Climate damage claims impacting mortgages and insurance consumers
Climate damage claims impacting mortgages and insurance consumers

The application of AI to weather disaster coverage and claims is creating problems for mortgage lenders, not just claimants, according to policyholder advocates who addressed the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) at its summer conference August 12. Read more.
Woman’s insurance canceled after drone flies over her home
Woman’s insurance canceled after drone flies over her home

A woman had her insurance canceled after a drone flew over her home. According to CBS News,a woman from Modesto, California told CBS Sacramento that her home insurance company of nearly 40 years dropped her coverage because of what it spotted with a drone. Joan…
District 1 Town Hall meeting to feature insurance consumer advocate Amy Bach
District 1 Town Hall meeting to feature insurance consumer advocate Amy Bach

Supervisor Heidi Hall is hosting a town hall meeting this evening at the Nevada City Council Chambers, featuring nationally recognized insurance consumer advocate Amy Bach, Executive Director and founder of United Policyholders. The meeting can be viewed live online from our YouTube channel or you…
Insurers deemed mold too risky decades ago. That coverage gap still surprises homeowners
Insurers deemed mold too risky decades ago. That coverage gap still surprises homeowners

When a nor’easter struck in 2018, intense winds blew shingles, gutters and siding off Brandi Schmitt’s home in Lothian, Maryland. Her family was without electricity for three days, during which time all of their food in the refrigerator spoiled and water continued to leak into…
The Hidden Risk: How Mold Coverage Gaps Leave Homeowners Vulnerable
The Hidden Risk: How Mold Coverage Gaps Leave Homeowners Vulnerable

As a journalist with over 20 years of experience in the legal and insurance sectors, I’ve seen firsthand how the complexities of insurance coverage can catch homeowners off guard. One of the most surprising gaps in coverage involves mold—a problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent…
California implements plan to speed up reviews of insurance price increases backed by Newsom
California implements plan to speed up reviews of insurance price increases backed by Newsom

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara bypassed the Legislature on Friday to implement a plan to speed up California’s review of price increases for home and automobile coverage. The proposal, which stalled for months after it was hastily championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is meant to soothe…
Homeowner: Insurance Company Looked in With Drones
Homeowner: Insurance Company Looked in With Drones

A California homeowner said her longtime insurance provider used drones to spy on her property, then refused to renew her policy after spotting “hazardous” construction debris and “clutter” in her Modesto yard. Joan Van Kuren told CBS News she had been renovating her home for…
Woman Has Insurance Canceled After Company Flew Drone Over Her House
Woman Has Insurance Canceled After Company Flew Drone Over Her House

A woman who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on home renovations had her insurance canceled after the company flew a drone over her house and cited unsanitary conditions. Joan Van Kuren from Modesto, California was furious after receiving a letter from CSAA dropping her…
Homeowner claims insurance company used drone to spy on her property before dropping her from plan: ‘No freaking way’
Homeowner claims insurance company used drone to spy on her property before dropping her from plan: ‘No freaking way’

A homeowner in California claims her longtime insurance provider dropped her after it allegedly used a drone to take images of her property while she was renovating her home. Joan Van Kuren said she received a notice from CSAA that it was ending its coverage…
Homeowners angry: eyes in the sky and AI lead to lost insurance coverage
Homeowners angry: eyes in the sky and AI lead to lost insurance coverage

Customers are angry with insurance companies not renewing their home coverage after using drones to inspect their properties. Sometimes unfair decisions are based on incomplete or inaccurate information. California woman Joan Van Kuren spent over $200,000 to remodel her home when her insurance policy was…
Home insurance canceled in Berkeley? Here’s what to do
Home insurance canceled in Berkeley? Here’s what to do

If you own a house in the Berkeley Hills, you’ve probably gotten one already or are dreading the day it will arrive in your mail: a notice that your home insurance provider will not renew your policy. Insurers are increasingly pulling away from writing policies…
Exclusive: Can California’s FAIR Plan handle a huge wildfire? Here’s what insurer’s president says
Exclusive: Can California’s FAIR Plan handle a huge wildfire? Here’s what insurer’s president says

How much money does California’s FAIR Plan have available to pay insurance claims if a huge wildfire were to cause billions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses? In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle, FAIR Plan President Victoria Roach for the first time…
Allstate in midst of requesting 34% insurance rate hike
Allstate in midst of requesting 34% insurance rate hike

Allstate has asked the state to approve an average 34.1% homeowners insurance rate hike for this year, the Department of Insurance confirmed Thursday. The rate hike request, filed in April 2023, was initially for 39.6%. But Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica-based consumer advocacy group, petitioned…
California woman’s home insurance dropped after drone view reveals clutter, unsanitary conditions during renovation
California woman’s home insurance dropped after drone view reveals clutter, unsanitary conditions during renovation

A Stanislaus County woman said her home insurance company of nearly 40 years abruptly canceled her coverage over what it spotted from a drone’s view high above her property. Joan Van Kuren of Modesto reached out to CBS Sacramento and the Call Kurtis consumer investigative…
MADE TO PAY I was stripped of my homeowner’s insurance after an ‘invasion of privacy’ – I was spied on and then hit with $14k bill
MADE TO PAY I was stripped of my homeowner’s insurance after an ‘invasion of privacy’ – I was spied on and then hit with $14k bill

HOMEOWNERS are being dropped by their home insurance after insurers admit to using aerial drones to scout properties and roofs looking for flaws. Bob Emerick, a resident of Mount Pleasant, Pennslyvania says he received documents from Travelers Insurance indicating that his policy would be dropped…
Drones May Determine Whether You Get To Keep Your Property Insurance Policy
Drones May Determine Whether You Get To Keep Your Property Insurance Policy

Drones are used for so many things now, and that includes checking to see if your home meets policy requirements. But not everyone is happy about that. Amy Bach with consumer advocacy group “United Policyholders” says a lot of people are losing their insurance this…
Key questions to ask when shopping for homeowners insurance
Key questions to ask when shopping for homeowners insurance

If you haven’t shopped around for homeowners insurance, experts say you should You’ve heard it pays to shop around for homeowners insurance rates, but price is only part of the equation. Policies vary depending on coverage limits, deductibles and exclusions. Here are some key questions…
Insurance companies are using drones to inspect homes
Insurance companies are using drones to inspect homes

If you’re a homeowner and you notice a drone flying over your house, it might be your insurance company checking to see if your home is meeting policy requirements. Insurance companies are using drones to take images of homes to avoid insuring high-risk homes and…