The Credit and Insurance Consequences of Natural and Man-Made Catastrophes

One year after Hurricane Katrina and five years after the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, these communities are still struggling with the financial fallout of the disasters. Survivors of such catastrophes face significant credit and insurance consequences and uncertainty about how to respond is widespread. Borrowers are unsure of the scope of their obligations and creditors, struggling to craft policies that are compassionate, also want to avoid widespread default and foreclosure.

On September 7, a panel of experts from consumer credit, municipal bonds rating and insurance industries joined public policy analysts to examine these concerns and present recent findings. The forum addressed credit and insurance implications for families, community groups, government agencies, and small businesses hit by disaster, and considered whether credit bureaus should provide a different credit score to catastrophe victims.