial services...
N.Y. Attorney General Warns Homeowners About New Mortgage Scams
Apr 5 2012 // New York’s attorney general is warning homeowners to be alert for phone calls from people posing as bank or government officials to get personal information through bogus offers of help with their mortgages. Eric...
Colorado Wildfire Victims Returning to Homes
Apr 3 2012 // The Lower North Fork wildfire in Jefferson County, Colo. is nearly 100 percent contained, and with all remaining evacuation and pre-evacuation orders lifted on Tuesday residents were returning to their homes. The fire,...
