Live Insurance News

Flood insurance rates set to rise

March 12, 2015March 11, 2015 Logan B.

Homeowners and businesses will see an increase in their coverage costs Flood insurance rates are expected to rise soon, with homeowners in risk-prone areas being hit the hardest by the increase. While flood protection costs have been mitigated for a time, higher rates were inevitable in order to ensure that the National Flood Insurance Program from its financial problems. Per the provisions of the Flood Insurance Affordability Act, which had initially halted the rise in insurance premiums, new surcharges will be issued on properties with flood protection. Primary residences will…

FEMA official reports insurance fraud evidence

March 2, 2015March 1, 2015 Julie Campbell

New York power outage from Hurricane Sandy- Homeowners Insurance fraud Coverage

According to the “60 Minutes” news magazine, a top official has seen evidence suggesting wrongful settlement denials. A recent report from “60 Minutes”, the respected news magazine from CBS, a top official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has stated that he has witnessed evidence of insurance fraud within the reports that were made to deny settlements to victims of superstorm Sandy. In an interview that was televised last night (Sunday), the official made it clear that the evidence does exist. Within the CBS program, the deputy associate administrator…

Flood insurance claims probe sought by New Jersey Senator

November 18, 2014November 15, 2014 H. Cutner

Hurricane Sandy Damage flood Insurance surcharge

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez feels that victims of Superstorm Sandy were shortchanged by insurers. According to U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (New Jersey), the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) should be conducting an investigation into allegations that are being made that flood insurance companies that have been handling the flooding damage claims from Superstorm Sandy are manipulating the situation in order to shortchange policyholders. Senator Menendez held a press conference from his office in Newark, New Jersey. At the press conference, Senator Menendez called for Craig Fugate, the FEMA Administrator, to…

Flood Insurance is a Problem in the U.S.

September 13, 2014September 12, 2014 Note From The Editor

Flood insurance remains a problematic issue that relatively few people are paying attention to in the United States. For homeowners, this type of insurance coverage comes from the federal government, issued through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This program is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. NFIP is typically the only place to find flood protection, but the program is suffering from crippling debt and management issues that make it less than ideal for those wanting to be protected from natural disasters. An estimated 20% of homeowners throughout…

Senator calls for reforms to National Flood Insurance Program

September 12, 2014September 11, 2014 Nordstrom

Insurance reform may be needed in order for federal program to survive Flood insurance continues to be a concerning issue in the U.S., where flood coverage is primarily provided through the National Flood Insurance Program, which is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The federal program has become crippled by debt following powerful hurricanes that caused widespread flooding in some parts of the country. This debt has been augmented by the impact of Hurricane Sandy. Those living in the states hit hardest by this powerful disaster are still…

Flood insurance companies sued by almost 1,000 Sandy victims in New Jersey

April 30, 2014April 28, 2014 H. Cutner

Lawsuits have been filed by hundreds of homeowners in the state since late last year. According to a recent report based on data from the U.S. District Court Clerk’s Office, close to 1,000 victims of Hurricane Sandy have filed lawsuits against their flood insurance companies since late in 2013. The same report claims that the number of lawsuits will likely double within the next 12 months. The data showed that in New Jersey, there had been 974 flood insurance lawsuits filed, by the time the report was released. That said,…

Flood insurance may be set for reform in Alabama

March 25, 2014March 25, 2014 Logan B.

New legislation seeks to address problems with insurance coverage New legislation in Alabama could have a major impact on flood insurance throughout the state. Currently, homeowners throughout the state must rely on the National Flood Insurance Program in order to find the protection that they need. The program, however, is riddled with debt and has come under fire for its inability to pay claims effectively. Moreover, coverage through the federal program is becoming significantly more effective for many people throughout the country. The problems with the federal program have lead…