California Positioned to Lead National Property Insurance Reform
California Positioned to Lead National Property Insurance Reform

Insurance attorney Daniel Veroff says the devastating Los Angeles County wildfires have created an opportunity for California to address systematic underinsurance of homeowners. The devastating Los Angeles County wildfires in January exposed a crisis that has been decades in the making: the systematic underinsurance of…
Rebuilding Altadena bogs down in red tape and frustration
Rebuilding Altadena bogs down in red tape and frustration

About six months after the Eaton Fire, a majority of lots with destroyed homes in Altadena have been cleared. But for homeowners hoping to rebuild, the hard work remains: slogging through insurance paperwork and government permits. On Len Silvernail and Diane Toomey’s cul-de-sac near Rubio…
Regulator starts task force to address denials of LA fire smoke claims
Regulator starts task force to address denials of LA fire smoke claims

Following a June 24 LA Superior Court ruling against the California FAIR Plan for illegally denying wildfire smoke damage claims, the state’s insurance commissioner has created a Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force. Read more.
‘Unsafe to Inhabit’: The Toxic Homes of L.A.
‘Unsafe to Inhabit’: The Toxic Homes of L.A.

After the fires clouded neighborhoods in smoke, residents whose homes were spared learned that danger was still lurking in the walls, the furniture and the air. But their insurers have doubts. Read more
In landmark decision, judge rules California FAIR Plan’s smoke-damage policy is illegal
In landmark decision, judge rules California FAIR Plan’s smoke-damage policy is illegal

In a landmark decision, a Los Angeles judge has ruled that California’s home insurer of last resort is violating state law by how it treats smoke damage claims — a policy that homeowners have long complained shortchanges them, including, most recently, victims of the Jan.…
Your CLUE report could save you money on auto and home owners insurance
Your CLUE report could save you money on auto and home owners insurance

If your car is in an accident, or your house is damaged in a storm, the insurance claims you file will wind up in your CLUE report. The trouble is most people have never heard of a CLUE report, even though the data in it…
Choosing the right homeowner’s insurance coverage
Choosing the right homeowner’s insurance coverage

When an emergency strikes and damages your home, knowing what’s covered in your homeowner’s insurance is essential in the recovery process. Homeowner’s insurance is crucial to owning a home, and recent changes in insurance costs and coverage might have homeowners wondering about their coverage. Homeowners…
Risky business: More insurers willing to back Florida property, but how healthy are they?
Risky business: More insurers willing to back Florida property, but how healthy are they?

Since the Florida property insurance market nearly became its own catastrophe a few years ago, this hurricane season arrived June 1 with 12 new insurers ready to help Floridians weather what’s coming. Those new entrants were announced as a sign that the market forces that had been pushing Florida’s insurance…
The Hidden Risks in Your Wildfire Insurance and How to Fix Them
The Hidden Risks in Your Wildfire Insurance and How to Fix Them

So far this year, more than 28,000 wildfires have burned at least 1 million acres in the U.S., surpassing the 10-year average. This growing risk is changing the wildfire insurance market. Insurers are raising prices, leaving certain areas, and changing policy rules. As a result,…
This lab is testing whether your house can stand up to a hurricane
This lab is testing whether your house can stand up to a hurricane

RICHBURG, S.C. — This hurricane season, your home could take a beating from strong winds, high flooding, and maybe even hail. It’s important to make sure your home is built to fight through any severe weather. Channel 9 Meteorologist Keith Monday took a tour of…
‘I think that’s simply fraud’: California hearing probes solutions to underinsurance after Chronicle investigation
‘I think that’s simply fraud’: California hearing probes solutions to underinsurance after Chronicle investigation

In an impassioned hearing that extended well beyond its two-hour allotted time, builders, insurance experts and policyholder advocates testified to the California Board of Equalization about the harms of widespread and severe underinsurance among California wildfire survivors, after a Chronicle investigation that exposed the severity…
50% of California homeowners are under insured
50% of California homeowners are under insured

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Board of Equalization, the state’s tax collector, held a hearing over concerns about lower revenues to finance state operations stemming from wildfires. Long recoveries deny the state many forms of revenue as people struggle to rebuild. The Board heard some…
Resource guides and links for homeowners and renters
Resource guides and links for homeowners and renters

Understanding homeowner’s and renter’s insurance can be daunting, with more questions than answers. KCAL News is here to help provide resources to help answer those questions. It is all apart of KCAL Insurance Week: We’ve Got You Covered. Below is a list of organizations and…
California approves 17% rate hike for State Farm homeowners insurance
California approves 17% rate hike for State Farm homeowners insurance

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is still there in California. However, homes in Golden State neighborhoods will see higher insurance bills. On May 13, State Farm was given the green light to raise homeowners insurance premiums by 17 percent. Renters and condo insurance were…
Nonprofit Offers Free Expert Insurance Advice To Eaton Fire Survivors
Nonprofit Offers Free Expert Insurance Advice To Eaton Fire Survivors

United Policyholders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for insurance consumers, is offering free assistance to survivors of the Eaton Fire. The independent organization has scheduled two upcoming events designed to help wildfire victims navigate insurance claims and explore housing options during their recovery journey.…
California home insurance rates to continue rising, experts warn
California home insurance rates to continue rising, experts warn

Home insurance prices in California will keep rising, say industry experts at a conference this week. Home insurance prices will continue rising. That was a message from industry experts this week, as they gathered to discuss the state’s insurance crisis. “It’s going to be a…
What to know: California approves State Farm’s emergency rate hike request
What to know: California approves State Farm’s emergency rate hike request

State Farm, California’s largest property insurer, won a first-of-its-kind emergency approval on Tuesday to quickly hike rates on more than a million homeowners and renters insurance policies. State Farm said it needs the emergency rate hike, by more than 15%, because the Los Angeles-area fires…
California approves State Farm’s request for 17% premium increase for homeowners
California approves State Farm’s request for 17% premium increase for homeowners

State Farm can soon start raising premiums by 17% for its California home insurance customers. State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara approved the rate hike Tuesday. California’s top insurance regulator said Tuesday that State Farm can soon start raising premiums by 17% for all of its…