Homeowners Insurance

In order to buy a house or maintain a mortgage, homeowners insurance is required. But the practices of insurance companies are making this product that we buy to satisfy mortgage companies increasingly irrelevant to us as customers and homeowners.

Disaster: Insurance Claims Checklist
California law requires insurance companies to pay claims promptly and for the full amount covered by the policy. However, as most consumers know, getting an insurance company to pay your claim can be a difficult and stressful experience. Review this checklist, which offers suggestions on how you can protect your rights if a fire, earthquake or other natural disaster causes you a loss. California residents should visit the Cal. Earthquake Authority to learn more about earthquake insurance options available.

Your Credit History Should Not Increase Your Insurance Premium
Everybody knows that their credit history will impact their ability to get loans and the interest rate they'll be charged. There is some logical relationship: a bank will risk loaning a customer money as long as the consumer has a history of making good on previous loans. But around the country, people are asking: What does paying off my Visa card have to do with whether or not a windstorm blows shingles off my roof?

Read more about why credit scoring should not be allowed to determine how much a customer pays for homeowners insurance.

Use It and Lose It
At FTCR we have heard a lot of complaints about an insurance company practice known as "Use It and Lose It," in which insurers will refuse to renew customers' policies simply because they have filed claims under their policy. Read about the type of reforms we are fighting for to stop this unfair practice.