Homeowners Insurance: Consumer Reports investigates

Will your insurance company be there for you in the aftermath of a disaster, when you most need it? The answer might be no.

When Consumer Reports National Research Center surveyed readers about their homeowners insurance claims in the last few years, half of those who had filed claims related to Hurricane Katrina reported problems. That’s twice the rate of problems reported by other respondents. Twenty-six percent of Katrina victims said they were paid too little, compared with 11 percent of others. A disaster tests everyone, and in the eyes of our readers insurers often failed that test.