Congress approves short-term National Flood Insurance Program fix

In Washington D.C., Congress has given the nod to an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), to maintain it until November 18, 2011, after having failed to pass a reforming bill for the program. It is hoped that this extension will provide enough time for a reported deal to close, which is supported by both parties. What this means to homeowners in any of the 20,000 communities that take part in the NFIP, is that if you will be purchasing a home or if you are attempting to…

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Senate passes bill to prolong the National Flood Insurance Program for a short period while trying to resolve issues

Recent storm bringing widespread flood damage have brought the issue of flood insurance into the limelight. Despite it being required in some areas prone to flooding, flood insurance is rare throughout the country. Many insurance companies do not offer such coverage because the potential for loss. Those that do offer the coverage do so at a high price, making it, in some cases, unaffordable for homeowners. Complicating matters is the ailing National Flood Insurance Program, which is meant to provide consumers with affordable access to flood insurance. The program is…

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Storms raging in the Southeastern U.S. may put heavy burden on those without flood insurance

Tropical Storm Lee is making its way through the Southeastern U.S. bringing torrents of rain and the fear of widespread flooding. On its heels is Hurricane Katia, which has forecasters baffled as to where it will be heading. Lee made landfall over the weekend, inundating Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and parts of Louisiana with water. The storm will put strain on an insurance industry that is already reeling from the passing of Hurricane Irene last week and has many worried whether the industry can handle another flood disaster. Flood insurance is…

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National Flood Insurance Program takes yet another financial blow in the form of Hurricane Irene

The damage wrought by Hurricane Irene may be more than original estimated. Though the storm was not quite as powerful as has been predicted, it brought major floods to much of the East Coast. Given the scarcity of flood insurance amongst homeowners, many sought refuge from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The program has been on unsure financial footing for several months, however, being billions of dollars in debt. The program is meant to offer insurance coverage to homeowners that cannot receive such coverage through private insurance companies, yet…

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U.S natural disasters: How the insurance industry is faring and what consumers need to know about the future.

As Hurricane Irene barrels down on the East Coast, Chris Hackett, Director of Personal Lines Policies for The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), has quite a few things to say concerning insurance and how people will be affected by the storm. We were able to ask Mr. Hackett about current, past and even future potential natural disaster events that we all should prepare for. Here is what he had to say: Live Insurance News – With hurricane Irene beating down on the Carolinas, and maybe even New York,…

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