California bill proposes statewide rules for wildfire smoke insurance claims
California bill proposes statewide rules for wildfire smoke insurance claims

California lawmakers introduced legislation designed to standardize how insurers handle wildfire smoke damage claims. The proposal follows major fires that contaminated thousands of homes across the state. Officials describe the proposal as the first statewide framework in the United States addressing insurance claims related specifically…
California’s FAIR Plan carries growing load as insurers retreat beyond wildfire zones
California’s FAIR Plan carries growing load as insurers retreat beyond wildfire zones

As another wildfire season approaches, California’s insurer of last resort is shouldering a rapidly expanding share of the state’s property risk, including in areas with relatively low wildfire exposure, as private carriers tighten underwriting and push more homeowners off standard policies. The California FAIR Plan,…
Dropped via Drone: Why Your Insurer is Scanning Your Roof Without Notice
Dropped via Drone: Why Your Insurer is Scanning Your Roof Without Notice

Linda Bennett lived in her Santa Ana home for decades without a single insurance problem. No leaks. No water damage. No complaints. Then a letter arrived from State Farm telling her to replace her roof or lose her coverage. Nobody knocked on her door. Nobody…
Homeowner hit with $1,200 tree repair charge after insurer’s ‘invasive’ drone flies over property
Homeowner hit with $1,200 tree repair charge after insurer’s ‘invasive’ drone flies over property

Lynne Schueler of Topsfield, Massachusetts, was shocked to receive the notice and terrified of the implications. She told CBS News: “It was very invasive, because they had taken a picture of my house without me knowing, which was really kind of crazy. “They were cancelling…
Amid climate crisis, insurers’ increased use of AI raises concern for policyholders
Amid climate crisis, insurers’ increased use of AI raises concern for policyholders

This article was produced by Capital & Main. It is published here with permission. William May’s home in Pacific Palisades was destroyed in the L.A. wildfires in January 2025. He’s still haunted by the memory of the “fireball burning everything in its path” on that…
Homeowner blindsided with $20k bill after State Farm secretly inspected roof by drone
Homeowner blindsided with $20k bill after State Farm secretly inspected roof by drone

The shocking notice came after State Farm reportedly spotted the issue using an AI-powered drone without the homeowner’s knowledge. Now, experts are claiming that the company was incorrect in its updated satellite imaging. Linda Bennett, who has lived in Santa Ana, California, for decades, was…
Cover Your ASSets
Cover Your ASSets

As UP begins our 35th year(!) helping insurance consumers before and after disasters, we know that even the savviest people can find themselves underinsured after a loss…learning the hard way that you can’t blindly trust that your home insurance is current with the value of…
US homeowners face chronic underinsurance as LA wildfire losses mount
US homeowners face chronic underinsurance as LA wildfire losses mount

A year after the Los Angeles wildfires, many survivors still face the same hard math. Insurance payouts fall short of rebuilding costs. Homes stand gone. Coverage caps don’t stretch far enough. Multiple studies show many policies never promised full replacement, despite what policyholders often assume.…
The 16% Homeowner Trap: Why Major Insurers are Quietly Canceling 2026 Policies This Week
The 16% Homeowner Trap: Why Major Insurers are Quietly Canceling 2026 Policies This Week

If you’ve lived in your home for a decade without ever filing a claim, you might think your “renewal” notice is a formality. But this week, thousands of homeowners in states like California, Florida, and Texas are receiving a different kind of letter: a non-renewal…
California fire survivors got a rude surprise that could hit more Americans
California fire survivors got a rude surprise that could hit more Americans

A year after the Los Angeleswildfires, many survivors face the same problem: Their insurance policies aren’t paying out enough to cover the cost of rebuilding. It’s a tragic predicament. And it will happen again when the next disaster hits. Since the 1990s, American homes have…
5 serious disadvantages of putting your home in a living trust. Know the risks before making a move in 2026
5 serious disadvantages of putting your home in a living trust. Know the risks before making a move in 2026

If you’re looking to simplify the process of transferring your home to your heirs after you pass, you may have considered transferring it to a living trust. This is a maneuver some estate planners recommend in order to avoid the dreaded probate process. It’s an…
Homes that survived historic LA wildfires now face dangerous levels of toxic compounds
Homes that survived historic LA wildfires now face dangerous levels of toxic compounds

“DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on a front door of an Altadena home. “May damage fertility or the unborn child. Causes damage to the central nervous system.” Block after block there are reminders that contaminants still linger. House cleaners, hazardous waste workers and…
Top Property Insurance Trends To Watch In 2026
Top Property Insurance Trends To Watch In 2026

Homeowners insurance investigations, a novel climate suit accusing oil majors of contributing to high premiums, and a California action accusing carriers of collusion are some of the top property insurance matters attorneys will be watching next year. Read more.
New insurance laws: Will they help homeowners?
New insurance laws: Will they help homeowners?

What we know: As the struggle with cost, availability of policies with adequate coverage at a price that doesn’t break homeowners’ backs continues, there has been progress and movement, but insurers still maintain the upper hand. Perhaps the most important change for homeowners is that…
Nevada’s New Wildfire Law Signals a Shift in Property Insurance Risk Allocation
Nevada’s New Wildfire Law Signals a Shift in Property Insurance Risk Allocation

Beginning January 1, 2026, Nevada home insurers will be permitted to remove wildfire coverage from standard homeowners policies. The new law, passed by the Nevada Legislature this fall, clarifies that insurers have statutory authority to exclude wildfire losses while also allowing them to offer wildfire-only…
Nevada Law Lets Insurers Drop Wildfire Coverage; Is California Next?
Nevada Law Lets Insurers Drop Wildfire Coverage; Is California Next?

Starting January 1, 2026, a new law in Nevada will allow home insurers to exclude wildfire coverage from standard homeowners policies. Passed by the Nevada Legislature, this law will permit insurers to offer wildfire-only policies, marking a significant shift in how property insurance is handled…
Home insurance costs soar in North Bay
Home insurance costs soar in North Bay

Sonoma County’s median rate for home insurance premiums shot up more over the past decade than in any other part of the ninecounty Bay Area, while Lake and Mendocino counties, where wildfires have exacted a wider if not deeper toll, have seen rates climb even…
Court rejects bid to beef up policies issued by California’s home insurer of last resort
Court rejects bid to beef up policies issued by California’s home insurer of last resort

Retired nurse Nancy Reed has been through the ringer trying to get insurance for her home next to a San Diego County nature preserve. First, she was dropped by her longtime carrier and forced onto the state’s insurer of last resort, the California FAIR Plan,…