December 8, 2024 Putting Florida more in line with national practices Stacey Clark walks around her Bethel Creek home with her dog Sweetie on Oct. 15 after a tornado tore through her home Oct. 9 before Hurricane Milton passed through the area. Clark was in her home with Sweetie when the tornado ripped her roof off.…
December 6, 2024 Earthquake policyholders scarce despite quake risk North Bay property owners may be rethinking their insurance coverage following the 7.0 earthquake off the coast of Humboldt County on Thursday morning. Despite experiencing 90% of the nation’s earthquakes, only 10% of California’s residents have earthquake insurance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.…
December 6, 2024 Earthquake policyholders scarce despite quake risk North Bay property owners may be rethinking their insurance coverage following the 7.0 earthquake off the coast of Humboldt County on Thursday morning. Despite experiencing 90% of the nation’s earthquakes, only 10% of California’s residents have earthquake insurance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.…
December 5, 2024 The other ‘mean season’ begins as insurers tally losses, decide whether premium hikes needed In mid-November, more than a month after Hurricane Milton’s Florida landfall rendered her Zephyrhills home uninhabitable, Jessica Fernandez was still wondering how her life could be returned to anything like it was before Mother Nature’s fury descended from the skies. She filed insurance claims the…
December 4, 2024 High insurance and non-renewals hit hard in Mendocino County Everyone knows that California, like many other states, is in the midst of an insurance crisis. The pressing questions are: What can property owners do to bring costs down, and is there help on the horizon? On Nov. 19, the eve of the season’s first…
December 3, 2024 What’s next in California’s insurance crisis? Commissioner Lara lays out plan, addresses criticism Significant questions are being raised about promises made by California’s Insurance Commissioner alleging insurers will be expanding coverage in fire-prone areas by 85%. A critical issue that affects millions of policyholders across the state as insurers drop. 7 On Your Side investigates the promises Commissioner…
December 1, 2024 California homeowner made costly upgrades to satisfy his insurer. He still got dropped Sonoma County homeowner Ed Wong found himself in a rare situation: He knew exactly what he needed to do to avoid getting dropped by his insurer. The company had even given him a list. On it were three mandatory upgrades, for gas, plumbing and security…
November 28, 2024 Is it possible to get a break in an insurance crisis? Everyone knows that California, like many other states, is in the midst of an insurance crisis. The pressing questions are: what can property owners do to bring costs down; and is there help on the horizon? On the eve of the season’s first atmospheric river,…
November 28, 2024 Panel to tackle state fire insurance crisis Dec. 8 California’s insurance crisis and what can be done about it is the focus of a panel discussion set for Sunday, Dec. 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Ojai Retreat & Inn, 160 Besant Road. The wildfire insurance coverage panel, organized by the Ojai…
November 27, 2024 National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Fall 2024 Meeting Summary The Mitchell Williams Insurance Regulatory team of attorneys recently attended the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Fall 2024 National Meeting which was held in Denver, Colorado. We have prepared a summary of the open sessions conducted over the course of the meeting highlighting issues…
November 22, 2024 Flood insurance in California: Here’s how to sign up California is once again being drenched by an atmospheric river-driven storm — but by the time a storm is in the forecast, it’s most often too late for homeowners to buy flood insurance. But it’s not too late to protect against future storms. Just 185,000…
November 13, 2024 Take these steps if your home or business could be damaged by NJ wildfires As a wildfire fueled by drought near the New Jersey-New York border left an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter dead and burned through thousands of acres, forecasters are warning of an increased risk of spread throughout the week. The blaze, formally named the Jennings Creek wildfire, is…
November 8, 2024 Homeowners try to move forward when wildfire losses weren’t covered by insurance More homeowners across the country are going without insurance. In a dispersed California community, some homeowners are trying to figure out how to move forward when their losses weren’t covered. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: If your home gets wiped out by a natural disaster and you…
November 8, 2024 Dropped by your insurance company? Here’s what you should do next Whether you live in the foothills or the suburbs, it’s likely you or someone you know has received a letter of non-renewal from their insurance company. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — ‘Support consumers, not sell them on something,’ is a policy insurance consumer advocate Amy Bach grew…
November 3, 2024 NJ auto insurers seeking double-digit rate hikes NJ auto insurers seeking double-digit rate hikes Most of New Jersey’s auto insurers are asking for double digit rate hikes this year — the most, 63% from Metromile, followed by 43% from Farmers. “It’s really related to how insurers are reacting in general both to…
November 1, 2024 Auto insurance costs up nearly 20% nationwide. Here’s how to save | Dollars & Sense You’re likely paying more for auto insurance here in California than you were last year, according to new data. The Consumer Price Index shows auto insurance rates went up 20% from May 2023 to May 2024, based on the U.S. average. Amy Bach, executive director…
October 31, 2024 Texas Wind Insurer’s Rate Denial Spurs Funding Concerns The Texas insurance commissioner’s recent decision to deny a proposed 10% rate increase for the state’s windstorm insurer of last resort has been applauded by some for prioritizing affordable coverage for… Read more
October 25, 2024 The ruthless insurance companies using DRONES to stiff homeowners Home insurance companies can fly drones over customers’ homes unannounced to spot any defects and refuse to renew policies. Across the country homeowners have reported having policies suddenly dropped after insurers captured aerial images with drones and noticed problems. Insurance expert Karl Susman told CBS8…