Latest Homeowners Headlines
All the headlines from our Homeowners Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Supreme Court Rules Replacement Cost Includes Contractor’s Profit
Aug 5 2013 // Florida’s high court has ruled that insurers under a 2008 law must pay a contractor’s overhead and profit as part of the expense of repairing a homeowner’s property despite repairs not having been...
Allstate’s Investments Up, Disaster Costs Down in Q2
Aug 1 2013 // Allstate Corp., the largest publicly traded U.S. auto and home insurer, said second-quarter profit climbed on investment gains and reduced costs tied to natural disasters. Net income climbed 2.6 percent to $434 million, or...
Sandy Aid Tilted Toward Neediest N.J. Homeowners
Jul 30 2013 // Federal rules require that at least half of the Superstorm Sandy aid coming to New Jersey goes to residents at or below moderate income levels. An analysis by The Record newspaper finds that so far, the Christie...
New Jersey Flood Victims Face Difficult Buyout Decision
Jul 29 2013 // Bob and Pat Smith have seen many floods in their 47 years on Water Street, but none as severe as in Superstorm Sandy. Last year’s storm waters rose halfway up their front door and left a debris field of mud and mold...
Chubb Q2 Profit Jumps 43% to $579M; Renewal Rates Up in All Business Units
Jul 26 2013 // The Chubb Corp. reported its 2013 second quarter net income of $579 million, a 43.3 percent increase from $404 million net income posted a year ago. The company said it benefited from higher rates and stronger underlying...
One-Third Fail to Activate Theft Prevention Measures on Their Homes
Jul 24 2013 // Almost of a third of American homeowners who have anti-theft devices on their homes don’t use them — even during the summer when burglars are at their busiest. A survey commissioned by Nationwide Insurance found...
Florida Supreme Court Rules Replacement Cost Includes Contractor’s Profit
Jul 24 2013 // Florida’s high court has ruled that insurers under a 2008 law must pay a contractor’s overhead and profit as part of the expense of repairing a homeowner’s property despite the fact the repairs may not...
Flood Insurance an Issue in Louisiana’s U.S. Senate Race
Jul 24 2013 // U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and her Senate race challenger, U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, are jockeying for credit and prominence on a high-profile problem for many Louisiana residents: the skyrocketing cost of flood insurance...
2,700 New Jersey Homeowners Getting Money to Raise Houses
Jul 23 2013 // About 2,700 New Jersey homeowners will get federal grants to elevate homes damaged by Superstorm Sandy.Construction workers raise a house in Brick, N.J. on July 22. Under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Elevation...
Florida Agents Challenged to Profit on Homeowners Business: FAIA
Jul 22 2013 // Many Florida independent insurance agencies are challenged to make money on the initial placement of the homeowners insurance policies. That’s a finding from The Agent Compensation Study commissioned by the Florida...
Coastal Lawmakers Seek Delays in Flood Insurance Changes
Jul 22 2013 // Just a year after Congress approved changes in the oft-criticized federal flood insurance program, protests from homeowners facing higher premiums have coastal lawmakers pressing for delays to preserve below-cost rates for...
FEMA Asked to Review Flood Insurance Rules
Jul 22 2013 // U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to consider reversing denials of Superstorm Sandy flood claims based on the “earth movement” exclusion. Gillibrand said...
Wildfires, Hail Take Toll on Colorado Homeowners Insurance
Jul 22 2013 // It’s safe to say there’s a lot going on in the homeowners insurance scene in Colorado, where homeowners insurance rates are likely to be on the rise for some time. Insured losses from the recent Black Forest...
New York Provides $16M to Some Flooded Upstate Counties
Jul 18 2013 // The state will provide $16 million to homeowners, business operators and farmers in five of the 12 upstate counties that were declared disaster areas after recent severe flooding but denied federal aid, Gov. Andrew Cuomo...
North Carolina Residual Market Issues $500 Million in Cat Bonds; Rate Hikes Go Into Effect
Jul 16 2013 // North Carolina’s two residual homeowners insurance markets have jointly issued $500 million in pre-event catastrophe bonds to ensure they have enough money on hand to quickly pay claims following hurricanes and other...
Sandy-Damaged Homes in New Jersey Starting to Be Leveled
Jul 12 2013 // Along the New Jersey shore this year, the sounds of summer include earth-moving equipment still cleaning up the devastation wrought last year by Superstorm Sandy. Officials say knocking down the homes that are too damaged...
Florida Consumer Advocate to Review Insurers’ Homeowners Claims Handling
Jul 12 2013 // Florida’s insurance consumer advocate is launching a group to look at how insurance companies are handling claims from homeowners. Robin Smith Westcott said she is creating a working group to come up with...
Wildfires, Hail Take Toll on Colorado Homeowners Insurance
Jul 11 2013 // It’s safe to say there’s a lot going on in the homeowners insurance scene in Colorado, where homeowners insurance rates are likely to be on the rise for some time. Insured losses from the recently doused Black...
Coastal Lawmakers Seek Delays in Flood Insurance Changes, Rate Hikes
Jul 8 2013 // Just a year after Congress imposed significant changes in the government’s oft-criticized flood insurance program, howls of protest from homeowners facing higher premiums have coastal lawmakers pressing for delays...
New Jersey Court Rules Against Homeowners in Dune Dispute
Jul 8 2013 // A New Jersey town can present evidence of the benefits of building dunes as storm barriers when homeowners with beachfront properties seek compensation for losing their ocean views, the state’s highest court...